Chapter 224: Medusa.
A tall woman with purple hair stood before Eikou.
The chain in her hand tightly bound the great hero Heracles, producing creaking sounds as if it were about to snap.
Bound, Heracles let out an enraged roar, his muscles swelling ferociously, his entire body bursting with a dangerous blood-red glow as he tried to use his strength to break free from the purple-haired woman.
Boom!
However, the purple-haired woman forcefully pressed him down with her own strength.
Eikou stared wide-eyed at this Servant who felt both familiar and unfamiliar.
What struck his eyes first was her long purple hair flowing down her back like a waterfall, the soft contours of her back, and the black tight outfit accentuating her mature and alluring curves.
"Are you alright, Master."
She turned her head toward Eikou, her voice somewhat distant.
The beautiful woman before him wore a purple blindfold, revealing half of a snow-white yet cold face. Her plump pink lips, and faintly visible sharp teeth beneath them. Because of her intense movement, her ample chest rose and fell violently, her entire body radiating a mysterious, dangerous, and enticing aura of a mature woman.
This is…
An adult version of Medusa Lily?!
"Oho, this is quite an unexpected development!"
El-Melloi II loudly exclaimed from the commentary room.
"When the Master fell into danger, his Servant did not hesitate to change her Spirit Origin, evolving into a stronger existence. In just a flash, her chain had already restrained Heracles. So fast, even faster than Achilles!"
El-Melloi II continued explaining in an excited voice: "Even though she switched to a stronger Spirit Origin, she is still, after all, a woman. Yet she relied purely on physical strength to restrain the great hero Heracles, even if only for a few short seconds. Just how did she manage that?!"
"Because Medusa possesses the innate skill Monstrous Strength. Her actual Strength parameter is far higher than what the status sheet shows."
Merlin said seriously, "Lord El-Melloi, don't you have Discerning Eye? How could you ask such a basic question?"
"I know, of course I know! I just wanted to blend in with the lively atmosphere for a moment! Why do you always have to spoil the mood at times like this?!"
"Hahaha."
Seeing the famously serious lecturer turn red with frustration, Merlin laughed joyfully.
"It's nothing. I just happen to have a bit of a connection with the purple-haired girl down in the stands. Seeing that kid force herself to grow up just to protect someone else makes my heart feel warm. In human terms… it's quite touching."
"Sounds nice when you say it, but you always have that fake smile on your face. Even if you were really moved, at most your heart skipped half a beat. That's it."
"Haha, it's not as exaggerated as you make it sound."
Merlin merely smiled lightly.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield of the arena, the fierce battle continued.
Eikou stared, eyes wide, at the Medusa standing before him.
Although the appearance of this purple-haired woman was completely different from Anna, he recognized her immediately. Because the quiet, reserved temperament, and the dangerous aura emanating from that purple hair had never changed.
"Master, I know you have a lot you want to say."
Medusa said calmly. "But focus on the battle in front of us first. Say whatever you want afterward."
"Alright, Anna."
Eikou nodded seriously.
"..."
Hearing that familiar way of addressing her, Medusa's body stiffened slightly. Under the purple blindfold, a faint trace of embarrassment could be sensed.
"In this situation, don't call me that. Just call me Medusa."
"?"
What's going on? She grew up, yet somehow became even more easily embarrassed?
Eikou really wanted to blurt that out, but he knew this wasn't the time to tease her.
On the other side, Artoria was still charging magic energy for her Noble Phantasm. The time needed to fully load the energy was about ten more seconds.
For an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm, that amount of time couldn't be called long. But it was still fatal, because Heracles and Jason absolutely wouldn't let them finish, and would risk their lives to interrupt the release of the Noble Phantasm!
"Tsk tsk, quite good…"
Jason showed impatience, clicked his tongue lightly, then raised his hand as if giving the order for a full assault.
"Too bad I'll never let you have your way. If you want to use a Noble Phantasm to decide the match, then we will also use a Noble Phantasm! Heracles, it's time to show them our combined Noble Phantasm!"
"Combined Noble Phantasm?!"
Eikou on the battlefield and even El-Melloi II in the commentary room were both stunned.
But El-Melloi II quickly used his eyes to confirm the opponent's Noble Phantasm.
"Oh, what he calls a 'combined Noble Phantasm' is Jason's [Astrápste Argo: The Radiant Ship That Tears the Heavens]. This is a Noble Phantasm that summons the members of the Argonauts to launch an all-out attack, and Heracles, as one of the crew, is also counted. Combined with Heracles' Noble Phantasm Nine Lives and God Hand, the explosive power is not something to be underestimated."
"All the members of the Argonauts will be summoned?"
Merlin asked.
El-Melloi II glanced at him, thinking silently Don't you have Clairvoyance, but as a teacher, he still patiently continued explaining: "It depends on the situation, mostly on Jason's attitude and the mood of the crew. The more heroic Jason's behavior is, the more crew members he can call forth."
"So that's how it is, similar to some male Arthur, the one where the more support he receives from the Knights of the Round Table, the more power Excalibur can unleash."
"..."
Eikou silently listened to the commentary, and his tense heart finally loosened a little.
"If that's the case, then your Noble Phantasm isn't scary anymore."
He said, "Crew members Medea and Atalanta both stand on my side, so the power of your Noble Phantasm must have weakened greatly."
"Haha, how naive,"
Jason sneered with contempt, "A virgin boy as naive as you wouldn't survive even three frames in our Greece. How could my Argonauts consist only of a few women whose heads are full of love? The number of heroes willing to follow the Argonauts is countless!"
As he said this, he seemed to sense something, revealing a smug, confident grin: "Oh, I can feel it—another crew member wishes to board my ship. Then come, let us launch an all-out assault on the enemy together!"
Hearing this, Eikou couldn't help but be shaken inside.
In other words, in this situation, Jason could still summon a new Servant?!
"Go forth, my crew,"
Jason shouted loudly, and along with the Noble Phantasm, that Argonauts crew member appeared behind him.
"Astrápste Argo: The Radiant Ship That Tears the Heavens!"
...