Kaleidoscopic Spiral - The Beginning

[Mooncake]

Ezra Saint-Michael
Random Room Something-Or-Other


If he's really a Buddhist monk, I'll eat my hat. Not that I actually have a hat. Or really know that much about Buddhism. Pretty sure it has something to do with not gorging yourself on food.

Speaking of food, I still haven't eaten anything - when I actually get hungry, I'll just make food for myself. Simple. I won't touch a bite of this brat's food until I kill him - but even so, I'll hear him out before that. I already said I would help, anyways.

Doesn't hurt that I'm a lot calmer without the bloody headache, either.

I don't recognize anyone in this room, and I trust them all less than I could throw them. Going around telling strangers every single thing about yourself is a very good way to get killed, dismembered, slaughtered, etc.

I'll give them a little bit, though, enough so that they might think twice before trying to do something annoying, making me kill them. Or get killed. Even being a Sorcerer (more or less, not that they need to know that) just sometimes isn't enough to stop something from flossing it's teeth with your spine. Eh, tangents. Can't live without 'em.


"Ezra Saint-Michael. Sorcerer."


Simple, concise, and for those that know what the term means, I won't need to say anything else (not that I'm technically a full Sorcerer, but they don't need to know that).

"Uh, yeah, what happened to email? Letter? Hell, fax? Y'know, the polite shit that you do while hiring."

"Also are you gonna kick us around like a social call or are you going to actually get us doing this important job after you tell us what you're actually paying?"

Seems like my type of girl - would Cait Sith flay me alive for thinking that? Probably. Well, as long as no one can read minds, it's all right. Anyways, she raises a good point, at least for those who need the money of others. And the impatient, like myself.

"Yeah, this job… when is it going to happen?"

[YeOfLittleFaith]

Asyl deVerum
Place-Turned-Into-Dining-Room

Kurogami? Soren? Decapitator of the nineteenth Ancestor?

Never heard of him.

Then again, I don't exactly keep up with these things. But wait, Soren? That surname's familiar. Any relation to Araya, I wonder?

Well, him aside, we seem to have quite a troupe here. A kid from a sci-fi setting, a Dead Apostle Ancestor, a (alleged) monk who doesn't seem to be human, and, of all things, a Sorceror?

I'm surprised we're all still whole and the room hasn't been atomized. Well, if waving big titles and designations around is what we're doing now, I can do that too!

Also, address our task. That's probably a good idea as well.

"Excuse me. Yes. I'm Asyl deVerum, once called "Yellow" by the Mage's Association. I agree with the miss and the gentleman that details about our task in specific would be nice anytime soon now. And I couldn't help but wonder. Are you related to Araya Soren, per chance?"

[Emiya Kurou]

Ashur Kurogami Soren
Ruined Sitting Room

"Eh, uh might be, the name comes from my grandfather, so I can't be sure."

And with that bullet dodged who is nex-

A familiar ping rings in my head;

One that never bodes well.

That is not good, THAT IS NOT GOOD!

I stand up, and start for the door without pause.

"We can finish introductions later; we need to get out of here now."

I head towards the back entrance. Hoping the others follow quickly.

I am only half way down the stairs when the front door gets explodes inward.

Fire erupts through the opening and quickly begins to spread.

Through the flames steps a truly hellish figure, clad in demonic black armor stained with streaks of crimson, and radiating an intense malice.



"Fuck."

I do not hesitate, I immediately turn and run back up the stairs.

There is no way I can defeat him as I am now.

"To the roof!"

I am fairly sure all the others followed.

"We need to get out of here, none of you can beat him."

"He is the guy who taught me how to fight, so I am well aware of exactly how powerful he is."

I reach the door to the roof, and look back at the others;

"This does however, answer one of our questions; We are in the right place, just ten years or so in the past."

"Not nearly as far off as I was expecting us to be."

If it was farther back it would be someone else, and if it were sooner he would have offered us a chance to surrender by now.

Probably...

"Now I just need to figure out how to get us out of here alive."

That is the hard part.

Surviving.

[Emiya Kurou]

Ashur Kurogami Soren
Roof of Burning Manor

Ok, I have three minutes before he punches through the hundred something boundaries that my familiar put up.

We have all known each other for half a day;

There is no way there is going to be any kind of decent teamwork;

Half of us would die to friendly fire;

I can't beat him, I know that for certain;

But I should be able to stall him long enogh for the others to get away.

"I need all of you to listen carefuly;"

"There is a lake three kilometers north of here, split up into two groups and make your way there."

"There are most likely at least a half-dozen enforcers in the woods;"

"If you run into one, take them out before they can signal the others."

At this I sigh.

"If I am not there in three hours, assume that I died."

"Go quickly! There isn't much time!"

As they start to make their way down, some by way of hopping down the ledges, others simply jumping off and landing with casual ease;

I turn to the door, and almost certain death.

As the door is blown apart and I face down the Terror of Death, the very man who would later teach my younger self how use his skills in battle;

The man renowned for striking down over a hundred full fleaged dead apostles in a single battle;

I had one thought....

"Still not as scary as having dinner with Manaka, Heh, heh, heh."

I begin to laugh maniacly while drawing my sword.

"Alright you psychopath, Let's do this!"

I rush forward, and begin the battle for my life.

The others, meanwhile........

[Mooncake]

Ezra Saint-Michael
Manor Roof




Screw it. I signed up for this job so I could be a 'hero', kill the annoying Summoner that brought all of us here, and now some random flaming person/thing makes like the Kool-Aid man and tries to kill us? Yeah, I'm not gonna let that happen. And the brat is now trying to fight him, telling us to run so he can buy some time.


He even explicitly said "None of you can beat him."


Yeah, see, that's the problem, right there. No matter, though. I appreciate his attempts to 'save us', but with him locked in battle with that person, they're perfectly positioned. I get it right now - it really is perfect. I can take them out both at once.


"Everyone who doesn't want to die, or can die at all, run away as fast as you can."


Yes, I realize the hypocrisy. So? I'll be nice, though, and elaborate a little for them.


"I don't know if you know what a nuclear bomb is, but if you do, start running."


As an aspect of the First Sorcery, I can bring forth anything I desire, as long as I understand the basics of that object, or understand the idea I want it to take shape from if the object is imaginary. And, well, I was good (I hesitate to say brilliant) at mathematics and science. It's complicated, but I know the basics, and like I said, that's all I need. My imagination and the First Sorcery fills in the rest.


Maybe glassing the place isn't a great idea with my self at the epicenter, and in any other situation, that would be right. In my case, though, I can simply get the hell out of dodge. The radiation would (hell, probably will) get to me, but once I get back to Cait Sith, it won't be that bad.


Anyways, all I need to do is create a plane - an F-16 or the like. The displacement of air will be bad, but it won't kill me. Then, I'll just nuke the place as many times as I need too while flying away peacefully - fuck, this is gonna hurt so much. Oh well. I've done worse things to people who have pissed me off.


I love being a Sorcerer.


I'll give everyone a minute to move before I start - I doubt they'll get far, but it doesn't matter. I'll just extend a gracious hand to them, but they're still strangers, so I won't give them too much help. They can make their own damn luck.


I start visualizing what I want, running multiple formulae through my head - I said that I was good at math earlier, but that might just be an understatement. Still, even with mathematical and scientific smarts, the magic helps quite a bit, as well as providing me with the energy I need to do something like this. This is a really stupid idea, but I've found that nuking something just feels good - and if a single nuke doesn't work, then I'll just use more.


Ah, I'm almost done. I'll give the others just a moment or two more to keep going or start moving away if they haven't already.

[YeOfLittleFaith]

Asyl deVerum
Manor Roof

I know that look on Mr. Sorcerer's face. It's the look of someone who's seen an opportunity and is going to take it.
He turns towards the rest of us and speaks very frankly.

"Everyone who doesn't want to die, or can die at all, run away as fast as you can. I don't know if you know what a nuclear bomb is, but if you do, start running."

Well, I suppose that's one way to do things, but if that's really the case, running isn't going to help much. Not that I particularly need to. If I divert enough power to my barrier (my maximum output should do), I'm pretty sure I'll be able to at least survive an atomic blast. Sure, it might leave me pretty roughed up, use most of my mana reserves, but I'll live. Even if I'll be deprived of most of the accumulated power I've gotten from the souls I consumed lately.

The radiation won't affect me for as long as I have my barrier active, even if it's just very faintly.

For him to say that, however, I'm sure he has some way of escaping it himsel -

Oh. Ohhhhhh.
So that's his domain as a Sorceror. The First Magic? And... it's not just a small use of it he's making here!

Hmm. I see how he plans to escape the blast. But as for the radiation... well, maybe I can propose an agreement. He gives me a ride, I extend my barrier to shield us from radiation.

Besides, he seems like someone you want to be on the good side of.

"You wouldn't happen to have room for two in that? Ahh, I'm not asking for a ride for free of course. I'll shield you from the radiation in exchange, how does that sound?"

I ask with an amiable smile.

[SeiKeo]

Li Jinhai
Roof

Whatever a 'nuclear bomb' was, it was most likely destructive, but I wasn't impressed. My father had told me about the various increasingly barbaric ways we had come up with to murder each other, but most of them, he also told me, weren't very different in the exact details, just in scale. And that I wasn't worried about. Big bomb, small bomb, it was just metal and just for a short time; I'd be fine.

I looked at Sarah, and her eyes were as wide as saucers; she was mumbling to herself, but then stopped and grabbed me by the shoulder, tucking her briefcase into the sling on her chest. "We're going, now, now!" Quickly finding my feet, I pushed my briefcase into a similar sling and when I looked up Sarah was in the process of jumping off the roof.

Clearly, this was more of a problem for her than it was for me. I followed her off, landing with considerably more grace; but she wasn't even taking a breather, tearing off through the woods, arming her gun as she went. To be quite frank, I appreciated that she had dragged us both out, even if it was apparently for her own safety. The others were getting tiresome - at least Sarah didn't have any absurd complexes about her own abilities. Especially the self-anointed boss. How do you drag people into your home and then risk death yourself, potentially stranding them? The height of impoliteness.

[Emiya Kurou]

Ashur Kurogami Soren
Roof of Burning Manor

That idiot!

He must think himself invincible, taking the time to charge up a big, flashy attack.

Even taking the time to warn the others to clear the area?

How thoughtful.

Meanwhile it took roughly three seconds for Ryou to decide that that idiot was a threat and only one second after that to cross the twenty meters between them.

He then proceeded to scream a battle cry while attempting to cut the idiot in half with the greatsword he had just drawn.

He would have suceeded too, had I not taken advantage of the split second gap as he switched weapons to apply a prana burst fueled vaccum palm to the idiot's shoulder.

I felt his shoulder dislocate, which likely broke hes concentration;

The look of shock on his face as he was sent flying half a kilometer into the forest almost made it worth it,

Almost meaning it was worth it for the two tenths of a second it took for the larger than it's wielder greatsword to sheer through my defencer and nearly cleave me in half.

He will have bruises over his entire body, but he will live.

My own situation on the otherhand seems a bit more dubious.

I should be grateful to the shock i'm in at least, it doesn't hurt.

The most I can do before losing conciousness is to lower my body temperature enough to slow the bleeding.

I hope one of them knows a healing spell. or.....at..........least.............has.......... .......b.a.n...d...a..g........e......s........... ................

[YeOfLittleFaith]

Futsuyama Katamune
Roof

Dear me, this has turned into a sticky situation! That fellow over there does not very liable to sitting down and talking. Yes, I do believe running is probably the best option here.

Most of everyone has already dropped from the roof and dived into the forest. The two young ones still here don't seem too convinced howeve -

... guess that doesn't matter now that Ezra was sent flying! And Asyl has just jumped down into the forest following it.

I turn back to the center of the roof to see our summoner crumple where he stands, bleeding deeply, and the man with the visage of a monster who wounded him walking closer and hefting his greatsword up to finish the job.

I'd say the time is about right for me to do something. I dig my hand inside a pocket in the breast of my shirt, and I grasp the tool I wish. Out of a pocket that seems far too small for it, I pull out a fan of brilliant Autumn-leaves-red colored feathers.

This might take a bit of my demonic power, but it can't be helped.

Feather Fan - A tengu fan of vibrant red feathers. Has the power to stir up great winds, which can disarm others and also send them from one place to another with theirs and the owner's consent.

I quickly turn in the direction of the forest, that most people gathered started to run towards, and shout vigorously with an inhumanly booming voice.

"Everyone! If you accept help to run away, do not resist the wind!"

I focus my demonic power on the fan to extend its own, and I swing it widely towards the forest. Great gusts of wind fly from it, almost roaring in the air as they swirl towards the forest, forming into small cyclones meant to carry the others to safety. If they accept to be carried, that is.

With haste, I turn back to the aggressor and our summoner, and raise the fan above my head before swinging it down, producing a powerful vortex of wind in their direction. This fan can produce winds of travel as well as disarming winds. This wind is the latter, aimed to separate that man from his weapons, even if only temporarily.

He should at least be dazed enough by its raw power that my move bears the intended results. Mentally praying it succeeds, I follow up by producing sharp needles from within my clothing, readying them with my free hand, and throwing them at the man's shadow as the wind reaches him, to bind him in place through his shadow as an added measure.

Shadow Binding - Roots a target in place by stabbing their shadow with a weapon (usually a throwing weapon). The shadow is part of the self, therefore stopping one's shadow by stabbing it into place will also halt its owner until what is restraining them is removed, or they can forcibly remove it themselves by struggling to regain movement. That is the principle this mystery is based upon.

I immediately swing my fan again, producing another miniature tornado to sweep up Ashur, and I prepare to be picked up by it as well to make our exit.

[RandomlyAwesome]

Albert "Icarus" Smith
Time/Place: NA/Manor Roof

I guess tea time is over then?....I get up and follow Ashur to the roof...
Surely the combined might of all the people here would be able to keep off one man.
I however am not in any state to fight at the moment,considering I can't even stretch my wings thanks to Mr.Tentacle.

As we reach the roof Mr.Soren spouts something about meeting him in the lake around here.
Yeah sure I'l just get going then...

However as I'm about to leave I notice a strange glint in the eyes of Mr.Tentacle..Almost as if he found...an opportunity?

"I don't know if you know what a nuclear bomb is, but if you do, start running."

I don't have nuclear plating though.
.....
NUCLEAR BOMB!?!?

Damn...even if could stretch my wings I would still be unable to get away before the radiation severely fucks me up.
I slowly start to back away,my mind quickly trying to find a way to get the hell out of dodge...
And then Ezra gets punted.

Well...I suppose thats a solution.
I notice that our host has crumpled to the ground but refrain from moving into help when I see our friendly neighborhood buddhist monk has picked him up with the technique he launched in the general direction of the escaping people to help.

I observe the now restrained party-pooper in demonic armor for a few seconds...
Yeah..should probably leave now...

However I can't spread my damned wings...WHY DIDN'T I PICK UP MORE DRONES???
Oh well...gotta improvise I suppose...
I get into a running start as if to jump off the roof...
Closer...Closer...NOW.

I move one of the three remaining flies under my foot right as I step off the building,the rest lining up in front for me to continue running...
Okay move the first one to the end..press on next one,move the first to the end...Repeat ad infinitum...

"Can't believe this is actually working!"

[Ivan The Mouse]

Neo/Rattus/Yukina
Somewhere in Fuyuki City

"Ah, for fuck's sake, what is this faggotry, Ratt?!" A messily-haired blonde man wearing a t-shirt and pair of blue jeans complained. "Why the fuck do we have to travel in this goddamned shithole of a country, in goddamned shithole of a city? There ain't no casinos, no good bars and no good people in here, ya heard?"

"The same reason I go to the most chaotic parts of Africa, Neo." Another man, wearing a white dress shirt, black pants, bespectacled and having a wavy brown but graying hair answered. Both men were seated far apart in front of each other, with him seating on a cushioned chair and Neo lounging lazily in a sofa. "I have a business to conduct here. If you didn't want to go here, I should have left you back in the Manor instead. But here you are, just in case we need your services. We have to be prepared. Besides, didn't you mention a while ago that you are lacking money these days?"

Neo then fully laid his back on the sofa out of disappointment, the said "Jesus Christ, then you should have chosen a better city to have yo' fuckin' business, man! This ain't no damn fun! I told you, bro, there ain't no good people around here! This is Jap country; once you pass by this territory, ya' need to keep fucking driving, you fucking understand?!"

"Umm..." A shy-looking ponytailed woman wearing a yukata uttered. She was seated next to Rattus in a cushioned chair. "Neo-san, I know that your meaning of 'good people' is very different from the rest, but... Perhaps you should keep trying to find a place or group of people in this city you could enjoy, right? Besides, we have not seen all of this city, did we?"

"Really, Yukina? Really?!" Neo asked in a sardonic tone. But he finally conceded by throwing up his hands in the air, rolling his eyes upward, hissing and saying "Nevermind. 'Haps something's going to become entertaining when the motherfucking business deal starts to roll in this shitty little city. Who's that asshole who called us to this place anyway?"

"Ashur Kurogami Soren." Rattus answered in a precise way. "So far, I have no further information about him but he contacted me via telephone and said that he needed help with something in this city. The problem is he did not specify what kind of help he wants for us to do so neither the place we will meet, except for this city. His tone during our conversation suggested something mysterious happening here in Fuyuki." He then tipped his glasses back by the bridge before continuing. "And to be honest, I have to admit to you people that we have no other leads right now but to meet Ashur."

Both Neo and Yukina had their eyes widen when they heard of Rattus' initial evaluation of their current situation. Neo, still confused, started to complain "...W-what?! Why the fuck would you put us into a situation like this, man?! All these fucking years, I never thought you would make such idiotic move such as this, Ratt! So what, do we have to just start the most indecisive waiting game for some motherfucker whose name sounds like a Egyptian camelfucker had an orgy with a Jap and a Eurofag bitch and he was the result?"

"We do not have to play such a terrible game if only we will start finding him!" Yukina suggested cheerfully, despite her initial shock earlier.

"Then that be like some kind of shitty game of hide and seek, you stupid bitch." Neo retorted. "Rattus said he has no other clue on him other than his name, so I fucking bet my ass he doesn't even know how he looks like, ain't it?"

"That's another confession I have to make myself but forgot to mention." Rattus then picked up a hip flask he placed on the end table between his and Yukina's chairs and started drinking from it.

"So okay, what would it be now: A waiting game in this hotel room or a hide and seek this city?" Neo asked them. "We're stuck on the goddamned limbo. We'll get fucked if we do and fucked if we don't."

Rattus then finished drinking and made a quick decision "We wait. We can't do anything unless he comes to us."

[EnigmaticFellow]

Jerecht von Berhtoald
Lake

Clearly, magi of today are not in the custom of providing guests or prospective employees reasonable impressions. Not laying out the proper wards to keep unwanted elements away while at the same time inviting guest is the pinnacle of bad etiquette.

Still, such a situation is of little consequence for me. There are few predicaments that I can escape from if need be. Not to mention I created a familiar from a common house fly before leaving the manor to watch the preceedings this Ashur had with his former mentor. Perhaps I would normally consider such an overt use of my mysteries as anathema to the way I operate, but I do admit to having some interest in seeing how these coming events will play out. Not to mention that man has yet to answer my question. I will not interfere in this matter, but I will hear the summoner's price before I make a final decision. That is if he survives.

[Emiya Kurou]

Ryou Misaki
Ruins

It has been a while since anyone has tried to attack me head on.

The black armored demon chuckled slightly as he tore himself away from the needles that had momentarily restrained him.

"No matter, I'll get him next time."

At this he looks behind him.

"So, where is this bloodbath you promised?"

Out of the shadows appears a figure in blue.

"In Fuyuki,"

The figure explains.

"in the Holy Grail War."

The demon looks up at the sky.

"I wonder,"

He muses,

"if this will be what will finally draw Him out?"

At this he begins to laugh again.

And the rain begins to fall.

[YeOfLittleFaith]

Futsuyama Katamune
Lake

The small tornado carrying me and Ashur vanishes as we float over the beginning of the lake he mentioned. I set down carrying him and lay down his blood soaked form on the dirt banks of the lake.

He's not doing so well. I produce a set of bandages and a sealed container for the purpose of first aid. I nurse the wound as best I can, applying some of the salve in the little jar to the bandages to help the wound close faster. I clap my hands together, and the empowered canonical words of Buddhism flow from my lips with trained practice, the sutras serving to pacify and stabilize his condition from the unrest of the wound.

He looks a little better, but this is still just first aid.

I see others arrive, some aided by the winds of travel of my fan and others on their own. Good, maybe one of them is more skilled at healing than me.

"Oi, Ashur here could use some healing! He's not getting worse, but I reckon he'd benefit if we helped him."

[Emiya Kurou]

Ashur Kurogami Soren
Mysterious Lake

I cannot breath, I cannot think, I cannot move.

There is no conciousness remaining;

Yet, my eyes open, dull and empty.

My mouth moves, a voice comes out monotone and without inflection.

It is my circuits, trying to repair my injuries.

"Critical damage- Assess vital functions;"

"Circulaory system- Damaged, 45% loss;"

"Respiratory system- Damaged, 37% loss;"

"Digestion- Damaged, Function uncompromised;"

"Nervous system- Damaged, 15% paralysis, 20% sensory loss;"

"Immune Function- Compromised due to blood loss;"

"Circuit condition- Unchanged"

"Assessment- Immediate Recovery Nessessary, convert all non-vital resources."

My circuits begin to operate at maximum output;

My body will use all of the power it can muster to speed my recovery.

The air around me grows cold.

"Release Barrier Jacket; Convert for regeneration;"

The Black Jacket that I wore broke down into prana and was fed into the wound.

"Eject Peripherals;"

At this three balls of colored light emerged from my body and shot at vaying rates into the woods.

"Assessment- Basic function will be regained in forty six minutes;"

"Full recovery will complete in six hours fourteen minutes;"

"Entering sleep state until basic function is recovered."

The voice ceased, my eyes closed, I slept as normal.

[Mooncake]

Ezra Saint-Michael
Getting Bitch-Slapped Forest



Being sent flying is an annoying experience.


I was just about ready to get rid of both of them (and make good on my escape, along with the man named Asyl) when the demonic-looking guy started running towards me, and therefore, towards the nuke I was about to let off. So that was all fine and dandy until our Summoner pushed me off of a building. I'll give him this - he's strong; strong enough to send me quite a ways-


Shit.


Looking back at where I just was, I can see the brat, Ashur, whatever, getting almost fully cut in half after pushing me away. I… appreciate the gesture. Even if I don't like him, I'll return the favor until I get home, I suppose. I still need to kill him eventually… but I suppose I can put it on hold.


That being said, I turn my gaze to the rapidly approaching trees. Around me, multicolored, hexagon-shaped shields form a vaguely soccer ball shaped sphere. The air inside of this structure begins to rapidly compress as more and more is created from nothingness, until the feeling I get from the inside is not unlike being stuffed in a box filled with packing peanuts.


And… now.


I hit the tree-line and smash through it, carving a path through the forest. The impact is diffused all over my body, so it isn't as bad as it could have been - a few bruises, most likely, but I'll be fine. The shields flicker out, their light receding as I stand up from the position I ended up in once I stopped moving. I'm a little stiff right now, but I can move under my own power.


I eye the edge of the forest warily. If what I remember just seeing of that demonic-looking guy is true, he's fairly strong, and quick, too. I wouldn't put it past him to keep attacking (then again, I know nothing about his personality). I begin to start walking towards the edge of the forest next to the lake, where our Summoner told us to meet up, but I'm not taking any chances.


As I begin to walk, various missiles began to float around me, each one being created by my sorcery. AM-65 Mavericks, BGM-71 TOWs, AGM-114 Hellfires, FGM-172 SRAWs… about 15 or so missiles are floating around me. At the first sign of an enemy, I'll fire them all right at him. These are anti-tank and air-to-surface missiles. At the very least, they should cause some considerable damage.


…Maybe I'm too much of a military geek.


Regardless, I keep walking, taking special care not to let the missiles move around too much as I make my way to our rendezvous point at the lake. If that demon comes back spoiling for a fight, I'm more than willing to oblige him.

[Emiya Kurou]

Ashur Kurogami Soren
Mysterious Lake

My eyes open.

In the next few seconds I notice several things.

The first thing I notice is that I am not dead, which is a good thing I suppose.

The second is the pain.

Ah, pain my ever familiar companion,how has it been?

Then I notice that Someone bandaged me;

Which leads to the realization that my barrier jacket was dispelled and my shirt destroyed,

revealing the multitude of large scars and burn marks that extend over my body.

Well, there goes keeping those hidden.

I slowly begin to stand up, grimacing as the pain flairs.

"Well that hurt."

I stretch out my arms and legs, checking my mobility.

I can move well enough, but I won't be fighting till tomorrow at least;

I need to get us there, but I need a safe place to explain what is going on and what will happen next.

I walk over to the mist covered lake and touch the tip of my sword to the lake's surface.

A ripple expands outward, an audible tone is heard.

There is now a stone bridge, extending into the mist towards the center of the lake.

I turn towards the others; Everyone is here.

I smirk, this is the moment of truth.

"As you have all come this far, I will assure you that you will receive your rewards regardless of what happens from here on."

My voice is a bit hoarse, but I seem to be able to speak properly.

"That said, you have a choice to make here, do you retreat now, to enjoy a comfortable life;"

"Or do you plunge into the battlefield and risk death, or worse;"

"all in order to save a world that will never revere or even thank you."

"I cannot offer any promise of survival beyond this point, and the risks to your lives will be great;"

"But the things you will see from here on are beyond anything you have ever seen before."

"The choice is yours, there is a town eight kilometers east of here, if you want out, now's your chance."

With that I head onto the bridge and into the mist, and so the journey begins.

[Emiya Kurou]

Ashur Kurogami Soren
Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground

As I walk through the mist, I wonder who followed me, and who made the more sane choice to flee.

I Shrug off the thought and continue on.

After a few moments the mist cleared revealing an immensely ancient cathedral suspended on a small island in the center of a dried up lake.



"Welcome To the Hulle Granz Cathedral."

I say as I push open the doors and enter the most sacred place.

There is an air of quietude, a feeling that this is a holy place, one that forgives even the damned.

I manage to get to the front and hoist myself onto the pedestal in the back.

Now sitting on the pedestal and viewing the room, I am pleased to see that all the people I was hoping to see were here.

"Alright! Listen Up!"

"Before I get started, I would like to thank whoever got me out of there and bandaged me up; So thanks.

Most of them will likely have picked up on my social awkwardness by now, which does not lend well to being taken seriously.

"This is Going to be a bit of a long explanation so listen closely, I don't want to have to repeat myself."

"First off is this place; This cathedral is a Lost Ground. For those of you who are unaware, a lost ground is a space that is longer a part of the World. It is a very special place that cannot be accessed normally, even with Magic. Places like Avalon, and the Land of Shadows are Lost Grounds as well. As a rule only people who are assossiated with a lost ground in some way can access it. Which means that we are safe so long as we stay here."

"Second is who our enemies are; They are known as Last Genesis, a group of Six super boss class powerhouses; Their goal, is to create the Sixth Magic, and they are close to succeeding. The only thing they have yet to be able to do is open the gate. At the moment there are Six different spells, one made by each member, that posses the possibility of becoming the Sixth. The world will not survive any of them for very long. Which is why I am trying to stop them, before they annihilate all of reality."

"Finally our first mission; Is to infiltrate the Holy Grail War. Seven magi are chosen by the Grail as Masters and, with support from the Grail, allowed to summon seven Servants to do battle. The winning pair is supposed to be able to claim the Holy Grail and utilize it to grant a wish for each of them. Its true purpose is to actually utilize the seven Servants returning to the root as a way to form a hole directly to it."

At this I pull a small brown jewel out of my pocket, which I then toss into the air.

With a small flash of light, the jewel releases a transparent projection of Fuyuki into the air.

"We are going to use this war as an opportunity. We will ally ourselves with the masters and use the war to take samples of the servants' bodies, and place shunts into specific places in the leylines to change the flow of mana. Other than these actions we will act as supporters to the party we chose to join, even if this means engaging one another. The war begins in two weeks, once I have healed we will travel to Fuyuki and I will gather some info, I am fairly sure that I can use Kurogami Group connections to get each of you in with one of the teams, and the information on the participants should be ready by the time we get there."

I shut off the jewel projector, and sigh, my patience has worn thin, but I will endure.

"That marks the end of the boring explanation portion of the evening, any questions, or can I begin recovering the third of my body that was destroyed?"

[Emiya Kurou]

One Week Later
Warehouse - Shinto, Fuyuki

After spending one full day inside the cathedral, we set out again. It ended up taking us a day to reach Fuyuki and find the old Kurogami house in Miyama.

After everyone settled in, we set down the basic rules; No killing one another, no blowing up the house, that kind of stuff. There was a bit of friction in the beginning, but after a week of living with one another they are able to at least converse like normal human beings, and the feeling that the house will suddenly vaporise at any moment has mostly faded.

Hell, Ezra has only threatened to kill me four times today! I actualy seem to be getting along fairly well with everyone now that they have had a chance to recover.

A few of us are always at the house, but everyone other than Jerecht seems to have found something that draws them out into the city during the day. The previously mentioned vampire has commandeered the basement and put an ungodly amount of boundaries around it, a magus to the core. Well, he has made some attempts to be sociable, such as coming to dinner every night.

I checked in with Rattus just after I arrived, which is what has brought me to where I am now; The Kurogami Weapons Division Storehouse Zero, AKA The Vault. I take out my cell phone, and dial a certain number.

...
...
...

"What do you want?"

"It is time to finalize our agreement, come to the closed off section of the docks in shinto, bring the other two with you; I will give them new weapons as well."

"I am waiting outside of the warehouse, try not to die on the way here."

And now I wait.

[YeOfLittleFaith]

Asyl deVerum
Western Style District - Miyama, Fuyuki

Last week was an interesting application of time. Between watching awkward attempts at socialization by Ashur, pacifying Ezra's threats of murder, getting to see a little more of the people involved in this endeavor, and going around town doing recon, there wasn't a single dull moment!

Okay, so maybe the recon wasn't so exciting. But it gave me useful information.

While I was going around, I took up one of those two tasks Ashur had talked about and began preparing the sigils in the specified locations to influence the flow of mana in the ley lines to our liking. As a specialist in flow and transfer of energy, it's well within my skill to do so. If my impressions are correct, with enough of these shunts prepared and under our control we might even be able to change the materialization site of the Grail, which would undoubtedly give us an advantage over whomever seeks to use it.

I'm a little impressed Ashur had such accurate information on the lynchpin points of the ley lines in Fuyuki. Saved me the trouble of surveying for them myself.
Which is why I took the chance to add a little something to them that might very definitely prove useful in the near future. He might ask me what they're for, but they're deactivated and camouflaged for now, so they should be impossible to notice.

That's one of his tasks taken care of. The other one is possibly going to prove harder. Namely, getting samples of the Servants' spirit bodies.
While I do find it funny that Ashur's plans are such a neat fit for my skills, that's a task that will prove anything but easy.

Servants are a subclass of Ghost Liners which are extraordinarily powerful in most cases, as they are incarnated Heroic Spirits. Granted, they are restricted by the Class Container of the Holy Grail War system, but nonetheless they are strong and dangerous.

I remember hearing about the Grail War back when it first started. Some called it a shallow effort. Other dismissed it as idealistic ramblings, and a few scrutinized the effort as something needlessly dangerous. And then there were those who believed in it and accepted the offer of the Three Families.

It definitely interested me, but I was too busy with my own research then to get involved. That goes for the Second War as well, even though by then the miracle for every participant had been revealed to be a sham.

From when Ashur plucked me for his plan, the Third, Fourth and the Fifth had already happened. The Grail War's old news for me, even though I've never been directly involved. I know enough to say that the Three Families will likely not be easy opponents in this war if we end up in confrontation, given how committed they are to the ritual. All for the sake of Magecraft. Hah, what a bunch of morons.

Well, in the end my knowledge of them is still limited, but luckily Ashur had his contacts get all the information we could ask for on the participants of the three families, and the other known ones as well. Quite a dangerous crew, all things considered.

Hence why I've also been assigning my wraith familiars to surveillance duty all over town and on every location in which I know them to be residing for the duration of the war. Stationed outside their boundary fields, they should be theoretically undetectable unless they look for them on purpose.
Or also use spirit familiars, of course.

Right now I'm standing on the streets of Miyama, in the foreigner's district, where the mansions of the Tohsaka and the Makiri are located. I have a perfect vision of both places from here, and I understand their reputation as haunted houses among the townsfolk. They are quite dreary, but honestly, they look remarkably normal from here. Of course, I know better. There's no doubt each has at least several layers deep defensive boundary fields to detect and repel intruders. Not my area of expertise, but I could break into them with some effort.

Buuuut well, I don't need nor want to get inside your fancy boundary fields right now. How about that.

I mentally command several of my familiars, and the invisible shades fly from my side to the perimeters of the two houses. Surveillance on the territories of the two remaining of the three families, check! And that's all for the people directly involved on the war.

Almost. I nearly forgot about the priest, the supposed neutral moderator of the war. Who is known to be in good relations with the Tohsaka. Yeah, I'm suuuuuuuure he'll uphold the unbiased principles he stands for magnificently.

I turn to head down the street, hands in my pockets, walking towards the vicinity of the Church to leave a familiar there just in case, as I contemplate the rest of my preparations for the war. Ezra is the kind of person that I want as an ally. I definitely have to cement that.
And I'm sure he won't be opposed to my plan for helping us deal with the Servants.

Maybe I can't summon a Servant, a Heroic Spirit. I don't have the mark of the chosen, nor command seals, after all. But if we're talking about just a wraith as a Ghost Liner? That's a different story.

Oh yes. I feel this could yet prove to be entertaining.

....

I wonder how the souls of Heroic Spirits taste...