Chapter 24: The Flustered Medea
Those eyes seemed to possess some kind of magical power; under their gaze, Medea felt as though her body had lost all sensation. Even so, she offered no further reaction. Her body had already begun to turn translucent, meaning her own magical energy was nearly exhausted. Once it fell below the point necessary to sustain her presence in this world, she would vanish completely.
"You look like you need some help."
The youth suddenly spoke.
Hearing this, Medea pursed her lips in a bitter smile and spoke in a weak voice, audible only to herself.
"No one can help me... under this curse-like fate... no matter where I am, the ending is always the same. Driven by others, used by others, despised and rebellious... these are simply the destined end for one like me who bears the name of a witch..."
While Medea was speaking with a face full of mournful sorrow, a sudden sense of weightlessness caused her to cry out.
"Ah...! What... what are you doing!?"
Ignoring her protest, Shirou reached out with both hands and picked up the woman—weakened by her injuries and depleted mana—in a princess carry.
"I'm interested in your story, but let's wait until we've changed locations before you continue telling it to me."
Medea was stunned for a moment.
"Are... are you a fool? I told you, didn't I? Enemies are hunting me down. Your behavior right now is no different from seeking death!"
Perhaps because Shirou's previous words had given Medea her first taste of the warmth of being cared for, she now desperately hoped he would leave. For Medea, receiving such care at the end of her life was enough; as long as he lived, at least her final disappearance wouldn't be meaningless.
However, Shirou completely ignored her words. Self-centeredly holding her in his arms, he began walking in a specific direction. The rain falling from the sky above stalled at a distance just above Shirou's head, as if blocked by an invisible umbrella.
Finally, seeing Shirou's completely indifferent attitude and realizing that any attempt to dissuade him was futile, Medea sighed and turned her face slightly away, avoiding eye contact.
"Fine, do as you wish... I'm going to vanish soon anyway."
"I have a method that can allow you to remain in this world."
Walking through the dense forest while holding the woman, with an invisible umbrella seemingly shielding them from the rain and his clothes remaining bone-dry, Shirou suddenly spoke.
"What do you mean...?" Medea froze, looking up at Shirou's face with surprise.
But the moment she raised her face, she suddenly found his cheek getting closer and closer to her own.
"You—mmph...!" The cry about to escape her throat was muffled, and her eyes gradually widened.
Simultaneously, the sound of a Kotodama (Word of Power) echoed in her mind, sounding like a Divine Word striking directly at her soul.
After several minutes, Shirou finally lifted his head.
"You... why did you do that!?" Her gorgeous lips, painted with purple lipstick, were bitten tight as a flush crept across her cheeks. The woman's beautiful blue eyes glared at Shirou.
Medea's behavior at this moment was a far cry from her appearance as a mature, charming beauty.
"Haven't you noticed yet? You aren't going to vanish anymore."
Upon hearing Shirou's words, Medea instinctively sensed the current state of her body and was instantly filled with disbelief.
"What on earth is this...!?"
The look Medea cast at Shirou now was filled with shock and confusion.
"Who exactly are you? Why do you possess this kind of power?"
"My name is Orihara Shirou. What I just bestowed upon you is one of the ten incarnations of the authority of Verethragna, known as 'The Youth'."
By using the Kotodama in this state, when someone important to him encounters a crisis, he can share the power of the Victory God Verethragna with them. Furthermore, the true value of this authority is that it can significantly enhance the power of the person granted the protection. The Kotodama for this incarnation is not fixed; it varies according to the protection required. When the protection is complete, it carries the effects of purification, the removal of all negative status effects, and resurrection, while simultaneously raising the protected person's power to the level of a subordinate god.
"A Divine Authority..." As someone who lived in the Age of Gods, Medea naturally knew what a Divine Authority represented, which was why she appeared so shocked after hearing Shirou's explanation.
"Alright, the explanation is finished. Can you come down now? Though I don't mind holding you forever."
As Shirou said this, he deliberately leaned his face closer to the woman's cheek again. Startled, she pressed her lips together and hurriedly scrambled out of his arms in a panic.
"I am grateful that you saved me, but don't think you can have such intimate contact with me just like that!" Medea looked at Shirou warily and took half a step back. Then, she continued. "As a reward, I will protect you until this Holy Grail War ends."
"Do you really think I need your protection?" Shirou couldn't help but laugh.
"I... I..." Medea was at a loss for words, then asked in confusion, "Then why did you save me?"
Hearing her question, Shirou thought about it seriously, then looked into her confused blue eyes and replied.
"You can rest easy; I definitely have no other intentions toward you, and I hope you don't have any extra ideas about me either. I saved you purely because I was attracted to your looks."
"???"
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Due to the unexpected incident, Shirou's visit to Rin's house had to be postponed. He first brought Medea back home. Although her clothes were wet from the rain, Medea was an Age of Gods magus after all; she naturally knew magecraft to dry her clothes.
"Is this your home...?"
Medea curiously observed the simple yet warm interior of the house.
"Yeah, consider it my usual base. So, do you want something to eat?"
Shirou opened the refrigerator, took out a can of beer, and tossed it toward Medea. Since it was already flying toward her, it was hard to refuse; Medea quickly reached out to catch it.
"Is this... modern alcohol...?" Medea looked at the Japanese writing on the can.
Every Servant obtains a certain amount of information upon arriving in the modern world, so there were naturally no language barriers. Medea looked hesitantly at the cold beer in her hand. But on second thought, she didn't feel this man had any need to play tricks on her, so she opened it and took a drink.
"Oh... it's delicious...!" After one sip, Medea's eyes couldn't help but light up.
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