Sea of Monsters Chapter 8:

A Day at the Beach

Day 16

A gentle breeze ran through the Shapeless Isle as the sun beamed down. Thanks to the aid of Asterios, the repairs to the Golden Hind were going well, but they kept running out of wyvern scales whenever they thought it would be done, only to see there was another patch needed to the ship. Thankfully, Drake decided that the entire team could take the rest of the day off to unwind and relax after a few stressful days of work. It was here when everyone was thinking on what to do, when Ritsuka snapped his fingers and grinned.

"I just remembered I promised Asterios I would help him learn how to swim!" He said.

"Are the oceans even safe on this island?" Medea asked.

"They're mostly safe." Medusa said. "There are some dangerous sea creatures here, but unless we threaten them, they'll leave us alone."

"We'll be just fine." Euryale said.

"Yeah, if any of them get rowdy, then we can take care of them." Tatsuko chimed.

"I doubt that." Stheno said. "Those creatures are too strong for the likes of us."

"Oh I think they can." Davinci said from the communicator. "It's you and Euryale who don't stand a chance."

"Oh right, Euryale and Stheno were so weak even as Goddessesses that becoming Servants actually made them stronger, albeit barely." Alexander said.

"We do not need to fight." Euryale stated. "We have Medusa and Asterios to help us out."

"Not just us." Medusa countered. "You also have the rest of the team to rely on too."

"Perhaps we should save this for another time." Perseus said. "If we really want to take advantage of the rest of the day off, we should hustle to it."

"I would also like to learn how to swim." Mashu said. "But I did not bring a swimsuit….."

"I have an idea on how to fix that." Medusa said. "However, we should wait to talk about it until we're all at the beach."

Mashu nodded, and with that everyone proceeded to walk towards the beach. It only took five minutes for them to arrive, and for Ritsuka to return to the woods to get changed into his swimsuit.

"So Artemis, what are you and Orion going to do?" Okita asked.

Artemis waved her hands, and a faint golden glow enveloped her. The rest of the group watched in curiosity as the light continued to glow until it dimmed down, revealing Artemis in a simple one piece swimsuit.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting something so plain from you." Tatsuko said. "You still look great though."

"I'll say!" Orion said. "You look drop dead gorgeous, then again you look that way no matter the outfit."

Artemis grinned and scooped her lover off the ground and put him on her shoulder. The two lovers proceeded to head towards the water, causing Alexander to raise an eyebrow. "What are you two doing?"

"Deep sea fishing." Artemis replied.

"Is that even safe for your plushy boyfriend?" Euryale asked.

"Don't worry, I'm waterproof!" Orion replied. Not a second later, the two lovers dove into the waters below just as Ritsuka came back out from the woods in nothing but his long swim trunks. "Okay, so what is everyone planning on doing?"

"My other self and I plan on walking the beaches and collecting sea shells." Stheno said.

"It's been a while since I heard you wanting to do that." Medusa said. "I remember that as your and Euryale's favorite hobby."

"In our defense, shells are beautiful." Euryale said.

Medusa smiled. "That they are."

"Well when they're doing that, I'm going to be in the shade over there." Medea said as she pointed at the edge of the forest and the beach. "There's some potions that I have been wanting to brew for some time, and I'd rather do it here while we're not working."

Asterios stared at the Caster with a crestfallen expression, causing Medea to hold his hand and smile. "I'm only going to be over there and watch. I'm not ignoring you, I'm doing this to surprise you."

Asterios nodded reluctantly, allowing Medea to go to the tree line and, to prove her sincerity to her cousin, conjured a small workshop out in the open so she could see and monitor him.

"That's really neat." Ritsuka said.

"I'll take the complement, but it changes nothing." Medea said coldly.

Medusa and Okita glared at the Caster before sighing in defeat.

"Well for me, I'm going to take a note out of Lady Artemis's book and go fishing." Perseus said. "Oh, how about I teach you how to do it as well, Alexander."

"Oh, I'd like that!"

Perseus grinned as he took out his sack, and brought out two old fishing poles. "This is going to be fun."

The two Riders walked off to one side of the beach, talking to each other excitedly, much to Medusa's annoyance.

"Okita. Is there anything you'd like to do?" Ushiwakamaru asked.

Okita turned to look at Ritsuka and the communicator. "Is it okay to be this close to the water?"

"As long as you don't submerge yourself, it should be okay." Roman said from the communicator.

"You heard him." Ritsuka said. "Be careful, but have fun!"

"In that case I've been wanting to try and do some sand sculpting." Okita said as Roman shut off the communicator.

"Let me join you!" Ushiwakamaru said. "All we need is the proper equipment."

Mashu immediately reached into her shield and handed everything the two of them needed for their endeavors. The Rider and Saber nodded in thanks to the lilac haired girl before walking away to find a suitable spot for their sculpture.

"I'm going to talk to Drake for a bit." Tatsuko said.

Medusa raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to learn how to swim from me or Ritsuka?"

"I…uhhh… wanted to learn exactly how Drake beat Poseidon." Tatsuko said.

"Well if you want to know then I guess I can tell you." Drake said.

Mashu turned to Medusa with a curious glint in her eye. "What was this idea that you had for me to learn to swim without a swimsuit?"

Medusa grinned mischievously as she enveloped herself in a golden light like Artemis, only to come out with an attractive, yet sensuous black bikini.

"While I can do this, you'll just have to skinny dip."

Ritsuka and Mashu blushed red as tomatoes while Drake snickered, and Asterios looked on in confusion. The male Master turned to Medusa with a dumbfounded expression. "W-w-why would you even suggest that?"

Medusa chuckled and leaned into Ritsuka's ear to whisper. "Mashu would be completely naked, and for you to see. Can't you imagine what she'd be like under all that? I know you have thought of it."

Ritsuka's face blushed even further. The male Master became a stuttering mess, much to Medusa's amusement. The black haired teen had to think of a way to get out of this situation before something bad happened. He then turned to Asterios and saw his salvation.

"Okay Asterios, we wasted enough time!" He said. "Let's get you into the water and get you to swim!"

The Berserker nodded in confusion as Medea conjured two floating devices for his arms. "There, now you don't have to worry about sinking."

"Thank….you." Asterios said with a smile. The Berserker then followed Ritsuka towards the water to find a nice shallow area for them to start swimming lessons.

"Okay Mashu, disregard what Medusa said about skinny dipping." Medea said. "Just use your leotard as a substitute and I'll dry you off with magic when you're done. Go get changed but calm down a bit before coming back."

Mashu nodded and gave a small bow before running back into the woods. In doing so, she left Medusa alone with Drake, Tatsuko, and Medea.

"Why did you tell Mashu to skinny dip?" Tatsuko asked.

"I was only jesting." Medusa answered.

"But why was that a joke in the first place?" Tatsuko asked. "I'm not mad, I'm just confused as to what you're trying to accomplish."

Medusa looked at Tatsuko in confusion. "Wait….You don't know what I'm trying to do here?"

Tatsuko shook her head. "I have no clue as to what's going on."

Medusa raised an eyebrow. "Tatsuko, you hang out with them almost constantly. Don't tell me you didn't notice?"

"Notice what?" Tatsuko asked.

"Think of how Ritsuka and Mashu interact." Medusa said. "Think of how they tend to clam up whenever people bring them up together."

Tatsuko did as asked and thought back to the male Master and Shielder, and how those two tended to act around each other. She recalled every moment when those two would smile in each other's presence, how they would talk for long periods of time about silly subjects, how they would blush when close together. She could recall the longing in…..their…eyes…

Longing…..

Tatsuko's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. The answer was right in front of her this entire time, and she never gave it much thought. The female Master clutched the sides of her head to not scream her head off.

"Oh my god, they have a crush on one another!"

"Are you seriously just figuring this out now?" Drake asked.

Tatsuko looked at Drake in shock. "You knew too?!"

"Aye, Medusa told me on the third day of our voyage."

Tatsuko walked back and forth for a few moments, muttering to herself in disbelief as to how she did not see this. She then stopped in her tracks and smiled energetically. "Oh those two would look SO cute together! They're both shy and nice, but with enough encouragement they'd break out of their shells, start dating and one day get married and live happily ever after!"

The female Master turned to Medusa, both of them grinning from ear to ear. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Medusa nodded. "I do believe I am."

The two girls high fived in acknowledgement causing Drake to laugh. "Seems like there's an alliance between the two to get two kids together."

"Count me out." Medea said as she brewed some potions. "There are so many problems with this, that it's almost comical."

"Hey hey, don't be a party pooper!" Tatsuko said. "Don't get in the way of love!"

"I will not speak further about this." Medea said. "Just please do not try and talk openly about this in front of those two."

"I am ready now! I apologize for my tardiness."

The four of them turned to see Mashu, in just her leotard, having taken off even her gloves and leggings, blushing slightly in embarrassment. "I do not mean to be nosy, but what were you all discussing?"

"Nothing really." Medusa said. "Now just follow me into the water. We'll start in the shallows first to get you accustomed and then we can work our way from there."

Mashu nodded and followed the Rider towards the ocean. As they did so, the remaining onlookers watched as Ritsuka saw Mashu in her leotard and blushing heavily as she dove in with Medusa. Tatsuko then noticed something strange, yet amusing.

"Is…..is that steam coming off him?"

Medea's eyes widened. "That is definitely steam!"

"I didn't think that was even possible." Drake said.

Medea couldn't help but grin. "You know, this is actually pretty funny."

"Oh definitely." Drake said. "Now I do believe Tatsuko wanted to hear a tale of how I defeated a certain God of the seas. Isn't that right?"

Tatsuko nodded. "You bet!"

"Then have a seat and let me tell you how it all went down!" Drake said. The female Master nodded and sat close to the pirate captain as she began to regale her of how she first saw Atlantis. As that was going on, Medea watched with interest as she saw Ritsuka calming himself down, and gently guiding Asterios on how to swim.

An hour had passed, and everyone continued their activities. Ritsuka's and Medusa's lessons with Asterios and Mashu were going well, the latter two being incredibly quick learners. Okita and Ushiwakamaru were having a great time with their sand sculpting. After Drake told Tatsuko her tale of defeating the God of the seas, the female Master decided to join Stheno and Euyrale in their hobby, merely chatting as they hunted for shells. Along the way, the crew of the Golden Hind found them, and decided to join in on the fun, drinking or fishing alongside the two male Riders. It was here that Perseus and Alexander were still fishing by the waters edge, the older Rider still giving some tips to his younger half-brother regarding the finer points of fishing.

"If the fish tugs too hard, don't try to match it with your strength." Perseus said. "Otherwise the pole will break in two."

"Got it." Alexander replied. "You know, this is oddly relaxing."

"I know what you mean." Perseus said. "Back when I was a kid, my father would take me and my mother on his boat, and the three of us would spend hours fishing in the ocean."

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "You don't consider Zeus to be your father?"

Perseus smiled fondly. "He and I may be related by blood, but I'll always consider Dictys to be my father."

"He sounds just as incredible as he was in the stories." Alexander said.

"He really was." Perseus said. "I'm just happy I helped them finally get married and made it official after turning his traitorous brother to stone."

"Was it just a political marriage?" Alexander asked.

"Well for most of the Greek world it was seen as that." Perseus said. "But for everyone else who knew them, it was obvious that they were in love already, and that this was an excuse to finally be together."

Alexander smiled. "Sounds like they were total sweethearts to each other."

Perseus chuckled. "They've always been like that since I was a child."

Alexander grinned. "Let me guess, there was a time when you were a kid you walked in on them being intimate and you thought they were wrestling without clothes."

Perseus chuckled weakly as he smiled bashfully. "Yes…"

A tug on the pole grabbed their attention. It would seem Alexander finally got a bite. The younger Rider immediately sprang into action and would use everything Perseus taught him to the test. He tugged hard on the pole, testing the strength of the fish, only to learn it was tougher than it looked. He then relaxed a bit to make the animal go slack for a moment, but the fish was not going to relent. The line tugged further away, causing Alexander to be pulled closer to the water, everyone watched in shock as this happened, but even further surprised when Perseus came up behind Alexander, took hold of his waist, and tried pulling him back. Both of them pulled as hard as they could.

"Keep at it!" Drake said. "I think you guys are pulling it to shore!"

No sooner did she say that the two Riders pulled one last time, and brought forth the fish to shore. Its humongous size caused everyone to stare at it in awe. The crew members of the Hind that were fishing did nothing but cheer and holler, but Perseus ignored it as he patted Alexander on the back. "Great catch! You did amazing on your first bite!"

"But I didn't do much." Alexander countered.

"Of course you did." Perseus said. "You did all the pulling and reeling, and all I did was make sure you didn't get dragged into the water."

"He's right." Ushiwakamaru said. "You did an excellent job, Alexander, so keep your head held up high, and smile."

Alexander smiled back at the black haired Rider. "Thanks, I needed that."

"Well regardless, we're eating well tonight!" Drake said.

"Well I do love seafood." Ushiwakamaru said.

"Then I guess I'll have to get more fish, just for you." Alexander said.

Perseus and Alexander resumed to fish for tonight's dinner, all the while Ritsuka continued his lessons with Asterios. Unfortunately, the male Master faced some difficulty in teaching Asterios to dive, of which the Berserker showed some nervousness.

"It's going to be okay." Ritsuka said.

"Are….you….sure?" Asterios asked.

"Ritsuka's right, you'll be just fine." Medusa said reassuringly.

"Fou!"

The four of them watched as Fou happily swam by, ignoring them as he showed off his dog paddling.

"Ummmmm, how long has Fou been swimming here?" Ritsuka asked.

"Since we began." Mashu answered.

"He's just showing Asterios he doesn't need to be afraid of anything."

The four of them turned around to see Tatsuko, Euryale and Stheno standing at the water's edge. Euryale held something in her hands, and presented to Asterios a large necklace made of seashells. The Berserker raised an eyebrow and stared at the Archer in confusion.

"Is….that….for…me?"

Euryale nodded. "It's my way of thanking you for everything you've done."

The purple haired Archer then strung the necklace over the Berserker's neck, making sure it fit him nicely before flashing a bright smile. "Don't be afraid, Asterios. With this, you know I'm with you. Always."

Asterios looked at the necklace, and studied it for a bit. It was incredibly beautiful, and it was obvious Euryale worked hard on it. The Berserker blushed a bit, and a small smile formed on his face.

"Thank…you…Euryale." He said. "It's….beautiful."

Euryale blushed and looked away. "It's nothing more than a gift of gratitude."

"Well it's a great gift regardless." Ritsuka said.

Stheno grinned mischievously. "Perhaps you would like to be blessed with a necklace by one of us as well. I could do that for you, you know. All you have to do is swear to be my follower for eternity."

"No thanks. I'm good."

Stheno stared in shock before gaining a blank stare. "What?"

"I appreciate the offer for the necklace, but I'm not really interested." Ritsuka replied.

Stheno stared at him wide eyed as Euryale stepped forward to the male Master. The Archer gave a flirtatious smile, confusing the male Master. "Perhaps you'd like for me to be the one to make you a necklace instead?"

Ritsuka furrowed his eyebrows. "Hey, Asterios is right here you know. Not cool Euryale."

The two goddesses stared at the male Master in slight surprise before turning to each other and nodding in unison. It was time for plan C. The twins clasped their hands together, and pressed their bodies close.

"Perhaps we should discuss this in private?" The two asked in unison.

"Sorry, but I promised Asterios I'd help him learn how to swim, and I like keeping my promises."

The twins stared at the male Master in shock. How was this even happening? They had to get to the bottom of this!

"How are you resisting our charms?" Euryale asked.

Ritsuka raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry? I'm not sure if I understand what's going on."

"My other self and I have a particular skill." Stheno said. "It's a skill that allows us to charm any man we choose, and they cannot disobey us, and they will do our bidding."

"And somehow you're immune." Euryale said. "Granted, I only used mine on you out of curiosity, but I have to wonder how it doesn't affect you."

Tatsuko and Medusa looked at each other with amused grins. It was all they could do to not laugh at the scene in front of them. It would seem that Ritsuka's crush on Mashu made him blind to the charms of other women.

"Ummmm, sorry for not being charmed like you wanted?" Ritsuka said with uncertainty.

Euryale raised her hand in reassurance. "I'm not upset at all. I was just shocked. In fact, this immunity might prove useful down the line."

"I'm not going to lie, but it DOES sound pretty neat." Ritsuka replied.

"Well in any event, we shall return to shell collecting." Stheno said.

"Remember Asterios, I'll always be there with you as long as you have that necklace on." Euryale said. The rest of the group looked on in shock as the Archer did something they did not expect.

She leaned in and kissed the Berserker on the cheek.

"My my, and here I thought you would never get intimate with your boyfriend." Stheno said.

Euryale grinned. "He's not exactly ready to be my boyfriend. If he was, then I'd be taking advantage of him, and that goes against everything I stand for."

"Good idea." Tatsuko said. "But try not to lead him on, otherwise you might upset him."

"I…..hope…to…be…able….to be…worthy….of her." Asterios said.

Euryale smiled gently as she rubbed Asterios's hand. "We're going to be just over there hunting for more shells. Just enjoy your lessons, okay?"

After that, Euryale walked back to her twin and Tatsuko, and left to hunt for more shells near their location. Mashu cleared her throat and presented four goggles in her hands.

"I heard that it is better to wear these when diving." She said.

"Great idea." Medusa said. The group decided to put their goggles on, and surprisingly enough, one set actually fit Asterios incredibly well. Ritsuka turned to Asterios with a gentle smile and patted him on the back.

"You ready to dive?" Ritsuka asked.

Asterios looked at the necklace Euryale just gave him, rubbed it tenderly, and nodded.

"Then let's get ready to dive." Medusa said. Asterios watched as everyone dove under the water, before taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, and then dove in himself. The moment he dunked his head underwater, he looked for the three other divers, only to see them smiling and waving at him. Ritsuka pointed at the front to grab his attention, and when Asterios turned to look, he was in absolute awe.

The beautiful blue hue made everything surreal. Thousands and thousands of schools of fish swam in many different directions. He then saw much larger fish swimming around, minding their own business. That was until several of them were killed in rapid succession. The four of them were shocked for just a moment until they saw Artemis revealing herself as the culprit. The four of them waved in her general direction, causing Orion to see them. The plushy teddy bear tapped his lover on the shoulder to tell her of this, and when she saw them, she smiled and waved back before they returned to the hunt.

That was when the Chaldeans heard that familiar singing on their left. They then turned and were in shock at what they saw.

Swimming towards them were a pod of Sea Kings.

The four of them decided to meet them halfway, and swam up to the Phantasmal Beasts. The Sea Kings noted their presence, and swam closer to the Chaldeans and Asterios. Both sides looked at each other for a moment before Medusa took the plunge, and patted the leader of the pod on the head. The lead Sea King nuzzled into her hand, giving the others the incentive to reach out to others in the pod. Ritsuka was the first to be bold, and stroked the Sea King closest to him. Mashu was next, gently touching the Sea King closest to her, causing it to sing in satisfaction. Asterios watched as a young Sea King came up to him, staring at the Berserker curiously. The Sea King decided to make the first move, and nuzzled against Asterios in curiosity. After a few brief moments, Asterios relaxed a bit, and started to gently rub its nose.

The Berserker was shocked at how soft and smooth the Sea King was. A tap on the shoulder caused Asterios to turn around to see Medusa staring at him. The Rider pointed upwards towards the surface and then to Ritsuka. The male Master needed to get some air in his lungs before anything bad happened. The Berserker reluctantly stopped petting the Sea King, and swam alongside the Chaldeans back up to the surface. Ritsuka and Mashu took deep breaths to get air back in their lungs, but all four of them saw the surprised look on almost everyone's faces. However, Tatsuko's face was one of excitement.

"Did we just hear a Sea King sing?" She asked.

"You did indeed." Medusa answered. "There's a whole pod of them too."

"What happened?" Medea asked.

"Well Asterios got one of them to come to him for some attention." Ritsuka replied. "It really seemed to like him!"

"Oh that's wonderful!" Medea replied.

Ritsuka then turned to Asterios and Mashu with a bright smile. "So, how did you two like your first dive into the water?"

"It is difficult to describe." Mashu said. "However, it is such an enjoyable experience. It was truly exhilarating!"

Asterios flashed a smile. "It….was…beautiful."

Ritsuka smiled and patted him on the back. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself!"

"I…would…..like….to…try…again." Asterios said.

Ritsuka turned to Medusa and Mashu with a curious glint. "What do you two think?"

Medusa immediately answered the question by diving back into the water. Mashu soon followed suit, causing Ritsuka to smile in excitement as he dove back in. Asterios soon followed suit, just as excited. As soon as he looked into the sea, he and the others were shocked at what they saw.

The Sea Kings were in the exact same spot as they left them. They were staring back at them, making it clear they were patiently waiting for them to return. The four of them looked to each other, smiled and nodded, and swam back to the Sea Kings to play with them a little more.

As that was happening, back on the surface as everyone else was enjoying their time, Medea stared at the sea with a soft, yet serious expression. Ever since her talk with Tatsuko, she couldn't help but feel conflicted about her opinion on Ritsuka, and with what just happened, she couldn't help but feel the conflict grow.

Night fell over the beach, and the entire crew was enjoying the fish that the Demigod brothers and Artemis and Orion got for them. As that was happening, Asterios was holding a book, when Tatsuko and Mashu came up to him and tapped him on the shoulders.

"I hope we are not disturbing you." Mashu said. "But we were just wondering if you would like to join everyone else by the campfire."

Asterios smiled and nodded. The three of them walked to the campfire, and split up, with Tatsuko and Mashu sitting next to Ritsuka, while Asterios gently sat down next to Euryale and Medea. A member of the crew handed them some cooked fish, and they began to eat with enthusiasm.

"So I have a question for everyone." Ushiwakamaru said. "What's the greatest thing each and everyone of you have seen over the course of this Singularity? I'll go first and say that Jack the Monkey managing to steal that ruby from Captain Drake was pretty impressive!"

Drake couldn't help but laugh. "And I managed to get it back by trading him a banana for it!"

"And so once again bananas proved to be a monkey's weakness!" Tatsuko chimed. "I'd say for me it was the first time we saw the Sea Kings."

"Oh that's mine too!" Okita said.

"Aye, that was an amazing thing to see that night." Drake said.

"Well for me it was seeing that Oasis back in Ithaca." Ritsuka said.

"Oh that was a wonderful moment. It was like the start of a grand treasure hunt!" Mashu said. "Though for me the greatest thing about this has been the journey overall. I have learned so much during it that I feel like I have grown as a person."

"I'm going for the obvious choice and saying it's reuniting with my sisters." Medusa said.

"So what about you Medea?" Tatsuko asked.

Medea grinned. "I'll go last. I'd rather surprise everyone."

"Whatever you say, drama queen." Tatsuko said jokingly. Medea rolled her eyes playfully and smacked her on the arm.

"Okay, Euryale, I believe it is your turn." Medea said. "What is the greatest moment you have seen in this Singularity?"

"Well for me it's two things." Euryale said. "First was reuniting with Medusa, and the second was meeting Asterios."

"Meeting Medusa was also the greatest for me." Stheno replied. "So what about you Alexander?"

"Fishing with Perseus." Alexander said. "Just catching that huge fish alone was a big highlight!"

"It definitely was an impressive haul." Orion said.

"And for me it's simply getting the time to hunt again, and be with my beloved." Artemis said.

"Same here." Orion said.

"Personally mine was fishing with Alexander, and showing him how to do it." Perseus said. "Just seeing him wait and then get a bite, and for said fish to be that large was incredible."

Everyone turned to Asterios. The Berserker was taking a bite of his fish when all eyes were on him, causing him to stop mid bite and stare back at them.

"So what's the greatest moment you've had since coming here, Asterios?" Drake asked.

Asterios swallowed the fish quickly and drank some water. After he was done he smiled. "Meeting….Euryale….and….Stheno….It…..allowed me….to….meet….everyone….."

"And in the process we're all friends now." Ritsuka said. Everyone aside from Medea and Asterios nodded and spoke in agreement. Asterios stared at them in slight surprise.

"Friends…" He muttered.

"Is something wrong, Asterios?" Perseus asked.

"I…..only….had….one…friend…..before….I died…."

Everyone but Medea raised an eyebrow at the statement. There was never a tale of Asterios making a friend while in the labyrinth. Ritsuka looked at Medea's saddened expression, and widened his eyes in shock and realization.

"Theseus." He said.

Asterios nodded. "He….was….kind….to me….before….we…had….to…fight…. When…he….finished….me…..he….took….no…..pleasure….or…..satisfaction….in….it…"

"When Theseus was on the Argo, he never liked telling the story." Medea said. "He always said that Asterios deserved better than being locked down in that labyrinth."

"He…..also….did….not….treat….me….like….a monster." Asterios said.

"That's because you're not a monster." Euryale said.

"But….I…am." Asterios said. "I….killed….people…who…..stepped foot…..in my…..home…..for….food."

"I see it a different way." Ritsuka said. "You're not the monster in the story. It was King Minos himself."

Everyone stared at Ritsuka in surprise. They knew of his dislike of King Minos in the past, but for him to be blatant like this was unheard of.

"What do you mean by that?" Alexander asked.

"Exactly what I mean." Ritsuka said. "King Minos had the labyrinth built to keep Asterios out of sight. Then, when he forced Athens to send fourteen Athenian men and women to Crete, he'd bring them to the labyrinth as their execution. Asterios was forced into the role of a killer, and judging by his opinions on the matter, it wasn't something he wanted to do."

"I…..ate….them…." Asterios said. "They…..were….the….only….way…..for….me….to…eat….."

Medusa's eyes widened in horror. "That was your only source of food….wasn't it?"

Asterios nodded weakly. Ritsuka got up and walked towards the Berserker calmly.

"Like I said before, King Minos was the real monster of the story." Ritsuka said. "He forced you into a labyrinth to contain you. Then he forced several people into your home to their deaths, and you had no choice but to eat them. He was nothing more than a cruel man who caused misery to everyone else."

Everyone stared at Ritsuka as he continued his approach to Asterios. They took note of his eyes, full of confidence and compassion as he finally got close to the Berserker, put a hand on his shoulder and smiled gently as he looked at Asterios straight in the eyes.

"You are not a monster. You know it, Euryale knows it, we all know it. And if anyone says differently, then they'll answer to me."

Asterios stared at Ritsuka in shock. He could see hear the gentleness in his voice, but he also could see the conviction in his eyes. He really believed him to not be a monster, he saw Asterios as a friend.

"Same here."

The Berserker turned to see Tatsuko smiling back at him. "You're a good person, Asterios. And I think you need to see that you've done good."

Everyone nodded and spoke in agreement. Asterios couldn't believe what was happening, and could only stare silently.

"I…..do not…..know….what….to….say…." Asterios muttered.

"You don't have to say anything." Ritsuka said. "I just wanted to let you know where I stand on the issue. And it seems everyone else has the same opinion."

Medea rose up and cleared her throat. "And with this, I'd like to share the greatest moment I've seen in this Singularity."

"And what would that be?" Ushiwakamaru asked.

"This entire day." Medea answered. "I've been watching Asterios all day, and the entire time he was having an absolutely great time. And I can't help but feel happy to see him have the time of his life."

"Awww, that's so sweet." Okita said.

"I hate to burst your bubble. But I wasn't finished." Medea said. "It was also because of Fujimaru's determination and willpower to help Asterios learn how to swim, and his dedication to make it fun and enjoyable for him."

Perseus, Artemis and Orion stared at the blue haired Caster in confusion, while everyone else was shocked. Was….was Medea actually complimenting Ritsuka for something? The next moment they knew, she sighed in defeat.

"I have been harsh to you, Fujimaru. You've shown how dependable you can be this entire time."

Ritsuka's eyes widened. "Medea, I-"

"Don't get ahead of yourself." Medea said. "You still have a long way to go before I can accept you. However, you have earned…..some of my respect."

"Well, it's a start at least." Medusa said.

"Okay, I changed my mind." Tatsuko said. "THIS is the greatest moment I've witnessed in this Singularity. Medea is actually being somewhat nice to Ritsuka."

Medea blushed. "I am not!"

Perseus chuckled. "Okay guys, let's just change the subject before Princess Medea decides to leave us."

"Oh I have a perfect idea!" Alexander said. "Why don't we tell scary stories?"

"I'll go first, then." Drake said. "I've got quite a few to tell."

Medea grinned, and thought at how interesting this could turn out. The blue haired Caster sat back down as Drake set the mood for her tall tale as everyone listened intently.

OC: Wow, talk a lot of interesting moments, wouldn't you say?

CV: Yep, lots of stuff on this chapter.

OC: And it also marks a staple in the anime industry as well…..The classic beach episode lol. And one could say that this could also serve as a summer chapter XD

CV: Summer before summer actually happened. Well in game at least, here the climate makes it seem as if we're already in summer.

OC: I know what you mean. But now onto the chapter itself. The first scene was perhaps one of the funniest things to write since we have almost everyone becoming very light hearted and relaxed at the beach, which is a nice contrast from the last few chapters where everyone was kind of serious about everything.

CV: Exactly, not everything needs to be serious doom and gloom, this ain't Fate Zero.

OC: That is too true. But this also gave us something that the writers in FGO refuse to give us. Medusa in a goddamn swimsuit! Seriously, one of the most beautiful women in Fate, and the fact they still don't give her one is a crime of the highest order.

CV: At least Ibuki got one, so snek girls technically get a swimsuit.

OC: True, but in doing this, we also had Medusa made Tatsuko realize one of the most surprising…..okay not so surprising twists in Chronicles; Ritsuka and Mashu are both crushing on each other, and that yes, this series WILL be Ritsuka X Mashu. I know it's been a little obvious, and that some people will not really like this idea, but as we made mention in the first chapter of the Okeanos arc, we talked about this, and in the end, it made the most sense with how we are writing their character arcs, and how much of an impact they have on one another.

CV: No harem memes for this one boys, I'm sorry to those that wanted them but that's just how things turned out to be.

OC: Don't get me wrong, I have no real problem with harems at all, but we just believed that a monogamous relationship for them was for the best for this series. However, there is another thing that should make everyone satisfied. Ritsuka and Mashu won't be getting together for quite some time. They have a lot of issues to work out before they're ready…..and also because it's for our own amusement lol.

CV: Them getting together right away won't be fun after all. Besides, they're only just now realizing their feelings, and those things take effort, everyone knows that.

OC: That is true. However it also led to one of the funniest, and also most interesting parts of Scene 2. Ritsuka being immune to the Charm Skills. I know that this isn't how it works in lore and in game, but the idea of Ritsuka being immune to Charm skills due to his crush/romantic feelings for Mashu was incredibly hilarious, and we felt compelled to make that a thing.

CV: Like the old saying goes, 'I have decided to ignore whether it makes sense or not, as long as it's cool'.

OC: And it proves Ritsuka isn't a simp! Also think of how useful this would be on the battlefield. Someone tries to charm him, only for it to not work. It's actually a pretty useful little quirk.

CV: It really is lol

OC: And now for Medusa teasing Mashu about skinny dipping. She wasn't actually being serious, she was just saying that because she knew Ritsuka would be a blushing mess. And she knew that it would make Mashu blush too. Honestly I like how Medusa has become a more sociable and active member of Chaldea since France. Back then, she was pretty calm, collected and slightly professional. Now? She's practically a cool older sister character who likes teasing the teens about certain topics.

CV: She's undergoing a bit of development for this story with her relationship with the cast, and we hope you all will enjoy it.

OC: And we also had the return of the Sea Kings from the second chapter of this arc! I'll have to be honest, I was conflicted by this, because I didn't know if we should do that…..or have the Chaldeans encounter a kraken in this chapter, but considering we wanted to make this more wholesome and heartwarming considering a certain Berserker, we decided on the Sea Kings.

CV: If you've played Monster Hunter Tri you know that the Ceadus aren't actually malicious. Hell the one that was under the game's village wasn't causing earthquakes on purpose, it was simply doing what the race did regularly.

OC: And I'm glad we made the Sea King's horns not grow into their eyes. They deserve a much more wholesome look. And speaking of wholesome, can we just appreciate Ritsuka and Medusa teaching Asterios and Mashu how to swim and Perseus teaching Alexander to fish for a moment? Because those were some incredibly enjoyable moments.

CV: They were, a few moments of bonding and happiness are always good for the soul.

OC: And we got to learn more about Perseus and his childhood as well. It's actually pretty interesting really, he and Ritsuka are incredibly similar, and yet their pasts are also slightly different, with Perseus having a much smaller support group, but came out much more healthy mentally. Ritsuka had a slightly "larger" support group with Hannah and the prostitutes, and yet he still has a lot of mental scars that need healing. Then again, different circumstances and also different times.

CV: Basically that, different people in different time periods lived different things.

OC: True, and then we had the most wholesome moment between the four swimmers when they went underwater and saw the Sea Kings. Ritsuka really became a different person this chapter, he was much more laidback, confident, and also sociable. And he's helping someone who had it worse than he did, and he's doing an excellent job in making friends with Asterios.

CV: They got along pretty well in this chapter, very epic.

OC: And we also had a wholesome moment between Euryale and Asterios as well. And yes our dear viewers, these two do have romantic feelings for each other, but like Euryale mentioned, they're not really ready for it either because Asterios is mentally stunted, and needs time to grow as a person before he's ready. She doesn't want to take advantage of his innocence or kindness, and genuinely wants him to spread his wings more, and will be waiting for that day. And that seashell necklace is also an indicator on how much she really cares for him.

CV: A small token, a gift of appreciation you could say.

OC: You know what's funny? I actually don't like Stheno at all, and I'm more neutral on Euryale…..and yet I gave them a hobby that is my stepmother's favorite activity; hunting for shells at the beach. For the record, I love my stepmom, and she's a wonderful woman. I just can't help but note the irony of this though….

CV: Fiction imitates reality, they say.

OC: That it does. However speaking of that we also had quite a bit happening in Scene three as well. Let's start with the Gorgon sisters. I know a lot of people are kind of expecting Stheno and Euryale to be more teasing or would bully Medusa, and we intended to make them tease her a bit, but somehow we have been having difficulty actually implementing that. Perhaps it could be because given the situation it would be inappropriate? Or perhaps they feel some slight guilt over what happened? What's your take, Vlad?

CV: The situation really doesn't call for constant teasing and bullying to be fair. Besides, it reaches a point where it stops being funny and just gets flat out annoying.

OC: That is also true. And now for the big guns in Scene three! Asterios reveals how he considers himself a monster, and everyone's opinion on the matter, to Medea's little speech about Ritsuka. To begin, we all know what Asterios did, and we also know that he feels immense guilt about it. What I liked about this is that it shows that even though he HAD to do it to survive, he also knew that it was also wrong, but he had no choice. It really feels like he's from the game where he also had those thoughts.

CV: It really does when you think about it.

OC: And it leads perfectly into Ritsuka's speech on the whole story. In his eyes, while what Asterios did was bad, he shouldn't be considered a monster for just trying to survive. Humans were the only food source he ever knew, and that was on King Minos. Ritsuka basically said that the real monster of that tale wasn't Asterios, who was essentially forced into it with no real say, but Minos himself for locking him down in the labyrinth, and throwing young men and women down there as his only food source. And Ritsuka KNOWS monsters, so he knew Asterios is only one by reputation, not personality or character.

CV: A lot of characters in Greek myths are really tragic when you get into it, and Asterios is no exception.

OC: And we have several right there in that scene. And the next one did something that was long overdue. Medea has finally started to say she's starting to respect Ritsuka a bit. Considering how they started out, this is a huge step in closing the gap.

CV: Well they couldn't have that dynamic for the entire book, that would've been boring.

OC: That is true. But Ritsuka's done a lot to have earned that respect. He made it his mission to help Asterios learn how to swim, he never judged him, he never said anything harsh or mean to him. He's been nothing but a good, yet also protective, friend to her cousin who's only known loneliness and misery. And he's also saved her once already. So he's slowly getting there. He's not out of the woods yet, but one day I can see them finally becoming friends.

CV: Someday they will be good friends and will roast s'mores next to a campfire. Maybe, idk if Medea would like that.

OC: And on that note, I think it is time to wrap this all up. Thank you all for reading this week's chapter of Chaldean Chronicles. Please stay tuned next week for further developments. And Happy early Mother's Day everyone!