Perhaps staying up until the early hours of the morning could be seen as a bad decision. This was a war, and one needed to prepare, but arriving on the day of its commendation had set the Whitehall Masters back a certain degree in contrast to those both native and with the foresight to arrive early. To that end, there was much work to be done in fortifying the Temple grounds, as well as setting up her Workshop. Likely it would take a while longer to finish, but it was on its way towards completion.

The other half of Serafina's evening had been spent scouting. While her sister went off to gauge some of the other, nearby Servants, Sera made her way around Miyama, investigating the different districts to some degree in the hopes of uncovering some more opponents. And find some she did. There weren't just several Masters and Servants in Miyama that night, but through her investigating she identified some traces of Workshops either constructed or being constructed. Already, hung from the wall of their room in the Temple, was a map she had laid out detailing the locations of those Workshops.

While the negotiations at last nights meetings hadn't gone quite as she had planned, there was a certain part of her that was glad things hadn't devolved into a fight. As confident as she was that they could beat that Lancer, there was a degree of uncertainty in a place so fortified with Runes. What was necessary now, though, was cooperation. As far as she was aware, Reiki had her familiars all across the city, as evidenced by the way she was approached so abruptly last night. She'd just need to flag down one of the squads of worms and relay the information.

It was a little while after daybreak. The exhaustion of travel, along with the work performed at the late hour of the morning had eventually forced Sera to sleep for a short while, though barely enough time to be called a proper rest; she was up and moving not two hours after falling unconscious, ready to head out, with the sun steadily rising over a new day of the War. With Berserker at her side, she readied herself to leave.

But she didn't get very far, not even past the Gate of the Temple. Stood at the entrance was a shadowy form. One sera didn't recognise from her scouting.
"Can I help you?" she said, cautiously, taking a step forward towards the figure, with Ajax flanking, looming over the two like a bear, "You're not corporeal, are you? Are you a product of Magecraft the-"

Her voice trailed off as she caught glimpse of the horizon, and in turn city, below. Smoke was rising from the distance, and a lot of it. If this was a fight, they were making a mess of the city, but the spread of what appeared to be fire was too large for it to be caused by a fight. Somebody had set part of the city alight.
"That's not good..." her gaze turned back to the figure, "Is that why you're here? Great..." a hand raised to run through her hair, turning back towards the Temple, "Not even two days in and somebodies burning down the city, that's... fantastic, truly. Sorry, what is it you need?"

The doll was an item built to turn things into masks.

The things to be turned into masks could not be mundane, as then they would be mundane masks.

The bruise formed was the preparation of a contract.

The result of that contract would be a situation wrought with "unusual things".

The result of those unusual things in conjunction with the doll would be unusual masks.

Thus, it was only logical for the doll to pursue this contract.

Standing on a boat, having just entered the domain accorded by the leylines of Fuyuki, was this doll.

Standing before a magic circle, in a basic Bounded Field thrown up to shield her from detection, was this doll.

...well, it was a bit less efficient to do this on a boat than on dry land, where the leylines were right under your feet instead of blocked by a good amount of water, but that was nitpicking.

"Hey Mary, that looks important. Take this and go check it out when we get to port, m’kay?"

“Um, miss Carly-Beth? That, um, if I didn’t know better, I would think you’re pointing at those fires, miss.”

“...did I fucking stutter?”

“...no, miss.”

“Good~! Umm, hey Elena, start running some calcs on the city, will ya?”

“Hmph. Are you an idiot? I can’t calculate the future of a city without extended time gathering data on it.”

“Then focus on what matters, or you and Phil aren’t going to be allowed to talk for a week.”

“E-Eh?! Like that’s a punishment for me, a-ahaha...but, since you seem so desperate, I guess I can try.”

“Uh huh. Anna, help her out and relay with Mary when she’s out and about. Rest of you, sit back and relax. This is gonna be a good day, I can feel it.”

And so, as fire consumed the city and a ten year old girl scrambled off of a boat, as this doll began to chant and the circle came alight, another competitor made its appearance.

There was little else to say.

“So Karla, when am I gettin’ a bod-“

“I swear to god, Ted, one more word out of you and it’s back in the box. And it’s Carly. With a ‘y’. And a hyphen. And a ‘Beth’. Stop getting it wrong you mask-ass mask—”

Very little else to say.

Between the bickering mask on one end and the newly-involved, child-like Master on the other, neither of them would have noticed - or cared - about the newest arrival to grace the War's presence until a curt clearing of the throat cut in a pace or two from the now-docked boat.

"Jacky" lowered a gloved, cupped fist to her side, scrutinizing both mask and Master alike. "Well, this is a new record for me." the Strategist finally added with a slight smirk on her pale face, her hand resting on the pommel of her cutlass. "Barely five seconds coming ashore and already I'm seeing a Magus arguing with a mask, a mask being animate to begin with, and the battleground and residence of this new Holy Grail War is already going up in smoke."

The Servant shuffled about on the gangway to face the glowing fire in the distance. "I suspect you'd want to go through the motions of confirming who's who and all the nauseating regurgitation called 'ritual' which practically every other Magus would go through at this point," Her brow furrowed. "But I doubt either you or I would have much time for that. Just tell me what needs to be done, or is intended, and I will do my utmost to carry it out."

Ludwig watched the man closely, his eyes trying their hardest to avoid detection as even though the man appeared to be somewhat sketchy and he still had doubts, he didn't want to disrespect a doctor who basically lived his life to save others. Listening to his story, the man was truly the kind who put others lives before his own, at least that's how Ludwig felt.

He took a moment to stare at his own hands. if only they too could be associated with saving others and not what his family associated his hands with. He blinked the gory thoughts from his mind and turned back to Xerxes before.

The man he had first suspected of being in his mid twenties was surely not...that old? Older than a century? he was sure Xerxes must have been older than some of the lesser mage families involved with this war, and yet he risked his own life in this war. His eyes were wide and he froze. Staring in awe at Xerxes, seeing him as something that transcended what he already knew. Suddenly his knowledge and wisdom made sense. At first Ludwig had put his little Galileo down to him just being pompous and condescending. But with all those years of living and perfecting his craft...

"M-my apologies Xerxes. it had never crossed my mind that someone so well looking and young could be older than my grandfather, I am truly amazed at how...youthful you appear yet your years on earth...Persia must truly be your land, that you come back and want to help despite the land itself just, not caring about you.." He stared and tried to catch his breath and just, be normal again. Well I uh...my research, my project, I worry it may be something that would affect other lives and what I require for the project, is well...something our little fake master could not provide" He took a moment of silence and his head shot up to Xerxes again.

"Youth...your extended youth and life...if you wouldn't mind someday I would love to know how you can pull off such a feat, I know it is a subject the mages tend to shy from, but I couldn't care less. What you've done, how you've lived so well, it's impressive and a feat beyond most magus' knowledge.." he gulped and looked around.

"Do, many other mages know of your age Xerxes?"



She walked through the farms, avoiding as much civilisation as she could as she searched for the source of the missing animals and this odd aura about this city. This city, chosen to be the war ground for the heroic spirits that she now aligned herself with. Yet, she had not met any other spirits alike her yet. She wished she could, so that she could be sure she wasn't the only who felt unworthy to be summoned in such a fashion.

She walked to the edge of the farms and gazed upon the river to the other side of town. Brushing her hair from her eye she tapped her swords by her side and smiled. This was just another battle, she was yet to lose, her one loss she had made sure was her last. Yet here she was, at the risk of losing once more. This would surely be her last battle, she was hoping it would. Not for fear of getting worse, but in hope that blood would not need to be shed as much as she had already shed.

Her peace however, was interrupted.

The smoke billowed, the flames could be seen from her perch as she hopped to her feet and cursed loudly in Vienamese.

Master, I will be in the part over the river, I have a situation to deal with

She let her master know before yelling out loud.

"NANYUE!"

She could not let this villainy go unmatched, not let these innocent lives be at risk of extinguishing by these flames of evil. Whichever mage or servant had seen the war fit to spread turmoil and chaos to the innocent residents of Fuyuki was already in her shit list as the Vietnamese warrior roared over the bridge.

Passer-bys would see the magnificence that was the large elephant she rode atop. Golden armour and bright decoartions adorned the beast, it's tusks sharp and golden and it's eyes blazing with the same anger and defiance that sparked in Rider's eyes. Someone was seeking to oppress people, wipe them out. She would not let that happen.

Riding in on Nanyue, she bellowed across the outskirts of Miyama Town. "CITIZENS OF FUYUKI, THE FIRE IS BEYOND YOUR CONTROL! PLEASE BOARD MY MOUNT AND I SHALL TRANSPORT YOU TO SAFETY!" She rode down the streets and found a burning building, outside of which she picked up injured and panicking children and ladies and quickly scooping them onto her elephant. She held them tight as she rode to the outskirts to let them down and rode back into between the buildings, avoiding the fire. Seeking to save more.

It was Ludwig's reaction that amused Xerxes the most. Resting his head in his hand, he watched the young mage reel at the sudden knowledge now at his hands. While he rarely told others just how old he was, a mere one hundred years still amazed in a way that satisfied. In fact, watching the boy's reactions all throughout were a bit of a blessing. Ludwig seemed to be the kind of person who wore his expressions on his sleeves, something Xerxes had once done. But by the time he was fifty he had long learned to create the perfect poker face. A little help from his dear friend Bahadur. Long dead by now, but that man was responsible for the man Xerxes was now.

"You Ludwig, right now, are the only mage who knows in this war." Xerxes said, cheeks turned up into a smile. "You remind me very much of myself, so if I lied to you, that would be truly dishonest, wouldn't you say? But, you are not the only mage I have ever told this. There are a select few in Persia I have placed my trust in. They watch over my possessions while I am out and about. Should I die, my wills are extensive, and I expect they shall know what to do with my collection." It was clear just in the way that he talked that he had planned ahead in this case. Should he die, which was likely, he didn't plan to leave heartache behind.

"Then there were the few I met at the Clocktower. I was a teacher at one point, but it was a short lived career. I just couldn't stay in one place long. As for how I have lived so long..." Xerxes said, as if that explained so much. But before he could continue, he paused. A word had popped into his head. Something from Berserker? That word... FIRE. "I-I apologize, Ludwig, but I have to check something. He grabbed a coat from one of the boxes he had littered around the room, and rushed up the stairs. His mystic codes still firmly attached to his belt, as if expecting an attack. But up there...

Berserker stood by the window, gaze drifting out across the distance. Across the river smoke could be seen drifting into the sky, and darkening much of the sky. The fire was just starting, and already Xerxes knew something was wrong. But he didn't move, he stood there for a moment, thinking of it. That was the foreigner district most likely. Let it burn. The Matous could suffer for it. But... "ARCHER! LUDWIG!" He shouted, already making a move towards the door. There were valuables in the foreigner district. Keep playing the good doctor routine, say the right words, and he could very well find himself in a position where the Matous owed him. No, not just the Matous. The Tohsakas too.

"There is a fire in the foreigner district! Archer, I need you to survey the damage. Berserker, Ludwig and I will follow. We have to be careful, the fire could very well be an attempt to draw out other masters and their servants." He explained as soon as the others had arrived. "You should find where your servant went. He may be in danger." Xerxes said, directing that to Suzaku. "We may need him."

They had to move fast.



Horse. Horse and horse. It was indeed as strange as he had expected. Without even a hello, his master had been kidnapped by the horseman with the intent to make him drink some kind of alcohol. Hopefully it wasn't expensive. Taking a seat, Roland let out a sigh, amused for the most part. "Horse man, if my Master dies from alcohol poisoning, I will make sure to kill you before I fade away, got that?" He declared, eyes narrowed, but a hint of a smile was telling enough that he was being playful. Just don't actually test him on it.

But as he gazed out the window, he turned to the foreigner district. Mind drifting to Olivier. What was she up to? Was she fighting the Matou master? Could she be fighting another servant? He was excited at the idea of it, and his heart skipped a beat as the first sign of smoke. That wasn't right. Standing up, he walked to the window, eyes narrowed as the smoke became dense, and his heart skipped another beat. "MASTER! The Foreigner district is ablaze!" He shouted, grabbing at the horse masked man. "I will leave you here for your own safety, but I must go stop the fire." He said, pulling his cloak up, and making his way for the door. Even if the flame went out immedietly, he was worried. He was... Afraid for Olivier's safety. The fire could very well be a fight, or the attack of a servant!

_______________________________________________________
Miyami Town @Froppy

Roland tossed a bike aside as he crossed the bridge. Naturally he had of course been riding it, since it was easier than simply running all that distance. This was not the only bike he had stolen of course. It was the second. The first he had stolen right outside the pub, and had been half-way down the street when he snapped the handlebar right off trying to turn. These bikes were so fragile...

But as he looked upon the blaze, it had only grown since he had last seen it. Leaping onto a builiding adjacent to the flames, he reached for his Oliphant, the unicorn horn materializing into his hand. It was a curved horn, with a spiraled look to it like that of a shell plucked from the ocean. "Oliphant... ROAR LIKE THE HEAVENS!" Roland declared, his voice filling the air, before he placed his lips to the horn.



It was like a sonic boom. A blast of the horn echoed through the entire district, alerting all who could hear it. But the ones responsible for the fire? Their hearts were filled with fear, and they ran. The charisma of the Oni broke on all in the city, and nobody would be adding to the blaze from now on. But, the blaze was already set.

The force of his horn struck the fire, and if it was a normal fire he'd had snuffed it out all at once. But that wasn't the case. But with luck, he had managed to curtail the flames, by blowing away enough of the flames from the force of his horn.

Gin scratched his head and groaned, nursing his hangover with a bowl of sake. Despite being the thuggin' gangsta that he is, he wasn't used to drinking so heavily, preferring to be as sober as possible in his dealings. Given that his Servant's circumstances are unique, however, Gin decided it would be best that he got used to it while he still can. As he sunk back into his modest wooden throne, he placed his bowl on his lap, yawning.

The room he was in was like some sort of lounge with soft jazz playing in the background for some odd reason. Even Gin's attire seemed to fit the mood of the room, wearing a soft gray three-piece, the coat hanging behind his large chair. Within his room were all of Gin's subordinates, fellow members of the Fujimura group, all wearing similar Western garb. He assembled them all here out of an oversight he realized he made last night; he didn't give them any method of defending themselves if they were found by other magi. Gin quickly rectified that issue earlier, giving them all talismans that should help them defend against effects that interact with the mind, which should at the very least prevent them from being hypnotized. As they were all doing their own thing and enjoying the atmosphere of the lounge, Gin cleared his throat, tapping the end of his bokken on the ground to get their attention.


An expression of unease was apparent on Gin's face, whose drinking bowl had fallen on the ground. How did I let this happen, Gin thought, in my city, no less! As gin began to think of just what he was doing last night, he looked down to his feet, glancing at the shattered bowl. Oh, that's right, that bastard got me drunk. Taking one long deep breath, Gin stood up from his chair. After a brief moment, he exhaled, throwing his bokken to the ground and stomping over his shattered bowl in anger.


Entering the room was a younger looking man, another member of the Yakuza, and one of the four who were assigned a very important job; waitstaff for the bar. As such, he was dressed appropriately, and was made to look more formal than his compatriot, despite drunkedly swaying ever so slightly. Gin, however, gave a menacing look to the waiter, however, his eyebrow raised. This better be good news you're giving me, his look conveyed, as the waiter could do nothing but gulp.


Grabbing his coat, Gin stomped towards the door, hurriedly putting it on as he grabbed a bottle of wine from a bucket near the door, filled to the brim with ice and bottles of assorted alcohol. Quickly cracking it open, Gin downed a good portion of the bottle, turning back to his men, who looked all sorts of bewildered. "Whattya think yer all doin'?! Get ta' drinking and meet me down at the bar!" Shoving the bottle of wine into the hands of the nearest Yakuza before stomping out of his lounge and into the pub.

"Alright, listen up! I 'eard there's some sorta weird fire shit goin' on at Miyama, so if anyone would care to fill me in, that would be great!" Gin had announced, before walking to the bar. "Yo, Bartender, Ite, I need ta head out! There's a fire down at Miyama and it's getting worse by the minute! And since Bartender can't leave the bar, I'm gonna need your help putting it out, Ite! Can ya conjure up some water or somethin'?"

---

Like a blur, Rider road through the forest. Well, riding would be stretching a bit from the truth... Rider stood on top of Falke as if he were surfing his steed, who didn't seem to mind too much about it, especially considering that his boots aren't digging into its back. As a matter of fact, aside from his trousers, Rider seems to not be wearing anything at all! There was a reasoning behind this, however, as Rider was not the only cargo that Falke was carrying.

Maids. Maids of all assortments- well, not really, since they all looked the same- were seated in different positions on Falke, and even on Rider, who had to hold a few on his shoulders to fit them all. They were armed with shovels and adorned with laborers' clothes. Not counting Rider, himself, there were ten additional people in total that Falke was transporting, which would surely be an issue for a lesser horse. To Falke, however, whose strength already rivals beasts of phantasmal nature, this was nothing. As Falke blitzed through the forest, cute cargo in tow, Rider shouted commands to his entourage.

"Remember to work as fast as you can! A fire of phantasmal origin has been detected within Miyama, so we'll need to dig up a trench deep enough for it not to reach these woods! Once we're complete, prepare for phase two!" The maids all nodded in unison to Rider's commands as they finally reached the end of the woods, overlooking the town. Riding from one edge to the other, Rider deployed the maids, one by one, spreading them out evenly enough to make a sort of 'maid border' between the woods and Miyama. Once they were all in position, they all stood at attention, their shovels leaning by their legs. When Rider made it to the other end of the woods, the last maid hopped off, handing him one of the two shovels she was carrying before getting into position.

Rider seated himself properly on his horse, grasping the shovel tightly as he turned his horse around. "Are you ready?!" Rider growled, his voice booming across the woods. The maids, in unison, all shouted back a "Yes, sir!" With that, Rider had Falke back up a bit, leaning towards the side until his shovel can easily reach the ground. With a light tap of his foot, Rider commanded Falke to begin running, thrusting the shovel deep into the ground with all his prana-infused might, making a trench across the end of the forest with a maneuver similar to what he tried using to intimidate Achilles the night before, but even deeper.

When Rider finally made it to the other end of the forest, he had created a deep gash into the earth inches away from where the maids are standing. It was an imperfect trench, but it surely was enough to serve as a decent barrier to protect the woods from the fire. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Rider, turned around, shouting more commands. "Alright, start digging! We need this moat wide enough to ensure those flames don't spread into the woods!" The maids all nodded dutifully before jumping into the trench, beginning to dig forward with strength rivaling that of a third-rate Servant's. As they started digging, Rider looked towards the horizon, watching as the smoke from the fire filled the sky.

Flames leapt from building to building, consuming households and businesses alike in a mad fit to set Miyama ablaze. The previously clear sky gave no indication of its previous existence, having been stained black by the smokestacks that intruded into the heavens.

To say it was a disaster would be a understatement. The magically induced flames took into themselves all that had fallen prey to their choking influence, and it was clear to Hamel that there were no currently feasible ways to stop the spread of these flames.

But for every disaster, there came opportunity. And as Hamel finished up his great undertaking, he mused briefly upon how he had come upon this current situation.

Dragged from his respite in the curious pub that had opened up, Lancer's usually carefree demeanor had changed suddenly.

Suddenly not the happy go lucky figure he was accustomed to, such a change prompted a change in Hamel as well, sobering himself up the instant Lancer had changed.

Hamel knew as soon as a grimace hit Lancer's face, that something terrible was to happen, and after inquiring on the nature of the issue at hand, he had gone immediately to work, fabricating some crude familiars to fulfill the objectives laid before him by Lancer before heading to the bridge connecting Shinto and Miyama.

So here he stood, finishing up the last touches of his work on the bridge.

Stepping back to Shinto, Hamel poured his prana into the completed construct.

And as the bridge coalesced into a singular giant golem, crude and unwieldy, Hamel nursed the glass of whiskey recovered from the pub.

"Well, here's to you, Lancer," he intoned, before knocking back the glass.

Finished with his drink, he threw the now empty glass into the previous space where the bridge had been, now animated and traipsing towards Miyama.

It would be nice, Hamel concluded, if some masters die in the fire.

@Sageage @Red Alice

Assassin
Workshop, Southern Moor, Shinto

There exists a type of magecraft refereed to as Poisoning.

One would take a group of organisms and make them fight one another until all but one lives.

That single survivor would be used as a catalyst for black magic.

It was fitting then, that the master poisoner would practice such a thing.

It was carnage, it was death, it was brutality.

People fought one another, clamoring for their survival, for strength. Indeed, in this space, one could call it a Holy Grail. It was a place where wishes gathered and fought to be granted.

And so they fought. Young, old. It did not matter, their very existence was now nothing but a wish possessing a body, and each fought one another to be granted.

It was a grotesque sight, but one could hardly look away from such a mesmerizing sight. And so Giulia watched, until her reverie was broken by her master's call.

Ah, yes indeed, she answered back, it is crucial we observe the other members of this war. If we can discover where they are located, where their workshops are, their death would all but be guaranteed.

Taking a break from witnessing the savage killings take place, Giulia turned to assess the time, how long had she stood in this place, when so much more could have been accomplished, she wondered?

And as for materials, well, it would be prudent to procure more subjects for this project, I suppose I can-

Assassin's eye's widened as she took in the sight of a burning Fuyuki.

Miyama was in flames, and as a plume of black smoke spiraled into the air, her eyes took on a sharp, predatory glint.

Fufufu. Well master, it seems that fortune has smiled upon us. I'll be sure to come back with plenty of quality materials.

The second day of the Holy Grail War had begun, and as assassin faded away into her astral form to travel towards the burning horizon, one could still hear her sinister chuckle echo throughout the unholy sanctuary of her workshop.

@Undyingregret

Running through the smoke, Jack growled as his feet flew with the speed he could muster as a Servant. Flying through the air, he found himself blinded for a split second before he returned to the earth and took off running once more.

The agility of a swindler was supposed to be found in a singular type of situation, Escapes. The very notion that a thief would run towards his mark rather than carefully approach only to vanish with their speed and trickery once the job was done was antithetical to the very notion of burglary.

But in this case, Jack knew he wasn’t to act as a thief. No, with this kind of fire, his first thought might have been to become a vulture, a bird to swoop down on the weakened and defeated to rob their corpse before disappearing with it’s spoils. His footsteps weren’t the ambling pace of scouting for corpses however. It was the full-tilt dash of a man with a target, a goal, who would not be stopped by something by a little smoke. Contracts weren't his style, but the reward was just oh so tempting-

Turning a corner, he spotted his own target behind the hazy air the flames cast, a proud figure, lifting a horn of sorts, it’s make pristine and wonderful, to blow into it. With a wry grin on his face, a blade forms in his own hand, a long thing of strange make, more suited to ripping and sawing, than the battlefield from all appearances. A step forward, and the Jack of before becomes a new Jack, a foot shorter and even faster, a tighter grip on his blade, and a wider grin on his face.

The final sprint.

And as the horn reaches the mouth of the tall man-

Jack cuts at his legs.

Giants shall topple.

@Reflection

As Tesla spoke to the Berserker Oni, she climbed atop the slowly building mountain of stolen goods, lying upon the many foods and objects as though it were her own personal Mount Ooe. To her it likely was he surmised as she spoke of how she wanted to view the hard work of her followers, Tesla raising a single eyebrow as he considered what was about to happen. Knowing the Oni, it was likely nothing good at all. However the humans were likely in no danger either, if she wanted to kill them she would likely do so herself, "devouring" them so to speak. No matter how evil the Onis of legend were, they always did their own dirty work in regards to killing at the very least. If Tesla knew just how incorrect his assumption was he would laugh as the other Oni of Mount Ooe dropped a discrete jar onto the fires started by Shuten's followers, turning a mere riot into a city destroying calamity. But he did not know how wrong he was, thus he smiled at the offer of alcohol offered by the demon that lay before him.

"Ah, how wonderful! Don't mind if I do!" He took the bowl from Shuten's hands and downed it almost as fast as she had, handing the bowl back to her as he sighed in contentment. "Truly alcohol is the elixir of life! I do believe we're going to get along well Ms. Berserker!" Tesla laughed as he said this, setting his bag aside as he dug through it for a bottle of whisky. "Have you heard of the local bar that opened recently? Supposedly the owner of it is Chiron, a centaur from the Age of Gods. We really must visit it together sometime, centaurs were supposedly the rowdiest drinkers and merrymakers in all of history! Not only that, but Chiron was the greatest of all centaurs! Only his bar could possibly be fit for I, the god of lightning!" He popped open the bottle of whisky as he talked, downing half the bottle in one go. Another sigh of contentment burst forth from his lips as he held the bottle out for Shuten to finish. It was simply common courtesy to offer his whisky to her when she had so gratefully offered her sake to him.

---

It was the most intense coordination the controller had ever attempted. No doubt most eyes in the area were on the fire, but another strange event had begun nearby only seconds after it had started consuming the area. Mailboxes, bicycles, chimneys, birds, plants, street signs, and various other neighbourhood items collapsed into swarms of insects, and in the next moment reformed on the streets into people. It would have been too much of a strain to instantly formulate so many appearances, and so a single one was chosen for the entire set, seemingly at random.

There was no delay. Alone or together, they forced their way through each door they came across, delivering the same message. "Your lives are at risk! Head east quickly!" Even in their unimposing bodies, they presented a frantic and demanding personality that quickly drove civilians from their homes, with assistance wherever needed, and towards the river.

It was a strange sight, even if it was unlikely to be the oddest thing spotted on any given day of a Grail War. Groups of dazed foreigners, some barefoot, many dressed for a lazy morning indoors, being ushered through the streets by dozens of seemingly the same girl. Their route had to be adjusted when the bridge became... unusable, but the group was fortunate enough to come across numerous lifeboats at the riverbank. Once the civilians had been herded on board, the facade was largely dropped, and the boats morphed into horrid rubbery sea creatures with numerous flippers, hastily depositing the passengers on the Shinto town riverbank before dispersing into a swarm and reforming into water vessels on the first side.

These evacuation efforts were concentrated in the foreign district, where the fire now raged, but individuals were appearing all throughout Miyama, warning residents of the incoming flames and advising them to collect a few valuables and skip town, meeting with mixed responses from the citizens.

There were a few places, though, where different actions unfolded. The first was as the Tohsaka manor, or rather, just outside of it. A worm-body in the form of the controller called out, hopefully earning the attention of those within. "I have the locations of those who I believe to be responsible for this!" No more needed to be said. Hideyoshi understood the magecraft of the Matous, and so he would know that he needed only to speak aloud while outside any bounded fields to gain the controller's attention and directions.

@Kyoka @Seirei No Hai

Secondly, a certain young girl on the streets of the commerce district received a visit. It was clear to the controller that this was the Master of the Servant responsible for last night's attack, as well as likely the addition to today's flames. Two bodies approached briskly in the marketplace, using the same appearance as anywhere else. There was no real effort at deception. As soon as her eyes fell on the pair, they spoke coldly in unison, "That was a dirty move last night. Is this more of your handiwork?"

They didn't wait for a response. Even as the final syllables left their lips, their bodies began to disassemble into blade-wing insects, spreading out and closing. Any given cut would be unlikely to kill Riyu, but they were quick, numerous, and arranged such that striking each one individually would be consigning oneself to a losing battle.

@Argonaut

---

---

With her orders decided upon, Lancer made for the streets, leaving the house she had helped to repair overnight. Where there had been a hole, there was now a significantly lower area of roof composed of her Master's familiars. It was irritating to think that she might have to sacrifice the whole place if today's efforts went badly.

The drunken mob was barely a thought in her mind. She disabled a few on her way out of the grounds with quick taps that sent them flying unconsciously down the street simple because it was as easy for her as doing nothing, but the bulk of the work was done by the runes surrounding the manor, which had been set to "stun". A pile of charred but living drunken arsonists now lay just outside the manor walls, and they would only be met with more nonlethal electricity and wind if they managed to get up for round two.

Lancer reached the decided upon position, an intersection on the edge of the forest whose area was being given special priority during the worms' evacuation efforts. Looking right, there was a sizeable stretch of road before things would get even a little difficult. She held one spear, and on both that spear and her arms there glowed runes of strengthening. Suffice to say, her first swing was a potent one even by the standards of Servants. The road was less than sand to her spear as it passed through, making some nice headway for the ensuing trench-digging. Of course, it would be horribly expensive to use such a method with every strike, but used sparingly it made for rather efficient work as a wide stretch along the middle of the road was slowly crushed into an extended pit almost a meter deep and bereft of any fuel.

Of course, her forceful destruction was not done carelessly. She would make an obstacle between the flames and the manor, and then work to protect the forest and greater Miyama if there was time to spare. During all this, her clairvoyance would remain vigilant for sneak attacks, as she had already heard from her Master of the difficulties the Saber from last night was experiencing. She longed to head that way and aid him while taking vengeance on the Assassin for his attacks, but she had work to do here and felt she could rely on Saber to at the very least last a long time against any opponent.

She was a good distance from the fire. Her goal here was not to save as much of the area as possible, but to gurantee the safety of the area she had time to properly protect.

Smash, smash, smash, went the wise queen.

Roland was on the top of a roof. Already establish. The thing about roofs is, they're usually pretty tiled. And tiles, if you run on them, are loud. They have a distinct noise to boot. It's not the sound of running on a cobbled pavement. No, that's harder to distingush when people are running about. Second, the jump required to get up onto the roof. It was the sudden clatter of the tiles that alerted Roland of the arrival of another servant. After all, who else could, or even would make the jump onto a rooftop? Then there was the clattering. Sure he was focused on his horn, but there was no fool alive who could miss the sound of a full blown sprint going on behind him.

Thankfully, it was Roland's cape that helped him out here. That long, flowing cape that drifted down to his legs. It was good for more than just looking good. It hid his body from those standing behind him. In the moment where Jack was closest, Roland leapt. Flipping actually. The other servant was shorter, something he had guessed from the distance between the sounds of the strides on the rooftop. His cape blocked Jack's view, and as Roland had been standing on the edge, that was where Jack would be as Roland landed, his own speed rather phenomenal despite it all. In fact, he'd say he and Jack were matched for speed. But no sword swing could move faster than what Roland did next.

His hands were still on his Oliphant. His lips pressed against it. Roland landed on the roof, the tiles cracking beneath his feet. His cheeks puffed. In a matter of time that was less than a second from when Jack attacked, Roland was attacking on his own. The true name of his weapon already spoken, he breathed into it...



Had he been standing on the edge like he had planned, the building he stood upon would have been fine. But with Jack in front of him, the shockwave was deafening. In an instant, fast as sound itself... NO, Faster! A sonic boom! The entire area in front of Roland was a blast zone. Should it hit, the force of the Oliphant would knock Jack back. Back, into the burning house and into the cursed flames. The ground below Jack's feet splintered, leaving him with nothing to stand on, nothing to kick off of. Only the fire to catch him.

There were no words. Despite his nature, Roland had a goal to accomplish. It was a shame that Jack may be a casualty of it.

A City on Fire

"Everyone out! there's a huge fire in the neighboring city! everyone run!" A terrified Japanese man was sweating bullets and bust inside the gambling establishment, kicking the door with such force. His face was filled with shock and horror, warning the people inside about the impending danger outside. As expected, as soon they heard the news, the people inside start panicking, leaving their belongings behind and high tailing to the nearest exit. This was definitely not a drill.

"Game over missy, there a fire in the next city! I suggest you run if you want to value your life." The dealer quickly packs his equipment and started running as well, leaving the pink-haired behind.

"Wait..wait! what about my winnings!" Riyu pouted, crossing her arms in protest not receiving her gambling prizes. She sighed at the sight of everyone running. I guess it can't be help, such a turn of an unfortunate event this was.

"I guess that's it then and Jack left me as well, Musta found the servant he was talking about earlier..." Riyu sighed once more and collected her thoughts despite the chaos inside the establishment and soon follow the wave of the crowd. Her slim petite body lets her scoots over the bunch of people for an easy escape outside. Okay, now to find a safe place to hide. She thought to herself releasing a sigh of relief.

Hey Jack, did you find a servant? I sure hope you know what you're doing you fool, I will be right here if you require some aid. She mentally links him and clutches the command seal on the back of her hand while sprinting. She was sincerely concerned about her servant's welfare despite her servant is a well- known scoundrel from his tale. but hey, Thieves gotta look one other right?

@ReallyDumb

---

An Unexpected Encounter

Riyu continues to follow the flow of the local folks to safety, until.... the thief girl notices something, she halted for a second as soon as she saw the pair of regal looking girls that caught her attention. Something isn't right.

Riyu's eyes briefly glisten, using her mystic eyes to scan the two questionable girls, finding an odd and surprising discovery. They have no data from her readings, how is that even possible? She was a bit dumbfounded by what she is looking right now.

"That was a dirty move last night. Is this more of your handiwork?" The two girls spoke in unison, it was creepy and it was something straight out of a horror movie.

"Dirty move? I think you two ladies mistook me for someone else, I don't swing both ways, if you catch my drift" She chuckled. "and besides, I barely know you people and in case you haven't noticed there's a huge fire in the next city, so if you want to burn to a crisp I suggest you ru... " Riyu sarcastic tone was cut short as the two girls disassemble themselves and turn into a swarm of killer bladed wing insects. Killer bladed insects.

Riyu got her answer why the two don't have a reading from her mystic eyes, the facade of the two humans was gone and was now gunning for her in the form of angry winged bugs. This can't be good and there's too many of them.

*Crack* the sound of multiple bones snaps in her mind. Riyu uses her reinforce magic to fortify her arms and limbs. She nimbly dodges some of the attacks and swatted some, defending herself and holding her ground. Her strikes connects hard, disrupting their circuits as some of the insects went offline, dropping into the ground like dead fly that they are. But there's too many of them, its impossible to elude their attack at this rate, One of which manages to get a prick of Riyu's arm. needless to say, It stings, a lot, a whole lot. a gush of blood squirted out of her arm.

Shit Riyu muttered under her breath and realizes this is a senseless fight. She pulls out a smoke dust to make her tactical escape. As soon as the smokescreen is set up, The thief girl puts on her cloak on and makes her escape from the killer bugs under the cover of smoke. Reinforcing her legs for sprinting away.

Riyu blends into the crowd after that little skirmish, struggling to reach and put her healing glove on to magically treat the wound those blasted insect has inflicted. She was injured and continues to lie low and camouflage herself in the cover the Japanese crowd, knowing that she is hunted by a master who controls familiar bugs and seems that has a grudge for her for reasons unknown. Must keep moving.

@ManyThings

Queen of Carthage
Workshop, Outside of Fuyuki

[Travel to Einzbern Forest interupted]
Avenger stopped to stare at the blaze as it began to rage out of control. It seemed there was a squabble going on nearby, but that interested her far less than the fire itself. Something seemed off about it, so she decided to use her clairvoyance.

In her minds eye, she saw and felt the flames. There was a reaction between her and the fire, but it didn't hurt. The fire changed, but so did she, they were stronger together. It felt good.

As she dispelled the foresight, she turned to her master and said, "It will help us if I walk into the fire." She looked back at it. "I have an idea but first I need to touch it, so wait here and I will be back in a moment."

While the others fought or tried to find a way to extinguish the flames, Avenger moved with the speed of a servant, engulfing herself in the flames. As the fire swallowed the former queen, her own curse manifested and the flames mingled as they became one and the same.

Avenger could feel her pyre change, the flames taking on the aspects and curses of the fire, in much the same way as the fire took on the aspects of hers. The flames engulfing the foreigner district began to change, taking on a coal black hue as curse spread to the fire. With a smile, Avenger turned away and moved back to her master, at that same incredible speed that a servant posesses.

As she returned, she said to her master, "With that done, we should probably leave. It seems like there are others gathering here, and I want to see how they deal with the fire from a safer location." More quietly she added, "We could also find some other ways to cause mayhem and have a little fun if you'd prefer, maybe even inconvenience or set back other masters."
@BlueHelix
--------------------------------------------------------------

Workshop, Newly Occupied House, Southern Moor

Lilith was surprised by Assassin's leaving suddenly. One moment they were discussing what to do with the day, and then she was gone. She was left alone with the "test chamber" they had created earlier.

It really was something to look at it, mesmerizing to see the lives thrown away in the pursuit of knowledge. Of course results were far more important than those they spent, but watching it, seeing the feral brutality still unsettled her. This is what happens to people who are trapped and forced to fight with no hope of escape, the only hope of survival being the last one left.

She shuddered and turned away from the "arena" to look out towards where Assassin had run off. She saw something in the distance, maybe smoke? It wasn't very clear and it wasn't her problem anyway.

Lilith turned back toward the house and walked back that direction, Stay safe, Assassin. With that thought, Lilith returned to the house to await Assassin's return.
@DostHou

He’d seen the fire. The smoke, and the burning, the people crying out in despair.

He had to help. After all, that’s what a hero would do. He knew what would happen if he didn’t.

And, after all, he had his horse now!

A mechanical horse, one made of wood and metal, gears gleaming as they reflected the fire. Rather than moving on its own, he pedalled, moving the intricate machinery to drive along the tire treads. Though he couldn’t get it to full speed with it now, not while avoiding the flames. That was important, he knew.

Even though he had a place to be, he couldn’t go there immediately. There were people to save, and to do that, he had to stop every so often. To lift people out of perilous situations. To guide people to safety.

He could call himself a hero now, a knight on horseback riding in to help others. Except-

There were people he hadn’t saved. There were people he couldn’t save. He wasn’t strong enough, wasn’t fast enough to save everyone. Troilus moved forwards, tears clouding his eyes.

Baba was watching, so he couldn’t falter now. She would be there soon enough, to help the people he couldn’t.

@Froppy

Well, everything seemed to be going acceptably so far.

Fire was started, scapegoats assigned, everything was just swell.

...well, except that he'd been stood up by that golden accordion girl. He'd need to relay with her again at some point, he couldn't pass up the opportunity that a business transaction with her represented.

Still, though, if she'd shown up then he wouldn't have had the chance to do this, so eh, win some, lose some.

He'd been relaying with Assassin rather regularly, so there wasn't much to worry about there. All he really had to do was keep an eye on things and make sure it didn't get out of hand. Burning down the entire city would be a bit problematic, but come on these were Heroic Spirits, surely some slipshod alchemy wouldn't be more than they could handle.

There would be some losses from this operation, granted. Given the nature of the vessel for the curse, he doubted anyone would be able to figure out enough about it to be problematic for Evan, but nonetheless he was playing his hand reasonably early, even if nobody knew the proper details.

Ah, well, the chance to clean house this well didn't come along often.

Besides, this had the potential to cause some further opportunities in its own right, and so...

"Alright, you know your job. Head out there, but be careful."

"Understood."

So it went.

---

The doll turned to face the Servant, paused for a few seconds, and then let out a sharp laugh. A grin split her face as she shook her head slightly. "Oh, we're gonna get along just great, I can tell already." She remarked, her voice not betraying even a hint of insincerity.

Stepping onto the dock below, she crossed her arms behind her head, pivoting on her heel to face the side of the city currently aflame. "Well, see, that's probably the result of a Servant fight, and it's on the other side of the city, so as far as I'm concerned it's none of our business. I've already got one of my, uh, associates checking it out though, to see what's up."

It was probably for the best that she didn't mention the associate was a literal ten year old girl.

"Anyway, how about you send me all your info through this neat little mental connection we've got, and I'll do the same? We can decide what to do from there, can't exactly make a plan if I've got no clue what you're able to do, yeah? 'Sides, it's just dumb to go running into the middle of a warzone, better if we can set the terms of the conflict. Or at least, that's what Jesse's always saying. Don't talk to Jesse, guy's kinda a dick, same with Joe."

Was she referring to more masks?

---

"..."

"..."

Bartender and manager shared a glance.

"You felt that, right? What just happened? That...it's on the level of months, years even."

"Hells yeah I felt it. Too fast, way too fast. The hell's going on in this city?"

Something was affecting the bar. Something was occurring in the city, but this sheer scale, it was...absurd. Even with the conflict that had been expected, something like this should have taken more time than the Grail War even allotted for to manifest, and it had happened in a matter of minutes. For that to have happened but for the city to still exist, the nature of what was occurring meant that it had to be...

Damn. And the kid was all stressed and wanted to go out there.

Ordinarily, Chiron would have allowed that to happen. After all, what his Master did was none of his business.

...however, that was impermissible in this specific case. This human couldn't die, because if he did...

Right. Rule number one. He wasn't about to break his own rule to himself.

"Kid, you ain't goin'. Neither am I. Leave it ta the othas."

A declaration was made with no room for compromise.

Shuten tossed another bottle down from her makeshift throne to smash noisily against the ground."...Do they not have that expression in Greece? Fufufu, it means to...!?" She stopped, interrupted abruptly by an unimaginable cacaphony.

It was the sound of a horn, overpoweringly loud, so loud it shook the soul. More importantly, the strapping lad that had been bringing the next bottle of wine up the lootpile turned tail and fled, shrieking and straight into one of the burning buildings as the bottle shattered on the cobbled road... When had the fire turned black? But no, it wasn't just their serving boy, the loot train headed towards the forest with all her un-earned loot had been equally dissarrayed. Every single one of them dropped everything as they broke and ran from the noise, shattering a small fortune worth of pots and booze, dirtying silk, and tearing canvas.

Shuten stared for just a second, mouth agape in disbelief, before she turned towards Archer and forced a smile. "Sweetie, I have a better idea for our date... Something to get the blood pumping now that we've limbered up a little." She reached out and placed his hand in hers as she whispered sweetly into his ear with that heavy alcohol-sweet voice... Before yanking him into a full body hold and leaping off into the distance, carrying the other servant bridal-style as she traversed towards the source of the noise at top speed.

---

Zig-zagging from rooftop to rooftop, street to street (as well as street to rooftop, and of course rooftop to street) the incredible speed of the Oni carried them away from the fire and delivered them to the source in just a handful of seconds. On the very next rooftop, a lone servant standing on top of a building with a horn practically still pressed to his lips, a clearer culprit could not possibly exist. Shuten's smile had grown to absolutely inhuman proportions, but the glint in her eyes was anything but happy.

One more jump, right towards the obvious harbinger of her shattered wealth on a collision course, with Archer still in her arms. "Fly high sweetheart, and fall like lightning~!" She threw Tesla straight up into the air with a one handed toss, with a trajectory that would put the apex of his arc directly above the... Saber? Yes. Saber. At the same time Shuten drew her sword with the other, immediately following through into a broad sweeping slash, aiming to bisect her chosen nemesis from hip to shoulder with every ounce of her monstrous strength. "...AND YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND DIE!" She shrieked like the demon she was as the blade followed through.

@floodtalon@reflection

Tesla applauded as Shuten broke yet another bottle, having induced Mental Corruption on himself a bit ago in order to better understand the corrupted logic of the King of Mount Ooe. "Indeed! I have never heard any expression quite like that on the mountains of Olympus, what do you mean by-"

The harshest noise Tesla had ever heard cut through the conversation, drowning out anything Shuten or Tesla had to say and shaking the very earth underneath them. The many civilians she had hypnotized with her overflowing charisma and demonic charm were suddenly snapped out of there reverie, a look of horror crossing their face as they ran directly into the fire that was razing the city around them. When had that fire gotten here? Was it always so black and malignant, as though it had been filled with the grudges and hate of every citizen struck down by Zeus? Oh well, the fire mattered not in the moment. All that mattered was the fool who would dare interrupt a god's merrymaking, such a fool would not live to see the morrow.

"Sweetie, I have a better idea for our date... Something to get the blood pumping now that we've limbered up a little." His internal monologue was cut off by Shuten, whose sickly sweet smile would've terrified any sane man who knew her identity as he did. She touched him gently, whispering into his ear as he stared into the distance and nodded. Eyes filled with Madness gazed upon the fool holding the horn, followed by an equally mad smile. Mere moments later they were off, Shuten carrying Tesla as though they had been freshly married, their honeymoon of blood soon to begin.

---

The Oni's speed was unmatched, it had been a miracle that he had managed to escape from such a swift predator the night before. But miracles were Tesla's specialty in the end, he was the God of Lightning after all. They soon arrived at the rooftop, Tesla providing directions to Shuten Douji as they made their way towards the culprit. The final jump was upon them and Tesla prepared to dismount, but Shuten had a much better plan in mind that he was happy to follow. "Fly high sweetheart, and fall like lightning~!"

Tesla flew into the air, fast enough to land among the clouds and roar his thunderous cry. "Feel the wrath of Zeus, let lightning rain from the heavens and strike down the mortal who would dare to interrupt his merriment!" At the apex of his arc a step of electricity formed beneath his left foot, a perfect perch for the God of Lightning to look down upon the dead man walking. His arm swung back behind him, a bolt of lightning forming in his hand as he calculated the perfect trajectory- ah yes, that would work. He clutched the bolt tightly, the energy made material seemingly cracking as he began his throw, his arm swinging downwards directly at Roland. Then he released. A boom of thunder echoed through the sky, despite the lack of clouds or rain all through the city would hear the might of Zeus as he tore through the foolish paladin. As the lightning bolt flew through the air it continued to crack, on the point of shattering at even the slightest touch. Until finally it struck the ground right behind Roland, exploding with another boom of thunder.

But it did not end there, already Tesla had formed a complete perch beneath himself and was continuing to rain death from above all around Roland, bolts of lightning hitting the ground and exploding all over the battleground to both limit Roland's movement options and attempting to cripple him for Shuten to land the finishing blow. "Behold! The God of Lightning, Zeus. has come to take your soul and cast it down into the deepest depths of Tartarus! Make sure to tell Hades that his brother says hello!" His maniacal laugh cut through the air, only to be drowned out by more explosions explosion as Tesla threw another bolt of lightning down at Roland.

The blade sunk into flesh, tearing and ripping, as the saw dragged along skin. The feral grin on Jack’s face widened as his blade finished it’s arc, only for it to falter as Roland turned and faced him with ease, finishing his action and blowing the horn at him.

For a bit, the world was quiet.

BWEEEEEEEEEEM!

Then it transformed into a literal wall of force in the form of noise, blasted out and sending Jack flying off. Though he managed to land semi-gracefully, directing his fall to avoid rubble and fire, he still stumbled slightly on getting back up on the cobbled path. The unexpected blast had distracted him, thrown him off course, and strangely enough, something foreign, a heavy weight weighing down on him as a burden. A skill or Noble Phantasm of his foe, then. Likely the latter with how the Horn seemed more grandiose and the effect was lingering. Shaking his head, he looked up and witnessed as a new servant, a diminutive girl with horns come crashing down on his mark, and yet another servant, a man far above flung bolts of thunder down.

@Froppy@floodtalon

Jack’s eyes flashed as he scanned the newly transformed battlefield, watching as the lightning slammed down around Roland, reducing his own radius of movement, as he was forcibly locked into combat with the horned girl. Taking in a breath, he decided to take advantage of the honestly miraculous event that had just fallen into his lap. Opportunism was the name of the game, as they say.

“Theft of the Heavens!”

A ball of light shines in the hand of Jack as another engulfed Roland. With how many assistants Jack had now, if this didn't work now, it never would.

It was time for a game of chance.

Ludwig's ears were at full attention, the normally paranoid and to himself magus finding himself rather taken in by the stories and tales of Xerxes. This man held unknown knowledge that most of the world was oblivious to, except for the chosen few Xerxes had handpicked. yet, this man felt no pain or worry telling a stranger he had met merely a day before the secrets of his longevity or his lineage. The fact Persia held such a secret...well something felt very convenient.

Yet, his moments of enjoying his enlightenment were torn asunder by his sudden departure. Needless to say, Ludwig spent those seconds admiring the subterranean workshop the Persian doctor had set up. This doctor, saviour of lives and carer for the unwell, he sure knew how to work his stuff. He knew what he was doing and he was unafraid to do what he could to conceal his secrets and keep those around him safe, saving the innocent and ensuring the villainous got their ways. It was tragic in the sense. Ludwig only wished his morality compass could align the same. But, the grey in the black and white cared to differ.

Then his name was bellowed and it hit him like a sucker punch as he rushed to the church, staring at Xerxes. The war was afoot, someone had made a detrimental blow to the entire city. He cursed beneath the mask but was happy he had the mask. Knowing whoever was behind this, there would be poison and whatnot within this fire. If they approached it, they would all be at risk.

"Undertsood, Archer get as much information as you can and see if you can pin point any causation. If we can kill the point of origin maybe the fire will die. Xerxes, Suzaku, I would reccommend masks to be worn in this instance, we do not know what toxins are involved in this attack, gases hiding with the smoke and the such. I should also mention...there are materials of mine still hidden within a basement in Miyama town, beneath a bar. If the fire was to spread to them, I fear what the consequences could be..."

He went silent then nodded as he put on his large regal blue trenchcoat. "Shall we head?"



The fire burned the town.

This little town didn't stand a chance as the warrior witnessed the flames change from the traditional sense of fire to a black putrid sense, something akin to that of demonic foulnes and god's own will. This was a servant's doing of course. The people ran rampant, there was conflict abound. After transporting at least 60 people to safety, trieu found herself facing the obstacle that would seem to be the worst of the problems.

Servants, ignoring honour and dignity, involving the innocent lives of the many in their egotistical brawl. A brawl, easily put aside, a brawl which to them eclipsed the horror and devastation that this town faced. She watched them on the rooftop, her ears hearing that distant BWEEEm of a horn. her eyes narrowed. A soldier was in trouble. Her eyes narrowed further as a frown and a snarlingemitted from her. Did these people have no sense of decency? Did their reincarnation kill all sense and thought within their already dim minds? She screamed as she commanded Nanyue to ride forth towards this display, rushing to the rooftop.

below the rooftop, the rumbling could be heard, the elephant stampeding to its destination. Directly below the conflict she arrived, standing atop her mount with a steadfast frown and a bellow.

Fire and devastation! Work of only a devil! A devil and it's company which serve only it and their own sellfish needs!" She unsheathed her First Sword. The Noble Phantasm rippled with it's effect. Those around her would begint o feel her whispering, slight images of her appearing in the corners of their eyes. her voice whispering to end this conflict, to face the reality of the situation. If only Trieu herself could hear her own words.

"I see you barbarians! Assaulting this lone warrior! but he will not be a lone freedom fighter! he is not the only one who cares for their lives over yours!" With that she pulled her arm down and sliced through the air in an arc, directly aimed at Jack and Shuten, hopefully getting them as the shock wave from her First Sword hurtled towards them, upon connection the thoughts of hatred for each other would spill into their minds. The thoughts to fight for themselves, for their own ideologies and their own beliefs. Not to crumble to the whims of others! The very thoughts that carried Trieu. She watched with narrowed eyes as she prepared to make her way up heir to show them the consequences of such foulplay.

The day was one that started normally, carefree. The battles, if they could be called that, of yesterday mere memories of exploration. The playtime with the other child servant inconsequential and yet of great fun.

Then came a whisper, then came a time that Lancer could not ignore.

He had shared what he had learned with his master, and even asked him to talk to another servant or two before suddenly leaving his master alone. A dangerous thing to do in a grail war, and yet the danger had yet to come.

What he was doing was worth the absence of his master’s guard for the time being.

Lancer ran through the streets, through the fires. Covered in ash that clung to him like ghostly grasps from those who burned up before him. From dying person to dying person he ventured, his presence like the grim reaper as with his appearance they all seemed to give up, losing their last remaining grasps on their ability to defy their end. Holding a writhing sack, more than what had been mixed in at the harbor now swam in the bag. The dead gathered, suffering gathered. Those that died in pain, resentment, hopelessness. A stain, a grudge that remained even after death, an imprint on the world that screamed of an unjust end.

Shackled, bound, imprisoned. The bag then was surely like a grave, just like the town that burned with its inhabitants offered as kindling.

Not even a carefree youth could laugh in such a time, and his face was simply blank, almost cold. For the sake of the war, for the sake of… There was something that Lancer needed to do. Silently he continued to venture from person to person, their deaths simply arriving with him. It was not a matter of a merciful death, it was simply that they no longer held the ability to struggle further.

With Lancer’s presence they were not killed, but rather they died. Died to the flames that scorched even the soul, that burned black with malice and hatred. Burn, burn, burn. The flames and sack swelled as a result.

And so he left, with nothing but the silenced dead and burning flames. Greyed and covered in the dust of the deceased. A ghastly and ghostly sight as the ash covered up more than his strange clothing could ever.

A ghost of Miyama, a reaper of Miyama. Where he ventured people died. Those who struggled in the face of the accursed flames perished when he came to them.

Him, he was coming.

He could not be allowed to do that, he could not be allowed to ruin this. If that was allowed to happen then things would likely come to an end. The other interference was seen to by negotiations but this… This was someone that his plans could not stop so easily.

This could not simply be stopped.

So he left, leaving to the edge of the burning district. There alone he waited, even as the fire slowly spread and other servants battled in the background. Absentmindedly he noted the large golem that his master had constructed in the far distance and nodded to himself.

Then he came. Even without the voices he would have known that he arrived. That presence, that brilliantly shining presence that was so formidable.

A ragged breath came out from Lancer as he gestured towards the burning town.

“I can’t let you do that. That won’t do at all.” He took his spear in hand and looked up to the giant. The shadows cast down by the blackened flames coated him, as though trying to hide the nature of what colored the gray-coated child. Ah, but there was no lie. The ashes and the sack spoke of death, of regret, of resentment.

“Ruler.”

Lancer readied himself, confronting the one who oversaw the Grail War and protected the ritual, speaking an incantation and bringing forth the telltale magical energy of a noble phantasm that then enveloped him.

"Fool's Garb."