Roland wore armor of course, and despite the attack to his legs, armor did what it was supposed to do. Take the impact. The back of his legs took the blunt force, but Jack never did get to sawing before the horn went off. The blarring sound of his oliphant filled the air, and then it was back in his armory, fading away as he felt the burden of that drain on his mana. That and his master's own. Had he possessed further mana, he might have used Oliphant again, to keep blowing the flames away, but that didn't seem to be possible as he could see them darkening. Now black, and he cursed his poor luck. Why of all things was this happening?

His gaze turned to the boy in green, ready to slay the interfering party. "You dare attack somebody trying to save lives? You are a real crook, and not worthy of being a hero!" His hand reached for Durandal, but that didn't last long as he could feel more approaching servants. Friends of the green boy? He turned to look, and right there, in a bridal carry was some kind of horned demon, and a man with a terrible fashion sense. Must be a Serbian, they have no sense of taste.

He turned his attention away from the archer, or was that serbian man a caster? He was using lightning, that crashed around him. But Roland's heart was already leaping about, bravery unwilling to let him retreat. There was no greater valor than a fight like this.
Master, I am outnumbered. Send me more of those fighting moves of yours. Roland said, transmitting the message to his master. Who he hoped was staying safe. He needed all the close quarters skills he could, as a mere glance could tell him the person with the sword was clearly a berserker, and not human. Good. It wouldn't be a fair fight otherwise.
BRB Editing this next bit.

Saber reacted to Berserker's blow with the kind of cocky maneuver that she had expected of a knight in shining armor who had come to save the day. Had he merely miscalculated the speed and power of the Oni? That his attack could outpace hers and repel her assault? Blade met flesh met flesh, and the decisive battle was over in a blink... But that wasn't to say that not a lot happened, the aftermath of that tiny fraction of a second was reached through a precise series of events.



And now we're caught up and with interlopers too, shouting about yet more honor! Whether the poison reached the heart and killed Saber or not Shuten had most certainly defeated him, that was beyond questioning. A swordsman with no sword and no sword-arm was no swordsman at all and a servant without a noble phantasm wouldn't be staging any comebacks either in such dire strait, as such her opponent was truly no longer even fit to be called Saber. Shuten offered him two parting words "You lose," a giggle "Fufufu~!" and a final gift, a stout oni-strength kick to the chest, before turning to address the newcomer.

And just in time too, as the shockwave of madness ripped through the air towards the Oni... To impart nothing. The existence of an Oni was madness itself, and were that not already enough Shuten currently occupied the Berserker class to boot. With a condescending smile and a sickly sweet voice She called out to Rider. "Little girl little girl, are you sure you're meant to be here? Fufu~!"

She dove down towards Rider from her rooftop perch with sword raised, "Pachyderms are dangerous you know, and so are demons~!" Another broad bisecting cut to be carried out mid-air, meant to cut down Rider from atop her mount. After the prior demonstration of the little demon's terrifying efficiency the results should be well obvious.

@reflection@floodtalon@scallop@reallydumb

Without a doubt, the battle had been decisively ended. The swordsman without a sword had been disarmed in both senses of the word, the poison from Shuten Douji's blade would likely do him in within the hour. But the battle was not over, no not even close. A shockwave of hate pummeled the mad scientist from below, but it was brushed off as easily as he brushed off Hera's wrath. Another enemy rode towards the mountain gods with reckless abandon, riding atop a mighty steed of ivory and gold crying out for justice for the fool who would dare interrupt a god's reverie. An ally of the one who would interrupt the delight of the gods then. She must fall. "Then you too shall fall pathetic mortal! Fall before my thunderous wrath!" A single monocle formed over Tesla's right eye, a tool granting a form of Pseudo-Clairvoyance to allow his righteous fury to fall upon any no matter the distance or difficulty of the shot.

But there was another feature of this tool of war, as invisible red lines began to appear all around Trieu. Lines that only Tesla could see no less. Back at the Church, anyone who bothered to look at the roof of the church would see several large cannons peeking out, aimed upwards and towards the Foreigner District. But even if they didn't bother to look, they would surely notice the moment the cannons began to fire, the boom of thunder signalling the beginning of Tesla's mortar assault on the Rider before him.

"Let the Heavens open and reveal..." The first shot would land a few yards to the right of the mountainous pachyderm, wood and dirt exploding upwards as the first lightning bolt struck the Earth. "LIGHTNING!" But this was not the end of his assault, no this was merely the beginning as more lightning bolts rained from the sky all around Trieu, while Tesla aimed directly at the Rider with a bundle of lightning bolts in hand and a manic smile on face. The bolts were thrown, soaring over Shuten and headed right towards Trieu, explosions continuing to rain from the sky all the while.

Moments after both Tesla and Shuten launched their attack, a 'wave' came crashing toward them. It was the river tide of the Styx, rolling flames consuming all in their wake. Humans, buildings, animals-

All were burned away as the fire moved toward them at speeds even a Servant had to acknowledge.

How could it be moving so fast in this singular instance? Hadn't the Noble Phantasm of the now defeated Saber, Roland, pushed it away?

Even if it used souls, houses, and the planet itself as fuel, it would not normally reach them this quickly.

However.

It was only natural that it would reach them. After all, this fire used another 'fuel'. From the moment Lady Trieu had used her Noble Phantasm, the result had been decided. She, who released grudges- Had served to only invite the fire toward the group fighting a death match.

It was like throwing oil on a burning building, or coal in a barbecue. If they did not immediatly flee, all of them would certainly be washed away in a tidal wave of fiery curses.

Swirling torrent and debased fury. The fire was Hades personified. All that it touched was burned away, but not purified. Its black tongues licked at all without distinction. Wood. Men. Women. Children. Animals. Familiars. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■. Even the lifeblood of the Star was not exempt. One could call it the fires of Hell, but that was definitely a misnomer. In the first place, the Lake of Fire was meant to torture and punish.

The only thing this half materialized wish could do was burn away everything in its path. No, it definitely was not the 'Fire of Hell'. It was the "Fire of Purgatory" which gobbled up sins themselves.

Those unfortunate enough to be near the blazing fumes were driven to insanity. It was a matter of course. They were minds blasted by a mixture of fear and 'rebellion against all things'. It was an orgy of depravity and destruction unmatched on Earth in many years, at least at the scale it was currently reaching. At this rate, even the Captain of 'that' ghost ship would be mildly impressed.

The firestorm itself was reaching the city proper, punishing the city of wood, flesh, bones, and spirit- using all without distinction as its fuel. The 'thing' it was becoming had become 'sensitive' to 'living things', and had begun actively seeking out 'fuel'. Within the abyssal fires of purgatory, something similar to faces started appearing. When watching the inferno, it started to watch back.

The starting penalty is
now

five

Everyone.

die

---

Hamel Della Astrologia
Riverside, Bridge, Shinto

Flames rose up into the heavens as night fell, stars snuffed out by the oppressive smoke. Black flames swallowed all without discrimination, binding all to itself. A disaster of unimaginable proportions, the spiritual land of this city will likely never recover again.

It was a tragedy for the innocent people, unaware of the bloody battlefield their city had become. It was perhaps only a matter of time before some rash magus would become frustrated and begin an attempt at flushing out masters, but for it to be on the second day and with such a catastrophe was a surprise.

For a moment Hamel's thoughts had drifted back to 'that' which he had prepared in his workshop. He couldn't fault whoever had started this, not when he too had entertained such thought himself. And his trip towards the this bridge had given him some ideas on some improvements from his first iteration that he had hoped he could incorporate to this second one, and definitely will in regards to 'that'.

Unfortunately it seemed that time was limited, so he had to do a rush job as well on this bridge as well.

Well. In the first place it's not as if he was someone who was proficient in the creation of golems in the first place. But still, one gets frustrated in knowing they could do better.

But such was life, time waited for no one, and to have done something was better then doing nothing. So as mystic codes zipped around, carving and activating arcane symbols over the entirety of the wooden structure, Hamel simply observed the growing fire with all the calm of an uninterested observer.

It was only when the many animated staves had ceased their movement and flew back to their owner, tucking themselves into his cloak that he finally deigned to move.

Turning his back, and moving towards the next bridge, he closed his eyes.

The thrum of his circuits filled his ears, and once again the bridge collapsed into itself, taking on a vague human like shape before wandering off.

All she could do was watch in horror as the lone Knight was dispatched with ease. His arm cut from it's stem as three Servants attacked him at once. Trieu clenched her first around her sword, pulling the second sword from it's sheath. She was ready to defend this poor man. She would be fighting to defend him. Her guardian knight skill activated, her eyes looked up with determination and vengeance for this man burning in her gaze.

Then it came. The demon flew towards her, a terrifying sight to many but Trieu was ready to do whatever she could to survive this and hopefully land a blow on either of these villains. Who were these two anyways? A drunk demon and some moron with a lion mane for hair. She saw her leap coming from a mile away and laughed as she leapt from her elephant, already expecting what came next. But not in this degree. Lightning rained down upon her, Triue being sure to dodge quickly, dodging around Nanyue, the elephant trumpetting with each blow that was inflicted on it.

First the Oni's sword had sunk into it's armour but no blood had been drawn thank god. The warrior that was Tieu knew she would not last in an all out fight. The mortars came quickly. One hit right beside her covering her in dirt and sending her flying to the side of a building. She cursed and ran to Nanyue again, suddenly from her sleeve two knives flew out aimed for the archer. It wouldn't do much damage but the aim was to irritate him more. Here it came.

Her sword...she had failed these people.

Her curses called forth the fire. She watched it pour down the streets before her. Cursing she made some distance between her and Shuten. The Oni was probably still on top of her elephant and with that she was angry.

"What is a demon...to an angel?" With that she lit up. Throughout history she was reknowned as an angel, a saviour of the Vietnamese people. her body lit up with light and wings appeared behind her. She couldn't hold this form for long but Nanyue bucked it's body and sent Shuten flying towards Trieu who dashed forward as lightning rained down upon Nanyue. He couldn't last long..and as a bolt hit her she struggled to keep her stride as Shuten would hopefully fly over her.

In her mind, she was terrified that this plan wouldn't work. With this...caster? Archer? She couldn't land a blow. All she could do was get rid of this berserker so that man wouldn't die right here right now.

Gin looked around the bar, feeling as if something is changing it. It was quite a dreadful feeling, at that. That, along with the reaction drawn from Chiron and Donnie regarding what's happening as well as the events going on outside of the bar put Gin in a further state of unease. Freezing in place, the thug began to contemplate the ramifications of just what will happen if he did nothing about that fire...

The sound of one of his lackeys tripping on their shoelaces broke Gin from this trance.

"W-whaddya mean we ain't leavin?! I thought I told ya it's my job to protect Fuyuki, and that makes it your job, too, ya know!" Gin began, his face crumpled with anger and his fists curled with frustration. "I already 'eard of all the crazy shit that happened last night, and it pisses me off that our gameplan's just ta' lounge around in this pub all day getting drunk!" Gin continued to growl, until another one of his men, one who was the last to leave the VIP room, spills the bottle of wine all over his white suit. Oh, shit, he was the only one who took the white suit, wasn't he? Gin turned around to face all his men angrily, crossing his arms. "What the hell're you all doing?! All of ya, except the waitstaff and you two clumsy idiots, get going to Miyama! Help whoever's wounded over here, and one of ya better come back and give me a report!"

As the majority of his men all scrambled out of the bar, Gin took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down. For a moment, he contemplated using one of his gratuitous-looking Command Spells. Gin dismissed that thought after a brief moment, however, hoping that his men are all able to provide as much help as possible. As the expression on his face began to soften, Gin pulled a bar stool out for himself, taking a seat, grabbing the drink closest to him, and downing that shit. Slamming the cup back down to the bar once the last drop trickled down his throat, Gin let out an exhausted sigh.

"That kid's out there, too, y'know. Gatekeeper... I'm supposed 'ta be escortin' him, too. I mean, even if 'es another Master's Servant, he still looks up to me, for some reason. I don't want 'im to just go out there and get 'imself hurt while I just sit around here, y'know?! It's my job to make sure kids like Gatekeeper, good kids, don't live to see their homes burning down and all... It just makes me think, like, what am I supposed to do if it were my kids that were out there? How are they s'posed to survive in a city that's burned to the ground?"

Gin wiped his mouth with his hand as he stared down into his glass, thinking for a bit. Yesterday, he was all fired up about making sure Fuyuki would stay safe under his protection. Only one day passed, and everything's already gotten way out of hand. He began to realize that he did nothing to stop any of these events from happening. He could have been proactive, and yet, he followed his Servant's whims up to this point. It was at that moment a realization dawned upon Gin... It wasn't the Grail's fault that he was summoned with a Servant like Chiron, and it wasn't Chiron's fault that the city's on fire.

It was Gin's fault, for not being proactive about his mission.

"Alright, Ite, I'll stay put, for tonight..." Gin growled softly, shuffling in his seat. "But I want 'ya to clear something up with me. Yer a trainer of heroes, right? Trained peeps to do extraordinary things, making 'em something greater than they are, yeah? I want ya to do that for me, so I can finally lend a helping hand to the citizens of my lovely town. It's against my own code of honor ta' just sit around in this bar, anyway. And more importantly, you mentioned your other Noble Phantasm can make me inta' a hero on the fly, right?"

Gin stood up, straightening his suit as he faced his Servant with a stern and serious look he had never given him before. Puffing out his chest and putting his hands to his hips, Gin boomed his next request.

@dosthou @Sageage






The trouble in Miyama was something that could not be ignored. The threat to the ritual could not be ignored. The role of a Ruler, his role in this war was the preservation of the authority of the grail, to protect the ritual.

As such the fire was something that he could not allow to spread or continue burning.

As a hero his role was that of one who saved people, who conquered monsters and vanquished evils. Calamities beyond mankind’s ability to overcome, forces that were far beyond human limits.

This was an absolute terror and evil visited upon the world and people, a great calamity visited upon the people of Miyama town, no, Fuyuki City. People burned, houses were being swept up by the flames. The battling servants only added to its strength and their continued disputes and battles only threatened to make things worse.

So he had to act, and put a stop to it. It was not only a matter of duty, It was a need, a call that he had to answer. A hero could not look upon such injustice and not act. A hero could not see such horror and remain unmoved.

So that is why he could not let a servant stand before him, nor would not. This fight was different from the one with that Caster. While the Lancer before him was a participant that Ruler should avoid fighting, the fact remained that the highest priority was the sanctity and safety of the Holy Grail War. It was not a battle that he should have, but it was a battle that he would earnestly fight. The Lancer had become an obstruction to Ruler. Just like that Caster. Yet the transgression that Lancer was committing was far greater.

From his satchel came a weapon, a great golden axe the size of many normal men. His cursed body hefted it with ease and his great power before he burst into a charge that left the winds screeching in torture. With godly speed the axe fell upon Lancer, and as a natural result the blow that would shake the foundations of the entire district sent the young boy flying. The power from the strike rippled out into their surroundings, and what was in their near vicinity that was not shredded into bits was sent high into the air like the star-like bolts that had marked the beginning of the war.

In a sense they were what declared the beginning of a new conflict, and resolution. That this was a incident that would be seen to personally by him.

Yet…

There was a sliver of surprise that flickered through Ruler’s mind. It was not enough to make him halt or hesitate, and he charged in again, following the wake of the blow. That strike had surely hit, yet it was met with a force practically equal. That was far from the strength that had been attributed by the servant. Yet that the blow had matched his own was an undeniable truth.

The flames licked at Ruler’s body, yet did not even leave a single burn, not even the slightest hint that would be a small bother like the bite of a insect. Let alone what the great scorching flames that burned even the soul would surely bring.

It was not that his body resisted these flames. It was simply that these flames could not burn him at all.

An unfortunate consequence came from this as the curse of Ruler’s body was leeched, bound to the flames as a divine mystery now spread into it.

But Ruler stood unharmed, even as he moved further into the flaming town.

Ah, so that was it. That armor, that servant. In this fire, in the midst of this tragedy it now made sense how he could stand against him. Yet that did not change anything. But perhaps now this child could give him a small amount of enjoyment in battle.

A ten year old girl walked.

Her movements were calm and reassured. Despite that the fire that surrounded her was something that her nature screamed out in protest of, she was unperturbed. The meeting of a curse and a stronger curse, that premise should have filled her with dread like little else could since she became what she was today, but there was nothing present.

Aaaaaaa, AAAAAAAAAAAA----aAaAaAAAAAA-

"Goodness, this is rather much. I hope all the animals are okay."

A boy sits alone, imprisoned by his own people. On his skin is carved all blasphemies that mankind has ever once uttered.

And so she continued walking, a serene smile gracing her face as she hummed a catchy tune to herself. The boat ride over had been rather nice. She'd never gotten to be on a boat before, or see the ocean, so it was quite the lovely experience.

The crime of rebellion the crime of intimidation the crime of adultery the crime of destruction the seven cardinal sins the crime of coercion the crime of theft the crime of desertion the crime of slander the crime of arson

Well, regardless, she had her orders. These were not the order passed along a familiar’s karmic line, or enforced through a curse condensed out of magical energy. Rather, this was the result of a burden of existence built into her. Disobedience to the one who had ordered her was impossible. Even a dagger of betrayal would not change that rule, but it wasn't like she minded. After all, Miss Carly-Beth was nice to her. She gave her sweets, and patted her head, and poked Ted's eyes when he said creepy stuff.

the crime of insulting the crime of disrespect the crime of sowing discord the crime of abduction the crime of bribery the crime of abortion the crime of assisting suicide the crime of gambling the crime of abandoning a corpse the crime of mobbing the crime of abandonment the crime of bearing false witness the crime of possessing stolen goods the crime of kidnapping the crime of violence the crime of living

"Whoops! Nice try, Mr. Fire, but you can't pull one over on Mary!"

Jumping to the side, she avoided a gout of black flame that nearly grazed her, remaining no worse for wear from it.

"...um, I'm Mary if that wasn't clear, Mr. Fire."

all crimes should be assessed and sentenced to capital punishment or severe punishment refuse and deny all hatred

thus the starting penalty is five-

Suicide by electrocution.
Suicide by suffocation.
Suicide by dehydration.
Suicide by bloodletting.
Suicide by poisoning.

Well, anyway, this looked like a good spot!

Fishing out a pure white mask, the young girl leaned over to just barely dip it into the nearly roiling flames, once again narrowly avoiding their touch herself, before pulling it back.

And so she began skipping back to the harbor, humming as she walked and as the mask in her hand began to distort.

Maybe Miss Carly-Beth would give her another candy for doing so well!

---

“Fool’s Garb.”

What happened was not a transformation quite of Lancer himself, but rather of his clothing. The ash-coated garb that hid his potential and his fairness under the guise of an idiot melted away, the magical energy of a noble phantasm transforming it and taking form as a suit of splendid red armor.

He shone with the brilliance of a hero, his polished and beautiful armor all the more so as it marked the sudden transformation of Lancer, or rather, reveal of his own qualities with the lifting of that dreadful attire which only sought to hide glory and hide one from destiny.

What stood there was no longer a child nor a simple warrior.

Lancer had turned into a knight.

The Red Knight leapt forth, swinging his own wooden spear into the blow of Ruler, creating a struggle that created an explosive clash. The winds that ripped at their surroundings gouged and shred into dust the ground and stripped away at the homes that still were not on fire around them. Lancer flew as a missile, knocked away by the sheer power of Ruler. But he was not harmed, even as he crashed through burning walls, and spun to his feet to land onto the streets. Not from the flames, nor from the blow of Ruler. Even as he flew the Lancer began his response to Ruler, his spear lashing out to shatter and fling a firestorm at Ruler from the wreckage of burning husks and melting fences. Showering him in the obscuration of black flames. It would not hurt him, the fireballs of cursed flames washing over the protector of the grail, flame and dousing Ruler in smoke. But it was a literal smokescreen.

Lancer.

No.

There was only one identity possible for the one who was a knight, a fool and a young boy all in one.

The spear grew, both as a mystery and as a weapon, as if it were a tree itself. Branches grew large only to fall off, leaves sprouted only to scatter away into the burning winds. At the end of it the spear remained a mere wooden spear. But it’s size and level as a weapon was much greater than before. Similarly Lancer in his revealed full glory was vastly different. No longer did a mere child stand before Ruler. His Saint Graph was in fluctuation, and even his stature seem to change.

He was a knight from the utopian kingdom, a famed warrior who sat at that table. As a hero he was most definitely of the highest class. Yet as a child he was only at the beginning of his legend, the starting point.

But the fact that the starting point reached that end was a reality. The end result of Lancer was already decided and dictated, and so even in that form, even as a child he shared in that. Immature, but still that hero. Only now did Lancer prove himself to truly be that man.

His charge forth towards Ruler held a speed greater than what he had exhibited in the past by a multitude. His eyes were sharper, looking at the great hero with clarity, even muddled through his own mind.

His thrust towards Ruler came from a blindspot, as much as a blindspot could exist against this man. His skill with his spear sharpening seemingly with each step he took, and guided by his skill. This was a blow that even Ruler could not take lightly.

In the midst of a tragedy, in a town where people were overwhelmed by curses. There was one boy who was showered in nothing but blessings.

His name was Percival.

@CorpusMundum

@Paradox Witch

Strategist nodded quietly at both Carly's initial glee that the pair would get along well ('We'll see soon enough,' the Admiral of the Fleet mulled to herself), then to her Master's request to establish a mental 'uplink'. Clearing her head while the flames on the distant horizon licked higher into the night sky, she stepped up to and stopped a pace before the girl, yellow irises glaring down as the Strategist reached out to Carly and took the Magus' wrist with a gloved hand. Bands of energy briefly 'jumped' between the newly-established 'connection', flooding Carly's mind with a battering of jumbled memories.



Eventually, a clear series of memory-flashes could finally be made out: a young Midshipman sitting arms-crossed aboard the deck of a small ironclad, sullenly looking towards the 'camera'. A proud Captain, clad in a formal, epauletted jacket and bedecked with a bar of medals, posing before the cameras at rest in his seat, while a journalist eagerly asked the officer questions. A world-weary Admiral of the Fleet staring down at a newspaper, its headline obscure but the front page's image clear enough to make out the body of a finely-dressed, blood-splattered man and woman being dragged out from a bullet-riddled automobile.

Against the background of these premonitions flashed a series of blueprints that - if Carly was able to catch glimpses of them - outlined a series of ship designs; unfamiliar names like "HMS Invincible", "HMS Renown", "HMS Queen Mary", "HMS Orion" and, perhaps most glaring of all to a Master was the name scrawled at the bottom of one particular blueprint: "HMS Dreadnought".



The image shifted, 'tearing' at the edges as though a camera's film-roll was disintegrating, before a more frightful series of images flashed through Carly's mind. A steady line of steel warships, gun turrets belching smoke and fire against the backdrop of a smog-covered setting sun. A darkened deck lit by flames and fire, incinerating young seamen in the flash-flame's path as they helplessly tried to scramble through a hatchway. Ships violently detonating in choppy seas and men cast into open oceans, floundering for help that, all too often, never came or came too late to save all of them.



Abruptly, Strategist yanked her hand back from the Magus, severing the link between them as she gasped for breath. It appeared that the experience had worn at the Servant, but was it due to the strain of the effort that had been needed, or something else?

---

Oh, last night had seemingly gone well, her servant keeping up to keep the enemy at bay. Greek for sure, wielding a lance, his speed betrayed his identity and alias on top of his cocky nature and how fast he seemed to move in his scouting of the forest at first. One of the great heroes of the trojan war, one whose armor even now shone with the workmanship of the gods: Achilles. It was such an interesting, but potentially deadly, opponent for her dear Rider. Though his weak spot was easily noted, at least for now and any future plans. Though partway into things, she had told one maid to keep tabs, take in the new arrivals tat would be coming here from home as soon as possible, and went to bed to get some sleep. A few hours of it, anywho, enough to get suitable rest. In the meantime, she had told her other maids beyond that one to prep the basement into a suitable workshop for production. She even left them a list of things to do once they got production started and more hands to do the work.

At a minute past midnight work on the basement alchemy lab had begun, and similarly the reinforcements from home had arrived as well to the compound. That was good, and would speed up the work on the lab that much more. So by the time noon rolled around, production on the components for the network and the creation of other "helping hands" had started. Indeed, Sophia had arisen from bed by the time production began, going down for a minute to observe the work and check off current levels of preparations.

However, things had not been so simple. Fire. In the Foreigner's District of all places, and according to her familiars keeping tabs on the areas this was no normal fire. Something had dropped strange black chunks into a fire, which at first had seemed rather trivial, but as the problem spread it had gotten worse. Far, far worse with continued observations of enemy servant and master activities around the fire as she had her familiars patrol around the borders to see where the fire went. She had eventually sent her servant and ten of her strongest maids as well to dig a moat, done so far from the forest, but made to encircle around the borders of the forest to prevent the fire from getting to the forest she was holed up in. No, it could not end like this, with some stupid, likely curse-ridden (more so as she observed it over the course of its existence through now via familiars), fire.

In the meantime she had pushed for the erection of the three bounded fields she had dictated to be made, all three to work with for other measures yet to be set up. This would include a fourth one now, though, due to the encroachment of fire in their general direction. One that would block smoke and other harmful gases/gaseous substances from passing through into the forest at all at least. On top of this, production of more minor units was going along smoothly with the supplies her new arrivals had brought with them. Good. These units would assist in the bounded fields and other measures to be implemented as well.

Hard at work herself in helping in production for a time, by the time nightfall hit the bounded fields were in place, her network was in place after being coined in the alchemy lab (her connection to it was made too), and by this time many of her minor units were and had been hard at work implementing her other measures and connecting them back to the network. Only some of the major homunculi from home were kept back at the compound proper, but as soon as the trench was finished five of them were sent to go fill the trench full with water. After all, a fire was a fire, and hopefully a massive, water-filled trench would suffice in stopping the fire or slowing it if it got this far. They were top-tier Einzbern homunculi, after all, so the work would be trivial when it came to "if they could do it in time". Though as the maids who had finished the digging came back to the compound, and these others would be getting to the front lines, the female homunculus was sitting in the main parlor of the estate now.

Hours of helping lab work, the stress of this fire nonsense that others only seemed to be making worse, getting things started, the bounded fields finally being put up, it had given her a mild headache that made her yearn for some sort of comfort. So a bit of tea, and some fresh tea cakes, had been more than necessary for her right now. Sitting in her comfy chair, Sophia held the small plate and tea cup in her hands properly, the herbal Japanese blend soothing her nerves a bit as she calmly pondered the situation. With how it was spreading, the Tohsaka and Matou households would be in danger. And that meant only one thing. The Lesser Grail was in danger. The thought almost put a scowl on the sensual doll's face, but she had the existing supplies to divert into.....emergency measures if needed. Such as attempting to salvage the damned lesser grail, even if it meant shoving some assembled components into a homunculus crafted to become a vessel last minute. Of course such would require special things from back home, some components and parts, maybe even a new potential vessel to be sent over for the procedure. Bah.

'Dietrich, i have sent five maids to help fill the moat with water. So far you have done good getting the trench dug with the other 10, but i am pulling them back whilst the other 5 i sent fill it up. Otherwise it seems the others are feeding the fire by fighting amidst it or purposely adding to it, all fool's errands and only serving to harm the city and themselves. But keep an eye for any arrivals, in case others try to exploit this situation. We must shore up our borders, and then see what can be done about this supernatural fire.

Meanwhile, as you can do so create a barrier, made a distance from the outside edge of the moat, from the dirt that was dug up to form the moat in the first place. Destroy grass and flammable things near the moat or wall if you have to just to stop the spread, but do not come into contact with the fire itself. That black color is unnatural, and i get the feeling it is far too dangerous for anyone to draw close toward.' the female homunculus messaged to her servant through their mental link, her tone filled with some concern and worry in that message despite her visible demeanor otherwise back at the mansion, though audibly doing her best to keep focused on the matter at hand.

Perhaps once they got their defenses set up, a dirt wall, a very large filled moat, defenses and other measures set up alongside the total of five bounded fields now in place, they could turn their attentions to the town and stopping the fire. She only hoped that the Tohsaka and Matou were looking out for the Lesser Grail in the meantime.

@Cu Chulainn

The young master of the Tohsaka family sat somberly in the room which had doubled as both the study and workshop for the family head since the construction of the manor itself. It was a very neat and tidy place with everything in order, there was very little excess of anything and overall it truly reflected the disciplined and dedicated heart of their family. It was a place that one could truly be relaxed, yet there was a slight tension in the air. Although it may be more accurate to call it a sense of nervousness, which was a rare thing for the young master. In truth it was regret. Regret from a man whose aspirations were large and had been blindsided by a disaster, awakening him to the fact that in many ways he was powerless. But still he was the head of a noble family of magi. He had acted swiftly and confidently, preparing the defences of the manor to the best of his abilities. He would not admit defeat but as it may become inevitable should fate will it so his hand was forced, and so he prepared the most valuable belongings of the Tohsaka family to be moved from the manor should retreat become necessary.

Hideyoshi's top priority was ensuring the protection of the manor. However he simply could not ignore the extreme threat that the inferno posed to others. It was not only his life that was in danger and as the owners of Fyuki it could be said that to protect its people was his duty. There was also his neighbours, the Matous and in the forest, the Einzberns. If the inferno consumed the Tohsaka manor them the Matou manor would have surely fallen alongside it. If this were the case it would not be such a stretch for the forest to be in danger next. It was a thought that had been on his mind since the opening moments of the war, perhaps he had been arrogant to not have taken action. But now he was sure of it. Hideyoshi stood up firmly, now wearing a black garment that had been gifted to him by the church, a crucifix necklace had been placed around his neck and his fists had been wrapped in bandages. Items had been hidden safely in his clothing and he collected his bo staff that had been resting against the wall. Picking up a rather large bag, packed full of unknown items, he hoisted it over his shoulder and made his way out of the manor. His eyes showing nothing but drive he called out to his servant in a deep and powerful voice fitting for a ruler. “Saber. It's time.” Although few words were spoken the entire atmosphere of the manor had been changed.

Forcefully opening the front door Hideyoshi exited his family's home. Addressing the host of familiars that had been sent by the Matous immediately. “I apologise for keeping you waiting… I believe it would be in both of our interests to form an alliance here in order to ensure the survival of both of our families. Truth be told I should have reached out sooner.” Hideyoshi paused and gave the host of familiars a slight bow to apologise before he once more spoke to his servant. “Saber, I ask of you to focus on aiding Lady Matou in anyway that you see fit, whether that be hunting down The one whom is responsible for this, or defending our manors with the Matou servant.” After announcing that to both his servant and the host of familiars he continued on “I shall be heading to meet with the Einzbern master alone to form an alliance. Hopefully they will be inclined to aide us.” There was little time to waste and Hideyoshi had no intention of running away from the inferno. He would move as fast as his body allowed him to. If he was lucky then he could get their attention at the forest outskirts. Simply nodding in the direction of Saber and then to the Matou familiars before he dashed off at a startling speed. The heavy bag may as well have not been carried over his shoulder, but even without taking that into account Hideyoshi was moving at a speed that very few humans could hope to match.

---

Ah. Once again breathing the fresh air of the world anew, though it felt different than his homeland. Indeed, he already knew he was far from his homeland, far far away in a nation that venerated honor in its most noble warriors of old. Ah, would he that he could cross blades with them as a warrior, that they could both put their pride on the line and clash. Though other heroes would be present, those who took up their mantles with pride....and perhaps those who had sunk into the depths with infamy. But his task was clear, and he desired to find a foe to combat this night. Someone with which to test himself in this....lesser form than he had been in during his life. That much he could tell with a certainty.

But after emerging atop a hill, he looked about and knew this was not exactly the situation he had expected, though it did not surprise him one bit. Great, towering flames, cursed, filled with grudges, instigating fear.....binding whatever made it stronger and consuming the souls of its victims. He who had learned much magecraft, the Primordial Runes that as a Caster he would have possessed in proper, could observe such things about this disaster of sorts that had arisen. It was no normal fire, not any more at any rate, and it continued to drink of the lives of this city. It was unacceptable, but his runes would be of no help here.

So he paused for a bit on this hill, watching upon the flames and scene, allowing the caress of the wind, the song of the birds, and the flow of the world around him to speak to him of what would best fit this situation. What he could best do in regards to this fire situation.

@Yukitamas@Red Alice

The image merely tilted its head in response to the girls various inquiries. So, then, 'that' was how this meeting was going to be. Pitiable, but not especially disadvantageous. The somber glare of the setting sun set the tone of this entire meeting. That was perfectly fine though. Any meeting between Magi should be somber. Still, the long wait had left somewhat of a bad taste in her mouth. Unfortunate, but-

Not unexpected in the slightest.

"Really, now. I have no interest in some cursed-fire. Something like that happening goes hand in hand with a war of this scale, don't you think? This town was bound to burn sometime, so I don't see the fuss." It was the truth. Even if this Holy Grail War had included 'only' seven servants, it was bound to result in massive destruction. Infact, considering everything, this situation was rather tame. The fact that it had come this far in the first place at all was rather surprising. These were Heroic Spirits, right? It said some interesting things about those involved in the war, at least.

"You shouldn't fret over such inconsequential matters, dear. A top-class Magus should treat this as the footnote it is." Could a formless 'thing' smile? It was doing something very close to that. A simple wave of 'its' hands, and the conversation shifted subjects.

"I'd like a non-aggression pact and access to your Temple as a resource. In exchange, I'll have a familiar direct you to a cache of supplies in Miyama. It's close to that fire, so I'd run. I'll take you getting them as a sign of trust, and thus, accepting our deal." The image became fainter, and started to almost evaporate. It was clear Caster wasn't going to wait on a response from the girl. In a few moments, it would fully disappear, leaving Berserker, Serafina, and one of Casters raven familiars alone. It was like an illusion being revealed as nothing but smoke and mirrors.

"Ta~"

@Vocab

Pied Piper

The Bard of Famine and Pestilence

After the long road trip that he and his master Enzo have, they finally reach their destination. It was an unusual experience for Piper to ride his master's car, especially with the cramped spacing he shared with his master's henchmen, not only that but The rat king is concerned about his master's driving on his expensive wagon. He continues to flaunt his wealth on the poor folks while almost not keeping his eyes on the road as he goes. It was both a terrifying and fun experience for Caster while they are traveling.

It was nighttime, The stage is set for the mystical Bard to play his alluring hymn. It's time to get busy. Domination and Famine; The two essence of Piper's goal towards the city of Japan.

[Collector C]
His network of commando rats are quick, his rats are nimble, his rats steal from farms to cities, ransacking their produce of Japan in the nearby lands. Mostly the Western farms and the native district.

In about a half a week, The city would realize that the food supply has been scarce and drastically decreasing ever since the fire incident began. If the cursed fire won't kill the half population of Japan, the aftermath of scarce of necessity and lack of food will and Enzo and his henchman will be fed bountifully from what Caster reap from the nearby lands.

[Symphony of the Rat King]
The bard in the colorful clothing's jovial concert isn't done yet, He kicks it up a notch like a rockstar, doing a killer flute solo and starts playing rapidly on his pipe, Dropping his latest single on the school's confine to feast into their uncultured ears to hear.

The sound of his mystical flute echoes through the academy as well, the overworked teachers heard it in their offices and suddenly have the urge to follow orders from Piper's charm spell.

As of now, the stragglers, students who are working hard their thesis just to get a passing grade from their merciless prof and the people within the confines of the academy in these late hours are now under Piper's control. Think of it as the school is under new management and A man dress in colorful robe is now the new principal of this academy.

Come forth and take refuge, my children...
God has abandoned you..
with my music, I shall guide you to salvation..
into the world that no one knows...

"False Paradise"

The rat king continues to play his flute to establish his noble phantasm, securing the area, erecting a reality marble, adding some fortification on his new territory. His new other world is better and much more secure than his previous one, The flow of ley lines in this land is just too sweet and juicy that Piper is able to cultivate this piece of land to its optimal potential. It was also hidden from the world has extra perks to it.



Piper decided to take a brief coffee break from pimping his workshop as his lips depart from his flute and check on the reports on his network of familiars that he highjacked across the western part of the city, His exclusive private V.I.P. 4k channels if you will. (this is the scope of Piper's network on the eastern side)

Let's see what's good on the Shinto channel:

Troilus lair: Huh? just as expected from a mundane town. Nothing. It seems that his master and her cute kid is not there either, strange...Next..

The Pub channel: Yikes.. Looks like someone's piss and has too much to drink. Piper winced at the muffled angry noises coming from inside the Pub, he didn't bother to check any further.. Next..

The Church base channel: No activities so far, everything seems guarded, Next..

The Foreign district: I see the servant Battle Royale is still going on and the cursed flames haven't been resolved yet, hmmm.. Next..

Piper can't help but to yawn and continues to turn the page on his grimoire once more until he notices something that piques his interest. That's strange, my pets are restless and sensing an influx of magical energy has arrived on our former base. Are they hidden from detection? a basic bounded field must be obscuring my view. No matter, my pets are highly trained for these type of circumstances. Enhance and bring me closer..

Hmmm.. interesting

"Master Enzo, it seems we have tenants in our former base, refugees from the sea i believe, one appears to be a mage @Paradox Witch and the other seems to be a navy girl of some sorts @MrCellophane .. do you want to flush them out with my plague bomb we installed there? Here's the detonator to that place if you ever decide what happens to these to these unknown inhabitors" Piper said, handing a remote, entirely made of pieces of rat parts

@Seirei No Hai

@dosthou @Sageage






Even with experience and great battles many heroes would not have been able to respond to Lancer’s advance in such a manner. In this battlefield where Lancer was covered in great blessings and given greater power there were few even in this war that could match his strength blow for blow as a hero.

But the charge of the spear even in the midst of the black flames, ashes and smokes that would have been a threatening blow, that rose above the rank of A in power was repelled. More than repelled, Ruler twisting his body for a powerful swing that dispersed the clouds. It was as if where Ruler stood nothing could encroach. Not even these curses, not even this suffering. If anything his presence advanced into it with each moment of the fight.

But it was not as if his swing was to allow him to see. To begin with he intercepted Percival’s blow and overwhelmed it. The youth found his charge completely stopped, pushed back. Without much time to recover and prepare for his counter attack, Ruler’s ax was already in motion, crossing the distance between them in an instance.

Faster, stronger. It was not just supreme ability that drove Ruler’s overwhelming presence and the pressure that pushed beyond the horrors of the flames, of disaster. It was his radiant pride and glow as a hero.

Faster, stronger. There were people in need beyond this servant. There was a frenzy to him, a controlled frenzy that built up. Each strike was deliberate, each blow flowing into each other. For blows of such great power to seem graceful, for them to weave together in the design of a warrior was an awe-inducing sight.

It was natural for even heroes to be impressed.

Why?

Because he (Ruler) was the greatest of heroes.

His cursed body of steel was something that could defeat most servants by its lonesome. In the class that sealed his mind in madness he was still the one who would stand at the top of such a ritual.

But it was him, the hero, the one who quelled calamities, who slew monsters and overcame impossibilities again and again. To that which was considered impossible even to the heroes who conquered the limits of humanity he was a higher ranked existence.

He was the greatest hero of the world.

Hercules.

And that’s why this knight would not keep him from those who needed saving.

Tlilpojuan paused for a moment, letting out a contemplative “Hmmm?” before returning to the drink. “Another came? Is that so. Perhaps they would be a pleasant individual to meet.”

There were many things to ask, and many things that could be learned. But at the time he simply drank and ate, making merry with the crowd. Enemy servants, yakuza, foreigners. It did not matter too much to him. After all he was a man who ventured from a foreign land to see what this great world had to offer. The fruits of civilization, of the slow spread of cultures that were melding together. The end of this slowly growing globalization would only be seen in the 20th century. Yet even now he saw that the world had both grown incredibly small, and incredibly large.

The world seemed smaller once one understood part of it. But then it in turn became even larger than ever before the more you saw and experienced. The greatest and wildest dreams and imaginations of a child were nothing compared to the fruits of man and the products of human civilization.

Standing with gods, standing with those that were the heroes and living histories of man, he found his horizon expanded once more.

He admired horses. He found them regal, and worthy beasts. Yet it was the products and world of mankind that he loved.

A man became a horse, a horse walked among men.

And what he saw were wonders.

“You said this wine was for horses specifically? Ah, it is good, it is fantastic. It is the best I have drunk in all of my life in Fuyuki, in all of my life even. Yet I wish to try more! If other drinks in your pub are of this level, or even half then this war has truly been a blessing!”

Yet so ironically the city was plunged into the disaster of curses.

“Do so, Saber. I’ll trust you. I will go to Hideyoshi. He is the second owner after all, and rather than acting on my own it would be better if I were to support him.”

Without hesitation he darted out the door, calling out to the inhabitants of the pub that he will return. Even without knowing all that well of the nature of the pub, there was a confidence to his words that implied his belief that the pub would survive the fire so that he could return.

He ran through Shinto. Through their connection he saw the horrors and terrors of the fires. He could not give Saber advice on the nature of the flames, nor did he find that he could find advice on how to conquer the foes that were lined up against him. Tlilpojuan looked upon the three servants with the master’s clairvoyance, and at the least he gained information on them.

The severing of Roland’s arm came with the interference of their link, a jarring sudden experience. Yet with the control over himself that came from his devotion to martial arts Tlilpojuan kept on running without pause. Even before the blow had struck he began incanting a command, crying out to the streets, his words spreading through the city, in a faint echo as though he were a ghost.

“Return to me, Saber!”

He was already in Miyama at this time. A box in his arms. His speed was greater than most normal humans by far, and even a magus who was augmenting themselves with reinforcement magic to speed them up would likely lose to his stride.

Despite the danger of the enroaching flames he ventured into the Tohsaka Manor. Finding it empty of his pupil, Tlilpojuan instead took the action of procuring the heirloom that had he had been told of by Nagato.

In a sense the greatest treasures of the Tohsakas, yet something that had no use to Hideyoshi at the time. Not that he seemed to know that much of it.

Despite knowing little of magecraft beyond what he had inherited from his family, and what Nagato had taught him, he knew enough to do the most basic of things. Picking up a hair that belonged to his pupil he utilized a ritual of a very basic magecraft, Sympathetic Magic, so as to track him down.

“They went to the forest. Let’s go, Saber.” There was no time to lecture Saber, nor any real need. When the man appeared, armless and wounded Tlilpojuan simply offered his back and arm to carry his servant and give him a moment to rest, not just physically but mentally.

All that needed to be said was that, for it held the meaning of “Let us go to your beloved friend.

Good, the kid wasn't so stupid so as to go charging out like that. He'd been worried he'd have to knock the guy unconscious to keep him from doing anything idiotic.

Well, could it really be called idiotic if it was for something you truly believed in? Yes, the answer was absolutely yes, but still.

At any rate, with Gin's question, Archer's expression tightened slightly. He'd figured that the kid had been listening to him earlier, when he'd already explained this much, but it seemed he'd need to put it in clearer terms.

"See, kid, the problem is ya fundamentals are too shoddy. I could use it on ya now, but then you'd be 'complete', ya get it? I can't add shit after tha matta. Everything you get a bit better at before I train ya, ya'll get that magnified. It's like makin' an investment in advance, and see, you've got talent for ya magecraft but ya just don't have any of tha know-how. With my training, I can teach ya it, but tha more I have ta teach ya as far as fundamentals, the less you're able to get juiced up to eleven, y'hear?" He explained, waving a hand dismissively as he spoke, before pointing to the other eastern magus who was within the confines of the bar.

"So, talk to that otha kid. Learn tha basics of ya magecraft, refine 'em, understand 'em past the slipshod shit ya've got right now."

A glint formed in his eyes, smirk splitting that pudgy face.

"...once ya've done that, I'll turn ya into a threat that can fight these Servants on equal footin'."

---

The homunculus stumbled back as her Servant released her, a hand reaching up to massage her temples as she clenched her eyes shut. "Ow, ow, ow. Okay, I'd more just been asking for your name and information on your Noble Phantasm, but reliving your life works too, I guess." She murmured out, rubbing her head for another few seconds before she straightened up.

"Well! Anyway, that helps a lot, actually. I was going to set up a workshop, but workshop creation isn't really my thing, and lucky us, we're still right by the water! Love it when a plan comes together. So, how about you summon that boat of yours and we hop on it, get a lil' bit of water distance between us and the docks, yeah?"

"I'm told the spooky scary things are those Knight Classes, even though that totally makes zero sense to me, but anyway being on the ocean'll give us the edge against them, especially. Plus Mary'll be so excited. She's great, you'll love her. I've tricked her into thinking dried oregano is candy, she loves the stuff." She commented excitedly, punctuating that last statement with a brief giggle and rocking back on her heels.

"Anyway, yeah, boat please, if it's not too much trouble~!"

It was around this time, though, that two parties made their reappearance, thanks to the absurd speed now possessed by one of them. Despite that it had taken Mary a significant length of time to reach and cross the bridge, during which Carly-Beth had largely been setting up for and performing Strategist’s summoning, the return trip took an almost negligible length of time.

“Hi, Miss Carly-Beth! I did the thing you asked me to do! Can I have a candy, please?”

“Kyaha, good evening, Maker. You may address me as the False World, Shaytan-Ea. The 「Great Devil's Mask of Primordial Rupture」. Do not disappoint my expecta-“

“Miss Shaytanea was super super fast! It was like ‘zoom’ and like ‘bang’ and then we were back here!”

“...once again, young one, it is Shaytan-Ea. Furthermore, you must use the proper terms of address when-“

“Oh, can it, Shaytanea. Anyway. Strategist. Boat, please?”

As the real target moved Berserker's blade met the massive war elephant's armor with a shrieking of sparks as it scraped across the surface, but that was all it only scraped the surface. Shuten landed in a crouch atop the beast's back, tilting her head in genuine surprise as she saw the lack of a gaping wound across it's back. "...Eh...?" For something to not crumple pathetically beneath the terrible might of Mount Ooe's king was mystifying, especially when it hadn't even done anything but sit there.

Berserker wouldn't be deterred by one failed attack though, that wasn't the nature of a demon at all! She spun the sword around in her grip, point down, and gripped it firmly with both hands, making ready to drive the tip into the wedge in the armour her first blow had made, but the second blow never came. The elephant bucked up, a maneuver that Shuten anticipated but not with such force, and the little Oni went sailing through the air much to her chagrin without ever striking a second blow.

Thud, bounce, thud, roll, roll, bounce, thud, roll, groan. She came to a stop a few dozen feet of her initial touchdown. "Uwah... I told you pachyderms were dangerous little girl... but demons..." She grumbled as she rose to her feet, dusting herself off and slinging her sword over-shoulder. While she was certainly no worse for wear this was something of an embarrassment, even as a berserker Shuten prided herself on moving with a certain savage grace that rolling about in the dirt was most certainly not conducive to.

She stared murderously at Rider, now sporting some kind of wings it seemed. Even with the countenance of an angel the servant itself didn't worry Berserker but that mount... Her malevolent glare turned into a smile, wide and toothy. "...Demons... Are capricious fufufu~!" The fire was spreading fast and elephants were slow. Shuten had decided this whole situation could sort itself out, it was offiicaly below the notice of the king of Oni.

When she spoke again it was up towards the sky, ignoring Rider entirely. "Sweetheart, I've grown boooored and it's getting hoooot! We're leaving now!" With her whining complete Berserker leapt into the sky towards her airborne ally, tucking her legs up to her chest as she locked into a direct collision course with Archer. Even if she was by far the faster of the two she wanted to be the one getting carried this time (and besides, Shuten didn't have disengage unlike a certain somebody).

@floodtalon@Scallop