It was a warm summer night in Redrock. The streets were not empty, but the people on them were sparse. While it was not a small town, it was not an enormous city, either. It was a location that straddled the line between town and city, and therefore the nightlife was also a reflection of this. Some people were out on the streets, and yet many remained in their homes. This night was ideal for the beginning. There were many locations in which someone who desired to remain unseen could inhabit. The forest outside of Redrock. The burnt-out remains of the Rickert mansion in the North, left as a monument to the tragic deaths that had occurred there. The unseen catacombs beneath the city that were as old as the nation. For tonight was the beginning of something that the relatively peaceful town of Redrock had never before encountered. Tonight would be the beginning of a battle that had once thought to have been silenced, but was no longer.

Tonight was the beginning of the battle that would decide who claimed the omnipotent wish-granting machine known as the Holy Grail.

Redrock's old Church, an impressive building based upon the gothic style of architecture, housed a foreign representative of the Catholic Church this night. And for many nights after this, indeed. She sat quietly. Naturally, she was prepared to meet each and every team that would be informing her of their participation. She had been told, however, that this war would hold far more then seven participants.

The blue-haired Executor let out a small sigh.

She was without a meal, and it would be a long night.

---

Drip... drip... drip...

She had to empty it all, naturally. She had been given precisely the required amount of blood for her task, drained from several animals and stored for this purpose explicitly. The catalyst she had been provided with, too, purportedly would summon an excellent example of the Lancer class. The young woman suspected this was because her superiors in the Association believed she lacked some of the traits a magus would normally desire in the course of a conflict of this nature, and yet she did not hold it against them. The confidence she had in herself was enough for her, she did not need the confidence of her bosses. Besides, they had seen fit to deploy her as their representative, had they not? That meant they had confidence in her, no matter how little they would admit it. Besides, a Lancer was an excellent class to summon. Long range, fast melee? Fio could not help but approve. And at the same time she was confident that any Servant she could summon would win her this war.

Indeed, the one summoned by this fragment was no stranger to war. Perhaps it would be a better pairing then she hoped. Which, to be fair, her hopes were very high indeed.

Fio Mal-Rai, Magus hunter for the Association, never took the cynical outlook on her own path. No, it was always the path that she knew would lead her to success. The very same mindset applied to this war for the Holy Grail. She would work and work and work until she found success, and she would not stop until she claimed victory. In her mind, there was no-one that could stand in her way if she applied herself and the capabilities of her Servant properly.

The hall of the home she was supplied with for the Holy Grail War was rather stately, albeit now marred with the presence of a circle of blood. Oh well, the carpet and flooring was a rather small sacrifice in the name of victory.

She stood at the circle. Fio outstretched one hand, and felt it. She felt the flow of prana in her body, igniting in her. Her magic circuits were a flurry of activity. Naturally, a ritual to call down a Heroic Spirit from the Throne of Heroes would cause quite a fervor in her frame, would it not?

"Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone. The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg."

She could feel it blazing inside of her. Fio's heart hammered with excitement. Truly, this was her entry into the War for the Holy Grail! Even as an official duty for the Association... there was no way to hide the excitement she felt.

"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."

With every word, it approached.

"Your self is under me, my fate(doom) is in your sword.
In accordance with the approach 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."

Fio thrust her hand out, and the last words were cried out, as if to ensure they truly reached her Servant.

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

@Rin, @PKMNB0Y, @Raineh Daze, @Bourgeoisie, @Lost Cause, @Lasrever, @Hinsek, @Pie Flavor

Whilst she could understand the desire for the original formulation of the Grail War to take place away from the eyes of the Mage's Association, it baffled the homunculus that this replica had followed the same logic and gotten as far away from the large circles as possible. Did they honestly think that the level of work they had to put in with their stolen pieces of the Greater Grail was anything as complicated as its creation? Had they simply shown the proper deference, it would have been easy enough to coax her family into doing it properly.

Well, easy enough to coax Izisviel, at least--whether the old man would show any hope again after the Grail's destruction was a riddle for the ages. Instead, the foolish mages had run to America, probably messed everything up, and not even issued an invite afterwards. It seemed like she had to gatecrash their party, then: taking a sword fragment that had been kept as a backup for previous wars, she'd gathered her maids, found a house in the area, and shown up.

It was in the basement of this house that she and Lotus had been preparing the magic circle, comparing it to the correct version that was engrained in their very beings. Satisfied that the gleaming molten silver was correct, the alchemists let it come to a halt and the smaller of the two retreated to stand by the axe-sword and Izisviel's coat as their creator placed the relic down.

The excitement in her eyes was palpable as she stepped back. This was what she was made to do and even the interventions of that nuisance Lord El-Melloi apparently couldn't stop her. For such a grand ritual, there was no holding back: put as much mana into the casting as she could, even if the relic guaranteed a Saber. There was no point taking chances.

"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.

"Your self is under me, my fate(doom) is in your sword.
In accordance with the approach 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 ―――！"

The words were said with the utmost confidence, homunculus standing proud. There was no possibility that she could fail to summon a Servant, to be rejected by the Grail. Whatever methods they had used, the core came from the Einzbern. They would always be chosen as Masters.

Now, she simply awaited her Saber...

The circle blazed with light. The intensity of the glow grew and grew, flaring as the girl chanted the incantation that would bring about a heroic spirit. A wind seemed to originate from the center, forced outwards and casting a burst of air through the area. And indeed, as the light grew, so too did a growing mist, rising and pouring out from the circle. What else could be expected from the summoning of such a being? A ritual of this nature could not possibly be a quiet and peaceable affair. No, indeed, the light built, the mist grew thicker, and then-...

Then it all faded away. For a few moments it seemed as if something was wrong, but suddenly something began to build in the center of the circle. Motes of green light drifted through the air, collecting and swirling in the center. As they joined together, they began to construct... something. A shape was formed, starting with a pair of armored sandals, then legs in black leggings... further and further, the light traveled, forming an ornately layered hakama with various designs upon its dark pink and white surface, and lacquered armor plating. Further and further up, forming an elegant female form clad in fabric and lacquered armor. Arms were folded across her chest, and at last, silky black hair, a youthful, soft face, and several ornamentations formed from green light. Fixed to her hip was a sheathed katana, or more accurately a nodachi. Only a nodachi would describe a blade of that sheer length.

That soft face was turned in a serious expression as the girl looked upon her Master. She was not at all tall, but at the same time she cast an air of power about her, one someone would expect from a warrior. So, this was the one who had summoned her? Who had called her to the world in order to battle for the Holy Grail? Inclining her head to the side, the black-haired young woman knew precisely what action to take next.

"My class is Saber," she began, "As the one who summoned me, you can only be my Master. Is this correct?"

With a heavy sigh, Yumiko wiped the sweat from her brow as she flicked her hands of the blood staining them. Though covered by a pair of disposable gloves, should could feel the texture of the liquid through them--understandable, given how thin latex was, but definitely not to her tastes. The metallic tinge in the air caused the girl to unconsciously wrinkle her nose in distaste as she surveyed the land she had secured for the ritual tonight: a forest grove, bathed in the light of the full moon.

Though she was striving for success, there was an inkling of doubt in her mind as to what she could stand up to. The constant bias from the main branch of the family was certainly vexing, but it wasn't as if she wasn't completely incapable... Or a simple tool to be used. But... To what extent could she stand against it all?

...

Well, now was a good a time as ever to find out.



Yumiko could feel her circuits flooding with power, and the strain of summoning a Servant became clear to her now. It was no wonder, then, that so many only opted to do this under the most optimal conditions. It was already far too late to back out now, though.



Now, the young girl could see a figure beginning to form in the center of the circle. The amount of effort she had to put in was unfathomable right now, but at the very least she hadn't failed completely... Which was... Somethng.



Now the figure was becoming clearer. The outline of a human, at the very least, gave her some mental reprieve. The stories of being almost double her size being handled gave the girl a fright, but not enough to disrupt the summoning. But, at last--!



Her face now drenched in sweat, Yumiko shouted the final words of the incantation, her right arm outstretched as she almost fell over in exhaustion. No more of that again.

---

The summoning circle in front of Fio pulsed twice as the girl finished her incantation, causing a large amount of smoke to be thrown up out of seemingly nowhere as the Servant took its form. Even through the dust, though, the figure of a hulking, muscled man in a decorated suit of armor was made abundantly clear, to say nothing of the large spear in his right hand. The Servant lifted his spear and slammed it on the floor, instantly causing a shockwave strong enough to blow away the residual dust from his summoning. His face, now, was made clear:a long black beard that seemed to reach his torso and eyes that seemed to be piercing through the night to see the girl stood out among the rest of the house. His weapon and armor seemed to shine, even now. The Servant only now opened his eyes, and stared at the young woman before him.

"Hrmph. I am a Servant under the class 'Lancer.' For thou who hast summoned me here, long since my own passing, I ask of you: Are you my Master?"

The low, booming voice of this Lancer seemed to reverberate around the room, causing it to feel as if Fio had been asked the question in stereo.

Fio raised an arm to cover her eyes as smoke rose from seemingly everywhere. But even with that, she could see the figure materializing in the mysterious smog. He was huge, and wielding... well, a spear. That detail was certainly to be expected. It slammed the floor, and dust and smoke scattered to reveal to the girl just what her Servant looked like. He was quite impressive, to say the least. Tall and bearded, and clad in shining armor that gleamed even in darkness. What the magus girl now looked upon was something that epitomized what a Heroic Spirit should be. A hero of the past, a shining figure who stood among many as a mighty warrior who accomplished so much.

"I am your Master," she replied. That was important. Sealing the contract. She approached her new Servant, a grin playing across her face. Her already-high levels of confidence were swelling even further. "And I think we have a brilliant chance of winning this war, Lancer."

The Mage Association would triumph here. There was no doubt in Fio's mind she'd grasp victory for them, now. This was, to the Magus Hunter, an unquestionable truth.

Her first thought about the summoned Saber was that she was somewhat... disappointing. Of all the things that the Einzbern homunculus had been expecting, a woman shorter than she was for Saber had been somewhat unexpected. The Servant's armament was reassuring: armour beyond the normal quality of a samurai and blades to match. Combined with the necessity for a Heroic Spirit to be someone of amazing renown and Saber being the strongest class, appearances were deceiving.

"I am, Saber, and the three behind me are our assistants in this war," Izisviel stated, gesturing to the only thing in the otherwise empty basement that could possibly be referred to in such terms. A few short instructions were issued--even if Servants didn't need to eat or sleep, there were certain levels of propriety that had firmly engraved themselves in her mind over the pass years of idleness. Preparing a (probably useless) room would keep Cinquefoil out of trouble, whilst Lotus could make them some tea, and perhaps some food.

The Einzbern headed towards the stairs, grasping her implements, "Given how previous wars have turned out for my family, I believe that we should discuss our tactics before fighting, this time."

---

Archer found being summoned into a forest remarkably appropriate, and took in the glade and the still night air without paying heed to their Master, for a moment. So much was similar, in its way... yet it was obviously different from the one that drew out her memories. At least they had been summoned into a rural area rather than some urban sprawl... that would have been a vast nuisance.

The androgynous redhead turned their attention to their Master in the end, tipping the green hat and meeting their Master's blue eyes with green and a cheerful grin, "I suppose I'm lucky to have such a beautiful Master, if that is indeed what you are? I am your Servant, Archer, and my skills of all kinds are at your disposal."

Saber's eyes traveled from her master, to the trio of maids, as they proceeded to follow their swift orders. Excellent. While she did not require what had been asked for, her Master seemed highly in control of the situation. This was someone that the woman could feel pride in serving. Politely, she bowed, feeling that her Master certainly deserved the courtesy, before approaching the taller girl. This was, naturally, an important juncture. She would need to learn what her Master desired and how to fulfill this purpose as thoroughly as she could. After all, it was the entire reason she so strongly desired to be summoned. Saber's one wish was to serve a Master with honor and dignity.

"I am pleased that you wish to discuss tactics before jumping into anything like a complete fool," she began, "I do not know if I could tolerate being summoned by an imbecile whose only plan was to charge mindlessly into battle and lose their lives in an utterly undignified manner. Honor is not idiocy."

It was a frank expression of Saber's opinion on the matter, something she fully desired to clarify before she began to get into anything else. "... In addition, may I please be told your name?"

Yumiko forced a smile towards her new Servant before falling backwards onto the grass behind her. The clearing was large enough to let Yumiko see the moon as it passed by ever-so-slowly overhead, and the sounds of the forest at night were familiar, albeit somewhat strange given that this was nowhere near her own home. Her chest heaved as she took in deep breath after deep breath, attempting to dispel the pain that her now-sapped Circuits were spreading throughout her body. She was nowhere near fainting, but it was likely that she'd stay lying down for a while to recover the minimum amount of energy needed to... Well, at least walk back to her rented home.

"Yes, I am your Master. Pardon my... Unsightly appearance," Yumiko said, pushing herself off the ground to take the look at the Servant in front of her again. "But... Yes, regardless, I thank you for your aid from here on out."

With that, the girl promptly fell back down, lying face-up towards the sky once more.

"Erm... If you don't mind... Could you help me out a bit here?"

---

"Very well. With your confirmation, our contract has henceforth been sealed," Lancer said, performing a deep bow in front of the girl. "So long as I live, I shall do my utmost to protect you from any harm, my Master."

Standing up straight once more, Lancer looked at Fio as she boasted of the pair's chances, to which he responded with a shake of his head.

"Hubris is unbecoming of a leader. A true fighter knows when to be humble and when to be arrogant; you know as well as I do that nothing is set in stone. While I may agree with that statement, the sentiment that comes with it has led to many a death during my own time," he said solemnly before turning to the nearest window, his face unchanging. "Let us proceed with knowledge and strength, rather than arrogance and boasts."

Though he had reproached the girl for her comment, Lancer's voice remained steadfast. His Master had confidence that far exceeded her at the moment, so his duty, as he saw it, was to make sure that it wouldn't balloon into something she couldn't handle afterwards. To him, she was still a child, and though she might have the capability to fight, her personality was one that seemed to be asking for trouble, which might bode ill in the future.

"Ah? Lancer, you don't need to worry about that," Fio said. Her Lancer was sounding so cautious! Weren't they supposed to be, well, fast and aggressive? That's what she heard about the class at least. Sure, planning was important, but why did he think he needed to tell her? Oh well, it was time to clarify that she totally had everything under control. That was about right. The girl folded her arms, her confident grin holding fast.

"It's not like I haven't been planning or anything," the girl in a suit continued, placing her hands on her hips as she did. "My familiars are already scouting the city for any unusual activity. When someone makes a move, we'll be sure to catch them. And after all, you're Lancer, so you have an advantage of range and speed in melee, don't you?"

Fio's grin was utterly unshakable. "I was planning on talking over our tactics with you and stuff, anyway. Gotta plan for how you fight and all, right? But when it comes to Masters, I bet I can handle them."

The breeze blew a silent hum disturbing the rouge pieces of leaves, twigs and debris of the forest which dropped from the plantation. The town of Redrock was indeed beautiful, as the smell of the sea lingered in the air with salt and the red stones on the beach which they would have to visit. It was one of the better joys that traveling brought, allowing Uriel to see more of the world and enjoy it as well with such a scenic environment. However, those thoughts were at the back of his mind for the moment for tonight was meant for a special event of becoming a master for the Grail Wars. Looking at the moon too was simply beautiful as well in the peace and calm that the forest provided before the great battles that will happen soon.

Uriel smiled to himself as he looked at the cottage that was in the woods which served as his lodgings for the moment, reclused and far away from the town itself. Its position in the woods made it an awkward base to use but perhaps the safest places which held more to what was seeable to the eye. Laid out in a grove, it was indeed a beautiful spot which was worth the experience itself. It open nature however allowed him to surrounded the area with a simple bounded field that the every magus should be able to perform, its sole purpose to detect whatever passed the perimeter that had magic circuits.

Entering the comfy cottage, it was a two-story building with a basement that was connected to the catacombs which the town Redrock had underneath, with this cottage being one of the many exits. The exit for the meanwhile was sealed by magical means for the moment but when its use was needed, he'd unseal it. For now, the basement was the perfect spot to conduct his ritual as he already prepared what was needed with the ritual circle made of blood was ready to be used that was quite larger than the normal. The size of the red ritual circle probably thrice as big as the regular ones, it simply compensated for the lack of his own magical capabilities as the ritual would draw a greater more deal of mana from the environment itself and burn his circuits less. Nevertheless, his circuit would still burn at the sheer intake of prana that the ritual would consume but with the appropriate abilities, even a lesser mage like he could get something of greater value that could be obtained outside of sheer brute power. His catalyst was ready and projected, with weeks worth of dedicated time to produce the same precise details of their real counterparts, they would serve their purpose on a tall mannequin who was as close to the details he could concretely discover as a fact on his servant he wished to produce. Should something go wrong, hopefully, these preparations that he made would still summon forth a servant of considerable power from the same Age where he was summoning from.

Sighing, he anticipated the pain that would come as he began uttering the aria...

"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."

He winced in slight pain as it was expected, he was pushing himself to the limits of what his magic circuits was capable of pushing out along with the mana flowing in as well... Whatever he would summon, it would eventually knock on his door.

"Your true self shall follow me, all my fate and doom lies in your blade.
In accordance with the approach 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 ―――！"

Then there was light... Literally, as it blinded Uriel within the enclosed room of the basement the marvelous glow of the ritual simply radiated as something came through from the other side. Sure he was sweating, his ritual circles messed up and destroyed along with the slight trace of steam coming off his body from the overexertion of his magic circuits but overall, this could be considered a success. Only thing that he would prefer to do this next time was with a larger scale circle perhaps or with a leyline so that nasty sensation of his circuits burning wouldn't happen again. Still he was eager to see who'd he summon, for his catalyst would most likely summon a servant from the knight classes.

@Pie Flavor
The Ring pulses red, light emanating from the runes and lines, as if responding to your chants. Crackling, scarlet, eldritch energies fill the air as magic is pumped into the circle. A wind begins whipping around your frame, picking up dust in its wake forming clouds of debris that blow past your feet. As you finish your chant, a bright crimson sphere of light begins expanding from the circle's center, slowly filling the basement. Exploding outwards with a bright flash and loud bang, you lose coherency for a moment. As you recover, you gaze into rusty miasma highlighting the tall proud figure that looms over you. He looks the part of a hero reborn. Through the poor lighting, you can make out the glint of bronze, and you begin to make out more details. Clad in a gold-trimmed black muscle cuirass with the crest of boar on his breast, his face is completely obscured by his light blue crested Corinthian style helmet, the only discernible feature being his grey eyes that stare at you like an owl. His arms are bereft of armor, and you can see his olive, tawny skin serving to highlight the myriad of pale scars that speak of a lifetime of battle that crisscross his limbs. HIs legs are clad in bronze greaves that gleams like the rest of his armor and weapons. On his back he carries a spear with a leaf-shaped blade and a large round shield. Silence falls as your servant regards you.

---

The first thing that filled his mind was his purpose. A Grail War, his class, Lancer, a torrent of information. Millennia of cultural and historical information flooded his mind as he remained studied his Master. Tall, only an inch shorter than himself Lancer noted, built strong, with features that Lancer's new memories traced to "Europe". His aura was one of caution of restrained excitement, good a careful master was one who lived longer, which meant more time for Lancer to fight.

"A fine master." Lancer muses silently as he as his small smile goes unseen behind his helm. Flexing his right arm up to his face, Lancer makes a fist, before pounding it into his breastplate, "A fine master to serve indeed."

"I am Servant Lancer, and I ask of you." Lancer's low voiced rumbled, resembling the growl of a lion more than a man, "Are you my Master?"

The blinding light that came from the ritual was justified as what came out of it was quite... something to say the least that was on Uriel's mind. 'The lancer class hmm? I guess that is better than what I expected myself to summon, thank god it wasn't the berserker class' He thought to himself with a pang of relief as Lancer told him the basics of who he was. Tracing Lancer's armor that slightly gleamed in the darkness, also following the lines of his body as Uriel got closer. "I guess those marble figures aren't really that off, huh?" He said in surprise, looking at the destroyed mannequin which creepily looked similar to Lancer but with more splinters and less flesh along with the projected equipment it had on for the ritual now gone. He had went through the trouble of having the wooden thing carved to look like the statue but never thought it would actually summon the real deal... Well, that was good for himself then.

"Anyway my name is Uriel and I am indeed the one who summon you, thus your master. With that over, I need to do something before we can proceed." He said with a sigh as he pulled out a flat screwdriver from his back pocket as he walked forward before kneeling down as he chipped away an inch of paint away from the two layer of circles that were on the floor. Proceeding to do the same with the other two layer of circles that were also painted onto the sealing, dissipating the magical barrier surrounding the two. It was just... safety concerns that anyone with experience summoning should do before making a contract, especially with the possibility of getting a Beserker. He doubted that these safety precautions would have helped if these heroic spirits really wanted to take him down, but preciouses seconds were still seconds needed to escape. Once finished, he tossed the tool which had already began slightly chipping in the darkness which it would soon dissipate as it was merely a projection.

Once that was over, Uriel opened the door that lead to the house above leaking moonlight into the basement " Come Lancer, lets acquaint ourselves if you wish to do that. If not then follow me still, I should make you familiar with the location that we are at before we can be comfortable." He said briefly waiting for Lancer for a few moments before deciding against it as he headed up without waiting to hear his answer. With the sounds of his footsteps being heard on the creaking floors of the building. Taking the time for Lancer to get upstairs to disarm the failsafe which he set up incase the summoning went wrong... It suddenly hit him how cautious he was that he should just wear a tin foil hat sometimes, but tossed the silly idea aside as he waited for Lancer once he was done.

Kazuma Nakamura

It certainly was dark in the catacombs, Nakamura reflected, as he finished his preparations. It seemed appropriate for what he was doing, and the servant he hoped to summon. Maybe that particular goal made him as mad as his target. Just a couple of mad people, lost in the darkness and never to be found. He shivered, pulling his jacket closed around his shoulders. It wasn't warm either. Felt as though the town itself was tense, waiting in anticipation.

He smiled to himself as he completed the circle. He knew he was powerful enough for this. Heretics they may be, but his family were still old, and his power reflected that. Once his servant was summoned, and he'd taken the Grail, he'd never have to hide away in the darkness again. Looking over his work one last time, his smile widened. Now he just needed to remember his chant.

The difficulty, of course, came with making sure he received his intended servant and making sure said servant didn't tear him apart. He had the feeling that his ritual wasn't perfect, so it would take a great deal of magic power to ensure it worked correctly. Problems that resulted from his family's separation included a lack of teaching in certain areas.

"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."

It actually didn't seem too bad to begin with, although he could feel perhaps a slight strain. He knew it would get much more difficult once his alterations came in.

"Your self is under me, my fate(doom) is in your sword.
In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer."

Now. He had to change it, to ensure that he would receive his intended servant, even without a catalyst. Hopefully his incantation would work. He'd translated it himself, loosely, from texts that his family had 'borrowed' from the Mages Association.

"You will serve as a slave to madness.
For you would be made a prisoner of bloodlust.
I will be the one to conduct your rage."

He felt it, suddenly. The burning amplified, as the power increased. It was all he could do to avoid crying out, his magic circuit struggling to handle the power. But he had to finish the ritual, he had to summon this Servant, even if it damn near killed him. It was the only way for him to punish the Mages' arrogance.

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

With that, the pain spiked harshly as the summoning truly began, but he looked up at the site, unable to safely rest quite yet. If he did not make it know him as its master, then he would be in much more pain shortly and probably significantly less alive. Red mist coated the site of the summoning, leaving him unable to see the face of his servant. He spoke with authority and stubborn determination to hide his pain.


"Heroic spirit, whoever you may be, hear me speak! My name is Kazuma Nakamura, and I tell you this."

Standing up straight again, some of his usual confidence returned to his voice as the pain truly faded, his servant summoned.

"I am your master!"

@Pie Flavor

Lancer was no magic user, but even he knew how complicated his master had made his safety net. Why, the Servant didn't know, and honestly didn't care except to wonder how far to careful, careful was. Silently treading over to join his master, he dismissed his shield and spear, and removed his helmet. Placing the helm in the crook of his arm, Lancer mussed his curly mane of blonde hair with his free hands, before tilting his head sideways and staring at his Master questioningly.

"Master," Lancer began in his rumbling voice, "Isn't this a waste of energy and resources? I do not understand your paranoia. Caution is a healthy trait, but to much can be crippling."

Hefting the enormous slab of stone over her shoulder like it wasn't several times her own weight, Izisviel set about introducing Saber to the only four people she needed to know about for this war whilst heading to the currently sparsely-furnished living room to actually discuss the War.

"I am Izisviel von Einzbern, and the fifth Einzbern to enter into a Grail War, with a proxy working for us on the other occasion," she said, scowling at the mention of a proxy. Hadn't that worked out so well? She'd not been able to fight for the Grail's survival without hearing about how much he managed to destroy by chance, "The small maid is Lotus, the tall one is Cinquefoil, and the last is Hydrangea. I doubt that she will warm to you in the short duration of the war, so don't expect her to say much."

The white-haired homunculus availed herself of part of the cushioned sofa that had been part of the basic furnishings acquired, and after Saber had picked her own place, asked "Saber, how do you prefer to fight?" Obviously, she wasn't after Saber's choice of weapon...

---

"Whatever a beauty such as yourself needs," Archer stated, grinning and dismissing the bow to free their hands before scooping up the Japanese girl and holding her close to a lightly armoured chest, then... standing around waiting to be given directions. There were better places to get acquainted than in the middle of a forest, though Archer found such a location perfectly suitable for meeting new people, but... they didn't yet know the way out.

The short, dark-haired young woman nodded quietly in acknowledgement to each of the maids as they were introduced. Excellent, her Master possessed a full set of Servants for care of the home. Saber herself had some capabilities in this respect, but was not entirely keen on spending her summoning on home care. As such, the existence of maidservants was quite pleasing for the warrior girl, to say the least. Quietly, she proceeded after her Master, and when the white-haired girl sat on the couch, Saber went down on her knees, hands placed lightly on her lap as she sat back in this position.

She was prepared to receive orders and make explanations, as of now.

"Einzbern-sama," she began, "My preference in battle is for honorable combat against a single foe. However, this is limited only to foes who are deserving of such consideration. I will swiftly eliminate those who perform actions that cannot be thought of as anything but evil without mercy."

Saber's gaze shifted slightly upwards, towards the pale figure on the couch.

"And it cannot be said that I falter in full-blown warfare."

Yumiko let out a little yelp as Archer picked her up, fumbling around as she tried to get into a position to get onto her feet normally. To say that this response wasn't something she didn't see coming would be an... Understatement.

"A-ah! I asked for some help getting to my feet, not a princess carry! I'm fine now! Fine!" she said, quickly scrambling to free herself from Archer's grasp and pushed herself out of her Servant's grasp, managing (by some miracle) to land on her feet, albeit somewhat unsteadily. Honestly, what kind of partner had she gotten herself here...?

"A-anyways, Archer..." the girl trailed off, brushing her clothes off before turning to the Servant in question. "Just follow the dirt path along this way and we'll be back at town. From there, stick close to me and I'll show you back to my place, alright? It won't do if you can't find your way back if I send you out for something, after all."

With that, Yumiko let out a little huff and began to walk down the path, glancing back to see if Archer was following suit.

---

This Master... Could she really not understand what the point he was trying to make was? Regardless of information she could glean, boasting of their chances was--!

With a sigh, Lancer shook his head in slight disappointment at the girl's naivety. Her comments seemed to only further exacerbate the problem, which he would no doubt find vexing in the future.

"You would do well to keep that ego in check in the future. Great men fall because they are too busy aiming for the sky as their feet are tied down by those supposedly 'under' them," he sighed, shaking his head before returning to the more... Pressing matters at hand. "Regardless, I an not swift with my blade or my body, but I will strike through all that stands in our way; you have my guarantee on that."

Stroking his beard, Lancer shook his head in disapproval at Fio's eagerness to jump into combat against other Masters. This girl... She was certainly reckless, wasn't she?

"With that state of mind, you will almost certainly fall into traps laid out by our enemies. I suggest that you be proactive, but not reckless, in search of enemies. The stupidly proud will be the first to move openly; the ones we should worry about are those still lying in wait. Let us pull our enemies from their hiding spots, rather than us dive into them instead, lest we meet our own demise at their hands."

This was, after all, a Grail War. There was no benefit in being too cautious, but no merit in charging into battle headfirst; taking the middle ground to start was the safest option to a clean victory here.

Not swift...?

"... So... what, you're like a... 'power' Lancer rather then a 'speed' Lancer?" Fio questioned, raising an eyebrow. That wasn't what she expected, but that didn't mean that she was disappointed. After all, a powerful Servant was a powerful Servant regardless of what their specialization is. However, the other matter at hand, well... what, did Lancer thing that she wasn't going to plan anything out? Really now. Of course she figured things out before hand. Of course she wasn't just going to go blindly rushing in. One of the reasons she was so confident was entirely because she knew how to plan things out. After all, she was a Magus Hunter. Someone who did that sort of thing didn't get very far without knowing what they were doing, now, did they?

"Lancer, Lancer, it's like you don't think I'm gonna plan or anything," Fio continued, waving her hand. Really now... "The whole idea is to see what everyone else is doing and then wipe them out! I'm a magus hunter, not some stupid thug who blindly charges in."

She jerked a thumb towards her chest.

"I can back up all this confidence!"

@Bourgeoisie

"Lancer... Precaution is all that I have with the mediocracy of my skills, should one of those other masters decide to show up out of the blue and in the scenario that you are preoccupied, these things that I have set up will save my life. I have few skills which can be applied in the moment, but what I can do is prepare defenses that will be of use when the time comes. It is not an honorable way of fighting but the weak must fight in their own way, this is what I do best with my skills. So while I do what I do best, you should do what you should do best." He said with a sigh, admitting that his skill level as a Master was perhaps painfully low than what he was expecting among the other contestants in the Grail War ahead of him. Making it a mental note to stop by the art shop and stock with some chalk and paint whenever he went. There was also the thought of his impression on his servant which so far wasn't starting off so well but hopefully, it would be as smooth as it can be between the two as possible. "I do however note that you are correct on paranoia can be a setback but I assure you that I only set up the needed precautions for what the situation calls for. In this case, should the summoning that I had went wrong even what I had set up would do me little good. Either way, if you do feel that I am indeed overdoing it just mention it." Nonchalantly speaking to Lancer as he tapped his fingers repeated against the wall which he was leaning on... Talking to a heroic spirit from millenniums ago was as expected awkward and weird with little he could do in socialize with the warrior. Racking his head for any ideas before the base dropped.

"Would you like to see the city Lancer, to familiarize yourself? I think you would be impressed with what we have instead of chariots pulled by horses. Although you also might need an extra change of clothes for blending in with dress code of this time period." Uriel said with a tad of a smirk, wondering if the Heroic spirit would have any interest in exploring the new world both technologically and materialistically. Tossing out another option for Lancer if he did want to go "If you do, would you prefer taking the route through the forest or the catacombs underneath the city? Either one is fine with me although we should explore the underground maze soon."

@Pie Flavor
"Give yourself credit mage, you didn't do to bad if you summoned me with the stats I have." Lancer replied to his master, before reaching out and patting his masters shoulders. "As well, do not worry yourself on honor too much. There are other ways to be good without being honorable," Lancer paused, and shook his head while smiling broadly at the boy, "I never understood you magic users, but you? You have a good head on your shoulders, and you've summoned a legend of the past on your own merits. Come on, chest out, head high." Lancer finished, softly pounding the man on his back. Lancer mused at the man's insecurities, which reminded him of his own childhood, when his father was killed and forsaken. Walking a bit in front of his master, Lancer paused before spinning around on the heel of his sandal.

"Mage," Lancer began still sporting his grin, now a bit melancholic, "If their's one thing I've learned. If you commit to a fray, join in whole-heartedly, trust yourself and fate to guide you through. If not, then fear conquers, and no matter how many contingencies, no matter how skilled you are, you will fall."

Stopping himself, Lancer mused over the man's choices. Both were good options, but Lancer thought of a better one. "The forest I think, but, I'll follow you in spirit form, give you some breathing room prana wise, and no one will see into our little illusion we call the Grail War."