Medusa and Archer had clashed countless times, both in duels and full-scale battles. After the Fuyuki Holy Grail War, the surviving servants (though only Cu Chulainn had fallen) would gather occasionally. As Jiang You's reserve forces, they needed to understand each other's abilities and combat styles for potential coordination, whether in battle or casual conversation.
Miyu was already quite familiar with Archer's unique fighting style—a servant who wielded weapons as projectiles. Only Gilgamesh and Archer could execute such a technique, though Gilgamesh's approach resembled a machine gun in its relentless barrage.
Moreover, Archer possessed the ability called Broken Phantasm. Therefore, Miyu hadn't missed her shot; she was simply afraid of harming Prisma Illya!
Realizing this, Medusa immediately used her chain sword to bind Prisma Illya's waist, then swung her around, using the momentum to swap their positions. This way, if the weapon shattered, Prisma Illya would take the brunt of the damage, not Medusa herself.
Medusa dared to do this because Jiang You was present. He had the ability to convert damage into a Duel invitation, allowing her to fight without restraint when necessary.
"Such a despicable tactic!" Sapphire complained, though it understood that real battles had no rules. "If she's using Illya as a hostage, we'll have to engage her in close combat. That puts an Archer at a severe disadvantage! Miyu, just stall Medusa as long as possible. Let Illya complete her Install so we can turn this into a two-on-one situation. That's our only chance of winning."
"Close combat, then?"
Miyu felt her servant instincts telling her that close combat was her forte.
She immediately projected two daggers—one black, one white—and hurled them like projectiles as she closed in on Medusa.
Prisma Illya, still dizzy from being flung around by Medusa, couldn't even grasp the situation. She had already exhausted herself fleeing, and now she was ready to surrender and withdraw from the battle.
Ruby, however, had been observing the battlefield closely. When it saw Miyu's "arrows" streaking toward Medusa, it exclaimed in astonishment,
"Archer?! Isn't that Class Card in Illya's possession? How did Miyu achieve an Archer Install?! Could there be a second set of Class Cards?"
While a second set of Class Cards did exist, they weren't supposed to appear yet, explaining Ruby's shock.
Medusa had been about to "finish off" Prisma Illya to engage Miyu in a one-on-one battle. But Miyu's thrown Kanshou and Bakuya blades interrupted her. The twin blades spun through the air, slashing at Medusa's neck. Having previously clashed with Red Archer, Medusa knew about his signature move, "Crane Wing Triple Strike," and dared not take Miyu's attack head-on. She immediately retreated again to create more distance.
This sudden separation gave Miyu the opportunity to step between Medusa and Prisma Illya.
"Perfect chance, Illya! Let's go!"
Ruby didn't wait for Prisma Illya's response, immediately activating Install. The Archer Class Card lit up, and Illya donned the same outfit as Miyu.
"Another Emiya..." Medusa clicked her tongue. Are there so few Archers on the Throne of Heroes? Why is the Archer Class always Shirou Emiya or Gilgamesh? Didn't they pay for other Archers' appearances?
"Just as I suspected... Could something be wrong? Two Heroic Spirits of the same kind?" Ruby pondered, staring at the two Magical Girls who had summoned the same servant through Install.
"This shouldn't be possible under normal circumstances," Ruby muttered.
"It's Jiang You's Card," Sapphire explained. "Though not a Class Card, it still allows Install."
Sapphire and Ruby explained the situation, their understanding of Jiang You's Noble Phantasms growing increasingly baffled.
"Jiang You's Card, you say?"
Having been summoned alongside Ruby and Illya before, Sapphire possessed some knowledge of Jiang You's Cards.
"His cards construct themselves based on the holder's history and relationships! They can indeed summon servants, so it's understandable they have similar functions... Which means—we now have countless Class Cards! We can transform into anything we want!"
"!"
Sapphire realized the implications as well. "This means no matter what kind of Blackened Servant we encounter, we'll always have a Counter Card to deal with them!"
Sapphire was overjoyed. This not only guaranteed Miyu's safety but also allowed them to complete missions much more efficiently.
"And that's not all! We'll get to see cute girls wearing all sorts of Servant outfits! Just imagine it—petite Illya in revealing armor, blushing shyly at you..."
"Start the battle already!"
Prisma Illya grabbed Ruby tightly, the staff filling her with embarrassment and anger. How could such a perverted wand exist? The person who created this must have been a lecherous old man! At this rate, Medusa will attack again!
"I know, I know! Stop squeezing! Stop squeezing! I'm gonna crack!"
Ruby's tiny gem-wings fluttered frantically against the back of Illya's hand, sensing its imminent demise if this continued.
Medusa felt a flicker of pressure as the two "Emiyas" aimed their bows at her. Even if they couldn't wield the full power of Heroic Spirit Emiya, being cornered by two little girls fighting for the first time was still somewhat embarrassing. She glanced at Jiang You, seeking his guidance.
Jiang You instantly understood Medusa's unspoken question: Since they've manifested Heroic Spirit abilities, it's only fair for me to unleash some of my own, right?
"Medusa, go all out! Kaleidoscope's Mystic Code provides reliable defense."
After a moment's thought, Jiang You added, "Just give them a taste of the pressure—no need to kill them."
After all, Medusa's Noble Phantasm, Bellerophon, had famously withstood Saber Alter's devastating Sword of Promised Victory. Jiang You didn't want the two girls to suffer fatal injuries.
"Understood," Medusa nodded. Letting them experience the terror of a Heroic Spirit would be a valuable lesson. They needed to learn not to underestimate Blackened Servants, lest they lose their lives in battle.
"Gently crush them, Bellerophon...!"
A silver meteor soared into the sky, then plummeted earthward with incredible speed, hurtling toward Prisma Illya and Miyu like a falling star.
"You've got to be kidding me! This is a Noble Phantasm! If we get hit, we're dead for real!" Ruby exclaimed, unaware that Jiang You had already warned Medusa that the attack would merely graze their heads, at most shearing off some hair.
"Illya!" Miyu called out urgently when she saw Illya panic. "The shield—can you do it?"
Miyu's reminder jolted Illya into action. She drew the necessary components from Emiya's Spirit Origin, nodding vigorously. The two girls stood side-by-side, extending their hands forward.
"Rho Aias!*2