Strategist shook her head at her Master's annoyed remark. "I'd merely thought it'd be best if you knew out the gate." she added, deliberately avoiding chipping in an apology despite her remorseful tone. "However, I'll take further care in adjusting such 'exchanges' in future."

"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?"

Strategist leaned a hand on her uniform's beltline as she added, "Well, we'd likely need a landing ground where we can access the mainland, as well as to scavenge for supplies and whatever resources we can obtain that we couldn't get from town -"

'Assuming said town survives by morning!' she sullenly reflected.

"But yes, I believe that discretion will be the better part of valor for tonight." Strategist concluded, her ponytail 'twitching' slightly in the breeze. At that, the Servant began to retrace her steps back across the gang-plank and back onto the deck of the small motor boat they had disembarked from earlier, listening to her Master as the Servant began to prepare the boat for departure. She screwed her face up slightly at the mention of her Master's companion's preference for dried oregano. "I'm sure my quartermaster can provide her with some of the genuine stuff in the place of the oregano; no need to deceive her further."

'Speaking of...' she observed when a ten year-old girl and a horribly-disfigured mask both showed up. Judging from the former's age and her question to her Master, this had to have been Mary, while the latter- What on God's great Earth is that ... thing?!

Snapping out of it, Strategist closed the hatch containing the small boat's primitive coal-fired engine and cleared her throat when Carly urged her to depart. "Yes, I think it's well past time we left. However, we'll need to get out into the open ocean first, and I'd rather not do anything that can be easily observable; too many possible eyes at this time of morning, for all I know."

She beckoned the trio on-board. "So, if we are all done bickering, we'll get going."

---

13 Nautical Miles Later ...

It would be 13 nautical miles of navigating the small steam ship out to sea - thirteen nautical miles of Strategist having to internally hold her proverbial lunch in as her ship pitched about in the Japanese Sea's waves - before she would finally bring her ship to a slower speed.

"This will do nicely." she added to Carly. She lifted up what appeared to be a gas lantern with a shutter on its front to her shoulder height, before she took a hold of the shutter mechanism, aimed it out towards what appeared to be empty water and began to rapidly open and close it. To someone completely unfamiliar with what the Strategist was doing, the actions would have seemed utterly nonsensical.

That is, until a pinprick of light could be observed responding in kind. Out of the darkness, a mountain of steel and iron began to slowly take form in the pre-dawn gloom ...

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~.”

Laughter bellows from a small girl sitting at the corner of the bar, muttering to what seemed like nothing prior to her laughter.

… How long had this “child” been at the bar? A “kid” that was clearly beyond what their limit should have been long ago. Perhaps it was due to the nature of this place and existence that she was continually able to consume the spirits here. Constantly healing. Constantly in a state of perpetual drunkardness. Even if it had been only a few drinks, the potency of the drinks was enough to cause such a volatile reaction from her that it.

Why had she begun laughing? She had put on a rather fun play with her demons and was enjoying it more than anyone else probably would. A simple play about a hero with a single weakness who is defeated due to such a weakness. Perhaps, then, it was ironic her Servant was such a being. Or perhaps it was because of such? It mattered not to her. She was merely amused by her own creations, dancing around as if they were marionettes and Benita was pulling their strings.

Benita had only wished to grab one or two drinks. After all, within her memories implanted into her, she remembered such substances causing great joy to those who consumed them, and she realized now that this was simply the case. After all, she had not laughed like this or enjoyed something so much since ... ever. Her entire life up until this point was tailored towards a goal, and now that she had deviated from that goal, she was free to begin her "life".

Unfortunately, this had the adverse effect of blowing off a meeting she was supposed to attend prior. Would that come and bite her in the future?

Maybe.

But not as much as it was biting her now. Or rather, everyone else.

That was when she noticed the smoke from the city. The city on fire. That was probably an issue, right? After all, Shinji (True) and her “master’s” home was also there. She couldn’t just let that continue, right? She had to be the “Hero that saved humanity” after all. Even if every life would not be able to have been saved, at the very least their sacrifice would fuel the ability of Benita to obtain this goal.

… A goal that belonged to someone else. She was merely created to fulfill this want. The desire of her creator’s contract. Someone who would not be allowed to have their own will and wants. But there she was. Above all else, something had contaminated this white. Colored it a shade of “other”. From purity comes ____

“That seems dangerous ... Hey Lancer Prime, can you go use your shield on that fire? I'll leave it to you~.”

And with that, one of the command spells on her hands disappeared, placing the power of the greatest bindings from her own “master” into the power of her Servant for this task. Perhaps Achilles might think that his Master is trying to prevent the fire from being able to spread more by using the shield and crushing the ability for it to combust.

… However, the true reason might have been a confusion of their drunken state and their desires. Something primal that she had secretly wished to partake in since she arrived in this land of the rising sun. A tradition of this place that seemed both fun and entertaining. Even if Benita was denied this sensibility of “self” as a creation to replicate another, this burning desire would drive anyone to sin.

It could not be her fault. If she were to blame then the morals of the world would have to be changed to suit this position. Someone denied the very pleasures of life had recently experienced them and had been hooked on their wants.

And that want was . . . .

“Hey kid~,” (ironically) Benita calls to Gin, “Have you ever gone to a hot spring before~. I heard Japan is renowned for them, but I haven't seen one yet~.”
@Paradox Witch @Cu Chulainn @Breo

"Don't I think?" Serafina simply said, repeating the apparitions the question as she appraised the evergrowing smoke cloud above the city, "Don't I think that a giant fire is some little footnote? Don't I think that it's something I can leave alone?" there was a hint of annoyance in her voice, but for the most part it was steeped in confusion.

Her eyes trailed back towards where the form once was. It had already faded, or course; Sera was merely talking to thin air in the vain attempt of comprehending the situation that was unfolding before her. Although she tried to brush it off, there was a pang of agreement in her chest. With the abundance of Servants currently presiding over Fuyuki City, there would definitely be people who could deal with it. There just had to be. There was no reason for her to get involved.

That said, Sofia wouldn't agree. She'd run head first into the fire to try and save people - that was totally something she'd do. Take Saber and confront the accursed flames. She was an idiot like that, but part of her would feel guilty if she forced her sister to do that alone. Her hand reached into her pocket, and from it drew several small pieces of paper, all but one of which she replaced, and a pen. On it, she wrote a small note.

"Stay in the Temple. This isn't something you need to concern yourself with."

The moment the note was finished, she replaced the pen, and then went to another of her pockets. Out from within she drew a small, mechanical owl. In it's claws she attached the note, and activated the Runes across it. Only a few - note the entire series. It only needed to fly to her. The metallic object took off, allowing Sera to turn away and begin down the stairs,, with the vain hope that Sofia would read the note and choose not to follow her.

But before the fire, she had a supply drop to catch.



The buildings near the blaze had been long abandoned. As the inferno steadily encroached upon the surrounding portions of the Foreign District, and the other nearby Districts, civilians took off in all directions to escape its piercing heat - and piercing it was. She was still some distance from the blaze, near the edge of the District, but even there she could feel the pulsating heat, and magnificent glow.

It had already engulfed half the Foreign District, and was beginning to spread into Miyama Town and the Commerce District. All in less than a day. If it kept up its spread... the place Serafina was stood now, backed by her Servant, would no longer be as hospitable as it was. It would be ravaged with hungry, angry, violent flames that purged all life in its vicinity. Despite the distance, she almost couldn't believe that they could stop it. At least, almost.

Only one of the buildings in particular held any interest to her. That Caster's Familiar had guided her here. At least, she assumed it was a Caster. It was hard to place them in any other Class save that. Presumably, the inside held some kind of cache. It could have been a trap, but... that seemed unlikely. If that Servant was smart, they would recognise that the Temple Proper held not one but two Servants. Only killing one and then trying to take over the Temple would be a grave mistake on their part.

It was a decently tall building, seemingly some kind of office block or another. Where she was was relatively close to the Commerce District, anyways. But whatever they did here wasn't what interested her. Familiar in front, Berserker behind, they ascended stairwell after stairwell, before finally coming out onto a landing. Then into a small room, off to the side. And in that room was a box - a small box - with an equally small strap attached to the side.
"Is this it?" she stated, curtly, kneeling down to pry the lid open as the Familiar sat down beside her, and explained the contents.



Serafina and Berserker stood outside the building, watching on as the fires raged. In the distance, through the fire, she could see Servants battling it out despite the inferno, and beyond that, civilians throwing themselves into the accursed flames for one reason or another. Now that she had nothing else on her mind, she could feel it - the brevity and abundance of curses present before her. How had some many hideous things coalesced in less than a day? Just what were they doing?!

"Berserker?" she said, addressing her Servant stood just a bit behind her, "When I say, you're gonna go and help deal with the fire. If anyone attacks you, just kill them. Just... not yet. I wanna see what we're dealing with a little while longer..." she trailed off, looking around before finding a bench to sit down on. Her eyes darted across another sheet of paper, upon which she had written the details of the things Caster had gifted her. A small smile blossomed on her lips.

This was going to be an even more interesting War than she had first imagined.

There was only one thing left to do for a Thief who had accomplished his goal.

Run.

Putting away the blade hastily, Jack watched it vanish into his pouch, no longer weighing him down or out in the open. A giant elephant burst onto the scene, further solidifying his resolve to leave. Jack would steal from the great Giant who lived at the top of the Beanstalk, yes, but only one item a day, for he knew better than to test his luck like so.

Without taking into mind the items that he could have picked up as further spoils.

Without thinking of aiding his impromptu helpers.

Without thinking of anything but survival.

Jack the Thief ran for his life, away from the flames and to his own master.

The fire worsened. As the horn blasted, the flames leapt higher, and only continued to grow in strength, in pure power and terror.

Had they failed?

It wasn’t long until the fire grew once more, into something truly horrifying. A lake of black fire, one that reached out towards Troilus, one that’s fumes licked at the mind. The horrifying faces that stared into his eyes, radiating hatred.

Was this what the others had felt, as Troy burned?
He couldn’t stay here. He couldn’t die here, not under any circumstances. Even if they’d failed, that remained true.

Certainly, Troilus had failed. These weren’t the actions of a hero, but of a scared child. He turned around, and began to flee the fire, moving faster than before.

Back towards Troy, back towards ‘home’.

Leaving Miyama Town, entering Shinto town

[Transit to Einzbern Forest Interrupted By Boss Fight!]

He was beginning to think that scouting in Miyama was… well, not cursed, but rather inadvisable. True, this was only the second time that he and his Servant came to this area in hopes of information, but an enormous, cursed fire that seemed to be eating its way through half of this city was more than enough to warn him.

But that wasn't enough to warn him of his Servant just… walking into the flames. Which then transformed the flames black. And that indicated that the fire had a binding element to it, reinforced by the various effects that kept on appearing in the flames.

As soon as he saw the billowing smoke and flames, Christopher had pulled out a few of his modules, shielding him from the heat and preventing any smoke from being inhaled. But he saw what happened to those who got caught, or inhaled the smoke. Driven insane by fear, cursed with ever-increasing grudges, and considering his Servant’s Noble Phantasm, had their souls burned away with their bodies. Truly, he had observed worse, considering where he had gone to obtain certain materials, and what he had to do in order to possess them, but while he was a “magus,” he was still a “human.” And humans, well, they possessed empathy and sympathy, most of the time. While he certainly would not save anyone himself, he used some of his disposable golems to at the very least, get people out of their houses and guide them away.

Of course, through this course of action, he gained valuable data on what, exactly, his golems could withstand. ...And he couldn't resist gaining a few samples as well.

However, aside from that, he proceeded with Avenger’s first suggestion. Now was not the time to harass and attack others. He saw two paths in the future. In one path, where the Heroic Spirits in this conflict were incapable, which was a possibility, the fire would rage and grow stronger, and would spread swiftly. In the other, at least one Heroic Spirit would have the capability to end the fire. And considering the size of the fire, it would have to be very, very powerful. Three things were needed to make a fire. Fuel, air, and heat. Remove any of them, and the fire would be gone. And to remove any of them on this scale…

Well, only an idiot or someone who was incredibly powerful would stay around in that particular state of affairs. Which was why he was on the other side of town, looking for a good spot to observe the fallout.

How he got here was rather… remarkable, all things considered. Avenger merely wrapped her arm around his waist after he was gathering his last sample, spoke some words, and they were here.

Now, where to go...

[In Shinto]
@UndyingRegret

[ignore this]

The Heroic Spirit of the spear looked at the burning district across the river, the weapon that granted him his title slung across his shoulders. A careless laugh escaped him as he received the orders from his Master.

“You’re even blowing one of those things on this? Are you sure that is wise? Although it’s not like I dislike that sort of thing.” He mock-chastised the hasty decision made in a drunken stupor with a smile, then immediately retracted it. Whether it had been a decision made with cold logic or a snap-judgement in the heat of the moment, Lancer Prime was a hero that would respect it.

There was a saying about alcohol bringing the truth out of people. His Master would not have done this if she was not concerned with the safety of those that would be caught by the flames, and he would answer that request without hesitation.

After all, even if he was the hero of the rushed life, even if his tale was one of violence, he was still a hero in the end.

And a ‘hero’ is also ‘someone who saves’. Therefore. . .

The spear vanished, he would have no use for it now. So thinking, he took a few steps back and materialized something else in its stead.

A shield coalesced, firmly grasped in his left hand. Visually speaking, it seemed to be an ordinary piece — solid and excellently made, to be certain, but lacking any sort of adornments or signs that it was a hero’s tool beside that craftsmanship.

Just a simple, round shield, an antique that seemed plain when compared to his radiant armor.

However, it was still one of the ‘treasures’ that Lancer Prime could confidently call nigh unmatched in the entire world, and one he held dear to his heart.

Crouching as if to begin a run, empowered by the Command Mantra his Master had used, he smiled.

“Hope there’s not too many heroes in there,” His muscles tensed. “It’d be pretty lame if they died before we could even exchange names properly wouldn’t it?”

Then, he exploded into motion, running forward full speed like a shooting star, people and buildings blurring around him. In an instant, he was already at the edge of Mion river, continuing his path atop the water without even a second of hesitation, too swift to be sunk here.

It was only natural. Backed by a Command Mantra, this was the sort of divine speed that could be achieved by the hero who was extolled as ‘the fastest, no matter the era’, moving like lightning across the battlefield, crossing the distance in but a breath. In the eternity between heartbeats, he had already reached his destination, the edge of the spreading flames just another step away.

But instead of plunging headfirst into the fire, Lancer Prime jumped above it, as high as he could with the momentum he had built combined with the strength of his legs. It was not true ‘flight’, but it was as close as it would get.



Gravity asserted its hold over him then, and he dived headfirst into the inferno below. Everything seemed so small he could not help but laugh — the exhilaration had lit a fire in his veins.

It was only natural, he supposed. After all, had he not boasted that his life was that of a falling star?

He lifted his shield up and then he brought it downwards as if to smash an imaginary opponent, proudly declaring the name of the Noble Phantasm Achilles would, with no hesitation, call ‘the strongest trump card’.



The effect was, thus, activated.

Akhilleus Kosmos — the shield of Achilles, described with a hundred lines in Homer’s Iliad. A Divine Construct crafted by Hephaestus said to have been engraved with the world.

A Barrier-type Noble Phantasm that ‘deployed a Bounded Field’. The nature of that field could be guessed only with the treasure’s title.

Cities, beaches, rivers and mountains, the sky surrounding them. People, both ordinary, faceless masses and ‘those that had been engraved in the hero’s heart’. The places where he spent his childhood, the battlefields where he became a man, a thousand ships sailing the currents and a great city that stood before them, all those memories and more had been crammed into it to give life.

Akhilleus Kosmos — a Noble Phantasm engraved with ‘Achilles’ world’. The reality as he knew and understood it, with all the good and the bad, in all its beauty and ugliness, colored and seen through the lens of the great sprinter that distinguished himself on the battlefields of the Trojan War.

As far as ‘defense-type Noble Phantasms’ were concerned, it was certainly in a class of its own with only a handful of treasures equaling it, and only the tool of a certain king that could be called one of the summits definitely surpassing it.

An absolute barrier that protected the wielder from all harm — the masterwork of Greece’s premier blacksmith that employed the ‘world itself’ as defense.

. . .However, that was not what he was using it for. There were no ‘attacks’ coming his way, so using it like that was pointless to begin with.

But whoever said that ‘shields can only be used to defend’ anyway? If you asked the man himself, he would have you know that bashing an enemy’s face in was a valid use, and he applied the same principle to this gift.

Therefore, falling from the sky above Miyama at breakneck speed like a meteor was. . .

A ‘world’.

Laughing, Achilles rushed to meet the earth below, and his Noble Phantasm dutifully followed.

”Small fry, get out of the way if you appreciate your lives!” He declared with an inordinate amount of pride. “And any who remain, be crushed or rise above it, this is the time to prove your brilliance as heroes!”



[@Miyama dudes]

The black flames rushed and roared at the madman who above them, attempting to lick at his heels and consume his very soul. "The flames of Hades come to consume the fallen! Flee you pathetic hounds, run into the River Styx with your tail between your legs and let the underworld consume you!" But the maddened Servant could not comprehend the severity of the situation, he merely saw a new hazard to fight amidst. But all games must end, for Tesla saw Shuten leaping into the air towards him, graceful as always as she landed in his arms with nary a thought. "Sweetheart, I've grown boooored and it's getting hoooot! We're leaving now!" Tesla stood still in the air for a moment, trying to comprehend the idea of leaving before all the defiant mortals had perished. But the fire raged on, the inferno's crackling and screaming cutting through his maddened state.

Perhaps it was the fumes finally getting to him, perhaps it was a side effect of Disengage activating, maybe it was even Shuten's presence so close to him, but the Mental Corruption that he had induced upon himself so many hours ago was beginning to wear thin. The situation was finally registering, the world was ablaze and everyone was dying. But there was no time to dwell on this, while he may have helped start the initial fire with his inaction, other parties had turned it into the mass of grudges and curses that it was now. Tesla's eyes narrowed a tad as he remembered the day his lab burnt down and with it most of his livelihood. No, now was not the time to dwell on past (future?) memories. "Indeed, it is time to go." Tesla leapt away from the fire just as it snapped at his position, creating steps of lightning as he dashed towards Shinto Town.

---

Their arrival was not long after, utilizing even an Agility of C was more than enough to get them across Miyama and the river within minutes. Tesla scanned the horizon, several red lines appearing over each bridge he saw as his mortars changed targets. And then they began to fire once more, pounding the bridges into shrapnel and sawdust within seconds. Slowly he descended to ground level, halting his assault on the bridges and leaving one left standing, the very one he stood before now. "You may want to go find your Master, make sure he is safe amidst the fires of Hades. My invite to the Church is still open, but for now I must take care of things." Tesla gently set her down, his eyes glazing over slightly as he established contact with Suzaku. "You may want to stay inside the Church for now Master. It's the farthest you could possibly get from the fire.' And then he began his work.

Not much time passed before a strange machine with various Tesla coils and wiring stood before him, pumping out a strange gas into the sky at an rapid pace. Indeed, this machine would induce rain, a heavy rain to try and impede the flames as much as possible until someone else could handle them. Tesla would watch the fire for now, but if it showed no signs of stopping, he would have to take matters into his own hands. It was as he thought this that he noticed a man falling from the sky. Now this could only be a Servant of course, no vehicle of flight had yet been invented so it was impossible for this to be a regular person. He heard a faint cry in the distance, perhaps an activation of a Noble Phantasm, it was impossible to distinguish the words from this distance.

It mattered not. What mattered was what happened next, what could only be described as a world being born into existence. It was as if the moon had suddenly fell upon Earth, crushing everything underneath it into mere atoms. Tesla was almost ready to call upon System Keuranos just to shoot it out of the air, but he held back. While he mourned for the inevitable loss of lives coming from this force of destruction on course with Miyama, it would be enough to stop the fire. And so Tesla braced for impact as he watched a world fall.

Her fight was cut short. Before she could even charge directly into the villainous oni, the fire was already making all three of these villains retreat. An archer of lightning...a demonic berserker and an assassin who could steal weaponry. She better informe her master of her discovery she thought as she watched them escape.

But that would not stop her charge. She had to escape these demonic flames before it consumed her. She cursed herself for she could not save anyone else but luckily Nanyue suffered no wounds. Yet...the damage was intense. She hugged him before whispering.

"Nanyue"

With that there was a trumpet as the elephant reared itself, golden light enveloping it as it's armour transformed. No one could see as the elephant began its charge. All that damage that Zeus and shuten had inflicted manifested as the speed and power she needed to outrunk the falling world. With the force of a train she barreled through the town, smashing through obstacles with ease as she aimed for the bridge back to the other side.

She saw Tesla and Shuten again but they did not matter. She held her head down again and kept charging, Nanyue carrying her through, hoping to either trample or avoid them with her blind charge across the bridge so she could settle and figure out just what was happening on the other she heidegger. She looked up as she rode to see the descending world.

This was it. She could feel it.

She was summoned for the apocalypse.

Those blows from that great hero were indeed the destroyer of mountains, the conquerer of monsters and the diverter of rivers. Yet Percival stood against them. Waving between the blows, restoring the ground carved into trenches and craters by Ruler's blows so as to give himself a path to advance that he would not expect. Parrying and redirecting strikes with his wooden spear that groaned in protest even with its status as a Noble Phantasm.

Every inch granted was gained with the most effort Lancer had put out in his life. Blow after blow weared down at him. His hands were numb from the god-strength that threatened to tear the spear away from him. Blood dripped from his limbs, near-hits and scratching blows shredding his skin. He had taken blows that were reduced in impact from his own counter blows or parries, he had dodged many blows but he was still being worn down by the great hero who he had yet to even strike.

But then came the chance. Strike, strike, strike! With a roar Percival threw his spear into the chest of Hercules… which simply bounced off his body. Yes, indeed, that cursed body was the embodiment of human indomitability. The curse that represented the conquering of those twelve labors that could stand against all but the greatest of things.

Unfortunately his spear was just a spear, a stick in comparison to the legends of the great hero.

ᚄ SAIL, he thought to himself. It was no magic of his own, but instead of his master. But it would be enough in this case.

Just because he could not hurt Ruler with his Noble Phantasm didn’t mean he had the liberty to just give up. The spear came to life, arresting its momentum and flying back to strike at Ruler’s ax. It could not contest his strength without the power of Percival behind it, but it would give him a small opening.

Roaring out, Percival stepped in from below twisting his torso to the right. His hands clenched into fists tight enough that his fingers were whitening, and putting all that he had left he sent a blow towards the chest.

This would be the end, one way or another. This was a battle he could not win… but… He had his reasons to stand his ground. He had to try, he had to succeed, if not win.

Roland was sure that as he leaned to the side that the Oni's blade would miss him completely. Except, it seemed she had managed to adjust just enough mid-swing that she did hit something. Because as he swung his fist, he found there wasn't a fist to swing. In fact, he couldn't feel a thing. Except for a lancing pain that pushed through his body. His senses exploded and it felt for a moment like everything was on fire. He could feel certain skills slipping away from him, despite feeling a growing strength. This pain, why did it...?

He had no arm, and sword. Instead, as a kick was aimed at his chest, his one good arm was raised up, letting the strike smack into it as he struck back. His power had risen from the flames and the pain, causing them to both cancel out. But even then, he slid back several feet, landing forward on his one arm to take the weight, as he tried to ignore the pain that rushed through him like galloping horses. Was he dying? Would the angels come to him again? No, he wouldn't allow that! He was about to rise, to fight on, but then...

“Return to me, Saber!”

Roland let out a sigh, realizing then that he was retreating. From a fight like this it seemed only important, since his own bravery would just get him killed. His body vanished into blue smoke, returning to his spirit form as it was the only possible thing for him now. It was better that than the continued pain.

____________________________________________________________

He appeared before his master, returning in a blue glow of light. A hand drifted to the stump of a shoulder, before pulling away. He didn't speak, for at that moment what could he say. But simply admit that he had been robbed, disarmed, and humiliated in such a way. He could manage for now, since as long as he could move, he could fight. He could continue the battle later.

Taking his master's arm, he slung him into his grip, a smile on his lips. "I haven't returned to you yet. My other arm is still lagging behind. Until then, I shall make sure you are safe." Roland said, already running ahead. He didn't need to, but he could. A part of him desired to survive. After all, he had survived worse. He remembered his own death, and how he had been responsible for that.

They arrived in the forest, and ahead he could see her. Olivier ahead of him. Placing his master down, he adjusted his cloak, to hide the wound. Stepping closer, a sigh left his lips. "Olivier... I need your wisdom now, more than I ever have before."

@Seirei No Hai

______________________________________________________________________________



Xerxes took a mask from the shelf, stretching out the rubber, and placing it over his mouth. He hadn't told Ludwig, but he had run tests on all the belongings in the church for poisons ahead of time, and was positive the only poison they had to worry about was the one in his, and only his, possession. Well that and the Oni Tesla had spoken of earlier. But unless he sought her out, he doubted he would have to worry about her.

"Ludwig, I am sure you know not to speak of what I have told you to anybody else." Xerxes said, letting his gaze drift to the boy. "Despite it all, I do desire to be able to live in privacy, without others seeking to discover the means of my magic." He added, patting the younger mage on the back. He wouldn't say it, not until he had his talons in deep enough that it didn't matter anymore. But he saw use in Ludwig. If his sources were correct, the boy could help him change the magical world.

They left the church, but they'd be blind fools not to immediatly notice the missing bridge. Or the golem made from it that could be seen trampling about in the horizon. Xerxes knew immediately which mage could pull it off, or at least of the ones he knew about. "Ludwig, we may have to destroy the bridges. The fire is spreading, and even from this distance I can tell it is cursed." Xerxes remained close to his berserker, his heart skipping a beat. If he could get closer, he could pull the grudges and curses from that flame. He could use it, become master of it. But, could he risk getting close, since there were no doubt opportunists or servants traveling about.

"Berserker, I need you to find the bridges, and put them in the gate. Do you understand?" Xerxes said, watching the big man stomp off. Hopefully with the duo following close behind. Should the fires get close enough for him, he had a collection of jewels just perfect for these fires. "Ludwig, are you sure you want to risk the trip over? The fire may soon spread to Shinto if we cannot stop it here."

Queen of Carthage
Forest Outskirts, Near Foreign District/Miyama

While he didn't respond to her, Avenger thought it was pretty obvious that her master wanted to leave. Well, he seemed interested in getting his samples more, but he looked like he was trying to figure out where to go. Eitherway, something felt wrong. It was time to go.

While the Christopher gathered the last of his samples, Avenger wrapped an arms around his waist and pulled him close to her, taking him up to carry, before running in the opposite direction, away from the fire, deeper into the forest.

[(Supposedly Shinto), Actually moving feeper into the forest, toward Einzberns]

Avenger could see the confusion in her master's eyes as she sat him down on the ground. It seemed the sudden transition had shaken him a little at first, but he would come to terms with it. Since the fun in Miyama was over, it was time to find some more while the others were distracted. "Why don't we pay the Einzbern family a visit, Master?"

@BlueHelix

"Oh?"

As the one he had sent out returned from its business, there was something present on the other side of the city. The sight was so distracting that he nearly forgot to praise the hard work of his...associate.

Regardless, as Assassin made herself scarce from the impending site of destruction, Evan watched with a curious expression.

Bright, bright, bright.

A dazzling star falling from heaven.

A terrible lance rising from the kingdom below.

This was the radiance of a Heroic Spirit, the power that he had been expecting, and the thought of facing it even with his own preparations and Servant brought him some amount of concern. However, with that, there was some pride. After all, looking at the results of his fire, and of the might being brought to bear against it, he couldn't help but grin.

After all, a simple bit of alchemy had done this much to a force of Heroic Spirits. Perhaps he'd overestimated them. Still, better safe than sorry.

At the same time though...

"Perfect. That's absolutely perfect."

Seeing a future that only one such as he could see, the alchemist let out a sharp laugh as Miyama was rendered to dust.

---

"...oh?"

"Miss Carly-Beth, Miss Carly-Beth, what's that?"

"...the start of something interesting, Mary. Now here, have your candy."

"Yay~! Thank you thank you thank you! Oh, oh, Miss Shaytanea, you try some!"

"Mary, that's no-...actually, yeah, Shaytanea, don't you want some?"

"I will decli-"

"...!"

"...I would love some."

"Yay~! Miss Shaytanea and me are candy buddies now, right, right?"

"...of course, child."

"How cute~"

---

"..."

"..."

"Heh."

"The curse inside that fire."

"The nature of that world."

"Your number one and number two both, it seems."

"Good shit. Good shit."

"Does this mean what I think it means?"

"It always does, Donnie. It always does."

@dosthou @Sageage






There was a desperation in the fight of Lancer against Ruler. Of course that was to be expected. To simply overcome a calamity was in the nature of heroes, even if it was a struggle. But to overcome a greater hero, to be a hero who aided calamity against the one who stood above all others?

The strike against him was one that rang true, yet by the virtue of the proof of his deeds it was judged unable to contend with him. Ah, how disappointing. In the end the boy was but a lily yet to blossom. To the one who had reached the end of the twelve-step journey one immature could not contend with him.

Yet even then there was no restraint on Ruler’s part. There was no denying Lancer’s ability. Many servants would have been crushed already by the effort of Ruler, even if there were some who would not only be able to stand their ground, but also strike at him and force him back.

As such he decided to bat away the lancer, sending it flying far away with a simple backhand. He did not underestimate this Lancer, nor did he take the wasteful path of being too cautious. To simply deprive the Lancer of possibilities was acceptable.

His axe swung down. Even he could not prevent Lancer’s step in for a final blow. Or rather, even if he did it was a waste of time and effort. Knowing that Lancer’s Noble Phantasm could not harm him the servant had to rely on but his raw strength. It could hurt him, but to slay him once, let alone defeat him was a near impossibility for that youth in this situation. He was prepared to take a bit of damage, for there was no other hero nearly as robust as he. If the price to finish this battle and end this obstruction was this then he had no problems. It would strike soon after, their strikes almost in parallel to end the duel.

The fist of Percival met the body of Hercules. Bone shattered, and the impact rippled through the youth’s body, wild waves of force shaking and tearing his arm apart, metal whined and distorted, bending from the force of Percival’s flesh and bone that pressed against it. Mangled meat was all that was left from the impact, and the only reason it could be called an arm in shape was because of the distorted red armor that drooled crimson liquid in dripping torrents as though it was the hungry jaws of a wolf. Barely maintaining its shape as it twisted and expanded out. The shape was recognizable as a thing meant to be cariciture of an arm, but no longer could it be called so. This level of damage was on par with the result of a certain mystic eye, inflected upon one’s self.

The blow was of an immense power. Reaching above A+ strength, matching the power of that oni, or perhaps even exceeding it. In this situation, putting all that he did in it, it was a blow that was self-destructive to Percival. But it was not something that could topple Ruler. But...


The roar of Percival filled his ears and the sound of the flames and battling servants in the background faded away. His momentum was halted by the blow.

This was not the result that should have come from a blow even of this strength.

Hercules’s body also broke. The force of the punch caving in his chest and ripping his spiritual core, rendering it a lethal blow even to him.

Hercules died.

A second punch came from Percival and he felt the force from the first still pushing him back, making him unable to react.

Even with the resistance gained from Godhand the blow was enough to knock him down, to topple the greatest of heroes and harm him. In truth it was more like a push in what it had achieved, but it was no less an impressive and yet self-ruining blow.

With a crash that left an imprint of Ruler on the ground, his body treating the streets like snow for all the resistance it held against him. The greatest hero fell.

He looked up at the young man, at Lancer who seemed to stand taller than before, even as he shook from his wounds and condition, barely able to stand. His mangled arms healed, and yet Hercules could see traces of where his ruptured arms had threatened to rip through his arm as slight traces in the red-metal.

He was quite truthfully… confused.

Ah, there was indeed a tragedy occurring. Yet even in standing against the hero as an obstacle to salvation there was a blessed youth who did something that seemed impossible. A lamentable thing to see such a miracle happen for such a cause.

It was beneath him to be dazed. But there was a moment of confusion, of surprise. How did that happen?

How did this young boy strike him down like that?

For a moment, for one moment where the world seemed to pause for any who were watching, Hercules laid down and pondered.

But then the reality of the situation sunk back in. In time much less than a whole second Hercules sprung into action. Magical energy collected and the keen hand of Hercules rained down like the heads of dragons. His fists slammed into the already torn apart ground, creating a hole, a cavern. Even in a time like this his instinct was to protect. Both for the sake of his neutral position as a administrator of the grail war, and as a hero. To protect children was something he dearly desired.

He grabbed Lancer and together the two fell into the ground. His body was a shield, and hidden from the full-brunt of that world they would survive.

He laughed as he continued his descent. Uncaring about whether his declaration had been heeded or not.

It would be a shame, certainly — as far as it concerned something of the nature of this War, to have heroes snuffed out before they could even have a chance to prove their mettle or exchange names would be tragic, but this was simply the way things had turned out.

However, there was something that caught his attention at the edge of his vision.

A young man, engaged in battle, fighting against. . .

Fighting against. . .

No. There was no way that was right, there was absolutely no way that was possible, but at the same time, he had heard tales, from his teacher, his mother and father, about that demigod that possessed a body without peer, that man who could be called ‘the greatest hero of them all’.

That frame, that body, that skill and the power behind each blow. He fit them perfectly, and he realized then just who he was seeing —

Right before the young man decked him hard enough that he seemingly knocked the wind out of Hercules himself for a second.

Speechless, his attention was split between the fires down below and the fight to the side. A smile split his face once again, and he decided he had to get there as soon as possible after dealing with the task he had been given.

After all, one was the man he had always wished to meet, the other was someone that could match him. His blood felt like it was boiling.

And so, the sea of flames rose up to meet the falling world—

”What?!”

He thought it would be a simple matter, but it proved anything but. Not only did it push back, he could feel actual struggle against the advance of his own Noble Phantasm. His expectations shattered in the face of something so ridiculous, eyes widening and prideful smile slipping away.

To begin with, to stand before his shield was to stand against the world — even if the fire had absorbed curses, even if it had grown stronger from all those it had claimed already, it should not be able to resist the advance as it was crushed underneath, but his eyes did not trick him.

Somehow, this fire had gained the same characteristics as what sought to oppose it, but. . .

No, the how, the why, that was not important at the moment. What mattered were his orders, and his own desire regarding this matter. He had said it before, hadn’t he?

A hero is also someone who saves, and the nature of these flames only made them more terrifying — stopping their spread had only become an even greater priority if this was what they were able to do mere hours after their inception. Therefore, to save those that still resided in this city from the inferno, he. . .

“Don’t think that’s all there is to me, either!” He roared out. Almost as if seeking to push it down himself, his shield came up once more before crashing downward again — once, ten times, a hundred times, so fast that his arms might as well have been a blur.

He could not fail. He would not fail. Not when that man was that close. He could not afford to —!

This was not simply a matter of crushing it anymore, this had become an all-out clash between a microcosm and another. For a single instant that seemed to stretch into eternity, they pushed against one another, the flames tainted by curses pushing against the world that had been engraved with Achilles’ own life.

And, in the end, there was one victor.

The flames gave out, and the meteor continued its descent, the ground below cracking.

The structures built by the hands of men were obliterated as a matter of course, blown away like they had never existed in the first place — it looked as though no trace would be left that anyone had ever lived there, and anyone that had not evacuated in time had likely been ground to dust as well — if they had even managed to survive the flames in the first place.

Miyama — or rather, this part of it — had absolutely stopped existing as a town, the land left in great disorder. As he accomplished what he had set out to do and the ‘world’ he had called forth vanished, Achilles looked around and witnessed the damages first-hand.

He scratched the back of his head with his free hand.

“Ahahaha. . .I guess I might have overdone it?” Standing at the center of the newly-formed basin, he seemed to grow self-conscious at the strangest time. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to tame it and using his shield as a makeshift mirror, looking himself over.

“I gotta make a good first impression. . .no wait, I already dropped that on them, first impression plan did not go great,” He muttered to himself, “So I’ll apologize formally, invite them to drinks. . .hold off on asking for a fight, too, I need to smooth this out first.”

He held the shield out in front of him, considering, before a glimmer in the reflection caught his eye. Tensing, he turned his head and watched the glow of flames in the distance.

The fire, it seemed, had not been completely put out.

“. . .Oh, come on!” He raged. “I interrupt his fight and I can’t even put it out completely?” The indignation seeped away, giving way to despair as he came to another realization.

“He. . .He will never sign my shield now. . .”

. . .Well, nobody ever said heroes can't be fanboys themselves, as well.

The game had begun not but a day ago, and already the players had begun to scratch the board and break the pieces. Fire had engulfed the settlement, reducing its many homes and hovels to cinder as the accursed flame gorged itself with each passing second. What's more, the conflagration was only aided by the destructive might of the heroic spirits who chose to fight against or within it, a giant crater where many structures had been just mere moments ago. Normally the Red Knight would have admired the cleansing power of the flames, leveling the playing field and restoring the land to its fertile beginnings in a comfortingly natural way. But no, even this simple tool of nature had been twisted and turned upside down by the meddling and scheming of quite a few different individuals. As fun as it was to watch them scramble and panic before the baleful flames, it would not do to play a game with such a random force loose without a master to hold its reigns. It was obvious he had been summoned to make sure the game was played properly, regardless of manner of spirit he had been summoned as.

Adorned in fine armor of red, the luster of the knight's finely polished plate reflected the flames that surrounded him. He was regal in his bearing and manner. Large black plumes capped his finely wrought helmet, fashioned in the likeness of a stallion with the same dark crimson coloration as the rest of his suit. Strapped to his left arm there was a fine shield made in the fashion of his time and homeland. A checkered field covered much of the shield, a silver chalice centered in its foreground. Resting at his hip swung a large morningstar, its large spikes cruel and painful even to look upon. The figure rode upon an old mule, her aging body grey and her gait slow as she struggled to support the rather resplendent heroic spirit atop her. She was far from the pomp and pageantry of her rider, yet she held him aloft as well as she could. With masterful skill, he lead the gallant steed through the flames, intent on putting an end to the farce here and now.

But there were more intriguing events unfolding before him as he rode to complete his newfound quest. Here he found two fellows locked in daring combat, trading blows and attempting to best one another in martial skill. It stirred in him a fire he had not felt in quite some time, fitting given their surroundings. A hulking brute of a man was accosting a young boy in rags, the latter armed only with a stick. The little thing reminded the Red Knight of a white rabbit, scampering about oh so timidly with time against him. Were it not for their obviously inhuman physique, the Red Knight would have intervened on the young boy's behalf against the behemoth. Yet in an instant the fight changed drastically, the young boy tossing aside the rags which had concealed him moments ago. In their place appeared armor of the brightest crimson, its beauty and craftsmanship rivaled only by those worn by Knights of the Round. It was then that Saber knew the youth, by face, by his armor, by the destiny they had shared so long ago. Percival.

"I greet you, dear cousin! How long has it been since we greeted each other as such I wonder? You already wear my armor, yet you've not challenged me to the right to wear it! I see the knights of Pendragon now think they need only wish their opponents dead." His voice rung out from behind his helm, carrying over even the roar of the flames towards the two heroes locked in struggle. The knight's tone was mocking, and unashamed of the venom that dripped from the words he spoke.

"By the way you fight, then it must be so, for certainly this cannot be the same youth I faced before! If you wish to try your skill against me once again, I am more than eager to oblige. I'll be happy to knock you off your horse a few times if it means making a proper knight of you! Perhaps then, this time God and fate will choose to smile upon a different champion. Till then little rabbit, I must bid you farewell! But do not think me callous dear cousin, for I shall not leave you to this opponent or to the flames. A gift from my lady wife, I'm sure you have met her, Gawain has had no shame in leading her through the court of Camelot!"

With that he reached for the silver chalice which hung by chain from his armor, gracefully lifting the vessel without spilling a drop. Whatever liquid might have resided within the cup began to glow softly, its light piercing even the light of the flames. A heavy mist began to waft from the silver chalice, creating a light fog. A shape began to take form within the mist and smoke that now enveloped the area, soon solidifying to rest upon the ground. It was a beautiful fountain of marble, the clearest waters flowing from its top to land within the wide bowl of its base. Leaves, branches, and vines of gold were wrought into the marble with such skill as to be inhuman in nature. A lovely woman dressed in beautiful garments of forest green and autumn brown sat upon its edge, a chalice clasped between her hands. The Red Knight, still seated upon the old mule, moved alongside the fountain with goblet in hand.

"Tempest Waters, Water of the Fountain."

The water was poured from his silver chalice, splashing against the marble and into the fountain. Within moments, the air grew humid and heavy, despite the raging fire which surrounded the settlement. The light of the moon and the pinpricks of stars within the night sky became obscured as clouds swelled and darkened. Winds began to scream, clouds rumble, and the air itself grow heavier and heavier with each passing second. Next to the mounted knight the beautiful fountain had begun to glow, its waters fuming and bubbling viciously. A glowing mist began to spread and rise higher and higher, suffocating those flames nearest to the fountain and the Red Knight. Suddenly lightning struck, illuminating the night sky before deafening thunder crashed. The clouds had swelled and dominated the sky above the flaming section of the city. Soon enough, the first few drops of rain had begun to fall. With that, the red knight lifted the woman of the fountain upon his steed, and rode the mule with unnatural speed towards from whence he came.

Rain began to pelt the city and its inhabitants, growing harsher and harsher with every moment. Soon it began to fall with such speed and force that it was as a harsh blow to a mortal man. Lightning and thunder continued to dominate the sky, striking structures and reducing them to smoldering ruins if the fire had not already done so. It went on like this for some time, the rain quickly causing the river to flood and water to begin flowing through the streets of Miyama. Then came the hail, balls of ice as large as a man's head raining from the heavens like cannonballs. They were relentless, the rage of the heavens smashing through stone, wood, metal, bone, and flesh alike. Even the ground upon which men stood began to rumble and cry out as the fury of nature was unleashed in a single, devastating storm. It only grew worse from there, lightning striking man, servant, and structure alike while the wind grew to such force that it could lift a man from his feet or strip the flesh from his bones. Hailstones were relentless in their assault upon the works of man, reducing all in their path to dust. Torrential rain had doused the cursed fires, and the flood waters were growing greater in size and strength as they swept away any sign of civilization from the area. Soon the land would be returned to how it had once been, fertile and unsullied by the ravages of man and war.

Tohsaka Manor - (Before Flattening)

Olivier had been performing her rounds around the manor both inside and out. A one-woman patrol before she took in the full view of the fires ahead. Just as the Paladin was about to report to her Master, Tohsaka seemed to know ahead of time and called for her instead. “Saber. It's time.” The words echo around the manor as she entered through the backdoor. His booming voice audible from within. The Saber Servant rushed to his side in full plated armor.

"I arrive, Master. What needs to be done?" Blue eyes firm and at the ready, she assisted her Master in packing up any last minutes, nearly tipping over some valuable heirlooms and porcelain souvenirs.

Bursting out of the door in a flash as Master Tohsaka announced to the Matou familiars what was currently happening. He turned to her and offered the task of safeguarding the two houses with the Matou Master's Servant. With a simple nod, she followed those orders and left in spirit form.

So what did happen when she materialized in her physical form?

The fire grew and from the sky, she observed something that was out of this world, green light and green mist all colliding together to form- "A single world and it's falling right above my he- Nope." Tasked in guarding the house had never been sweeter, at least she was barely there in the edge of such a Noble Phantasm. What kind of madman would think of decimating a third of this district? It had to be a Berserker she thought, a powerful one at that with a powerful Master that could withstand the amount of prana being drawn out of them.

She sprinted as far as her legs could carry occasionally using the spear form of Hauteclere to boost her skips into the forest just mere seconds before impact.

In a flash, the manor was gone.



Route to Einzbern Castle - Einzbern Forest

Sliding in the dirt of the forest was Olivier. Heel trenched deep into the earth to stop her inhuman speed. The lass-Paladin removed her helmet to bow before him in shame. "Master... I failed in protecting the manors... I do not know about whether or not the Matous have survived but someone unleashed a Noble Phantasm just to stop the fire."

To make things more worrying...

"Olivier... I need your wisdom now, more than I ever have before." Hearing the voice of her Paladin compatriot was an armless Roland putting down his Master to request her aid. She was overcome with anger and sorrow, taking the severed limb and gripping it tight. "What happened. Who did this?"

@Kyoka @Sageage @Reflection

---

Cars and "borrowed" carriages parked up against the open space that was the olden Academy grounds. Enzo and his entourage stepped out of the car, laughing and having a good time with them before praising Caster on the immediate control of the unaware minds of Fuyuki's future. As Piper pulled his little concert to give the men some music to enjoy, the mafioso heir had decided to unload and unpack everything in key locations around the school.

You thought that this school fortress was bad with the debuffs? With the resources the Levito magus brought with him, he had an army of men armed with firearms. The prototype gatling guns (machine guns) fixed and placed in every nook and cranny of the school grounds as well as snipers positioned on the roof of the school.

"Alright you lugs, time to get serious. We're taking over this town by force!" Earning the cheers right after Piper's little performance got his men motivated for tonight and the days that come forward.

"Master Enzo, it seems we have tenants in our former base, refugees from the sea i believe, one appears to be a mage and the other seems to be a navy girl of some sorts Piper said, handing him the grotesque-looking detonator. The ginger American just gave him a weird look before wearing a glove over his other glove to accept the... "detonator".

"Maybe next time you use something that isn't rat guts?" He sighed but it was useful nonetheless, with Piper's surveillance over the harbor maybe he could get whoever attacked them last night. That Lancer kid and a loli Oni bonus if they have their Masters with them. "Really? Hmm." Looking at the detonator and the need for potential allies, it's impossible for him to call his father to commandeer a ship in the American navy to come to Japan. That would bring a lot of attention...

...however- "Let's see... why don't we send an envoy to them? Ask if they would like to meet in the morning."

The green shimmering "star" (Achilles) appeared in the corner of his eye as it landed on the blaze destroying the Foreigner's District (Basin) with a loud bang, not unlike a gunshot. "Hm. Looks like someone dealt with it."

@Argonaut

Rider stabbed his shovel into the ground, his practically naked body bathed in sweat. After escorting the last maid out of the ditch, he looked down on it with pride. Rider had successfully created a ditch around the perimeter of the Einzbern forest. It was a record time for a group of laborers making a ditch of this magnitude, but to Servants, especially the likes of this specific Rider, it could easily be done in the span of a few hours. It was only a few minutes later that his Master contacted him regarding the maids. In comparison to how far the fire has grown over the course of the night, Rider considered that he and the maids were working at an ideal pace.

Understood, Rider replied through their mental link, ushering Falke over, I will have Falke bring the maids over for rotation, in order to allow us to work faster. With that declaration, Rider began to hoist the maids up on his shoulder, one by one, loading them onto the poor horse in a way where they all can fit. To Rider, who, in his lifetime, spent much of it trying to fit as much plundered gear from the battlefield onto his horse as possible, a feat such as piling maids onto his horse was but an easy endeavor. Once that was over with, Rider sent Falke on his way before pulling his shovel out from the ground, thinking to himself just how he would do a wall. Before he could really gather his thoughts, however, a glint in the sky caught Rider's eye.



Rider didn't spend the entire time admiring his newly formed rival, however, as another thing caught his eye; others seemed to be approaching his territory. Sending a burst of prana through his body to blast all the sweat off him just because he can, Rider quickly materialized his golden mail. It was a suit of armor created for the purpose of fighting while surrounded, which was perfectly ideal for this situation, should it prove to be a hostile encounter.

Changes of plans, Master. Have all the maids on alert. Multiple parties are approaching our territory. Drawing his sword and materializing his shield, Rider prepared for an all-out attack. Rider did suspect that other Servants would take advantage of the events of the fire to attack others, but he didn't expect it to happen so late into the night. And to have more than one Servant come after him, at that...

---

Sophia could see it all through a familiar she had been looking through on occasion since the start of the blaze. A terrible storm, a giant....was that a world?!......falling from the sky and obliterating a notable portion of the foreigner's district/miyama. Or however it had managed to land, it regardless was a piece of rather good news. The good thing was that the damned cursed fire in all its black and strange visage was gone. It was interesting how that could have started, at the very least, between the things her familiars had seen in regards to the fire and what had fueled into it. But as it were, she could not sit back and breathe a sigh of relief yet. Sure she had a full moat, no dirt wall at least, and her main maids among the 5 mage ones had been pulled back by now to the compound again. Yet her servant soon informed her of parties entering the bounded field and Einzbern-owned forest proper. Not that her bounded field hadn't already alerted her and the maids to this the moment the first two parties of concern had entered.

'Confirm the intentions of those there, and report them back to me. Be ready for battle as potentially needed. My maids from this morning's shipment are already deployed within the compound, are armed, and are prepared for battle at any moment. Some further homunculi hands can be available beyond that if an emergency occurs, but not all of the other hands right now.

If the parties are the Tohsaka or Matou, and they want to meet for an alliance in peace, tell them their servants must remain materialized and in your personal line of sight for now as a show of trust after the chaos of current events. No suspicious actions should be taken on within the forest at all. Then lead them to the compound down the main path only. Upon arrival they will leave their servants outside, materialized still, under your supervision and then personally enter to speak with me. In such a case my maids are already around for my personal protection just in case. It is simply all precaution, and considering what just happened it would be reasonable to be prepared.

Failure to meet my terms by anyone will mean they are barred entrance. Should this mean a fight i trust you to handle things there.

Beyond this, there were signs of another party coming in this direction in general, according to those familiars i had watching around the borders of the fire. One individual who might have added to the fire. I am sending a minor homunculus already in the fiend to intercept them and question them. Should push come to shove, we might have a two-front battle on our hands at worst, so stand ready for further communications.'

It was a long communication, but Sophia wanted to be as prepared as could be possible for this. Regardless, she was wary and defensive and was not the kind to go in full "open arms" without some courtesy terms to go by. Not after this fire, not after the events she'd at least been able to observe remotely, and not after sensing another set of people coming from the other side of the forest. Likewise, one minor homunculus had been deployed to intercept and diplomatically approach the other two. She could work from there with those two as needed. Should she sense the homunculus having expired, and she would know if it was killed or such, she would strike without mercy.

She and her servants would fight to the bitter end to defend the grail, and she would die before letting any enemies into the Lesser Grail's presence. Already the compound was on high alert, the production fueling a potential defense effort now whilst the others would be finishing the last two of her other tasks from the list. Step 3 overall had already been done by now, thankfully, so she didn't have to worry about that as Step 2 was being wrapped up with its list of tasks.

Rubbing her temple with her right forefinger, Sophia von Einzbern sat in her comfortable chair, cup of tea on the table and almost cold by this point after being mostly emptied in her attempt to soothe her nerves. A light sigh emanated from her lips at things, her face showing rare signs of stress.

It had been a long day, and this was going to be a long night.

@Cu Chulainn@Seirei No Hai@Sageage@Reflection@Kyoka@Undyingregret@BlueHelix