"Every man gives his life for what he believes. Every woman gives her life for what she believes. Sometimes people believe in little or nothing, nevertheless they give up their lives to that little or nothing. One life is all we have, and we live it as we believe in living it, and then it's gone. But to surrender what you are, and live without belief - that's more terrible than dying - more terrible than dying young."
-Maxwell Anderson - "Joan of Lorraine"
Set in the autumn of 2008, after the events of Fate/Stay Night's "Fate" route, the story involves the disappearance of a highly respected individual, a 9-vs-9 servant conflict, and an examination of the true nature of the "Holy Grail".
// I am not used to posting on this forum, so there may be some trouble at first with hyperlinking chapters, formatting, and the like. Please bear with me, and thank you for your patience.
// I am new to this sort of thing, so please give me some feedback if you have time after reading my stuff. Anything is fine, but I’d prefer more comprehensive/articulate/detailed remarks with examples and the like. Thanks! Your comments/messages are appreciated!
WARNING: This story involves an examination into the nature of despair and includes inner monologues of disturbed individuals. Topics such as self-harm and suicide will be addressed. Reader discretion is advised.
Deep within the depths of the Clock Tower, the twelve lords gathered. They met in a dark, stone room, around a large U-shaped table. In the interior portion around which the table sat was a large stone slab, with a magic circle drawn in gold on top of it.
Two women emerged from the darkness. One had short, magenta hair and was dressed in a suit. The other had flowing, dark hair, and wore a black dress.
"Thank you all for coming," said the dark-haired woman. "I apologize for calling you all here in the dead of night, but the situation is... pressing."
"So pressing as to call all of us here, and in the dead of night, no less? This had better be good, woman. Not even you could survive the political fallout for disturbing all twelve of us over a trivial manner," a large, blonde man grumbled.
The woman smirked at him. "Don't worry, my dear lord Trambelio. I'm certain you will be interested in what I have to say."
She motioned to her magenta-haired companion, who stepped into the circle. It began to glow vibrantly.
"Go on," chided the dark-haired woman. "Show them."
The magenta-haired woman removed something wrapped in cloth from her coat pocket, placing it on the table in front of her. Removing the cloth, the object appeared to be three large chunks of pitch-black crystal, with not even the slightest glimmer of light reflecting off of them. On one piece, there was something attached that appeared to be a sort of handle, with something engraved along it.
A sense of dread fell on the room. The lords seemed shocked. Even Brishisan, their leader, seemed petrified by what was laid before him.
"This is... the sword of Zelretch," he whispered.
"Impossible... impossible..." murmured an old, white-haired man.
"Is this some kind of joke?" said a brown-haired woman, glaring angrily at the two women.
"I'm afraid not", said the dark-haired women. "Tell them."
"I found it in Fuyuki, near the Einzbern estate," said the magenta-haired woman. "It was--"
"Did you do this?" shouted an old woman, "I am aware of the abilities of the Fraga. You possess a weapon powerful enough to kill even a god, do you not?"
"Now, now," said a young, brown-haired man. "Not even Fragarach could have taken out the old man. I highly doubt that this woman did such a thing."
"However," he said, "I wouldn't be surprised if you had some help, especially given your family's connections to the gods..."
"I played no role in this incident. While I was in Fuyuki, there was an abnormally strong earthquake, as well as a large explosion coming from the Einzbern estate. I went to investigate, and found that fragmented sword." said the magenta-haired woman.
"Well... that's that," said the dark-haired woman. "You all heard what she had to say, and I'm certain you all know the significance of that circle. It was drawn over two thousand years ago in Jerusalem, and was brought here by the director himself," she said, winking at Brishisan.
"Indeed," he said. "No one who stands within that circle can lie. Furthermore, the last time I heard from Zelretch, he was planning meet with the Einzberns. The timing of this incident is, to say the least, suspicious."
"What, and you think they could have killed him? Please," scoffed a slim, dark-haired man. "The Einzbern were good at alchemy and not much else."
"Regardless, I think it is in our best interest to send a team to Fuyuki." said Brishisan.
"Thank you, director." said the dark-haired woman, bowing deeply, "I shall prepare--"
"Hold it," said the brown-haired woman. "There's no way you're getting any more involved in this any more than you already are, especially considering your history with the old man", she said, glaring at her.
"Tsk. Fine, then who? Who else is qualified for something like this? Will one of you be volunteering to take a trip to go to some backwater town in the middle of nowhere to partake on this wild goose chase?" she jeered.
"Actually, I do have familiarity with the area," said the slim man, rising from his seat. "I wouldn't mind leading a team to uncover the situation."
Brishisan smiled. "I was hoping you would volunteer, El-Melloi. After all, you were directly involved with one of the rituals that went on there."
He then turned towards the black-haired woman. "However, given the sensitivity of this case, I'm afraid I must ask that only those with ties to Fuyuki be involved in this investigation. If what has happened becomes known to the rest of the Clock Tower, this could very well turn into a political conflict."
The brown-haired woman nodded. "Indeed, I think it is best to keep what we have learned between the people in this room. Even our investigative team should not know the full details of what has occurred."
The director rose from his seat. "I trust you all can keep your followers in check? I want you to put any political conflicts to rest for the time being. We may have a far more pressing issue than the petty conflicts you have with each other," he said. "Anyone who fails to do so... will face severe consequences."
Last edited by BladeOfEden; March 14th, 2023 at 10:57 PM.
It had been some time since Shirou had been to his home. After he had finished his time in high school, Rin had granted him the opportunity to go to London and study with her at the Clock Tower as her "apprentice". While it had been an interesting experience, he had always felt a desire to return home. So when Lord El-Melloi II had contacted him about a trip to prepare for the dismantlement of the Greater Grail, he jumped at the opportunity. Apparently, Rin, Luvia, and a representative from the Sealing Designation Enforcers would also be involved.
After arriving, he was feeling extremely jet-lagged, so the lord suggested that he go check on the condition of his old lodgings, and take a rest until sundown, where they would meet up again at the Fuyuki Church to meet with the Overseer. He accepted the offer.
For some reason, Rin and Luvia decided to go with him.
"Why don't you go check out your own home, Tohsaka?" he said tiredly.
"Yeah, you don't need to be here. Go check to see that your shack hasn't yet collapsed," Luvia jeered.
"There's no way I'm leaving my apprentice with you. Who knows what sort of weird nonsense you'd try to pull," Rin said coldly. "Why are you even here anyway? You've never participated in a holy grail war."
"Ho, ho, ho… clever girl," Luvia laughed "You're not wrong there. However, my family does have ties to this ritual. The Edelfelts were involved in the third war, after all. Still, I suppose it was too much for me to assume that a backcountry family like your own could keep up with the history of the only major ritual they play a part in."
"Now, now," pleaded Shirou, "you both welcome to come along with me."
"Ah! What a gentleman! That's my Sherou!" Luvia cried affectionately, clinging to him.
"Hey! Get off of him, you damn hyena!" Rin cried, pulling her off angrily. "This is exactly what I was talking about!"
The two young women went back and forth like this, until the trio eventually arrived at the Emiya residence.
As Shirou was walking up to the front door, he heard a loud noise from inside, as if something had crashed into a wall. The door slammed open, with a small, disheveled girl standing inside.
"Welcome back, Shirou," she panted.
"Oh, hello Illya," Shirou smiled. "How--"
"What are you doing here?" Rin demanded. "Don't tell me you've been mooching off of Shirou while he's been away."
Illya glared at her. "Give me a break. I've been taking care of this place for him ever since you spirited him away."
Shirou laughed nervously. "So, how's everyone been doing? Are Sella and Leysritt here as well?"
Instantly, Illya's face changed. Her smile changed to a more distant expression, as if she were reminiscing about something.
"Leysritt passed away last year. Sella passed a few months after," she said quietly. "As for Sakura and Ms. Fujimura, they stopped coming by shortly after you left."
"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that." Shirou said. "Sorry."
"It's fine," Illya said, turning away. "They weren't made to live so long, and they passed peacefully."
"Still, it must have been lonely," Shirou said empathetically.
"It was hard for a while, but now that you're back, things are better," Illya said, turning back to him.
She smiled softly, her body shivering as if she had been out in the cold. If he had known the state of things, would he have come back to her? If he knew how difficult it was for her just to get up and walk to the door, would he have come back to take care of her?
"You're here now." she whispered, "That's all that matters."
Last edited by BladeOfEden; March 14th, 2023 at 10:59 PM.
"Is this where you found the sword?" asked the lord, staring into the mouth of a large cave.
"Indeed, it was a little way inside," said the enforcer. "Let me show you."
They entered. It was cold and dark, but there appeared to be some sort of illumination coming from further within.
El-Melloi II understood how stupid it was to enter this place alone, with someone who was likely involved in this case. Magic circle be damned, this enforcer was extremely suspicious, and he did not trust her at all. Still, if something were to happen, he was certain that the students he had taken along with him would rescue him. So long as they didn't kill each other first, at least.
They reached a large, spacious cavern, with a large pillar in the center. The cavern was dimly lit, well enough so that they could see somewhat, but there did not appear to be any source of light.
"This is where I found it," said the enforcer.
"I see," said the lord. He was feeling extremely uneasy, as his mind was screaming at him to get out of the cavern immediately.
There was a strange chittering sound. A foul scent, like that of rotting flesh, suddenly filled the air.
"I knew the lords of the Clock Tower to be a lazy bunch, but I wasn't expecting this," a voice said. "I guess they finally decided to get rid of their weakest member. Still, it seems kind of cruel to sacrifice another El-Melloi in the place where the last one died."
El-Melloi II turned around. There stood a small, ugly old man.
"Zouken Matou. I'm not surprised that you are involved in this," he said "However, there's no way a cockroach like yourself could ever take on the Kaleidoscope."
"Indeed, what an incredible deduction," the old man mused. "You really are clever."
The lord pulled out a cigar from his coat.
"Heh, Heh, there's no need for that," said the old man. "I'm just here to talk. You see, we share a common enemy in all this."
"Do we now?" the lord asked sarcastically.
"Indeed," cried another voice. "An enemy that threatens all of our ways of life has appeared."
Out of the shadows stepped a young woman, with light gray hair and cold, golden eyes. She was dressed in what appeared to be church robes and was wearing a blue beret.
"They arrived in Fuyuki not long before you did. They are an abomination, a paradox that should not be possible under any circumstances, yet has manifested without challenge," she proclaimed. "Until now."
A number of humanoid figures appeared around the cavern. The lord could not make out their appearance, but he immediately knew exactly what they were.
"So that's how it is. I had a feeling this would be the case," he murmured. "I am aware of just how powerful a servant can be. However, if you think a few familiars is enough to go against the Clock Tower, you are gravely mistaken."
"Now, now, don't be like that," said a soft, feminine voice. "Why don't you calm down and have a drink with me?"
The Lord spun around, coming face to face with an extremely attractive, scantily clad woman, with bubblegum pink hair and beautiful, honey brown eyes.
She offered him a cup of golden liquid, and said "Go on, have a drink."
The Lord stood there, staring at the cup, transfixed. As if in a trance, he took the cup, raised it to his lips, and drank.
"Feeling better?" she asked kindly.
"Yes, my Queen," he said. "Thank you for opening my eyes."
Last edited by BladeOfEden; March 12th, 2023 at 06:18 PM.
That evening, Shirou, Rin, and Luvia headed to Fuyuki Church. The autumn air was cold and still, and the streets were empty. Upon arriving, they noticed a young woman near the entrance, with long, white hair with violet tips. Her eyes were heterochromatic, with the right eye being a familiar violet color, and the left a bloody shade of red.
"Is that..." Shirou whispered.
"Welcome back to Fuyuki, Emiya Shirou," the woman said distantly.
"Who are you? Where's Lord El-Melloi II?" demanded Luvia.
"Oh, the lord? Grandfather has business with him, so I'm sure he's fine," the woman said coldly. "However--"
Rin stepped forward. "Enough with the pleasantries, Sakura," she demanded. "Take us to El-Melloi. Now."
Sakura glared at her. "...No. I don't think I will."
"...Sakura?" Shirou asked, eyes opening in realization.
"Fail to recognize me, my beloved senpai?" Sakura asked sweetly. "I'm disappointed, but not surprised. After all, you ran off to that magic school with my whore of a sister, didn't you?"
"I--"
"You left me here to rot, just like my father," Sakura laughed.
"But now, the game's up. I'm going to slaughter the lot of you. Not even my sister is a match for me, even with all her fancy clock tower training." she said.
"You know I had always hoped you would come to your senses, and come back to me..." Sakura whispered "...but you came back with her. You've left me no choice."
Two black, almost shadow-like ribbons emerged from the ground, arching upward like a pair of cobras ready to strike.
"Get back, Shirou," Rin said, holding her arm out in front of him. "Luvia, back me up."
"Yeah, yeah," Luvia mumbled. "So bossy..."
Reaching into her coat pocket, she pulled out a small gem. Chanting, she tossed the gem at Sakura, which exploded in a blast of light. She then lunged towards Sakura. "Luvia!"
"Yes, yes," she replied nonchalantly, firing Gandr bullets toward Sakura.
One of the black ribbons rose up, and knocked the shots away. The other shot towards Rin, catching her by surprise.
Chanting once more, she tossed another gem towards the ribbon. It rapidly expanded into a sort of shield.
Sakura watched her sister, smiling maliciously. "And... Gotcha." she whispered.
The ribbon shot straight through the gem, turning it an eerie black color, and wrapped itself around Rin's leg, tossing her violently towards Luvia.
"Tohsaka!" Shirou shouted, running to check on her.
"I'm fine," Rin said angrily, "She just caught me off guard."
"...Is that it?", Sakura said, sounding bored. "I thought the mages of the clock tower were supposed to be formidable."
"Don't flatter yourself. I'm just not in a position where I can use so many of my gems against a mere amateur like you," she chided.
"Peasant," Luvia snickered.
"I'm sorry, sister," said Sakura, "but I don't have any more time to play with you, so I'm going to kill you all now."
Shirou noticed the shadows arounds them suddenly began to shift. They grew long, and had become vividly dark, unnatural for the time of day. Slowly, but steadily, the shadows began creeping closer and closer to the three mages.
Suddenly, a beam of black flames shot down from the sky, blasting Sakura into the ground. Almost instantly, the shadows reverted to normal, and Sakura lay collapsed in a small crater.
"Sakura!" Shirou cried.
"Get it together kid," said a voice.
From the shadows emerged a man in a dark cloak with white hair and yellow eyes.
"That woman is not herself. What's more, she doesn't have much time left. Only my master can save her now," he chided.
"If you wish for her to live, you will need to come with me."
Last edited by BladeOfEden; March 12th, 2023 at 06:20 PM.
The cloaked man led the group into the woods south of the church. It was getting dark, and the man was leading them straight through the underbrush, so the group stumbled many times. After nearly an hour they eventually arrived at a makeshift camp in a small clearing.
"What do you think you're doing?" a woman's voice asked sternly. "I thought I told you that we would not be getting involved with the mages of this land."
"Well, that was a stupid idea, so I brought them anyway," the cloaked man grumbled. "Besides, one of them is pretty messed up. We'll need to do something if she is to survive."
A lightly armored woman in white, with long, blonde hair, came into view as the group entered the clearing. She was standing next to a small, orange tent.
"Saber...?" Shirou asked, eyes opening wide.
"Close, but not quite," the cloaked man said. "That, kid, is a Ruler, also known as the 'Heroic Spirit of Being a Hardass.'"
She glared at him. "I wouldn't have to behave in such a manner if you weren't always filling our master's head with such absurd ideas."
"What's going on?" a voice asked.
A young man, holding a half-eaten can of peaches, stepped out of the tent. He had brown hair, pale skin, and had a strange air about him. He seemed to be a couple years younger than Shirou but stood a couple inches taller than him. He also had a mysterious pair of greyish-blue eyes that had a ring of gold around his pupils, resembling a pair of eclipsed suns. He had a soft, kind look on his face, but seemed to radiate a sense of sadness.
"Oh, visitors? I thought you said you guys wanted to handle this yourselves," he said kindly. "Wait-- is she okay?"
"Ruler says to let her die," said the cloaked man, shrugging.
"Hey!" said the ruler, protesting. "I didn't say that! Stop trying to manipulate the situation!"
The young man approach Shirou, who was carrying Sakura. "What's wrong with her?" he asked calmly.
"Parasitic familiars." said the ruler. "They're eating that woman alive, pumping her body with more magical energy than it can handle, and likely manipulated her thoughts and emotions as well."
"Impressive as always," said the young man. "Can you get them out?"
"Yes, but she likely wouldn't survive," the ruler said gravely. "The familiars would likely tear her to pieces on their way out, and we don't have the equipment prepared for a transfusion, so--"
"Then we'll do it the old-fashioned way," the young man said, winking. He then retreated into the tent, and appeared a moment later with a blanket, which he spread out over the grass.
"Put her down here," he said, motioning to Shirou.
Shirou, did as instructed, placing Sakura down on the blanket. The ruler then knelt down next to her, placed a hand on her chest, and began chanting quietly.
"In the Name of Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, strengthened by the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Blessed Michael the Archangel, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints, and powerful in the holy authority of our ministry, we confidently undertake to repulse the attacks and deceits of the devil. God arises; His enemies are scattered and those who hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so are they driven; as wax melts before the fire, so the wicked perish at the presence of God."
Almost immediately, Sakura began writhing in agony, her eyes opened wide, glaring hatefully at the ruler. The ruler continued, speaking louder.
"Behold the Cross of the Lord, flee bands of enemies. The Lion of the tribe of Juda, the offspring of David, hath conquered. May Thy mercy, Lord, descend upon us. As great as our hope in Thee. We drive you from us, whoever you may be, unclean spirits, all satanic powers, all infernal invaders, all wicked legions, assemblies and sects. In the Name and by the power of Our Lord Jesus Christ, may you be snatched away and driven from the Church of God and from the souls made to the image and likeness of God and redeemed by the Precious Blood of the Divine Lamb. Most cunning serpent, you shall no more dare to deceive the human race, persecute the Church, torment God's elect and sift them as wheat. The Most High God commands you, He with whom, in your great insolence, you still claim to be equal. God who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."
Sakura's body began to shake violently, her skin moving about as if there was something underneath it. Her eyes, mouth, ears and nose began to bleed. Still, the ruler continued.
"God the Father commands you. God the Son commands you. God the Holy Ghost commands you. Christ, God's Word made flesh, commands you; He who to save our race outdone through your envy, humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death; He who has built His Church on the firm rock and declared that the gates of hell shall not prevail against Her, because He will dwell with Her all days even to the end of the world. The sacred Sign of the Cross commands you, as does also the power of the mysteries of the Christian Faith. The glorious Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, commands you; she who by her humility and from the first moment of her Immaculate Conception crushed your proud head. The faith of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and of the other Apostles commands you. The blood of the Martyrs and the pious intercession of all the Saints command you. Thus, cursed dragon, and you, diabolical legions, we adjure you by the living God, by the true God, by the holy God, by the God who so loved the world that He gave up His only Son, that every soul believing in Him might not perish but have life everlasting; stop deceiving human creatures and pouring out to them the poison of eternal damnation; stop harming the Church and hindering her liberty."
Sakura was screaming now, clearly in agony. Small worms began burrowing out of her skin, her arms covered in small, bloody holes. The smell of rotting flesh was horrible. Looking on, Shirou, felt like he would be sick. Luvia was already sick. Rin was crying, muttering to herself. "How could I let this happen to you?"
Still, the ruler continued on.
"Begone, Satan, inventor and master of all deceit, enemy of man's salvation. Give place to Christ in Whom you have found none of your works; give place to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church acquired by Christ at the price of His Blood. Stoop beneath the all-powerful Hand of God; tremble and flee when we invoke the Holy and terrible Name of Jesus, this Name which causes hell to tremble, this Name to which the Virtues, Powers and Dominations of heaven are humbly submissive, this Name which the Cherubim and Seraphim praise unceasingly repeating: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord, the God of Hosts."
Without warning, an abnormally large worm exploded out of Sakura's chest, and skittered off into the woods. By now, the blanket was soaked in blood. Sakura had stopped screaming, now gasping for air.
The ruler continued.
"O Lord, hear my prayer. And let my cry come unto Thee. May the Lord be with thee. And with thy spirit. Let us pray. God of heaven, God of earth, God of Angels, God of Archangels, God of Patriarchs, God of Prophets, God of Apostles, God of Martyrs, God of Confessors, God of Virgins, God who has power to give life after death and rest after work: because there is no other God than Thee and there can be no other, for Thou art the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, of Whose reign there shall be no end, we humbly prostrate ourselves before Thy glorious Majesty and we beseech Thee to deliver us by Thy power from all the tyranny of the infernal spirits, from their snares, their lies and their furious wickedness. Deign, O Lord, to grant us Thy powerful protection and to keep us safe and sound. We beseech Thee through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen."
The young man then stepped forward, pulling a pocketknife from his pocket. He held out his arm, and cut deeply down the length of it, causing him to bleed profusely. He then knelt down next to Sakura, who was still shaking violently, despite the worms seeming to have all left her severely injured body.
"Here," he said, offering his bloody arm.
Instinctively, Sakura began sucking and biting at the wound on his arm. The young man was clearly in pain, but he still had a sad smile on his face.
Last edited by BladeOfEden; March 14th, 2023 at 11:06 PM.
Sakura awoke at dawn. She was heavily bandaged, lying on a futon in a familiar looking room - she was in the Emiya residence. She felt strange, as if she had just watched a film with a sad, yet inspirational ending.
Getting up, she examined her bandages. As she felt no pain, she decided to unwrap them and examine her wounds. Strangely, she found that there were no wounds on her body.
Hearing voices, she got up, and started heading towards the commotion.
"I really appreciate you letting me stay here," said an unfamiliar voice.
"It's not an issue, really. Think of it as thanks for helping Sakura," said another. She identified this as Shirou's voice.
Entering the living area, she saw Shirou, Rin, a woman in blue, Illya, a woman in white, and a young man with strange eyes.
"Good morning, everyone," she said politely.
"Oh, you're up, Saku--" Shirou stopped, staring at her, his eyes wide. Rin had also caught sight of her, her eyes tearing up and her mouth agape.
"Is there something wrong?" Sakura asked, worried.
Rin got up and grabbed her by the hand, pulling her into the bathroom. Looking into the mirror, tears coming to her eyes, she understood why they had reacted this way.
Her hair had turned to a shade of dark brown, and her eyes had become a bluish-teal color.
Sakura stared at the reflection of herself and her sister and smiled.
Last edited by BladeOfEden; March 12th, 2023 at 06:22 PM.
The mangled, shriveled body of an old man dragged itself through a large cavern. It was missing an arm, and half of its face had the flesh torn off.
"Well now, what happened to you, Matou?" said a young woman dressed in church robes.
"Don't act like you don’t know," Zouken growled. "That bastard and his servants have gone on the offensive."
The young woman laughed. "Well, we were warned not to engage with them yet, were we not? That... thing is well beyond our capabilities."
"It wasn't my fault; they interfered when I was dealing with the remnants from the Association," said the old man. "I was merely doing as instructed, and this happened."
"Indeed," said a voice. "Do not tease him so, Caren. He has done well."
A strange emotion filled the old man, one he could not place. It was a feeling similar to that of a piercing cold, like plunging one’s bare hands into a pile of snow. The feeling stunned him, and he felt a sense of fear and awe.
"You have done well, my faithful servant. I understand that you have lost an important pawn, and that without it your dreams, ambitions, and wishes seem crushed. Even now, in your current state, you have lost much of your power and seem to be mere days away from death. However, there is no need to be despondent. For as long as you serve me, you do not need to worry about such insignificant things."
The old man felt a blast of excruciating pain, as his skin began to bubble like water in a pot. He felt his bones collapse, and his insides compressed together into a sludge of flesh, bone, and bile. From this sludge emerged a fleshy cocoon. Moments later, the cocoon fragmented, revealing a figure inside.
It was a man with abnormally pale skin, blue hair, and red eyes.
The man cackled wickedly, for his wish had finally been granted.
Last edited by BladeOfEden; March 12th, 2023 at 06:23 PM.
That morning, Shirou prepared breakfast for his guests. Everyone gathered around the small table in the living room, eating together. After they had finished, however, there was much to discuss.
"I'm extremely grateful for what you have done for my sister," Rin said nonchalantly. "However, I don't understand what you're doing in Fuyuki, let alone why you have two servants with you..."
The young man laughed shyly, "I don't really understand it either. Those two just appeared before me one day, but apparently there is something going on here in this town that they need me for. You'll have to ask Jeanne about the details."
The ruler was leaning against the wall in the corner, staring at the group.
"You really shouldn't be calling me that..." she mumbled.
Ignoring her, the young man waved her over, smiling kindly.
"Have you even given your own name yet?" she asked sternly.
The young man laughed again, "You're right, I can't believe I glossed over that." he said. "Hmmm... Well, I guess you can call me 'Alex'."
"A fake name. Great," mumbled Rin.
The young man smiled kindly. "What gave you that impression?"
The ruler glared at him.
"Knock it off, Alex," she said sternly. "I'm sorry he's like this, everyone. That is his real name."
"You're no fun..." Alex mumbled.
"Anyway," said the ruler. "I'm afraid the reason we have come here is quite... pressing."
"My... companion and I were summoned by the Counter Force. Immediately after my summoning, I received a revelation warning me that a great evil had been revived here in Fuyuki, and that I had to retrieve a certain individual that would be capable of purging this threat," she said, motioning to Alex. "I was warned that this force was capable of manipulating the so-called 'Holy Grail' that slumbers in this land. Furthermore, they have summoned a number of servants to their side. In order to combat this, I have been instructed to summon seven additional servants to fight off this onslaught and bring Alex to the source of this darkness, which currently appears to be nesting within the Greater Grail of Fuyuki."
"And that's why we need you lot," said a voice. It was the cloaked man, who had materialized in front of them. "You see, normally we'd have to allocate all of the summoned servants onto our master, but doing so would likely prove to be too much of a strain for a regular human. Therefore--"
"Hold it!" Rin shouted. "You're not a mage?"
"No..." Alex said shyly, "Um, to be honest, I just got involved in this sort of stuff a couple of weeks ago, when Jeanne reached out to me."
"What, and you just went along with it? Are you crazy?" Rin demanded.
"Well, yeah. I mean, she is THE Joan of Arc. If a badass saint like her ever told you to go on an adventure with her, you'd go along too, right?" he said quietly. "I mean, to a Catholic like myself, she's basically exactly who I'd want to be like..."
"Great, he's a church nut too..." Luvia mumbled.
"As I was saying," the cloaked man said, holding back his amusement, "We need someone to take the strain off of him. Otherwise, he'd basically be in a vegetative state and would be completely vulnerable during the servant conflict"
"He'd be perfectly fine, I'd protect him." the ruler said defiantly.
"Therefore, I believe it would be best to have other mages manage some of the servant contracts to help lighten the load a bit," he said, ignoring her. "It would only work with people who had previously been selected by the grail, though, and you wouldn't have complete control over your servant in the manner you'd be used to, as they would be drawing on my master for mana instead of yourself. Luckily for you, he has a rather surprising amount, and the servants would likely perform at their top potential without causing any strain for you, their interim master."
"I don't like this," said Illya calmly. "You do understand how sketchy it is to offer up contracts for such powerful familiars, right? Besides, what would any of us get out of it?"
"I agree with the child," said Luvia. "This is not anything that has to do with any of us. Why should we fight?"
"You're not even involved." Rin said coldly.
Shirou sat quietly, contemplating the offer. Yes, it was extremely suspicious. Yes, there was no incentive or reason for them to accept. However, if there was such an evil lurking in the world, he felt he should do what he could to stop it. Besides, they had helped Sakura. What reason did he have to doubt their intentions?
"...Very well," he said. "I will help you."
The room went silent. Luvia, Rin, and Illya stared at him, stunned.
"I will too," said Sakura.
Shirou turned to her, shocked. "You were a master, Sakura?"
She nodded. "My brother insisted that he should be the master of the Matou family though, so I allowed him to control my servant."
Illya shifted uncomfortably.
Rin sighed. "Fine, I'll do it too. This is my territory, after all.”
Illya groaned. "You guys are such softies. Still, if Shirou's involved, I don't mind being involved too."
The cloaked man laughed. "Excellent! You hear that, ruler? We're joining sides with the mages."
The ruler glared at him, eyes like daggers.
"Fine."
Last edited by BladeOfEden; March 14th, 2023 at 11:18 PM.
The old man approached the castle. Patches of snow littered the landscape, melting away.
This was concerning because it was a sign that the barrier that had once surrounded this mystic building was fading away. The family that resided within its walls possessed powerful secrets and techniques that, if fallen into the wrong hands, could wreak havoc on the world. If they were no longer able to protect them, it was the Association's responsibility to retrieve and guard them.
Entering the castle, the old man noticed that the place was extremely dusty, as if no one had walked through the halls, let alone cleaned them, in years. It was also disturbingly quiet, so much so that the only sound was that of his own footsteps echoing as he walked through the halls.
Eventually, he reached a small chapel. Inside was a figure resembling a man, standing eerily still like a marble statue. It was the artificial intelligence created by the castle's original owners to oversee the facility, the golem Jubstacheit von Einzbern.
"Have you accepted your master's conclusions?" asked the old man.
The golem turned to him. "There is little point in carrying on at this point," he said.
The old man replied, "You are aware that the Association will ransack this place, claiming your family's secrets as their own?"
"It matters not. Victory has been achieved," he said stoically.
"Victory?" the old man turned to him, confused. "You never succeeded in reclaiming the Third Magic."
"We have accomplished something greater. The gateway to the Root has been torn open." he said proudly. "Compared to this, the Third Magic matters little."
Zelretch paused. He sensed something was off about the golem. The way he spoke, the way he completely disregarded the significance of the magic he was created to reclaim, disturbed him greatly.
"Are you aware of what happened to my masters?" he asked. "For nine hundred years, they attempted to produce a homunculus capable of reproducing the Third Magic. Ultimately, they succeeded, but not in the way they had imagined. After such a long period, the family became desperate. At that point, they began using the Rheingold in the production of their homunculi in hopes of enhancing their magical ability. However, driven by their desperation, they became careless. In the end, an accident occurred at the facility, resulting in the creation of Justeaze. At first, they were excited, pleased that their years of work had finally borne fruit. However, when they learned how she came about, they immediately fell into despair." he said, grinning.
"Don't toy with me, golem." said the old man. "What happened?"
The golem laughed wickedly. "Andvaranaut, the legendary cursed ring and the most prized artifact of the Rheingold treasure horde, was unintentionally used in her creation. The loss of this prize drove the head of the family into madness. Not only had he lost his greatest treasure, but his greatest achievement also ended up being a fluke he had created by accident utilizing mysteries beyond his own knowledge and skill that he would never be able to reproduce. This despair ultimately drove him to murder the rest of the family before killing himself."
The old man drew his jeweled sword. "What are you getting at?"
"Before my master's fall into madness, he told me to redeem the family by creating a homunculi using Einzbern techniques that was capable of utilizing the Third Magic like Justeaze could. However, that was not his only instruction. He also ordered me to surpass her, using any means necessary, by reaching the Root. I believed this to be the ramblings of a man who was losing himself to his despair, until I came across something that would change everything," he said giddily. "For the Third Grail War in Fuyuki, we were able to produce a unique type of servant: the Avenger. It was based on a concept that had been built into the grail as a sort of arbitrator, but due to the issue of such a figure not allowing a clear manipulation of the rules, I had decided to manipulate the concept into something else: the Avenger class servant Angra Mainyu. It was meant to be an ultimate calamity that would crush the other masters, but instead what resulted was a pitifully weak servant. Needless to say, they didn't last long." said the golem.
"However, upon it's death, the concept that was Angra Mainyu evolved. It infected the Greater Grail, turning it into something else. A true calamity had arrived, desiring to appear in the world. And yet, even after two additional Grail Wars, Angra Mainyu failed to materialize. However, the being continued to grow, until something unexpected happened," the golem said, turning away from the old man. "Say, do you know the significance of the name 'Angra Mainyu'?"
"All the World's Evil", the old man murmured.
"Indeed," said the golem. "And I'm sure a Magician such as yourself is aware of another individual who would claim such a title."
The old man stared at the golem. The realization had suddenly hit him. "I have to get to Fuyuki," he whispered.
The golem ignored him and began to tell a strange story.
"Once, there were seven champions. Patience. Temperance. Charity. Kindness. Diligence. Chastity. Humility. They were blinded by the light bearer’s light, and set off into the abyss, a place they had been forbidden to go by their master. They sought independence and power, and set out to uncover something that would allow them to declare themselves equal to their master. They believed that their master was hiding something in the abyss. What they found shocked them. There was indeed great power here. The essence they found was the complete opposite of that of their master. Using this essence, they forged a weapon of absolute destruction, and claimed their newfound power as their own. However, upon their return, they had found the abyss had changed them. Lion. Pig. Toad. Snake. Snail. Goat. Peafowl. They had discarded their master's love."
Zelretch recognized the story. It was one his teacher had warned him about shortly before his death. A warning he, and the rest of the teacher's students, had chosen to ignore.
The golem continued, rambling on. "The egg will hatch soon. It was only a matter of time before it would come to claim it's crown. Now that All The World's Evil has become self-aware, it will be able to come into existence, possessing and overwriting the nameless figure, and returning to this world. The path to the Root will finally be open, and the Einzbern will be the one's responsible. Forever will we be remembered for ushering in a new Age of Gods--"
The old man raised his jeweled sword. There was a flash of light, and the golem was gone.
Last edited by BladeOfEden; April 30th, 2023 at 05:20 PM.
That evening, Shirou and company began preparing for a summoning ritual. He, Rin, Sakura, and Illya had been provided three command seals each, courtesy of the ruler.
"Don't abuse these," she warned. "The summoned servants will understand who their true master is, so provoking them would be ill advised. Furthermore, these aren't quite as potent as the variety the grail provides. You'll be able to give your servant large bursts of energy or call them to your side in an emergency, but commanding them to do something they normally wouldn't, such as committing suicide, is out of the question. If they decide to kill you, there won't be much you can do about it."
Meanwhile, the cloaked man had drawn seven magic circles in the courtyard of the residence, scorching the ground with cursed flames. Shirou was a bit concerned about the grass, but he supposed this would be a small sacrifice he would have to accept in order to protect his city.
Then, there was the question of catalysts. When he had mentioned the issue to Rin, she had said that she had already asked about it.
"Apparently, the ruler has something that she claims will attract heroic spirits," she said, shrugging. "I'm curious to see how well it works."
A couple hours later, after the sun had gone down, and the sky had become illuminated with the light of the moon and stars, the four new masters were called to the courtyard. The ruler was holding what appeared to be a large, white battle standard. She instructed the four of them to stand next to a circle. Then, she began chanting.
"Beyond the elements of silver and iron. Beyond the cornerstone and the Archduke of Contracts. Beyond the nameless ancestors, dead and buried. The four gates have been torn open. The crown has been overthrown; the kingdom pillaged. Hear me!"
The circles began to grow a bloody red color. They radiated an overwhelming aura, like that of an army, riled up with patriotism and righteousness, setting off for battle. Even Shirou felt stirred by the ruler's words, his body quivering with excitement and anticipation. The ruler continued her chant.
"From your will shall I create your body. With your sword shall we carve forth destiny. If you stand against the liar's promise, and share my will and reason, then answer me. Swear with me, that we shall be all that is good; that we shall defeat all that is evil. O Seven heavens, clad in three great words of power, break free from the circle of binding, Guardians of the Scales!"
There was a blast of energy from the circles, knocking Shirou and the other soon-to-be-masters back. Seven pillars of red and white light surged forth into the sky. As the energy dissipated, Shirou could make out seven humanoid figures. A blonde woman, wearing a gold crown and a blue mantle, leaning against a sheathed sword. A golden haired man with crimson eyes, shirtless with red tattoos, wearing golden armor on his waist and legs, as well as a red waist cape. A young, dark haired boy dressed in green wearing a red mantle. A tall, well-built blonde man carrying a large, axe-like weapon and wearing a gaudy, white-furred coat and sunglasses. A pink-haired woman with a horrible scar on her face wearing a tri-cornered hat and black coat with large golden shoulder pads. A purple-haired, red-eyed woman in tight black clothing carrying a red spear. A young, white-haired girl dressed in skimpy black clothing that did not seem appropriate for her age. The one closest to him spoke in a familiar tone.
"I ask of you, are you my Master?"
Last edited by BladeOfEden; March 14th, 2023 at 11:27 PM.
Shirou was stunned. The woman he loved, who had ignited a spark in his heart, and left just as suddenly, now stood before him. He had feared that he would never see her again, and yet, here she was. He felt so happy that he started to cry.
"Saber..." he mumbled, at a loss for words.
"Hm? Shirou?" said the saber, recognizing him. Seeing his tears, she blushed profusely, clearly embarrassed.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the adorable King of Knights," said a familiar voice.
Startled, the woman spun around, now face to face with the golden haired man. "Archer... What are you doing here?"
"I was summoned here, same as you," said the Archer. "Though to be honest, I am less than pleased with the situation. First that fool Tokiomi summoned me, claiming servitude so that I would win the Grail for him, only to learn that the mongrel planned to have me commit suicide after I had achieved victory."
"Tokiomi?" Rin whispered. The Archer ignored her, continuing his account.
"Then, you had the contents of the Grail poured upon me, trapping me in this disgusting era. Not only that, but something else had taken root deep within my reincarnated body. My actions, my words, and even my thoughts were no longer my own," he said, clearly disgusted. "You have some nerve bringing me back to this land, Ruler."
The Ruler glared at him coldly. "Know your place, Gilgamesh. You might have been a mighty king once upon a time, but now you are only a shadow of your former glory."
"You have some nerve, woman," said the Archer. The air around him began to glow, as he began to open the gates to his treasury.
The woman with the red spear stepped forward.
"Child of Ninsun... Wedge of Heaven... King of Heroes... A worthy opponent," she said, chuckling. "Ruler, please allow me to handle this arrogant fool. It seems he has forgotten the humility he learned from his quest for immortality."
The Archer scoffed at her. "You think you can kill me? I am the oldest and greatest of kings, slayer of Humbaba, and master of the Sword of Rupture."
The woman's eyes narrowed. "I've killed worse."
"Enough!" shouted the Ruler, clearly annoyed. "Lancer, stop antagonizing him. You have nothing to prove and will have plenty of opportunities to fight later. As for you--"
Alex was standing in the doorway, looking out on the courtyard. He looked exhausted.
"What are you doing up?" the Ruler demanded. "This ritual used an absurd amount of magical energy. You are in no shape to--"
"Mommy!" screamed the young girl, running up to him and clinging to his waist. "Thank goodness! We were so worried that the scary Ruler had done something to you!"
"Get away from him!" the Ruler shouted. "Alex, that's a particularly nasty one!"
"Calm down, Jeanne," said Alex. "She's just a kid."
The young girl smiled up at him happily. The Ruler, meanwhile, looked as if she was about to lose it.
With this interaction, the tension and intensity in the courtyard disappeared. Gilgamesh burst out laughing, closing his gate. "Ruler, don't tell me you're jealous of a little girl?" he said snickering.
The ruler turned to him. "That 'little girl' has the tendency to cut open and climb inside the abdomen of anyone who treats her well--" she chided. This only made Gilgamesh laugh harder, completely drowning out her lecturing.
"You better give it up, Ruler," said the boy in green. "He's not the sort to listen to stuff like that. If anything, I'd be more concerned about our master. That girl seems to have warmed up to him pretty well. You should probably keep an eye on him in case, you know..."
"This is ridiculous," the Ruler grumbled. "Absolutely ridiculous."
Suddenly, there was a flash of light in the southeast, followed by a deafening explosion. The cloaked man materialized next to the ruler.
"The enemy is making their move. I believe this is a declaration of war," he said calmly.
"No surprise they'd strike now," mumbled the Ruler. "Saber, Archer, go and investigate the disturbance. Take your masters with you."
"Master?" mumbled Gilgamesh, glaring at Rin. He was clearly annoyed he had not been given as much freedom as some of the other servants.
"Let's go, Archer," said the Saber. "We can sort out the specifics of our situation later."
Gilgamesh rolled his eyes. "I am not one to take orders. But just this once, I will work with you. This seems like it could be an interesting experience. Furthermore..."
Gilgamesh turned towards Alex. The young girl was still clinging to him, protesting as the Ruler tried to pull her off.
"...No, I won't say it."
Last edited by BladeOfEden; March 14th, 2023 at 11:31 PM.
That night, the citizens of Fuyuki City were awoken from their calm lives. People were sticking their heads out of their doors and windows, disturbed by the sound of an earthshaking explosion. They were slowly pouring out into the streets, fueled by the curiosity of such an out of place incident, and heading towards the riverfront, where a plume of smoke could be seen rising into the air. Not one of them would suspect this incident to be the opening act of a conflict that would bring tragedy to them all.
"Is it usually this busy?" ask Luvia.
"Why exactly are you coming with us again?" groaned Rin.
"Well, it's not like I can trust you to accompany my dear Sherou, now can I?" she said candidly. "I mean, it's not like I can trust a few familiars to make sure you don't try anything."
Shirou laughed awkwardly. "Now, now. I don't really understand what you two are talking about, but I appreciate the extra help. Who knows what we'll run into out here?"
Rin rolled her eyes. "Ignorant as ever..." she mumbled.
About a half mile away from the source of the smoke plume, the trio reached a large crowd of people, being kept back by a police blockade. Everyone was behaving in an orderly and polite manner, but it was still shocking for Shirou to see something like this here in Fuyuki. They made their way through the crowd, and, when their backs were turned, slipped past the police.
It was odd just how easy it was to do so, as if the police had simply decided to ignore them. Or, perhaps they had been let in, like bouncers at a club making way for important guests.
The area past this blockade was strangely empty. There were no signs of police or emergency services. Had they picked up on such things, the group would likely have proceeded more cautiously. However, the sight that they saw upon reaching the river drowned out all such rational thoughts, as they were transfixed by what they saw there.
The Fuyuki Bridge had collapsed. It looked as if it had been struck by a missile, with the burning rubble half-submerged in the river below. A number of cars could be seen in the river, with the remains of their passengers washed up on the shoreline.
Shirou felt sick. Only the scenes from the fire of Fuyuki that occurred fourteen years ago could match the horror he saw here. Normally, such violent scenes wouldn't have bothered him to such an extent. But seeing this here, in his homeland, brought back all the terrible memories he had tried to purge from his mind.
"Who... Why..." he mumbled, at a loss for words.
"Shirou! Someone is approaching!" said Saber, warning him telepathically while remaining in her spirit form.
A young, golden eyed woman with light gray hair, dressed in seductive, black clothing emerged from the flames and rubble, and began walking down the road leading off of the bridge towards the group.
"Welcome, representatives of the Mage's Association. I was hoping this would attract your attention," she said affectionately. "I have come to invite you to meet with my Lord."
Shirou froze. There was something about this woman that made his hair stand on end. "Who are you?" he asked coldly.
The woman blinked, seemingly surprised by the harsh response. "My apologies. I am Caren Hortensia, the overseer of this city."
"Overseer?" Rin asked. "Are you the one who sent Sakura after us?"
"That was... a misunderstanding," Caren said nonchalantly. "I had meant for her to fetch the rest of you, as my Lord has already made arrangements with El-Melloi II. But... I guess she was just so overcome with passion, and her feelings got the better of her."
"Are you saying El-Melloi II approved of this?" Luvia asked sarcastically.
"Yes, I am. In fact, you can ask him about it yourselves. You see, we all have a common enemy that has come to this city, drawn by my Lord's power," she said calmly. "As they are currently hiding out somewhere in Miyama Town, the destruction of this bridge was necessary to corner them, as it is the only river crossing for miles. Furthermore, I had a feeling that its destruction would draw you here, so I decided to come along to ensure there wouldn't be any more misunderstandings."
Caren held out her hand, smiling kindly. "Come. We have much to discuss."
"They're not going anywhere with you," said Saber, materializing in front of the trio. "Shirou, there is something very off about this woman. You cannot trust her."
"Indeed," said Archer, materializing in the air. "The air of malice she is giving off is unmistakable. I can't tell if it's some sort of possession or a psychic connection, but she definitely has ties to the Grail."
"Well, this is unfortunate," Caren muttered. "You've already made contact with that monster. And, what's worse, you seem to be collaborating with them."
"Monster?" Rin shouted angrily. "That 'monster' saved my sister!"
The Archer burst out laughing. "Monster, huh... Well, I guess that's one way of looking at him. Though, it's a bit more complicated than that. Still, it's probably a bit too much for a mongrel like you to understand, woman," he said, jeering at Caren.
"Saber. Berserker. Move into the western part of the city. Locate and subdue the target," said Caren coldly. "If anyone get in the way, kill them. I'll deal with the neutral party."
Two servants appeared on either side of the woman. One was a scantily clad, tan-skinned woman with red eyes, wearing a long white veil and wielding a futuristic, sword-like weapon. The other was a tall, skinny blonde man with pale skin, dressed in regal black clothing.
Luvia scoffed at her. "If you consider me to be 'neutral' simply because I didn't take a contract, you are deeply mistaken."
"Priestess. It would be unwise for you to face them alone," said the tall man. "While I'm certain you could handle a few magi, these servants are another matter."
"Well, I imagine they'll try to stop you, especially if you cause a bit of carnage along the way," said Caren, winking at Saber. "Get going now."
The two servants darted off in opposite directions, one heading north and the other heading south.
"Shirou!" cried Saber. "We need to go!"
"Rin, handle the one that went south," said Shirou urgently. "Saber and I will head north."
"You're just going to leave me here with this creep?" sighed Luvia. "Well, I guess it can't be helped."
The trio split up. Shirou and Saber headed north, chasing down the veiled woman. Rin and Archer headed south, after the regally dressed man. Luvia was left alone, staring down the priestess.
"I assume there's no way you'll be coming with me peacefully, right?" asked Caren politely. "Well, this is better for me anyway. I finally have an opportunity to put my Lord's blessings to good use."
Luvia prepared herself. As an expert in close quarters combat, her goal in this fight would be to get close to her opponent and bring them down as quickly as possible. She had already cast reinforcement magic on her body back when Caren had first appeared, anticipating conflict.
She started by firing a few, relatively weak Gandr shots at Caren in an attempt to slow her down and throw off her guard. However, Caren seemed unfazed by this, taking the shots head on.
Caren then darted forward, like a viper striking out at its prey. Luvia had anticipated this, however, tossing a gem in her face that discharged a flash of light, temporarily blinding her. Luvia then kicked her square in the ribs, knocking Caren down and sending her flying back a few meters.
"You seem new to this," said Luvia rudely. "Is this your first time? You seem sturdy, but you're nothing special."
Caren grinned at her. She was clearly enjoying herself. Once again, she charged Luvia in a haphazardly manner.
Luvia prepared to strike her again, but this time, Caren was ready. When she kicked her, Luvia felt as if she had just tried to kick down a steel beam, without using any sort of reinforcement magic. The pain was excruciating.
Recognizing her opening, Caren grabbed Luvia by the hair, launching her over her shoulder into the air, sending her flying over fifty meters before she came crashing down on a parked car.
The fall had knocked the fight out of Luvia. She had broken her leg, but the reinforcement magic had protected her body from the fall, for the most part. Instead of a broken back, she simply felt as if she had been struck with a metal bat.
"Ready to cooperate?" asked Caren kindly, looking over the injured Luvia. "I'm bringing you with me, one way or another. It's up to you whether or not you'll be conscious though."
Luvia glared at her. The fact that this small, delicate-looking woman had wiped the floor with her in close combat was infuriating.
"Very well," she said painfully. "I can't walk though. You'll have to carry me."
Caren smiled at her, reaching out her hand. "Rejoice, woman. Your desires shall finally be fulfilled."
Last edited by BladeOfEden; March 14th, 2023 at 02:36 AM.
The servant was standing in the northern corner of the riverside park, awaiting her pursuers. When Shirou and Saber arrived, she calmly looked them over, awaiting their next move.
Shirou could tell immediately that this would not be an easy fight. The stats of the enemy servant were on par with Saber's, even surpassing her in areas like endurance and agility. Furthermore, her futuristic sword and the strange markings on her body worried him. However, when Saber had been summoned, she had been in possession of Avalon, the legendary sheathe he had returned to her four years ago. She also appeared to be in a much more stable state compared to when he had last summoned her, so she should be able to make better use of her mana burst skill in combat.
Saber drew her invisible sword. "Who called you here, warrior? Why do you fight for one who would cause such wanton destruction?"
The woman stared at her emotionlessly. Responding in a soft voice, she said "I am the Scourge of God, manifesting as a Saber to cleanse this land from the plague of civilization. As a servant of the Grail, it is my duty to purge from this plane the rogue servants, the traitors brought forth by the enemy that would bring this world to ruin."
Shirou looked at Saber nervously. Hearing the enemy servant speak, with her soft-spoken voice that seemed completely inappropriate for what she was saying, reminded him of Saber in a way. Neither of them had the sort of figure one would expect from great and powerful warriors, and yet...
"Prepare yourself, Rogue Saber," the servant said calmly. "The power of the God of War is not something that is easily overcome."
The enemy servant charged forward, wielding her strange blade. Saber blocked her strike with her invisible sword but was caught off guard by the sheer ferocity of the woman's attack. She followed up again, this time with an overhand strike. Saber prepared to deflect the blow, as the enemy's movements were easy to read. She was unprepared, however, when the weapon's form changed suddenly, becoming more like a sort of whip than a sword. Leaning back, she barely avoided the blow, as the tip of the whip sword cut her cheek. Jumping backward, she prepared to launch herself forward with a burst of mana, but the enemy servant had another trick up her sleeve. Once Saber had leapt out of range of her blade, the servant flipped her weapon around, revealing a small cannon at the base of the sword's pommel. Firing a beam of red light into the air, a number of strange lights resembling magic circles appeared in the sky.
"Burn them to ash," the servant said stoically. "Teardrop Photon Ray."
"Shirou!" cried Saber, darting towards Shirou. As the light in the sky intensified, she scooped him up in her arms and leapt into the water, running to the opposite shore.
A beam of blue and white light fell from the heavens. There was a large, savage explosion, and the earth shook violently. The park they had been fighting in had been annihilated, with the trees burning and the walkways smashed, as water from the river began spilling in due to the riverbank being leveled from the blast. The servant could be seen among the flames, looking calmly out on the river, where Shirou and Saber had fled.
"It was her..." Shirou mumbled. "She did this."
"Indeed." said Saber gravely. "That weapon of hers is no ordinary sword. It is likely a divine construct. Judging by what she said earlier, it is likely the Sword of Mars."
The enemy servant leapt into the air, launching herself towards her foes. Shirou guessed she must have something similar to Saber's mana burst to be able to accomplish such a feat. If one was capable of wielding the Sword of Mars, surely they would need an abnormally strong and sturdy body to manage its power.
As she dove down from the sky, the length of the Sword of Mars grew drastically, wrapping around her like a large chakram. Saber attempted to deflect the blow with a mana burst, but the velocity of the blade was too much for her to negate completely, as the blade slashed her neck.
"That invisible sword of yours is certainly problematic," said the woman. "However, a sword whose behavior and length varies from time to time can be just as troublesome."
Saber gritted her teeth. With Avalon healing her wounds, she would be able to manage the enemy on her own. However, it would be an issue if her foe decided up targeting Shirou. The Sword of Mars was just too unpredictable to guard against completely.
Saber pointed her sword behind her, preparing to counterattack.
"Strike Air!" she cried. A blast of wind erupted behind her, revealing the golden glow of her sword and blasting her towards the enemy.
Caught by surprise, the enemy servant was forced back, as Saber collided with her head on. Locking blades, she grimaced at Saber. The sight of her opponent's blade had caused a drop of emotion to leak from her typically stoic demeanor.
"The sword of the fairies..." she murmured, recognizing the blade. "You are... a problem."
The enemy servant leapt back. Saber could sense that something was off about her opponent, as she had not counterattacked in her usual manner when they had locked blades.
"In that case, I cannot allow this to go on any longer," said the servant. "You seem to possess some sort of healing ability. I sliced an artery in your neck, and yet you recovered almost immediately. I wonder how you will fare when you are missing your head."
"Shirou, get ready," ordered Saber. "If you can handle the defensive measures, I can end this here."
Shirou nodded, understanding what she had planned. He stepped in front of Saber, preparing for their final gambit.
The enemy servant pointed her blade at the duo.
"I am the Scourge of God, The Great King of Combat, Altera of the Hunnu. You who would stand in the way of Life, and propagate the evils of Civilization, shall face the divine punishment of the God of War!" cried the woman, her eyes shining with passion.
"Trace... On," muttered Shirou. Holding his arm out in front of him, the space in front of him began to shine.
Altera's blade began to spin rapidly, with such force that plumes of dust formed behind her. Charging forward, her sword propelling her through the air like a torpedo cutting through water.
"Photon Ray!" she cried, barreling towards Shirou and tearing through the ground beneath her.
Shirou closed his eyes. He thought back to the destruction of Fuyuki fourteen years ago. He thought back to how he had wandered through the streets, half dead, the sight and smell of death all around him. He thought back to the first time he laid eyes upon the man who would adopt him, the very man whose dream he had inherited and still followed to this day.
Four years ago, he had stopped a ritual that would have destroyed the lives of everyone he knew and defeated the mad priest who wished to bring forth 'All the World's Evil'.
"Avalon!" cried Shirou, manifesting the legendary sheathe in a burst of light.
Just as it seemed Altera would tear through Shirou, she came to a dead stop, her sword still spinning like a drill trying to cut through an impregnable piece of metal.
Saber held her sword aloft, the light around it intensifying. Dressed in her king's crown and mantle, she truly resembled the Once and Future King of legend.
"I knew it..." muttered Altera. "That is the blade of the fairies, the weapon that was created to defeat the other me. The Sword of Promised Victory--"
"Excalibur!" screamed Saber, bringing the blade down in an overwhelming surge of light. Altera didn't stand a chance, her body incinerated the instant it came into contact with the wavelike beam.
Shirou sighed, exhausted from the projection. Saber's noble phantasm had destroyed the riverside walkway in a similar fashion to how Altera's had destroyed the one on the opposite side.
The last thing he saw before collapsing from exhaustion was what looked like a large, smoky vortex on the other side of the river, south of their position.
Last edited by BladeOfEden; March 27th, 2023 at 09:51 PM.
"There's nowhere left to run. Show yourself, Servant of the Grail, else you draw the ire of the King of Heroes," warned Gilgamesh. He and Rin had followed the enemy servant to a field on the southern outskirts of the city.
"You don't need warn him, Archer," Rin sighed. "Let's clean this up quickly and regroup with Shirou before Luvia does."
"I am humanity's oldest and greatest king," the Archer declared. "I do not attack haphazardly like some savage beast. When my judgement rains down upon my enemies, they are well aware that it is my heel that crushes them into the dirt. Such is the glory of the King of Uruk."
"A king from the East, hm?" said a voice. "Long ago, once such man invaded my lands, in a manner not unlike you rogue servants intruding upon the domain of the grail."
"Do not compare me to the fools that came after me," warned Gilgamesh. "As the Wedge of Heaven that wrestled humanity free from the grip of the gods, I am on a completely different level than the rest of this world's so-called 'rulers'."
The enemy servant materialized in front of them. He had a dignified look to him, but lacked the air of awe that Gilgamesh and Saber carried. Instead, he had a cold, icy gaze, and gave off an intimidating aura, as if he were a notorious mob boss or a violent dictator. Looking at him, Rin was reminded of some of the haughty members of the Clock Tower's elite.
"Well then, shall we see what you can do, King of Uruk?" the servant said conceitedly. "I am quite curious to see if you share the arrogance of your succ--".
Gilgamesh fired four swords from his Gate of Babylon. The enemy servant exploded in a blast of fire and lightning.
"Fool. I warned you not to compare me to them," Gilgamesh said scornfully.
"What..." Rin whispered, stunned by the power of Gilgamesh's attack. "No way... Do you actually have the power to back up all that crazy bragging of yours?"
"Of course. I am not some clown who would boast about their own power without being able to back up their claims," he said proudly.
"I don't know about that," said a voice. "I'm starting to think you really are all talk."
As the dust that had been kicked up by the blast began to clear, the enemy servant could be seen standing in the crater that had been created, impaled by two of the swords. However, he didn't seem particularly bothered by it, as he was not even bleeding from his wounds.
"It seems I shall have to teach you the same lesson I taught that foolish Sultan," said the servant.
"Battle continuation..." Rin muttered. "This could be tough, Archer."
"It is not an issue," Gilgamesh said confidently. "I shall simply--"
Without warning, a wave of wooden stakes began erupting from the ground, moving towards the Archer. Blasting the ground away, stakes and all, he then followed up by firing his Chains of Heaven, binding the enemy servant.
"You are testing my patience, mongrel," Gilgamesh growled. "Know when you are beaten."
The enemy servant stared at him coldly. "It seems I will have to embrace my unsightlier side to deal with you," he muttered.
Suddenly, the servant's body changed shape into a large cloud of black smoke, passing through the Chains of Heaven like water vapor. Encircling the battlefield like a small cyclone, he began cackling madly.
"How dare you... How dare you... You would force me to this? All I desire is to be cleansed, but I cannot be cleansed until I have wiped out the enemy... So, I must embrace it... I must embrace that horrible lie that perpetrates this land... the one that has transformed me from a just ruler into a monstrosity..." said the servant, his voice echoing from all around.
"What is this..." muttered Gilgamesh. "What kind of bizarre creature is this? How horrible have things become in my absence, that such a desolate being could come into existence?"
He began wildly firing his treasures in all directions, clearly disturbed by his enemy's transformation. "To be able to escape the Chains of Heaven, you must have no ties to the gods. And yet... this power you possess is on par with their own... What are you?"
"I am that which this era has made me," said the servant. "The Grail's glory granted me the dignity of my human form, allowing me to bask in the sunlight and pass over waters that would have normally barred my way. My legend as the Lord Impaler, and the abilities granted with it, remain with me. However, the curse of this era's people has forced me to manifest in this twisted state, giving me unholy powers I had no desire to utilize. But now... now you have forced my hand. If you would stand in the way of my redemption, then I shall use this cursed power to cut you down!"
The cyclone of black smoke that surrounded Gilgamesh and Rin began rapidly firing large stakes at them. Utilizing his treasures, he managed to deflect most of them, but a number of them managed to graze his arms and face.
"Archer! Firing those swords and spears isn’t doing anything! You might as well be trying to cut down a cloud of fog; it's pointless!" Rin said frustratedly. "Do you have anything that could trap him, like a magic lamp or something?"
"Fool! If I trapped him with one of my treasures with no way to dispose of him, I'd have to keep him in my treasury! Merely keeping such a vile creature there would surely sully the value of everything else stored within!" Gilgamesh said angrily, still trying to deal with the flying stakes.
"In that case, do you have anything that could strip that power from him, like an Anti-World noble phantasm?" Rin asked. "The only other thing I can think of would be some sort of holy relic."
"The blessings of the Church came long after my time, so none of my treasures possess such a thing," replied Gilgamesh. "What's more, this abomination is not worthy of facing my prized Ea."
"But--" Rin protested.
"He is not worthy!" Gilgamesh said angrily. "I would rather be defeated here than sully my greatest treasure in such a manner!"
"Is that so?" said the enemy servant. "In that case, you leave me no choice."
The black cyclone dissipated, and the smoke reformed into a humanoid shape. The servant held out his arm towards his foes.
Rin felt a strange pain in her chest. It was a feeling like something was digging around inside her body.
From her body exploded three bloody stakes. The pain was excruciating.
The stakes had stuck into the ground, holding her aloft in a horizonal position.
She wanted to scream, but every time she opened her mouth, blood poured out.
She felt cold.
The Archer felt something he did not think he would feel for as long as he remained in this world. A feeling he had only previously felt for the people of his city.
"Rin!" he screamed, clearly caught off guard by the enemy's sudden change of target. He could see she was alive, but horribly injured. If he wanted her to live, he would need to finish his foe quickly.
"As I had said, you left me no choice," the enemy servant said remorsefully. "I can tell you had some sort of connection to her. I am sorry for your loss. I truly am. But, if you have a way to free me from this curse, I will have you use it."
The Archer did not respond.
The servant sighed, clearly disappointed. Materializing a spear in his hands, he said, "Very well. If that is your decision, I will honor it."
The Archer turned to him, glaring at him intensely.
"You are a vampire," he said. "You are, and always will be, a vampire."
"...Excuse me?" asked the servant, surprised by his foe's declaration.
"While you are not one of those Elementals born from the planet, your very concept is that of a vampire, so much so that you have surpassed the originals," Gilgamesh responded coldly. "You are a vampire, and nothing else."
"You arrogant bastard!" screamed the servant, charging at the Archer.
Calling forth an enormous sword from his treasury, he fired it at the approaching enemy. In response, they once again turned to their smoky black form, and encircled the battlefield once more.
Gilgamesh reached into his treasury, and pulled out a strange, wand-like weapon.
This was his greatest treasure, the Sword of Rupture, Ea. While he felt it inappropriate to draw his greatest treasure here, against this pitiful creature, he knew he had no choice. While he had no issue with himself being killed, something deep within him felt responsible towards the woman who had been assigned to him as an interim master. Unlike the treacherous Tokiomi, she had no desire to betray him. She was a loyal vassal, and it was his duty as king to protect such vassals. If he let her die here, his pride would no longer allow him to call himself 'Humanity's Greatest King'.
"Come now, vampire!" Gilgamesh cried. "It is time for you to face the Sword of Rupture! Not only will I strip away that curse from you, but also that facade of humanity you cling to!"
An angry scream echoed all around the Archer. As he held it aloft, the three cylinders along the length of the weapon began to spin, and the ground beneath him began to tremble and break apart.
As the 'blade' of the weapon spun faster and faster, streaks of red and white light formed around it, expanding outward and colliding with the black smoke.
"Enuma..." muttered the Archer.
The smoke around him dispelled, and the enemy servant once again returned to human form. Bloody stakes budded from his body, as he prepared to release his ultimate attack.
"Kazikli--"
"Elish!" cried the Archer, bringing his weapon down violently.
A beam of red light erupted from the Sword of Rupture. The enemy servant was vaporized instantly, along with much of the field they had been fighting on.
Gilgamesh sighed, clearly disappointed he had to utilize his prized treasure. Sure, he could have kept fighting his foe, firing weapons from his treasury until something ended up being effective, but the amount of time such an endeavor would take would be an issue, given Rin's current state.
Cutting down the stakes that held her aloft, he picked up Rin in his arms and headed back towards the Emiya residence.
Last edited by BladeOfEden; March 15th, 2023 at 06:01 PM.
Luvia was exhausted. For over six hours, she had painfully wobbled along through the outskirts of the city, as the priestess led her deep into an ominous forest.
Her leg was numb. The priestess had treated her with some basic healing magic, but Luvia had the sense she did not know what she was doing.
"It's okay if you don't want to walk," the priestess had told her. "I can always drag you instead, if that's what you'd prefer."
And so, she had been forced to wander through the night like a homeless person in search of shelter. The sheer disgrace of this experience, combined with her previous loss, stunned her. Never before had she been humiliated in such a manner.
"We're here," the priestess told her, as they stood before a large, castle-like building. A magenta-haired woman, wearing a pair of golden, sun-shaped earrings, was standing in the doorway. Luvia recognized her as the enforcer that had accompanied El-Melloi's group to Fuyuki earlier in the week.
"Where's the rest?" the woman asked.
"It's too late for them," the priestess said coldly. "They've already chosen a side."
"And this one hasn't?" asked the woman, clearly suspicious.
"She doesn't have a contract, so it's fine," the priestess replied nonchalantly. "Besides, you know how these 'elite types' are. She'll follow the instructions of her lord and faction without question."
"It's a bit more complicated than that," the woman mumbled, rolling her eyes. She then stepped away from the doorway, allowing Luvia and the priestess to enter.
The interior of the building gave off a sense of luxury and regality. However, it also gave off a strange, out of place feeling, like entering a house that no one had lived in for years. Despite the expensive furniture and dignified atmosphere, there were cobwebs in almost every corner, and most of the furniture was covered in a layer of dust.
A little ways inside, the two women came across a slim, dark-haired man sitting in a blood red armchair, sipping a glass of golden liquid. He had a sleepy expression on his face, as if he had just woken up after a long surgery.
"Luvia," the man said drowsily. "Welcome back."
"El-Melloi!" Luvia cried, regaining her usual attitude. "We have a serious problem! This woman just--"
"Blew up a bridge?" the lord responded calmly. "I'm well aware. It is a necessary sacrifice to corner our foe."
Luvia was stunned. While a number of the lords of the Clock Tower were known to be particularly ruthless and apathetic towards the plights of the 'masses', she would never have expected El-Melloi II to hold such views.
"Are you talking about Alex?" Luvia asked cautiously.
"The name of the vessel is of no consequence," the Lord responded. "The real problem is its Origin, and the weapon it is capable of manifesting."
"What are you talking about?" Luvia demanded. "Why do you--"
"I'm afraid that's a bit above your paygrade, dear," said a voice.
Luvia spun around, coming face to face with a scantily clad woman with bubblegum pink hair. The woman smiled at her deviously, as if she were looking at a particularly delicious piece of meat.
"A servant..." Luvia whispered.
"Calm down, Luvia," said the lord, holding up his forearm. On the back of his hand were three red markings. "This one is with me."
A golden-haired servant with red eyes materialized before her. He was smiling at her, as if he had just seen an animal do something unexpectedly amusing. However, his gaze lacked its usual sense of scorn.
"A-Archer," Rin stuttered, caught off guard by his change in demeanor. "What happened? Did you-"
"The matter has been settled," the Archer said nonchalantly. "The fool was no match for me once I began fighting him seriously. To be honest, it was actually quite disappointing. I had hoped to play with him a bit more, as he was a rather interesting creature, but the mongrel forced my hand."
"I see... and, where'd all this come from?" Rin asked, motioning towards the fluid bag.
"Ah, that. The little girl patched you up, and then the young man set you up with a bag of his blood. It seems he prepared a few beforehand, in preparation for such circumstances," said the Archer.
Rin nodded. She had suspected as much, given her sister had been given a similar treatment.
"I wonder..." Rin muttered. Her mind was foggy, but she could recall dreaming of something.
"Careful now, my dear Master," the Archer warned. "There are some things that are best left unsaid."
Rin looked at him suspiciously. Clearly, he knew more than he was letting on.
"He's not human, is he?" Rin asked.
"Depends on how you look at it," the Archer replied calmly. "Are mages human, or are they something else?"
This response puzzled her. While it was common knowledge that mages were "derived from humans", the idea that "mages are humans" was a taboo topic in the Clock Tower, especially in the circles of the elite. To such individuals, being called "human" was as insulting to them as it was for an ordinary person to be called a "monkey".
"Regardless," the Archer said, turning away from her. "The ruler has called another meeting in the courtyard. You're welcome to join if you wish. Though, if I were you, I'd watch what you say around her. She's not the sort to take potential threats lightly."
Rin nodded, recalling Caren's words from the night before. If Alex was as dangerous as she claimed, she would need to be careful about potentially provoking him.
Later that afternoon, the nine rogue servants that stood against the grail met in the courtyard of the Emiya residence, with the interim masters watching from the side, and Alex standing with the ruler. Forming a circle, they began their discussion about the previous night.
"Now then, as you all have been made aware, there was a clash between our side and two additional servants this past evening," said the Ruler. "The conflict ravaged much of the riverside areas of the city, and the Fuyuki bridge has been completely demolished. Thankfully, there were no casualties on our side, and both servants, identified as a Saber and Berserker, respectively, were defeated. However, judging by the behavior of these two servants, it is likely that additional servants have been summoned as well. Though their exact number is currently unknown, we should expect to engage with at least five additional servants over the coming weeks. Prepare yourselves, for this conflict is only just beginning."
"Furthermore, there appears to be an enormous amount of magical energy gathering around Ryuudou Temple, draining mana from the surrounding area. This is currently believed to be the work of another servant, most likely the enemy Caster. At first glance, the destruction of the bridge seems like a strange choice, as servants such as ourselves would have no issues crossing the river in our spirit forms. However, it does serve to manipulate the movement of the greater population of the city, effectively cutting off one side of the city from the other. While it may be they did this in an attempt to corner us, I cannot help but be suspicious that they may have additional reasons," declared the Ruler. "Speaking of which, have you found an appropriate location for your Noble Phantasm yet, Caster?"
The young man in green nodded. "Indeed, I have. The concrete buildings in Shinto will serve nicely as structures for my Stone Sentinel Maze. While it is on the opposite side of the river from us, it should turn much of the modern side of the city into a no-man's land that enemy servants will no longer be able to utilize. Furthermore, the Chu Shi Biao has been prepared, and will be deployed at the appropriate time."
"Excellent. Set out and construct it later this evening," said the Ruler. "As for the Caster--"
"Hey, boss lady! Let me do it!" said a large man in sunglasses. "Saber and Archer already got to fight, right? It's time for my new master and I to shine!"
"Do you even possess any sort of Magic Resistance?" mumbled the Ruler. "How do you plan on fighting a Caster-type servant without even that, Berserker?"
"Not a problem! My master knows all about magic! She can handle it!" the man said proudly, giving Illya a thumbs-up. Illya glared at him, clearly not impressed by his can-do attitude.
"Fine, just don't do anything too crazy," the Ruler sighed. "However, if it comes to a point that you would need to destroy the area to defeat the enemy, please retreat instead. We've already caused plenty of damage to this city."
Saber shifted uncomfortably. Archer grinned, amused by her indirect remark.
"As for the rest of you, keep your eyes peeled for any Servant activity in the area," said the Ruler "In any case, that will be all for--"
"Jeanne, aren't you forgetting something?" Alex asked politely.
"No, I have not," she responded, looking at him suspiciously.
"Oh, come on now. I can understand why you didn't last time with that big explosion going off, but now you're just being rude," Alex said politely. "When meeting people for the first time, it is important to ask them their names."
There was a wave of silence.
"Ahem, well, I already know their names," said Jeanne nonchalantly. "You're welcome to ask though."
Alex stepped forward, walking up to Saber. "Okay... Well, miss, what's your name?"
Saber stared at Ruler, who was avoiding eye contact.
"I'm not sure giving you my name would be the best move, strategically speaking," Saber said politely. "You see, as Servants, our names have the potential to reveal our weaknesses, and as you're an ordinary person with no knowledge of magecraft, you would likely be susceptible to mental attacks. Therefore, I must ask that you call me by my class name."
Alex stared at her, a hurt look in his eyes. "I can't do that. Calling someone you know by their profession is such a demeaning thing. I could never just constantly refer to someone I see every day by such a term. In which case... I guess I'll have to give you a special nickname just for you!"
Alex smiled mischievously.
"From this point forward, you shall be known as... 'Shorty'!" he declared.
Saber stared at him, dumbfounded. The Archer next to her burst out laughing.
"Oh my... Shorty... it's perfect..." he snickered. "Do me! Do me!"
"Very well," said Alex proudly. "You shall be... 'Goldilocks'!"
Shirou held his breath. He was certain Alex was about to lose his head.
"An excellent name! You are wise to honor my godly form!" the Archer declared, smiling proudly.
"That wasn't a compliment..." Rin grumbled.
"What do you think, Shorty?" the Archer asked Saber. "Isn't it such a glorious name?"
"My name is not Shorty! I am Artoria Pendragon, and that man is Gilgamesh!" Saber shouted angrily.
"Nice to meet you, Artoria," Alex said, smiling kindly at her. It was at this moment that Saber realized she had been played.
"L-Likewise..." Saber mumbled, shaking his hand.
"You beat Angry Girl's record for shortest-lasting nickname," he said, motioning to the Ruler.
"Watch it," the Ruler responded coldly.
Alex then turned to the young man in green. "And you are?"
"Well, my situation's a bit complicated but... I suppose the most appropriate name for me would be 'Zhuge Kongming'," said the young man. "I am a Caster-class servant specializing in military strategy."
"I see," said Alex, turning to the large man. "What about you, big guy?"
"I am Sakata Kintoki, Berserker and one of Boss Raikou's Four Heavenly Kings! Nice to meet ya!" said the Berserker, grinning proudly.
A pink haired woman stepped forward, grabbing him on the shoulder.
"You know, I like you, kid. Not many people can be so direct with people like us," she said. "Anyway, I'm Francis Drake, Captain of the Golden Hind. It's a pleasure doing business with you!"
"Why thank you," Alex said, turning to a woman carrying a red spear.
"I'm sure you know how risky it is to be doing this, and with nine servants, no less," said the woman. "However, you are quite intriguing, so I shall play along. My name is Scathach, queen of Dun Scaith--"
"And I'm Jack!" said a little girl.
"I know!" Alex said, smiling at her. "You told me your name right away, didn't you?"
The little girl giggled. The Ruler groaned.
"Okay, that's that. Get going, all of you," the Ruler ordered.
"What about icebreakers?" Alex asked. The Ruler, clearly tired of his shenanigans, smacked him on the back of the head.
Last edited by BladeOfEden; March 25th, 2023 at 06:21 PM.
That night, the Rogue Caster made his way over to the Shinto district of Fuyuki City. Located on the eastern side of the Mion river, the district contained a number of large skyscrapers and high-rise apartments. As opposed to the wooden buildings on the western side of the city, these modern structures were built out of steel and concrete, a detail that the Caster planned to take full advantage of, as he moved about the district drawing symbols on tall buildings, each one in a specific position so as to form a rough circle that would encompass most of the district.
Shortly after completing the fourth symbol, he sensed the presence of someone watching him from a fair distance away. However, they were keeping to the shadows, as if they were simply keeping an eye on him. For the time being, the Caster ignored them, and continued his work.
As he made his way to the seventh building, he noticed a white-haired woman floating in the sky above it, watching him closely. She seemed to be talking to someone, but he could not make out what she was saying. As soon as he finished drawing a symbol on the building, he heard a voice from behind him.
"Vandalism, huh? I knew you were up to something, but this seems pretty trivial, especially for a servant. You don't really strike me as the delinquent sort either; are you some sort of artist?" said a masculine voice.
Turning around, the Caster saw a strange creature floating a few feet away from him. It looked kind of like a stuffed animal.
"What the hell?" said the Caster, bewildered.
"Eh? Oh right, uh, don't worry about how I look. I'm a regular dude, I promise. Now, that nut up there," said the creature, pointing towards the woman in the sky. "she's completely off her rocker, so... You're a Caster, right? Do you think you could enchant me with some sort of spell that would make it so she couldn't see me, like a sort of Presence Concealment against one particular person?"
"Uh... What?" said the Caster, clearly confused by the strange request.
"Look, you gotta get me out of here, I--"
"There you are, Darling!" said a voice.
The woman dove down from the sky, grabbing the creature by the head and squeezing them up against her chest. "Where did you go? I took one look at this mystery servant and then you were gone!"
"That hurts!" the creature protested. "Let me go! I can't breathe!"
The Caster looked over the woman, analyzing her appearance. She had white hair, blue eyes, large breasts, and wore a short red dress that Ruler would likely not approve of. A large silver ring floated behind her, and she was holding a large, bowlike weapon.
"Archer," said the Caster. "I have no interest in fighting you. However--"
"Who is that?" asked the woman. "Darling, I know they look like a girl, but that is definitely a young man. Believe me, I can tell."
"I know that!" said the creature angrily, wriggling free from the woman's grasp.
"Then why were you flirting with them? Don't tell me you were looking to cheat on me again..." said the woman in a dangerous tone.
"Are you stupid or something?" said the creature. "He's obviously an enemy servant. I was interrogating him."
The Caster took a step back. He didn't like where this was headed.
"An enemy?" said the woman. "Well, I guess I'll kill him."
The woman raised her weapon and fired a volley of glowing projectiles. The Caster blasted himself backward with a violent gust of wind, narrowly avoiding the volley.
"Wait! What are you doing? I need him!" the creature said in protest.
"Need him? What are you saying, Darling? That's clearly a man! Why are you getting so worked up?" the woman argued. "I know. That Caster must have put some sort of spell on you. That perverted bastard, I'll kill him!"
"Shit, shit, shit..." muttered the Caster, holding out his arm. The asphalt of the street in front of him morphed into a tunnel, pointing towards his next destination. With a blast of wind, he fired himself down the tunnel.
The woman, however, was not about to let him get away. She had worked herself into a frenzy, chasing after him and firing projectiles down the length of the tunnel.
"Get back here, you dirty man!" she screamed angrily. "How dare you try to take my Darling from me!"
Seeing the Archer's attack, the Caster quickly opened a hole in the tunnel above him and launched himself through the gap. He then began morphing the asphalt back into its original shape in an attempt to ensnare the woman, but she blasted her way through the collapsing structure with ease.
"Stop it Artemis!" the creature cried despondently. "It's not like that! I just need him to, uh, well..."
"Don't worry, Darling,” said the woman. "Once I kill him, I'm sure your senses will be returned to you!"
"Artemis?" the Caster whispered nervously. "That's... not good at all."
Holding out his arm, the Caster created a wall of flames. The woman did not attempt to cross over it but continued firing on him from behind it. The projectiles passed through, but the Caster formed a thick wall from the asphalt, protecting him. He then blasted himself with a gust of wind towards the eighth and final building.
"I really didn't want to activate this right away, but I don't have much of a choice at this point," the Caster muttered, as he reached the side of the building and began drawing a symbol.
As soon as he had finished, a bolt of light struck him in the arm. The woman had caught up with him.
"This is your only warning. Fix my darling, and I'll spare your life. Refuse, and I'll subject you to my mighty Anti-Male Noble Phantasm, feared by every man in Greece," the woman said sternly.
"Okay, fine, you got me," said the Caster. "I'll activate the spell that will return him to normal."
"Hey, what are you talking about? You didn't even do anything--" said the creature.
"Really? Thank you so much!" said the woman. "Hey, do you think you could also make it so I'm the only woman he can see? If you do that, I'll put in a good word with Aphrodite for you."
"Yeah, sure," said the Caster, smiling nervously. He only had one shot at this.
The Caster raised his arm up towards the sky. "This is the ultimate formation of the legendary tactician--"
A large, glowing red circle appeared in the sky, covering the circular area that sat between the eight marked buildings.
"Um, Artemis? Please shoot him. Now. I'm totally fine. I promise. But this could be bad--"
"Wu Hai Zhi Zhen!" cried the Caster.
There was a great flash of light. The woman and the creature closed their eyes, blinded.
When they opened their eyes, the two of them were on a great, sandy plain, with no buildings in sight. Something was approaching off in the distance, kicking up a large amount of dust into the air.
"Uh, Artemis? Where are we?" asked the creature.
"Darling? Are you feeling better?" the woman asked kindly. "Tell me, are you attracted to--"
"Fuahahaha!" cried a voice in the distance. "A new foe has come to challenge us! Come, my glorious army! The time has come! Victory will be ours! The enemy are few in number, and one of them seems to be little more than a stuffed bear, but the other is definitely a worthy foe!"
A large, red-haired man riding a black horse appeared from the cloud of dust. From behind him emerged an army of soldiers, each one unique in appearance. Most of them were equipped with armor and weapons from the age of classical Greece.
"Uh... what?" asked the creature, clearly confused. "An army, huh. They seem to be looking for a fight too... Heh. Now this is interesting. I definitely was not expecting this. Well played, Caster. Well played."
"Darling?" said Artemis in a worried tone. "You're not attracted to them, are you?"
"What, to beefcakes like that? Hell no. They remind me too much of myself. Plus, I don't see any cute women..."
"Yay! Darling is back to normal!" cried the woman.
"Annihilate them!" screamed the red-haired man. "Charge!"
The army charged forward, screaming an intimidating war cry.
"Well, if they want a fight, they're going to get one! Let's kick some ass, Artemis!" the creature cried, charging at the approaching army. "Kill 'em all!"
The little stuffed bear creature was violently attacking a fire hydrant with a small club. The woman, meanwhile, was currently shooting up a small building.
"Horrible, smelly creatures!" cried the woman.
"Die, you bastards!" screamed the creature.
Clearly, neither of them had realized they were caught in an illusion.
"The spell should only have them attacking inanimate objects, but I'll cut the spell off at sunrise, just to be safe," said the Caster.
The tactician's plan had gone surprisingly well. The Caster had not expected such a renowned deity to fall for such a simple trick, and yet everything had played out as the voice in his head said it would.
"That was quite impressive," the Caster said to himself. "Well done, Legendary Tactician."
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