Richard Montag - Babylonia

”I have good news and bad news. Unsurprisingly your aim is indeed worthy of your title as Archer, however your target appears to have been little more than a decoy.” Richard said with no small measure of chagrin to Atalanta, and it would not be long before his eyes could confirm to him what Jekyll had already relayed. A golem far more imposing then the rabble that had assailed them this far was approaching, and its presence seemed to be a gross cause for concern if it had Enkidu up in arms about it. ”However it seems to me that a new straw man has been lined up.”

”Yes, retreat for now, Assassin. The enemy’s words are cause for concern but it’s nothing to act upon just yet. We’ve seen well enough that Heroic Spirits can be an eccentric sort, though perhaps… I’ll leave any further action to your discretion.”

He was lacking in the tactical experience to see a use for an Assassin in this situation, and he wasn’t going to risk sending him off after the retreating beasts who could have travelled many miles from their lair. Eventually there came to be no more beasts for his cloud of malicious smoke to suffocate and he allowed the prana controlling it to disperse, as he very much doubted it would serve well against a being of animate stone. What he required was something less subversive and more direct, but caught on a battlefield in an age before cylinders of compressed gas were a common thing wherever grills could be found, that was going to be difficult.

”Pardon me, Archer. I need to go see about finding any underground gas pocket.” Richard followed in the steps of Keisuke and departed the battlements for the ground below, sticking to the rear lines and planting a hand to the sun baked earth. His circuits sparked to life with the familiar burn of Structural Analysis, the dandy magus searching less for detail and more for an absence of solid mass beneath their feet. If he were lucky enough to succeed, then perhaps he’d have something to unbalance that golem….or he’d discover oil in the Middle East, but he rather lacked the means of using that for anything, so he was hoping for the former.

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Tamamo No Mae - Scandinavia

“Take that you mange ridden beasts!” Caster was downright maniacal as she laughed at the lupine creatures now helpless within her whirlwind and largely ignorant of the one that slipped free. Her hands were quick to form a second wind-aligned tag and clutched tightly within her hand, pouring her prana into till the paper cracked from the excess prana in a manner reminiscent of a Broken Phantasm.

The first whirlwind was a short lived affair and would lose its speed quickly, eventually flinging the wolves back to the earth, yet Tamamo was not inclined to let them escape judgement so easily. She threw the second tag in where the first had landed and watched it have a similar, but inverse effect. That is, the air pressure drove down towards the earth as though a tornado descending from on high and driving those airborne creatures into the ground with it. ”Bwahaha! How does it feel to be the hunted ones, my furry foes~?”

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Margarita Reynard - Scandinavia

For all its threatening stature and the ease with which it killed the undead, Edeltaud certainly was no Servant and didn’t appear to have the situation very well in hand. Margarita caught her being used as a chew toy out of the corner of her eye and thought her to be a lost cause when her shots came to pin down the left flank of wolves, but the timely intervention of the Fox Witch relieved the pressure of the wolves’ assault enough that she could divide her attention.

”Hold still or I’ll take your leg off!” The seasoned Enforcer snapped as she brought a musket to bear on the bloodied wolf and focused her gaze down the iron sights. Forcing her Od into the silver firearm, it produced a larger than normal shot of compressed Ether into the hind legs of the wolf, seeking to deprive it of its balance so the familiar could dislodge it herself.

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@Beloss@KoL@PKMNB0Y@VitaVitaAR

Nevsky

The clash of heroes with demonic wolves was perhaps a story that would have been told throughout the ages, evYet en if it had been a one sided affair. One might have expected it to be in this case, yet in spite of their own numbers and power it was most decidedly not (though with no one using their Noble Phantasm it might make sense for that to be the case) Yet Nevsky was not disheartened by that. Instead he rather enjoyed the challenge. It would make a fitting first battle for their party, better than the previous slaughter at least.

So the group fought, with him and Edeltaud covering the center of the wolves while the others mad eusre that their rear was protected and that the enemy was contained. He caught on to the attempt to isolate him and made sure that it didn't go so well for the wolves, though Berserker joining in was always a boon as well. They were doing well, and he would continue to push the advantage while he had it.

He did not back down, and faced the headlong charge with the cold calm of a warrior who had been in such situations before. Quickly he acted, with shield moving to interpose itself between himself and the semi-blind wolf. That would take the blow and hold it at bay for the time that he needed. On the other side he counterattacked, sword flashing as he attempted to strike the beast down with his sword.

Once that wolf was dealt with the, other one could be finished off with his sword as well. Not that he would simply rest easy even if his immediate foes were dead. He would instead move towards the right to hit the wolves attacking Siegfried from behind. This was not a time to be resting when there were still enemies to confront!

@PKMNB0Y@Beloss@VitaVitaAR@GreenGoat@KoL@Lonewolf685

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Walgrave cackled madly as he watched his spell send a group of the wolves flying back into a tornado that had been conjured behind them, their fur burning and shriveling under the intense heat. He grimaced a moment latter as the explosion of flame died down revealing the true extent of the damage he had done. While he had spread fire among the wolves just as planed, the direct explosive impact had done far less then what he envisioned. Truly these were monsters that were not to be trifled with...

Before him the battle was raging at a fever pitch, volleys of spells being unleashed while ahead of them Rider and the savage looking spearman alongside a demented demonic butler whirled about in a terrific melee. Rider was making excellent account of himself he was somewhat surprised to see, inflicting terrible injury on the wolves around him, while remaining unscathed despite their focused efforts on him.

Between them all the land was being turned into hell, and the former seemingly unstoppable advance of these giant hounds was stalling.

Grunting in satisfaction Walgrave turned as the Enforcer Reynard suddenly shouted, alerting him to the dire straights that one of the summoned minions of the Casters was in.

He gathered up his prana once more, quietly chanting his Aria, he focused on the wolf which the Enforcer had shot in the leg, sending a quick series of streaming flames towards the beasts eyes and long ears. His magical circuits were still warm from the previous invocation, the new flames were nothing like the former fireball he had unleashed, meant to distract rather than destroy.

---

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Sinfjotli laughed as he tore his spear from the heart of the beast before him, and then quickly sprung back as slavering jaws snapped shut just where his head had been an instant before.

You should have chosen answer me dog! He snarled in the tongue of wolves, before darting forward to thrust his spear into the throat of the monster that had targeted him.

Blood spurted from the wound he had made, and he twisted the spearhead as he withdrew it, ensuring a slow painful death. For any ordinary beast that had received such a wound at least.

Without even looking that strange hyper awareness of battle was coming upon him, and he could feel the tide of the conflict swirling around him, and around the intrepid Rider especially. They had halted the wolves advance at least, though the monsters were still very dangerous.

Sparring an instant he glanced over Siegfried, watching as the turned this way and that dodging around the giant hounds as they attempt to gang up on him. When for an instant his back was exposed to him Sinfjotli twitched, tempted to try something, even if he knew the window of opportunity had been far to small to succeed, and that no credit could come to him from cutting down the noble hero in such a way.

Pulling himself away from the view he turned, charging in to aid the harried Rider who was about to be rushed by a pack of the brutes. Shouting as he ran headlong into the pack he thrust again and again, seeking to disrupt their attack rather than kill them, he targeted legs and paws and the soft belly's of the monsters. Moving at full speed now with the agility of a god he raged all about him, unafrade of any counterattack, jabbing remorselessly with his bitter weapon at every target than presented itself, all while laughing and taunting the wolves in their own language.

---

---

Pavel gave one last withering look back at the staircase which his faithful hound had fled down and then turned back to the walls to face the oncoming horde.

Before him a battle was raging of titanic proportions. The Heroic Spirits were in full swing, hammering the attacking forces with the strength of gods. Against the oncoming horde however even their great strength seemed to be a drop in the ocean.

Though he felt that it probably would not make much difference against such a force, Pavel grimaced and started chanting his Aria, moveing his hands in slow patterns before him. Blue fire began to gutter from his hands.

Along the ground in the shadow of the City Walls, in sudden swirls of blue flame sprung from the arid earth, and rows of Babylonian footmen suddenly sprung into being. They marched forward determinedly, rushing forward to menace the skeletal beasts and various monsters. They moved in a wedge, following slowly after the Servants who had rushed forward to meet the distant golem that had appeared on the Horizon, and locking their shields to fill the gap that they had created.

He just hoped that the archers on the walls would have the sense to pepper the gap with arrows when the beasts rushed in the butcher his non existent phalanx.

Edeltaud was satisfied, even smiling, when her fist struck the huge wolf. That satisfaction immediately faded when she felt the teeth piercing her arm, crimson, human-liked blood trickling from her wounds as they tore into her flesh. While it was trying to shake her, she held her ground, gritting her teeth. Having been given a body like a human's, she felt pain just as much, even as the wolf was shot in its hindquarters.

"Edeltaud!" cried Faust. Her new friend was in trouble! Her Master was trying to help, but it looked bad, those teeth were locked into her arm pretty tight... maybe she needed to ask Gretchen for help! "Ah, um, I'll help! Gretchen might help too! Just let me summon for friends don't worry!"

"It's alright, Mistress!" called Edeltaud, bracing herself... and pulling back against the injured wolf's grip. Two sources of incredible strength pulling against one another... if she could not dislodge the wolf's grip on her arm, nor turn to attack it effectively, there was only one logical choice for the demon butler girl.

The sickening sound of tearing flesh and snapping bone rang out as Edeltaud's arm tore free of her shoulder, blood spattering onto the ground. One eye shut with pain, the demon wasted no time in turning on her heel even as the wolf staggered from suddenly being freed from the opposing force. Her foot drove into the side of the beast's head, and the cracking bone as she sent fractures through its skull and snapped its neck was audible. The huge canine pitched sideways and toppled over, before laying still.

Edeltaud panted. Blood poured from her shoulder, where her arm had so recently been attached.

@Lonewolf685@PKMNB0Y

"Hmm, seems like the furor of battle is blinding all of them to the greater scope," Seyrun said, sighing inwardly, as the battle against the wolves seemed to be both progressing and drawing to a still at the same time. Thankfully her previous spell shed a ray of light on the shadowy subject, the beast that was currently skulking, displaying a cleverness all too characteristic of the wolfkind had to have something different about it, given the way the runes reacted.

Still forbidden from using her unique magecraft thanks to range limitations of her chains, Seyrun defaulted to the runes once more. In an age when the power of the Gods was still felt in the world, this should be all the power she needed anyway, even if she was far from being able to reenact all the mysteries contained in her Crest.


She commanded, causing the roots of the earth to gain life and attempt to bind the wolf she had singled with her previous spell, with their hardened rhizomes. In case it succeeded, Seyrun already had three coins, containing Ansuz runes, in her hand. Even though runes are faster than normal spells, Seyrun couldn't be sure if she would have the time to draw the conflagration spell she had envisioned, using her pre-written runes would be best way to achieve it.



"I can see that," Atalanta replied to Richard as he informed her of the Giant Golem marching toward Uruk. Having a shot wasted by the ploy of some petty magician was a sure way to upset a huntress such as Atalanta. Good thing she could use her fury in more constructive ways, by taking down the Golem.

"Keisuke, I'll break away to help take down that thing before it reaches the city walls. The enemy's numbers should be sufficiently thin by now, but if you need me I'll get back as fast as I can," Atalanta declared mentally to her master, before jumping off of the wall, rebounding off the heads of enemies and running where the terrain permitted, closing the gap to the Giant Golem fast like a comet streaking through the night sky. Given both her speed and athleticism, it was no wonder why Atalanta deserved the title of fastest hero of the Age of the Gods.

When she crossed Kintoki's position, Atalanta halted for a moment, standing on the shoulders of the Golden Berserker as their target grew closer and closer. "Goldie, come with me, the city is well defended with just the King of Heroes' Companion guarding it. We have a bigger target to fell and I don't think I can do it alone," the savage Archer said. "I'll use my Noble Phantasm to immobilize it, But I need you to eliminate that thing in one strike. Do you think you can do it?" she kept her position at Kintoki's shoulder waiting for his reply before going ahead with her plan.

---

@PKMNB0Y @Lonewolf685 @Beloss @Flamelord @GreenGoat @Nanashi Ninanai @ADamnFiddle

The knight came to a halt when the skeletal army opened up, having been unable to find a weapon that seemed ideally suited for the task of clearing a significant chunk of the walking dead around him. Not until now, if the look of the sword that Lancelot held in his hands was any indication. It was too perfect, yet the feel and the styling felt like an echo of a blade that once he had fought beside but later forced to confront. Yet it couldn't be Galatine; the lengths and styling were slightly different. A sword that was like Galatine and Excalibur but unalike, yet not in the same way that his Arondight differed...

This sword was unquestionably of a lineage nearly equal to the Sword of Promised Victory and yet greater than Galatine. It was yet another question that would never be answered: how Caladbolg had made its way from the King of Heroes' treasury to Ireland. Yet now the original was in his hands and would have to be put to use against the dark-skinned Servant in front of him.

The madness in this enemy's eyes was plain to see, an unsettling reminder of his own flaws. But madness was exploitable; lost in his own rage, his king had been a distraction that anyone could take use of had they worked it out. Against an enemy that didn't have the wits to see through even the simplest ruse... he could afford to try and end the battle in a single blow the moment it began.

A sane foe would have been able to predict what was going to happen, the knight's hand flashing up by his shoulders and undoing the clasps binding the cape. Nobody engaged in a duel would fall for such blatant preparation for the trick pulled when Lancelot surged forwards, cape being used as a feint, to blind and distract the berserker for just an instant whilst those axes cut through the fabric--an instant used to press in close to his side and drive Caladbolg up and through the stomach. Size and reach counted for nothing if you hadn't the wits to use it.

---

Her Servant's strength was magnificent... though his ability to put it to the most effective use seemed to be somewhat lacking. Even without the problems of Mad Enhancement clouding combat abilities, Kintoki seemed to be very much of a "hit first and think later disposition"--in future fights, maybe she should participate more directly? Unlike many Masters, it would be difficult for her to easily be brought down in a battle against something less than a Servant, and from that range he could be directed...

When all the golems had cleared out, the Einzbern had moved once more to be within arms reach of her Servant. This meant overhearing Atalanta's suggestion.

Svetleaze looked at the approaching golem.

Then back at Kintoki.

Then back at the golem.

Its size was immense--it was bigger than the walls here, and would have stacked up impressively even against the castle she viewed as home. Certainly, there were Servants that would be easily able to annihilate such a thing, yet the number of Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasms was extremely few and the most famous wielder of such a thing was elsewhere on the battlefield.

"I think this might be too large a foe for even my Servant to destroy in one blow."

---

The musician, continuing to sit on the parapets, had switched from playing to try and ineffectually disturb the skeletons over to simply providing a level of ambience to the battle. It seemed too quiet for taking down an entire skeletal army, with the only noises able to clearly carry to hear being the sound of Gilgamesh's projectiles slamming into the ground after destroying any obstacles.

The wager was an interesting one... and had an obvious answer as far as she was concerned: "Someone that big is gonna take longer to die than a bunch of skeletons can slow down the King of Knights. Their boss is going down before Lancelot is done."

Skeleton after skeleton was felled by the cloaked Excalibur, falling apart into nothing but piles of dusty bone. Space cleared around her, Saber glanced up. The army had cleared a space, and the hulking Servant atop the enormous skeletal elephant had dismounted to challenge Lancelot. She nodded to herself. She felt no small amount of confidence, at the very least, in the capabilities of her fellow knight. He was an utterly insurmountable combatant. His battle would be one on one.

Saber would take care of the rest of the army.

A skeletal commander stood ahead, clearly in control of no small subsection of the army, if not everything directly beneath the Servant himself. As a result, Saber's target became clear. There was a field of skeletons ahead of her, but indeed, they wouldn't be able to stop her.

Placing one armored foot firmly forward, Saber held her blade behind herself. There was a blast of wind from behind her as she released Invisible Air, the earth beneath her torn apart from the force of the blast, the gleaming, golden shape of Excalibur briefly visible, its resplendent light shining across the battlefield. Then, the blast carried her forward with tremendous speed and force. Skeletons were tossed aside and knocked apart from the air current displaced from her motion. She tore a thick scar clear through the undead legion, before her feet slammed into the ground and she raised Excalibur and swung it in a downwards arc, aiming to slice the skeleton commander apart in a single stroke.

---

"Maybe he's strong, but Lancelot still only has one opponent," replied Yumi, folding her arms firmly across her chest. She was certain the other Saber would destroy her opponents, but she also had many more of them that could swarm her. As a result, it was possible that it would take her longer. Lancelot had only one target to focus on, which meant that he could afford to give all his attention to swiftly slaying the enemy Servant. "So I don't think there's any question that he'll win!"

@PKMNB0Y

The apparent leader of the wolf pack snarled as the entire frontal flank ended up killed, its eyes still betraying a hint of rationale as it watched the group die and the rest of its companions attempt to regroup. Tamamo's subsequent magic did no batter to aid in that effort, though; the rapid drop smashed three of the wolves into the ground, and if it didn't crush their skulls on impact, the resulting damage to the bones of their legs coupled with the other seven in the air inadvertently using their bodies as cushions certainly did the job instead. Bruised and battered (but now somewhat free from the wind magic that had locked them up), the wolves only had a moment to react as plants sprang up from beneath the snow and blood-covered land to bind their leader. In a singular moment of sacrifice, one of the wolves shoved their leader to the side, taking the bindings in its place. The remaining beasts (leader included) stood motionless for a few moments before backing up. The leader of the pack was the first to break from that apparent stupor, though, and howled towards the moon. The others seemed to follow suit, giving birth to an unearthly sound that seemed to cause the guards to recoil in pain, their eardrums bleeding as the sound seemed to amplify in intensity. The mana in the air seemed to ripple as the noise resonated through the air, quite possibly affecting more than just the humans at hand.

After a few moments, four wolves from within the group near the back stopped their howling, as did the four surrounding Siegfried, before attempting to dash towards the nearest enemy (who just so happened to be the wounded Edeltaud). Rather than all of them striking out at her at once, the group simply left one wolf behind to deal with her while the others adopted a V-shaped formation in an attempt to pierce through the rearguard and cause chaos there. The one leading the charge would not be deterred, it seemed, so long as the two it was "escorting" made it to their destination.

The wolves that were previously at Siegfried's back, though, were now surrounded on their own. While two remained trained on Siegfried, the two at his back immediately turned to react and fight. The wolf facing Nevsky, after seeing how its comrades had fared, instead began to throw feints into its attack pattern, hoping to spook the horse enough to cause it to react before leaping in to tear its throat out in short order. The one facing Sinfjotli instead attempted to dodge or evade all of the Servant's attacks rather than attempt any on its own.

"These wolves... Are far too intelligent for mere magical beasts!" Siegfried exclaimed as he cut down one of the wolves who leaped in to attack him, its throat spurting acidic blood as he turned to face the last wolf targeting him. Of course, whether or not his statement would reach the group was variable, given the din that seemed to be blocking out any other sounds from making it through to the group.

@VitaVitaAR@Lonewolf685@GreenGoat@Nanashi Ninanai@KoL@Beloss

---

"Er... Enkidu is coming along with us, though? But, er... One strike? You're joking, right?" Kintoki asked, slowing down his pace as he realized that his Master had decided to tag along regardless. While Enkidu continued to move on ahead, the Berserker acted as his Master had, his gaze flicking between his axe and the golem a few timed before shrugging his shoulders.

"Ah, well... I guess I could try to whack it down like a lumberjack or something," he said, gripping his axe in both hands before charging ahead after Enkidu once more. "No promises, though, but I think that I'm pretty golden shot if you manage to let me get a good hit in!"

"Rather than consuming even more mana to use your Noble Phantasm again, let me attempt the immobilization. I need you two to stall for a moment while I set up, though, so I'll leave it to you."

Kintoki processed the comment for a few moments before nodding and moving on ahead and the green-haired Servant stuck his hands into the ground and slowly began to change it from the inside.


Keisuke simply nodded his head at Atalanta's assertion, glancing around the battlefield at the few remaining beasts that had somehow managed to slip past Richard's cloud of death during the initial combat. It didn't seem as if there was any particular reason to take on what was the equivalent of a giant magical war machine while there were Servants to do the job instead, and so the Enforcer decided to move around and help clean up shop instead.

Richard, unluckily enough, would have no luck in his search for underground pockets of gas or other such natural resources underneath Uruk.

Gilgamesh looked at the two Masters waiting nearby and laughed a bit to himself, though it sounded more derisive than anything.

"Well, I guess I shouldn't have expected either of you to vote against your Servants, now should I? Very well, then; the victor of this bet shall obtain the freedom to explore this city and see what it has to offer. As for money... Well, I think you two should be fine figuring out something on your own!" the King of Heroes said, watching as the two mongrels fought in their makeshift arena.

The large Berserker roared in anger as it acted exactly as Lancelot had predicted, slashing down on the cape only hit cleave nothing but air. The subsequent entry of the knight's borrowed blade into his stomach caused the Servant to pause for a few moments, seeming as if the blow had ended his life.

Sadly, though, that was far from the case. With his neck slowly cracking as he turned up to face Lancelot from his current hunchbacked position, the Servant roared as it drew its axes into the air in another attempt to try and chop his opponent to bits.

The skeletal commander that Arturia had dashed forward towards had nary a moment to react, especially given the speed at which the King of Knights had closed the distance between them. With less than a fraction of a second to spare, though, the king's opponent managed to deflect the blow aimed at itself, only sacrificing the weapon it had been holding up until then. Throwing it off to the side, the skeleton grabbed another weapon off of a nearby elephant before mounting the skeletal creature and pointing at the King of Knights. In an instant, every skeleton in the nearby vicinity seemed to leap at their new target rather than continuing their charge at the city, a fact that the soldiers near the walls were very much grateful for.

@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze@Lonewolf685@GreenGoat@KoL

Jekyll

"Understood Master."

This sort of wide scale battle wasn't to his tastes, though Hyde may have something to say about that. The large golem was quite something to behold as well. With such a large creature, it would not be impossible for that to break through the walls of the city. Would any of them be able to hold it back? Certainly not he, for he would rather not have to use his Noble Phantasm where there was no need. The others would have to handle this creature.

For now, all he could do was retreat.

---

Victoria & Scathach.

Everything happened quickly, enough to leave Victoria slightly confused. These wolves seemed more than feral beasts, with intelligence enough to not just rely on instinct, but using tactics and group maneuvers as well. With their huge size, it was a wonder that the town had not been wiped out yet. For any normal human, these must seem like monsters far beyond their ability to fight. Against the likes of magus and Servants such as they, however, these beasts were far less dangerous, though that was saying little considering they could still tear Victoria apart like nothing.

With a howl, the wolves seemed to change tactics, moving differently in another pattern. It was painfully obvious by now that there was something else than just 'wild rampaging wolves' going on. There wasn't much they could do with the information, but it was still a clue towards investigating this era.

"They're charging at us?" Victoria activated her circuits, reinforcing her own body to a tremendous degree. There was no doubt she had well and truly thought of running straight into the wolves and meeting their charge head on. After all, she couldn't just stay idle while others fought. Being passive wasn't her style after all. "If so, I'll-"

"Stand back, Master."

With lightning speed, Lancer was at Siegfried's side, throwing several spears at the charging wolves, before dashing in to meet their charge, red spears in both hands.

---

Walgrave shook his head in irritation at the sharp howling of his wolves. His flames, herto being projected in sharp probing bursts, fell short and stopped. The old magus cast a hateful glare at the offending pack leader, and then glanced over at his Servant who was still holding down the front.

It apeared now that the wolves, driven by some terrible instinct were massing to break the center of their casting formation while keeping the advanced Servants occupied. Walgrave hesitated for a moment, hand twitching as he contemplated unleashing his most devistating incantations upon the beasts. This oncoming V formation would undoubtedly be targeted by the spells of the Casters as it came on. Instead, Walgrave looked to the advanced party, specifically to Nevsky who was being hounded by one of the beasts. If he could free up him, the Rider would be able to hit the flank of the formation with a cavalry charge.

Walgrave closed his eyes, focusing on the beast that was trying to devour Riders horse, and began the incantation for unleashing his Niter Fulminate Blast. His chant rose to a hoarse shout, and with a sound like gunshot, he rained down burning steel and flame on the wolf who was trying to unhorse his Servant.

---

---

Snarling in frustration at its sudden shift to defensive action, Sinfjotli pressed his attack, running forward and thrusting his spear at the beast with ferocious rapidity. With his snakelike reflexes he focused on bringing his target to the earth with a fatal blow. He well knew the nature of wolves, and even at this moment was sure that the rest were doing something else while this one kept him occupied, but if he turned his back to rush to the larger groups aid his would simply expose his back to the formidable monster.

Relying on his great natural ability he threw his all into overwhelming the wolf's agility with his own.

---

@PKMNB0Y @Flamelord

Alexander Nevsky

To be honest Nevsky was not aware of whether he was living up to his Master's expectations, but that was because he was focused primarily on the fight at hand. Survival was more important than appearance, especially with everyone in the village counting on them to succeed. The battle itself was much more engaging than idle thoughts anyway, and he made sure to keep his mind fixed to those ultimate matters of survival when it came down to it.

Just as expected the many Servants and Masters made a quick work of the wolf pack, no matter how much sorcery it may have been augmented by. It was a greater challenge, sure, but it seemed to just be a matter of time. Most of them even came out unharmed, with the exception of the one who had lost her arm. Which was unfortunate, but also a survivable wound with proper medical care. He did not worry too much for her at this moment.

So he faced down one wolf now, which would have been great had the others not been going to strike at this who did not have the same kind of direct combat capacity as a Knightly servant. It was too bad that they didn't have an Archer with them. But they did have a Lancer, and that seemed to be good enough. Now he could focus on his own foe, who seemed to now be displaying a new level of intelligence that hadn't been present there before.

Quickly he reacted, horse and Rider moving in tandem to dodge the feints and the incoming blows while he returned with his sword and his shield. A move which was suddenly and abruptly interrupted with steel and fire dropped down on the wolf from above. Even if it didn't kill the thing it would definitely hurt, and Rider made sure to dodge it so he didn't get hit too.

Leaving the beast behind he wheeled about and moved to attack the group that had passed him from the rear, working in conjunction to pin them between Lancer and himself. Together these beasts would be no match for their blades and power. His blade flashed in the light as he struck, aiding Scathach to cut down any of the wolves that he could reach.

@Beloss@GreenGoat@PKMNB0Y@VitaVitaAR@KoL@VitaVitaAR@Lonewolf685

In almost every way that could count, it was a killing blow. The length of the sword and the angle guaranteed that even this giant couldn't simply shrug off the attack as a flesh wound. Regardless of what happened, this Berserker was dead unless magical healing were to be delivered immediately. Yet, defying sense in a way that could only indicate a Servant, he wasn't going to die when killed. Not that needing more attacks to fell him was going to be an issue...

If not for Berserker's sudden attack leaving Lancelot in no position from which to retain his sword and avoid harm at the same time.

The better option was naturally to back away, leaving the sword embedded through the foe's side; even if the wound itself wasn't going to immediately fell him, a two-handed blade thrust through his entire torso would restrict his movement. All the better, since he needed to acquire another weapon immediately and this enemy was the only one around to provide a replacement that wouldn't incapacitate Lancelot's unaware Master unless the fight could be ended in a handful of strokes.

It was why, when the next attack came, the knight rushed forwards and under the danger, trusting his armour to ward off any glancing blows despite the brute's strength, and seized the shaft of one axe. In a contest of strength, Berserker would undoubtedly win... but with two hands, better leverage, and to simply continue his blow beyond its natural motion whilst knowing how to wield the axe better than the madman himself?

An axe versus an axe and the battlefield equalised, Lancelot flowed to capitalise on the sudden change in dynamics: from within his enemy's reach, a cut to the arm. An arm that, with Berserker's size, was an unmissable target. The aim? Not death, not incapacitation--nothing so final from within his reach. Simply to cut through the muscle that allowed him to fight back. With one working arm, it would be a moment's work to decide the battle.

Even a Servant needed a head.

---

"Oh, but it's not a question of his winning," the musical magician stated, tempo picking up, "Only if he can defeat a Servant before mere skeletons are cleared. Yet from the look of it, doesn't it seem like his opponent will simply prolong the battle no matter what? Your Servant is good, but not a battlefield god."

Money was of no interest to Honoria--perhaps because she had almost none from her constant travelling--but exploring an ancient city? It was an interesting concept. Entirely unknown music, something to warp into spells more potent than her usual fare by its own age... and seeing what magic existed at this time. Something that could surely give insight on modern methods and how to break them apart...

It had deflected it? Yes, at the cost of its weapon, the skeleton had just managed to deflect her blow. She'd have to press her assault to take it down, as it had rearmed itself with another weapon. But, at that moment, Saber found herself swiftly surrounded by every single skeleton within the immediate area. Indeed, this made her path to victory somewhat longer, but these constructs were not capable of standing up to a single blow. Power in each swing was not necessary, it was a matter of speed, and speed alone. Each time Excalibur cleaved through a skeleton, she had to be quick to switch targets and destroy another. Even as they made a circle around her, she was still steadily forcing the circle wider, her sword, clad in Invisible Air, biting through bone and scattering bones to the ground in a heap. The skeletons' weapons were not enough to stand up to the blow of a Noble Phantasm, coming apart under each blow just like their masters.

As the battle went on, Saber began to attempt to turn her whirlwind of death into an advance towards the commander, seeking to tear her way through its forces as she went, and destroy the commander as quickly as she could in order to absolutely destabalize its forces. With the commander dead, the armies of Babylon would no longer be so pressured!

@PKMNB0Y

Richard Montag - Babylonia

"Hmm, a shame." The dapper magus said with a disappointed shake of his hand, his hands patting his trouser legs to brush off the lingering dirt. He settled with his back to the wall and arms folded, casually observing the lumbering golem the others had charged towards. "If it has no flesh or breath, I'm not going to be of much help without preparation beforehand. Like Master like Servant..."

---

Tamamo No Mae - Scandinavia

These were certainly persistent beasts, Tamamo would concede that much, but it was a fruitless endeavor if they thought they still had any chance of harming them. Even with their full might, the wolves had only injured a replaceable familiar, and that power only decreased with every dead or crippled beast.

"Oh no, you won't lay a flea bitten paw on my Master~!" The Vulpine witch cried out and leapt in front of Seyrun, her reflector bared and ready to rebuke the hellish hounds if they thought to slip past the front line.

---

Margarita Reynard - Scandinavia

The flow of battle seemed to be overwhelmingly in their favor, despite the auditory injury inflicted on the town's guards. Even Margarita found herself missing a few shots at the outset of the howl but was quick to correct herself when they divided once more. A flamboyant declaration came from the sultry Caster with an obsession for public display's of affection, and Margarita found herself inching behind the fox as well. Odds were better then not that Tamamo wouldn't take a step out of place to save someone who wasn't her dear Master.

---

@Beloss@KoL@PKMNB0Y@VitaVitaAR

"It got intercepted again?" Seyrun didn't have words to express how much she was pissed off with those wolves. Either that or the generalized lack of foresight and strategy that all of those around her were showing.

"And now, look at the result of everyone's folly, just throwing attacks around regardless of any thought or consequence," Seyrun sighed as the wolves changed their formation and marched forth like an arrow, likely incited by the fact that she had singled their likely leader twice in a roll.

"Well, if no one is going to do anything," Seyrun said out loud, more to herself than anyone else. Like hell, she was going to sit here and let those wolves get any nearby, potentially intent on turning her and everyone else into shreds.

"Tama, use your Noble Phantasm and finish those beasts in one fell swoop. Show them what we are capable of," Seyrun called for Tamamo. The look in her eyes made it quite evident that Seyrun had believed that her Servant wouldn't complain that much about being allowed to throw her 'best punch' on her hated enemies. "Kill those things before any more mishaps happen!"


"If that's the case, I shall wait," Atalanta said, after being addressed by Enkidu. In one hand she was certain that her plan would have worked easily, on the other she had to reckon that overusing her Noble Phantasm would likely drain Keisuke way too fast. Also, the opportunity of seeing the Companion of the King of Heroes act against a prey worthy of a Servant's skill was one that Atalanta didn't want to miss.

While she waited for Enkidu's move, Atalanta remained over Kintoki's shoulder, balancing herself with easy. The leonine Servant continued to snipe foes at range while letting any who were too close for Kintoki to deal with. She had a smile on her face, remembering the days of the Argo expedition and how she used to fight beside the likes of Heracles and the Dioscuri in a fashion not dissimilar to this.

---

@PKMNB0Y @Lonewolf685 @Beloss @Flamelord @GreenGoat @Nanashi Ninanai @ADamnFiddle

"Edeltaud?!"

Caster stared in shock and horror at the sight of her demonic familiar's severed arm, dripping blood profusely onto the ground. The butler, to her credit, did not seem too swayed by the grievous loss of her arm. Well, not too noticeably, but Caster could see how she was slightly swaying, her breathing heavier. Edeltaud clearly was in pain, but doing her best not to show it. Fretting for a few moments, clutching Gretchen tightly, the tiny girl didn't know what to do at all. Well... at least, until Gretchen helpfully reminded her. That was right! Her friends were given bodies by her, and these bodies were under her control. So it wasn't as if her ability to help was out of her reach, even with and injury as severe as this!

Edeltaud suddenly felt a warm sensation around the severed stump of her arm, as the huge wolf drew ever closer. Glancing down, realizing the pain was rapidly fading, the demon noticed that motes of white light were gathering at the injury... and, stretching from it, now, was the rapidly-forming shape of a new arm. Her Mistress had reformed the severed limb, prana-formed bare flesh reconstructing itself swiftly. Even her suit was formed by her summoner's mind, and therefore the reformed limb was soon followed by her sleeve repairing itself to perfect condition.

It was just about then that the wolf was almost upon her.

Edeltaud was not a Servant. In spite of what she had already withstood, her body would likely come apart under a single blow from one. However, this wolf was not a Servant, either. And certainly, it did not have the reflexes that Faust had imbued her with.

In a flash, Edeltaud had sidestepped the wolf and made her way behind it. Grasping it from behind with both hands, she suddenly reared backwards, hoisting the creature off of its flailing feet, bending back to send it crashing head-first into the ground with enough to crater it, crushing the top of its skull and breaking its neck in a single motion. The moment the wolf's feet stopped kicking, Edeltaud shoved the corpse away and straightened, raising her fists once more and adopting a wide, ready stance.

Caster, meanwhile, was overjoyed that her friend had recovered so swiftly, bouncing on her feet with excitement.

"Aaaah, did you see that, Gretchen?! Did you see that, Master?! Edeltaud is so cool!" she said, cheerily, "I'm really happy I made her she's really helpful she knew how to use the natural weakness of these monsters immediately!"

How the natural weakness of a giant demon wolf was the suplex was anyone's guess.

"Aaah, we're going to be done soon, aren't we?" the tiny girl continued, "Does that mean we'll have cake? Do they have cake back in these times? If they do I wonder if it's like a viking cake would viking cake have alcohol in it and be decorated with spears or something because that's what vikings like vikings also like boats would they have boats I've never been on a boat before is it fun I don't know if it'd be fun but it seems like fun to travel on top of the water but does that mean we'd be attacked by sea serpents?"

@Lonewolf685@PKMNB0Y

The wolf fighting Nevsky and his mount was caught completely off guard by Walgrave's attack, and though the flames seemed to slide harmlessly off of its pent, the metal was nowhere near as useless. Howling in pain, the beast's attention was dragged away from fighting the Rider in front of itself and instead onto trying to back away...

Which may have worked out better if Siegfried hadn't taken the opportunity to cut down the beast whiles its guard was down. The other wolf facing off against him had already been cut down, it seemed, and with all the enemies in front of him now handled, the warrior turned to the apparent leader of the pack, his blade gripped firmly in both hands. The beast facing Sinfjotli found itself facing a similar fate, and its stamina could match the Berserker's no longer as the Servant's spear eventually met its mark straight through the wolf's stomach.

The three wolves left in the fray snarled as they bounded forward, eyes gleaming with a primal rage as their V-formation broke form. Of course, this could only work so well, as the two wolves that met the Servants to the side were cut down not long after, and the wolf that continued pushing forward only found itself bouncing harmlessly off of Tamamo's mirror.

Almost as if accepting a bitter loss, the wolves' leader cut off its howling and began to retreat with the rest of its pack—or, well, what remained of it, at least. The only ones left were the one bound and the one whose head was still skewered to the ground; all the rest were left as corpses, and no more.

With a clap of his hands, Shakespeare walked up towards the group and smiled.

"Wonderful, wonderful! You routed those creatures with nary a scratch!" he proclaimed, a freshly-written manuscript in hand as he extended his arms to the side. "And with perfect timing, no less! That was just enough time for this chapter to be completed!"

The soldiers, however, were not in such great condition. Their ears still seemed to be bleeding as backlash from the howling earlier, but they at least seemed to be able to speak.

"...You did it. I'm amazed..." one muttered to himself, though he could not hear himself (or his companion) in the least at the moment. "Well, we shall keep our side of the bargain, then."

With that, the tolling of the bells seemed to stop, and right on time, too; the rest of the militia that had gathered at the town's gates were met with the sight of over a dozen wolf corpses lying around. The soldiers who witnessed the entire thing couldn't say much, though, considering the fact that their eardrums were blown out and were thus unable to hear... Much of anything.

"...Well? Someone mind explaining what happened here?" one of the men asked, stepping forward to the front of the group. "This seems like a complete massacre..."

@VitaVitaAR@Lonewolf685@GreenGoat@Nanashi Ninanai@KoL@Beloss

---

The GOLDEN Berserker didn't seem to mind the archer sniping away at any enemies that drew too close to him as he charged after Enkidu, only pausing when he heard that the two needed to keep the golem busy.

The golem. Busy.

Even he knew that wasn't exactly going to be the easiest of tasks, but at this point there was no reason not to try. With a confident nod of his head, Kintoki charged forward once more, loading his axe up with electricity as he did so. A wide smile crossed the Servant's face as he moved ever closer, only to realize that the golem's head seemed to be turned towards him now.

And that the arm of said golem was now slowly descending towards his location.

Well, dang.

"Yo, cat lady! Get ready to see me blow that thing to smithereens! Or, well, probably!" he cried out, adopting a battle stance as he stared up at the descending pillar of stone and clay.

At least he got the "distraction" part down, right?

"Aight, let's go! The Kintoki special! GOOOOOLDEN!


With a cry, the Berserker swung his axe upwards, unleashing a giant wave of electricity that crashed straight into the incoming limb. The two met for a moment in a brief clash before Kintoki's blast broke through, severing the arm and causing it to stop resisting the force of gravity.

Which, of course, meant it was falling faster. Luckily, it only seemed to fall near the wayside and away from the walls themselves, but...

"Woo! See that?" he asked in a manner not similar to a child seeking approval from his peers. It was at this moment, though, that a large white circle appeared underneath the golem before the ground beneath it turned unstable. With the possibility of remaining upright becoming next to nothing now, the construct slipped and fell backwards, but not before a large array of chains appeared from behind it and flew over its body, thus chaining it to the ground when it landed.

"...Whoa. Hey, I think our green-haired buddy is done. You... Think we should check the thing out, though?"


The Berserker facing off against Lancelot showed no hesitation at he swung once more at the knight, only to find that the axe in his left hand was now in the grasp of his opponent, and that there was absolutely no time to even attempt a parry or a block. Lancelot's borrowed weapon met its mark, and as predicted, the Servant's arm, though not severed, was now essentially unusable. The axes he was once wielding dissipated into thin air (the one in Lancelot's hands included) and the Berserker roared as he grabbed the sword that was still stuck in his stomach with his working arm and pulled it out before throwing it off to the side. With a short moment to crouch down, the 3-meter tall Servant leaped backwards right after, only to mount the skeletal elephant he had been riding before the fight hand began and declared a retreat.

Or, at least, that was how it seemed; given how everything coming out of his mouth still seemed to be guttural roars and screams. The skeletons that had once been surrounding the two were now converging on Lancelot once more, as if to cover for their commander's retreat.

The target of Arturia's own charge was not so lucky, though; with the skeletons being felled faster than they could be replaced in line, it only took mere moments before the Saber cut her way through the crowd and met with the so-called 'commander'. This time, there was no time to recover a replacement weapon once its own was broken, and just like all the others around it, the blade of the Saber in front of him only needed a single swing before it was bisected. While the remaining skeletons didn't collapse upon their leader's death, they were left disoriented for a few moments before beginning to follow the Berserker as he began to retreat.

With the bet finally settled, Gilgamesh turned back to face the two Masters to his side as cheers began to erupt from the soldiers below.

"That seems to be the end of it all, does it not? The winner, it seems is the little King of Knights over there... Seeing as how those mongrels failed to even do their job properly," the king scoffed as the golden portals behind him faded away. "...Or do you wish to chase after that fleeing dog?"

@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze@Lonewolf685@GreenGoat@KoL

The shimmering, cloaked shape of Saber's blade lowered as the skeletal commander came to pieces, his torso cleaved apart and allowing bone to scatter across the ground. He had been no foe of any real challenge, a magical construct meant to attack and kill the soldiers, but unprepared for a Servant. As she expected, the army routed very shortly afterwards. Even the Servant Lancelot was dueling pulled out into a full retreat. Around the shimmering, armored figure was a wide expanse of scattered bones and weaponry, a field of destroyed skeletal soldiers. The amount of skeletal constructs that the King of Knights had destroyed was incredible, and yet the army was far more vast. Still, an appreciable number of its forces had been annihilated, and the commander destroyed. This was an undeniable victory for the forces defending Babylonia.

Saber did not allow her frame to release any tension, however. She was still prepared for anything that could possibly follow such a vicious bout of combat. For the moment, though, she did believe combat was concluded. It was simply a matter of being certain, as it wasn't impossible for a sudden counterattack to occur.

Standing in a field of bones, the blonde-haired knight remained ready until she was completely certain there would be no further assault on the city.

---

Yumi was not one to be dissuaded by the lack of death at the conclusion of her Saber's duel.

"It doesn't matter if Lancelot didn't kill him, he forced him to retreat!" the small magus declared, folding her arms firmly, "That meant that he won, fair and square. There's no way that it can be called your Servant's victory when Lancelot forced the enemy to retreat! That's jut how it is!"

Alexander Nevsky

With all of the servants working together in conjunction with those Masters who had combat capabilities, they successfully managed to fend off the wolves. Nevsky was disappointed to see that they had not managed to get all of them as the apparent leader led a retreat, but it would be unwise to pursue when it was so late out. They didn't know if this had been the entirety of their force, and being led into an ambush in the middle of the night was not a desirable outcome, understandably.

He returned to the main group then, bringing his horse to a halt before hopping off of it next to Walgrave. "Very good my Lord," he said with a nod. "That should give those beasts some pause before they launch another assault on this village." His master had proven himself to be an effective magus, at least in handling their current level of threats. Then again that was why he was here. If they met anything that Walgrave couldn't handle, Nevsky would protect him.

Leaving the bound wolf to someone who was more qualified to deal with that than him, he instead turned towards the gate. The bells had stopped, just in time for militia to begin gathering. That was a sight he was used to, though they were dressed differently than the traditional Muscovite peasant. Understandable, and since a leader quickly emerged there was nothing to worry about.

It was him that Nevsky would address, weapon sheathed and leading along his horse. "We fought those demonic beasts and vanquished them," he explained in a confident tone. "They should not trouble you for the present." Not that they would be gone forever, but for now they had been put to flight, and that would be good enough.

@PKMNB0Y@Beloss

With the sudden, unforeseen finale of their skirmish, Seyrun was left in a state of —bitterness, perhaps?— What was all it for in the end?

"At least I didn't have to waste any hard to replace resources," the young Scandinavian magus thought. Suddenly, her lips curled into a smirk, just before Seyrun would turn around to the seeming leader of the guards. "I trust that material compensation isn't too much to ask for our services, is it? After all, the Children of Alfodr always repay their debts in kind and degree, isn't it?"

Perhaps some of the others might see Seyrun as being stingy, or downright immoral, for asking for compensation in a time like this. However, being a Scandinavian who still followed the old pagan traditions, she knew very well that not asking for it was a far bigger offense.

While she waited for an answer, Seyrun draped herself in Tamamo's fur once more. When it comes down to utility, Seyrun really had the best servant of their lot, uh?


"Indeed, I've seen," Atalanta replied to Kintoki's excited question. "You are every bit of what I expected, Goldie." In fact that was true. Kintoki was every bit as powerful as Atalanta thought him to be, right on par with Heracles. Perhaps his technique was even more brutal, but it certainly lacked the refinement one would become used to after being witness to uncountable uses of Nine Lives. Well, there's only so much one can ask of a Heroic Spirit not from the Age of Gods, after all.

When the golem was finally felled, or rather, immobilized by the King of Heroes' Companion, Atalanta observed it bend under its own weight and finally meet the chains which would keep it secure. She imagined that it wouldn't have been too different from when the Titans were thrown into the pits of Tartarus, even thought this construct lacked the mark of something from her time, like those produced by Daedalus.

"Let me do it," Atalanta replied to Kintoki, before leaping from his shoulder, somersaulting over some more unimportant enemies until she landed over the Golem, to check it especially looking for any visible weak points or information that could lead to its creator, like a trail of scent.

---

@PKMNB0Y @Lonewolf685 @Beloss @Flamelord @GreenGoat @Nanashi Ninanai @ADamnFiddle