Fate/Parousia

[MehKitteh]

Would you consider the format of the last chapter an improvement, then? Considering that now everything is together as a block of text and the spaces indicate a separation. That's how I saw it in the Strange Fake's translation, at least.

Is that so? Huh, I might be reading too much Fragments of Chaldea... About the formatting, it's an improvement. I already liked how the 'scenes' are separated, but the bundle of text may make reading a hard one.

Well, this is just a suggestion, but instead of this:

The petite body of the silver-haired girl rested over the luxurious bed, covered with the Holy Shroud her Servant provided. The bed was also his doing, of course. Otherwise, it would be impossible to find the masterfully crafted piece of furniture where his master was sleeping in the ruined edifice that acted as their base of operations.
Now, the gigantic hero, clad in red, was tossing chunks of wood to the improvised fireplace after conceding his master's wish.
"I want a good night of sleep." He materialized the luxurious bed for that purpose, collected some wood to keep her warm and began to guard her defenseless body until she woke up.
Yet, despite his master's sincere smile of gratitude, he felt uneasy.
"If the world is still like this, then, what was the meaning of my death?"
The heroic spirit, Rider, asked that question to himself while his grey eyes looked at the dazzling flames.

The existence of the girl and the crimson servant were an abnormality in this war.
Accordingly, the seat of Rider's master belonged to a member of the Scladio family, a criminal group that could be described as a mafia engraved in the world of magic.
After making the appropriate arrangements with the organizers of the Holy War, a delegation was sent as representatives of Scladio, and began their preparations for the imminent war.
The selection of the servant took two factors into account: The morality of the summoned hero, and the benefits in the long term that it would provide to them. The Scladio never entered the war thinking about sacrificing everything for victory, choosing instead the path that would let them obtain the greatest advantage of the event.
In the end, they settled for a Servant who would not be concerned about morality, an anti-hero willing to sacrifice others for victory. An infamous spellcaster who could teach them forgotten mysteries and forbidden arts.

Try this instead:

The petite body of the silver-haired girl rested over the luxurious bed, covered with the Holy Shroud her Servant provided. The bed was also his doing, of course. Otherwise, it would be impossible to find the masterfully crafted piece of furniture where his master was sleeping in the ruined edifice that acted as their base of operations.

Now, the gigantic hero, clad in red, was tossing chunks of wood to the improvised fireplace after conceding his master's wish.

"I want a good night of sleep."

He materialized the luxurious bed for that purpose, collected some wood to keep her warm and began to guard her defenseless body until she woke up.

Yet, despite his master's sincere smile of gratitude, he felt uneasy.

"If the world is still like this, then, what was the meaning of my death?"

The heroic spirit, Rider, asked that question to himself while his grey eyes looked at the dazzling flames.

------------------------------------

The existence of the girl and the crimson servant were an abnormality in this war.

Accordingly, the seat of Rider's master belonged to a member of the Scladio family, a criminal group that could be described as a mafia engraved in the world of magic.

After making the appropriate arrangements with the organizers of the Holy War, a delegation was sent as representatives of Scladio, and began their preparations for the imminent war. The selection of the servant took two factors into account: The morality of the summoned hero, and the benefits in the long term that it would provide to them. The Scladio never entered the war thinking about sacrificing everything for victory, choosing instead the path that would let them obtain the greatest advantage of the event.

In the end, they settled for a Servant who would not be concerned about morality, an anti-hero willing to sacrifice others for victory. An infamous spellcaster who could teach them forgotten mysteries and forbidden arts.

Although it would lengthen the story (visually), I do think that this sort of formatting would help people (like me, haha) to follow the flow of information. And yes, I just admitted that I'm a lousy reader. It still depends on you though, on whether you want to change the formatting or not. It seems that at least there are people like Royd that can keep track of that massive chunk of info.

[4score7years]

Although it would lengthen the story (visually), I do think that this sort of formatting would help people (like me, haha) to follow the flow of information. And yes, I just admitted that I'm a lousy reader. It still depends on you though, on whether you want to change the formatting or not. It seems that at least there are people like Royd that can keep track of that massive chunk of info.

If you're worried about that, you could use a spoiler tag for each chapter so they don't take up so much space until opened. I can show you how, if you don't know.

[RoydGolden]

Although it would lengthen the story (visually), I do think that this sort of formatting would help people (like me, haha) to follow the flow of information. And yes, I just admitted that I'm a lousy reader. It still depends on you though, on whether you want to change the formatting or not. It seems that at least there are people like Royd that can keep track of that massive chunk of info.

I could read it without too much difficulty, but I definitely agree that more spacing would be better.

[Siege]

Ok, thanks! I'm posting an "interlude" chapter to see if I find the right format. If it's ok, then I'll start to "re-format" the chapters that are already published. Maybe add something like servant/master in spoilers in the first post, or links to the chapters.

Interlude: Where pride resides

The old sage was lecturing him.

There was another student, a child with green hair and dazzling golden eyes. Both of them were trying to defeat the other, while listening to their teachers explanations about the principles of unarmed combat.

The other child, Achilles, seemed to disappear before striking Liurf's side. The strength of the green-haired child could've seriously damaged him, but he barely felt the hit.

Now he was inhabiting the body of another man.

His towering physique withstood the mighty punch without effort, before making a wide swing that his enemy barely avoided.

"No, Ajax. You left yourself too open for a counterattack if you use that move against someone faster than you" Their teacher, the sage Chiron, accurately predicted the course of the battle. Achilles entered the open space left after Ajax's attack and kicked him in the face "And you, Achilles, how many times must I tell you to not let yourself get caught by your enemy? If you loose your speed, your greatest advantage, you are in a dangerous situation."

Ajax's body, now inhabited by Liurf's mind, quickly grabbed Achille's leg and struck him to the ground, shattering it.

The battle dragged on for the whole day, with both of them employing tactics and moves that should be impossible for any human.

Then, when the night came, they were sent back to their rooms.

Back in their beds, Achilles asked something of his partner.

"Hey, Ajax, why do you want to become a hero?"

"Why are you asking me that?"

"Just answer"

Ajax pondered for a moment, before reaching a conclusion.

"I... Simply want to be a hero."

"That's as good as having no answers" Replied Achilles "A good answer would be, like, to have a hundred women! Or to be remembered as the greatest warrior for all eternity! Or having all the riches in the world! Being a hero for the sake of being a hero is lame."

"I know, but, what's the meaning of being a hero anyway?" Inquired Ajax, surprising his partner.

"Well... The muses sing about you, and once you die you go to the Elysium, and you're favored by the gods and everyone thinks that you're the greatest and stuff."

"But is praise worth so much? Look at the gods, they just act according to their whims, playing with their servants and descendants like toys."

"Eh! Do you want to die that badly?" Asked Achilles, a demigod himself, visibly infuriated.

"It's not that I refuse your achievements, but rather, I wonder if I could show them another path."

"Them?" Inquired Achilles.

"The ones who are not favored by the gods, the ones whose prayers were never answered. I wish to become a hero not for the sake of myself, but for the sake of all humanity" Ajax closed his eyes, thinking about his dream "I want to become an existence that proofs that we have the strength to conquer the stars themselves with our own hands."

"A hero of humanity, eh? Ajax, you're nuts... But I can't say that I dislike the idea." Replied Achilles, before falling asleep.

-------------------------------------------------

Another flashback invaded Liurf's mind.

The throne room was bathed in golden sunlight. The exquisite hangings, representing the lives and deaths of proud warriors and noble heroes, were gently blown by the sea breeze. The scent of burning incense filled his nostrils.

Presiding the magnificent scene, a red-haired man clothed in royal garments stood tall, looking at him with a pleased smile.

"Oh, my son! The greatest blessing bestowed upon me by the mighty Zeus, let's sng and celebrate your return! May your songs and praises never cease, for you're truly the bravest among our warriors."

That man, the king, raised his hands towards the heavens as he thanked the gods for such a splendid son.

Yet, Liurf could feel what that man felt when he heard those words from his father.

"Father, the gods never brought my body through the bloodstained battlefields, the gods never wielded my axe against the foes who opposed me." That hero, Ayax the Great, silently formulated those thoughts in his lifetime.

Despite having little more than twenty years at that moment, Ajax wore his distinctive arms with ease. The bronze armor, masterfully crafted by his fathers blacksmiths, barely showed any scratch despite it's continuous use.

Yet, in an age of miracles where gods walked alongside men, those feats were considered mundane.

That's why, from the bottom of his heart... That man still wished to be recognized as an individual, rather than a servant of the divine spirits.

Training his body without rest, risking everything for the sake of closing the gap between humans and gods... The unyielding spirit of that man was rewarded with the greatest dishonor.

-------------------------------------------------

A great war.

Princess Helen was kidnapped, and now the ships were sailing towards the city of Troy. The legendary heroes of the age of gods were ready to turn the mighty walls of the city into a witness of the greatest massacre.

He was there, of course. Fighting alongside his brothers in arms, he showed the gods the power that mankind could harness, distinguishing himself as one of the greatest warriors of the war.

The existence that was bounded to surpass the Olympians was fighting on par with their champions, using only the strength he acquired through peerless dedication.

Silently hating that rebellious doll of mud that dared to oppose their supremacy, the gods came with a plan that would utterly destroy everything for which this man ever fought.

After the death of Achilles, two heroes were deemed worthy of his armor, forged by the gods themselves.

The relic that could only be bestowed upon "The strongest warrior" was the definite proof that Ajax sought, the item that would show the whole world that humans never needed the gods to become heroes.

Unfortunately, the other candidate was the famous Odysseus. Master tactician and peerless archer, he was considered one of the greatest warriors of the war, in par with Achilles, Diomedes and Ajax himself.

In the end, a council judged who was worthy of receiving the armor, gifting it to Odysseus. Ajax powerlessly watched as the gods freely manipulated said council, in order to ensure that his aspirations never came true.

But that wasn't enough.

For that man, who insolently dared to try to raise to the league of the gods, the only fitting punishment would be to drown him into the world of beasts.

Tricked by Athena's Illusion, Ajax was turned into a mindless berserker, who slaughtered a flock of sheep, thinking that it was the judges who bestowed the armor upon Odysseus. After being freed from the illusion, Ajax realized the crime he committed.

A dishonored warrior, deemed unworthy to wield the armor of his friend, who disgraced his own weapons with the blood of cattle. The gods trampled upon the pride that the rebellious doll held so high, forcing him to take his own life.

Liurf felt the pain of the sword piercing his body, as crimson droplets fell into the ground, prompting a flower to blossom.

"No, they didn't win" Thought the dying Ajax "They have soiled my life, but after this war everyone will know... That they don't need them."

Liurf's vision began to darken as Ajax's last moments invaded his mind, but a thought persistently remained.

"But... If I could find a battlefield deprived of the influence of the old tyrants, If I could prove that I was the strongest..."

"Then... Odysseus, my friend..."

"Would you allow me to regain my honor?"

Those were Ajax's last thoughts.

[RoydGolden]

This is really interesting. You fleshed out Ayax's personality and motivations nicely, now he's actually one of the Servants I'm most interested in this particular Grail War. Once again, just a few typos to be fixed up.

Interlude: Where pride resides

The old sage was lecturing him.

There was another student, a child with green hair and dazzling golden eyes. Both of them were trying to defeat the other, while listening to their teachers explanations about the principles of unarmed combat.

The other child, Achilles, seemed to disappear before striking Liurf's side. The strength of the green-haired child could've seriously damaged him, but he barely felt the hit.

Now he was inhabiting the body of another man.

His towering psyche (Not a typo per-se, but are you sure you didn't mean physique?) withstood the mighty punch without effort, before making a wide swing that his enemy barely avoided.

"No, Ajax. You left yourself too open for a counterattack if you use that move against someone faster than you" Their teacher, the sage Chiron, accurately predicted the course of the battle. Achilles entered the open space left after Ajax's attack and kicked him in the face "And you, Achilles, how many times must I tell you to not let yourself get caught by your enemy? If you loose your speed, your greatest advantage, you are in a dangerous situation."

Ajax's body, now inhabited by Liurf's mind, quickly grabbed Achille's leg and struck him to the ground, shattering it.

The battle dragged on for the whole day, with both of them employing tactics and moves that should be impossible for any human.

Then, when the night came, they were sent back to their rooms.

Back in their beds, Achilles asked something to (I don't think you can ask "to" someone. Of would fit better here) his partner.

"Hey, Ajax, why do you want to become a hero?"

"Why are you asking me that?"

"Just answer"

Ajax pondered for a moment, before reaching a conclusion.

"I... Simply want to be a hero."

"That's as good as having no answers" Replied Achilles "A good answer would be, like, to have a hundred women! Or to be remembered as the greatest warrior for all eternity! Or having all the riches in the world! Being a hero for the sake of being a hero is lame."

"I know, but, what's the meaning of being a hero anyway?" Inquired Ajax, surprising his partner.

"Well... The muses sing about you, and once you die you go to the Elysium, and you're favored by the gods and everyone thinks that you're the greatest and stuff."

"But is praise worth so much? Look at the gods, they just act according to their whims, playing with their servants and descendants like toys."

"Eh! Do you want to die that badly?" Asked Achilles, a demigod himself, visibly infuriated.

"It's not that I refuse your achievements, but rather, I wonder if I could show them another path."

"Them?" Inquired Achilles.

"The ones who are not favored by the gods, the ones whose prayers were never answered. I wish to become a hero not for the sake of myself, but for the sake of all humanity" Ajax closed his eyes, thinking about his dream "I want to become an existence that proofs that we have the strength to conquer the stars themselves with our own hands."

"A hero of humanity, eh? Ajax, you're nuts... But I can't say that I dislike the idea." Replied Achilles, before falling asleep.

-------------------------------------------------

Another flashback invaded Liurf's mind.

The throne room was bathed in golden sunlight. The exquisite hangings, representing the lives and deaths of proud warriors and noble heroes, were gently blown by the sea breeze. The scent of burning incense filled his nostrils.

Presiding the magnificent scene, a red-haired man clothed in royal garments stood tall, looking at him with a pleased smile.

"Oh, my son! The greatest blessing bestowed upon me by the mighty Zeus, let's sang (sing) and celebrate your return! May your songs and praises never cease, for you're truly the bravest among our warriors."

That man, the king, raised his hands towards the heavens as he thanked the gods for such a splendid son.

Yet, Liurf could feel what that man felt when he heard those words from his father.

"Father, the gods never brought my body through the bloodstained battlefields, the gods never wielded my axe against the foes who opposed me." That hero, Ayax the Great, silently formulated those thoughts in his lifetime.

Despite having little more than twenty years at that moment, Ajax wore his distinctive arms with ease. The bronze armor, masterfully crafted by his fathers blacksmiths, barely showed any scratch despite it's continuous use.

Yet, in an age of miracles where gods walked alongside men, those feats were considered mundane.

That's why, from the bottom of his heart... That man still wished to be recognized as an individual, rather than a servant of the divine spirits.

Training his body without rest, risking everything for the sake of closing the gap between humans and gods... The unyielding spirit of that man was rewarded with the greatest dishonor.

-------------------------------------------------

A great war.

Princess Helen was kidnapped, and now the ships were sailing towards the city of Troy. The legendary heroes of the age of gods were ready to turn the mighty walls of the city into (a) witness of the greatest massacre.

He was there, of course. Fighting alongside his brothers in arms, he showed the gods the power that mankind could harness, distinguishing himself as one of the greatest warriors of the war.

The existence that was bounded to surpass the Olympians was fighting on par with their champions, using only the strength he acquired through peerless dedication.

Silently hating that rebellious doll of mud that dared to oppose their supremacy, the gods came with a plan that would utterly destroy everything for what (which) this man ever fought.

After the death of Achilles, two heroes were deemed worthy of his armor, forged by the gods themselves.

The relic that could only be bestowed upon "The strongest warrior" was the definite proof that Ajax sought, the item that would show the whole world that humans never needed the gods to become heroes.

Unfortunately, the other candidate was the famous Odysseus. Master tactician and peerless archer, he was considered one of the greatest warriors of the war, in par with Achilles, Diomedes and Ajax himself.

In the end, the a council judged who was worthy of receiving the armor, gifting it to Odysseus. Ajax powerlessly watched as the gods freely manipulated said council, in order to ensure that his aspirations never came true.

But that wasn't enough.

For that man, who insolently dared to try to raise to the league of the gods, the only fitting punishment would be to drown him into the world of beasts.

Tricked by Athena's Illusion, Ajax was turned into a mindless berserker, who slaughtered a flock of sheep, thinking that it was the judges who bestowed the armor upon Odysseus. After being freed from the illusion, Ajax realized the crime he committed.

A dishonored warrior, deemed unworthy to wield the armor of his friend, who disgraced his own weapons with the blood of cattle. The gods trampled upon the pride that the rebellious doll held so high, forcing him to take his own life.

Liurf felt the pain of the sword piercing his body, as crimson droplets fell into the ground, prompting a flower to blossom.

"No, they didn't won (win)" Thought the dying Ajax "They have soiled my life, but after this war everyone will know... That they don't need them."

Liurf's vision began to darken as Ajax's last moments invaded his mind, but a thought persistently remained.

"But... If I could find a battlefield deprived of the influence of the old tyrants, If I could prove that I was the strongest..."

"Then... Odysseus, my friend..."

"Would you allow me to regain my honor?"

Those were Ajax's last thoughts.

[MehKitteh]

Interlude: ,where pride resides.

Wow. That was pretty nice. I see that you've changed the layout, and I must say, it helps a lot. As usual, a few grammatical errors here and there, but it doesn't really hamper the story much. The lack of commas after a split dialogue is a bit weird, but that's probably me.

I didn't like Ajax (here). Too serious and all that, almost bland in fact. Then again, I knew nothing of him historically, and boy does this interlude help. I'm now looking forward to his trials and tribulations on the war.

[Siege]

Hi! Sorry, I won't have much time to post until Friday, but I don't want to let this thread remain inactive for too long, so I'll try to find some time to post interludes from time to time. If everything goes right, the next weekend I'll post the last two chapters before the true battles begin.

This chapter is something that I could have released after the battle I think... Maybe it's giving too much info before the true start, but well, it's better than nothing.

If I post anything before Friday it will be more light-hearted, probably just a bit of slice of life featuring Anna or Gatekeeper's master.

Interlude 2: Crimson bath

Reiss Lunark, Avenger's master, was trapped in a whirlwind of mud.

The dark-crimson substance burnt his flesh and clothes, until he became nothing more than a speck of dust drifting amidst the black flames.

"No way" Thought Reiss "Are those... Avenger's memories?"

Countless voices screamed around him.

"Kill them! Slaughter them! Defile them!"

For their countries, for their loved ones, for God...

The nameless legion instigated the blonde man to annihilate its enemies.

"No! You're just a dream!" Screamed Reiss inside his mind, who felt like he was about to be swallowed by the absolute mass of hatred "You're not real!"

The blood-stained claws that pierced his torso sent waves of pain through his body.

A shapeless mass of burning mud began to frantically laugh.

"Yes, we're fake, we don't have a body or a soul to begin with, so we simply exist within this cursed place."

"Who... Who are you?" Thought Reiss.

"Ahhh... You should already know this, meat puppet."

Despite theoretically being a glimpse of his Servant's history, Reiss could feel the creature speaking directly to him.

"Are you... Avenger's true nature?"

"That's right."

After speaking those words, Avenger's essence remained silent, still holding his master with his bare claws.

"Why are you hurting me, when I'm your master? Who are you? What's this place?" Inquired Reiss.

"Too many questions... But I'll try to answer them. Firstly, I'm not hurting you, you're the one doing this to yourself."

Reiss began to recognize some distinctive traces of the mass of darkness. Under it's charred skin of his face, deep-blue eyes stared at him. Amidst the flames that occupied the upper part of it's head Reiss was able to identify a few golden hairs.

The being, which had a striking resemblance to a demonic Reiss, was piercing it's own chest with wolf-like claws.

What Reiss identified as Avenger's true nature was instead a giant black mirror, surrounded by blazing bronze.

"About the second question, I'm something that strives to be freed from it's seals. You'll still have to just accept the incomplete me for a while, until the war shows its true nature."

Reiss, no, Avenger's mouth told the second answer.

"And for the third one... Well, this should be easy to explain."

The whirlwind of mud began to accelerate. As its speed gradually increased, many voices came from the outside.

"Right now, we're inside of you!"

-----------------------------------------------------

"A boy and a girl, how wonderful!"

"Her name will be Edith."

"Brother, let's go outside!"

"The dream of the House of Lunark will finally come true!"

"I couldn't be strong enough, I'm sorry."

Memories began to assault the brain of Avenger's master.

"Father, I'll do my best."

"The spell that will lead to the salvation of this world..."

"Brother, we'll always be together."

"I wasn't the one chosen."

"I will become all the good in this world, I will destroy all the evil in this world..."

The black mirror's surface was filled with golden letters that Reiss couldn't understand.

"The gate is opening!"

"Come forth from the circle of bindings."

"Alaya has found us."

"Ruler is dead."

"Brother, let's save the world."

-----------------------------------------------------

The man, Reiss Lunark, refused to believe what was laid before his eyes. Yet, something told him that it was the truth that he refused to see since long ago.

"That's right, master. Those are your memories" The voice that came from his demonized lips said.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reiss woke up.

Avenger's face, covered in bandages, was mere inches away from his own.

"You, monster!" Screamed Reiss as the Command Spells began to glitter, hearing their owner's wish to force his Servant to commit suicide.

"It's not advisable to dispose of me, master" Replied the little Avenger, who graciously jumped backwards as soon as it's master woke up "Or your sister will be lost forever."

Reiss doubted for a moment, that was all that Avenger needed.

In her right hand, a curbed dagger appeared. The pointed end made contact with her chest, without damaging it.

Yet, a surge of crimson light violently erupted, while Reiss felt his authority over his Servant disappearing.

It was the special ability of that Noble Phantasm.

Rule Breaker: All spells must be broken, the Noble Phantasm of the Witch of Betrayal, capable of severing the ties between master and servant.

"What have you done!?"

"Nothing special. You are clearly not thinking straight right now, so it's dangerous for you to go around holding the Seals. I've borrowed Medea's Phantasm for that purpose" Answered Avenger "I'll return them to you once you've calmed down."

"You... What kind of monster are you!?"

"I thought that your little dreamy voyage made it pretty clear, Master" Replied the Red Hood "I'm the Servant that you summoned in the past Holy Grail War."

"That's impossible! I've never participated in a Grail War before!"

"Your memories were damaged during the war, although your sister ended with the short end of the stick. Believe me or not, your parents just tried to trigger a made-up war as a pretext to summon something bigger, but something appeared and stopped them."

"Liar!" Screamed Reiss.

"Then... Can you tell me the cause of your parent's deaths?" Inquired Avenger.

"They..." Reiss made a shocked face, why couldn't he remember anything? After a few minutes of silence, Avenger spoke again.

"You erased most of your memories of the war, including the reasons why your sister was the only family you had left. But she couldn't withstand the mud, so she died shortly after anyway, hiding everything from you, suffering in silence."

Reiss froze.

"It can't be" He thought "Edith... she was afflicted by a terminal illness that slowly devoured her body."

"But, if what Avenger says is true, then she..."

Seeing her master in a meditative state, Avenger began to talk again.

"Your sister suffered in silence. After the war, every second of her life was pure agony, probably wishing for the sweet release of death. Yet, she constantly clung to life, just because of you" Reiss could feel Avenger's eyes under the hood "For her, the thought of leaving you alone was more painful that a life bounded to a machine, burning with every breath she took. For your sake, that little girl went past the limits of her body, yet, she only wished for one thing."

"Master, Edith once told me her wish in the past war: She simply wanted for you to be happy. Yet, the world tarnished her pure dream and stripped her wings. In the end, she died in agony, unable to leave the white room."

"Can you forgive it? The world that just crushed an innocent girl whose only crime was to desire her brother's happiness?"

"No" Muttered Reiss.

"Do you remember why you entered into this Holy War?" Inquired Avenger.

"To bring her back to life, to correct God's will."

"And for the sake of that single human, are you willing to extinguish the lives of the other nine? Individuals that you don't know or against whom you hold no grudge, human beings who can be saints or sinners. Reiss Lunark, will you walk the path of grim vengeance, and turn their hopes and dreams to dust for the sake of a single woman's happiness?"

"I will."

"Then I'll ask you one more question... Are you worthy of being my master?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the clouds

A golden zeppelin, almost stripped from a steampunk movie, was silently overseeing the city above the clouds.

It's interior was filled with luxury: From pieces of furniture that belonged to famous kings and emperors to bottles stuffed with the finest liquor. The principal room of the giant structure was made of pure glass, giving the impression that the two people in it were walking above the clouds.

One of them was a man in his thirties with ashen-yellow hair and glasses, wearing a black business suit. In his left hand, which was resting in his pocket, was a golden wristwatch, while the right was holding a crystal sphere that showed Reiss and Avenger.

Once the contract between the two was established again, his eyes turned towards the other individual occupying the room.

A girl slightly younger than him, with silver hair and green eyes, was respectfully bowing besides him. Her pale hair contrasted greatly with her black armor.

"What should I do?"

"Let them be, some trouble was expected from this pair."

"And about Caster..."

"Yes?" The inquisitive eyes of the man pierced the silver-haired girl.

"An open invitation... That madman is going to reveal the Holy War to the whole world!"

"Nothing that we can't handle if it goes out of hand."

"It would be better to just kill him."

"Maybe... Let's just wait."

The girl wanted to reply, but one look at the man's face dissuaded her from doing so.

"We can't reveal ourselves yet, at least not until he finds out his true nature, Saber."

"As you please... Master." Replied his Servant "But... What if this time we also fail?"

"Don't worry about it" The man showed her his left hand, completely burned. In the exposed flesh, a crimson mark resembling five concentric suns acted as proof of his right to participate in the war "Just tell the old ones... That the salvation we all sought has finally descended upon us."

The silver-haired girl was walking towards the exit of the room, when she heard a final command from her master.

"Also... Send someone to supervise Caster's party, just in case."

"We can't let those little lambs go astray. Right, Viviane?"

[RoydGolden]

Wow, that Avenger interlude is some seriously edgy stuff. I take it she's not exactly the same Red Riding Hood from the fairy tale, but some other existence who's borrowing her name for some reason. Pretty intriguing in any case, particularly the hints at Reiss' backstory. I'm confused about one thing though.

The Servant shown in the final snippet is addressed as "Saber", but I thought Saber was already accounted for as the Servant Lodrien summoned (the red-haired dude with the goatee)? Are there two Sabers running around in this War for some reason as of yet unrevealed? Also... "Viviane", huh? The first thing that name brings to mind is the lady of the lake who gave Excalibur to Arturia, and I suppose she could possibly be summoned as Saber with her qualifying as the sword's "original owner". As a faerie she probably couldn't be summoned under normal circumstances but some versions of the legend have her as a human queen instead, so it could maybe work.

Obviously you're not going to want to spoil it even if I guessed right, so I'm just throwing this speculation out here for fun. Still though, maybe give me a wink if I'm on to something.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, I just realized this now but I take it Avenger has some kind of ability that lets her sustain herself without a Master? Because otherwise her using Rule Breaker on herself would've been pretty suicidal... Since in Medea's case at least, it not only removes Command Seals but severs the contract and magical energy supply outright.

[MehKitteh]

Also, I just realized this now but I take it Avenger has some kind of ability that lets her sustain herself without a Master? Because otherwise her using Rule Breaker on herself would've been pretty suicidal... Since in Medea's case at least, it not only removes Command Seals but severs the contract and magical energy supply outright.

Self-Recovery (Mana)? Although I don't know whether that works as a pseudo-IA or not...

The Avenger bit is pretty edgy, lol. I want to see more of Reiss' backstory, although I guess we'll have to wait until the story's finished for that.

"Ruler is dead." Oooh, hooks.

[Siege]

Well, as Spirits of Hatred, I guess all the Avengeres are bound to be edgy in the end haha.

About this Avenger: Yeah, it's not the actual Red Riding Hood, but something that's still completing itself. Right now it's at 40-50%.

Servants can stay in the world without a master for a while, even without independent action. And seeing that it's master was going to force it to commit suicide, it just gambled and tried to manipulate him into accepting Avenger despite it's twisted nature.

And about the silver-haired girl... The red-haired dude is the Saber of this war.

[RoydGolden]

And about the silver-haired girl... The red-haired dude is the Saber of this war.

The Servant of this War, huh? I think I see what you're getting at...

[Siege]

Sorry, I've been pretty busy this month. Here's the continuation of the war.

Chapter 5: The mad demon's feast

The day after Shielder and Lancer's clash, the city awoke filled with propaganda.

A strange message, tempting those who held strong desires to come to a strange festivity.

The announcement caused a great commotion amidst the common people, but the magi were the ones that were more wary about it. After all, someone was announcing the location of the Grail and saying "Come and take it if you can".

Despite being obviously a trap, many individuals attempted to reach the announced place, both masters, servants, magi and common humans.

One of those was the girl called Laura.

Her servant, Gatekeeper, the old swordsman, manifested his dislike about the idea.

"It's obviously a trap" Stated the servant.

"Then you just have to overcome it and defeat the enemy, right?" Carelessly replied his master, making her servant sigh with exasperation.

He tried to change her opinion, but she simply refused to listen. Now, the black haired girl stood amidst the crowd, looking at the strange scenario that someone built the last night in an old cemetery in the outskirts of the city.

Unseen amidst the crowd, a man whose face was partially covered thanks to a hat and a long cloak stared at her with hostility.

"Master, that boy is looking at you. Maybe he's a master too" Telepathically informed her servant.

"Oh, I see, thanks" Replied Laura, before turning towards the man "Hey! I'm Laura. Who are you?" Cheerfully saluted the woman, catching the man off-guard. He looked at the floor for a moment.

"Reiss" Simply replied the man.

"Oh, I see. Are you a participant of the Holy Grail War too?"

If Gatekeeper had been in his physical form, he would've made a facepalm.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Far away from the crowd, Soren was looking at the multitude through the thermal scope of his anti-material rifle Steyr HS.50.

The circuits of magi emitted a distinctive heat signature. To him, many individuals were burning like fireflies.

He saw Liurf, Shielder's Master, but he waited before taking action. The responsible of the strange call was likely another master. Therefore, if he made the right movements, he would be able to assassinate two participant of the war in a swift movement.

The old man's instincts prompted him to look at two of the heat signatures. Disabling the heath sensor to see the two individuals clearly, he recognized them as a pair of teenagers: A blonde boy who looked like some kind of noble and a black-haired girl. The girl seemed to say something that caught the boy off-guard.

Then, a sudden burst of steam invaded the center of the platform.

Amidst the grey clouds, a red-haired girl walked towards the crowd, holding a microphone in her left hand. She wore a pink dress, resembling a doll.

"Ladies and gentlemen" Despite being apparently unplugged, her voice reached even Soren, who was observing everything from more than five-hundred meters "Welcome to the festivities".

According to Soren's plan, now that girl should be dead. The bullet should've already traversed the distance, breaking the sound barrier and her skull, splattering her blood and brains over the scenery. Yet, the trigger of the weapon never moved.

Instead, he ordered his Servant to run away.

"What? But she's just a little girl, right? Even if she's a strong magus, she should be no match for a servant" Lancer rejected the order at first, but then he noticed the tone of his master's voice. If it came from another person, Lancer would've sworn that the one speaking was frightened "Master, what's wrong?"

"I know that girl" Replied Soren "I killed her in another Holy Grail War."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The red-haired girl spoke to her audience.

"Oh my, how many faces! How is everyone? Are you ready for the Holy War?"

"She's kinda cute, right?" Murmured someone in the crowd.

"Holy War? There was nothing about it in the paper" Commented another.

"It looks like it's some sort of sect. Hurry, let's get out of here!" Replied a third one, before falling to his knees. The red-haired girl was looking at him.

"No, no, no" Childishly scolded the girl, waving her finger "You heard the call of the Grail, but now you're running away from it? That's a big no, it's just too mean."

"Who the hell are you?" Shouted someone.

"Hmm... I don't know, maybe you can call me Jacqueline? It doesn't matter, really" The girl threw the microphone to the floor and clapped "Now, if you are kind enough to just die..."

Before she could finish, a shadow covered the sun. An instant latter, a red shadow smashed the platform, roaring while enormous splinters flew amidst the public.

"My, my... What a rude guest" Commented the red-haired woman, viciously grinning. From the belly of the monster, a crimson sphere partially opened, revealing an even more twisted smile.

"Cut your crap. What are you, some third rate clown? Stop using those puppets and show yourself, coward." Ordered the master of the creature, Aegis Mircalla.

"Oh... You've got some nice senses, are you sure you're not a wild beast?" The red-haired girl looked at the silver-haired Dead Apostle, shielding herself from the sun using a sphere of blood "Maybe that's the reason you've summoned that nasty creature."

It was true, the servant Mircalla summoned was to abnormal to be called a Heroic Spirit. It had traces of human, dragon and hundreds of beasts. It was a creature that could only be conceived in the mind of a madman.

"Well... I'm quite the ruthless one, so prepare yourself, faker!" Roared Mircalla while the creature raised it's hand, ready to pulverize the red-haired girl. Then, everything went black.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reiss quickly analyzed the information.

Before the creature could attack, a huge surge of prana filled the ground, swallowing him.

Now, he was surrounded by strange creatures resembling all kind of demons.

Monstrous humanoid bats, hounds surrounded by emerald flames, seductive women with black wings armed with spiked whips, lesser undeads...

Yet, he couldn't sense a great flow of magical energy around them.

If those were truly phantasmal monster, he would've been already dead, but judging the way the prana was circulating in the atmosphere...

"They're homunculus and puppets" Stated the girl who revealed herself as a participant of the Holy War, Laura "They're being supplied with energy from an outside source."

The creatures were advancing towards them. The walls and floor, which had a disgusting organic texture, like the insides of a living being, were producing more of those monsters. They were pulsating, following the rhythm of something that sounded like a heartbeat.

"Can you call your servant right now?" Inquired Reiss, Laure negated with her head "Neither can I. It's strange, maybe it's some kind of reality marble? It seems that we've been completely cut out from the outside world."

One of the female demons jumped towards them. Laura took a seed from her pocket and launched it towards her. When it made contact with the demon's body, it quickly grew into spiked vines that pushed the creature towards one of the organic walls before dismembering it. Once the outer shell was broken, the alchemical components used to animate it fell to the floor.

"It's so cool! It's like a dungeon, we must clear the lower floors and reach the exit! Let's play coop, ok?" Said Laura, reading more seeds.

"Hmpf... Ok, let's focus on getting out of here first" Replied Reiss, summoning several blades of wind that slaughtered two of the giant bats.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Countless bodies filled the walls and floor of the living cave.

The remnants of the demonic homunculi and chimera and the defenseless humans they slaughtered flooded through the organic corridors.

The man was walking, followed only by the sound of his feet crossing the pools of blood and dark ooze. From time to time some creatures appeared to defy him, but they were swiftly dealt with. After all, this was the zone designed to held the humans, therefore, the defensive mechanisms were designed towards beings in the league of humans.

Liurf cleaned some of the blood that drenched his fists with his shirt, already soaked, and continued walking until he found something that caught his attention.

A large hall, filled to the brim with fresh corpses.

The other individual that was put into the contention level of humans, yet, was in a league far above them.

The silver-haired dead apostle looked at him and laughed.

"Hahahaha! Poor creature, this hell must look like Hell on Earth for you, but trust me, it can get MUCH worse."

Aegis awaited in silence, wondering what kind of reaction would make that man: Would he scream? Run away? Cry and beg for mercy?

The man shrugged his shoulders and took a cigarette and a lighter from his pocket, the smoke ascended towards the palpitating ceiling.

"Hahahahahaha! Is this your last will? Smoking one last time before dying? Or have you just gone insane?"

A longer pause followed Mircalla's reply. The cigarette was slowly consumed, until almost nothing remained. Then, with an emotionless expression, Liurf threw it to the ground and stomped on it.

"This place is getting boring, it's filled with weaklings" Calmly commented the man "That Hell you spoke of sounds way more interesting, can you show it to me?"

Suddenly, the room began to shake.

The blood of the countless bodies boiled, before flying towards Mircalla. Bathed in crimson, the liquid life floated around the undead empress, like planets dancing around a star.

-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You're funny, human! -Gloated Mircalla, surrounded by a sphere of bat-like carmine wings -Just killing you wouldn't be fun, oh no. I'll crush you, I'll trample you, I'll teach you the meaning of fear, and then I'll finally kill you the last!

-Just try to entertain me, vampire -Replied Liurf, charging towards her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caster's reality marble was something that he couldn't achieve. It was the product of him and his master having an abnormally high compatibility, which allowed them to mix their crafts and form a pseudo-Reality Marble. A living labyrinth that operated in two parallel sub-worlds.

The one designed to kill the humans who came to the feast, and the one designed to trap the servant and force them to kill each other. They didn't sever the link that supplied prana between masters and servants, in order to supply Caster with all the energy it needed, but Command Spells and any other interaction were forbidden.

The result of applying the countless crafts of his master to his own strength as an Alchemist. Using himself and his master as two different focal points, it allowed them to effectively split their enemies forces. Now, Caster only needed to hide and let the servants kill themselves, while the alchemic creatures he and his master fabricated killed the others.

Of course, that was until his master sensed that heroic spirit.

If he was participating in the war, he would've likely be out of the reach of the Reality Marble. He just sent his Servant as a scapegoat and distraction while he killed all the possible masters from far away.

Miraculously, his master choose a puppet that he found in a Holy War in which that man also participated. The old wolf would likely be wondering if a ghost from his past finally came to torment him.

Caster wanted to make a feast and write a poem about it, but he had more troubling matters.

The old heroic spirit was in front of him, down the stairs that lead to his altar.

"I assume you're the one who made this" Said Lancer "Caster, right?"

"You're sharp as ever, Lancer" Replied the brown-haired servant.

He was a man in his thirties. Yet, strangely, his face sometimes gave the impression that he was unnaturally young. Maybe it was his still-growing beard, or the bottle glasses that covered his emerald eyes. The ageless man was wearing a long purple jacket, visibly worn out from countless travels, and a dusty suit. His shoes were filled with dirt. Overall, the man had the appearance of both a sage and a wanderer.

"It's pretty and all, but it's giving me goosebumps. Could you please let me out of here? Also, if you could let the other servants in, you would do me a great favor."

"I'm sorry, Lancer. I don't want to fight an erudite like you either, but I've been ordered to kill you." Following his proclamation, Caster theatrically moved his hand above his head, summoning a cloak of emerald flames. Ghostly hounds began to sprout from it, roaring at the spirit of the spear, who already drew his lance.

"It looks like we've been both paired with a bunch of thoughtless masters" Replied Lancer.

"It seems so."

With a crack of Caster's fingers, the spectral beasts jumped towards Soren's Servant.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Both Servants were fighting to their heart's content.

The old man, Gatekeeper, masterfully wielded his katana. Despite his ancient look, his skill with the sword refused to deteriorate with the years.

Shielder refused to give the old man time for a counterattack. His earth-shattering strikes annihilated the ground and walls as collateral damage, raising clouds of debris.

"Not bad. You fight like a wild beast, but you've been well trained, youngster."

"I humbly thank those words, coming from a master of the blade like you" Replied Shielder, trying to murder him with his greataxe.

And then, in the fraction of second that Shielder took to pull back the axe and raise his shield, the shadow of a blade swiftly entered his guard like a snake.

Ayax jumped backwards to avoid the lethal thrust, aimed at the defenseless spot under his armpit.

To find an opening in his guard under constant assault, ignoring the debris and his intimidating power, one must've survived countless battlefields. That peerless skill was the proof of the old man's honed skills that allowed him to rise to the Throne of Heroes.

"I can only congratulate your skills as a swordsman, too. You would be a match for even the great heroes of my time."

"Hmpf... I'll take that as a compliment, but I wish you could allow me to show you the true lengths of my swordmanship." Replied Gatekeeper.

"I refuse to do so, I don't want our duel to be tainted by the influence of the Gods. Whatever your relationship with them is, I'll face you only as a human. Nothing more, and nothing less."

"I see... Then, I shall accept your determination, and defeat you only as a human" Contrary to his murderous aura, the old man made a wide smile, like a grandfather getting ready to play seriously with his niece.

Then, one of the walls exploded.

The red beast that destroyed the scenery interrupted the duel, smashing everything in it's path.

Opposing the monstrous berserker, a red haired man, wielding a flaming sword, masterfully deflected it's colossal fists.

"Sorry to disrupt your battle" Apologized Saber, jumping to avoid a tail swipe from Berserker "But this foe just refuses to die."

As if trying to prove his point, a surge of flames emerged from the sword and landed on one of Berserker's wings, tearing a hole on it, which quickly closed itself. Saber noticed that his divine flames suddenly became weaker.

"Apparently, it combines a ridiculous regeneration with some kind of damage mitigation. If you could help, I would be really thankful."

Indifferent to Saber's words, Berserker quickly adjusted it's perception. It didn't knew how, but now there where two more enemies. The creature roared, marking them as enemies.

"I guess we have no choice then" Murmured Gatekeeper "Saber, Shielder! Let's take this joyous occasion! This time, instead of killing each other, we're given the chance to put down that wild beast."

In response to Gatekeeper's speech, Berserker's torso inflated until it doubled it's volume, before unleashing a cloud of acid that eroded the ground, walls and life in the area.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two were dancing.

Their confrontation was too acrobatic to be called a simple battle.

Avenger's crimson frame and Assassin's black shadow, both entwined with each other like snakes before landing in the next room.

Assassin's body was surrounded by a cloud of sand that changed it's shape constantly, taking the form of shields, spears and throwing daggers.

Avenger held a curved sword in her right hand.

"Run wild, ¡Zulfiqar!" With an horizontal movement, dozens of wind blades erupted from Avenger's blade, clashing against the sand shield.

The next second, the red lightning and the obsidian mercury clashed again.

Assassin's sand formed countless spikes that pierced Avenger's frame, but her small body contracted in the last second, avoiding fatal injuries.

They've lost count of the number of identical rooms they've left behind. The only thing they cared about was slaughtering the each other.

Yet, something was puzzling Assassin.

"Why can I sense an essence so close to my own emanating from you?"

"That's because I'm the amazing Avenger/Assassin! A servant with the double summon skill!"

"That's not it: You reek of evil, and your strength... It's slowly raising the more we fight."

"That's a rude thing to say to a little lady" Replied the Red Hood while her sable turned into crimson dust that surrounded her, forming a ring of dark embers "But I'm interested in you, Hassan. Why don't you show me your Phantasm?"

"I'm more interesting in yours, spirit of vengeance... No, curse that took the form of a Heroic Spirit."

The bandages that covered Avenger's face twisted into something that looked like a smile. The circle of smoke and burning ashes began to spin and change. Assassin recognized the frame of countless weapons inside the ring, endless instruments of destruction, an army of artifacts designed to unleash death in endless ways. Finally, the small Avenger took a form from inside the ring, which grew until it took the shape of a masterfully-forged sword, a holy blade that bestowed absolute protection and, at the same time, peerless offense. A cheerful voice reached Assassin.

"Ok! If you insist on seeing my Noble Phantasms, then I'll show them to you! This is called Ascalon, the blessed sword by which force is slain" The holy sword began to glow, bathing the demonic realm with sacred light "And this is it's special skill. Would it work on snakes, too? Ah, whatever, let's just try it! Interfectum Dracones, Slayer of Dragons!"

Upon reciting the true name of the second noble phantasm, a javelin of silver light was shot towards the impious Assassin.
























Well, that's it. I hope there aren't many errors ^^

Again, sorry for posting so late.

[RoydGolden]

So, this is back huh? I actually wondered if you'd forgotten about the forum entirely, since not only have there been no updates but you also haven't posted at all since the last one. In any case, this is some pretty good stuff.

Looks like the conflict has seriously started to escalate in this chapter, with Caster's Reality Marble serving as a makeshift arena to pit Servants against each other. So, Caster is actually male but he somehow managed to commandeer the body of a female Servant from the previous Grail War? The body-swapping shenanigans and "cutesy psycho" act reminded me a lot of Prelati from Strange Fake, actually.

There weren't that many typos or mistakes this time around, but still a few in need of correction.

Chapter 5: The mad demon's feast

The day after Shielder and Lancer's clash, the city awoke filled with propaganda.

A strange message, tempting those who held strong desires to come to a strange festivity.

The announcement caused a great commotion amidst the common people, but the magis (I don't think this needs to be pluralized) were the ones that were more wary about it. After all, someone was announcing the location of the Grail and saying "Come and take it if you can".

Despite being obviously a trap, many individuals attempted to reach the announced place, both masters, servants, magi and common humans.

One of those was the girl called Laura.

Her servant, Gatekeeper, the old swordsman, manifested his dislike about the idea.

"It's obviously a trap" Stated the servant.

"Then you just have to overcome it and defeat the enemy, right?" Carelessly replied his master, making her servant sigh with exasperation.

He tried to change her opinion, but she simply refused to listen. Now, the black haired girl stood amidst the crowd, looking at the strange scenario that someone built the last night in an old cemetery in the outskirts of the city.

Unseen amidst the crowd, a man whose face was partially covered thanks to a hat and a long cloak stared at her with hostility.

"Master, that boy is looking at you. Maybe he's a master too" Telepathically informed her servant.

"Oh, I see, thanks" Replied Laura, before turning towards the man "Hey! I'm Laura. Who are you?" Cheerfully saluted the woman, catching the man off-guard. He looked at the floor for a moment.

"Reiss" Simply replied the man.

"Oh, I see. Are you a participant of the Holy Grail War too?"

If Gatekeeper had been in his physical form, he would've made a facepalm.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The red-haired girl spoke to her audience.

"Oh my, how many faces! How is everyone? Are you ready for the Holy War?"

"She's kinda cute, right?" Murmured someone in the crowd.

"Holy War? There was nothing about it in the paper" Commented another.

"It looks like it's some sort of sect. Hurry, let's get out of here!" Replied a third one, before falling to his knees. The red-haired girl was looking at him.

"No, no, no" Childishly scolded the girl, waving her finger "You heard the call of the Grail, but now you're running away from it? That's a big no, it's just too mean."

"Who the hell are you?" Shouted someone.

"Hmm... I don't know, maybe you can call me Jacqueline? It doesn't matter, really" The girl threw the microphone to the floor and clapped "Now, if you are kind enough to just die..."

Before she could finish, a shadow covered the sun. An instant latter, a red shadow smashed the platform, roaring while enormous splinters flew amidst the public.

"My, my... What a rude guest" Commented the red-haired woman, viciously grinning. From the belly of the monster, a crimson sphere partially opened, revealing an even more twisted smile.

"Cut your crap. What are you, some third rate clown? Stop using those puppets and show yourself, coward." Ordered the master of the creature, Aegis Mircalla.

"Oh... You've got some good senses, are you sure you're not a wild beast?" The red-haired girl looked at the silver-haired Dead Apostle, shielding herself from the sun using a sphere of blood "Maybe that's t (bit of a spacing issue here)
he reason you've summoned that nasty creature."

It was true, the servant Mircalla summoned was to abnormal to be called a Heroic Spirit. It had traces of human, dragon and hundreds of beasts. It was a creature that could only be conceived in the mind of a madman.

"Well... I'm quite the ruthless one, so prepare yourself, faker!" Roared Mircalla while the creature raised it's hand, ready to pulverize the red-haired girl. Then, everything went black.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Both Servants were fighting to their heart's content.

The old man, Gatekeeper, masterfully wielded his katana. Despite his ancient look, his skill with the sword refused to deteriorate with the years.

Allegedly, (seems like an odd choice of words here) Shielder refused to give the old man time for a counterattack. His earth-shattering strikes annihilated the ground and walls as collateral damage, raising clouds of debris.

"Not bad. You fight like a wild beast, but you've been well trained, youngster."

"I humbly thank those words, coming from a master of the blade like you" Replied Shielder, trying to murder him with his greataxe.

And then, in the fraction of second that Shielder took to pull back the axe and raise his shield, the shadow of a blade swiftly entered his guard like a snake.

Ayax jumped backwards to avoid the lethal thrust, aimed at the defenseless spot under his armpit.

To find an opening in his guard under constant assault, ignoring the debris and his intimidating power, one must've survived countless battlefields. That peerless skill was the proof of the old man's honed skills that allowed him to raise (rise) to the Throne of Heroes.

"I can only congratulate your skills as a swordsman, too. You would be a match for even the great heroes of my time."

"Hmpf... I'll take that as a compliment, but I wish you could allow me to show you the true lengths of my swordmanship." Replied Gatekeeper.

"I refuse to do so, I don't want our duel to be tainted by the influence of the Gods. Whatever your relationship with them is, I'll face you only as a human. Nothing more, and nothing less."

"I see... Then, I shall accept your determination, and defeat you only as a human" Contrary to his murdering (murderous would work better here) aura, the old man made a wide smile, like a grandfather getting ready to play seriously with his niece.

Then, one of the walls exploded.

The red beast that destroyed the scenery interrupted the duel, smashing everything in it's path.

Opposing the monstrous berserker, a red haired man, wielding a flaming sword, masterfully deflected it's colossal fists.

"Sorry to disrupt your battle" Apologized Saber, jumping to avoid a tail swipe from Berserker "But this foe just refuses to die."

As if trying to prove his point, a surge of flames emerged from the sword and landed on one of Berserker's wings, tearing a hole on it, which quickly closed itself. Saber noticed that his divine flames suddenly became weaker.

"Apparently, it combines a ridiculous regeneration with some kind of damage mitigation. If you could help, I would be really thankful."

Indifferent to Saber's words, Berserker quickly adjusted it's perception. It didn't knew how, but now there where two more enemies. The creature roared, marking them as enemies.

"I guess we have no choice then" Murmured Gatekeeper "Saber, Shielder! Let's take this joyous occasion! This time, instead of killing each other, we're given the chance to put down that wild beast."

In response to Gatekeeper's speech, Berserker's torso inflated until it doubled it's volume, before unleashing a cloud of acid that eroded the ground, walls and life in the area.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two were dancing.

Their confrontation was too acrobatic to be called a simple battle.

Avenger's crimson frame and Assassin's black shadow, both entwined with each other like snakes before landing in the next room.

Assassin's body was surrounded by a cloud of sand that changed it's shape constantly, taking the form of shields, spears and throwing daggers.

Avenger held a curved sword in her right hand.

"Run wild, ¡Zulfiqar!" With an horizontal movement, dozens of wind blades erupted from assassin's (do you mean Avenger here?) blade, clashing against the sand shield.

The next second, the red lightning and the obsidian mercury clashed again.

Assassin's sand formed countless spikes that pierced Avenger's frame, but her small body contracted in the last second, avoiding fatal injuries.

They've lost count of the number of identical rooms they've left behind. The only thing they cared about was slaughtering the each other.

Yet, something was puzzling Assassin.

"Why can I sense an essence so close to my own emanating from you?"

"That's because I'm the amazing Avenger/Assassin! A servant with the double summon skill!"

"That's not it: You reek of evil, and your strength... It's slowly raising the more we fight."

"That's a rude thing to say to a little lady" Replied the Red Hood while her sable turned into crimson dust that surrounded her, forming a ring of dark embers "But I'm interested in you, Hassan. Why don't you show me your Phantasm?"

"I'm more interesting in yours, spirit of vengeance... No, curse that took the form of a Heroic Spirit."

The bandages that covered Avenger's face twisted into something that looked like a smile. The circle of smoke and burning ashes began to spin and change. Assassin recognized the frame of countless weapons inside the ring, endless instruments of destruction, an army of artifacts designed to unleash death in endless ways. Finally, the small Avenger took a form from inside the ring, which grew until it took the shape of a masterfully-forged sword, a holy blade that bestowed absolute protection and, at the same time, peerless offense. A cheerful voice reached Assassin.

"Ok! If you insist on seeing my Noble Phantasms, then I'll show them to you! This is called Ascalon, the blessed sword by which force is slain" The holy sword began to glow, bathing the demonic realm with sacred light "And this is it's special skill. Would it work on snakes, too? Ah, whatever, let's just try it! Interfectum Dracones, Slayer of Dragons!"

Upon reciting the true name of the second noble phantasm, a javelin of silver light was shoot (shot) towards the impious Assassin.

[Siege]

Corrections appreciated and done ^^

The girl that holds the microphone is not a Servant, she's someone from a minor Holy Grail War in which Soren participated.

It's been a weird month, I had some tests and I moved to a new apartment, so I've also been a week or so without wifi. I still entered from time to time to keep up with strange fake, though.

[Siege]

Chapter 6: Human

An ant opposed the blood empress.

Defying all common sense, a small creature refused the will of the crimson royalty. It was madness indeed.

Though... Isn't a place where heroes from all ages converge the ideal place for a madman?

"It's ridiculous! It's ridiculous! It's ridiculous!" Aegis screamed, while the living coliseum was desecrated by thousands of blood explosions "How can you be alive after all this?"

Liurf survived the onslaught of Berserker's master, rejecting arrows of crystallized blood with his bare hands. The man fended off scarlet blades and crimson whips, always advancing towards the bloodsucker with cold determination.

"He's seriously trying to kill me, a mere human is really thinking that he can slaughter me, but... It wouldn't be so funny otherwise!"" Thought Aegis, who tried to keep the distance between the two floating on a sphere of blood.

Her opponent began to run upwards towards her, ignoring the fact that the floor ended a while ago and now he was stepping on the walls.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He was called a monster.

Despite never hurting them, all his comrades always feared him.

It was not that he was particularly vicious or hideous, rather... He was just too strong.

The deeds that they tried so hard to achieve... He just treated them as trivial things.

The miracles that they couldn't reach... He simply walked in and took them, like if they were waiting for him.

Everything that he did shouted "You're not worthy", although he never uttered a word.

He just silently stood there, with his eyes fixed in the distant horizon, looking for something that no one dared to ask.

What could lit the flames of the heart of someone who could have anything he wanted?

Women, drugs, friends, adrenaline... Nothing could fill the void in his soul.

That creature, too alien to be called human, obediently followed the orders of his comrades. In the end, they just treated him like a machine.

Used like a disposable weapon, he continued to obey, he continued to fight, he continued to kill, until his hands became so dull that he couldn't feel the lives he took.

And yet, his eyes still looked at the distant sky, looking for something he could never find.

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The piston-like arms of the man ripped one of Mircalla's wings, but she managed to avoid getting her arm chopped off.

Calculating the point where Liurf would land, she sent a legion of crimson-drenched stakes towards him, but everything turned to smithereens once it come near him. The next second, Liurf used all his might to jump towards the vampire, while the floor where he stood a second ago was blown off due to the immense pressure.

"How can a mere human... Is he an Executioner? Someone from the Burial Agency?" Mircalla wondered about the man's identity, but her mouth only emitted groans and some blood. The man caught her throat, and now was pulverizing it with his ridiculous strength.

She felt her bones turning to dust during her descend, before being smashed to the ground, which exploded, launching enormous chunks of rock. Her spine broke, her skull was fractured, her internal organs ruptured. She was bathing in a pool of her own blood. The merciless man was on top of her, still holding her throat and applying pressure, forcing her deeper into the ground.

"Is he trying to just rip off my head with his bare hands?" Thought Aegis, whose brain functions were partially numbed due to the tremendous damage she sustained, but she managed to regain enough conscience to mold the pool of blood into a forest of spears that pierced Liurf, slicing his clothes and flesh, but without managing to achieve any real damage.

"Hmm... Troublesome, a Bounded Field that allows you to freely control the blood of corpses in your surroundings" Muttered Liurf, examining the state of his body "I assume this is not your only magecraft."

"Don't worry, little boy, I have a lot to show you" Stated Mircalla, whose body began to recompose. A cacophony of grotesque sounds filled the air as the broken bodies returned to their original shape, turning the ragged body into the powerful shape it once had "But who are you? With that strength of yours, you could even fight a Caster in close combat."

"I'm just an ordinary unemployed 43 years old man" Replied Liurf while his arm pulverized Mircalla's head, turning it into red mist, which in response became a cloud of needless that tried to pierce Liurf's arm. He reacted in time and pulled of his arm while kicking Aegis body, throwing it towards a wall.

"You... Monster" Murmured the Dead Apostle, who already recovered her original shape. Two cyclones of compressed blood began to furiously swirl around her, before jumping towards Liurf, who jumped to avoid them. The are where they impacted was reduced to dust.

"Yeah... I've been called that before" With an emotionless stare, the man resumed his assault on the Dead Apostle.

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There where two heroic spirits who stayed immobile after being sent to Caster's Reality Marble.

One of them was a fiery man with brown hair and golden eyes. His boy was coated in leather armor. It had strips filled with throwing knives, vials, bags of powder and small bones.

His left eye had a black tattoo resembling a lightning.

The other Servant was a silver-haired woman, covered in a black armor that could be described as neither a dress or an armor, yet both terms somehow could be used to define it.

At both sides of her waist rested two holy swords, whose surface was carved in fairy letters. Exceeding the realm of holy weapons and dwelling in the realm of divine constructs, those twin blades, one cloaked in aurum and other bathed in silver, were the symbols of "The perfect king who serves the country" and "The perfect knight who serves the king", guarded by the one who had the right to choose said Perfect King and Perfect Knight.

The Queen of the Lake spoke to her companion, he replied with a nod and a vicious smile.

The two servants, both wraiths from past wars, advanced towards their objective.

[RoydGolden]

So, I couldn't manage to comment on this update right away but it's definitely looking good. An exciting fight between Liurf and Aegis, plus a hint into another Servant's past (I'm guessing Saber?). Also I can see that my guess of "Viviane" being the Lady of the Lake was correct. Hardly any typos this time around either, except you seem to have accidentally called Viviane a "he" in the second last sentence.

[Siege]

Chapter 7: Tarnished Diamond

The man with the lightning-like tattoo was rushing through the corridors.

His companion, the silver-haired swordsman, silently looked at the pulsating walls of flesh.

"Such an interesting place" Commented the man with a smile on his face.

"..." The wielder of the holy swords kept silent.

"Is this really the work of a human? I can't help but wonder if it's the work of one of the Snake's servants." The man commented on the nature of Caster's profane temple, but there was no trace of disgust in his voice, only amusement.

"Is it really that impressive, Lancer?" Inquired Viviane.

"It's worth some praise, at least" Replied the Servant of the Spear "But it lacks a purpose, a soulless creation is bounded to fall and crumble to dust."

"Is that your judgement, King of Humans?"

The ancient entity called Lancer refused to reply, his eyes fixed in his next target.

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Pale lightning and emerald flames were endlessly crashing in front of the altar.

Caster's demonic hounds tried to rip off the flesh of the spearwielder, but the golden lance, imbued in lightning runes, effortlessly tore them apart. Pitiful growls filled the air of the temple.

"Nice catch, Lancer!" Congratulated Caster while Lancer pierced the head of a flaming creature that appeared behind him, without breaking his eye-contact with the alchemist.

"It means a lot, coming from a coward who sends rabid dogs to do his job"

"I never thought of you as a honorable warrior. Weren't you fond of your cunning, King of Dwarfs?"

"Being in the loosing side of an ambush has it's advantages, at least I can look cool while calling at your douchebaggery."

"I won't take that pleasure from you" Replied Caster, adjusting his glasses while a surge of emerald flames surrounded Lancer.

The spear ran wild, it's tip becoming a glittering bee that traced the shape of shielding runes in the four cardinal directions, raising a wall of energy that nullified the strike. Lancer's face was licked by jade embers, his lips twisting into a brutal smile.

"Oh, little Caster, but I'm gonna take SO much from you" Groaned Lancer "Starting with your life."

Lancer's guard shifted, the defensive position became a thrusting stance. The ground around him shattered, while his legs, empowered with divine words, performed the miracle.

It was a fraction of a second, a blink would've been enough to miss it. The stairs were blown up, the flame beasts were dissipated into the air, unable to slow down Lancer's advance.

But Caster's smile never faded.

Even with the golden spear at few centimeters of his neck, with his life depending on the barrier barely holding the enemy Noble Phantasm, the Alchemist happily greeted Lancer's killing intent.

"A barrier capable of stopping my Gungnir... Not bad, wizard."

"Your praise is a honor, slumbering one."

"Quit calling me names, bastard. If you're gonna soil my name, at least do it properly" Lancer's eyes were shinning with animosity "My name is Dvalinn. Engrave it into your ears, tongue and heart, you clown!"

Answering Lancer's rage, the spear ran wild, pulverizing Caster's shield, who barely managed to roll out of the spear's range.

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"Ah, it's been a while since the last time I allowed myself to run wild" Thought Lancer.

Yeah, he did not only renounce to his original form, but he also purposely tried to hide his true nature.

The wise king of the dwarfs.

The one who brought the divine words to his people, like the mighty Odín did with the Aesir.

A master craftsman, who was involved in the creation of countless wonders.

Cursed swords, divine spears, homunculi that were elated to the realm of sacred beasts...

His hands produced countless noble phantasm, wielded by heroes and gods alike.

But, the artisan never felt completed.

That was why, in his last moments, he still wished for it.

Something, buried in the distant sands of time.

Something that could lit anew the flame on his heart.

"I was unable to do it, but if someone could achieve my dream..." The artisan's dying thoughts echoed in the Throne of Heroes.

"I... want to see that perfect forgery."

"That treasure that dwells beyond the realm of humans."

"My only desire... Is to see the greatest creation this world has to offer."

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It was so ironic...

The greatest forgery, Lancer's only desire... Destiny arranged the battle so he would be forced to destroy it with his own hands.

But, did the Heroic Spirit feel betrayed? No.

The fact that humans made the wish-granting device was a miracle in itself, he was satisfied with that end.

But, if there was another wonder in a more distant future... No, there must be one, he thought.

If he could ensure the future of humanity, then even greater crafts would surely come.

That was his reason to fight. He would destroy the Grail and save humanity for the sake of the individual who would surpass him someday.

That's why, when faced with someone like him, Caster felt something vaguely resembling guilt.

To destroy that man, who only wished to see the culmination of his art, was a crime against his own principles.

But, the existence known as Caster already committed many sins.

That's why, when Lancer's frame began to manifest the Noble Phantasm of the distant gods, he shouted in ecstasy the name of his own miracle.

The trump card that he, as an artist, wished to eradicate.

The crystallization of his legend as a servant of evil, rather than as a man who spent all his life perfecting a single path.

The cursed man extended his arms, welcoming the killing instinct of the wielder of Divine Armament.

"Let's dance, master of the forge, for this world is hell, and the screams are the music of the damned"

"But if this is our fate, we will sing and feast! And praise upon the flames of damnation!"

"For this life never had any meaning, but the art. For this life never had any value, but that of our works."

"So, if the man must become a demon to survive this hell, if madness is the path to salvation, then..."

The frame of Caster was cloaked in azure flames. Two blades of fire, resembling wings, erupted from his back.

"King of Dwarfs, accept the curse of this lost lamb, the one called devil and beast!"

Caster, whose voice was accompanied by a choir of laments, stared at Lancer with flaming eyes.

"Mephistopheles: The price of everlasting majesty!"

[RoydGolden]

Might want to fix up that image, since it's not showing up properly. Cool chapter otherwise though.

[Siege]

Is there any way to change the length of images in this forum?

BTW, the faceclaim of "demon caster" is Ergo Mundus in his unleashed form, from the Gate of Memories game.

[Siege]

Chapter 8: Mephistopheles

The creature, bathed in azure flames, looked at Lancer with disdain.

"Look at this, King of the Dwarfs, this is the face of damnation!"

The joyous declaration of the Alchemist was greeted with a wicked smile. Lancer's frame, covered in divine armament, rushed towards the demonic Caster.

Yet, when the spear he forged for the King of Gods effortlessly pierced Caster's wicked body, Lancer just sighed with resignation, before the flood where he stood exploded in a sea of emerald flames.

In the other side of the room, a whirlwind of jade appeared out of thin air and became Caster, while Lancer split the fire in half with his spear.

"You're ugly as fuck" Shouted Lancer.

"Such is the shape of the human soul" Replied Caster, pointing his open hand at Dvalinn "Höllenhund!"

Caster violently closed his fist, materializing a surge of flames that took the form of a great wolf. The burning creature closed it's jaws around Lancer, but it was effortlessly slayed by Lancer's rune-covered spear.

"You've truly become a demon" Muttered Lancer, prompting Caster's face to twist into a wicked smile.

"Have I? Well... That's my raison d'etre, after all. That's the kind of monster humanity created."

With reinvigorated forces, the golden lance clashed against the emerald flames one more time.

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The only thing he ever knew was the thirst.

Where did it began? When he learned to read? When he learned to distinguish shapes? When he opened his eyes for the first time?

Did it matter?

The only thing that he ever desired was to "fill" that gasp within him.

Why was it so hard?

He studied his father's books, and when he memorized those, he searched for any source of information he could lay his hands on.

Medicine, chemistry, logic, mathematics, occultism... He desperately looked for a knowledge that could make him feel "complete", but failed miserably every single time.

The reason was simple.

The "hole" in that man's heart could never be filled.

Women, money, power, opulence, depravity... Even the most forbidden secrets were unable to satisfy him.

Because that man's desire was no other than knowledge itself.

The thrill he felt when he mastered a new spell, the cold shiver that ran through his spine when a new formula revealed it's secrets to him and laid naked before his eyes... Oh, the ecstasy of understanding the basis of the universe itself, how could he ever be satiated?

Had he known how to stop...

Had he resigned himself and accepted ignorance...

Had he stopped searched for even greater secrets...

Then maybe he could've reached salvation.

Instead, he choose the path of the darkest truth, that which laid entangled in deep shadows.

That was his downfall.

That man, whose wonders and intellect were once praised, was now scolded by the people he tried to help.

A madman.

A satanist.

A lost lamb who betrayed the lord.

He was branded with countless names.

An evil doer.

A tempter.

Someone who sold his very soul for limitless knowledge.

That was the only thing he ever lamented.

That genius could live under the scorn of the people, but to see his talent denied, to hear that the fruit of his dedication was nothing more than some cheap satanic gift, he would never accept that.

Therefore, when the life of that man came to an end, the profane doctor made a prayer.

"Distant choirs, or profane circles, I don't care"

"Anyone listening to this man's last moments... Hear my call"

"For I shall pay the price, I shall endure the hardships, just to prove that I was myself"

"From today to the distant future, allow them to remember just one thing"

"That the one who lived and died today was no other than I, Johann Georg Faust!"

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The body of Aegis was laying on the ground, covered in blood. Her bones were crushed, and her arms and legs twisted in a position that could only be possible after grinding her articulations to dust.

Liurf looked at her with stone eyes.

"Wake up, bloodsucker. You're not fooling me."

Following his declaration, Liurf appeared behind her, ready to stomp her head with his foot. The piston-like leg shattered the ground, launching chunks of flesh-like stone in all directions, while Aegis' body began to restore itself, using some of the remaining blood to stand up.

"So this was the reason... I almost feel bad for you" Mockingly stated Mircalla while her articulations twisted, recovering their original position "Thrown away by your family, forced to live like a dog, always chased... It's so pathetic it makes me wanna puke!"

Aegis narrowly avoided Liurf's fist, which launched a shockwave after piercing the empty space where Aegis' head was a second ago. Some traces of silver, ripped of from Mircalla's hair, floated around them.

"Even the name Arianhord is nothing more than a falsification... So befitting for a faker like you, monster of Barthomeloi!" Shouted Mircalla, unleashing a rain of crystallized blood.

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Assassin sensed a sudden pressure.

Two sources of power, abnormally strong, were rushing towards him.

"Ho ho ho, here comes the chivalry!" Shouted Avenger "Come on, Assassin, show me your Noble Phantasm before they come!"

Assassin replied with a shower of sand bullets, that were effortlessly stopped by Avenger's holy sword.

Ascalon, the legendary sword of St.George

But, how could she be related to that dragon-slaying blade? Also, she wielded the Zulfiqar before...

A servant with many Noble Phantasms? Not unheard off... But, what was the connection between those two?

In the middle of Assassin's thoughts, a new information arrived.

The weapon she was holding changed once more.

Another holy sword, this time encased in blue and gold, shined in her arms.

"Well then, if you're not going to show it to me, then just go to hell and show it to me when I come too!" Screamed Avenger as the holy light swirled through the tip of the blade like a supernova.

Assassin saw the imminent death, the searing light would undoubtedly reduce him to ashes.

"Fade into the flames! Golden sword of the victorious: Caliburn!"

The light of the collapsing star was unleashed, the blinding flare rushed towards the Hassan of Dust.

But something stood in it's way.

A majestic sword, with water-like surface.

The limitless blade that would never be broken. No matter which opponent it faced, the sacred armament would withstand any punishment, unbreakable as the bond between King and Knight.

The sea of golden flames was cut in half. The responsible of that miracle was a woman clad in black.

"That's not fair, Viviane" Complained Avenger "Or should I call you winner of the Second War?"