"Fight or Flight"
Streets of Septum

---

Beatrice froze in shock as Saber made her forceful proclamation; and as the previously-humble girl took on a resolute persona and called forth her Noble Phantasm, she stood dumbstruck for a moment.
She'd blocked that gigantic sword like it was nothing. With a goddamn FLAG of all things.
Holy shit.

Nonetheless, as adrenaline began to pump throughout her body, Beatrice's instinct kicked in; the Od fully ignited, and the element of earth empowered her body and reinforced it to its limit. Saber had the bastard covered, now if only she could find the Master-

"Master Beatrice! Please, stay behind me!"

Saber could not afford to be distracted, not against an opponent on this level, and especially not when she was so clearly outmatched. Now, she could sense that the mad knight in front of her was preparing some sort of attack, perhaps even a Noble Phantasm of his own. She stood carefully between Beatrice and their enemy, never letting her eyes leave her opponent, even for an instant.

'My enemy is clearly mad...are they Berserker? But, they still seem to be somewhat rational, so are they somethi-' Saber's train of thought was interrupted by her enemy, who leapt backwards with great speed. There was no time to waste, Saber did not want to risk turning her back to this enemy, so she was forced to draw her sword.

Suddenly, the enemy slashed towards them and a surge of prana erupted from the blade of their sword, flying towards them rapidly and melting everything it came into contact with. I have to act fast! In an instant, Saber's sword was in her hands and swathed with red-hot flames. She charged a large amount of prana into the blade and into her standard, and waited until the moment the enemy's attack was near before she slashing forth, colliding her own fiery prana burst into the enemies.

For a single, tension-filled moment, Saber wasn't sure that her attack was enough to throw off the enemies. When that moment ended, however, she lets out a breath of relief. Her attack had barely managed to deflect that of her enemy, leaving a torched and acrid spot on the pavement in front of her. Saber was panting, with sweat dripping down her face from the effort. There was a certain, desperate look in her eyes that showed clearly what she was thinking. It's not enough...I don't have enough energy!

And as Beatrice stood there, hopelessly outmatched and surrounded by destruction, she felt Saber's distress scream at her from across their link.
There was no way they could win this; the Servant before them was much too powerful for Saber to even sustain a defense against him, and the Master was nowhere to be seen whilst he had them both trapped. And as Saber's desperation raged across the link, Beatrice's own desperation grew to match it; if Saber was a straw house before a hurricane, she was a lamb straight to the slaughter. The Servant's attacks melted straight through stone and steel; she didn't want to think what it could do to her.

'No.' She thought to herself, adrenaline still raging through her system as her instinct began to fight back against her desperation, 'I'm not fucking dying here. Not here, not now, and certainly not to this piece of shit.'
She came to this War to fight; but this wasn't the fight she wanted. Treated like a trivial amusement by some hulking, toxic bastard and his cowardly Master. She refused to go down this way.

So, as Saber stood before the enemy Servant in futile defiance, Beatrice quickly turned her head about her; looking desperately for something that would help them.
And as the instinct for flight fully overtook the instinct to fight, she realized it.

Off to the side, just around ten meters away; a narrow alleyway too small for anything larger than a human to enter; whatever the hell the Servant was, he'd be hard-pressed to fit through the passage without waking half of Septum up in the resulting chaos.

The enemy Servant was preparing to attack again, and Saber couldn't stand against him. He wouldn't give them time to get into the alley.
So, realizing it was now or never, Beatrice decided it was time to try something really, really stupid.

She turned to face the enemy Servant. She quickly calculated. She grabbed the sheathed sword clipped to her waist. She aimed.
And the air around them exploded as blunt metal collided with the forehead of the enemy Servant at twice the speed of sound.

A crunch of metal told Beatrice that she'd hit her mark; and cutting straight through the sudden explosion of wind from the release of her weapon, she engaged her reinforced body with all the strength and stamina she could muster and rushed towards Saber at full speed.
"GOGOGOGOGOGO!" She yelled as loud as she could over the roaring winds, grabbing the Servant and taking her into a bridal carry as she rushed into the alley, a longsword dragging along behind them, pulled along by some invisible force as they went.

"M-Master?!" Saber cried out, as she was suddenly picked up and carried away. She caught on quickly, however, and surrendered herself with a blush to Beatrice's gentle hold.

Beatrice said nothing in return. She only ran, holding her depleted Saber close as she ran for their lives, as fast as her legs would carry them.

"The Plagued Knight"

He watched with even more enthusiasm than before, watching as the petty Servant blocked his simple acidic attack with all of her strength, resulting in a hefty laugh from the atrocious knight. This was his purpose, his meaning in life. Since the moment he was born, this was his reason to live; to weed out the weak so that the strong may live. If his diseases were too strong and you died to them... well, the matter of fact is that you just weren't worthy enough to live. It never matters. You can struggle, you can fight, but if your life ends, then it just means you weren't strong enough. As the youngest of his siblings, he knew very well what his goal was; and that was to weed out the weak so that they may make their move.

He took a simple step forward, before he heard something tap his head. It felt as if a small rock was softly thrown at him, which confused him as to where it could have come from. Before he knew it, he realized that it was from the Servant's Master and her weapon. To any other Servant, it would have done something more, perhaps even stunned or dazed them. Giving off a laugh, the plagued knight simply walked forward and watched as the Master quickly carried her Servant into the nearby alleyway. He could have easily closed the distance between them in a matter of seconds- no, not even that. He could have thrown his sword, blocked their path, and crushed the Master's head before killing the Servant. He could have also just have leapt forward, brought his sword down, and cut the Masters arms off before proceeding to finish off the Servant and watch as the Master squirmed before killing her with his diseases.

Could have.

Instead, he grinned underneath his helmet and gave off another laugh filled with insanity, before piercing the edge of his blade into the ground. He just watched them as they left, showing that he allowed them to escape; despite the advantage he had. "Orders were to scout... cannot kill... They would be upset if I kill them before the battle begins..." Letting out another laugh, The knight proceeded to remove his sword from the ground, before walking towards a nearby wall and covering it with essences of his diseases... allowing it to spread over the nearby building like a fungus spreading over a ancient building. The infestation and diseases were a part of him, just as he was a part of them; it was just how things were. Marking his territory, he simply dematerialized before wondering off, hoping to find another source of entertainment sometime soon... and hoping that the two he spared would become more of a challenge for him in the future.

---

"A Greenhouse in the Forest Near Septum"

"Nana-nanana...Nana...nanana..." murmured the young elven girl as she calmly etched some ancient symbols over the center of the garden. This was new Syndra in terms of performing high-class magecraft, however, this was all that she really knew besides her natural healing abilities. Things were simple, and she always wondered why she has been having the desire to enter this war. Maybe it was because she felt duty-bound, or maybe it was because she had the chance to live a normal life? Whatever her true reasons were, Syndra wasn't really too sure of it, she only knew that she was set on entering the war, and that there was no backing out now that things have come this far.

After finished the symbols, and still barefoot, she walked out of the circle and held her hands to her chest before closing her eyes in thought one last, final time. Exhaling, she touched her left eye, covered in bandages, and decided that this was the right choice. Extending her left hand, and placing the other upon the center of her chest, she began chanting the incantations...

Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone.

The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.

Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill).

Repeat every five times.

Simply, shatter once filled.

――――I announce.

Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword.

In accordance with the resort of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.

Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.

You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance ―――！

...and with that, the summoning of Servant Caster, had been completed.

The Gardener,
Lakeside Summoning

---

Oh, of all the people. Rider gave his Master another heavy sigh, arching his neck to look up at the sky. Here he was hoping his Master would have something worth while to fight for. Instead, he got...this. There was nothing wrong with wanting to better yourself and to display that, but to crush the dreams of others while doing so? Merely because you can? It did not sit right with Rider. There was nothing he could do about it now, though. His Master was a grown man, it'd take more than a nice little sit down and a talk to sway him from this. Didn't mean he wouldn't try to impart some of his wisdom onto him.

"So you have come here to crush the dreams of others, rather than to pursue your own? If that is the case then I will warn you of this, Master; I have known many men with similar approaches to life, and what they all had in common beyond that was failure. When they finally have a dream, something they truly desire, they always fall short of it. After that either the illusion of grandeur breaks, or they do."

Rider shrugged, turning his back to William and starting on his walk. He hated the fact that after so long this was his first interaction with people - he loved people! They were great! Everyone had their own interesting tale and complex personalities with quirks even they themselves are not aware of, yet the one he had to be summoned by was one of the emush: Ambitious individuals, dangerously so.

"Just something to think about, Master. I'll be back later!"

At least this was an opportunity to take in the sights.

---

Michiko,
Streets of Septum

"I...wouldn't call them oracles. Unless your oracles were crazy as well."

She quickly moved along from the man holding the sign. As they walked through the streets, Michiko would point things out quietly to Lancer, mostly things which were considered 'normal', even pointing out that there were cities far larger than the one they were in all across the world. Septum was nice, a far cry from the type of city London was and a whole different world from the town she grew up in. It felt lively and its buildings were huge, overwhelming the wallflower. To escape from it, she entered a clothing retailer under the premise of Lancer needing non-conspicuous clothes if she was going to move about in the physical world.

Of course, Michiko knew that Lancer did not need to be manifested at all unless it was for combat, but she simply was not the kind of girl or magus to deny Lancer the modern world. It wasn't every day this happened to a Heroic Spirit, after all. She was in the middle of trying to convince her Servant that a certain maroon top with a teddy-bear face on the back would not only suit her but also be incredibly adorable, only to pause in the middle of her convincing. A chill ran up Michiko's spine, causing her eyes to widen - then her right eye glint an off colour. Whatever panic that had overcome her was subdued instantly, and she spoke to her incorporeal Servant once more.

"We should leave. Get back to the apartment - I think there are others near. "

The air around the girl was far different from the meek thing she was moments ago, Michiko had suddenly become collected, no hesitation in her voice. She made to purchase whatever clothing they had collected for Lancer up until that point, and then out to the city. She looked up and down down the streets, looking for any odd characters.

There were crazy oracles as well, if she recalled correctly, but Lancer thought her Master simply had some bad experience with one and dropped the subject.

It was quite relaxing to just be walking down a street, as her Master unabashedly started talking to her, pointing out things that may seem unusual or interesting. Hmph! Who does she think Lancer was? But her Master seemed to enjoy herself, and her mind was taken off the war for the moment, so Lancer simply went along. Plus, she may have been lacking some knowledge of things in this world. Just a little. Maybe.

She wondered if this was ok for today. Tomorrow they would have to announce themselves to them who oversee this whole war. Lancer followed her into a clothing store, as Master insisted she be clothed properly should she ever need to go corporeal amongst the commoners. It was a good idea should she ever need to conceal herself amongst the crowd, but she wasn't really the kind to skulk around waiting for a back to stab. Lancer was swiftly overwhelmed by the large amount of clothes in the store however, and the large amount of designs there was. A few set her heart fluttering, like the one her Master insisted would look good on her.

There was an odd feeling suddenly, and Lancer turned around, straining her senses. There seemed to be the taste of... battle in the air.

"We should leave. Get back to the apartment - I think there are others near. "

Is it warded? Did you erect a barrier on the windows? Is there any alarm spells set up around the perimeter? If so, then we should be safe inside. It not, we should ward it quickly, lest an Archer shoot through the walls and evaporate you, Master. Lancer replied.

Lancer was already looking around for potential threats, ready to burst into tangibility and raise her weapon against the enemy.

"You misunderstand. I just wish to crush this farce."

The almost thespian-esque behavior of William melted into a sober visage, the look of a magus, a true magus unlike the heretics that populated this war. His words cut through the air before his partner moved to leave.

"The Holy Grail War is a backwater ritual created by magi to make a shortcut to [ ]. A wish, it sounds so fanciful, so wondrous, doesn't it? After all, if that omnipotent cup filled by 'God' can grant any wish, what human wouldn't traverse heaven and hell to find it? That's the premise that lures fools in. They seek to throw aside principle, logic, and generations of toil, all to chase after a shortcut that never existed. This Grail is a sham."

Continuing the inscription of runes as he walked, the magus of Ellis went on.

"The Holy Grail is a creator of fakes. It takes the base Heroic Spirit and copies them. So then, what does that mean? What is the point of that little ritual where I drew lines in the earth and chanted a little bit? I didn't summon you, that's the answer that nobody seems to realize. I can't summon you, that's what everyone should realize. It's not a difficult principle to understand, but everyone is too wrapped up in their lust for a wish to notice. The 'summon' is done by the Grail, and the 'summon' merely binds the Servant. Even you, the Heroic Spirits, have been tricked. You're here by choice, brought to this ritual, and thus you have been fooled just as much as any magus. So then, what does that mean?"

"From the very first step you take, the Holy Grail War is a sham. Magi 'prepare' for it, but that's utterly nonsensical. Preparing for an absurdity of this nature...it makes you even less than incompetent. So, from the premise taken by everyone else, what should be counted as a sham is counted as legitimate, the ephemeral is made material."

"This war is a farce, an impossible dream that vanishes when you reach out to grab it. I am here to show the magi who lust after a wish and who seek to toss all aside in favor of their desires what the foundation of magecraft truly is, and what this backwater ritual truly represents. The Holy Grail War is an illusion, and I have joined to crush it."

The words of a man who could be called a genius or a fool. The simple fact that he spoke such words to a Servant that could crush his skull for spewing such blasphemies shows that he is indeed the latter, while the content of those words marks him as the former.

Another explanation was that he simply had chuunibyou.

"But enough of that. A partnership is nothing without information. Tell me about yourself. Your nature, your abilities, your dream. Our death will be assured if we do not understand one another. And besides, if I am left alone, I simply become bait for any Servant, particularly those who lurk in the shadows."

---

The invisible Servant turned to the impossible Servant as his Master motioned to leave.

"I have no preference as to which role I take, so I will leave it to you. My abilities aren't impaired in either case, so if yours are the same way then pick whichever option is subjectively preferable."

Simple words with little weight behind them. Such was the temperament of Zhong. Little else needed to be said.

---

Heroic Spirits are beings cut off from the time axis and can be summoned in any era, regardless of past and future. However, the only one that can summon the main body of the Heroic Spirits is the "world", and alas, humans can't summon the main body and can only summon their emanations, the Servants.

Speaking of which, the information, ergo the souls, making up the Servants return to the main body at the same time as the death of the Servant, and the main body can know, as records, about the actions of the Servants as if reading a book.

This was what he was informed of by a cup. However, that cup may or may not have been trying to trick him. He didn't think cups made good expositionary tools, what would a cup be doing thinking anyway? Was the cup just sentient because it could be? Did someone with dubious cup-based motives program the cup into thinking? Chandra didn't know, but what he did know was that...

"-A new story begins once more, and I shall compile it into an Epic that reaches the stars!"

Arms were spread wide as the Servant was bound as it was meant to be, the Caster-class existence loosing an airy laugh at his own exaggeration.

The burst of light and wind faded, revealing Chandra's full form as he went on.

"Ah, right, yes, are you my-...no, no, that's horrible. That won't work, everyone else does that, if we do it too then we won't have any different of a first impression on the audience. Maybe do an inversion? No, too trite, besides that the temperaments don't match. Hm..."

Chandra ruminated to himself for a handful of seconds before snapping his fingers and looking back up.

"Yes, that's it!"

A brief flash of light appeared in the Caster's hands as a pair of books manifested themselves, each one glowing with a faint otherworldly light.

"My Master, are you ready to take this story by the horns in your quest to become the protagonist?!"

"Syndra"

The elven woman fell upon her bottom as the summoning circle burst with light and power, before her interesting Servant was immediately brought fourth and started rambling about some sort of story- no, that wasn't quite right at all. An epic did he say? Yeah, that was more accurate.

Forcing herself up unto her bare feet, she tilted her head as she examined her Servant and listened to his words... Surely she didn't botch the summoning, did she? Well, there were all kinds of spirits that she could have summoned from the axis of time, and to summon one with a few screws loose was only to be expected. Well, she couldn't really judge him, for she was said to have plenty of screw lose in her lifetime as well. So perhaps this pairing was perfect, in its own silly little twisted sense.

"I take it that you are a writer, then?" murmured Syndra as she walked towards her Servant and picked up the two books from his hands. "Based on how you speak, and your... interesting choice of words, you seem to have slight problem discerning fiction from reality." Examining the two books in her hands, she twitched her sharp elven ears subconsciously before directing her attention back towards her Servant. "My name is Syndra, by the way. I don't really have a last name, so I couldn't give you one even if you asked. I'd rather be your friend, than... well, your Master, since I don't like all those terms, and I also don't know how I feel being the protagonist of your story..."

"Don't get me wrong," the young woman began again as she held the books close to her chest, "having book written about me would be nice, but I don't see it selling anytime soon Mr... Oh, I've forgot to ask for your name. What shall I call you?"

---

"The Plagued Knight"

Materializing into the alleyway next to the clothing store where Michiko and Lancer were at, he grinned as he placed his hands upon the walls of the building. He could smell the fear and the dread emitting from someone inside. He could tell from his very fiber and being that there was another Master and Servant so close from the ones he had just faced moments ago; what a lucky night it has been.

Weeks have passed since his fruition into this world and all the while he has been denied the ability to hunt and kill; to spread his diseases and his plagues; to weed out the weak from the strong. Being denied that for so long... it was almost the same as if denying a lion from going out to hunt and eat for days on end, only to release it once it was starving.

That, was what this Servant was now; a starving beast craving and desiring battle.

Without a moment's hesitation, he clutched his gigantic weapon once again, and struck the wall separating Lancer and Michiko from him. His green eyes were illuminating through his darkly helmet, focused on the one who he was certain was the Master; Michiko. He snarled a bit before his sword began to coat itself in its grossly green aura once more, before giving off another blood-curdling laughter and proceeding to walk towards her.

The untamed beast was going to feed.

"Oh, careful with those! Trigger a wrong spell and you could level this entire area to a wasteland, you know." Chandra remarked offhandedly as he took back the two books he had materialized. "They're not ordinary things, no not at all. Very dangerous items if misused, not that I mistrust you, but the hero's not allowed to start using the Ultimate Power until they've gone through a hefty dose of character development, you understand that, correct?"

"A writer? Ah, not quite. Well, in a way. I consider myself more of a 'recorder' or a 'compiler', I watch legends and spin them into stories. You must understand Syndra, the line between fiction and reality is a falsehood! Don't humans consider Frankenstein's Monster, or Heracles of Greece, or even the great Gilgamesh and Enkidu to be fiction? Ah, well perhaps one of those three never existed, but the legend lives on, the strength of the legend exists all the same! Fiction becomes reality when it enters the fold of the world, that is the greatest power of humanity!"

The theatrics continued, Chandra bellowing a grand exposition towards the heavens.

"If you do not wish to be called Master then you will not be, but do not underestimate your aptitude as a protagonist! It is always those who dismiss their capability to do so that end up firmly in the spotlight, and so as your partner I will ensure that you are taken to the top of the world! As for my name...simply call me Caster. The wise teaching figure who starts the protagonist on their adventure can never reveal his background until moments before his dramatic death, after all."

Michiko,
First Boss Fight

---

"I set up a decent field when I arrived. It should keep us from harm inside."

Bounded fields was the only area she felt she was actually talented, so she'd made damn sure she was going to get the most out of it upon arriving. They'd be safe inside the hotel, for the most part. She knew who entered and left the floor they were on, and the actual room its self was bound tight. That was not here, though - here was less than safe. The feeling was definitely closer now, a Servant that clearly did not care for subtlety. The girl found her gaze drawn to a certain wall back inside the store. Seems they wouldn't be getting away with just visiting the city...

"Lancer, it's here."

She didn't even flinch, the unspoken 'get ready' carried in her words. Speak of the devil, the wall in the store came crashing down, a foul outline lurching through. Its revolting presence causing Michiko to flinch backwards. Michiko looked to Lancer as the knight approached, its intent needing to be no clearer.

"Are you ready?"

Michiko's voice did not sound as fearful as one might expect, it was rather calm actually. The girl before Lancer appeared far more 'with it' than the one who originally summoned her.

[Charlie and Regulus - Septum Chapel]

Charlie nodded in acceptance and thanks for the offer. Inhaling through his nose, he caught the scent of the beverage. “Just tea, thank you”

Regulus, however, had an entirely different reaction. He snorted at the sight of the pastries, unable to hold in his mirth that humans ate these disgusting things. “No, I don’t think I’ll have any. Water would be a much… healthier choice.”

“Hmph, you’re too picky, you do know that, right?” barked Kalameet as he snapped his fingers once more, summoning forth a small bottle of water before handing it off to Regulus. “Can’t you just be like your master here and accept what’s given to you?”

The master sighed with something between resignation and frustration. “Unfortunately, as I’ve learned most recently, not all possess the natural grace to excel in social situations.”

“Hey, Master, no need to get mad at me. You summoned a Beast, so you get what you get. I’m sure I’ll make up for my apparent lack of social awareness in battle.”

“I should certainly hope so. Thus far I’ve begin to suspect I may have gotten Berserker by mistake.”

“Aha… The bickering between mortals and spirits… isn’t it lovely, my dear?” beckoned Kalameet as he nodded towards the maiden by the altar, who continued to read her book. “I’ll take that as a yes. Anyway… since you two are the first to arrive, mind entertaining me with some questions? Being cooped up in here for weeks hasn’t been doing much for my sanity, mind you.”

“Well I suppose that prompts my first question. Are you restricted to this location or are you as free as we are to move as you please?”

“Heh… Well you see, I can actually move as far as I want, but she told me to stay just right here until my initial duties are over… but, considering all the delays and what not, I’ve been stuck here. Soon as those are over, I’ll be able to move freely just as you two will be.”

Regulus perked up as soon as the word “questions” came out of the Overseer’s mouth, barely containing his child-like excitement while the first one of his master’s inquiries was asked. Almost as soon as both parties had finished their response, the Beast Servant blurted out his own, despite carefully pronouncing each word so that he didn’t stutter or slip.

“So, quick question, what’s the policy on killing? Everyone? The Masters? Civilians?”

To this, Kalameet grinned a bit, while the maiden herself raised her eyes to glare at The Overseer’s response. “Just what kind of person do you think I am? Does it look like I honestly care? Not really. In war, everything is fair game, however, I do ask you to be… well, contained with your killings and to keep a lid on them. Don’t go destroying the city and all their inhabitants. Masters, Servants, etc… all that however, they are free game. Go nuts,” replied the man as he placed his hands behind his back, and as a sinister grin emerged upon his face.

Charlie nodded slowly. it had been a question that he had been considering. “I think that single question covers the nature of the game itself. This is war and there will be casualties. I do have one more query. What is your goal in this?”

“My goal? Heh… Now that’s something I can’t reveal just yet. Honestly? My motive is to find the true bearer of the Grail, while my goal could be something completely irrelevant. Tell me, why does it matter to you, Mr. Simms?”

Charlie took a slow sip of tea before answering. “I am merely interested in how it may conflict with my own agenda, if at all. If it is not directly related to the grail, then I suppose that there should be no unresolvable complications.”

Regulus, who’d again lapsed into silence, smirked at his Master’s response. “I suppose… that means you don’t care what the Grail is used for, as long as it finds its master?”

“That would be correct, who am I to judge whether or not who the winner of this war is? If destiny finds that someone good-hearted, or someone villainous to win the grail, then that is that. I have no qualms against it,” spoke The Overseer in an eerily jolly tone, which quickly became serious. “However… if I feel that things are… beyond hope, and the Holy Grail is a failure, then I will take action.”

“As is your duty in this matter.” Charlie drained the cup and set it back onto the tray. “Come Regulus, I would like to be away before another pair finds their way here.”

The snide Servant grinned at the sudden change in tone and expression, his breath hissing out as he whispered a barely perceptible: “Woo, spooky~.” He straightened up fully, dropping the untouched water bottle on the nearest pew before turning to look expectantly at his master.

Charlie led the way out of the building and back to their vehicle.

Grinning as the two made their way out of the chapel, Kalameet couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as the water bottle quickly vaporized into the air. “I think I’m going to enjoy this war, aren’t you, my dear?”

“I don’t know. As long as it is not a repeat, then I will be fine,” she murmured as she read her book, and as The Overseer took a seat next to her once again, waiting once more for visitors again.

The walls burst down suddenly, revealing the Servant just beyond. He looks far beyond mad, his killing aura permeating the air so thickly Lancer could almost cut it. Master seemed rather composed all of a sudden. Lancer had expected her to panic or be reduced to a blubbering mess on the floor, so this was a pleasant surprise at least. Lancer materialized in front of her Master, ready to intercept any sudden attacks that Servant might make.

"Halt, demented knight! I see you have chosen ME, the most MAGNIFICENT, and POWERFUL servant to defeat!"

With a flourish, a shield and sword appeared in Lancer's hand. The shield looks battered, bearing scars of battle on its body. However, the sword was pristine, almost seeming to shine, in the day's light. While the sword remained simple in design. the ornate pearl white hilt seemed to have gold inlays on it, and the pommel seemed to be made out of gold. On the blade near the crossguard was a flat section with lettering etched into it.

*The Servant present and anyone else who can see the sword has been given the sword's info.

"Speak! Are you merely seeking the thrill of combat? Or the honorable duel between two noble souls? If a duel is what you want, speak your name, and I will mine, then let no one interfere in the duel to come!"

Master, seek out a safe place to stay. Run back to the apartment if you have to. Lancer sent the message through their link together.

From what her Master had exhibited in the short time she was with her, Master did not seem to have any sort of combative capabilities, or some sort of spells to improve Lancer's performance. As Lancer was right now, she wasn't really confident she could defend Master while fighting an unknown assailant.

"The Plagued Knight"

The words that the Lancer spoke echoed within the wretched knight's helmet, causing a loud laughter to burst from him. "A duel between you and I?! You, the most magnificent, the most powerful Servant here?! Hah, don't make me laugh girl, you and all others pale in comparison to them, for it is they who are the strongest Servant of them all!" As he spoke, the air around them grew foul with wretched diseases as fungus and other various dwellings began to grow upon the walls. Continuing his mad laugh... he grinned widely, before staring at Lancer with his piercing Green-eyes.

Finally... a worthy opponent. They wouldn't mind if I revealed myself and had a little fun now... would they...?

"I'm here for fun, and to test those who dare to enter the Holy Grail War... consider me a trial for you to overcome and test your mettle, woman," barked the knight as he took a large step forward and brought his sword down onto the ground to his side, causing the tip of it to drip acid onto the floor. "I don't care for such formalities... but, I want fun... and if by revealing myself will net me that fun, then I will gladly do so... You don't even have to tell me your name, for it wont matter. For you see, I am [______________________________]! Prepare yourself, wretched mortal, for the end is nigh!"

With those simple words, the Plagued Knight charged straight at Lancer with his mighty weapon held up high, more than ready to overpower her with his immense strength and size to boot.

The first true battle of the Holy Grail, had begun.

---

"Syndra"

Syndra just stared with a small smile at her silly Servant, before giggling like a child. "It would seem I have summoned quite the peculiar Servant... and a strange one at that," she hummed as she placed her hands behind her back and twirled a bit. "Well, like I said, I'm not big on becoming a protagonist... nor am I too sure if I'm cut out to actually killing people, but I wont let people simply push me around and steal my life without some fighting... um, speaking of which, Caster, what can you do?"

She then pointed towards the books that were taken from her just moments ago. "Do those have anything to do with your powers, by any chance? They sure did seem very important and powerful... unless you were exaggerating like all authors normally do when they write. I'd like to get to know you in and out as best as I can, to be honest before we make any serious plans."

The Gardener,
Going for a Stroll

Rider listened to his Master explain his understanding of the Grail, nodding with each point made.

"Your second point is correct, for the most part. I may be a 'fake', but I assure you I have not had the wool pulled over my eyes completely. I am perfectly content to experience the now in this fake body, if you understand my meaning. For now, I will say the Grail is not exactly what your understanding pictures it as, and leave it at that. I say this as one of the few Servants who actually has quite a bit of understanding of the Grail, outside of what we're granted upon summoning. Give it a chance, Master - exceptions and loopholes to the 'rules' do exist in this world of ours, after all."

He shot a glance to William from his peripherals as they walked, his gaze a knowing one. Rider didn't mention the part about how things usually end for people seeking Root. William could figure that bit out on his own, he was a big boy after all. Lucky for William, Rider was not one of the servants to get worked up from his words - he just saw the thought behind them. Indeed, his Master was an intelligent one to actually acknowledge how Servants were summoned.

"My nature...hm." Rider brought a hand to his chin, contemplating.

"I like to think I'm a peaceful man. Not too interested in conflict, but that's the name of this game, isn't it? I have a love for reading and writing, with a hobby for gardening. I actually used to be a lot more introvert and shy, but my wife and children helped a lot in bringing me out of my shell." The dark-skinned servant smiled, turning his focus to the skies once more. For a few moments he became lost in reminiscion before moving onto the next point.

"My abilities! Good point. Should have told you about that the moment I arrived! My bad, Master." The kindly Servant chuckles, scratching the side of his mouth. "As you have summoned me as Rider, I am capable of Riding at an A Plus rank, and my Magic Resistance is at B rank. Outside of that, I gain a high rank in Charisma and Military Tactics for all things naval, and I'm incredibly well read; Librarian of Stored Knowledge at rank A Plus makes me versed in essentially any walk of life."

The Servant paused, considering his next words. This personal skill was powerful, but dangerous in the wrong hands. Indeed, someone like William could undoubtedly make the best of it, but it was for that reason that Rider was hesitant. Rider hummed. This man was his Master for this war, and it'd be poor form to keep it from him - not like William could not find out eventually anyway.

"My final skill is called Culture Hero. I can give you - or any other person whom I feel fit - up to three skills at rank B. The limitation on this is that they cannot be unique or skills which replicate several other skills, such as my Voyager of the Storm. I'll save the Noble Phantasm for another time! Don't know who is listening, after all."

"As for my dream...well, for now it is to travel the world. I want to take it in for myself, to see the new sights! The old fashion way, though. As interesting as flying machines are, I'm sure that by foot and mount is the best way to get the most out of a journey."

"What are you working on there, Master?"

---

Michiko,
First Boss Fight

Michiko felt sick. The very air around her turned rancid merely because of it being here. The identity of the Plague Knight caused the girl to squint, looking to Lancer and then back to the Knight. She had faith in her Servant - she was probably not the best Master for one of her caliber, but she still believed. The best thing should do right now was give Lancer room to operate, her being there only stopped her from working optimally - especially against this thing.

'I'll run. If you're not back in fifteen minutes, I'll use a command seal to bring you to me. Is that okay?' She sent through the link. The young Master raised her hand, showing the wing-patterned command seals resting upon the back to illustrate the point.

Michiko took off through the streets of Septum, making distance between her and the inevitable conflict. Yeah, she'd definitely felt better. First battle of the War and she'd already been forced into running away to leave her Servant to fight on her behalf. Shame, embarrassment, disgrace, there were a lot of words to describe it. But that wasn't important right now. What was important was making sure she could fight on for...for some reason. This wasn't her war after all, it was her fathers.

Her destination was the only place she was mostly safe in Septum; the hotel room.

"What do I do?"

Chandra loosed a slight chuckle, flipping through the pages of one of the books before stopping on a seemingly random one.

"Magecraft from an era that has long since passed, though that is...brutish, in my opinion. However, my true power lies in the nature of my status as a Servant. Other heroes star in legends, I on the other hand make them into legends. These books are two...early-game measures, as it were, to deal with any individuals who wish to take us out before our power surpasses the realm of possibility. As for what they do exactly, I'll leave that as a surprise for a dramatic reveal."

"But the true power of what I can achieve...there is a rule, Syndra, 'a human cannot fight a Servant'. I can make you an exception to that rule. If you give me the time to make you into a legend, I will turn your existence into a dazzling star that exceeds the gods. But for now..."

A lengthy pause, a flash of light, and the appearance of a new construct amongst the trees. A golden UFO.

"Let us make our way to the Church. I have something I wish to do."

---

"I see. Good, you're the sort who lives, then, rather than those wrapped in layers of falsehood. A good nature in essence, though we may have friction here and there as the war goes on. As the Grail has likely told you, the world has changed quite a lot, seeing it firsthand would in fact be interesting. As to what I'm doing, I'm simply preparing some runic arrays for later use. My particular style of magecraft works well when compounded with preparation; while I can fight without it, it's best that we give ourselves a suitable inherent advantage in some form." William explained, pausing for a moment as he heard the explanation of the Gardener's abilities, and abruptly switching to telepathic communication.

'That last skill of yours...I have something of a plan. Give me [ , , and ]. This could end very well for us, if so.'

Gnar and GreenGoat Collab Post

Clothing Store Fight

---

The Plague Knight wielded his oversized sword like it was a club, swinging it with great abandon as well as great strength towards her. Hmph, he shall soon see she was not to be taken lightly, even with her diminished strength.

"Remember my name, for I am the UNDEFEATED! I am -________-! The Unconquered! Not even the greatest warriors of my time could best me!"

Her shield flew up, ramming straight into his hands just as he reached the apex of his swing, and before he managed to bring the sword down. Effectively stopping the swing where it was weakest, the sword swung straight towards his stomach.

“Warriors? You take me to be a simple warrior?!” barked the knight as his drool flung over her, a smile creeping over his face. “I’ve taken countless lives… kings, queens, knights, peasants, animals, and even the likes of heroes! You honestly think a simple sword like yours will kill me?!”
Roaring with a hideous laughter once more, he let the sword strike his stomach, allowing it to sink itself into his decaying armor and flesh so that he can get closer to the woman warrior. “I will crush your neck and show you just how weak you are compared to me!”
As he began cackling in his helmet, his diseases began to spread itself onto the sword that was struck against him. Reaching around with his other hand, he attempted to grab ahold of the woman’s throat.

The blade had just sunk into his flesh, and through his armor, much to the dismay of Lancer. A mere blade wasn't enough, she would have to actually USE the sword, meaning she would have to actually use her limited supply of prana. She dodged backwards, avoiding the attempt to throttle her without much difficulty, seeing as he did try to grab her right in front of her.

With a flick of her hand, she dispersed the taint on the shining sword. It was not that weak a blade to succumb to such an attack. However, now that she knew trying to hold back was pointless on this foe, she finally released her prana into the blade. While she could not use it to its full potential, some of its properties were nonetheless awakened. In a mere heartbeat, she closed in again on her foe, aiming not to disembowel, but to behead. The sword, at first silent, now seemed to hum with power, creating a large gust of wind as it flashed towards the Plague Knight's neck.

Sneering as Lancer was finally getting serious, the Plagued Knight infused his diseased prana into his armor, allowing it to burst with black and green diseases of intense sickly natures… it was as if he himself was becoming a plague that could not be rivaled. It would appear as if he was going to defend with the kind of mana he was emitting for protection, but no; he was instead expelling as much as he could, before launching himself directly at Lancer, not caring if he was going to take a hit or not. To him, his power was unmatched, and his diseases killed all no matter who they were. They would do they very same here no matter what.

Now, boosted with his sickly prana that was launching him towards Lancer as she was launching towards him, he brought down his mighty two-handed corrupted sword down onto her with his every fiber to crush her right then and there.

The corrupted sword bit deep into her shoulder before being stopped by her shield, but her sword was not.

Her sword, instead of striking her intended target, instead struck the knight’s helmet, causing the helmet to crack and shatter due to the sheer force of her blade… unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to stop the Plagued Knight after his prana boosted launch. His momentum was too much that even if he wanted to, he couldn’t stop, and with a thrilled smile, his large blade slammed against Lancer’s shield, smashing her hard into the ground with undeniable force that it almost caused the walls of the building’s interior to collapse. Still, it didn’t end there, letting his primal urge as the entity that he was, and he began to smash his sword against Lancer over and over. Although she was protected by her shield, she could still feel the force of his strength pounding on her relentlessly.

Then, as his helmet shattered, revealing the abomination of a green-eyed sickly-looking and mutated man, his sword coated itself in an acidic layer once more… before he plunged it straight down onto Lancer… or he would have. He instead plunged it next to her head, hearing a voice calling in his head. A frown emerged on his face, and he sighed, before he looked down on the warrior beneath him. “Master… ordered me not to kill. Tells me not to go against orders no matter what… Sorry [___________], but we will have to settle this another time… hopefully then, you’re a lot stronger,” murmured the Plagued Knight as he took his sword and stepped off of Lancer. Walking towards the hole he made in the wall, he slowly began to dematerialize himself before laughing once more in a small whisper. “I’ll be looking forward to it to when we get to fight again…”

She had held up her shield with both hands as soon as she was slammed into the ground, and every blow he landed felt like her wounded shoulder would tear off. Lancer would have called upon her greatest Phantasm then, limited prana or not, had the Plague Knight not stopped, plunging a sword by her head. He seemed... unbeatable. But... as her own experience taught her, everything has a weakness, and everything can be defeated.

Lancer pulled herself off the ground, coughing up blood. She started laughing weakly, and dispersed her sword and shield. The battle may have been her lost, but the war was still undecided, and she already had the information of one servant, at the cost of her own.

She was called the Unconquered, because she will never admit defeat. This was a minor sacrifice for the ultimate prize. Merely a setback.

However, her Master, as the young creature she was, would be done no good should she see Lancer in this state, thus Lancer took a deep breath and repaired her armor and clothing, concealing her wounds, and then wiped the blood off her mouth. Assuming her Master should have reached the apartment by now, she dematerialized, traveling quickly to her destination, materializing right as she reached it.

'Syndra'

"I...I see," murmured the elven girl as she watched the man casually talk about some rather nonsensical stuff that she had no idea about. Her ears twitch with every odd word, but what she did know was that this man was dead set on making her the protagonist of his book no matter what, despite the trouble it may cause them.

"You know-" Her words were interrupted as a sudden construct began to form itself within a mighty luminescent flash of light. It was... a flying ship of sorts, one that the girl had never seen before. A bright smile emerged upon her lips before she let loose a childish laughter filled with glee before running towards the ship. Hopping onto it with her bare feet, she danced around a bit on top of it like a child stepping foot into a candy store for the very first time.

This was something she had only read of in stories and fairy-tales, yet here something like this was was real and in reality... beneath her very own feet.

"Caster... this is amazing... Another one of your powers I take it...? Simply stunning!" she exclaimed loudly as she twirled and danced around the deck of the ship. "Let's be on our way to the Church and attend to your business in return for showing me this great thing!"

Well, that was a welcome reaction.

"It's based on a sort of ship from Ancient India, rather interesting, isn't it?" Chandra remarked with a grin of his own as he stepped onto the ship in turn, the pilot throne atop it retracting into the center of the ship. With a single fluid motion the Caster-class Servant snatched his Master up and jumped down into the interior of the ship, the throne rising back up to fill the hole moments later.

"As I said, Syndra, I am the one who makes the legends into legends. What genre your story is in is up to your own discretion. A conqueror, a devil, a benevolent queen, what sort of legend you wish to make is up to you, it's simply my job to make it into a reality. I ask that you consider what you'd wish to be while I attend to a brief concern."

With that, the golden ship roared to life.

It took an "instant". Perhaps less, for that ridiculous golden ship had already surpassed the laws of physics.

An impossibly rapid deceleration made the collision with the church incredibly minor, considering the result had it rammed through the wall at full speed. Instead there was merely a vimana-shaped hole in the wall of the church.

And from the top of the vimana, a chair appeared from the interior, Chandra seated on it.

"Hello there! Sorry about that wall, I'll repair it in a moment. But first, you're the Overseer, correct? I have a favor to ask you." He stated, speaking to Kalameet as he drew out the second of the two books he had made moments before.

"Kalameet"

A crooked smile emerged on Kalameet's face as the ship broke through his chapel's wall. "You know... there is a door, right? Like... it was literally right there a few feet in that direction. You couldn't park, get out of your damn thing, and open the doors like a normal person? You had to instead break the walls of this holy place?"

"Oh... so now you care about the church," murmured the maiden as she giggled a bit.

"I care when it isn't me doing the disrespecting! Anyway... Well, this is... kinda messed up, I would offer you refreshments, but I find you to be a bit of a bastard." Sighing a bit, before running his hand through his hair, The Overseer folded his arms and looked over at Caster. "What is it that you want from me, Servant of the Caster class?"

Set. Set. Set.

Ten points cut through the world.

Look beyond the veil, beyond the self, beyond the Truth.

Burn all creation. Conquer all.

The golden king who towers above. The sword which is not. The 'she' who split Void into Truth.

I will surpass them all.

Chandra nodded slightly as Kalameet spoke, before offering his response.

"Kill yourself."

And at the same these words were uttered...

-The book in the Caster's hands flared to life.

-The vimana, with Caster atop it, sped backwards out of the church.

-The tragedy had begun.

After all...

What is a war, what is a story, without a tragedy?

With a sigh, Kalameet appeared behind Caster, as his entire being froze, along with the mighty ship that they were on.

"I should have expected something like this to happen so early on," spoke Kalameet as he placed his hand on Caster's shoulder and grinned silently. "You do know how foolish that was of you, don't you?" With a bitter smile, he began to laugh as he placed his hand on Caster's finger, and slowly bent it in the opposite direction, breaking the bones as he heard the maiden below calling out to him.

"That's enough! Your duties as Overseer is to watch and observe, not to do something like this!" shouted the maiden with more emotion than she has ever shown before.

"As the Overseer, it is my duty to punish those who are foolish to take shortcuts, such as slaying the one who is in charge of things. Those who heed my voice," murmured Kalameet as he snapped his fingers, and as the Command Seals on everyone began to burn violently, before showing them the image of what was he doing with Caster, "take this as a warning. I will not hesitate to cut you down if you so dare to do anything stupid like this man, who just attempted to have me kill myself by the will of Akasha itself..." laughing a bit, he ripped off a finger from Caster's hand, before tossing it off the side of the ship.

"STOP IT!" roared the maiden as she screamed at him, tears almost forming in her eyes as she cried for him to halt.

"I should cut out your tongue... but that would be too easy to silence you..." he continued to say as he ripped finger after finger from Caster's hand until not a single one remained on his right hand. Letting out another twisted laugh, Kalameet grabbed the silly Caster by his head, before murmuring to him. "You're probably wondering why I didn't kill myself, did you? Well, that's fairly simple. What is unknown to death, nor known by life? Yet grants life, and causes death? What is something that you cannot ever touch or reach, yet will always be there no matter how long you deny it? What is it that will always be there, slowly eating away at you, even after the gods have died, and allowed Akasha itself to flourish and grow? Tell me, do you know, silly Caster?"

"Well... It's simple; the answer is time. What I am, however, is the very concept of that, but on a whole other scale. I am the Ragnarok that ended the gods, the Armageddon that brought about the end of days... I am the Harbinger of the End and Beginning... while some have also called me Judgment itself... but, in truth, however, none of that is my real name, or who I really am."

"I... am actually the fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse; Time, Creation, and End. I am the one who will live when there is none, who will create when there is nothing, and will end when the time of judgment has come. That, my silly friend, is who I am," said the Overseer as he slammed Caster into the ship, and as four other figures appeared behind him, including the Plagued Knight. "Ah, you four are back, and so soon at that!"

"Yes, elder brother," the four other horsemen said in harmony as they looked at Caster. "What shall we do with his Master, brother?" spat Pestilence and Conquest through his sickly helm as he coughed more diseases from his body.

"Cut off the hand that contains the command seals, and I'll leave her with one on her other arm. I feel bad for the poor thing, but the Servant should listen to the Master... not the other way around... Let that go as a warning for those of you listening who dare to do anything stupid as well, for my brothers and I will hunt you down," he said to those via the Command Seal link. Pestilence and Conquest, who was still recovering from his battle against Lancer, groaned a bit before going into the insides of the ship, before a few screams could be heard. Moments later, he returned with Syndra in one arm, and her severed arm in the other hand. With a sigh, he gave the girl another Command Seal on her still attached arm, before having Pestilence and Conquest throw her next to Caster. Cutting off his link with the rest of the Masters, his four brothers vanished as he hopped down back onto land, before strolling towards the church, and fixing the once broken wall with a quick flick of his finger.

"All done, my dear. Shall we wait for our next guests?" he said without a care as he took a seat upon his normal chair... acting as if what had just transpired was perfectly normal, and as if it wasn't that big of a deal, or a huge concern for that matter. The maiden however, just stood there, tears flowing from her eyes as she fell to her knees and whimpered at what Kalameet had just done.

Mansion deep in the forest.
Shed behind the mansion.

---

"Through fire, and steel be formed!
Through dark, not light be born!
Through time and space be called!

Tribute be to the four cardinals!
To each I bow; with chalice filled!
The golden gate shall open,
and with it the fate of those chosen!

Let it be declared now;
Your body shall be mine, and your sword will hold my fate,
Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail.
Submit to my will, my truth.

An oath shall be sworn here.
I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven;
I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell."

This War.... would give her what she wanted. It would give her what she needed. The moment she had found out she was meant to be in this war, she had read every book she could find upon the summoning of a servant. However... there was only so much one can learn from books. It didn't matter, she had already figured out how, and the rest took intuition.

"From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,
come forth from the ring of restraint, bearer of fate to come!"

The air picked up suddenly, the wind blowing about everywhere regardless of the door being closed. The magic circle glowed bright red, then white, almost blindingly so. Vilka Millings smoothed out her clothes and awaited the one who had answered her call.