Alexander Nevsky

Listening carefully, it seemed that his Master had an interesting plan in mind, and at least it didn't involve replacing him. Nevsky couldn't speak to the value of individual cooperation like this, but it certainly couldn't hurt given what they were supposed to be doing, from his own knowledge. Of course it'd be a waste if they weren't traveling together, but that wasn't really his problem. Walgrave would have to be the one concerned by all of that.

For the moment though he kept silent, more engrossed in his food even if he kept an ear out on the conversation. It seemed that his Master had things well in hand, and he did not want to speak up for fear of ruining whatever his plan was. When it seemed like Walgrave needed his aid then he would do so, but until then he saw no reason to intervene. Eventually they seemed to settle things amicably, leaving Nevsky to go off with his Master on whatever they were going to do next.

Rising from his seat, he nodded to the duo that he had met previously. "Until next time," he said respectfully before following after his master, heeding the mental command. It was a pity to leave what was left of his food behind, but he would get back to it if he had the opportunity, and he had the feeling that this facility had more than enough to cope with the loss, given the amount of Servants present.

Coming to a rest, he surveyed the room as Walgrave issued his next commands, specifically to go and interact with the others, so he could give assessments of them. "Ah, very well my Lord. That seems like a wise course of action. I will do what I can," he reassured Walgrave without hesitation or worry. If his Master had a problem, they always had their command seals to use.

With that said he took his leave, moving away from him and towards the other servants who remained here at the moment. Some had left in the meanwhile but it wouldn't be a serious problem for him. It seemed things had gone along while he was distracted, but he couldn't complain too much about it. It wasn't like they had been waiting for him, and he had been distracted. But now that had changed, and he was more than ready to entreat with these other legendary heroes. Admittedly the Einzbern was involved, but there were plenty of other servants nearby as well.

"I appear to have missed the argument," he noted as he surveyed the scene. There had been one, yet it appeared that it had been resolved by the Masters present already. So much the better really, since a fight was the last thing they needed. "A pity I cannot suggest a contest that would treat us all equally." Because as it stood some Servants would obviously have an advantage in certain contests than others? That was just the nature of the divisions that had been created for them in their current Classes. Without knowing what was fully available in this facility, he couldn't really propose alternatives beyond reciting epic verse, and he had the feeling many here would not go along with that as a competition.

"But I shall have a go regardless," he said, looking towards Kintoki. He had no doubts as to his chances in this regard, but he was willing to try anyways. Stranger things had happened, and when else would he get the opportunity but in a festival such as this? Perhaps there was some way beyond mere applied strength to gain the victory.

@Beloss@KoL@ShadowKingman@Raineh Daze@PKMNB0Y

"Huh. I didn't expect this mess to devolve as fast as it did, to be honest. Two broken tables and at least one of them flipped was the minimum I was expecting," Keisuke responded to Atalanta, glancing offhandedly at the Berserker who was fuming in rage before sighing and shaking his head. "Maybe we'll find more reliable allies when the time comes. In regards to your question, though... I don't believe were were told anything more than 'meet on the bottom floor'. I assume that once everyone has arrived, though, the Wizard Marshal will debrief us all at once. I would assume the lack of concrete information about whatever incidents are at hand is just magi being secretive, as always, though, so I'm sorry to say that I have as much a clue as you do as to what we shall be hunting."

With that said, Keisuke silently dropped off his now-empty tray of food off at the collection area before slipping out of the room, trying his best to not gain any unwarranted attention. Trial by fire it was, then. Though he himself hadn't made any attempt at interacting with the other Masters, the mission ahead would probably tell him what he needed to know about them.

For the moment, at least. Walking over to the nearest elevator, Keisuke pressed the button and waited for the doors to open. Probably wouldn't take too long, assuming that the people working on the other levels weren't jumping up and down with them right now trying to prepare everything.

@KoL

---

Kintoki's wide grin very quickly became a slight frown as Sinfjotli accused him of cheating. That was... Not golden at all, man. How could a GOLDEN guy like him cheat in the first place, anyhow? It wasn't like him.
...
Poisoning sake didn't count. People's lives were at stake there, y'know!

"Oi, oi, calm down there--" he began to say before being cut off by both his Master and his opponent's Master intervening in the current situation. He appreciated the help, and though the other Master's remarks about not knowing if he was cheating or not stung a bit, he was at least thankful that it wouldn't lead to any more angry shouting. He was a tad disappointed about the catgirl Servant leaving, but if he was in her place, he'd probably have done the same.
Well, either that or he'd have intervened more. Quite frankly, Kintoki wasn't entirely sure if it'd have caused more problems than it would've solved, but that was probably something he wouldn't have to worry about.

Probably.

That train of thought lasted all of five seconds before a new Servant asked to try his strength against him. Kintoki was about to accept before he realized that his Master had decimated the table in front of him (he had been too focused to her somewhat familiar rage to notice in the first place). Shrugging his shoulders, Kintoki reached over and dragged another empty table over in front of himself before propping his arm up on the table.

"Let's go."

@Beloss@ShadowKingman@Raineh Daze@Flamelord

@Lonewolf685@KoL@ADamnFiddle

Saving up her words, Himiko simply smiled in a polite manner towards Seyrun as she greeted her and her Master, and as she was trying to communicate with Ravel, Himiko's attention went towards Tamamo, who was seemingly also summoned into the same class as her. She noticed that Seyrun was not acting in a way that would suggest she was fully openly accepting the two to be around. While polite, her greeting wasn't necessarily indicating that she would simply accept Himiko and Ravel as an acquaintance, let alone a close ally. A sense of being wary around other magi would be something basic that a magus should possess, after all. They were all in the same side supposedly, but who knew what could happen later down the line. At the very least, Himiko felt that neither Tamamo nor her Master were having any ill wills, although she still felt some worry about how Ravel would act in this situation.

She stared towards the foxy servant for a while through the mirror that covered her face. It was supposedly have the capability to hide what she was thinking underneath it, creating the reserved and grandiose illusion, but perhaps in front of this one Servant, it simply would not work. Still trying her best to not look awkward by staring at Tamamo, Himiko was then surprised when the other Caster explained about her origin. The reveal that Tamamo was primarily a fragment of Amaterasu explained the discrepancies Himiko found regarding her...everything. In a way, it put some relief towards her, now that she didn't have to keep her image too hard before Tamamo, but even then she still felt quite some shame for showing her weakness towards the other Caster. But before Himiko could properly say her reaction to what Tamamo said, the other Caster continued her words and cheerfully asked for the two to get along with each other, complete with Tamamo grasping Himiko's hands.

"I...uh...I..." Himiko stuttered, unable to form a spontaneous answer as she blushed underneath her mirror. It would definitely nice to be in the company of someone that she was familiar with in some way, and during the short time they had interacted, Himiko did feel that Tamamo's presence was quite pleasant to be with. As ashamed as she was about her earlier conducts and displays of weakness, realization slowly dawned on her that there was no way she could still salvage her image in front of Tamamo. It was hard to accept, but there was no other choice she could accept. There was no other choice that she would accept. She grasped the other Caster's hand tight, and for that moment, the empress momentarily showcased the personality of a fourteen-year old girl that never truly grew up.

"L-let's be friends, then!" It was barely audible to anyone except for the one person that was before her, and for that moment, Himiko's voice lost the forced dignified aura that gave it weight. The words that slithered away from her lips were not the direct answer for Tamamo's actual prompt - the words were reflecting what Himiko truly desired from Tamamo. It was childish, it was unfitting for a magus, let alone a queen like her, but for this moment, Himiko found the opening to express the voice of her heart. She was scared that Ravel would see her like this, however, her mind soon drifted away from there. Carried away by her feelings, Himiko noticed that it felt surprisingly nice to be able to speak in this way. Normally, a slip up like this would cause her to retreat to her safe space in her personal chamber, but for once, Himiko felt that it was something that was meant to happen. Still grasping Tamamo's hand, Himiko continued to tell her what was on her mind, gradually discarding her embarrassment and awkwardness in front of the one being that Himiko might be able to be honest to.

"I...I really have no idea about anything regarding what my Master asked earlier, but I don't want to disappoint her. Please, can you help me?"

---

Alexander Nevsky

It was a relief for Nevsky to see that things had calmed down and that the competition could continue as it had been planned out. Berserker certainly seemed willing, at least once they had obtained a new table to use. Here was hoping that didn't happen after every single match, though given how the first one had broken he somehow doubted it. He was no Berserker after all, nor did he share that desire to lash out at any wrongs or setbacks.

"It is an honor," he replied with a nod as he took up a position across from his opponent. He propped his arm p on the table as well before clasping Kintoki's hand, ready to give this his all. He had no illusions about how difficult this would be, but it was the effort that counted more than anything. So he gave it his full effort, drawing on what he himself knew about this sort of thing to try and claim a victory. Stranger things had happened before.

@PKMNB0Y@ShadowKingman@Beloss@Raineh Daze

@ShadowKingman
@PKMNB0Y

---

Sinfjotli looked back at the maiden only to find that she had shed her physical form and was leaving the chamber, abandoning the contest before she had even participated. This did little to ease his temper, and his scowling sulk grew deeper. He had hoped to impress her, if not with the first contest, then in some other field, and her quick departure stung his already bruised pride.

The blackening of his mood was interrupted somewhat as another Servant approached the table. Sinfjotli eyed him appraisingly and found he liked the bold stranger well enough. The man was tall, grim and bearded, with fine armaments and a noble bearing that spoke of a king or warlord whose deeds demanded respect.

Had his current temper been other than what it currently was he would have offered the austere looking warrior a smile and boisterous greeting. Instead he merely gave him a nod and grunted; "Ware the arm of this one, stranger. He's Jotun blooded, or else has some other trick about him."

---

---

Walgrave watched his Servant go and then turned back towards the exit, readying himself to go in search of his quarters. For a moment however, he wavered, and then changed his mind. It would be pointless to go and attempt to establish himself before Zelretch made his finnal announcement regarding the particulars of what was to come.

Giving a dry sigh he turned and made his way a little farther on, sitting at one of the empty seats that was closest to him. He would content himself with waiting out this insipid festival and using it to get a better look at the other occupants.

He found his gaze drawn towards what could only be one of the Einzbern Homunculus, but carefully affected not to notice her. The Einzbern had been one of the major obstacles to British domination of the Clock Tower for generations, and it was with grudging admiration that he studied the Homunculus's flawless construction. Despite his wariness of the Einzbern he found himself contemplating working with them, and could not deny that there was a spark of curiosity within him to see what their craftsmanship was capable of.

"Tama and... Himiko, right? Or would you prefer me to call you Caster, or another name --Miko, perhaps?" Seyrun seemed slightly unsure of how to refer to Tamamo's peer, especially given that they shared even the same class. Either way, the Norwegian magus cleared her throat, to regain her composure. "I'm sorry to interrupt your talk, but I believe it's about time we move to learn the actual purpose of this gathering. You may chat on the way, and certainly we will have plenty of time to spare later. However, keeping Master Kaleidoscope waiting forever is not good to show our capacity to conclude this quest. Don't you think?" Seyrun asked, while flashing an easygoing smile to both Servants and Ravel.

"Also, if it helps, along with Tama's counseling, of course, I might have for you, erm..." Seyrun came to a natural halt at her speech, still unsure of how to address Himiko, while holding her phone with the browser open on the first page of the site of a famous teens magazine. Seyrun wasn't sure about the specifics of Himiko's story, but if anything on her matched her apparent age, then a magazine for teenage girls would have just what she was looking for. Naturally, all of this was carried out in secrecy, as Seyrun tried to not let Ravel find out that she and Tamamo were giving 'tips' to Himiko.

@Nanashi Ninanai@ADamnFiddle@Lonewolf685

Atalanta followed Keisuke silently for most of the duration of the trip to the bottom floor. She could feel a great power coming from it as well as a feeling like that one gets from watching an approaching storm. And, storms were something all Greeks respected, as signs of omens from the gods. Especially those who lived on an age when their presence on the world was very real. "This man... no, this being, you call with so much reverence, he's the one that reunited all the Masters present here, right? What kind of influence and power would he have to call such a gathering?" Atalanta still wanted to understand their situation better, before taking any action and no one would be better than Keisuke to provide her with the details. That's why she made such a question that would otherwise look like nothing but small talk, before falling silent again, waiting for a reply.

@PKMNB0Y

Keisuke glanced back at the dining hall once more before shaking his head and turning towards the doors to the elevator as they parted, revealing a cylindrical elevator car for him to step into. The abnormally chromatic sheen thereof caused him to once again question why the place had been designed as it was, but in the end the Enforcer thought of it all as convenience for the sake of those who weren't as inclined towards magecraft. There was also the fact that the entire facility was underground, which may have contributed more towards why their base was designed as such, but in the end it was all just more idle thinking to occupy himself. Kicking such ideas out of his mind, Keisuke entered the elevator and pressed the button to head to the bottom floor. The others, unprofessional as a few of them were (Servants included), could catch up with them in short order. They'd have to; orders were orders, after all.

Atalanta's queries were the only thing that broke the silence of the ride down, and her Master was quick to give her a response.

"Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, the Wizard Marshal... User and master of the Second Magic and a Dead Apostle allied with humanity. To say his influence would reach across the world would be an understatement. So for him to call upon so many people to handle the issue at hand, whatever it is... The scale is likely nothing to scoff at."

As he completed the thought, the doors to the elevator split open once more, leading into a hallway with a rather large set of doors with a series of magic sigils emblazoned on them. In front of them, though, stood a lone priest, eyes trained on the Enforcer as the latter walked out of the elevator.

"Welcome. I've been expecting you; the final preparations for this device are currently underway, so I have been tasked with greeting all the Masters as they arrive," the priest said, a slight smirk on his face.

"My name is Kotomine Kirei, and I am the Church's Overseer for this mission. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Keisuke felt a shiver run down his spine as the man greeted him, but showed no sign of it at he shook hands with Kirei before standing off to the side.

"Atalanta, please tell me I'm not the only one whose instinct is telling them something feels wrong here."

---

Gripping his opponent's arm with vigor, Kintoki smiled and nodded as he counted down to one out loud before beginning the match. Compared to the Berserker beforehand, the Saber attempting to match him this time had considerably less strength. Showing any amount of holding back (at least until the point where the table would break) was disrespectful, though, and so the golden Berserker steadily moved to topple his opponent. It took less time than it did with Sinfjotli, all things considered, but he had to give respect to the old man for trying.

"Sorry, but it's my win again. Still, good match, everyone!" he said, a smile on his face as he extended his arm to shake hands with the Rider in front of him. "Alright! What's next on the list of things to try?"

Just ending the whole thing with arm-wrestling was kind of boring... Actually, no, it was REALLY boring. Maybe it'd be fine if they did one more thing before they left for work...?
Possibly?

---

@PKMNB0Y

---

Meanwhile, back at the facility entrance....

Pavel Dumitru entered the island facility, his large malformed black dog trailing obediently after him on his heels, glancing this way and that occasionally growling at the strange surroundings and new smells. It didnt like the tall sterile building they were approaching. The creature wanted to bound off into the woods and find a cool quiet cave somewhere to lie down...

The Dumitru magi on the other hand could not have been more delighted.

"What a place, what a place." He muttered to himself as he passed the main doors and headed up on through the lobby. "I didnt think these Clock Tower Types met in places like this."

Pavel had lived nearly his entire life on the edges of the Magi world, locked away within his slender strip of family land deep within the Romanian hinterlands. A simple but elegant manse surrounded by miles of forest had been his universe untill now. What other houses he had run across had been small mean things, often abandoned, more often run down through simple neglect.

Not to say that he was entirely a country bumpkin. Pavel Dumitru had been out and about a few times, when his father or other household members had been on business in the city, or, more rarely, in another country.

This though was new to him, and he found himself incredibly self conscious. To meet the Wizard Marshal himself, someone who had been half a myth to him only days before was intimidating to say the least.

Pausing before the door that the security personnel had assured him would lead to the room he was looking for, Pavel breifly pulled out a small mirror and checked himself.

With a small circular motion of his fingers and a brief muttered incantation a thin ribbon of blue flame flared up around him, briefly playing over his body. When it faded the man looking back at him in the mirror was a few inches taller, more filled out, his suit just a few hundred Leu finer. It couldn't hurt to try and help his first impression along after all.

Suppressing a shudder, and sending a tiny extra trickle of prana his Familiars way to ensure the beast behaved, Pavel put his hand on the door and entered.

Tamamo No Mae

The warmth of true companionship blossomed between the joined hands of Himiko and Tamamo, one forged of common ancestry and a shared understanding that would carry them through this modern conflict. Even if it was so tenuous as to only last this one life, the kitsune Caster would cherish it with the same reverence she held for her Master.

"Worry no more, my dearest friend." Tamamo spoke, easing down on the volume of her voice so as not to broadcast Himiko's every concern to the entire hall. She was boisterous, yes, but Tama knew well enough her nervous friend was still concerned with maintaining her public image. "I am more then an aspect of a Goddess or a simple Servant. I had spent many happy years of my life as a concubine of the Imperial Court, and it has left me with the greatest adoration for the bonds of sisterhood, as well as a plethora of knowledge in enticing the interests of the most mercurial men on a mental, and physical level."

Any woman could lay on their back and offer their bodies, but to be witty, skilled, and alluring all the while was a true art worthy of dedicating oneself, as Tamamo once did. Looking over Himiko's Master, it was doubtful they'd have the years it would take to have her ready for Imperial heirs, but the standards of the modern era were far lesser then that of her old aristocracy, so Tamamo was already certain Ravel would have her pick of the litter when she was through educating her. Himiko too, if the kitsune Caster had anything to say about it.

Compounding this joyous occasion was the outpouring of support from her Master, who was all too glad to see the Servants happily joined together. Tamamo saw this lack of jealousy on Seyrun's part as a sign of good character, and was further validated when the Master pulled out her phone to try and supplement Tamamo's experience with modern methodology. While she may have been confident in her abilities, it wouldn't hurt to see what was popular nowadays and whether these techniques were worth adding to her wheelhouse.

"But I do believe my Master has a point. We were summoned for a reason, so we will have to begin your instructions properly at another time." Tamamo said with a with a hint of remorse before leaning across the table once more to whisper, "We can meet after our Master's go to bed in the evening. Plenty of time to learn it yourself before instructing your Master, nay~?"

Knowing she needed no response to the rhetorical, the kitsune Caster rose from her chair with only a moments pause to pat her garb back to its immaculate state. There were places to go, Grails to find, and undoubtedly people standing in her Master's way that needed to be removed. Thus was the nature of every quest for the Grail, and Tamamo No Mae was certain to carry her Master to end, even if she plunged into the depths of Yomi to do it.

@KoL @ADamnFiddle @Nanashi Ninanai

As soon as Pavel entered the room, he was greeted by a rather worn older man wearing a labcoat, a clipboard and pen in hand as he began to mark things down.

"You are late, good sir. I think all of us here would appreciate a bit more punctuality in your timing," he said, jotting down a few things on his clipboard before motioning over to the side. "While the summoning rituals have been completed already, one of our prospective Masters tired themselves out too quickly; Zelretch has thus decided to send her to rest instead of proceeding. We have prepared the ritual to transfer the contract over to you, so once that is completed, drop off any non-essential equipment at your designated room and head down to the seventh floor to meet with Mr. Schweinorg."

The way the man addressed the Wizard Marshal was indicative of his role as a scientist rather than a magus, but his cold demeanor likely meant he had no time for fooling around. Granted, at this point wasting time was a mistake in and of itself, but even so...

---

After everyone had finished eating (and doing whatever rlse they had been doing to cause such a ruckus in the dining hall), they had gathered on the seventh floor just as Zelretch had requested. Behind the doors that Kirei had been blocking, there now existed an line of chairs for the Masters to sit down in; for the sake of time, there were only just enough chairs to seat every one of them; no more, no less. In front of the glowing device, though, Zelretch and Kirei stood by, waiting for the group to settle. Once they did, the former began to speak.

"Before I explain anything else, let me first introduce the Church's Overseer for this mission. Kotomine Kirei was one of the survivors of the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City and Master of Assassin, the Hundred-Faced Hassan. He will not join you on your mission, but will instead remain here with the staff to oversee your progress," the Wizard Marshal stated, gesturing to the priest in a simple motion. "With that introduction resolved, let me give you an overview of your time ahead."

"There are two singularities that we have found thus far: one exists in Babylonia circa 1500 BC, and the other in Scandinavia circa 900 AD. Though we do not know the exact causes of each singularity outside of the presence of a Grail in each, there are traces of Servants being summoned, so please prepare yourselves for a fight."

"As there are two singularities, you must split into two teams to deal with them; I shall monitor the Babylonia team, while the Wizard Marshal will aid the Scandinavia team. Once you are ready, please make your groups known to us so that we may send you off. That is all for now." Kirei added before the two moved to the side to wait for the Masters to decide.

@Flamelord

---

It took a while for the full party to finally assemble in the room that bore the strange enigma which would carry them across space and time. Walgrave studied the glowing object with undivided curiosity. It had been a while since he had seen any Mystic Code which simply baffled him, and despite expecting it, he was fairly enthralled when the thing was finally in view.

Here was a Mystery which very possibly surpassed the Servants themselves.

He pulled himself away from his contemplations of the strange Sorcery to contemplate a decision between the two missions. Glancing over at his Russian Servant he reached one easily enough. His Servant would be far more suited to the cold north than the blazing heat of humanity's cradle. The same was true of him in the end.

"I will be... hmmmmm, accompanying the expedition to the North." He announced, before he went back to gazing deeply into the glowing orb at the center of the room.

---

@ShadowKingman

---

Sinfjotli surveyed the gathered company and the glimmering artifact that they had been gathered around, with anticipation. The entire room was full of an unmistakable excitement, and on the eve of battle even his brief humiliation at the feast table could do nothing to dampen his spirits.

He was resplendent once more, armor shining, gold glittering in the light of the mysterious orb, and easy smile on his face as he squared his shoulders with his mailed hands on his hips.

Behind him his Master followed, staying just behind and to the left of him. For the others perhaps they would have debates regarding where it was they would go, but for Sinfjotli there was no question. As if the gods had planned it, opening the way to his old homeland, this twist of fate had brought him a step closer to his true wish. It was true that this land was not his actual homeland, but it was just adjacent, and moreover, it was of the same culture and mythical substance as his own legend.

It was a place where glory could be won on his own terms. It was a place where the eyes of his own gods could once again be drawn... a place where ragnarock could be achieved.

"I am for the Northland." He said, throwing his head back and broadcasting his voice across the entire room. "Let any who would follow me beware, there are none stronger than those who dwell in the north, and Woden will stalk the battlefield where I tread."

---

@ADamnFiddle

---

Pavel looked back and forth across the assembly chamber nervously. He had gone and been late! What a miserable way to introduce himself to such a company. The Wizard Marshal was right in front of him and he hadn't even made an introduction to the man! What would his family say?

The large gathering of what he assumed were powerful mages was even further blown away by the gathering of Servants. These mysterious spirit homunculi, he couldn't make heads or tails of them, but he could tell that they were powerful! It was all a little too much too quickly, and he found himself mostly bungling his brief introduction to the creature he was told he would be managing.

The man was... blue... for lack of a better description, with a fierce gleam in his eye. The Căpcăun had growled deep in its throat when it laid eyes on him, but had backed away whimpering slightly when the man turned his crimson gaze back on it. That had given Pavel chills. There wasn't much that his pet wasn't eager to attack. He had never seen it react in fear before, and for the first time he had been forced to use prana to compel the beast to not flee with its tail tucked between its legs.

It didn't help his alarm much when the scary blue man started draining his mana at an alarming rate through his new contract.

Between all this when the time came to declare which realm he meant to travel to he drew a total blank, and gave the blue man who was supposedly accompanying him a questioning look.

"Scandinavia around the late eighth century, you say, Master Kaleidoscope? Just around the time when the Leviathan clan had moved from Sweden, to our current Norwegian home and established and we established ourselves as a magus family. That is far too convenient, indeed." Seyrun seemed a bit more ecstatic than usual. Even if the event didn't put them any near her family's land, just the possibility of studying actual Runes of the past first hand was chance she couldn't miss.

"My presence on this mission may be as destined as that of Heroic Spirits who are related to it. I know the magecraft, history, culture and layout of a sizeable portion of Scandinavia with the back of my hand. I assure that my assistance will be of great use." At this point, Seyrun's declaration had surpassed excitement. She was not unlike an eager child who desperately wanted to go on her favorite ride of an amusement park, but wasn't trying to impose on her parents.

This much earnestness may feel weird, even unsightly, for a modern magus however, Seyrun didn't cared. Who wouldn't want to visit their homeland in the ancient past, if they had the chance to? At the very least it showed that, despite her exterior and magecraft specialty, Seyrun wasn't a typical cold hearted magus. Something good had come from El-Meloi's tutoring her, after all.


"Babylonia? That was a name very hard to hear, even as far back as the Age of the Gods. However, their legends were not unknown. If Keisuke agrees to that, I shall lend my bow to this expedition, there's no other place where I could put my skills to better use than to stalk the prey from the land of the King of Heroes." Atalanta declared her intentions. Despite being aware that the, potentially traitorous, Walgrave was going to join the other party, Atalanta couldn't pass on the chance of joining such a legendary hunting ground.

With some luck, Walgrave would get himself killed by his own slimy hands. Atalanta was very well aware of how the Fates treat people of his ilk.

@beloss

A shot of light filled the summoning area.

And before the Romanian magus was a spearman, clad in a blue runic armor, carrying a spear that was the color of blood itself.

Perhaps it wasn’t too bad a reaction to fear this spear, for it had taken the lives of many in the wake of a warrior unparalleled during his time, it’s design both simplistic, but the shape of the blade and the staff appeared “demonic”. A spear that had taken the lives of those one cares about; it wasn’t too far off from the truth. But the man who held the spear seemed not to mind the weapon in his hand. He simply sat there with a grin on his face.

“Yo, Master. Let’s work together and have fun.”

The Lancer was a magus himself, though his form of magecraft definitely was dated compared to most modern understandings of the subject. The modern form of magecraft was to “recreate a miracle”, but Cu’s was before the revolution of the age of man’s magic. But even he still understood, from his knowledge given to him as a Servant, that his Master was definitely top-class in terms of the quality of his pana and his quantity, even if his abilities were rather efficient compared to most other beam-based superweapons. Lancer’s Noble Phantasm was one of the most efficient abilities for winning a traditional Grail War.

His Master’s pet seemed frightened at the very sight of the beastrial man. It was wise to fear the spearman as a monstrosity. Within the confines of his life, Lancer had destroyed many beasts thought to be unbeatable, and tamed those thought to be untamable. At a deep, conceptual level, animals of any kind understand the dangers they are facing, such as a dog understanding when a person poses a threat. Though this is even beyond that. Even if the opponent was to the level of a DAA, at the very least Cu would have the highest chance of defeating the opponent compared to many of his other Servants, therefore how could a little runt compare to such a man?

His Master seemed awestruck by the fact his little pet had chosen to flee. But so long as he was compelled by contract, and the desire to contest other individuals whom hold the designation of “hero” with his own legend, he would choose to follow his Master.

The man known after a Dog, Cu Chulainn, for he had become the guardian of all of Ulster, and all of Ireland. The hero whose legend could be compared to Roland Or Joanne D’Arc in France, Arthur in England, or Heracles in Greece. But unlike the regal appearance of Joanne D’Arc or Arturia, Cu Chulainn was a beast of a man not unsimilar the Greek Hero Achilles.

“I think you have our [the Servant’s] position wrong here. I am here to fight. You are supposed to make the choices, aren’t ya? Just point me at the enemy and I’ll kill ‘em for you.”

Cu was a man of action. He was not someone who overly thought out his choices within the confines of his existence. Had he did so, perhaps he wouldn’t have died at such a young, spry age. But those who burn the candle at both ends are destined to fall to the their mortality before most others would. However, those people tend to fall under the designation “hero”, and according to Lancer,, a hero mustn’t have any regrets, or they betray those who had looked to their story for inspiration.

---

Ravel Livoria D’Arby

“I-I’d want to go to Scandinavia as well.”

Ravel hadn’t been able to discuss a single word with Seyrun, much to her disappointment. Her roleplayer is just a boosted bonobo and never posted embarrassment by interacting with someone so suddenly did catch the young lady off guard, but she didn’t wish for her original interaction to be Himiko also seemed to get along with Seyrun’s Servant Tamamo, so perhaps it wasn’t so much Ravel’s desire to make friends with Seyrun, but to give her somewhat awkward Servant more comfort in her mission with a somewhat familiar face. A somewhat awkward Master for a somewhat awkward Servant.

“Of course, only if you are alright with that as well you, Caster.”

Himiko and Ravel were, for better or worse, a team. Though she had refused her offer to refer to the Caster Servant as a teacher, Ravel understood that she could learn a lot from the archaic knowledge of Caster’s experiences. Even if this wasn’t the case,

The two were partners. Ravel felt that the two were not a traditional “master” and “servant”. How could someone like Ravel rule over her regal servant in such a poor manner? Sure, Ravel did have her Command Spells, but it wasn’t as if the young lady ever planned on using them, unless their Servant was a bit more rowdy than what she had expected. Himiko likely had more experience with fighting than the sheltered child that was the heir to the D’Arby household, hardly understanding the harshness of the world around her. A “princess” in her own right. Not completely dimwitted, Ravel understood her shortcomings as an individual.
‘
But she wished to make strides to press forward in her abilities in both the field of magical understanding and social understandings. Though perhaps it wasnt the best choice to take advice in this understanding from magi; those most detached from normal understandings.

@ADamnFiddle @PKMNB0Y

---

“I think you have our position wrong here. I am here to fight. You are supposed to make the choices, aren’t ya? Just point me at the enemy and I’ll kill ‘em for you.”

Pavel nodded slowly, still wary of this strange human looking spirit that could frighten a powerful man eating ogre with a simple look. He seemed to understand its true nature as well, and for an absurd moment he hoped that the man could not see through his personal illusions. Still, all around him the other Magi were making their decision. Determined not to be late again he turned to the wizard Marshall and said;

"Very well then. We are for Babylon."

Richard Montag

Time passed, revelries concluded, and it came to pass that the Master's and Servants were gathered to fulfill their actual purpose in journeying to the Wizard Marshall's secluded estate. The palatial accommodations sturdy enough to survive the antics of competitive Servants were worth admiration, and they would likely be spending a good deal of time indulging in them when they weren't off on missions, so there would be ample time to converse with spirits from ages past at a later date.

Zelretch explained to them the two destinations laid out before them and their minds could fill in many of the blanks off their names alone. "A choice between Danes or the land of a Demi-God? Aren't those some interesting choices."

Considering the dapper nature shared between Assassin and his Master, it was safe to say neither of them were very well acquainted with the regions they would travel to, at least on a first hand basis. It wasn't like Richard could go to Iraq and say he was now accustomed to the terrain once he went 3500 years into the past, and he had as of yet to form an meaningful attachment to any magus families in the Baltics that would require an in depth knowledge of the regions history.

"Hmm, I suppose if we have no advantage over either destination, we may as well choose the more refined and exotic locale. How do you feel about seeing what the King of Uruk built, Assassin?"
@GreenGoat

---

Tamamo No Mae

"Excellent choice, Master! Our meeting has been blessed with fortune beyond compare on this day!" Tamamo cheered, finding her exuberance actually had to raise in order to match that of her Master's. Her tail joyously thumbed against the chair upon finding her Master was more free spirited then what the Grail had her believe a modern mage would act, a pleasant sign for building any relationship. Thinking on that, Himiko seemed the same way once Tama peered beyond her regal veneer, so it wasn't a stretch to think this was a commonality between magi. Some were just more willing to conceal it then others.

A quirk of the ears had her turn and see Ravel suggesting they follow Seyrun to Scandanavia as well, and there was even a warrior in attention grabbing gold armor to serve as the bulwark to the arcane duo. A few others were voicing interest in the old North, but Tamamo was already up out of her seat and endeavoring to drag Seyrun over to the adorably fitting pair of Ravel and Himiko.

"Your Master is very wise, Himiko. Scandanavia won't stand a chance against our combined arms. Like the Sumazu of old we shall cry out as one-!" Caster said, throwing a mock punch towards the mystical relic that would send them on their way. "Chesto!"

@KoL @ADamnFiddle@Nanashi Ninanai

---

Margarita Reynard

It had taken more time then she'd have thought necessary to herd Caster into the meeting room and get her to stay seated through the entire presentation, but Margarita could breathe easy now that their courses lay open before them and things could progress in a manner she was more familiar with handling. Caster was an endearing child, and it was difficult to keep from ruffling her hair when she had her earnest ramblings, but all things had to conclude eventually.

Feeling a bit of the old French pride welling in her breast, Margarita found herself drawn to the idea of dealing with the Scandinavians. Their magic would be no where near the terror that the Babylonia team would face, and a Caster with this much support would have an easier time dealing with monsters and enemy Servants of the Baltic region if they played their cards.

"Faust dear, were going to go with the Scandinavian team, so stay close to me, okay?"

Even a Servant with E-rank strength was stronger then the average human, Margarita wanted to say by a factor of 10, but it wouldn't hurt to support Caster as best she could. At the very least she could carry Faust while she focused on her drawings.

@VitaVitaAR

---

---

"Please just call me Himiko, if it's fine."

Her heartfelt confession regarding the true state of her mind took most of the courage that Himiko could muster, and she spent the rest of the time just smiling awkwardly. Even Tamamo's Master was interested in helping her, but Tamamo was right, they had been carried away regarding this. This could be settled for later, and as they finished their business on the table, Himiko took a deep breath of relief. What had happened so far was a bit too much, and having a moment of respite to compose herself was quite appreciated. Even in front of Tamamo, she couldn't just act like a sheltered teenage girl all the time. That would be shameful.

More importantly, she still had to maintain herself so she could take care of her Master.

They later would be summoned before a shady-looking priest and Kaleidoscope himself, who explained the mission towards all the present pairs of Masters and Servants. Throughout the explanation, Himiko stayed quiet as she weighed in on where they should go next. The choices were ancient Babylon and Scandinavia. After putting some thoughts into it, she ended up thinking that Babylon was the best choice for her. Magecraft from the Age of Gods intrigued her a lot, and visiting the time where the Age of Gods was at its height would allow her to-

Although...it seemed that this time, it wasn't hers to decide. Seyrun voiced out that she was going to the Scandinavian singularity, and Ravel ended up deciding to go there too. Himiko could not simply put her interest before her Master's. And Tamamo already went ahead and decided that the two pairs would go there. Himiko had little problem with it, and as much as she was interested in going into Babylon, she finally relented and accepted their next destination.

"Yes, we shall head to Scandinavia too." Himiko held herself back from mimicking the enthusiasm displayed by Tamamo. Even after Tamamo explained her true nature, her existence felt like it stirred something inside of Himiko. It was odd, but it was not, as she first thought, reverence. Although, putting that aside, Himiko had to admit to herself that she had little to no idea about the appeal of the courting skills Ravel wished to have and what Tamamo herself overtly marketed towards her. She was asking about it due to the need to educate Ravel, but it was really of no use to her. She was just...couldn't bring herself to feel any interest to it, to put it in a way.

Ah, she was getting sidetracked again. Since they were going to leave soon, Himiko thought that it was a good time to talk to Ravel again, as she was a bit too embarrassed earlier to speak much, which worried her. Perhaps reestablishing the bond between the two of them would help her feel at ease.

"Ravel...this is it. Our first mission together. If you're feeling anxious, just hold on me. I will not leave your side and I will protect you from any danger we might face. I will teach you everything you would want or need to know along the way, and on the flip side, you will help sat-

Nevermind that last part. Do not worry about anything. We will fix this singularity, and I'll guide you to be an outstanding magus."

As Himiko turned her attention back towards Kaleidoscope and the priest, the face behind the mirror had reddened a bit in shame. It was important for a Master and Servant pair to trust each other completely, but to bluntly reveal that secret before the young magus before they spent enough time to deepen their bond was ridiculous. She was too carried away by her own thoughts. And then again, would Ravel even willing to help her? Himiko didn't want to force the young magus. It would have the opposite effect of what she wanted anyway

@Lonewolf685@ADamnFiddle@KoL

---

Victoria & Scathach

Once everything was done with and everyone was fed, they went towards the seventh floor, where all of them were to be gathered. It still felt like a dream to Victoria. All of this, where she now walked with other prestigious magus, where she now walked as equals, having summoned a servant of her own. A grand gathering for a grand endeavour, and she was part of them.

Once gathered, they were introduced to one of the Masters who participated in a holy grail war, the Fourth one to be exact. One of those church people. Her eyes narrowed slightly. She wasn't that well versed in magecraft, the history behind it, or much of any of the influential groups, but her father did tell her to beware the Church. They had mage hunters who were far more skilled than most mages were with their own crafts. 'Never gain the attention of the Church' was what her father told her.

Uncomfortable as it was, he didn't seem to be here to prosecute mages, but as a part of their support, so she made the best of it, and listened to what they said.

"Hmm, so I could go to Scandinavia, or go to Babylonia huh?" She had no idea where Babylonia was, but she had seen and read about Scandinavia. "Scandinavia it is! Lancer, you don't mind do you?"

"Yes, I have no objections to that." Scathach replied, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Once again, Victoria had a feeling there was more than one meaning to what her Servant had said. What it was, she did not know. But at least her Servant was compliant. She pushed those feelings aside, excited by the prospect of visiting another country. For free! Not even the smelly old man over there could dampen her spirits.

---

Dr. Jekyll@Lonewolf685

After all that... event, in the dining halls, Jekyll followed his Master towards the seventh floor, where all of them had gathered for the briefing.

"Hmm, I suppose if we have no advantage over either destination, we may as well choose the more refined and exotic locale. How do you feel about seeing what the King of Uruk built, Assassin?"

Babylonia, certainly an exotic place for one such as he, and his master. It was certainly preferable to being with barbarians in Scandinavia. He suspected Scandinavia to need a more aggressive approach by the Masters who go there, and thus requiring him to defend his master more actively. Plus, he would much rather avoid getting too close to Walgrave. Nevertheless, if his Master did want to go to Scandinavia, he would comply regardless.

"It would be a pleasure, Master. It would certainly be exciting to visit such an exotic locale in person."

Nevsky had not really expected to win the contest, and indeed it ended that he did not do so. Nonetheless he considered it a worthwhile investment, getting a taste of the other mans strength while also establishing a bond between them, tentative though it might be in this situation. It was undoubtedly better than them being complete and total strangers.

"A good challenge," he said to Kintoki with a nod, before finding himself called away. They all gathered in another room, with him positioned next to his liege as their task was explained. The priest did not necessarily earn much trust, but he seemed like he was willing to restrain himself so Nevsky did the same. They were all supposed to be working together, so he would not sabotage the effort through pointless internecine conflict.

So it seemed that there were two possible destinations to go to. One was ancient Babylonia, a time straight out of legend, while the other was the cold land of the North. Nevsky trusted his Master to make a decision, and in the end he did not have to provide counsel as to what they should do, with Walgrave going for Scandinavia. "Very well My Lord, so we shall," he agreed without complaint.

Of course, he was not the biggest fan of those from the West, having been assailed by misguided Crusaders from that area so many times, but this should be before the Teutons were established in their current holdings. There should not be any problems there, assuming those who still worshipped the old Norse ways did not cause problems.

"Rest assured My Lord, the snow will not dull my blade," he reassured Walgrave. He was used to fighting in the cold, and whatever this problem was, he was sure that the gathered collection of Heroic Spirits and warriors would be able to fix it.

@Beloss

Keisuke nodded in silent agreement with Atalanta's suggestion, regardless of whether or not he was well-equipped to handle the conditions there. Granted, a suit was never anything particularly good to wear for any non-formal occasion, but he was a professional. It might be a bit more annoying for him to deal with the heat of the Middle East, but if the alternative was freezing half to death in the north, he'd happily take this option instead.

"Then Babylonia it is. Let us be off," he said, making his way off to the side as everyone else left their seats in turn.

---

With all of those matters handled, Zelretch turned to Kirei and gave the priest a quick nod before placing his hand on the device in the center of the room, causing it to flare to life. The massive array of magic circled soon expanded above the heads of everyone present before a single large glowing ball of light emerged from the center of it. That one ball soon turned into two, and each landed in front of the Masters and Servants who were standing by. The spheres soon grew larger and turned oblong as they expanded into portals to the past, their respective locations able to be seen faintly past the boundary.

"Best of luck to you," Zelretch said, handing a small emblem to both Keisuke and Seyrun. "This item will allow us to communicate with you and listen in on the situation and interpret any languages that you might not speak into something you can. Do not lose it, under any circumstances."

"Rejoice, all of you, for you shall be the heralds of our future. I await your safe return." Kirei followed, smiling as he extended his arms outward.

---

As the Masters entered the area, they would be met with the sight of a city preparing for war. Soldiers were milling about to and fro, and the general populace seemed to be on edge. Behind the Masters, there stool a large ziggurat in all of its glory, making it fully known that they had left their prior location and that the portals had worked. The many soldiers on standby outside of the ziggurat seemed dumbfounded at the sudden appearance of so many anachronistic people appearing out of thin air, and a few even raised their spears in caution as they glared at the newcomers. A few of the people around stood by and stared in a mix of shock an awe as the group finished exiting, which was not necessarily a good sign.

"Halt! Who goes there?!" one of the soldiers finally asked, his eyes glaring at the group with suspicion. "If you do not answer, we will--"

Before the soldier could continue, though, the sound of a large explosion resonated from within the ziggurat, followed by an abnormally large beam of light that seemed to extend into the sky. Everyone immediately turned their attention there, and a few of the soldiers began to debate on whether or not to handle the people here or to check out what happened inside.

Keisuke sighed and massaged his forehead as the entire incident unfolded in front of him. The spontaneity of it all felt absurd, but if there was anything to be done, it was to check out the place.

"With no other leads to go on, whatever happened inside may well be our best bet," he said to the others, slowly walking forward to the steps leading to the entrance. "The soldiers might stand in our way, but I don't believe they should be much of an issue if they do."

---

Contrary to the well-lit city that the other group had found themselves walking into, this set of Masters ended up moving straight into the middle of the area in the dead of night. The world around them may as well have been pitch-black, in fact, if not for the absurd quantity of blue flames that seemed to pervade the entire area. The bodies of men, dying or dead, lay all around them, but in the distance the sole sound of metal meeting metal was resonating past the flames.

Upon moving closer, those present would soon find the sounds to be originating from a pair of people--one wielding a heart-shaped lance, and the other with a glowing mark on his chest. The latter seemed to be getting pushed back with each blow, being forced completely on the defensive, while the former stood out if only because it seemed as if the armor on her right arm and leg had been painted as black as the night--a strange contrast to the light blue that was the rest of the set.

The man's glance moved towards the group for a fleeting moment before refocusing on the fight, a hint of worry on his face as a few of the corpses around them began to twitch. With a shout, he temporarily forced the woman back through sheer strength before shouting.

"Travelers or whatever you are, be careful! Those corpses have been tainted by--!"

Before he could complete his sentence, the woman continued her assault once more, her vigor seemingly renewed as the man continued to defend.

---

@KoL@Lonewolf685@Beloss@Flamelord@GreenGoat@Nanashi Ninanai@ADamnFiddle

---

---

Walgrave emerged into the darkened wood, his hands clenched. For anyone else the sudden transition from warm indoor conditions to the icy cold of a norther windy night would have undoubtedly been the cause, but for Walgrave he barely noticed. The cold had little power over his withered alchemy burnt body these days. It was instead the brief perception of the transportation itself that had unstrung his limbs, and set his hands to shivering. That brief glimpse of magecraft totally beyond his ability to grasp, much less rival.

He became aware of his surroundings slowly, eyes tracing over the bloody windswept battleground and the dueling pair with vague alarm. It had been decades since he had bestrode a battlefield himself, and suddenly he felt terribly alone, frail and vulnerable.

"Rider, Rider to me!" He gasped out, takeing a few faltering steps backwards. With a brief gesture flame guttered into existence, flickering just barely in the palm of his hand. The acidic chemical stench he always carried with him briefly flared up ten times stronger, only to be carried away by the wind.

He eyed the battling Heroic Spirits through squinted eyes, and then turned his attention to the multitude of fallen corpses which surrounded them. The swordsman had tried to warn them about the bodies, and he had done battle with far too many vampires in his time to ever disregard such a warning. Focusing his Magi senses he eyed the nearest dead man and held his flickering flames up like a lantern.

@Flamelord

---

Sinfjotli's boast was still echoing proudly in his ears when the scenery made its change. In a moment, despite the dark, despite the battlefield, despite the fire he knew he was home. No, perhaps it could even be said that it was because of these things that Sinfjotli knew that he was home.

His eyes immediately found the fighting pair of heroes and, with a shimmer, his long spear, white helm and golden rimmed shield glimmered into existence. He took a few steps forward towards the two, but not enough to intrude on their ring of fighting space. He was suddenly filled with an uncanny feeling of elusive familiarity looking at the pair, but could not place them with anyone he knew from life. The woman however, was very beautiful, and for a moment he marveled at her lancework in the moonlight. Here was a true Valkari maiden it was clear to see, and for a moment his former thoughts towards the Weasel Eared Huntress were forgotten.

Now was neither the time nor the place however.

He surveyed the field and bit back a minor feeling of frustration at the encounter. He had hoped to meet with some opposing warband and make his introduction, either to be accepted as an honored guest befitting his station, or to blood himself early in this encounter and be reestablished as this band's natural leader. This single pair of desperate warriors, with all their bannermen slaughtered on either side was another thing entirely. It would not do to part two enemys intent on one anothers blood, but neither was it acceptable for their mission to allow the possibility that they would slay each other.

"Stay your blood drenched hands, both of you!" He thundered, leveling his spear tip at the pair. "The Volsungs have arrived! I bring a muster of warriors returned from Asgard and beyond!"
@ShadowKingman

---

---

Pavel glanced around the exotic city, disorientated. His poor familiar was even more put out, and once again he was forced to burn prana to ensure the now troublesome beast did not run off to find some dim cave to hide in. Blast the thing!

He realized that a file of spearmen was spread out before them suddenly, and that moreover one of their party (he couldn't quite make out who) was giving the order to charge!

He started running along with the others towards the towering ziggurat, hoping to dear God that some overzealous guardsman didn't decide to nail him with a spear at any moment. Never one to let the odds play out by themselves, he let his blue flames sweep to either side of him, spawning two mirror images flanking him as he ran.

"Okay Lancer! I know we don't know each other so well, but if you have some kind of heroic Babylonian diplomacy, now is the time to be using it!"
@ADamnFiddle