"You're placing a Continuous Spell in the back row?"
This method certainly aligned with Medusa's petrification ability, but Archer couldn't shake the feeling that the advantages outweighed the drawbacks.
"Isn't that just reducing your own back row space?"
"It's clearly a deck that, like yours, can utilize back row resources."
Rin Tohsaka knew that Servant cards wouldn't be that simple.
"As expected of my sister, you figured out the effect right away."
Matou Sakura praised her. "Servants in the back row can be used as a cost for effects like [Temple of Gorgon]. You'll see what that means in a moment."
"Next, I activate [Mystic Eyes of Petrification]! This card's name can be activated once per turn. It doesn't work on powerful Servants, so I can only target Servants rated 3 stars or lower. Sorry, sister! I choose [Rin Tohsaka]—I'll place her as a Continuous Spell in my back row."
A phantom of Medusa appeared before Rin Tohsaka, and her square pupils activated their petrification magic. Rin felt her body slowly lose control until she turned into stone, falling into Sakura's back row.
Then Rin's actual body, pale-faced, returned to the main Servant area. She never wanted to experience petrification again.
"[Temple of Gorgon] effect—by releasing one Continuous Spell, I Special Summon a [Gorgon] Servant from my hand or Graveyard! Once again, respond to my summon—[Medusa]!"
[Medusa]Rider ★4ATK 1600 → 2100
"Medusa, my dear sister, we meet again."
Stheno greeted her cheerfully.
Euryale tiptoed and gently stroked Medusa's silky hair.
"You've grown taller again. You used to be so tiny... Please don't grow anymore."
After acknowledging her sisters, Medusa turned to her Master.
"Sakura, since the opponent is your sister Rin, she must already know by now, right?"
Before Sakura could reply, Rin already voiced her dissatisfaction:
"There was no point in you hiding at all, was there? You clearly outnumber us. Now even the Clock Tower Master and Lancer are neutral. The only ones on my side are Archer and Shirou Emiya, who barely has any connection to magecraft!"
Medusa and Archer exchanged glances, then quickly looked away to avoid showing their awkward expressions.
"Relax. Since the Clock Tower won't pursue this matter, I'm not going to continue opposing Caster either. Right now, I'm just participating in the Holy Grail War as a contestant. And I'm here to reclaim my Servant."
Rin reaffirmed her stance. She no longer understood this Holy Grail War. Compared to the bloody chaos of last time, this round felt more like a festival.
"So that's what the Holy Grail War has become, huh?"
Euryale wore a mischievous grin.
"I was holding myself back, worried about causing trouble for Medusa."
"Sis, don't bully people too much,"
Stheno offered a half-hearted warning, though her eager face betrayed her excitement.
"So, you're Rin Tohsaka? Let me tell you something."
Euryale pointed at Archer and giggled behind her hand.
"Not a single Servant is truly on your side. He joined that Caster ages ago. You're all alone now."
"...??"
Rin stared at Archer in disbelief. Is that Caster some kind of succubus or what?
"No seriously, why are you helping him!?"
Archer rubbed his temples, clearly exasperated by Euryale's bluntness.
"Caster wants to complete this ritual. Naturally, we should help him. If you truly object, Rin, I'd just find another Master."
"Sakura, does Caster have some kind of mind-control Noble Phantasm?"
She could understand the others. Sakura liked Caster. Bazett was under Clock Tower orders. But Archer? What the hell did he have to do with Caster?
"Why is he going along with this nonsense?"
"If it were just nonsense, I wouldn't be helping him."
Archer's tone turned serious—he meant every word.
"His Noble Phantasm has the power to change the entire world."
"You sound like a final boss..."
Rin muttered dryly.
"Magic, weapons—these things are efficient tools of slaughter. But his Noble Phantasm is different. Once it activates, poisons, assassinations, and all weapons of mass destruction lose their relevance. Human conflicts will be settled by duels."
Archer saw hope for a long-cherished dream.
"To give you an idea: even if Caster didn't say it, we all know—the winner basically gets the Grail. Like this Holy Grail War: to be efficient, war would evolve into large-scale dueling competitions. Send out the strongest champion to settle it."
"So it's about world peace again. You've never let go of being a 'hero of justice,' have you?"
Rin thought to herself, You really are Shirou Emiya, always dreaming about being a hero.
"I've just realized brute force can't resolve true conflict. The man known as Shirou Emiya is on the wrong path. Hatred and self-interest can never be cut away. No matter who wins, war will persist."
Archer had stopped trying to kill Shirou because the world had already begun to shift. As long as the goal was reached, Shirou would never walk a bloodstained road.
"If we just fix the Grail system and use Caster's Noble Phantasm to target all humans globally—then none of this will happen again!"
"Dragging all humanity into a Holy Grail War—are you even hearing yourself...?"
All Rin ever wanted was to restore the Tohsaka family. These grand dreams felt way too excessive. It was just a Holy Grail War—when did it turn into saving the world?
"Oh, but the Holy Grail War does affect all of humanity."
Sakura had seen the power of a Beast from the timeline ten years ago. Even in an incomplete state, it could devour an entire city in moments.
"Caster has indeed done things like that before. We'll talk about the details later. For now, let's finish our duel. Enter Battle Phase!"
"First, [Stheno] attacks [Emiya]!"
"Even though she has lower attack power?"
Rin didn't believe for a second that Sakura would initiate a suicide move without a reason.