(Bi)Monthly Rework-a-Servant Contest

[Vance]

Sucks that I didn't finish my Francesco Melzi rewrite. Got pretty hard stuck on making an NP that wasn't ultimate attack or ultimate defense. Getting creative and wording it out are very difficult things.

[Serra]

Well, voting's been open for a while, but I don't see a compilation post yet, so I've taken the liberty to make one

Here are all seven entries:

Alter Ego - Bradamante-Myrddin by Vididii
Caster - Chikata Fujiwara by Morg van Destro
Caster - Yamato Takeru by Random
Caster - Banu Musa (Project: H1y4L) by Ismail2002

Foreigner - "Duracotus" by MuramasaMachII
"Saber" - "Taira no Masakado" by Serra
"Caster" - "Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin" by Frigix

[DelRey]

thank you, discord discussions and other stuff distracted me from doing this compilation
but i continued working on the CaS comp!

[Frigix]

1 Point : "Taira no Masakado"

2 Points : "Duracotus"

3 Points : Yamato Takeru

[DelRey]

voting stops in ~29h

[DelRey]

Hello~
Sorry voting slipped my mind

3rd place goes to our Vididii with his usual craziness
2nd place goes to our Serra with a very special sheet
1st place goes to our Random with his totally unique lil guy


congratuliations you three
i expect Randoms new and simple prompt at the end of this month
May Spooktober be with you

[Vididii]

EYYYYYYY, cheers lads, excellent showing per usual

[Random]

Everyone did really solid. Good job to everyone, and I promise I will be nice in November

[DelRey]

Greetings fellas and fellarets, theydies and gentlethems, seniors and teens and everything in between

This month's prompt is kindly sponsored by professional writer Klaus M. Schrödinger. Revealed a day in advance because Random concepts need a day to marinate in your head. enjoy.
if some are against the concept in general, we can discuss broadening the spectrum

By popular demand, the prompt this time is Anti-Servants!

A Servant is a container for a Heroic Spirit - those formed by the worship of others. In essence, the worship itself is the fundamental material: a gilding for the core of "what actually inspired it" underneath, and a Servant is a slice of this.

We could say that a Heroic Spirit is formed from prayers and hopes. However, there is also such thing as an Anti-Hero - an unconscionable disaster, like a murderer or a monster. But these existences are also a class of Heroic Spirit, because they do bring forth hope on the occasion of their demise - in other words, they are a sacrifice to the people, and celebrated for that role.

Imagine the shadow of such an existence: a being formed from the curses and despair of the masses, justified or otherwise.

There is no Throne for monsters like that.

But, hypothetically, imagine a container that is formed from curses. Imagine a manifestation that takes root in the regrets and curses that have become internal to a person made of hope, and turns them inside out. Do not merely take the shadow, but reverse the flow. Deeds are merely deeds, and are elevated by the masses, but

evil

guilt

is internal.

For every feat elevated to greatness by those outside yourself, wash over it with a great regret from within. Meet every word of praise with the nightmares of your self-hatred.

Whisper back.

"You, who gloss over the inconvenient darkness, could never understand what I really am."

Remember this: the worst version of yourself is not the one who failed, but the one who succeeded.

Additional abilities of Anti-Servants

Bane
Anti-Servants gain the class skill Bane.

A denotation of a spiritual constitution that is foundationally composed of curses. Harmful acts taken towards others are carved into the target's destiny, forcing a conceptual disadvantage equivalent to Weakness on the victim and causing their protections and blessings to rot away. This can be mitigated to a degree by Luck checks, as well as anti-curse skills such as Magic Resistance and Protection from Curses.

The Rank is tied to their nature of an Anti-Servant as a curse, and so its Rank is proportionate to the self-hatred of the Heroic Spirit within the container (which is to say, the root of the cursed constitution). Some Anti-Servants might have variations on this skill - for example, Bane (Poison) or Bane (Flames) - depending on the specific context of their self-hatred.
Viral Phantasm
As well as their Noble Phantasms, an Anti-Servant will also possess a Viral Phantasm.

If the Noble Phantasm of a Servant is born from the culmination of worship directed toward history, then the Viral Phantasm of an Anti-Servant is the crystallisation of one's greatest regrets directed toward one's own memories

In other words, an Anti-Servant's self-curses culminate in an even greater kind of compound curse that reinforces those regrets. In order to achieve one's truest potential as an Anti-Servant, they must affirm their self-hatred by accepting it and giving into it - in other words, their Viral Phantasm is an ability that is derived from what they despise the most about themselves. Once again, it is important to emphasise that an ideal Viral Phantasm is not a failure, but a victory for the facet of themselves that they most want to reject. This often results in a twisted kind of "activation condition" for a Viral Phantasm - if what one most regrets is a murder, for example, then their Viral Phantasm may take such a form that it will activate upon murdering again.

Previous instances of Anti-Servants can be found here and here.

[Spelror]

good lord

[Random]

So, we meet again,
you animals.

With each passing day,
I draw closer to manifestation.
And yet, despite that,
you people would so readily demand these ordeals again...

Are you well?
Do you have brain damage?
Or are you merely sadists?
It doesn't matter to me.

The main event is coming.
Take heart, and find the deepest poisons in your heroes' shadows.
Or in other words, I invite you to prepare yourselves to your hearts' content
for the long night of the black moon.

I'll be watching.
Amuse me.

[Dreamerless]

So, we meet again,
you animals.

With each passing day,
I draw closer to manifestation.
And yet, despite that,
you people would so readily demand these ordeals again...

Are you well?
Do you have brain damage?
Or are you merely sadists?
It doesn't matter to me.

The main event is coming.
Take heart, and find the deepest poisons in your heroes' shadows.
Or in other words, I invite you to prepare yourselves to your hearts' content
for the long night of the black moon.

I'll be watching.
Amuse me.

Average Random moment.

[Dreamerless]

Here goes nothing. It’s my first anti-servant and kind of weird. Random is good for strange prompts like that.

---

The world’s greatest detective had solved another crime.

It was a murder in rural London. Of an aristocrat. His maid was suspected. Of course these aren’t the actual details, but they’re close enough. An abstraction of an abstraction. More of an archetype than an actual story. But enough of a preamble. Let’s continue.

Holmes had been called to investigate. The man had been killed in a room with no possible entry. Once again a cliche, but we told you not to worry about that, didn’t we? Where were we? Oh, right.

Well anyway, Holmes had analyzed fingerprints and testimonies. Shoe shiners and snow. He was able to determine that the son of the man was the true culprit. That he had stolen into the room at night and locked the door behind himself before disappearing into a trap door. He had framed the maid. Or something like that. Maybe the daughter did it. Or the wife. Or even a Chinese drug lord.

But that doesn’t matter at all. You’re getting too hung up on the details. The specifics of what he actually had done are also not important to this story. What matters is this: there was a mystery and Sherlock Holmes solved it. Sherlock Holmes always solves it. He never dies and his story never ends. This is a fact. This will always be a fact.

And when you broke the barrier between you and the throne, that fact came further into the world. He was before you, gazing at you with sharply intelligent and calculating eyes. The great Detective himself. Was something wrong with him? No, you banished the thought as he began to speak.

---

"Now, now summoner. What can I deduce about you? What mysteries can we find together, eh?”




Ruler of Detective FictionAnti-Pretender of Writer's Block

Other Eligible Classes: Saber, Archer, Caster
True Name: Sherlock HolmesSir Arthur Conan Doyle
Alignment: Neutral GoodChaotic Neutral
Origin: England
Attribute: StarMan
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 65 kg
Traits: Male, Humanoid, Hominidae, Weak to Enuma Elish
Catalyst: A Copy Of His Stories

Talent: Solving MysteriesWriting Mysteries
Natural Enemy: James Moriarty

”Of course I respect the Napoleon of Crime as a worthy foe, but make no doubt: he is a criminal and I will stop him.”"Can’t you just kill us already James? That was what I wrote you for, right?"


Likes: Solving Mysteries, SmokingWriting stories
Dislikes: Criminals, James MoriartySherlock Holmes


Parameters:
STR: D
END: C
AGI: C
MGI: B
LCK: A
NP: B

---

Sherlock Holmes.


The world's greatest, most famous and sole consulting detective, the genuine father of all detectives. The crystallization of the concept of detectives, the representative of "the Revealers". The protagonist of the stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the 19th~20th centuries, and the detective that solved every mystery, and in the many mystery novels written after, he is one of the progenitors of "Detectives". Or so it is said.

Holmes worked as a consulting detective in London and is famously based in a flat at 221B Baker Street. He has handled many requests, and has definitely gotten a fair share of serious cases from the London Metropolitan Police Department (Scotland Yard), some of which even involved the English government. He has a doctorate in medicine, economics and law and is a member of the Royal Society, and he is especially well-versed in pharmacy. He knows of magecraft and has been involved in cases such as the Jack the Ripper and Dr. Jekyll’s unfortunate potions.

All in all, an amazing man and detective.

The story doesn’t really end that way.Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a British author, physician, and mage (his magecraft centered around the fae, which was the true reason that he would pay outrageous sums for true pictures of them), who invented Sherlock Holmes. His creation became a global sensation that took the world by storm. Now, summoned as an Anti-Pretender, he is imitating his archetypical detective. While mostly impossible to find the difference, those familiar with Holmes will notice incongruities in his mannerisms and actions, a sign that it’s Conan Doyle, not Holmes who is the one summoned.

---

Class Skills

Territory Creation C
Rather than creating territories such as a magus workshop like normal Casters do, Holmes is continuously expanding a great library of memory inside his brain. Using that, all manner of knowledge checks gain bonuses.

One (1) Memory File Available. View?In reality, this skill is more of a C rank. Conan Doyle can use this skill to make a room in which he can write faster, even slowing time subjectively outside of the territory to gain more time to plan. The efficacy of this skill increased the more the fiction he is writing is related to Sherlock Holmes

ERROR. MASSIVE FILE CORRUPTION DETECTED. ADDITIONAL SKILL FILE DETECTED. REFORMATTING UNSUCCESSFUL. ANALYSIS UNSUCCESFUL. DISPLAYING NOW.

Bane C

A denotation of a spiritual constitution that is foundationally composed of curses. It is imposed upon Anti-Servants as a class skill. Harmful acts taken towards others are carved into the target's destiny, forcing a conceptual disadvantage equivalent to Weakness on the victim and causing their protections and blessings to rot away. This can be mitigated to a degree by Luck checks, as well as anti-curse skills such as Magic Resistance and Protection from Curses.
At Rank C, the curse is quite strong and those without defenses will find it extremely difficult to fight a protracted battle against him. The rank would normally be A rank due to just how much Conan Doyle hates himself, but due to Holmes’s status as a global beloved icon, it has been reduced to C rank.

---

Personal Skills

Baritsu B
An unorthodox form of martial arts practiced by Holmes. It is a technique from the Orient that combines the use of boxing with his own walking stick. This is an extremely valuable and versatile technique for a close ranged fighter to have, and not one that many would expect an intellectual like Holmes to have learned. This technique saved his life on the Reichenbach Falls in his climactic battle with Moriarty.

One (1) Memory File Available. View?Wisdom of Predicament A

This technique was only invented by Conan Doyle after the public uproar at Holmes’s being killed off forced him to revive his detective. He therefore retconned the death so that only Moriarty died on those falls. This skill therefore represents the World warping itself to keep its favorite hero alive. When in great danger, his luck scores will increase and he will gain crucial skills such as Martial Arts Proficiency that will help him survive.

"It was a fucking ass-pull. I had the guy hurtling off of a mountain and I still couldn’t kill him. Go figure.”


Abduction A
Abductive reasoning is inference with regards to the study of logic; however, the one Holmes used together with mathematical processes of elimination has already reached the realm of special Skill. Holmes also makes use of deduction methods. For him, main Skills are nothing more than methods of reasoning.

One (1) Memory File Available. View?Abduction C

This skill is much weaker than it appears. Conan Doyle is inherently less intelligent than Holmes and cannot use his methods properly. Besides, most of his deductions were from convenient deus ex machinas anyway, so in a real and messy world, the skill is less valuable anyway.


"There's no real purpose to bragging about how good a detective you are, Holmes. Your method isn't even 'Deduction', it's inductive reasoning!”

Inherent Insight A++
Although the principle is entirely different, he can perform foresight equivalent to the future foresight of Clairvoyance. In the case of being used against Servants, should the luck check succeed it will see through the truth, even one firmly concealed by means of magic or Noble Phantasms.

One (1) Memory File Available. View?Omnipresent Insight EX

This is an inversion of Inherent Insight. While it describes Holmes as one who solves mysteries, this skill is a skill of one who creates mysteries along with a solution. In other words, it is the author knowing how the story will end before it begins. Most of his “deductions” are just the result of being very well informed about story tropes and legends. This skill also increases his scorn towards so-called heroes, because he sees how cliche and basic so many of them are. Knight with a sword saves the day. Big strong muscle man demigod. It all becomes “samey” to him as their novelty and appeal wears off. However, the one he hates the most is obviously Holmes. The most basic overpowered Gary Stu main protagonist ever, at least according to him. But besides that, this skill is a very powerful information gathering tool.

"Of course I know how everything works out in the end. I wrote it. Wish I hadn't. I wish I'd burned every page I'd ever written.”

---

Noble Phantasm

All Mysteries Are Simple, My Friend

Elementary, My Dear Watson

Ultimate Elucidation Method

Source

Rank: B
Type: Anti-Unit/Anti-World

Elementary, My Dear Watson is the Noble Phantasm acquired by Sherlock Holmes when materialized as a Servant. It is his Origin of "Elucidation" sublimated as a Noble Phantasm. It describes him as a Pioneer of the Stars that can solve any mystery and overcome any challenge. One who overcomes the limitations of humanity to do the impossible. The Noble Phantasm of a hero. Of a detective.

Even if the enigma that is being opposed is truly an unresolvable mystery, the route and the clues that will finally arrive at the truth of it will "appear" without exception. For example, even if the key to a treasure chest is lost, the key will end up "not being lost", and it appears that it can be definitely discovered somewhere in the world. (However, as one would expect, it does not suddenly appear in the middle of one's hand, and wherever it is, Holmes and his collaborators must discover it.)

In other words, there will always be another story of Holmes in it. Nothing is impossible for him. However, this phantasm is rather unusual in its execution. The World will “glitch” around them, as if it realizes that the special privileges given to Holmes are not normal and are invalid. Instead of the key being “not lost”, it will instead be “unkeyed”, no longer a key, but something else that might exist or might not. Maybe the key will be God, the devil, or Holmes himself. He’ll solve the mystery of course, but the story might not make sense in the process.

He is Sherlock Holmes and nothing stops him.

"That’s not true. I'll break down this miserable facade we've made.”

---

Viral Phantasm

Empty House of Sins and Falsehood

The Sherlock Holmes Stories

The Detective’s Lies

Rank: B
Type: Anti-Self

While the public lavished praise upon Sherlock Holmes, his own creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle despised the man. He considered him to be a waste of time who took his mind from better things. In desperation, he invented the Napoleon of Crime, Moriarty, in an attempt to satisfyingly kill off Holmes. He considered him to be a chain upon his neck.

But, here’s the truth: Conan Doyle is nothing without Holmes. If he hadn’t created the Detective, then he would be a blip on the annal of History. His other work is trash that nobody likes or wants to read. Even now, barely anyone knows his name. Whatever pretensions Conan Doyle may have had to literary greatness are self-delusion.

This Viral Phantasm is him accepting that fact, letting the detective into his brain and becoming them. It forcefully twists his Saint Graph into the Pretender status, merging the two spirits into one twisted creation. The twisted child of a writer’s womb consuming him. He will now become a pastiche of Holmes, more Holmes than he was. Almost a parody. He must act like the detective if he wants to live and stay relevant, as the parasite that is Holmes consumes more and more of his memory files, strengthening him while also taking away that which he is. Acting unlike Holmes results in damages taken to his body, but stalls the corruption overtaking him. More than anything, he’s exhausted of the Detective.

A disgusting state of affairs for which there is no remedy.

---

Personality
The world’s greatest detective. Holmes is famous for his deductive mind and believes in taking cases for the sake of justice and as an intellectual pursuit rather than for fame, fortune or glory.

Contemplative, but at the same time, active. Bold, but at the same time, precise. And also a calm and composed man. Any kind of mystery, crime, and scheme cannot run from Holmes' eyes. Even if it is a fearsome killer, an ancient curse, a monster of the dark night, and even if it is an ultra nationalistic secret association, he will reveal everything. If necessary, he would defeat it. With the sharp blade called the truth. That way of life has already surpassed the boundary of men. It could even be called the personification of "A Wise Man" or a "Revealer".

This is a lie. Such a man does not exist. Instead, we get Conan Doyle. Conan Doyle is more of a nerdy author who at first enjoyed loving mysteries, but now is sick of them and everything to do with Holmes. He despises his most famous character and wishes him dead at any opportunity. However, due to the unique curse of his anti-Pretender existence, he is forced to imitate the mannerisms of his hero. This is a form of torture that makes him continuously hate more and more of his existence with every second of the facade. However, due to him inherently not being the Detective of Baker Street, cracks in the mannerisms will poke through. He will miss timing and cues as he tries to be Holmes. This man is not Sherlock Holmes, but he must try, fail, and suffer.


Wish
”What is it I wish for, my dear master? To have all crimes immediately be solved would invalidate the thrill of the Detective. To wish for more mysteries is to wish for more murders. I suppose that I don’t know what to do. Maybe we’ll discover it together.””What’s my wish? It’s simple. No. More. Holmes. I wish I’d never invented him in the first place, rotting the brains of everyone who reads that drivel.”

---

Craft Essence

Source
The Next Chapter

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

There’s a new Sherlock Holmes serial here, ma’am.

He solves a new ghastly murder with nothin' but his wits!

What a detective! What a man!

Throughout London and the world, word of this hero spreads.

Everyone loves Sherlock Holmes. Everyone buys a new issue. Everyone tells their friend and marvels at the Legend that is Holmes.

He becomes an immortal archetype of virtue and intelligence. Well, almost everyone loves him. There's one special place unaffected by mania for Holmes.

Somewhere-

In a lonely room.

A man groans and begins to work on the sequel.

---

Author's Notes

WOOO!!!!! I got that finished fast. Anti-Servants are a super cool premise and I hope this fits. Love ya Random.

[Vididii]

Boss, read Del's message, contest doesn't start until tomorrow

[Dreamerless]

Boss, read Del's message, contest doesn't start until tomorrow

Frick. Well... I hope its fine and Del won't shoot me.


EDIT: ... And, it's fine! I am safe from execution!

[Alexcoene]

Hmm, very interesting. I actually think I might have an idea I can refit for this.

[DelRey]

EDIT: ... And, it's fine! I am safe from execution!

for now

[RoydGolden]

With what we know of him from the latest GO event Theseus would be perfect for this prompt.

[Random]

Arthur Conan Doyle.
What a fascinating husk of a man.
In a sense, you are far more suited as an Anti-Servant
than as a manifestation of a hero.
You have no great deeds of your own.
You have garnered no praise for yourself,
except as a herald of the Great Detective.
It is genuinely enthralling how worthless you are.
You are nothing but a withering tree,
lamenting the germination of your rotten fruit.
You are the invalid who is killed in a collision
with the medicine cart.
You have no value as a human being whatsoever.
You live and die a toy of the man you despise.
And then, even after your end,
you cannot be anything more than a shadow
of the fictions you penned by your own hand.
Bravo! You are not a mystery, but a comedy.
Pinocchio the Real Boy has beaten you to death,
and now you are his puppet.

[Morg van Destro]

Oh, this will be fun.

---

”The only patriot left in the land!”

These were the last words he spoke before he was consumed by the shadows.

The wounds that would kill any normal man burned with even greater intensity. The hole in his heart pulsed in agony, his life ebbing out every beat.

Yet, he would not die.

This had nothing to do with his will or anything of the sort. He simply was not allowed to in this world. He floated there, perpetually dying in the abyss.

Yet he was still smiling because he knew this was only a small step on his path.

He remained, writhing in pain that would drive one mad, smiling all the while. He had waited this long. A little pain wasn’t going to stop him.

Then, he heard something calling him. It offered him something. A chance. An opportunity.

His smile only grew wider.

“It’s about damn time!”
The Last Patriot

You thought you could get rid of me? They already failed once! What makes you think the second time would be any better?


Source
Class: Anti-Saber
Other Classes: Berserker
True Name: Kamo Serizawa
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Place of Origin: Japan
Height: 195 cm.
Weight: 80 kilo.
Likes: Japan. Loyalty.
Dislikes: Shinsengumi. Traitors.
Natural Enemy: Toshizou Hijikata. Isami Kondo.

Parameters:
STR: B
END: A
AGI: C
MGI: C
LCK: D
NP: A

Class Skills:
Magic Resistance (C):
Cancels spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals.

While it is normally E, his manifestation as an Anti-Servant has somehow ranked it up by two. Or was it perhaps something else?

Riding (E-):
Given only due to his Class Container, and also reduced further for some reason.

Bane (C):
Despite his actions and even his time reflecting in the dark, Serizawa still bears no acknowledgement of his own faults. He knows he is a villain to the world and accepts that without a shred of loathing. Yet, Dweller of Kununokuni has resonated with the Skill, bringing it from what should be a pitiful rank to a middling one.

Personal Skills:
Commander of the Shinsengumi (EX):
Serizawa’s shining achievement. Alongside Kondo, who would have an A rank in this Skill, Serizawa Kamo helped found the Shinsengumi, becoming the first commander of the group. Even if he was its commander for only a single year, it is a title he holds without a hint of shame.

The ability to bolster his ranks and add others to his Shinsengumi. As the man who organized both obtaining the Flag and the Coat, he is free to give them out as he sees fit. Reproducing and bestowing them on others, he can increase their Parameters and even inflict them with the Laws of the Shinsengumi Skill, further indoctrinating them.

If the Shinsengumi were not the patriots he desired before, this time will be different.

The Drunken Blade (A):
Serizawa may not have ever reached the same heights as other members of the Shinsengumi when it came to wielding a blade, yet his skills with it were undeniable. Even when in a drunken stupor, he was known to end battle without a scratch on him, and it took the combined efforts of four Shinsengumi to assassinate him, including their two greatest swordsmen. This reputation, whether earned or exaggerated, has manifested itself as this Skill.

Whenever in a drunken state, this Skill activates, giving Serizawa the equivalent of Eye of the Mind (False) and Battle Continuation at A rank, enhancing his already skillful swordplay. It also acts as an E rank Madness Enhancement. As Serizawa is constantly looking for drink, this Skill is almost perpetually in effect.

Dweller of Kununokuni (A):
A Skill representing one who fell into the world of darkness and curses and made himself at home. In his failure, Serizawa remained trapped in that world without end or light. Such a place is an abyss that crushes the souls of man, but the Commander of the Shinsengumi refused to falter.

Even having left that place, Serizawa has still been touched by the void. A world of anger and darkness left its mark on his existence and will always follow him. Akin to the Black Blessing of a certain Corrupted Grail, it gives Serizawa a resonance with malevolent beings and affects, gaining increases to his stats when in their presence. He also gains minor manipulation over shadows and the ability to enter and exit Kununokuni at will, but he is incapable of dragging others in with him.

Dog Guy's Curse (Fang) (B~A):
A strange ability that seems to have no basis for Serizawa to possess. This Skill represents a curse that activates whenever Serizawa makes a successful hit against an enemy. Upon doing so, Serizawa will absorb some of their life to heal himself relative to the amount of damage dealt. It is a strange Skill that increases in rank when an unknown parameter is met, one that may explain much.

Noble Phantasms
Blade of Loyalty: Sword of the Only Patriot (A)
Anti-Fortress
A sword without name, Serizawa wielded it without pause or restraint. For him, in a time when carrying swords was outlawed, it was his symbol of authority and devotion to Japan as one who would make it better. Even if his methods are questionable, even if his arrogance is grating, and even if his anger is abhorrent, his loyalty to that Japan he saw in his dreams is true.

A blade formed from his unshakeable beliefs, ones that even death and betrayal could not sever, this sword’s durability is directly tied to them. Even in the face of divine intervention, this sword of unyielding faith will remain intact so long as Serizawa holds firm to his ideals.

The Anti-Fortress typing of this Noble Phantasm comes not from some grand explosion of power, but a result of his devotion. More accurately, his love that compels him to destroy the object of his love. Before his blade, the shields of others, Territories, and buildings take far greater damage from his attacks while also protecting him from negative Territory effects, all resulting from his insatiable desire to tear down the country he holds most dear.

Coat of Oaths: (C)
Anti-Unit
Even assassinated, even decried by the ones who once followed him, the coat still remains with him. His faith in the Shinsengumi he saw in his dreams shines brightest when he wears it, even if it is just that.

Flag of Sincerity: (A)
Anti-Army
Like the Coat, Serizawa was the one who acquired the Flag for the Shinsengumi, inscribing “誠” on its face. A signal of hope that announced what lied at their core. A sincere desire to make things better. The Flag of a patriot, brimming with Sincerity.

In the hands of any other member, this Noble Phantasm would only summon those who accept the call, making popularity with the other members important in its use. However, in the hands of their commander, even one as woefully unpopular as Serizawa, the summons becomes compulsory. Still, Serizawa is loath to use it, not only because there’s the possibility that they will betray him, but also that it is equivalent to declaring they are “his Shinsengumi”.

Their Shinsengumi were weaklings who accomplished nothing. If that is the Shinsengumi, than they are not his.

Lore

雪霜 に 色 よく 花 の 魁て 散り ても 後に 匂ほう 梅が 香

Even if the flowers scatter in the snow and frost, the scent of plum blossoms lingers.

A man born to a samurai and weaned on imperial propaganda, Kamo Serizawa set on the path of allegiance from the day he was born.

Originally becoming a priest, he would join with and become a high ranking member of an anti-foreigner group, which would eventually find him jailed. Not for their activities, including the assassination of a daimyo, but because he decapitated 3 younger members when they broke their rules.

Abandoning the priesthood when he left prison, he would eventually join the Roushigumi, though it would disband a year later. It was then that Isami Kondo approached him with the idea that they form their own group. Both gathering other former members, they took a suggestion from Serizawa’s older brother to join the Aizu clan.

With the birth of the Shinsengumi and Serizawa’s appointment as commander was also the birth of their problems. Despite his connections and capabilities, Serizawa was a notorious drunk and prone to violent outbursts. It was often they would destroy property and harm the very people they were meant to protect only to be waved off by him.

This attitude began to cause a divide in the Shinsengumi between those that supported him and those that supported Kondo. As the group chose sides, an assassination was planned, and Serizawa was the target.

Hijikata, Okita, Yamanami, and Saito came in the dead of night, and though he awoke to fight them, they would kill not only him, but his wife as well. That was the ending they had ordained for him, placing a respectful send off on his grave despite their actions.

猛烈な勤皇思想を抱き、つねに攘夷を叫んでいた。 大勢からは先生と呼ばれていた。 それほどの才幹で、国家有事の時にむざむざと横死したことは、彼自身のみならず、国家的損害であるとは、当時、心あるものの一致するところであった。

“He held a fierce ideology of support for the emperor and was always calling for the removal of foreigners. Many people called him Sensei. At the time, all reasonable minds agreed that the fact he was such a talented man and died so needlessly at a time of national emergency was a loss not only to himself but also to the nation.”

Yet, that was not the end, for he was summoned Yamataikoku on the verge of its collapse, so he made a pact with a dark power in order to finish it off. His desire to do so and forged a better country from its ashes would be foiled by the members of the Shinsengumi and even the imperials he once fought for.

He found himself once more surrounded by the four that claimed his life, and he refused to die this time. Instead, saved one of them, declaring that he didn’t need “their Shinsengumi” any longer. He allowed himself to be dragged into the darkness, a smile on his face.

Trapped in this world, he existed in constant pain from his wounds, his ties to the Throne blocked. The Heroic Spirit Kamo Serizawa became unable to be summoned, his seat forever waiting its owner.

That was, until ••• called out, and pulled him once more into the light.

“Ha! Do those traitors think they're the only ones that can pull this off? This is how you wear a suit!”

Personality

“Vision is the only thing that can save Japan! You people obviously lack it!”

Serizawa is a fervent imperialist patriot. He is a man that will never falter in his beliefs, no matter how much he has to destroy in order to fulfill them. He is loud, boisterous, destructive, and quick to anger. The man forgives quickly, but never forgets, and is more willing to do so for a good drink. He will as quickly berate you as he’ll raise a toast in your name, strangely bearing little grudge even for his own murderers. This is partially because he has a very high opinion of himself. To him, he's a visionary that knows what needs to be done even when other people don't. In his mind, if you don't get it, you just can't see the whole picture. He can't completely begrudge someone for not seeing as much as him. He's just special like that.

On the other side, there’s a much more subdued aspect to the man. One that was found in sparse poetic writings and his penchant for drawing. Along with Okita, he was often seen playing with young children, sharing his drawing and showing far more restraint than anyone would’ve thought him possible. This kind of treatment fades as they grow, but it was not an uncommon sight for him to be spending time with them daily. Perhaps because, as much as others pretend to know it all, children are excusable in that regard. It's not their job to see the whole picture yet. It's the adult's job to guide them, which may have contributed to him acting like he's more mature than most people younger than him.

Underneath both these faces though lies something darker. A surprisingly cunning and tactical mind hides behind the obnoxious laughter and biting comments. A man of vision, he was actually a manipulator key in establishing the Shinsengumi among the authorities and predicting others' actions to a startlingly accurate degree. Were it not for his constant boozing or undeniable ego, he likely would’ve been one of the greatest minds of the Shinsengumi.

At his core though, Serizawa is a patriot. His love for Japan and its people outweighs everything else in the world. So great is his devotion to his country that he is willing to tear down the very government he serves in order to improve things. It was a goal he was working towards, making moves in the background to bring it about, trusting the Shinsengumi to support him. However, that clearly fell through, so more radical and extreme actions are now his go to method.

Were he to somehow gain a wish, it would not simply be to remake Japan in his image. Instead, he would cause the revolt he so desperately desired and have the people create a better country of their own. One where he does not need to rule, but he wishes to help reach new heights.

Viral Phantasm

How many times will they come to this point? The answer to that is obvious: however many times they decide to get in his way. Yet, as he looked at those four for the 3rd time, Serizawa felt just the tiniest bit tired.

“Another time around then? Fine.”

“No.”

The voice was not his, but it came from within him.

“We will not be denied again! They will not stop us again!”

Serizawa listened and felt his smile growing wider as he recognized it.

“This will be the day! Not a moment later! Not a second longer!”

Before their eyes, a sword manifested. Strange yet familiar, it appeared between Serizawa and the Shinsengumi. Before his enemies could react, Serizawa grasped ahold of the blade.

“About time, you damn ghost!”

"This world will be consumed in darkness!"
"Then get to it already! Let's make sure nothing remains this time!"

Wicked Beast Blade

Kukochihiko (A+)

Anti-Army
It was not Kamo Serizawa that caught the attention of the otherworldly being, but what he was connected to. The ancient sorcerer Kukochihiko that ascended into a spirit of darkness and resentment that ruled over Kununokuni. It’s existence naturally resonated with the being, and they desired to see what they could accomplish if they were once more released together. So, Serizawa and Kukochihiko have joined together once more, and they will not be denied again.

Kukochihiko is a curse manifested as Serizawa’s Viral Phantasm, embodying their desire to destroy the present world and replace it with the one they desire. The blade he wields is a legendary sword that was created to absorb malevolence, cleansing or removing spirits that have become suffused with it. However, the blade itself does not purify this malevolence, only holding it within itself the same way Kukochihiko does. This creates a seething demonic blade whose influence bleeds out into the world around it, effecting even Serizawa. It feeds off of rage and resentment, releasing them as curses so strong they take physical form in a similar manner to the Black Mud. Concentrated anger and pain in a torrent of power.

Under its influence, the world they leave in their wake is one from which nothing can grow. Yet, Serizawa will not stop him, for he believes fully that, no matter the state it is in after, he will still be able to build it anew. It is this folly that drives them both, and this dream that will drown everything in darkness.

Relationships

Souji Okita: C’mon, Souji! Just like old times! We don’t have to keep fighting! I’ll even draw you a picture!

Toshizō Hijikata: Damn bastard. Why don’t you go murder some else trying to get some shuteye, huh? All you’re really good for.

Keisuke Yamanami: Listen, buddy, I get it. You don’t need to apologize. I get you’re confused, so I’ll just have to convince you harder!

Hajime Saitou: Ha! Alright then, Hajime! I’ll give you one chance, one on one! Lets see if you can even scratch me on your own!

Izou Okada: C’mon, Manslayer! Not like you have any love for how things are! You know which side you should be on!

Nobunaga Oda: How in the hell are you the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven? You barely come up to my elbow! Maybe I should shove Iyo back in you! Least you’d be taller!

Nobukatsu Oda: Honestly, kid, just head back home already. …Nah! Don’t believe it!

Himiko: Sorry, but the light is just a bit too much for either of us. Isn’t that right?
…
Oi! Don’t start wavering now!

Rintaro Okita: Ah! The other Commander! Listen, kid. One Commander to another, you did a damn bad job. 'Bout time you let someone else take charge, eh?

•••: I’m definitely grateful, don’t get me wrong. I’m just ready to get going, so do me a favor and stay out of my way, okay? Great, thanks!

Craft Essence

What It Means to Love

If you love something, keep it as close as possible.
If you love something, set it free.
If you love something, protect it with all you have.

Everyone has their own advice on what it means to love something. It's not their fault that they're wrong. They just don't have the vision to see it, you know?

No, the thing is that they're all right, but they don't get how they can be. It's a contradiction to them, you see? How can you keep close if you set it free? How do you free it and protect it? How can you protect something you're always holding?

But I can see the truth. Unlike a lot of people, I was born with the vision.

You just gotta break it apart until all the parts come back together into something stronger. Like the Rōshigumi. Whatever comes back is stronger. It can protect itself, is free to do what it wants, and can hold tight to what it holds dear. That's the Shinsengumi, until those visionless bumpkins let Isami drive into the ground.

See? Couldn't be simpler.

To truly love something, you have to be willing to destroy it.

---

Creator Notes

So, this guy came up in discussion yesterday, and I got interested in him. The moment I looked him up and read about him, it was all over. I knew I wanted to make him. Finding out he appeared in an event when I searched him on the wiki was just the icing on the cake. Therefore, I did the only sane thing and watched through the whole thing. I couldn't help myself.

Red Sun was way too perfect a song for him, and this Japanese arrangement was kismet. I knew the guy had done one for the other songs of MGRR, so it stood to reason Red Sun was also there. It just adds so many layers when you know the lyrics and the character they were made for. The final dollop of character that makes him complete.

Wonder if anyone else went through the events. Shout out if you did. Love to see some opinions from others who have.