Fate/Mark Last

[Nevvy]

"Everything we need to know, not everything from modern times," Berserker corrected, "We aren't granted knowledge of history beyond what we know, just enough to operate in the modern day. If we were, we would also be fed information about other possible Servants. We don't get that."

Berserker wept at the vast injustice that was done to him. Not that he was surprised but apparently, he had been made one of the greatest marks of more modern history. That in itself raised a bit of an eyebrow. It was not as though he was the first to wipe out some groups of people that were blights upon the Earth and certainly would not be the last. He cared much less about the scum that were the Jews now. He had plenty else on his plate to deal with that probably didn't even involve them. If there was a Jew in this war, he or she was probably going to be the first Servant eliminated but barring that, he had no intentions of going after them any time soon. The greater success of Germany weighed far heavier in his mind. The matter of his appearance he figured he should leave to his master who was more aware of what distinguishing features to hide and how to do it. As far as he was concerned, he could wade straight into the war with or without a disguise. It was not as though he had anything to hide. The Aryans would win not by trickery or by illusion. They would win because they were superior and would crush all others underfoot. When he won, he would have to repair how history remembered him along with the matter of placing Germany on top where it belonged.

 

[Pyralithia]

Master of Rider, purple

Setting: Killala's Apartment
Time: 7:23pm
Nearby: None
~~~~~~~~~

All Kil could do was shake her head at her servant 'What I have I gotten myself into....' Closing her eyes as she rubs her temple, feeling a migraine coming on. She listens to Rider with no real interest until she heard the words "Step back..." frowning her eyes open at the same time she complies taking a few steps back toward the door. She was expecting some kind of horse or vehicle with the name "Riding Hood" but what Rider summoned looks like some kind of giant monster gun that seemed to be alive, and she had a feeling wanted a bite out of her. Her magenta eyes going wide at the...Weapon, Kil looks up from it to Rider.

"Wh-what kind of umm...Weapon? Is that?" She asks not bothering to hide the shock and sliver or fear in her voice. But as soon as she said it she shakes her head waving her hand in a "Forget it" gesture. "Nevermind, we can get to know one another as we scout for any enemies nearby. Simultaneously you'll get a tour of Fuyuki City!" Despite her words her tone wasnt all that cheery, this was the hard part and she knew it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Setting: Layu Street/Tall Building
Time: 2:01am
Nearby: Vivianne/Saber
~~~~~~~~~

Killala blew air into her pale hands trying to warm them up as she rubs them together, the snow slowly drifting through the air. Her breath could be seen in the frigid air she looked up at the tall office building in front of them. "Well how do you like your tour of the city so far Rider?" She asks looking down at the blonde girl beside her, she hoped Rider would actually give her a honest answer instead of a snarky response, for once

 

[RareSecret]

Vivianne Lucille Aufort

"Things won't be easy from now and for days to come. So let me ask you this, Lucille. Are you ready for whats to come?" Saber asked while standing and looking at her with the crimson eyes. It sort of felt unnatural for him to be standing. Even though Lucille understands his reasoning, she still can't help but feel out of place.

Lucille crossed her legs and looked up at the sky that was letting go of the gentle snow, allowing to the slowly cover Fuyuki City. Lucille thought about Saber's question and how she was going to respond. 'Are you ready for what's to come?' Such simple words for such a deep question. She pretty sure she was since she actually completed the summoning. Then again, just because you completed something doesn't mean you are ready for the results.

After the period of silence that occurred between the servant and the master, Lucille finally decided on what she was going to say. "If what you mean by 'what's to come' is crushing dreams, life or death situations, countless battles, and maybe even murder, then yes. In normal conditions I wouldn't do this, but I understand that this is a war and that it's going to be unfair. It's my only chance at saving my mom's life, my life, and my family's future lineage. Even if I wasn't in this war, I would still be facing a situation that could kill me. This is the best bet I got and I will do anything to take advantage of this opportunity. Even if that means having you fight to no means Saber. I am truly sorry."

With that said, Lucille let out a deep breath as she stood up. That's what she was thinking when her grandfather first proposed the Holy Grail War to her. Her grandfather wanted honor but she just wanted to save her bedridden mom and avoid that fate for herself as well. In order to achieve that, she will use everything at her disposal. From the silver beads she has in her coat pocket to Saber. She will do anything in her power as well. From defeating servants to committing murder. Lucille wouldn't want to be a murder or a manipulator but it's that or her family.

"I think we have been here enough Saber." Lucille stated as she walked towards the exit of the damaged park. "Let's leave." When she exited the park, she walked to the school with Saber following her. Lucille didn't say a word the whole way there. She felt like she did her fair share of talking at the scarred park. "This is where I go to school at Saber. You will most likely follow me here in astral form since you won't be allowed at the school. There may be masters at my school that I don't know of so we need to take precautions." Lucille explained as she went by the school without stopping.

The trip to the school didn't last long. Their next destination was the tall building she mentioned. Lucille has been up there a few times before so she should know the route. "The building we are going to next has one of the best views of the city. Well, I can't be sure of that but it's a pretty nice view." She said on the way there sort of breaking the streak of silence tremendously by now.

Lucille arrived at the building when she suddenly stopped. "Saber, do you feel that? It's prana." Lucille noted as she started to take out the silver beads that she has kept in her coat pocket. She placed them in her right hand and closed her fists so no one can see what's inside her hand. "I think it's okay here since there are civilians roaming around. Let's head for the source."

 

[Pastor ćhoi]

Master of Killed, red

Rider was probably the one servant in this war that didn't need a change of clothes to fit into the modern, japanese world of the 22th century. Either the world had ZERO real progress in the last couple of centuries and the fashion industry peaked during her time, or the world had finally caught up to her impeccable sense of dressing. More likely, the world had simply regressed into a new dark age after France and their surrender monkey excuse they called citizens pathetically tried to pass themselves off as a cultural hub for fine arts, and the rest of the world clung to the one epoch in time where all was good and sane; her time, her little place in time hunting deer and moose, before everything went to hell...

Or heaven; perspective, after all. And sometimes, not mutually exclusive.

Killed later told her she could pass as a hipster.

It was the first time anyone had complimented her on her hips. Her mother told her she would die bearing children. Thank god she had other talents.

Maybe her master wasn't a completely terrible auslander. The Japanese were petty thieves, sure, but she respected their tenacity, even if, like the russians, she never got the chance to kill one. She could work with this, oh yes, she could work with this fine.

"The architecture is so round," Rider said, whining all the way. "Too little edges to it. Not enough hellish gargoyles perched upon the roofs. it is the design that speaks of a hamster or a rabbit; prey animal. I do not like it. And that-" she pointed to that one particularly tall skyscraper. "What is that compensating for? There is no soul to this future world-" and then she felt it, felt the presence of another servant. A smile crossed her face; not a psychotic smirk, nor a cocky grin. Just a smile, gentle and demure and, in its own way, assured, the kind of smile the flowers danced for.

She heard riding hood squeak his approval; a howling tempest of fire and brimstone through their mental link.

"You feel that, Killed?" she said, utterly still and utterly focused. "If we can sense them, they can sense us. Rider does not fight without an audience, but the holy grail demands secrecy." She looked up at the building. "Shall we do a little meet and greet," she did an exaggerated curtsy, pulling up at her empty pants pockets awkwardly in a gesture meant for a dress, and bowing low and at just the wrong angle. "My master."

 

[Akashi]

S A B E R, #3366ff

Standing there for a moment, he listened to his Master's answer. What escaped her mouth was very much true. And her dedication to the war was indeed satisfying to hear. "That is good to hear, Lucille. I'd like to know if I'm following a Master who would do anything neccessary to get what they want. And I can see you have the will to do just that.." Saber easily responded. He was well experienced with what a war would do to a soldier and what it would entail, before and after. He had his own fair share of many battles in his past life.

After their little conversation, it was time to leave the tragic park and set out for their next destination. Mainly her school. Minutes later, they arrived by the gates leading into the former. Gazing upon the wide building in Fuyuki City, it was a place where many young people attended in order to learn history amongst many other subjects. He understood what Lucille meant by going into the Astral form, and to stay hidden from the normal human beings. If a person unfortunately witnessed anything related to the Holy Grail, especially the Servants, they'd have to be removed.

And the fact that there would or atleast could be students just like Lucille who were Masters to other Servants, he would have to be focused at all times.

Moments later, they left the school and made course for their next destination. It was like a tour, and his Master was his guide. A smile plastered itself on his face. Looking at the courageus young girl before him, reminded him somewhat about his own past life. With each step they approached the building. Their shoes dugging into the snow on the ground, almost making a crunching sound.

Once they were just before the tall building before them, both him and his Master stopped. Saber's expression was serious. Having that little conversation with her at the park was probably the right timing. He could sense that there was another Servant, just like him, though at the top of the building. "It's another Servant." He easily revealed, before looking at his Master.

"And the source of the prana is coming from the rooftop... So the they are likely to be there..." Saber had pinpointed the location of another participant in the Holy Grail, and he could sense that another Master was also in the same vicinity.

"They apparently had the same idea as you, Lucille. I guess the view from up there is quite popular."

A battle was most likely about to happen. A smirk came across his face. The longing for a battle was exactly what he needed. "I'll be going on ahead, Lucille." He finished, before going into his Astral form. "And I'll make sure nothing happens to you.." Saber disappeared from sight and made his way to the rooftop. It was time to see exactly what the other Servant was capable of doing, and obviously, keep an eye out for the Master.

His own connection to his Master was very strong. She was right behind him, heading for the rooftop.

 

[Phantom Zero]

CASTAH

"Psh. Anyone can be a good magus," Caster handwaved, "It's being a great magus that's hard. So much wasted potential in my day and age." He hopped down from his Master's family's pile of notes and scooted close to his Master. He grinned cheekily as he playfully nudged her a few times with his elbow, "So you're lucky you got me instead of any of those slackers. Eh? Eh?"

"But anyway!" Caster continued, moving away from his Master to face her with arms outstretched, "We should get to work!" He clapped his hands and rubbed them together excitedly, like a kid at a candy store. "First thing's first: We need to get me a Mystic Code so I can look like a proper magus!" Caster put his hand to his chin and stroked an imaginary beard as he glanced around the room. Not finding anything immediately nearby, he decided to check into various doors in the basement. He popped open a broom closet. "...Hm... This mop over here'll work fine! Now on to stage two: decide on a course of action!"

Caster returned to Rayne with a roguish grin on his face and the aforementioned mop, now buzzing with magical energy. "I'll defer to your judgement for this. Think of it as a... test of sorts, if you really are supposed to be my Master... and not because I'm too lazy to think of one myself, because I'm not. Don't look at me like that."

Ilsesviel von Einzbern

Ilsesviel took in a deep breath of the crisp air as she listened to the words of her Servant. "And don't forget it Lancer," she said firmly, eyes closed in thought, "This is a battleground. So we can't let our guards down no matter what. I do not know your wish may be, but, like mine, I know it must be important." Ilse looked to the watch adjusted for the Japanese time zone. Almost nighttime, which meant that soon combat would be breaking out around the city between Servants. "Let's get moving Lancer. Once night falls, who knows what's going to happen," the Einzbern Master grinned with an eagerness to end a life, "and I wouldn't want to miss that for the world."

***​

The layout of the town was essentially permanently ingrained into her mind. Ancestral memory might have been a bitch at times, but it did have its uses. Everything was more or less in the same place as the Master-Servant pair traveled into and throughout Fuyuki City. Not much had changed over 20 years. Hell, even if she looked back into Illyasviel's memories from 100 years ago, the city wasn't all too different from back then. They stood on the edge of the bridge across the Mion River, connecting Shinto to the Miyama District. Cars occasionally passed, complementing the sound of the running waters. "Say, Lancer," Ilsesviel said, rocking on the heels of her feet, "What is it that you wish for from the Grail?"

 

[Nevvy]

Rayne looked from the dusty old broom back to Caster and back to the broom again with nno idea what she was su[BCOLOR=#080808]posed to do with it. She got that it was supposed to become something for him but had no idea of what it was supposed to do. About all she knew were swords because that was all she could do as less than a third rate magus. Caster was much, much more capable than her on a legendary scale. What was she supposed to do? Just think of something amazing? What was it supposed to do? Was she supposed to put her feeble amount of prana into it too? Her head began to spin in confusion and a complete lack of sureness of what to do. More than that, she had no idea where to begin. She was stopped by the sound of a pained grunt and realized that she had been shoving her brother down into the steps this entire time, a bit harder than intended.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=#080808]"I'm sorry!" Rayne stammered, hauling him back up to his feet, "Let's get you back to bed and then Caster can explain this. Slowly."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=#080808]She emphasised slowly because she had no idea what was going on here. Apparently heroic spirits could turn random objects into mystic codes.[/BCOLOR]

 

[Hologram Summer]

"Hmm, you do have a point there" replied Taka, stroking his chin as he did. There were still a lot of things that he didn't quite understand about the Holy Grail War, having only studied it for a little bit over the year. He understood the basic principles at play in this ritual but he still had a lot of area to cover. It was a good thing that the Servants are well informed about it. Speaking of which, Taka removed the glove on his right hand and inspected the crimson command spells that were engraved on it. Command Spells - three powerful magic spells that enforce absolute obedience to one's Servant.

Taka slipped his hand back on the glove and gestured for Berserker to follow him. "Let's continue our discussion in my workshop." asked the onmyoji, tearing an ofuda as he did to release the denizens of the shrine from the curse he had placed earlier. "I believe servants have the ability to assume a spiritual form, right? Why don't you do that for now until we can figure out how to better conceal your identity." suggested Taka. By now, there should be other active Masters and Servants roaming around Fuyuki and Taka didn't want to be at a disadvantage in this early stage of the competition.

The onmyoji's workshop was just a short trek from their current location, a Japanese style house at the foot of Mount Enzou. Apparently, it belonged to a distant relative of the Kurosawa family but the couple who owned the house was asked to take a vacation by the clan master for the remainder of the Holy Grail War. The house was quite spacious (which made for lonely nights) and it even has a small Shinto shrine at the backyard. "Well, here we are. Home sweet home..." chuckled Taka. "We should be safe here, Berserker"

 

[Nevvy]

With a nod of agreement, Berserker faded into his astral form, silently following Taka till they reached his workshop which was much less Aryan than he preferred but it would suffice for a brief period of time. It was fine for a magus but a servant could do with much more suiting accommodations.

"For the most part, I will allow you to exercise your judgment for the war but I will advise you to quickly grab hold of the important points in the city. I believe the magi call them leylines now. The smarter servants will want to make a grab for them too. Safe is a much more menial point, a half hearted thought. The goal is not to be safe. The goal is to win. Nothing less than complete, sweeping victory."

Once again, Berserker went off adding a huge amount of extra verbiage that was really not needed. He was not joking in that he would work with his master as much as possible but there were also strict limitations to that, especially concerning the most critical decisions that involved winning the war. The master could have charge of the small decisions. He would make sure that the big decisions got done right and on schedule. A fuhrer needed to establish his domain, the place that would be the center beach head for the advance of the Aryan race.

 

[Hologram Summer]

"I see that my servant is not a fan of idling. That's a comforting thought." replied Taka in a playful manner, reaching for the living room light switch and flooding the once dim house with light. "You have nothing to worry about, Berserker. I intend to secure an ideal foothold for this war." assured Taka, fiddling around the kitchen cabinets for some tea leaves. He was feeling pretty parched at the moment and some green tea would certainly hit the spot. "As an onmyoji, geomancy is one of my specialties. I'm amazed at how rich this city is in prana, it's like a magician's paradise! Also, I have detected these leylines you speak of and one of them is in this very mountain." explained the young man.

He set the kettle of tea on the stove to warm up before heading to the bathroom. "To continue, this leyline is located in a Buddhist temple near the lakefront. I want to capture this temple and move my workshop there. It shouldn't take me more than half a day to accomplish that unless another Master and Servant has occupied it. Once we have it secured and fortified, I will look for a way to damage or hinder the other leylines in the city to gives us complete control over the battlefield." continued Taka. "How's that, Fuhrer?" teased the onmyoji as he emerged from the bathroom.

Taka approached Berserker and presented an electric shaver and a pair of scissors. "Now then, about your appearance... The mustache has got to go and your haircut could definitely use some updating, don't you think?"

 

[Accelerator]

Freyja van Falken, pink

Hearing Assassin's wish only solidified how rightful her choice of servant was. It seemed like he would be an interesting servant. And somehow, their goals are quite simillar as well. Both of them wanted a better reputation. However, unlike the 3 Knight classes, Freyja was well aware that the Assassin class weren't front liners to begin with. Their best bet at winning this war is more unconventional strategy that differs from that of the norm. Luckily, she had already thought of such a plan before deciding who she'll summon and from what class.


"Alright. It seems our goals are quite similar, Assassin. I am counting on you but you can also count on me. I do not need constant protection since I can handle myself well on my own. Your first assignment is pretty simple. Observe and report. Spy on the other masters and servants. Find out the identities of the other masters and if possible, the other servants as well. Find out the other masters' base of operations, and also note if there are any traps, boundary fields or homunculi patrolling the area. If possible find out the weaknesses of the other servants and the loopholes in the strongholds of their base of operations. Use your presence concealment when doing this. We don't want other masters and servants detecting you while you're eavesdropping on them. Also, if you manage to stumble upon two servants fighting, notify me as soon as possible. Do not engage any servants without me. We must find out and utilize their weaknesses against them first. Patience is key to our victory." Freyja ordered Assassinin an authoritative tone.

 

[Artorias]

Assassin, red

Freyja was indeed his new Master, but she was no Ieyasu Tokugawa, but he didn't say a word and just gave a light smile as the girl began to talk about plans and how he was needed to spy. Of course, spying was part of his class. He gave her a proper bow before standing straight once more, in a flash of black shadowy tendrils, he was back in the armor. The visor giving off a slight red glow before dimming out. "As you wish My Lady, it shall be done." He didn't even bother asking who the Master's were if she knew any possible leads. They were in Fuyuki and it was Fate...They were all bound to bump into one another no matter how hard one tried to hide. His visor glancing at her once more before he disappeared into black particles. She would be able to contact him telepathically as most Servants and Masters held that connection after the pact was made.

~~~~~



He followed the trail of magical energy, prana, that was lying about. He didn't know how long it had been there and right now if someone focused they could sense the small prana that he was releasing. His presence concealment was top notch as no Servant could detect him when he was still but moving around lowered it and getting ready to attack drastically lowered it. However, staying still it was like he never existed. He was only spying, so no matter how tempting it was to take out a Master if he saw one in the open, then he wouldn't go for it until given instruction to do so.

He stopped in his tracks as he laid eyes on a large building, he could sense two Servants up on that building and other people. He however didn't travel up to that building, instead he made way for one of equal height that was empty on the top and stayed there, watching across as he was as still as a statue. Right now he could only see one Servant and Master, but he felt the presence of two. Or was he mistaken? He could see why the others chose the building they stood on for recon, this one he was perched upon was just as tall but it's view was terrible. Trees blocked the roads, and other buildings blocked other essential areas, but that one seemed perfect. If only he could get on it.

'My Lady, I have already found what I believe to be two Servants and two Masters...' He wished he knew what street these buildings were on, or know anything about Fuyuki that he could help his Master locate him. Maybe she would be able to locate him through the pact they have. He just stayed still, watching with his increased perception so the distance between the two buildings wasn't that large of a damper on himself. Hearing would be tough, but he could see them perfectly clear.

 

[Pyralithia]

Rider's Master, purple

Setting: Layu Street
Time: 2:04am
Nearby: Citizens
~~~~

Twitch twitch, Kil did indeed feel the presence of strong Prana nearby, but that didnt change the irritation she held for her servant. When Rider once AGAIN got her name wrong she couldnt stop herself from glaring at the little blonde. "I swear Rider, either you have the shortest memory or you really hate me. Its Killala, Kee-la-la, not Killed!" She nearly shouts at her servant her fists rigid at her sides before sighing in defeat as her magenta eyes gaze up at the building they were next to. "Lets go up there away from the citizens, I dont want any casualties during this war if I can help it." Her voice is much more mild now but deadly serious, a sharp contrast to her usual playful/friendly mood.

~~~~~~~~~~
Setting: Skyscraper
Time: 2:18am
Nearby: Saber/Lucille
~~~~

After jogging up multiple flights of stairs thanks to an elevator that only went to the 12th floor, Kil was a more than a little out of breath. Panting lightly she walks out onto the rooftop that overlooked the city, her gaze running over the city lights in front of her, a smile spreading across her face at the amazing view. "Jeeze I wish I had a view like this from my apartment." She mumbles to herself before shaking her head to clear it. Kil could feel the source of the Prana getting closer, it was time she got ready for battle. Opening the black leather satchel attached to her belt she pulls out 8 gems, 4 were Jade and 4 were Garnet, all had an eerie glow to them proving they wernt ordinary gems. Going to the perimeter of the roof top Killala places 1 of each gem in the 4 corners before standing the middle. Taking a deep breath she chants in a low tone "Watashitachi no yobidashi o damara, karera no me o shahei shi, korera no kabe o baindo" The gems start to glow brighter right before a translucent barrier encases the rooftop going about 20 ft into the air before making a box shape.

Looking around she relaxes a tiny bit, pleased with her work 'That will at least keep anyone from seeing or hearing anything inside this barrier, though it wont keep anybody in or out....' Her gaze falls on Rider "Try to keep the battle inside this barrier please, it will make the innocent non the wiser." She asks the powerful servant, she truly couldnt take having to kill someone just cause of an accident. Kil absently rubs the Command Seals on top of her right hand as she anxiously waits for the other servant/master to emerge.
(Bind these walls, shield their eyes, silence our calls - Japanese. Her chant)

 

[Pyralithia]

Einzbern's Servant, #09e05c

Setting: Mion River Bridge
Time: 9:24pm
Nearby: Citizens
~~~

Lancer remained in Astral form as he stood beside Ilse, not wanting to attract attention from the mortals nearby but not wanting to be out of his armor and without his spear in case of an attack. To Ilse's question he looks down at her tho she couldnt see him before looking up at the full moon with a thoughtful expression. After a few moments it seemed like he wasnt going to answer until his voice sounded in her mind "The truth? I really dont know yet, I know theres something I want, something important. But I dont have the image in my mind....Sorry if that displeases you Mi'lady." He says calmly, his tone serious. After a few more moments his voice sounds again "Might I ask what your wish might be, Ilse?" His tone was curious now as he looked out on the river before them, his hands fidgeted with his spear on his shoulders. Lancer was getting itchy for a fight

 

[RareSecret]

Vivianne Lucille Aufort

Lucille walked up the steps of the building leading her to the rooftop. She stood in front of the door. Before opening it, she shifted on of the beads that were in her closed hand in between her index finger and thumb. It looked like she was going to flip a coin when in reality she was ready to cast magic. Lucille opened the door in front of her with her left hand. On the rooftop, there was girl with white hair who was standing next to a blonde female. The building seemed to be covered by a barrier. The girl with white hair looked strangely familiar. Where has Lucille seen her before? In the streets? School? When shopping?

Lucille puts off the thought as she approached the girl with purple hair and the blonde female. She aimed the silver beads at the girl with purple hair assuming she is the master. "Don't try anything stupid." Lucille demanded "This maybe a bead but it's filled with wind magic. One wrong move and you are over the edge. Who are you and what class is your servant?" Lucille tried to get information out of them while distracting them even though she knows that they won't answer her questions and will try to fight.

 

[Nevvy]

Berserker backed far, far away from Taka at the idea of letting him do anything with the scissors and shaver. He might have a good head on his shoulders for the idea of what to do but this and that were totally different. A mere matter of strategy he could allow but this was a matter of pride.

"You would dare come near the fuhrer with the intent to harm so much as a hair on his head? Blasphemy! I won't have any part of it! You're delusional! Mad, I say! The mighty moustache is a symbol of power I chose for myself. You'll not take it from me!" Berserker raged on, flailing his arms about. They could win this war without making such grevious successions. Successions were what had caused their downfall to begin with before, stretched them thin and made them vulnerable. They should have won right at the start and would have had there just been a little more push to deprive the allied forces of their ground foothold. Then they could have starved out Britain. The same mistakes would not be repeated! They would win with their dignity held high and banners waving.

 

[Akashi]

S A B E R, #3366ff

In his astral form, he was already at the top of the building. Though, while he was there, there was another smaller roof on top of the building, with a ladder leading upto it, and a door right below it. The staircase which lead to the rooftop was connected to that very door. Saber was standing on top of that particular rooftop, though moments later, his master arrived. Narrowing his eyes down, he gazed upon the two females standing before them. While his Master asked them some questions, he decided to observe his surroundings, noticing that a spell had been cast, or seemingly a barrier, but he could immediately deduce that it was not a harmful one.

Jumping down the roof, in his astral form, he stood next to his Master. With his crimson eyes locked on both the blondie and the light pink haired girl. They both seemed quite young, just like his own Master. However, he could notice that one had more magic than the other. Saber also knew that they would not give a straight answer, so he decided to make it easier for himself and Lucille. "It appears to be that the blonde little girl there, seems to be the Servant. So the other one must be the Master.." He telepathically uttered.

"However, I am impressed by the one who made the barrier... They must've been expecting us." He almost jokingly stated, though telepathically. Seconds later, he appeared in his physical form, though unlike his clothing from earlier, he was in his armor, and his under-waist red cape was fluttering. Saber also didn't manifest his sword right from the bat.

His white hair fluttered, his crimson eyes were glimmering with spirit. He was almost acking to battle. A smile was plastered on his face. "I guess a battle against another Servant would suffice.." He stated, looking at his Master for a second. The expression she showed was quite interesting. She was not flinching, or was scared. All Saber saw was determination in her eyes.

The flow of the black and blue energy started to manifest around his hand. The energy was intertwined before the shape of the greatsword appeared, though slowly. With his weapon in his hand, he stabbed it into the ground. With his left hand on top of the hilt, while the other was in the form of a fist. His attention was undivided, as he had his eyes locked onto the opponents before him.

 

[Phantom Zero]

Castmaster

What a troublesome Master indeed. She... really wasn't prepared for the Grail War, was she? Extremely juvenile knowledge of magecraft, no good idea of what she was getting herself into, familial bonds in the crossfire... He certainly had his work cut out for him, yes he did. But at least she was cute, right? Plus he did have enough experience with this sort of thing, and this was hardly the first time this particular sort of situation had played out.

Of course back then Caster had had access to a veritable treasury of magical and non-magical resources, but beggars can't be choosers, history repeats itself, etcetera etcetera. Though hopefully this time the skills he'd provide would actually get to see use!

"Mmmkay hun," Caster drawled, twirling the Magic Mop (tm) about in his hands like a marching band's baton twirler as he waited for his Master to return from tucking her brother into bed and whatnot. Of course he got a bit bored of that and did a bit of exploring around the house. He picked up an umbrella at the doorway and popped it open and closed a few times, stroking an imaginary beard before placing the item in his robes and going back to the basement to get to work on a much less simple Mystic Code...

***​

"And she's back!" Caster declared upon his Master's return to the basement of summoning, emphasizing it with a jaunty tap of his Magic Mop (tm) as he leaned over a cleared off desk with a gaudy umbrella placed upon it. He turned around.

"Alright kid, so you wanted an explanation?" he asked rhetorically, rubbing his hands together before... 'explaining' it, "Well here you go! Once upon a time there was a ritual. We'll call it... Feaven's Heel. In this ritual are... Seroic Hirits summoned from the... Hone of Teroes to fight as... Mervants for the seven chosen Sasters, who command them to fight each other to the death with... Sommand Ceals. Then, when only one pair is left, they get a wish. Yay!"

A beat as he waved his arms in the air as if he did not care.

"Yeah!" Caster added with a nod, as if it affirmed his childish explanation of the Holy Grail War before turning back to his work-in-progress umbrella.

Ilsesviel von Einzbern

"Right..."

The disappointment was obvious the Grail Vessel's voice. She'd been suspecting some interesting tale of redemption or vengeance, or even perhaps something as simple as reincarnation into the mortal coil once more. Though it was a bit expected. What more was there for a born winner to wish for? As for herself, well, her wish was very basic.

"Survival."

One word. A simple concept, though spoken with such conviction that it transcended even that. It was the tone of someone with both nothing and everything to lose. And it was that one word that brought Ilse back to the real world, so to speak.

"....To the east. Do you feel that?" Ilse said, "Up, high above the ground. Very close by. Lots of prana expenditure." She looked to the skyscraper and pointed. "I feel sorry for you, Lancer," she chuckled, "Because it looks like the first battle of the Seventh Holy Grail War has begun."

 

[Nevvy]

Rayne quickly tucked her brother in to bed, thinking things over in the vain hopes of coming up with an answer of what Caster had wanted her to do before returning so she would look a little less like an idiot. Alas, such attempts were in vain. What she didn't know she didn't know. After assuring her brother that she would be perfectly safe, a very white, blatant lie as this war was infamous for being a bloodbath, she gave a sigh of defeat and walked back off to the basement to admit her lack of basic knowledge. Upon her return, she was fed a quick hash down of the grail war in shoddy Japanese. She was sure that Servants were supposed to be able to speak other languages perfectly fine through the grail without all the speech impediments.

"Look, I understand how the grail war works. I didn't summon you by accident. I know the purpose, how to use the command seals, and generally what to do. What I don't understand is what you wanted me to do with the mop. I don't know a thing about mystic codes beyond what they are."

This servant was really beginning to give her a headache and she had a feeling it was more a matter of him just toying with her rather than him being stupid. He was a Caster, usually one of the more intelligent classes, and he seemed to be sane despite his apparent growing hobby of messing with her. He had gotten more weird objects too, her umbrella, for whatever reason.

"Are you planning to treat this war as a game or are you planning to take this seriously? We are stuck with each other now so we might as well make the best of it," Rayne said, swallowing hard. In the back of her mind, she was aware enough of that fact that they were not technically stuck with each other. Caster could take her out at some point during the war and hop ship if he so desired.

 

[Pastor ćhoi]

Master of Killed, red

Setting: Killed's Apartment
Time: 7:50pm
Nearby: None

Rider stared at the thing -this futuristic contraction the Killed girl called a laptop- and prodded at the screen. There was a ripple when she touched it, and she hurriedly backed down behind the cover of the right side of the bed, drawing one of her pistols, peeking out from behind cover. Killed simply giggled, made a sequence of taps that unlocked the vault, then went to the treasure icon lablled 'chrome'. From that icon, she drew forth a map of Fuyuki. The coast clear, Rider felt safe enough to come out of hiding, settling on the bed, as always, express her opinion.

Spoiler

"If someone brought me a war map that tiny while I ruled in my court of iron-"

"Prime? You're, like, 6."

"24."

Killed rolled her eyes, utterly unconvinced. "Matou, Einzbern, Tohsaka." she said. "Three families who started the grail war, and thus, the three families who will always be picked, though word on the street's be that Tohsaka's ain't been too keen for awhile. The einzbern stronghold is here-" she pointed to the patch of green on the outskirts of the map; the forest around the castle. "Tohsaka's here" she pointed to the north of the map. "Matou...the mansion is somewhere up here, but nobody uses it anymore. They've been buying up loads of property over the last century. Got a windfall between now and then. Some of the stuff they got intersecting on leylines too. Heard they even tried buying the temple, but the Ryuudou's won't sell. Oh yeah, best make a note on that place too."

"I've attended the wakes of comrades," Rider said. "that have been more pleasing than this briefing. You have the mana, my glorified battery, and I have the power. Instead of your silly walk around town, we sweep every fortification of note tonight. An hour. Two, tops. We feed them all to Riding Hood."

The giant mass of metal, which had somehow attached and burrowed itself into the ceiling and was helping itself to the neighbour's cabling, screeched its satanic approval.

"No civilians. No exposure. No fanfare."

"There are no real civilians. Collateral is part of war."

"Maybe your brand of warfare. But this isn't your battlefield, this is the urban jungles of Fuyuki, and Japa-You're not a soulsucker, are you?"

"I care nothing for these people, least of all their souls." Her eyes narrowed a little. "Rider kills where there is the smog of war, but no one will accuse Rider of being a cannibal."

"A-are you the horseman of war, Rid-"

"Horsewoman."

"Are you the horsegirl of war, rider?"

Rider glared at Killed, then looked up at Riding Hood. "Oi! Riding Hood! Are you a wee unicorn of biblical lore?"

A shrill death rattle. Translation: nah.

"Guess not." The smug sneer in her tone was mirrored on her face. "The masters do not concern me. It is my so-called peers that bear considering. We have assassin-"

"Always a Hassan. Every single time."

"The Muslims?"

"You going to say something racist? Go on. Say something racist."

"Oh no, I respect the militancy. Pew pew. Boom boom. Canadians explode."

Killed sighed. "And we have lancer, the spearman."

"Unless he's the bastard son of some uber-deity, I say we're gonna blow him to the sky."

"Archer, the bowman."

"Bowing to meeeeee."

"Berserker the madman."

"No countrymen there. No german hero of yore would succumb to the depths of insanity. We are, after all, the master race."

"You're ger-"

"Less chitchat, more gogogo."

"Caster, the magus."

"Pfft, baby magic."

"And the purported strongest class of all. The one class with high statistics in all 5 categories. The one class that has, if the rumors hold true, always made it to the end of the grail war."

"Rider!"

"What, no. It's-"

Master of Killed, red

"Saber."

Her tone spoke of fire and brimstone. Her tone spoke of war. Her tone spoke of everything between the siege of Uruk to the end of the ottomans; she was hungry, and she knew how to sate that hunger.

Red light materialized in her hands, splitting into 2 pieces as she brought them apart. The first piece of light resolved into a pistol in her left hand. The second piece of light resolved itself in a blinding whirl of jarring sound; Riding Hood's patented scream. But what came out wasn't a hunk of metal. It was a...windmill? An oversized windmill? No, no, it was a...well, it was something. Perceived though, as a whirling mass spinning so fast and so hard that the building itself shook and the barrier started to vibrate from the sheer pressure. Rider held it by a few tiny rubber-looking strings. Wind emanated from it; a hurricane caught in a little butterfly, just waiting for the wings to loose it. Surely Rider took it out to lay any pretensions to mastery that Saber's master would claim over wind magic.

"By the chivaric code of combat," She barely held in her chuckle. "I am archer, and this," She pointed to Killed. "Is my slave puffington. I must thank you, slave puffington, for thinking so highly of me. Surely you must be so confident in your archer's abilities that you would pit her in close combat with Saber. Surrounded by a barrier." She smiled, turned back to Killed, flashed her a brief SERIOUSLY? look, before returning her cheery look to her opponent.