@Cu Chulainn @Crusader Lord @breo

“. . .Impossible . . .”

Awe.

That was the only emotion that Beita could even begin to feel at the sight granted to her by viewing her Servant’s eyes. A battle of giants that a human had no place in being confined within. She had viewed whom she could only assume to be the Einzbern Servant with her Master’s clairvoyance.

All A-ranked or higher stats.

All A-ranked or higher skills.

Hardly something someone could call “human”, yet not “inhuman”. These people represented the greatest possible beings in history. They simply existed to do as they are told, like familiars.

. . . Beings this possible could not be classified as “familiars”. To a modern magus, these were beings of intense power. Even the greatest people of the modern world whom have surpassed humans and became something "above human" were unable to contain these beings as true familiars. Thus, the different, western word was used. "Servant", those who serve, and "Master", those who rule.

Benita might have had knowledge of a basic Holy Grail War ingrained into herself, but it was clear that a “Servant” in her eyes should not be this powerful.

It must’ve been because of the Einzbern summoning the Servant in Germany that caused them to be so powerful, right? But it appeared that her own Servant had little reason not to be able to keep up with its opponent. Even if the Einzbern Servant was the strongest he could be, her own Servant appeared to have even surprised him in his ability.

Benita narrowed down the search by a lot from seeing both his power and his skills, but there was no way in knowing for sure who the Saber in dazzling armor was. Perhaps if she could see one of his noble phantasms in action, she could reduce the list further, but currently, that was not the case. She had only assumed it was a great western Heroic Spirit, like King Arthur or Sigurd, due to the nature of his skills and stats.

Benita wanted to retreat from this fight. After all, the purpose of this battle was to obtain the arrows, not fight each other to a bloody pulp. It was silly to fight over something minor. “Lancer Prime” should have been able to obtain the fireworks that had landed in the area, but the Saber before him seemed to be preventing his path forward. It was a pity, and she wanted to leave as soon as she can. Failure of the mission was an option when faced with something of incredible power, like the Servant before her Lancer.

… But, this was far from the case. Her “Lancer Prime” seemed more than capable of fighting and even defeating the person before him, forcing the “Saber” back and on the defensive.

She was speechless.

She was in awe.

But most importantly …

… She was impressed.

Her Servant had lived up to his claims, and though she had desired at first to summon merely a Servant that could act as a support for her own “master”, the Servant that she had summoned was something greater than that. To be able to fight against the strongest card: Saber, was more than enough to exceed Benita’s expectations. And though it was clear that her Lancer was someone who chewed through mana, her own reserves seemed plenty to sustain the Servant.

He was more than a match for the Einzberns. And if she could strike down that Servant, or even deal a blow to him, that would be more than enough to prove her worth in this war. Glory was something she was taught to avoid, but something awakened in her after watching this battle. A desire that she had long suppressed.

The desire to prove oneself.

The desire to obtain glory.

The desire to win.

Of course, the latter of which was something that she had always ingrained into herself. But it was not a “victory” that was for her own glory. It was the victory to prove herself to others. To show that she had worth. But now, she simply wanted to win for herself. She did know that this battle could not go on forever, so she issued an ultimatum to her Servant via the connection the two shared. Perverse her desire into something more … twisted … but still in line as to how a soldier should act.

“Lancer, I am not looking for a flashy victory. If you cannot defeat this Servant within a few moments, I want to retreat. Though you are not forbidden to use anything in this battle, It would be best to reserve any trump cards unless your opponent brandishes his own.”

This fight seemed to be two monsters of the battlefield going at it. Even so, it was rather amusing to watch the Einzbern “Saber” get his smug statement ripped away from him in a moment of combative heat from her own Servant.

“However Lancer, I expect his head if he doesn’t give you the arrowheads. If I need you, I expect you at my side front and center.”

There was still the issue of the Einzbern Master. They had yet to make a move against Benita. Perhaps hiding away at the edge of their barrier was either idiotic or one of her smarter moves. It was not like she had the power to break through the barrier on her own. So she would rely on her Servant to either defeat the opposing Servant or retreat when it was his time to leave. However, in the slightest bit of fear that there might be something or someone trying to take advantage of the situation, Benita was not afraid to activate her Command Spells; something that could contort the very nature of the world to suit a Servant by command.

There was no ill-will displayed by Benita towards the Einzberns. If they wished to stop this show she would be more than happy to take the arrowheads from them to analyze them for herself. But considering the tales that “master” had told her of this house, and their infallible pride, she did not believe that the Einzbern house would settle for anything other than the head of the Servant. In fact, there was a degree of respect from Benita to the Einzberns. Even if her “Master” had discussed them as prideful people, it was obvious that he still believed there was something good to be found within them, as if discussing a memory of a happier time.

Even if their Servants were fighting over this petty issue . . .

. . . she held no concept towards the house.

Maybe if they wanted tea or coffee together she wouldn’t be opposed to it

@Kyoka@Sageage@Seirei No Hai

Roland nodded, and his armor vanished in a flicker of light. The cape seemed to crackle with a blue flame, that began at Roland's neck, and trailed down to the bottom. It vanished into sparks of fire, while the two servants happily ignored the two masters who seemed to be reliving their finer times in memory. Roland seemed rather comfortable, no longer wearing the armor of a paladin, instead, his clothing was much more... Simple. Instead of the plated mail, it was a simple shirt, purple like royalty. Being the nephew of Charlemagne helped out just a tad. But one thing didn't fade away. The sword on his hip, in its scabbard refused to vanish. As if more than anything, the legendary invulnerability of Durandal would not accept being removed from this earth unless it was joining Roland in death.

"Olivier... If we fight as the final two, I swear I will make it worth the struggle." He doubted this war would be easy. But if he needed any kind of motivation to fight it, and win, it was to face Olivier again. Not for some grail, or greater purpose. Instead, a love letter. Because the longer he looked into her eyes, the more the guilt in his heart festered. "Olivier... I know this is sudden. But I'm sorry for what happened. I..." He paused, and didn't continue. Instead he reached out, picked up a cup of wine, and downed it all at once.

"You and I shall fight together throughout this war. Even if our masters are not truly allied, I promise that we shall fight again at the end of this war. Or, if the chance comes, we should live again and be happy together." He knew it wasn't wise to dwell on possibility, but as he ate another chicken leg, he stood up.
“Saber. Let us simply walk. They shall come to us, or we shall come to them. If we find no one then I will simply show you some more places to drink at!”
Roland nodded, and placing the bone of the chicken on the table, his armor returned to him. Shiny and noble, with cape crackling into existence. "Olivier, after tonight, will you go on a walk with me? I want to enjoy this world with you some more." Then he was out the door.

____________________________________________________________________________________
Outside

Roland closed the door to the Tohsaka residence, and stepped into the cold night with his master. The paladin hated to go, and was tempted to speak up. In a way... He wanted to stay there. He didn't want to leave. Before he wanted to fight in this war, but suddenly he had a reason to stay. He had a reason to remain at the Tohsaka residence. A sigh left his lips, and his resolve returned. He promised a duel with Olivier, and that meant making sure they were the last two standing. His heart erupted into a cheer, and the Paladin returned. "What a fine feast that was! We should make sure that when we return, we have a great victory to celebrate." Roland grinned from ear to ear, and stood by his Master, eyes on the road as they began to walk. Back to war.

Roland could feel it in the air. A tension, and then he saw her, and knew without a doubt that the woman before him at the top of the hill was a servant. His hand rested on the handle to his sword, covering the white gem before his grip tightened around the handle. She was indeed a beauty, but that meant little to him. He already had a betrothed. Roland stood before his strange master, cape billowing in the air as he took a step closer. Ready to defend this hill, and his master.
"A second death would be the reason I draw my sword. For to fight without accepting that death is a possibility is not bravery, but foolishness!" Roland's words echoed with a courage, and as he pulled his blade from its scabbard that courage doubled. For to hold Durandal, a sign of his bravery, it meant that his bravery shimmered with twice the force. He walked up the slight incline of a hill, blade held to his side. "When I win, my uncle will surely love me!" The brave Saber laughed, eyes focused on his enemy. "Will you be willing to introduce yourself, or will this be a battle of titles and nameless heroes?"

He struck first, charging full force with a cleave of his sword. A strike going from left to right. He expected his Master to be more than capable of using his Clairvoyance to investigate this Servant for him.

@ManyThings



SHIT! Nise Masuta found himself at the edge of his own knife. "Hercules, come to me!" He shouted, first thing first. There was a long silence, and that silence grew and grew, before the man finally had to admit... "He's not coming, is he?" Falling to his knees, he raised his hands in defeat, knowing his death would be meaningless at this point. Even if that voice in his head said 'death' another of a certain calmer sense said 'tell them exactly what they need to know.'
"Alright, first off my friend, who sent you? You obviously don't have a servant so you must work for someone...that uh, Gin guy? Wait no...Einzerbn? Tohsaka? Matou?"
"I was sent by..." He paused. For only now did he realize how little he knew. "I don't remember. I was coming back late from work. And they approached me. They told me I was a mage. And... They offered an alliance." He bit his lip, and glanced around. Suddenly he felt eyes on him, all over in fact. "L-look, I can't tell you more. I-I think they're watching. They didn't tell me much anyway. They wanted me to ki-" He bit his lip, knowing that probably wasn't the safest of subjects. He closed his eyes, thinking long and hard. His head was so fuzzy. Thinking was... Wait...
"Doctor! They mentioned a doctor. I was supposed to find a Doctor. I think they wanted me to kill him." He smiled, hoping that information was enough. "Look, I can't go home. They'll know I ratted them out. You have to protect me now that I've told you this."

---

”That’s good. Excellent resolve.” Lancer raised her single spear, pointing it squarely at her opponent. "Of course, I would not be so careless as to reveal my identity, but it seems you've just given me a useful hint. There are not many heroes who seek glory to their uncles before their fathers or lords."

There was not time to consider the implications of this nor coax another secret out of the man, however, as he burst forward and attacked with a great sweeping blow. To Lancer, however, the knight was moving at a rather unimpressive rate, and so Lancer deftly crouched low, just enough that the mighty swing passed a few inches above her. ”Far too slow!” From there, she sprung up at an angle supported by the hill, her spear extending to pierce the Saber’s neck. She was a woman who carried an immense killing intent behind her eyes, but what appeared to be a brutal blow to tear through the enemy was instead a subtle invitation for him to display further power.

Of course, it would also serve as a punishment if he were somehow so lacking in skill as to allow it to hit as intended.

On the other hand, while her offensive maneuvers were meant to test and pressure Saber while carrying the appearance of deathblows, her preparations to defend and evade more much more straightforward and comprehensive. Lancer was hardly ignorant on the weaknesses of her style of weapon, and so her stance was a delicately prepared thing which would allow her to retract her spear quickly and block with the shaft.

Surprise me. Counterattack if you can. Even as she thought these things, her Clairvoyance remained in effect, allowing her to prepare for even the most out-of-the-blue enemy tactics. While it wasn't necessarily the most effective Skill for the purpose of refining one's movements in battle, Lancer felt it was wise to not rely so heavily on abilities to determine the optimal course for her. In other words, she preferred to simply have the future sight of Clairvoyance reveal the opponent's moves while using her own experience to decide on a response.

Despite how she calculated and limited her choices in abilities and movements, she outwardly betrayed nothing but bloodlust as her crimson spear whistled towards the paladin's throat.

"Die, foolish warrior," She lied.

Where was it? Where was it!? Berserker furrowed her brow and stamped her foot again, shaking the pier she stood on. "Did it sink already? Awww... But I don't want to get my Kimono will all wet!"

She pouted, before dismissing her sword into its glassy gourd, before shrugging out of her layers of purple silk and setting them aside next to the booze. "No rolling off now!" She chided the container with a giggle, which of course did not respond. She gave it a loving little pat, as if it had, before turning back towards the water and stretching.

A second later she had vanished into the water, using her excessive mana quantity in a surging dive that sent her rocketing straight to floor of the harbor. Her feet kicked back and forth and her whole body kind of wiggled side to side as if she was more of an eel than a person... Which may well be the truth, since she was a sorry excuse for a person and all being an oni.

Even in the blackness of the depths it didn't take long for her to spot the bright red bowl. As she closed the distance towards her target and she wondered if her master was watching and if he could make out anything at all down here. A thought that was interrupted as she sensed another presence beside her- hostile!

A second later she rocketed up out of the water, breaching like a surface to air missile with her prize held triumphant overhead in one hand and an enormous lobster that was nearly her own size in the other. She landed in a crouch, with such force as to send most of the water from her form via the sheer momentum."Master, I'll be returning now. Please be ready to warm me up personally, as the water was oh so cold~Fufufu! I even brought us dinner~!"

With that she tied her kimono up around the gourd like a sack, slung it over her shoulder, and made back for home with bowl in hand and lobster squirming under her arm. The whiplash of traveling at full speed back to the forest would certainly 'calm it down' by the time she arrived. It was certainly not very lively when she walked into the clearing and dumped it at Ana's feet, smiling ear to ear.

@ManyThings

Saber adored battle. In truth it had been his life. No, not battle. A service to bring justice to the enemies of his lord. That was something beyond battle. That was the action of a judge, jury, and the executioner. For he saw battle as the way through which he could know others, and battle brought out his burning spirit. And he wanted to see that passion returned for as much as he gave. A killer glint in the eye? To him that was nothing. That wasn't passion. That was a barbarian. And until he saw that, he wasn't satisfied.

His momentum carried through on his strike, and his whole body twirled. Stepping to the side, spear striking nothing but air. "To be honest, I'd rather like to get a hint from you. Consider it giving as good as you get." The blade of his sword struck again, but he wasn't aiming for her. But rather the spear itself. The force of his blow wasn't one to knock it away, but rather simply to grind the blade against the shaft. Redirecting his force, Saber stuck with a new tactic. His blade sliced downward along the handle, aiming not to strike the Lancer's body, but to remove the fingers with which she held the spear.

His heart pumped, but he wasn't drawing on all his strength. Not yet anyway. He was returning only what she gave. His blows never more fierce than what she delivered to him. He lacked her speed, since after all he was a guardian, and not a lancer. But he aimed to be close. To pressure her face to face. To be within a distance where any motion she made had to be tempered with speed. Exhaust her with effort.

"Tell me about yourself. Do you have a name for your weapon? Do you have family that loves you?" His words were meant to distract, to draw her focus away from the fight. "Do you have a student? You are quite skilled. You must have passed your technique on, because it'd be a shame if it was lost to time."

Bloodlust was so boring.

@Kyoka @Reflection

Doctor? Ludwig watched this pathetic guy who thought he was a mage basically tell him everything he needed to know. Of course what he really wanted to know was who gave him these orders. Whoever did this to this man, they were a master of illusion and persuasion, he had no doubts in his mind that this man had been mind controlled. it was possible, he'd seen it done. Certain incantations and charms could make one more easily persuaded or make them go against their own human nature. It was a disgusting thought that someone was altering the minds of people, putting them in their stead.

Rubbing his temple again he thought about his words. Sent to kill a doctor? Maybe he meant a healer, he was aware it would be likely that someone who dealt with curing and healing magic would be present in the ticking time bomb that was this Fuyuki war. Or maybe it was more accurate, some doctor had actually got involved in this war. Maybe it was even a warning shot of sorts...maybe he was sent to kill a doctor who was friends with the Matous? No...this was all just nonsense.

Then it hit him. Watching? They were watching him? Shit...maybe this guy had been charmed out the wazoo, someone was probably looking through his eyes or had familliars locked on him. Either way..he was a risk. ludwig didn't want to kill him, it was probably the best option but he didn't want innocent blood on his hands on the first night. Everyone else in this war, they knew the consequences, this man surely did not. Don't worry...that's enough" He sighed and looked to Archer. Surely Athena would've seen hercules or sensed him by now..so it was time to take care of business.

He reached into his satchel and took from it a rag, just a normal piece of cloth and took a vial from it, pouring a large amount of the contents onto it before turning to the man. "This will help you I suppose" With that he motioned for Archer to keep him steady as he pressed the rag to his mouth and nose quickly, the concoction something he had brought from home, something he was intending on using if someone had broke into his workshop. With it secured, he'd be able to waste some of it on this guy as it was over in Shinto whilst he was here in Miyama. The fumes from the liwuid and the smell would invade the man's nostrils and lungs, forcing an induced sleep.

After the man would slump into his drowsiness he nodded to Archer. "If anyone was using him as a beacon it's good now...we need to take him to the church, that's the only safe place I can think of, you good with carrying him?" He shrugged and obviously looked embarassed to even ask a hero of legend to carry the man. He took the drowsy mans arm and pulled on it. If she wanted to carry him she could, but he could force him to walk for now.

---

“...Eh? Trying to keep my love caged up? If you wanted to keep me all to yourself, you should have just asked ~★!"

This was certainly going to be a rejected offer.

The man who had summoned her was but a tool created for his specific goal. He simply couldn’t care about anything beyond his precious numbers, and his foolish goal to avoid Humanity’s inevitable destruction. If he did, he would be nothing more than a useless tool to be tossed aside to the trash heap. A tool has no need for the type of lifestyle favored by Caster, nor would a proper tool even have aspirations for such a thing. In reality, he was likely the perfect tool for the niche he was meant to fill. While his niche certainly wasn’t a Grail War, he’d be a most valuable tool.

A near perfect tool for a Caster who excelled in using tools to their fullest extent.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t the one. He couldn’t even be a candidate. If anything, Peregrinus was the absolute worst candidate to be her child. What was the point of a child who couldn’t enjoy a cuddle? A child who couldn’t enjoy the warmth you gave to them? A child who couldn’t feel every ounce of love you’ve poured into them? A child who wouldn't place your needs above their own? A child who wouldn’t crack under the overwhelming tide of your love? A child who would replace you with a random hussy who cared little about them?

There wasn’t a point in such a disgusting child.

They were useless, absolutely useless.

Which is why Peregrinus could never become her child in the first place. He wasn’t useless at all, so he’d remain just a precious tool for Caster. It was a fairly high honor, only belonging to a select few during her life. More so than that, he was just a fitting partner. He himself had no aspirations, and likely wouldn’t interfere with her goals. The Alchemist made up for whatever few shortcomings she truly had, and of course, the most important thing of them all.

He wasn’t a hussy who would take her child away from her.

Which was the ultimate crux for why she had been spending the entire day setting up, and why she’d ultimately agree to be on the defensive for now. Even if she could acquire a good child, what was the point if there wasn’t a good place to protect them? She needed to make sure she had everything she needed to give her future child the best kind of upbringing! For that, she would spend all of the day working towards this goal.

Her territory was built right after she had been summoned earlier in the day. A workshop was the most important piece to any kind of magus, and even one from nearly 2000 years ago was no different. With a territory established, the rest of her setup could be complete.

Familiars were built, and the city was scouted. Mystic Codes were forged, and the territory was expanded upon

Leylines were detected nearly instantly considering how much mana they radiate.

Information.

War was a game of information. Even if others had been summoned prior, Caster wouldn’t allow herself to fall behind. Every action that occurred within this city would be under either her own, or her Master’s watchful eye. A method to not only find a suitable child, but one that would allow her to make sure that the child would stay protected.

---

---

---

With a tired sigh, Katarzyna looked, and marveled upon the work she had done.

The day itself was certainly a tiring one. Finding a place to reside for the duration of the war proved to be a challenge in of itself. She was told that Japan was a beautiful land brimming with nature, and while that was completely incorrect, Fuyuki itself was definitely heading towards becoming a city like she would find in Western Europe. Which meant that she would need to search for a location more suitable for her needs.

She did find a nice forest near the coast of Fuyuki on the Eastern Side, but even with that, Japan would never be the optimal place for it. Her magecraft was tied to the land, Slavic Lands to be specific. Japan wasn’t Poland, so no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn’t be an optimal place for her. Of course, she came prepared. She brought things from home specifically because of this.

It wouldn’t do too much, but in creating a Shrine, the situation could be remedied a bit. At the very least, it would be more useful to set one up than to not set one up.

Following that, the rest of the day was spent with Katarzyna setting up her workshop, and scrounging together whatever familiars she could create. It wasn’t too much, but she really only had a day to work with. At the very least, she had the Ghost of a legendary hero beside her during most of the day’s activities.

“Rider, how do you feel this war will unravel?"

It was a simple question, but one that likely needed answering.

“There are many magi present for this war. There are several magi with higher ranks than myself, and I’m sure many of my rank can defeat me with little issue. Given all of that, do you think we even have a realistic chance of winning?”

The answer was already decided in Katarzyna’s mind, and while she was sure of what her Servant would say next, she wanted to hear the words from Rider’s mouth.

---

To say that Sofia was annoyed was a bit of an understatement. For a good while she was sprinting at top speed to the bank in town to stop the thieves. She wasn’t exactly out of shape, but running for so long still put a strain on her fitness. But then to watch the culprits fly out of the building just as she was arriving?

“You’re kidding me!?” Sofia groaned, still catching her breath, the thieves left so fast that she didn’t even have the check them out properly; all she noticed was the magical energy emanating from them, they were definitely master and servant. As expected though, Saber was not affected by the short jog in the slightest.

“Master, should I pursue them?” She said as she moved into a chasing position.

“Haha, I don’t have the energy for that, but if you can keep up with them, go for it.” As soon as the words left Sofia's mouth, Saber disappeared in a gust of wind, reaching ever closer to the unaware pair in front of her.

“Your objective is to reclaim their stolen property, so don’t do anything stupid while I’m catching up to you.” Sofia told through their connection as she started jogging after Saber.

Saber already had the culprits in sight and hopped from roof to roof, coming ever closer to her unsuspecting targets. “You worry too much master, they won’t get very-“ She drew her invisible blade and started gathering magical energy in it, before releasing a magical wind slash capable of cutting a tree in half straight towards the thieves. “Far!”

_attacking @Reflection@Yukitamas

Right as Lancer's spear strikes Rider's hand, the ground below erupts and explodes as dirt launches up into the air, leaving a small but very noticeable hole in the ground, as if Lancer had missed his attack and struck the ground right under his target despite striking true. It's all due to a property of Rider's armor, that distributes the force of whatever attacks it towards the opposite direction, that caused such an effect. It's also due to this effect that Rider was able to absorb the blow, at least for the most part. Another property of Rider's armor allowed him to nullify the damage of most attacks to an extent. Indeed, a full-powered strike from Lancer would definitely be an attack at the rank of B+, but to Rider, he had only felt the force of an E+ attack to his hand; still a formidable attack for a lesser Servant, but merely an inconvenience for the likes of Rider, who is anything but lesser. Gritting his teeth at the blow, the attack merely caused Rider to drop his sword.

At this point, Rider was just about certain of his opponent's identity. That speed of his coupled with his magnificently crafted armor, which had treated his own attack as if it were nothing, had painted a picture to Rider of a warrior who many would indeed consider the fastest. One who was undoubtedly the Greatest Hero in a war fought by many heroes. Such a great hero was exactly what Rider had sought when he allowed himself to be summoned by the grail, who could not help but give a half-smile at this realization. Such a well-sung hero would make the perfect opponent for Rider to best in order to complete his wish...

And such a well-sung hero would also have a very obvious weakness, as well.

Sending a burst of magical energy through his now-empty arm, he launched it upwards, towards Lancer's spear, firmly grasping the shaft just below, or in this instance, above, the head. Reinforcing his grip with both mana as well as his own strength, he pulled down on Lancer's spear with as much force as he could exert, releasing more of his energy in the effort to pull his opponent's weapon down. Rider's intent wasn't to disarm his opponent, however, anticipating that Lancer would keep a tight-enough grip on his weapon in order to bring him off-balance. Afterwards, Rider pushed the ground with yet another blast of magical energy, springing his legs up sending himself upwards, positioning himself, mid-air, to the side of his opponent, reinforcing his entire left side with even more prana.

Such brazen overuse of magical energy would easily tire most Servants, but for Rider, whose veins surge with the blood of dragonkind, using excessive amounts of magical energy to such a degree is easily affordable. Compared to a Magi, whose magic circuits could be considered as machines made to create magical energy, Rider's could be considered to the likes of an entire power plant supplying him with an absurd amount magical energy. It also helped that his Master was able to supply him with a nigh-infinite amount of mana, which further grants Rider the privilege to be more reckless with his power output. Where other heroes use their supply of magical energy to shoot lasers out of their swords or worlds out of their shields, Rider simply uses his own to empower himself and his attacks.

First off, Rider launched his arm into a reinforced left hook, aiming to hit Lancer in the back of his head with the edge of his shield. While this attack was meant to disorient him, it was not his true target. Immediately following up with the momentum of his strike came his left leg, which he swung with all his might, focusing most of his energy and weight into this one kick.

Before the attack had made contact, Rider uttered a simple phrase to his opponent. He did earn himself an answer, after all.



And so, Rider launched his kick, aimed just right above Lancer's ankle. He chose not to strike Lancer in the leg purely to taunt him. He wanted his opponent to know that not only does he know of his weakness, but that he can strike it if he so wished, even though all it took was a needlessly complicated and inefficient body check to accomplish such a feat. An attack that would bring both himself and his opponent to the ground.

"Oh?"

The entry of the Black Lion and its fellow karakuri drew the bartender's attention, rounding about from where he'd been speaking to Gin to face the new arrivals. His eyes looked the mechanical constructs up and down, eyeing them with a tint of curiosity and something else that almost resembled recognition.

The appearance of the magus in control of the puppet was hardly a surprise, though.

"'The' Dionysus? Well, I'm not sure what weight that name carries for you, but yes, I am Dionysus of the Olympians. Although, for my time here, I'm little more than a simple bartender, serving drinks and watching the show."

Waving his hand dismissively and letting out a quiet laugh in response to the Master's exclamation, the manifested Divine Spirit walked over to the bar, entering in behind it and glancing around to ensure that he was familiar with the layout. Thankfully, it came just how he was used to; Chiron was nothing if not aware of their mutual preferences.

No sooner had he looked the layout over than from behind the bar, a glass of red wine was lifted up before being placed onto the counter. How it had been poured or how it was at the perfect serving temperature were questions better left unanswered.

"If you just ask for a drink, you'll only be given a glass of wine. Something of a house specialty." After all, while his drinks generally could boast the title of the best in the world, his wine could be said to be among the best, if not the best, wine in all of history. Just had to make sure he didn't accidentally pour the wine that would make normal humans explode if he was serving them. "If you'd like anything different, though, do let me know. I would recommend deciding quickly, though. There's been a...concerning amount of misfortune in the city tonight already, from what I can tell. The longer you wait, the more risky. This can be quite a dangerous place."

As if to further validate this statement, a glance off to the side would reveal Chiron forcing drinks down his Master's throat, while yelling at him to 'hurry before he got got' or somesuch thing. It was probably out of concern. Probably.

"Those creations of yours are interesting, though, I must say." He commented offhandedly a moment later, reexamining the karakuri with a curious eye. "A subset of automata, but reinforced through the local foundations. You've done well to elevate them to this level in spite of their inherent limitations. Still, the age and mystery of them leave a bit to be desired. Hm." He snapped his fingers, an idea seeming to come to him. "Have you considered conflating them with the nature of a 'vessel for the divine' to bolster that? It's like what those Western magi have started doing with angels, and the Japanese pantheon is certainly diverse enough for it to accommodate without harming the meaning. Those Indian automatons I saw in my travels did something similar."

What the hell kind of bartender offered magecraft advice?

---

Lancer decided not to give in to her opponent's demands. After all, if he felt antagonized he then he might be more likely to attempt her absolute destruction, at which point she would watch carefully the nature of his attack. "You revealed that information of your own accord, Saber. As such, don't want to hear you lamenting that you failed to come to an proper agreement with me beforehand."

Nonetheless, she bore no true ill-will towards her opponent, and approved of his techniques to minimize the disadvantage his inferior agility presented. Not a bad counterattack, but I can already think of a half dozen pointers to give you.

At this point, the difference in combat between one who could see the future and one who could not became more tangible. It required only a repositioning of one hand and a subtle shift of the weight, for her stance was prepared beforehand with Saber's next move in mind. Her spear functioned as something like a lever, with the head falling from its upward angle to nearly the opposite. The blade of Saber's sword, which was running along the shaft, was forced to follow its path downwards, cracking into the ground along with her own spearhead. "With that said, would you like to reveal your true name? I have my suspicions but I don't mind if you make it easier for me. Of course, I offer nothing in return." It was the sort of tone she took with her pupil in his early days. Cruel and unyielding, even if it was merely a well-disguised tactic to apply 'tough love' and bring out the best in him.

Naturally, the illusion would be ruined if she politely waited for an answer, and so Lancer made her next move. Her superior speed was more obvious here, as she was able to remove her spear from the earth before Saber could do the same. Since she obviously hadn't pushed him hard enough, as he still wore a boyish smile and seemed quite talkative, Lancer decided to 'turn things up a notch', so to speak.

Taking two steps back while shifting her grip on her Lance, she dropped into a low, wide stance before making her attack. She made an angled thrust forth into the air to Saber's left before carefully redirecting that momentum into a swing for his torso. Thus, the disadvantage of a great, wide swing was negated as the attack arrived inches from its target almost instantly while the hero's sword remained in a disadvantageous lowered position.

For a hardy warrior like Saber, the best move might seem to be stepping forward and enduring the bludgeoning of the shaft for a chance to close more distance. From Lancer's stance, however, it would be possible to pull the spear straight back at that point, thus running the blade of the head across his side from behind.

These are the fundamentals a pupil of mine must understand before he is allowed to wield a spear of any quality. Will this man pick up on it, I wonder?

He could tell immediately she was picking at his head. Olivier herself had done such things at times, and while he was an emotional man he wasn't about to give her what she wanted. No, to discover that she'd have to work for it. Saber's eyes were focused upon her, and that spear. There was one good thing about a spear. If you knew where the blade was, you knew where the pommel was. If you knew where the pommel was, you knew where the blade was.
"Everybody only gets one freebie." Saber said, unwilling to drop his guard. Still surging with that need to defend his master, while emboldened by a new ease. Everything seemed crisp, exact. No he couldn't see the future. But as they fought, his speed seemed less of a problem.

The blade of Saber struck hard into the ground, gouging stone as easily as anything. Though that may just be the power of a servant. One could never be too sure. The sparks from their grinding weapons fluttered through the air, igniting their battle into a glorious display that his master could see. And Saber felt for a moment that she had read his mind. No. That isn't possible. Is it something more?

"You fight well, but unless you are really weak for such a haughty servant, you are not giving it your all. So offer me up a fight worthy of my passion, and you shall learn your desire." Saber smirked, as if telling her to bring out more.

While his blade remained lodged in the earth, he was under attack. But Saber didn't yield his position, or his blade. As the spear struck to his unsworded left, he knew exactly the maneuver. Taking a step closer, the broadside slammed into his side, Saber did not flinch. But instead his arm followed the motion. Slamming his elbow down onto the shaft where it connected to his side, he sandwiched her weapon between his arm and body. His free hand struck the shaft, and gripped the handle, tightly with his own strength. A pin! With his own force he kept her from pulling the spear back, denying her the blow she sought. Instead... He took advantage of such a delicate stance she took.

A wide stance was good for holding ones ground. Or for thrusting. What it wasn't good for was when one was being pulled closer to their enemy. Saber's grip twisted the spear, and possibly her arms in doing so. He would pull her closer, directly into the range of his sword. Still buried in the ground, he raised Durandal up in an arc. An arc destined to pass right through Lancer's body, bisecting her from between her legs and upward to come out her skull. Could she foresee a way out? Could she overwhelm his own strength that seemed to bolster itself more? Or would she surrender her spear to avoid death?

Against such a foe, only boldness will do. Such stark boldness with which to shock her in the moment of action. This thought rushed through Saber's mind as he struck. Indeed how bold. How daring and brave. To accept injury in order to gain, that was what he had learned. To give as good as you get.

Despite his prodigious size, he moved through the forest quickly and silently. This is nothing particularly new to Ruler. Evading the familiars of mere magi- even those of "Caster", is something 'he can definitely do' with a little effort. He is that kind of "Hero".

Within moments, the clash between two great Heroic Spirits, "Rider" and "Lancer" began in earnest. In that moment, Ruler Understood. Ruler, who has survived countless battles and surmounted many challenges, realized it instantly.

There is something in this forest 'that does not belong here'.

This does not include the Einzberns, who had made this portion of the forest their haunt. Naturally, Dietrich and his master would fall within this category. No, even Achilles and his master 'belong here'. This is, after all, the Holy Grail War. It is expected that fights would break out, even at this distance. Though Ruler had fired at this specific spot to make a statement to a certain 'someone', he had taken responsibility to ensure nothing unfortunate would result from it. Because of that, he had made his way to the spot razed by his 'call to arms'.

It was to simply observe.

For masters and servants to investigate- that wasn't a surprise to him. In the first place, that was expected. Infact, that was the important part of the 'statement' to a certain person but-

Something else was here, slinking in the shadows. 'It' was trying to figure out the secret of this place. No. Judging from the 'feeling' he was receiving. . .

'It' already knew. 'It' was merely trying to reach 'that' place, and then turn the Grail War on its head. As Ruler, this was an opponent he could never ignore in the first place. No, this was a dangerous enemy to the entire Grail War system itself. Because of that, it had to be crushed in this instant. At least, that was what he was being told in that exact moment.

His instincts and refined battle sense agreed with that one hundred percent. In a span of time much lower than what humans perceive as a moment, a 'shadow' emerged from behind a tree near Ruler. Dashing forward with speed only a servant could demonstrate, the shadow launched a surprise attack against the giant man using a dagger-like sword. Despite this, he didn't make a single sound in his mad dash for Rulers back.. There was no killing intent, and not even a twig broke in response to the earnest and well planned ambush. Was it merely just skill, or some ability or perhaps even magecraft?

Whatever it was...

There's no doubt moments later. It was definitely not enough.

In the time it takes for the ambusher to reach him, Ruler had already retrieved a gleaming sword from his satchel. Without any fuss, the attack from behind was deflected with a single stroke of Rulers sword. The dagger is knocked out of his opponents hands, and the figure falls back. It seems they weren't even interested in retrieving their weapon, letting it fall to the forest floor.

No.

That's not it.

The dagger his opponent was using has disappeared. It's completely gone-it never even hit the ground. But, it isn't some auto retrieval ability.

Rather. . .

Instead, his attacker had a new weapon in his hands. It is a cursed bow clearly foreign to Japan. Notched on it is a demonic arrow overflowing with magical energy. Its holder, the unknown assailant, is wearing a dark red cloak. It has some property or ability that Ruler did not quite comprehend- but it seems to be similar in nature to that of a saints shroud. Whatever it is, it was making it difficult for him to properly identify who or what he is fighting. No, the only discerning feature he could properly notice was his opponents long white hair.

Ruler dwarfed the man by many times in physical stature. While Ruler was called monstrous or divine by many in his life- the assailant in front of him is definitely just a mortal man.

Beyond that, even Ruler didn't know much just quite yet. No. He was 'told' at least one thing about this opponent. His opponents true nature is, definitely, a-

"Fighting in close quarters like this, what kind of Caster are you?" Caster, the ambusher, does not respond. He merely readied his bow in response to Rulers earnest words. It was, in many ways, a compliment.

Even in life, Ruler was not a man of many words. Or rather, perhaps it would be better to say that when he spoke, his words carried the weight of the world upon them. But in this war, it was not his place to speak without need. He was here to make up for past crimes, past grievances. Ruler was not here acting as a Hero, Demon, God, or anything in between. He was just a man paying for his terrible mistakes. That is why he has taken on 'this' role.

Ruler leapt forward to close the distance between them, brandishing a sword of almost celestial light. The unknown assailant released the full might of his Demonic Bow. Overwhelming magical energy is put into its projectiles, and it is fired without restraint at Ruler. Their battle commences in earnest.

As a result, the forest is rocked with explosions, destruction, and is being thoroughly razed. The battle rages on many miles away, the outcome and even participants unknown to all in this grail war.

It's almost as if the tempo of Rulers fight matches the one between Achilles and Dietrich. It is certainly beyond their range of notice- but the tremors can perhaps be felt by the two masters hanging back from their Servants battle.

’Got it.’

He replied to the order from the mental link as an afterthought, too lost in the midst of battle to care. Normally, he would have been annoyed, but his mood soared sky-high, given the circumstances.

“An endurance type, huh? Guess this could take very long at this rate.” Lancer Prime joked still, even as his spear seemingly failed to completely take the enemy’s hand as he had intended.

Just as he had surmised, the armor worn by the black swordsman before him was, while not on the level of his own, still a treasured artifact that offered the one who wore it a measure of ‘invincibility’, though he had yet to determine the full extent of it. It had not entirely blocked attack, judging by the dropped blade, but between it and the abilities of his opponent, it had certainly been reduced enough to not to completely disable his hand.

Annoying, but informative nonetheless. He would not have been so rushed to cover his head and neck with the shield if it was a characteristic of his ‘body’, so that ruled out some other individuals that were closer in nature to Lancer Prime.

“I see you have me at a disadvantage, Saber — I guess such is the curse of being so famous. Can’t say I’ve figured you out just yet, though.” The smirk that wormed its way into his face clearly gave away the true implication behind the statement.

What did it matter if he knew? He would not shy away from combat just because his weakness had been discovered by the enemy. He angled his body slightly — only turned slightly sideways, just a touch shy of facing Saber completely head-on.

The grip his enemy had on his spear was not something he could break — Saber had displayed the skill Mana Burst, and his natural Strength was first-class. Wasting time attempting to wrest it away from his grip was not the answer, so he did the next most natural thing.



He let go.

It was stupid — He had just made an attack to disable Saber’s sword, and now he was forfeiting the advantage just like that?!

Of course not. To begin with, he was not some one-trick-pony that could only do a single thing — though he had not been (would never be) a match for that great hero of his land, Lancer Prime was still a natural-born warrior that had studied under the great sage, and had absorbed all the knowledge Chiron had to impart to the point of becoming his second-best pupil.

His ‘talents’ did not lie in ‘spearmanship’ alone. They lied in ‘all the skills necessary for a hero’. And that included. . .



—The core, right, Teacher?

Without wasting an instant, Lancer Prime surged forward to meet Saber, knees bent slightly, his eyes darting toward the shield that sought to smash against his head — he ducked, minutely, as his now freed hands moved toward his enemy.

One sought to grip the opponent’s arm, the other sped toward Saber’s abdomen. Without wasting any time, he shifted once more, rotating and —



Using the momentum Saber had put into his blow against him, in conjunction with his legs, arms and back to execute the picture-perfect throw and then, once Saber was on the ground, he would follow up with a lightning-quick punch to the unprotected face, seeking to interrupt the flow of action Rider had commenced wholesale—



—And he would use all he had learned to achieve it.

Pankration. — the hand-to-hand combat art his teacher had passed down to him, invented by his senior disciple alongside the slayer of the Minotaur, the two men that had already been legends by the time Lancer Prime — Achilles — was just a boy.

Furthermore, Lancer Prime was also one of those rare great heroes that displayed the Skill, Bravery at the highest Rank, an attribute he shared with that man. If Saber sought to challenge him in hand to hand, he would be sure to rise to the occasion.

Of course, his enemy’s specs and abilities were still noteworthy even without the added defense of the armor, but he thought it would grant him enough of a window to retrieve his weapon and create some distance.

Most likely, he would obey his Master and leave. It was still too early and there were far from enough witnesses to the duel to kill such a magnificent enemy — it would be a shame.

In that regard, this was the childish streak of the great sprinter showing itself once more — he would spare an enemy solely because it would be more dramatic to face him later.

@Cu Chulainn @Phonic

Troilus nodded at Baba’s request, waving at the pair of masters as they left. He hoped the bar business went well, though he didn’t really understand it. But if it helped him and Baba, it could only be a good thing.

…Without them around, it was a little boring. He tried playing with some of the toys, fidgeting with bits of scrap metal, gazing out into the night sky to look for traces of more fireworks. None of it worked, and the darkness of the night seemed to press in, reminding him of his loneliness.

He missed his horses.

His mind began to wander, and turned inevitably to the thought of leaving. Troilus wasn’t the type that let the distant prospect of danger influence his decisions. If it was out of view, it was something he could ignore. Even if the city was surrounded by a besieging force, that wouldn’t stop him from leaving, not when his horses needed water and exercise. It was the simplistic thinking of an innocent, one who knew almost nothing but love. Though the danger was something he could think about, something he could fear, it wasn’t something he fully comprehended.

Besides which, he had to leave eventually, didn’t he? If he stayed in the fortress the whole time, then there was no chance of winning this contest of heroes at all. Unless every other hero came to him - and how would they know where to find him if he didn’t leave?

The fireworks had looked interesting, so he should go and look at them. It wasn’t that he thought it could be a source of valuable information, but rather that they were a fascinating distraction.

Since the fortress, Troy, was his, leaving in spirit form was a simple matter. Outside, he manifested once again, and took a deep breath of air, smiling as he began to wander forwards, meandering vaguely in the direction of the lights, though he had already begun to forget where exactly they had appeared.

He’d barely seen any of the city, so the various sights and sounds it had to offer were fascinating. Even with the knowledge he’d received from the grail, everything was still so novel and fascinating. The smile didn’t leave his face as he wandered through the city with only a vague idea of his destination, his attention wandering more by the second.

Moving through Shinto Town, towards Miyama Town

---

"Are you certain this is not my full power? If that's true, then you would be wise to destroy me with all your might before I do the same to you." Saber was right, of course. He was not her student, a fact made all the more obvious by the skill he displayed in grabbing hold of her weapon. Therefore, there was no reason to pace out each attack as a lesson. If she were teaching a lesson, she might have let the man pull her spear out of her grip and praised him for a successful maneuver on the first try. However, this was not the case.

As her opponent pulled and twisted on her spear, Lancer did not truly let go of it. Rather, she let her hands nearly free of it such that her fingertips grazed along the shaft until Saber's wrist reached its limit in terms of twisting before restoring her grip with one hand almost at the pommel. From there, a similar principle was applied as when she had forced Saber's blade into the ground, except this time he was serving as the unwitting anchor while she embraced his pull forwards and added a push to her right. At the same time as the pull carried Lancer away from the blade, it disrupted the attack as well. Saber's strength had unmistakably increased since the beginning of the fight due to some unknown factor, but the tug applied to his left caused his right arm to veer slightly off course, somewhat like a rowboat with one oar.

Between Lancer's swift escape and the minor redirection of the blade, the attack still only missed by mere centimetres. By that point, it should have been clear to Saber and his unfathomably-dressed Master that some factor guided her actions in combat with great care, allowing her to make with absolute certainty moves that would be a great risk or even near suicide for a fighter with any common sense.

So it was that Lancer positioned herself at her foe's left flank. It was close enough to be disadvantageous for a spearwoman, but with Saber's right arm having raised his blade overhead during his upward blow while his left steadfastly gripped her own weapon, it was not a wholly disadvantageous position.

It was clear that Saber's physical abilities were growing. Whether by virtue of time, number of blows exchanged, or some other factor Lancer did not know, and there was no time to perform a proper investigation into the future to determine the end result of this enhancement. However...

"You attempt to disarm an opponent through sheer force. Not bad, but do you think I'm so feeble?"

Compared to at the beginning of the match when they were equal, Saber's strength was now somewhat greater than hers. Despite this, a single one of his limbs had not yet touched the level of being greater than two of hers, so with both hands distanced appropriately along the shaft, she gave a harsh pull of her own while simultaneously twisting, and stepping back up the hill.

It was a matter of course that her spear was freed from the knight's grasp. The question, in this case was whether he had suffered a broken wrist as his hand, which had already fully twisted the spear, was brought even further in the same direction, or a severed arm as the spearhead passed along the armpit during its exit from his grip.

"Still, forgive me if I'm hesitant to reveal the full extent of my abilities to any who may be watching simply for the sake of learning one warrior's true name." She narrowed her eyes, "If you're similarly worried about possibility of prying ears, then come close and say it so only I can hear." She levelled her spear at him. An invitation, but clearly not to talk.

@manythings @reflection






Confronted with the beyond human insanity of the abilities of two legendary souls, a mere mortal would often be confronted with what laid beyond the limits inherent to being human. A normal person would be unable to follow the movements, nor truly understand the level of ability shown.

Yet he stood there, a profound look in his eyes. Perhaps then he had the ability to not only follow, but comprehend the scale of the battle before him. What he looked with were not the limits of a man, no. He was a teacher who by no means reached into their realm. But he was one who ventured to a new foreign land and absorbed the many customs and techniques of a completely different world. To be confronted with something beyond his experiences and to understand it then was an ability that was almost inherit to Tlilpojuan. At first he looked with his plain eyes, but as the battle continued on he activated the clairvoyance of a master.

The words came to Saber through their link. “Her horsepower is immense.” The comment was perhaps not unexpected due to the strange nature of the master, but in a sense it was also practical. It was said that the masters clairvoyance desminated information about the parameters and abilities of a servant in the way most easily understood by the master. There was in another timeline, in the future, another master that was a native to the newland who saw the parameters of servants as rivers, with the speed that which they flowed signifying their potency. A man who looked towards new things, the idea of things such as locomotives being evaluated through the power that supported industry all over the world was not a strange thing. Nor was it strange then that the servants were evaluated in the same way that the power of the wonders of man were. By comparison with the capabilities of an equine beast.

“In comparison to yours... even without the reduction caused by my circuits she is an immense herd. Her speed especially so. This will be a difficult fight, Saber.” But there was no worry in his words.

“Saber, spur yourself on with your desire. Worry not for my circuits, or my ability as a magus.” I will withstand it. The abilities of Roland and Tlilpojuan were perhaps not the most matched. The greatest class, and a great hero with the man who most likely ranked the lowest as far as one’s calibur as a magus. Yet they were brought together by fate, and where the ability of his circuits lacked, his will would endure. It was only fitting that the knight who so boldly charged into battle fearlessly, so indomitable would gain a partner who would have to prove his strength of will and ability to withstand, just like his servant.

“Yet this is the first round.” came a calmer voice, his passion honing in with the focus of a martial artist. “Fight as you are, let her feel you out. She believes she is learning you, but in truth we are learning her. She is a cautious fighter that sense, but she’s brazenly inviting you into pitfalls and traps. That move is fine. But she’ll be on guard after that. So you’ll have to switch it up even further… Her movements are oddly fluid, too fluid.” In a sense perhaps that is the result of her own style taken to an extreme. But… “

He watched Saber’s actions while repositioning, walking to a place where he could look upon the interplay between the two clashing heroes. Not paralyzed by awe or fear, Tlilpojuan calmly looked upon the two even as his body was buffeted by razor-sharp winds that sheared away at the streets. Gale blades from their shockblades licked at his skin, unable to find purchase for the most part, but sometimes creating nicks from which blood oozed slightly. His reaction that it gained an almost whinny-like laugh as his eyes continued to watch the servants.

“I am afraid that if you sustain too much damage however it would be a danger to me, Saber. For I am no powerful magus. Activate your skill, Guardian Knight. There is no shame in using it.” The command came as Saber closed in, slamming his blade into the ground and moving to grapple and tie up the woman that was most likely a Lancer.

The first of his commands, but not the last as Tlilpojuan evaluated the flow of the battle as though it were a lesson plan.

The western giant’s voice boomed out, calling out to Lancer as much as Saber. The words carried with his cultivated ability to galvanize those who would listen to his tales (in exchange for lodging) and to those who counted themselves as his student (Hideyoshi). A call to action, a call to the dropping of restraint. “This is your exhibition match, this is where we etch the first taste of the war. If you rein it in here then we’ll have little but regrets!”

“Saber!” he called out without any care of hiding the class of his servant. “Now is the time!”
Images flooded Roland’s mind through their karmic link, the display of one’s body used as a weapon and the roaring of explosive flames playing out like a movie.

“It is time for that!”

The technique’s name branded itself into his mind. Tlilpojuan figuratively instructing his servant on the how, and to do.

“The first of my techniques in the war.”

Ninefold Hoof-Cannon: Release From Life

Well, in reality it was a technique that codified a series of brutal kicks, with the images shown to Roland being more the potential that they could reach. Yet in this case it was simply a series of brutal kicks. This unorthodox instruction was perhaps perfectly fitted for Roland, who was a man who entrusted himself to glory, and so could abandon his body to follow the flow. Certainly it was a means of attack that was significantly different from what Roland had attributed so far. What Tlilpojuan commanded in the end was to start a new flow to the fight.

Even if Lancer understood their blows… they would simply have to create a stream that dragged her along helplessly.

Saber was impressed. How fast she moved. How quick her motions, and how her delicate look seemed to so easily be turned around. He was at a disadvantage with this foe. How she moved, how she seemed to know every motion he made. As if... He'd ask later, but she wasn't a typical lancer or spearwoman. She really did deserve the title of heroic spirit. He'd love to find out just who she was for later.

But, his body did not break when she brought his arm around. Instead, there was a shimmer in his eyes, as he found something to protect. His master's honor! Or maybe just this hill. He wasn't picky. Guardian Knight was such a great skill. Mostly because when she twisted his arm, it didn't break, instead it was reinforced and whatever damage it might have done only charged through his spirit.
Master, she is very skilled. But this is not your fault. Rather, you have done your best, and your best is as good as the best of heroic spirit. I suspect her master has sent her out with the express goal of learning the identities of other servants. When we return to Olivier we will have to avoid letting on that we know each other. Or my identity will compromise her own. Always the gentleman, worried more about Olivier than himself.

Lancer fought on the razor's edge, but her demeanor told him this was not because it was in her nature. But a skill she deployed. "Very well, I shall get closer!" He grinned, and closer he would get, because in that moment she was pulling her spear back, as if thinking she could harm him. Guardian knight could tank that, but... He was learning from this teacher. For he didn't have one teacher in this fight, but two. His master, and his enemy.

Saber let go of her spear, not fully since he had already learned his lesson. But it was like her own grip in the move just before. His grip gentle, and his arm twisting. Readjusting just enough by moving his elbow. His hand pushed downwards, causing the tip to avoid his shoulder, sparing him the loss of a limb, and before the spear could pass him completely his grip tightened just before the blade. And yet, he let her pull him. His own charge was emboldened by her own strength, suddenly their short distance was closed in the blink of an eye. His body faced hers, with his sword raised above his head for a lethal strike downwards.

But he didn't. No. His left foot slammed down into the ground, rooting him there. He spun his right side to her, and kicked. And kicked. And kicked. Ninefold Hoof-Cannon: Release From Life! Roland was not a hand to hand martial artist. But this move? It was so bold. So brave! It was as if it had been designed just for him in mind! The power of a servant did what no human could. It perfected each kick into a body shattering blow. And being so past the defense of her spear, she was right in the path of the hurricane of blows.

This was his invitation to her.

A lance of irritation coursed through Christopher. How dare she speak to him like that? Like he was but a child, crying for one of his broken toys, and wanting to throw a tantrum because of it? On what authority did she-

And then he realized that she had a far higher authority than him, as she had been the first queen of Carthage. How much of a fool she must’ve appeared to her, to be so easily baited into a trap with only the destruction of a mere feline familiar.

And was he not the fool? He came here to polish and test his magecraft, rather than simply achieve the Grail, but not all here had such motivations as him. Some truly sought the chalice with its promised wish, or something perhaps equally as valuable as it, and thus they would be prepared for battle in truth. After all, there would be no reason for so, so many to have arrived in the city, the practical multitude of his fellow Fes arriving in this backwater, among others as well. He would be cast down, for he had not prepared himself for a battle beyond magecraft, and while he had prepared his territory adequately, he had hardly prepared himself for the War. While dozens of battle plans would be an utter waste of time, rendered worthless in the face of the multifaceted glory of the history of humankind, and the manyfold branches that sought the Root of all things.

Alas, but there was no use weeping over something that had already occurred. Reassert control over oneself, maintain a calm demeanor, and approach something with a logical mindset. It served him well enough in the Clock Tower with its cutthroat politics and competition, it should suffice here.

“My apologies for my hastiness, Avenger. It shall not happen again. You make a fair point about gathering more information directly, and I must agree on that point. However, to even go close to any competent magi’s workshop would be something I would be wary of doing on the first night, much less of the Einzbern, Matou, or even the Tohsaka, who seem to be of the lesser of the Three Families from my observations. Therefore, I would prefer to explore the city, though away from certain areas I have assessed to likely be workshops. If we do not encounter anyone in particular, perhaps certain locales would be forthcoming in information, as well. Would this be an acceptable course of action?”

@UndyingRegret

---

Suzaku ran hard and fast toward the church as soon as he'd gotten Tesla's message. Not that he'd needed it- he'd seen the fight for himself. Seen how he'd nearly lost the entire war in less time than it took him to blink. And they weren't out of the woods yet, either, pun not intended- they still had to return to the church without attracting any unsavory attention, and then, there had to be something done about the poison their temporary adversary had afflicted Tesla with. Which, given the nature of this conflict, he didn't have much faith in their chances. The Wolf he'd sent ahead was almost to their destination, the other keeping pace with him, in case any Masters decided to do something ill-advised.

Already, I have been so humbled... I've miscalculated. I have to take care not to let this happen again. He was getting close to the rendezvous point now. All he had to do was meet back up with Tesla, make it back inside, activate the defenses and--

He almost froze as an image flashed through his head from the eyes of his Wolf. A group of people walking toward the church, with a purpose. It was hard to tell through the connection, but the just-slightly-too-stiff movements, the glassy gaze...

...Oh, hell. Tesla, we've got company. There's a group of undead headed toward the church. If you're close enough--

And that was when the Bounded Field informed him of even more intruders trespassing upon their territory. He would have rolled his eyes in irritation, given time. But for right now, he had to focus.

Change of plans. Bounded Field has been pierced from the northwest. Investigate, but do not engage. Maybe we can scare them off. I'll meet you at the incursion point.

A quick mental command set his draugr on the path to intercept the zombies attempting to invade, along with a more particular command to his Wolf:

"Teeth. Rend and tear."

From here, he might even see the sparks of lightning emanating from the creature as its overclock upgrades activated. Whomever had sent those zombies, they were about to get a hell of a show. Meanwhile, he just hoped he made it to Tesla's side in time...

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@floodtalon@Breo@Reflection@addamas