Eventually, it seemed that her servant was coming to his senses. The maddening laughter of a lunatic had subsided to a delirious laughter, and now her servant would speak as if he had a head on his shoulders rather than trying to get his horse to charge the house she had erroneously summoned him at. His giant stature easily shook the tree he leaned against as he moved, after having introduced himself finally of course, causing Lorelei to move back slightly to avoid getting in his way if he was to spit up more blood. If nothing else, however, this was a good sign since he was now speaking and sitting up. It seemed her mistake in summoning him at that accursed house had not managed to kill her chances at the Grail as of yet.

Yet...things did not go exactly as she had hoped when the giant man spoke once more. It seemed he had accredited the incident to god himself, or at least the god of his time and place in the world, which was perhaps somewhat of a comfort to Lorelei despite making her want to raise an eyebrow (which she did not do) at the statement. After this, however, the news the giant of a servant dropped onto her caused the homunculus to lose whatever words she had been about to say others, leaving her to initially sit back on her butt and blink a few times in astonishment as she tried to process what he had just told her.

"I cannot help you achieve the Grail I'm afraid, for I no longer have any use for it."

Lorelei felt as if her heart was beginning to sink right down into her stomach as she processed the news, whilst a sense of foreboding and dread began to creep into her body at the implications of what Rider had last said. Apparently, her stupid decision to summon at the house had achieved more than just nearly getting the two of them killed. It...no she had inadvertently fulfilled her servant's own wish in the process, which from the sounds of Rider's words had actually now left him without a single wish for the grail. In short, her servant seemed to have no desire for the Holy Grail now, and had no reason to need to help her achieve it at all really. Even his expression, pain and all, seemed to bear some level of...contentment, perhaps some happiness or joy if Lorelei had to place a guess.

While this would bode well for her servant, for her this was a nightmare scenario that had come out of the blue. If her servant had no drive for the Grail, and could not help her as he had said, then she was alone. A master, with three command seals, who had barely just summoned a servant....and she was back to square one once more it would seem. Having already summoned a servant, bearing the command seals on the back of her hand, she was now a threat though. A threat to those who would not want her to find another servant for the war. If Rider did not help her aim to get the Grail....she was defenseless unless she could make it to the Church, to the mediators of the war in an attempt to find sanctuary. Beyond that, she had no way of progressing in this conflict at all if it came to that since she would have no servant.

Lorelei's hands tightened, grass becoming knotted up between her fingers as she squeezed it whilst dirt got under her painted fingernails in the process. As much as she did her best to keep her composure otherwise, it was visible that this news was distressing to her, disheartening even. Yet with the giant staring up at the stars, it was not like he could possibly see her at the moment anyways, at least in her mind. Even with her mixed emotions on this matter wanting to bubble up more, rational thought told her that she had three command seals. If she wanted, she could expend one or two in order to force her servant to fight for her, to serve her in this conflict despite his lack of desire for the Holy Grail now. Yet such a plan, and its consequences, could come to bite her back depending on how it all went down. This was Rostam, a great hero of his people, a legendary heroic spirit, and for someone to attempt to control him like against his will that might not go over so well in the long run.

"Are...are you sure there is nothing you would wish of the Holy Grail? No use you can consider fighting to claim it for?" the homunculus said after having tried to calm herself down a bit more, with some worry leaking into her tone of voice as she did her best to deliver her words in a calm fashion.

There had to be something else that he could wish for, some use for the Holy Grail that he would fight to achieve and fulfill. It was worth a try to ask Rider about this, if nothing else, to see if there was some glimmer of hope for her to be able to participate...perhaps even survive...this conflict.

@Beloss

---

"Are...are you sure there is nothing you would wish of the Holy Grail? No use you can consider fighting to claim it for?"

Rostam looked back down on the small homunculus who had called him up, registering the distress in her voice. Of course it was natural for her to be upset since she had likely expended great amounts of time and effort to summon him. He scratched his beard, thinking for a moment on his current situation. Despite just meeting her, he did feel mildly obligated to the woman, she had after all summoned him, and he had been perfectly willing to follow her orders before his excellent turn of good fortune.

Besides, something else did bother him when he thought about it. The judgment of Ohrmazd had come upon him, and yet he still lived. Surely that was, to some extent proof that he still had things to accomplish in this time. While his one true wish was fulfilled, he would have been lying if he had said that he was totally free of other desires. Indeed, it was these desires that he originally believed he was seeking when he lept through time to manifest himself here.

It was only when the arrow struck him down, that he realized the true wish that had driven him to try for the grail, and then it was fulfilled.

At the same time however, those other wishes now seemed trivial. Minor whims that held little power over him. Still, the fact remained that he was alive. It would be of no sense to kill himself, or cause this girl who he did not know undue grief.

Yes, it could be said that even a minor whim was something that one could strive for if no other option presented itself. For him then, this war could be something like a fanciful expedition to a distant land when one grew bored with the pleasure gardens of the capitol.

He briefly reviewed a small checklist of things that now occurred to him which he might wish for, as a man might choose between which dessert he might eat, after having consumed a feast which had already satisfied him in every regard.

The Crystal Throne of Lohrasp was lost in this era, it would be nice to see it restored perhaps. Then there was always the possibility that some champion had been summoned who would prove interesting. That was certainly something which might be worth pursuing. Of course, if some vile servant of Angra Mainyu had been summoned in this war it would be a pleasure to slaughter them. Then there was always the prospect of sampling what new pleasures and novelties this age had to offer while he was waiting for the next battle to come.

Really, when he thought about it, continuing on in this war would at least be amusing if nothing else.

"Hmmmm." He gave Lorelei an apologetic smile, like an indulgent parent consoling a disappointed child. "Perhaps I spoke too soon. One does tend to accumulate desires after having lived for a few hundred years. I am alive still, so I suppose that I can trust that some purpose or another will manifest itself for my presence here. Very well, for now I will continue to serve you as if you were my Master, provided that you prove to be reasonable of course."

He shifted again against the tree, trying to get up. It seemed to take considerable effort, but finally he managed it, towering over Lorelei, standing on shaky feet.

He glanced over at the tremendous white horse which was grazing contentedly in the meadow a few dozen yards away. He shrugged. To keep up pretenses he should probably dismiss it at some point, but for now he saw no need. If this was to be a pleasure cruise through the modern age, then there was no sense in denying his beloved friend his grass.

If this was to be a pleasure cruise though, it would also make little sense to stay camped in the woods like this.

"Ah, my lady. Do you have any Palace or Iwan that we could stay at while we are in the country? My current injuries are irritating, and I would be greatly satisfied if I could recover in apartments appropriate to my tastes."

---

@Holy Grail

@wildchocobo

He began to walk towards the exit. Toshi gave a nod of acknowledgement towards Berserker as he walked, listening to the words of the stranger as he made to leave that lightless room. "It's probably dark outside, but it'd still be better to have the moon so I don't have to wave this in your face."

The mark was proof of being a master according to Berserker. The fact that it was definitely an evolution of the strange bruise he had couldn't be denied. If that was the case how long was he marked as one of these masters?

"I've had a mark in that area, although not glowing like that for a while, ever since I came into this city actually. Was I what you call a master all this time?" Toshi stopped at the door and turned his head over his shoulder, staring into the darkness that Berserker was summoned into. "Ah, let's just get it all over with. You said that we should get out of here because people would notice us, right? Well, I don't have anywhere in particular to go, just my apartment. That'd be a long way and it isn't like I have a bike or a car... yet."

He waved Berserker over before poking his head out into the hallway of the manor at large. "You called it the Holy Grail War? It's a thing you enter, right? I guess it means it has rules. Well, what exactly are you? Why would I want to compete anyway?"

He frowned. "Sounds annoying anyway. Something like that, especially if you say it's so dangerous doesn't seem like much of a thing that's worth being a master in. As for a place to go... I don't really have one. I guess I have my apartment rental, but I don't know if that counts as a good place to you."

Toshi suddenly decided to take off his bracelet, the steel clinking as he slid it off into his grip. "Ah, yeah, this." Holding it with two fingers he let it dangle and sway in the breeze. "It looks like you, or rather, something about it looks like you. Or maybe it's more like there's something it has and you have it too." Without any trace of doubt he casually declared the comparison as fact. "It's unpleasant, honestly, you, it. Looking at it or you makes me itch all over as if something bad is coming." He shone his light down on it and raised it to his eyes with a quiet "Mhmm". Toshi let his hand dropped and held it out towards Berserker. "Do you want it?"

Alice de Arcobaleno
Alice's house, Eastern field

---

@Asuras

Alice listened intently as Rider offered a counter argument of making bounded fields further away from the house. A bounded field that could not be detected was a mark of a good magus, something she obviously can do, but she was loathe to start working in the dirt outside. An outer layer of defenses however, did interest her — one can never be too cautious after all — and considering Rider's odd skill, perhaps there was something to what Rider was proposing. He was an interesting servant to be sure, but she had no idea of a hero that could summon up wraiths at will, or any heroes that might fit the description.

"Perhaps there is some merit to your suggestion after all. Very well, I will consider it." She sighed, and sat down on a chair. "I must admit, I am familiar with what wraiths are, but I've hardly any knowledge beyond that of their workings."

After all, she had had no interest in them in the first place, and neither did she had any real reason to go out of her way to learn about them in great detail. Alice was the current heir of her family's secrets, and she had a lot to do to regain some of her family's lost honor. A way to further their art beyond what they currently had.

"By your leave, we may head for the Overseer, if that is still your wish."

"OHOHOHO~!" Alice laughed suddenly, putting her hand to her mouth. "Whatever are you on about, Rider? Surely you do not expect me to expose myself in such a way?"

Rummaging about in one of the boxes, she produced a black haired doll about the same height as the blue knight puppet, with elaborate clothing, but with barely anything else in terms of armaments. It was a well made doll, perhaps overly so for a simple familiar. However, art was art, and she could not skimp on anything just because of that poor excuse. Her pride in her family tradition and method was readily apparent in each and every one of her dolls.

"This will go in my place. A familiar, so that I may visit and not expose myself to danger. If you wish, Rider, you can escort my familiar to the church. I do not expect any magus worth their salt to try attacking on the first night, not without their workshop and sanctum set up." She closed her eyes and leaned back on the chair. "No sane magus would act without a complete plan first after all."

Slipping on one of the copper rings, she took direct control of the doll. Frowning, Alice fussed over small details of the doll's dress, before finally making the doll move towards the church.

---

Thinking, Yukimura nodded to herself a few times. While it had mostly been talking she felt now the time was appropriate, especially since darkness had fallen over the city. While there were many options before her at this time, she knew which she wanted to take. Taking a deep breathe, she spoke loudly without having thought it through first. Truly a hot headed action.

"My Lord! I shall be going on patrol! I shall attempt to see if I can find the bases of any other Servant! If I do, I shall immediately retreat and come back so we may formulate plans together depending on their class or what I can gleam of them and their master!
Please wish me luck!"

With a bow, already at the front door, she moved to enter into the night. She hadn't exactly left behind her physical form for this activity, if only because it made her more comfortable. For now that would be enough though. She was confident no one would be able to catch up to her if she decided to run away and she had appropriate clothing not to stand out. That being said all she had actually done was remove her armor for now.

So rather than her appearance that she showed her Master, she now had her hair down, no headband, and was dressed simply in her skirt, black no sleeve shirt that left her stomach bare, and those uneven socks that had the sandals. Not exactly the most typical outfit, but it definitely didn't stand out much unless one was going to school or something. Thus her venture started close to their own base, but her first stop was to search nearby areas. Possibly somewhere with a good concentration of people even at night. All she could think of was places one would shop but it was likely closed. Thus instead she just walked along the river for now.

Given that night had fallen and there was no service currently in progress, Ruler had taken up seating in a more visible section of the Church. Dressed in a manner than any reasonable person could only call ridiculous, he lounged in place. It was worth noting that, over the course of the past several hours, not once had he stopped drinking wine.

Were one less educated in the nature of the Holy Grail, it would not be out of the question to assume that Ruler was a being such as Dionysus.

"Hm?"

It went without saying that the administrator had been aware as Servants had been summoned throughout the city, but now despite the fact that none of the Servants were nearing his position, Ruler felt the impending arrival of "something". His eyes lit up from behind the worryingly-expensive sunglasses he wore, the Servant scrambling to his feet and looking himself over to make sure that he was properly presentable. After a couple of quick breathing exercises to make sure that his ostentatious introductory laugh was good to go, Ruler nodded to himself and moved to exit the Church.

"Ahaha! Welcome, competitors of the Holy Grail War! You have done well to-"

Cutting himself off, Ruler was now able to see the nexus points of approaching prana that he had noticed. Contrary to his expectations, they were not, in fact, people. This made sense, in retrospect; he didn't sense Servants, so it would be idiotic for a lone Master to just be walking the city at night.

Still.

Still.

He could only feel disappointment as he looked forwards at a doll and a bird.

"...I don't suppose your owners can speak through you?"

...

...

D-Do your best, Ruler.

---

"Aaaa....aaa..."

As Yukimura walked along the riverbank, something dug at her base instincts. As if the world itself was blurring away, something wasn't quite right.

"I want to see things that have never been seen. Ocean floor. Flowing current. Dark, dark, dark."

Like words spoken in a language she couldn't understand, a product of a mind more akin to an animal than a man, the air seemed to carry a sort of will to it. If her perception flared outwards, it would be obvious that no Servant was nearby. No, in the first place, this feeling didn't resemble a Servant at all.

"I haven't seen you. Are you strong? Are you delicious? Are you scary?"

But all the same, like a distortion with its name on the tip of her tongue, something continued forwards. With a chill, it could be realized that the "something" in question had its origins in the river, as though it were swimming beneath the water's surface towards Yukimura.

"I want to find out. Show me, show me, showmeshowmeshowme-"

Its approach quickened, that strange feeling shouldered by Yukimura only growing as it cut the distance between it and herself. If she made no action to leave the vicinity before it reached her, then an encounter would be certain. Was she willing to face that thing lurking in the river, for better or for worse, or would she prioritize her safety and attempt to leave before its arrival at where she stood on the riverbank.

If she did not make her decision soon, then it surely would for her.

Archer nodded at his Master's assessments. He took a mental note of the points on the map. He'll have to scout these areas later. For now, it will be best for the both of them to start towards the Church now. With his Subversion skill, both he and his Master will be able to set the perfect ambush for the rest who decide to happen upon the Church

"Very well, my Master. We shall make our way to the church while the night is still young. I believe it best if we traverse normally, with me following you in my spiritual form. That way, it may keep most eyes off of us, and if in the event we are spotted by a rival Master, you will have enough mana for us to proceed with combat."

And with that, Archer slowly began to dematerialize, starting from his feet and working up.

"And besides, I'm sure you only have more of those... fishing jackets to give me as a disguise. Like I would want to travel around with everyone seeing me in that. I already outdid the beggar look, anyway."

@Beloss

---

There were a few options laid out before Yukimura at the time. While sometimes she acted without thinking, she was trying very hard since it was the fight night she had, and she didn't want her Lord to become upset. Even more so, this presence wasn't a Servant. For all she knew it could be natural to the area, and fighting it may be a mistake. Not that it felt like it was but there was always that small possibility.

But first things first was she needed to report back. Though she had only examined the one area. She didn't want to go back without any information either. There was also the fact she was leaving her Master undefended though. While all that was present, she had a simple thought that came first though. A very simple thought in fact, that spawned from her current loyalty to the one she'd be working under, and the desire to not violate his trust.

"... I should go report back and tell him about this."

Nodding to herself with the words, Yukimura took off with a sudden burst of speed, heading back towards the cottage without waiting for whatever was coming to actually arrive. While she was very curious, it also boiled down to the fact she could tell. It probably was not another Servant. Which meant this had nothing to do with the War as far as she knew. As much as she would love to explore the possibilities, for now she had to focus on winning.

Maybe she could wish for another chance at life so she could look more into it later. Either way, she made her way back to the cottage fast, immediately going to head in so she could talk to her Lord.

"My Lord! I found an unnatural presence at the Riverbank!"

Of course this would also provide evidence that working with the Lancer known as Yukimura Sanada might take some work. While she had permission to act as she decided, or so was her understanding, she still reported back, and still looked for her Masters opinion. If this was because she was careful or simple has yet to be seen though.

@Breo

Hisoka begins to think of the tactical insight given to him by his Servant, not drinking any more of the wine, at least for now. If in the off-chance he gets caught out after being too inebriated, it will bring the War to an early close.

"I agree. We will have to play the long game, at least for the time being. A few of the other Masters are known to be participating in the war, myself included. It will either come to the point where they hire me out, or decide to kill me just for being a disgrace to the Magus Association, alone."

"For tonight, we will continue to fortify our base of operations. We will have to wait until tomorrow for us to survey the city. With you being an Assassin, we may not be able to stand a direct fight. Perhaps if we also have more time tonight, we can try our hand at seeing if I am able to reinforce you, physically. It will even do us well to discuss your other skills later, tonight. For now, though, I will start on creating a familiar for the church. Hopefully we can gain recon on our enemy, through there."

Hisoka stood up, giving a bow to his Servant, before heading to the basement. Hisoka spent much of the night setting up s Workshop, creating a familiar out of a small Plover- a bird- and preparing to send it out to the Church. He figured for future reference, he should set a bird house come morning, so the act of creating more familiars will come easier, to send off to other tactical locations.

After these were done, and the familiar was sent off, Hisoka sat in the common room once again, bringing a large briefcase onto the table. The case contained Hisoka's preferred weapon of choice for long-range encounter, the PSG1. Hisoka favored the semi-automatic rifle for its accuracy, as the gun was used by many special forces and law enforcement agencies around the world. Hisoka took it out of the case, inspecting its action, and adjusting its iron sight. Hisoka didn't need a scope for the rifle, as he could easily reinforce his sight instead.

After getting a bit of his bearing with the rifle, Hisoka brought another, smaller case into the room. It contained two impressive looking pistols. He took one of the pistols out, and started inspecting its action as well, pulling back its slide. The model was an improved variation of the Korean sidearm, the Daewoo Precision Industries K5. Known as just the LH9, this model was only a prototype for a pistol scheduled to release sometime in the 2010s. Still, though, it was a well-functioning prototype, indeed, and its sleek design along wih its ease of use resulted in Hisoka obtaining two of the same model.

These were his tools for his trade. His magecraft, his firearms, and even himself. He's used them many times before, but now, things are different. The occasion just felt much more fitting.

It will mark the first time Hisoka's used his tools for a War.

@Psyker Landshark

Hugues seemed utterly unperturbed by his master's sudden outburst of laughter, flickering on the border of intangibility and corporeality. That she would dissuade fears of an attack this early on but refuse to make a personal appearance all the same...

"Very well," he said plainly, "Inconsequential as a doll's death may be in this war, I shall escort it..." he paused, "You, to the destination. A discerning eye upon the competition, should they make an appearance themselves, will aid me greatly in the coming battles." He listened to Alice's last comment intently, and seemingly dwelled upon it for a few moments before speaking in a particularly confident tone.

"Some are quick-witted enough that such a complete plan is already well made and set. I dare say I may be one of them." Blank as his helmet was, Alice could discern the presence of a smile beneath the black veils. As the doll trotted off, Rider followed suit, maintaining his spiritual form as he came upon the outside world. Dark as it was, a being as large and imposing as himself would catch every glint of moonlight there was and signal to every late-night civilian that he was present. An appearance would have to wait until he were in more secretive locales.



Approaching the Church, Hugues could immediately discern from the wealth of energy welling at its center that this was, indeed, his Master's destination; the 'Overseer's Headquarters'. Fitting that it was a church. Entering through the front gate, Hugues found himself muttering a few words to himself in prayer.

"Let this be a sign that God is nearby."

Besides the Servant before him, no others were present. Only a bird familiar had made itself known. Disappointing. He had hoped to see others for more reasons than simply to size them up. Hugues materialized with a sigh, arms crossing as a gentle blue flame rippled across the surface of his armor before flitting away into nothing.

Before the overly-dressed Ruler, Hugues could only eye him in silence, hoping that the doll indeed could speak for Alice. Was this the attire of an aristocrat in the modern era? It looked expensive... almost arrogantly designed, as if purposefully toting importance beyond the actual value of the materials.

"Have other Servants come to this Church yet?" he asked of Ruler, waiting for his master to finish speaking prior.

@Yukitamas

Berserker nodded to Nakae in agreement as they would be soon exiting the manor and exchanging the darkness of the rooms for the moonlight showing the way for them to go. Before they headed out though, it seemed like his summoner had a question before they left as he listened to what they had to ask. "It would seem like you were chosen as a possible candidate to participate, for nothing is ever truly certain in such events and you were one of the many who could join. After calling me from the Throne, it seemed to legitimize your status whether it be accidental or on purpose. Anything beforehand is most likely not related to the Holy Grail War itself." He answered from the darkness as he took note of the curious tone in his Master's voice.

Upon him asking more about the finer details of the event, Berserker was indifferent if not glad that they tackling things early on before starting so that he could supply his Master with information that helped evened the playing field for him. "To be a participant of The Holy Grail War in itself is an honor for some such as myself but what most seek is the reward of winning and receiving the Holy Grail itself. When there only remains a single pair left in the event, they will be granted the Holy Grail which is a relic capable of granting any wish that the survivors desire. It is the main reason why the other Masters joined this war." Berserker said as he explained the reward of winning the Holy Grail War to his summoner who seemed to be in the dark about most of the information being given to him.

Upon hearing that his Master had no mode of transportation, he was seeing the situation in hand as Nakae was truly tied with both hands behind his back. While a mild inconvenience, it wouldn't be too much trouble for Berserker himself to carry his Master but it lacked in subtlety and given the sparse resources of his Master, they needed to conserve what they had. "Do not worry about transportation, I will not mind having to traverse through the city or the status of your accommodations. It will be suitably better than the old building we currently are in which dances around the question of why you are here if you did not intentionally summon me but that is of no importance for right now..." Berserker said curiously about his Master's intentions about lingering in such a place but right now that was where his attnetion was not needed. Moving his focus back from such aimless thoughts and returned his attention to watching the perimeter of the area with senses kept about him, making sure they were still safe in the current location.

What came next, however, was out of the left field as his Master made a strange inference about him that made him smirk in surprise, looking like he took no offense to the comment made about him as he looked at the bracelet his Master was dangling in the air. "Looks like me you say?" Berserker said curiously as he continued to observe the accessory piece obliviously in comparison to what Nakae could see in on a whole different level that Berserker probably wouldn't understand. "It looks like you have more than what meets the eye Master even if you may be clueless about what is happening around you or what you possess even... While I appreciate the gift, it holds no significance to me that I know of and respectfully decline. Perhaps we can discuss more what you see between me and that piece of jewelry later when we have less to worry about?" Berserker said to his Master as he began to walk outside the building first and took another scan of the environment before Nakae came out, standing alert as he waited for his Master to guide where to go next now.

A strange expression crossed Ruler's face as the presence of a Servant appeared at the Church. No, not merely the presence of a Servant, but something more layered. The Servant's brows furrowed, his eyes flitting in the direction of the astralized Rider, only for understanding to dawn on his countenance as that very Rider materialized.

Ah, so that was why. Well, that was certainly a novel concept.

The audaciousness of his earlier introduction having been stifled by the fact that his audience had consisted of a bird and a doll, Ruler simply nodded to himself before speaking in reply to the new Servant. "They have not. I congratulate you for being the first Servant of this Holy Grail War to arrive. I had prepared food for the Masters to partake in after their travels to this city, but if you care for such things then they are also available for the Servants." He explained, punctuating his remark with a slight shrug.



Now that he had properly appeared before the familiars and Servant, though, something strange about Ruler would appear. No, even before Master's Clairvoyance had been used to view the overseer, it was clear that there was something inherent to his nature that marked a departure from a standard Heroic Spirit.

Any true Heroic Spirit bore a sort of "radiance" about them. Rostam, Yukimura, even Emperor Norton all possessed that "shine". Only ones such as Hugues himself or anti-heroes would lack this shine, and either have an utter lack of it or a negative surge in its place. This is the expression of the pride of a Heroic Spirit. The honor of the legends everyone praises and longs for. This is an essential element of their "Noble Phantasm". Among those heroes of this war, Rostam as the chief hero of a culture sphere likely possessed the greatest of such radiance.

However, if these Servants shined to the point of drawing one's eye, then Ruler shined to the point of being blinding.



"At any rate, thank you for coming to check in. If you have any questions about this Holy Grail War at the time, feel free to ask."

Good. He agreed with her. Marguerite let out a small decisive hum that might also have been hiding a sigh of relief. It was difficult to second-guess herself when a Heroic Spirit agreed with her. And she could not afford to make mistakes here. Although she came from a bloodline that was long in her homeland, that was in fact saying very little. No doubt she one of the weaker Masters in this war. It was why she had chosen to summon such a powerful Servant.

But for now, they would "test the waters" as Saber had phrased it. Ideally, they would get a better look around the city that would serve as battleground and hopefully exchange some glancing blows with other Master-Servant teams, just enough to gauge their respective power, then return here and plan once they knew more details. She did not want to get into serious conflict this early in the War, especially since prolonged combat with her Servant might give their opponents hints towards his identity.

"That's fine with me," she acquiesced to his request with a nod, "I agree we should not push too hard this first night. If you feel we should pull back at any point, just let me know." Too many things could go wrong if they exhausted themselves this early or even worse, if an enemy figured out Saber's identity and was able to plan accounting for his weakness. She would know when she had pushed herself too hard, and hopefully he would know his limits as well as she could recognize hers.

As the Servant vanished into Spirit Form, the Master strode to the door out of the suite. Now to the streets, to see who they could find.
And if she stood a little straighter when Saber said he trusted her judgment, what of it?

@WildChocobo



"A wish?" he asked in response to Berserker's elaboration and claims. "Also you said masters? What are you then, if I'm a master."

A wish, a relic that could grant a wish. If such a thing was true then would he compete for it? and what would he want?
The answer was obvious, to be normal, to get rid of this sight. The damage was done, he wouldn't ever feel normal, he wouldn't ever be a normal person, completely part of the crowd. The years with this abnormality that set him apart from others already shaped him, just like how his body had finished its growth. But if he could see them and not know. The ignorance, the lack of pain and the need to avoid touching them. He wouldn't have to pretend he couldn't see things.

...Well, he wouldn't change much, but it would be much more convenient.

"There's something I would want that I couldn't get otherwise, Berserker. I'll be your master, then. You asked about what I meant by this bracelet looks like you? I see things, things no one else can see. There's something about you plain to the eye that's different from normal people, and that something is in that bracelet too. It seemed special because of that." he continued to hold it out for a few moments. Toshi leaned against the side of the entrance, staring out once he pocketed the braclet, instead of putting it back on his wrist. "Well, maybe there's something to it anyway. What I usually see is more... pain, to put it simply. Everyone has something that hurts, something that hurt them and lingers. Things don't fully heal, physical or mental, you're always changed a bit and you can always see proof that it happened there's always a trace of the damage done to you. I can see it, I guess."

There was more to it than that but he wasn't inclined to tell everything to someone, even if he seemed to hardly be normal himself.
He lived with this secret all his life. Now, when he spoke it, it seemed so light and small compared to the memories and weight it added to his life. It was just a thing about him, just like how his hair was black. There was no real sense of release as he shared with it.
There was no sense of a terrible secret shared. No, Berserker, as he called himself, was still just a stranger. It just felt odd.

Well, he supposed he had one last thing to explain about himself.

"Well, I just happened to be in the area after looking into a job possibility.." Toshi explained "The nearby cemetary." he elaborated after a little while. He began to spin his phone around in his grasp, suddenly more interested in it than anything else. "Not much to say. It's a bit far away from other places, so it probably would pay decently. I just came to this ghost house because I heard rumors and didn't feel like going back to the city proper just yet."

Alice de Arcobaleno
The Church - Exterior

---

@Asuras@Moonlit Sonata

Oh? Was the overseer disappointed? There was a slight smile of amusement on Alice's face back in her house; she had thought the Overseer would be some stuffy old priest. But priest or not, he was still the one overseeing this ritual, the neutral faction that will take in any and all that wished for their protection, specifically those magus that cannot fight any longer, or those that wished to forfeit.

Even observing from far away, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the Overseer. Perhaps she could invite him to some tea some day.

"Good evening." The doll bowed. "Apologies for not making a personal appearance, but I'm sure you understand our position."

With that Alice waited for her Servant's question to be answered. There seemed to be only one other familiar at the moment visiting the Overseer. Perhaps they felt the need to visit after a more convenient time? As for that Overseer, that Servant; he was much more than he seemed, even though his parameters seemed oddly low, with the exception of his Luck. Which land's hero was he?

With a nod to Ruler's last comment, the doll answered. "It shames me to admit it, but I've hardly any knowledge of this Grail War ritual, save that one must summon a Servant, and fight six other participants to win possession of a Holy Grail. A Holy Grail that can grant anyone one wish. But, I have barely any knowledge of the specifics of the war. For starters, what are the rules of this war? Oh, Rider, you're free to partake of the food inside if you wish."

That much was true. Alice had rushed to Japan as soon as she could finish preparing her items when she caught wind of the ritual, and read only a few of the texts about it. There were other reasons for her to ask questions as well, reasons that might or might not involve waiting for the other Masters to show up, particularly those who might not be prudent or skilled enough to send a familiar in their place. Perhaps she might even try to gauge one particularly unlucky Master's strength.

For now, however, Rider seemed to be the sole Servant here.

The longer he looked upon the Ruler, the less his flamboyant dress seemed to jostle his senses. Indeed, there was a glow to the hero befitting of his attire; a glow that worried him. It was neither the fact that the Ruler appeared as a great hero in the truest sense of the word, but what lied beneath such a characteristic.

For it was a well-known fact that the truest heroes had the most incredible luck. Against a man as himself, who valued preparatory work and meeting expectations, a hero like Ruler appeared not merely as an opponent, but as an antithesis to his own force of intellect. Though the thought sparked across his mind, Rider showed no outward change in demeanor. It would have been more worrisome, in the end, if the Ruler were a competitor to the Grail itself. Fortunately, that was not the case.

"I cannot eat while I my thoughts race," Hugues said, declining the invitation to food from both Ruler and his Master, "But I appreciate the offer, Overseer. Might I ask another question as well?" he began, arms unfolding to fall to his sides. "What exactly is your purpose as the Overseer? You are a Servant, but who summoned you? Is your master present?"

Perhaps a hint of worry that the Ruler was not merely an Overseer remained.

Ah, good, the doll was capable of speaking. At least there was that, then. The bird likely couldn't, but beggars could hardly be choosers.

"Please, come inside. Standing outside like this is hardly the place to talk about such matters." Ruler remarked in reply to the Rider and doll, turning slightly in a motion that was a touch more ostentatious than it would have been in different attire, before setting off to reenter the church, gesturing for the pair to follow.

Rider's question seemed to spark a bit of amusement from the Servant, Ruler nodding to himself a bit before replying. "A fair question, if the Holy Grail has not provided you with that information. You may call me Ruler. I am the administrative-class Servant summoned by the Holy Grail itself, a Heroic Spirit without a wish who has been selected to serve as an impartial moderator to this war. I was told that, ordinarily, a representative from the Holy Church would be present as an overseer, but in this particular instance he and I spoke shortly after I was summoned, and decided that it was for the best if that role was shouldered by me alone. He was no combatant, and when presiding over a battle between Servants, it is imperative that one has the power to protect oneself."

"As Ruler, I am simply here to protect the foundation of the Holy Grail War. This one is of an unusual make, you see, which I believe is at the root of why the Holy Grail deemed that a Ruler was necessary. Your Master mentioned the idea of fighting 'six other participants', but in this war there will be far more than that. For some reason or another, the Holy Grail has amassed enough magical energy that the standard limitation of seven Servants no longer exists...in fact, currently, more than seven have already been summoned. In such a case, this war will no doubt be a chaotic one, and there may be those who seek to undermine the Grail War, wreak havoc upon the city, or something of that make. I am here to prevent that."

At the doll's question, though, the Servant paused for a moment before voicing his reply. "Well, as I said, I am meant to be impartial, so while I personally would like to impose a decent set of rules, the ones I will be enforcing are rather bare-bones. First and foremost is simply the necessity of the war's secrecy. While mistakes do occur, excessive carelessness or, worse, conscious efforts that undermine that secrecy and risk exposing it to the general public will be punished. If you were to instigate combat in a crowded area of the city at midday without taking any precautions, for instance, then I would have to step in. Next would be the importance of this church as neutral ground. No combat is to occur here. Similarly, if a Master were to lose their Servant and fears for their life, then they would simply need to come to this church and I will take efforts to protect them until such a time that they can arrange to leave the city."

"Besides those, there's the matter of the city and its population. Many Servants will have Noble Phantasms that affect large areas, or have abilities that rely on harvesting magical energy from others. As a result, there are no explicit rules placed upon property damage or nonviolence towards nonparticipants in the war, so as to not unfairly disadvantage those parties. However, as with the war's secrecy, carelessness will not be tolerated; if you destroy a large portion of the city or slaughter innocents when other options were available to you, punishments will be handed down. I must also warn you that there is the prospect that the Second Owners of this city may charge you for property damage following the war, should you and them both somehow survive. Similarly, while I will begrudgingly allow the killing or manipulation of nonparticipants for such things as replenishing a Servant's prana, moderation is key. Do not attempt to cut a path of slaughter through this city, as otherwise I will not stand by idly."

"I believe that covers the essentials. So long as you keep that much in mind and exercise common sense, you will have nothing to fear from me. If you require any additional clarifications though, then by all means."

---

The day had proven relatively fruitful, as far as he was concerned. He had acquired the clothing his Servant had desired – which seemed to have been enough to curry some favor, adding to his attitude during the summoning. That was good, at least. Indeed, having problems with the very individual he would have to entrust his life to in this war would have meant he would have been off to a less-than-stellar start.

However, the night was young, and the tasks that needed to be done knew no end. Lancer had left to scout the area, and he had not objected to such – though being separated from his Servant was certainly somewhat worrisome, he had managed to make do with a rudimentary Bounded Field to alert him to undesirables that would enter his property. It meant little in the way of defense, but he hoped that his following preparations throughout the remainder of the night would manage to make his base of operations a moderately safe haven, and if not, it was always nice to know when to make a run for it – useless as that would be if a Servant was hunting him down, it was human nature to struggle even against something so inevitable.

His idea of how he would spend the time until the morning – continue setting up his defenses, analyze whatever report or input Lancer would give him, make plans for the following nights, perhaps stake out advantageous locations and pay a visit to the Overseer for formal registration afterwards. How sad such quiet plans are always rudely interrupted at the worst moment.

Lancer had come back unexpectedly early. Though he doubted she would have taken overly-long to begin with, her abrupt return was still surprising – and she seemed to bear no shortage of concerning news.

A presence at the riverbank? Considering just where this small cottage was located, it was a bothersome thought indeed. Regardless of what it might have been, making absolutely sure of its nature and intentions should be the first step, he thought as he prepared himself to abandon his plans for the night.

“Though I appreciate your promptness in informing me, Lancer,” he sighed, exhaling as his eyes swept the room, finding his jacket and briskly donning it. “I would not have minded if you had investigated on your own before returning or alerting me. I did give you leave to do as you thought appropriate. But, well, that matters little for the moment.”

He walked toward the door, yet did not reach to open it. Signaling to Lancer, he motioned for her to take the lead.

“Let us go. I will accompany you for now, both to ascertain the presence and to avoid leaving myself open to an attack – though your Agility is certainly top notch, it would not do to send you away if a potential enemy is out and about and has possibly followed you here – this place is still much too open to attacks. I trust you to protect me should the worst situation occur, Lancer.”

@Ijoyen

"Colliding uphill paths. Broken hourglass. Upwards falling sand."

Under the blanket of night, it had been granted permission to hunt. No, not granted permission, but handed an order to hunt. Were the decision its to make and not Owner's, it would have happily stayed behind in ■■■■. After all, the things it had been told to hunt were absurd existences, terrifying breaches of logic that caused it to shudder merely at the thought of them.

"Strong. Smells strong. Hero, beast, same but different. Frightening, it's frightening."

Found one. It had found one. Had the one found it? No, he could likely feel its presence now. After all, it was something that eroded at "reality" simply by existing. He smelled strong, so no doubt he had keen perception; even if the small thing next to him hadn't noticed, he likely had.

What was that reek that poured off of him? Hiding under that blinding shine that those absurd things all possessed was an undercurrent of something equally terrifying. Sovereign, beast, devourer. Frightening, frightening, frightening.

"Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away-"

---

No more than a split second after something entered the fringes of Siegfried's perception, some blurry existence watching from a distance, than did the harsh buzz of an insect's wings fill the air. At first barely audible, then steadily growing louder with each passing instant. An incomprehensible voice screamed out amidst that din, and yet didn't seem to have any volume to it, melting into the backdrop but leaving the sense that "something was said".

And from afar, a growing pinprick in the sky illuminated by the glancing light of the moon, that very something approached the dragon-slayer and magus.

---

Following his Master just a few steps behind in Spirit Form, Siegfried had taken the time to observe his surroundings – being restricted to that suite for most of the day had been tiring, but at least this would also allow him to start forming a mental layout of the area, which would likely prove useful.

…It was also most definitely less boring than being cooped up inside a room, even if his Master had requested that he stayed immaterial due to subtlety and energy concerns. But that was fine.

Thinking about such things, he scanned the tall buildings of the district, in a way fascinated by the contrast between this era and his own – it was one thing to know of them, another to see it. He’d have to ask his Master permission to scout on his own – probably come morning.

…But that would, indeed, have to wait. Something prodded at the corner of his vision, some figure approached from the skyline, making a beeline for both him and his Master – and whether it was another Servant or something else, the small unease that had built up told him not to take risks.

So he stepped forward. Whereas he had previously stood incorporeal behind his Master, now motes of light converged and gave shape to the Saber-Class Servant, powerful strides echoing in the empty streets as he placed himself between the one he was to shield and whatever it was that approached them. His right hand closed its grip around Balmung’s handle as he pulled, the massive great sword leaving its sheath to the tune of metal scrapping against metal – a discordant cacophony that matched the buzz of insect wings reaching his ears.

“Master, it seems we have company.” He said, bringing his weapon to bear in front of him – a defensive stance, at least for now. “I suggest you stay behind me unless you have your own plan.”

His grip tightened, then slackened as he realized he was holding it much too strongly. His heartbeat quickened for the briefest second before returning to a normal pace.

It was a common occurrence. After all, his was the invincible skin that had been granted through baptism in dragon’s blood. The chances of finding an opponent that could meaningfully harm him were almost none – and so, even the one thing he had taken pride in lost its luster.

Still, in this battlefield of heroes, perhaps hoping would not be a wasted effort…

@Moonlit Sonata@ConstantlyComic