A groan emanated from the Archer's lips as he attempted to reach to his head and rub his face. Everything hurt, he felt like he had the worst hangover of his life... Oh wait, he did. Can't reach up to grab his head either, must've been quite the wild night. He tried to move his arm again and immediately realized the problem. Right, no arm. A quick activation of Natural Genius and he recalled the events of the last night, including flashes of something that could only be described as a Monster trying to devour him. Yet he was still alive. How strange. Yet that didn't explain the strange feeling of something biting him or the somewhat heavy weight breathing on top of him. The crunch of sand underneath his back signified that he was likely on the beach, but the stranger feeling was the bandages on his stump and the foreign substance in his chest cavity. He certainly wasn't dying anymore, just in a lot of pain.

"Well, I suppose it's time to wake up." Tesla murmured to himself as he slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the harsh sunlight that blinded him for a moment. His pupils dilated as they adjusted to the sudden brightness of day, a curtain of purple clouding his vision still even afterwards. His robot arm slowly moved upwards, still very functional despite the massive storm that should've destroyed it, clearing away the purple... hair? Oh god.

Indeed, Shuten Douji was currently on top of his chest, nibbling on him while taking a nap. A myriad of emotions ran through Tesla's head within seconds, pure utter rage for her betrayal, joy for her coming back, relief that she hadn't killed him in his coma, confusion because she hadn't killed him in his coma, but the one that stood out the most was the love he still felt for her. How he could possibly feel love for someone who had taken both of his arms and many ribs was unknown, but he felt it regardless. A sigh escaped his lips as he picked her up with his robot arm as best he could, wincing as he felt the debris shift around inside his chest as he stood up.

"I'm absolutely mad."

---

The destruction that the city had gone through was horrific. Without a doubt, this was a national crisis that had never been seen before in Japan. And he had started it, if not directly than through inaction at the least. He could've stopped Shuten from starting those fires, he could have prevented this tragedy. But he didn't, because he was just so in love with her. "I suppose no normal love could ever be enough for the Modern Prometheus." He mused to himself quietly as he stared at the city before him. A minute passed before Tesla turned around, limping towards the Church with Oni under arm. "Master! I'm home!" The door was kicked open, revealing a battletorn Tesla limping through the doors with what was clearly a demon in his arm. "Get my materials ready, I need to make a new arm, posthaste! Also I'm going to need the Persian's assistance once more, there is a large hole in my chest that needs to be fixed!" And thus the mad scientist's began his work, just another day in the life of Nikola Tesla.

---

A merry tune echoed from the old man's lips as he walked towards the bar at the break of dawn. He was a balding old man, short, japanese, but he looked absolutely full of life to the casual observer. Except he wasn't full of life, no this was a dead man walking. The door opened quietly, the old man walking to the nearest bar stool and looking at Dionysus with a smile. The first thing he would notice was undoubtedly his eyes, glassy and dead yet looking straight at him. His skin was cold and his chest didn't move, for he had no need to breathe. The next thing he noticed would be the unfitting voice that emerged from the old man's mouth, a heavy European accent. "Hello Mr. Bartender! I would like to speak to the yakuza who own's this bar, along with his Servant!" The old man grinned, a toothless grin that should've inhibited his ability to speak yet the words that came out were as clear as day.

"You can let them know that a fellow Master would like to strike a deal after that terrible fire from last night." His hands were folded atop one another on top of the bar, revealing a crude drawing of a Command Seal, clearly done with red ink. Or perhaps blood.

---

Ah, her guests were very soon to arrive, very soon indeed. Perhaps minutes, perhaps moments. Regardless, she had enough of a sense of pride to put out the proper things, tea, tea cakes, tea biscuits, the little things a member of the Euro-centric Tohsaka Family would perhaps be able to enjoy. And...admittedly the man had just lost his entire home in one fell swoop, destroyed with the rest of Miyama. She had barely been able to pull her familiars out of the area in time, albeit she'd already been keeping them distant enough to not get caught up in the fire. More or less, her attentions had to be on her location, for....more than obvious reasons. Regardless, she....empathized with his losses, the people lost, the resources lost, and anything else in there that was now lost if he or his servant or an ally hadn't carried it here by some miracle. Though mulling about it all was not something she felt would be proper for the occasion. Cautious, but polite and comforting in the provided environment.

She even had the good cushions out for this with the chairs, and a soothing tune playing on the record player in the corner. Ah, that little added luxury. She'd even gone to wash her face, make sure her own great stress over this didn't show physically as much as it could. She didn't want to seem utterly unphased at what occurred, her physical tiredness told her that much, but after this meeting she was taking a well deserved nap....no, first a sensual massage after a hot bath, and then a nap. This all once the all-clear was given once their most current matters were settled.

Albeit that "Lesser" Ruler had brought a message of interest. Free command seals for those hunting down the perpetrators of last night's event. Ah, her familiars had seen an amount of things, including by chance the actions of a certain pair she had sent a minor homunculi to communicate with. It could be good, yes, but she'd consult her servant on that as she was massaged and bathed at the latest. More command seals was a notable boon in this war, something everyone might be vying for. A good chance to snipe targets and potentially gain useful command seals in the process. Haha.

Though when it came to her soon-to-be-here guests, she wasn't too sure about the Tohsaka's guest, though, whom seemed an oddity in and of himself. But, as it were, she would have her maids keeping extra attention on this...horse-head-wearing individual. Such was the nature of magecraft, that even such a silly looking person to the eyes could be a potential threat in his own ways and manners. She even had two of her personal familiars perched on the back of her tall chair, just in case. It was not to be hostile, but....well, she had to be cautious as well as a Master and in her duty to safeguard the Grail. Desperate people could do things, and if negotiations turned sour even more so she had to be ready. It was just "good business"....or rather, very much her actions were the seemingly rare common sense. She couldn't let her guard down, nor could she become a paranoid psychotic individual from all of this.

Actually, perhaps she could have some "alone time" as she bathed as well. Yes, that would fit nicely with removing stress for her.

Even so, she still sat in her chair, waiting for her guests to arrive.

.....At the very least, the city wasn't on fire....again. Not that it was in any manner of good shape right now as it stood. Between that earthquake, the storm, and the Greek crashing into Miyama from above.

@Kyoka@Reflection@Cu Chulainn@Seirei No Hai

---

---

Ah, a grassy hill, a soft knoll.....all better than sitting on a hot rooftop, though the servant did not complain. In fact, he didn't even mind the feeling at all. He had spotted that "Ruler" sort of individual flitting about on his journey here, nothing serious, though any messages he had were of no import to Sigurd. However, last night's events had taken their toll, destroying part of the city rather completely, slaying tens of thousands, and then a small but overall inconsequential earthquake bore what the people of this land might call "bad omens" at dawn. This was a land plagued by destruction indeed, and already the Saber knew of his own desire for the Grail. Not that it was anything big to him, though what was in his mind was truly a miracle. If this object could grant such a thing. Ah, but that was not for now.

He had in silent gone about the areas on the eastern side of the river in the wake of the storm, moving debris for rescuers to secretly make paths for them, freeing trapped victims out of buildings and then vanishing in a flash before they got a good look at him, making neat piles of the worst debris and sorting out a solid amount of the mess in some places. At times he'd done things, like throwing rocks or making notices with objects, to draw attention to those who needed help when rescuers seemed to be going the wrong way. His skills gave him the needed ability to help find still-living people. He'd even gone about finding many dead bodies (what bodies were left that he could find) and respectfully carrying them to line up neatly and properly to be found and buried. Men, women, children, it was a terrible thing that had happened, and though the fire was gone the destruction left by "those" two men had all but obliterated much of the landscape on this side of the city.

He had done a good deal of service to help these people, albeit in subtlety and secret due to the nature of this Grail War, the simple job of a hero who had the power to help was all. It was far from the things he had done in life, slaying dragons and enemies, though in this case his work was to ensure the best outcomes for those he could at least help in this. That made it worth it. Though it had taken some time, after having to wait for that storm to subside first before he had unwavering gone right into the work he knew he wanted to set out to do.

Regardless, after finishing what he set out to do he had come here, to sit, to ponder. He needed no approval to do what he did, nor would he sully his pride to regret his actions as a hero. He saw it as necessary to help them, at least in this case where he could.

@Phonic@CorpusMundum@Red Alice

“I think I might have to thank that boy next time I see him,” Benita said to herself, seemingly to no one in particular.

All night had the “manpower” she had borrowed from a that “other” man in the bar during her stroll towards Ground Zero, where the center of the World in which Achilles had inhabited been dropped on the city, been working. Slaving themselves with the knowledge of the city’s destruction.

The beginnings of Benita’s new base of operations was beginning its foundation. A large foundation that seemed to take up a rather sizable amount of the land, fenced off to the outside world as a lord’s manor might be. But there was only what could be considered the beginnings of a proper building and infrastructure forming from this foundation.

Various individuals had contributed in some way for this to occur. Funding from every which way was allocated towards the construction, mysterious benefactors or otherwise. What mattered was the creation of “‘Tarantasio”. And while Benita was technically the foreman for these workers, it was more so that she simply told them to build as so they did.

The sawing of wood, the hustle of men. This was a true construction site. Though Benita did offer her assistance, the totally not criminals gave her candy and told her that she could be the foreman. And it was not as if they needed supervision all the time, as they told her.

But as it stood now, Tarantasio was merely a fenced-off foundation with a few temporary rooms that were sparsely furnished, only containing the necessities that one might require to live in the area temporary, as well as a simple desk that bisected the room to those who would enter through the door. After all, if this was going to be “Benita’s” base, then she would need to exploit the land to its fullest.

But what was there to exploit in a flattened region, muddied by storm?

“You performed most excellently, Lancer. While a victory against a blaze might not be the most glorious victory, I will claim it anyway,” Benita said, complimenting her Servant in a rather simple, prim and proper manner.

She had no complaints about the Servant she had summoned. The greatest Hero of the Trojan War was her chip on the board, and while there might exist other great Heroic Spirits of old, summoning a Heroic Spirit like Achilles was drawing the Ace out of the deck of cards.

“Still, summoning Achilles without a catalyst or any sort of plan must just be some beginners luck. I suppose that out of all my “siblings” I had the highest aptitude for magecraft. Perhaps that had an impact on my selection for both this mission and the allocated Servant I was granted by the Grail?”

While a great Heroic Spirit might make a great Servant, it is also a curse to have someone so famous within one’s peerage. After all, having such an iconic Servant, both powerful and one whose weakness is well known, might not always be a boon. But to Benita, whom of which wished to win the Grail War for someone else, it would grant her the power to obtain victory if such tides would continue to flow her way.

"Destroy the culprit who caused yesterday's tragedy, and receive two command seals."

Benita could not harbor the same kind of greatness that the voice of the ruler might have been able to provide, but she could echo his decree to her Servant easily.

“You think that applies to us?”

The destruction of the region was because of her own Servant and her own command, the missing wing of her eagle-like command mantras missing from the markings on her hand’s reverse side. It would remind her of her seemingly, at the time, frivolous order. But the death of many still would hang on the shoulders of Benita’s mind.

She could not regret her choices. After all, that regret would do nothing but spit in the face of those who had died. While unfortunate their lives would be snuffed out without recourse of their own, the whole situation could have lost even more lives had immediate action not been taken. Even if Benita was impaired during this whole endeavor she cannot say that her choice was the wrong one.

Had this choice really been something awful? Amputate the arm to save the body would always be better than losing the body. With the city, it could rebuild itself even greater than before. While the loss of life was terrible, the cursed fire would have done them in so easily. Therefore, one could say that while it was a hard choice to make, the combination of the divine storm and the world-shield might have prevented the entire city from being destroyed.

However, a “victory” for something that should have never gotten to the extent in which it had gotten should really have been solved earlier without having to wipe the slate clean. Who were these reckless idiots in this Grail War?!

. . .

Oh right, she was one of those reckless idiots with a reckless idiot Servant.

“Any suggestions, Lancer? We made a target of our back … or I guess heel in your case. What do you think would be the best choice of action?”

@Breo

-------------------------------------------------------





Had someone discovered her Master’s presence already? Gudrun supposed that it was not as if he was trying his best to hide, but for a Servant to do skulk the location near her Master’s property, she would have to at the very least do the bare minimum to protect the manner, no?

“I’ll make sure to get a good look at the enemy for you, Master,” Gudrun told Martin Caldwell via the connection they shared. After all, it was likely that if they could figure out which Servant was near, they could create appropriate defensive measures. And so, cloak on her person, she left to go either confront the Servant, or gather intel on his person.

How many times had she wished to the gods themselves to bring back her husband?

How many times had she asked for assistance to realize his vengeance?

… How many times were her cries met with deaf ears?

… But she wanted to see him.

Even if she would have to continue on forever.

Even if she would never see him ever again.

Even if she accepted the call of the throne of heroes into each war only to find no respite from her loneliness, she would continue to do so,

Why wouldn’t she just continue on? It would be so much easier if she would just forget about him. It was easier to forget than it was to hold onto the thin hope of impossibility for as long as one could be incarnated once more. It would take a miracle to bring about such a reunion; that stupid man and his doting wife were separated by leagues of impossibilities.

Gudrun did not believe that she would be compensated for her pains.

Gudrun did not believe that she would be forgiven for her crimes.

But she would continue to wait for him forever, even if he were to hate her for what she had become; a monster. She couldn’t help but do so. Because she loved him with all of her heart. And while he might not hold her in the same regard, and that was regrettable, Sigurd was the center of Gudrun’s entire universe. All five horizons revolved around his soul as the earth to the sun

She wanted to be held in his strong arms, protecting and cradling her as his princess. To hear his voice call out her name once more as he did so many times and as she took for granted so many times. Perhaps, then, this was repentance for what she had done?

Her footsteps were light as her heart began aflutter. Gudrun, who had prided herself on her ability, could not move, yet her body was would not stop quivering. She had taken off her noble phantasm, allowing the person before her to see her in earnest.

“S-Sigurd … Is it really you?”

She tried her best to choke back the tears welling at the corners of her eyes. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She had always planned on what she would do at this moment, running into her husband’s arms and holding him so tightly he couldn’t ever let go of her ever again as he lifted her up and spun her around in his arms.

But she couldn’t move.

Was this even real? Had her desire to see her husband finally caused her to see visions that weren’t there?

… Even if that was the case. she hoped in earnest that this moment would continue forever.

@CorpusMundum
@Crusader Lord

It had been assigned here for some time. It was the representative of the highest-stake investor in this construction project, after all, so it only made sense that a representative such as it was here. Moreover, even if this was not the case, it had little doubt that among the beings of the city, it was one of the best possible candidates to fulfill the role allotted to it...and indeed, the only one out of such prime candidates who would fulfill that role.

The role was, put simply, as an overseeing consultant for the project. If Benita was the foreman and the yakuza were the muscle, then it was the strategy arm of the operation. A project such as this had never before appeared in the world, after all, and perhaps never would again.

In that regard, it was an opportunity like no other. Because, after all, if it was successful-

...well, it could certainly see why its associate was so confident in keeping it and its brethren at his side. The loyalty that a project like this fostered to someone like it could not be overstated, in the end.

"Excellent work, all. I must speak with the foreman, but keep it up."

Saying this, it took its leave from the construction site proper, stepping towards the temporary rooms. Namely, the one that housed a Master and a Servant in the midst of conversation. After delivering a polite knock to the door, it took its entry.

"I took the liberty of making some minor changes to the floor plans. I trust there won't be any issues, but would recommend you check them just to make sure you agree with them." Its voice was oddly conversational, as though it saw the homunculus before it as a peer in some regard.

"As an aside, do let me know when you'd like to carry out the agreed transaction. My master is ready at any moment."

---

The bartender looked to the thing that had stepped into his domain, pausing for a moment before his eyes widened.

"Oh no. No, no. You need to hurry up and get out of here, immediately. You're not safe here when you're sober-"

Incidentally, on his way in, the strange thing would have likely noticed a short, balding man nailing a sign into the ground just outside the bar. If said man was not blocking the sign with his body, then perhaps it would have been read and this whole oncoming tragedy could have been avoided.

The sign read as follows:



The Divine Spirit hastily poured a drink, filling a glass with wine and frantically thrusting it out towards the strange thing.

...however, it was not to be.

By the time the glass of wine had been poured, the new entrant had collapsed, like a puppet with its strings cut. Animating force: null. Flow of magical energy: null. Shared perception: null. From the perspective of anyone with a karmic line to it, it would have been as if the body was completely destroyed without warning.

...and indeed, a mere moment later, the body itself began to dissipate into thin air, as though it was being consumed by the bar itself.

Letting out a sharp groan, Dionysus looked to the glass of wine in his hand, and then over to the front door.

"Chi, are you standing right in front of the sign again?! Stop blocking it, people need to be able to read it!

"HEY, I'M WALKIN, 'ERE."

"WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN-"

Though it was deep in fall today was rather pleasant. The sun contrasted the cool air, making a comfortable atmosphere. Well, at least to the average person. The current atmospheric composition was in no way average. There was an abundance of the 'Greater Source', a large increase in the atmospheres mana. That is to say, the lifeblood of the planet itself was particularly strong here. No, it was somewhat the same anywhere that Storm had hit. The area had been wiped clean, refreshed, and renewed. That was the precise reason Skuld had decided to expand and reinforce the Tohsaka leylines today. It was simply convenient. Nothing more, and nothing less. Surely.

"Well then," A simple gesture with her free hand toward the tree growing in the center of her territory. There was no one to listen to her words here. Familiars were of course familiars. From her perspective, they might as well just be an extension of their user. Something like her cute apprentice was something else entirely, but that was now beside the point. Time to leave.

"▂"

Skuld spoke a phrase, and the world obliged. No. It wasn't a phrase but rather, a fragment of a 'song'. It was high-speed movement between dimensions. Something mimicking actual 'teleportation'. Naturally, not even a moment had passed and she arrived at her destination. As soon as she arrived, her Noble Phantasm was slammed deep into the ground with the strength of a Servant.

Caster got to work.

These were the new fields of Miyama- her specific location was the ruin of the Tohsaka house though there was, practically speaking, nothing left to be called a 'ruin'. That mattered little to her. Instead, she activated her own defenses, deployed runes, magic circles, and activated her various mystic codes. Her familiars had already gone to work preparing the leylines and laying the 'string', so she immediately started the ritual to seize the 'land' for herself. Somehow, they had done a great deal of prep work last night without anyone noticing. It had surprised even her, especially with a Magus capable of seizing all the familiars in Shinto in one night. She was particularly paranoid about that one.

Just to be safe, she made use of her Noble Phantasm to take an 'overlooking view' and combined that with the vast incoming data from the dense swarm of familiars near here. When she could, she'd additionally interface with the land itself.

This place had been prepared the night beforehand, so she ensured a boundary field was put up to interfere with anyone attempting to spy. In the first place, her actions here couldn't be hidden. Caster was essentially seizing this land then taking as much mana as possible. But at the very least, no one could see the epicenter of it on a whim.

After she had control, Skuld would certainly pillage as much of the local mana as she pleased too.

Vlado opened his eyes, his brow scrunching in confusion as he attempted to figure out what just happened. The bartender seemed absolutely panicked, trying to get the New Lifer to drink something before everything simply went black. There was no warning, no attack, the connection was simply cut. A minute passed as Vlado rubbed his temples with the palm of his hands, smearing dried blood all over his face as his expression began to cloud. "What the fuck?" He muttered to himself, a curse escaping his mouth despite his best efforts. Another minute passed, Vlado slowly realizing that either the Servant had simply disintegrated him for simply not being inebriated, or the bar itself rejected the existence of anything not inebriated. Considering the Servant had posted flyers all over town, he didn't think the Servant had attacked him. But this could just be a very clever trap devised by the teacher of the most legendary Greek heroes to ever exist. Heracles, Achilles, Medus, Perseus, Jason, this man slash horse had taught the bravest and most fierce heroes to ever be known throughout the world. But none of them were known for cowardly sneak attacks. Well, Jason was a bit of a coward in his opinion. But that was besides the point. No, it must be some property of the bar itself, perhaps a Noble Phantasm that can't be turned off by Chiron. "Gah! I'm getting nowhere sitting around and just thinking about this! Doctor! I need another New Lifer, the old one disintegrated!" There was a clear hint of frustration in his voice as he got up from his chair, pushing past several stationary civilians/servants as he went to find Frankenstein.

As he opened the front door of the house he was staying in at the moment, Vlado passed by Franziska standing guard with her new siblings, always ready to defend him from enemies. He stopped and let out a deep sigh, turning to the first born of Frankenstein with the most pleasant smile he could muster at the moment. "Hello Fran! It is wonderful to see you enjoying life as always! I need you to pick up something from the docks posthaste, your new new siblings have arrived!" He ran a hand through his hair as he talked, a habit he had developed in his youth whenever he was particularly frustrated. Feeling something in his fingers always helped, so he tended to run his fingers through his long flowing hair. He did not wait for a response as he turned away, letting out a quick "Thank you for your hard work!" as he walked towards the doctor's workshop/storage area. It was a bright new day, full of opportunities! Including the opportunity to gain two new command seals, but that was something Vlado was willing to wait on. They had the manpower sure, but Vlado was the patient type. He wouldn't move until he was absolutely sure every domino was perfectly in place.

He soon arrived at the warehouse, admiring the large doors for but a moment before laying his hands on the handles. Vlado pushed the large doors open, a hasty yet efficient construction job done by both the New Lifers and the many "Igors" that Vlado had been procuring over the past few days. The inside could only be described as a factory of horror, corpses strewn about the tables as New Lifers and Igors worked on prepping them for Victor. Vlado too was apart of this process, working alongside the Caster most of the time unless like today, he had a separate agenda. His eyes landed on Victor, who was hard at work on his latest project, Vlado did not bother saying anything to him so as not to disturb the scientist at work. "Let's see, let's see... Ah, perfect!" He grabbed the lifeless body muttered a quick aria, hopping on a table as he began his prep for the new familiar.

---

The next corpse that approached Chiron's Bar looked significantly less full of life, and much more deadly. Not deadly to any Servant of course, not unless there were ten of them all ganging up on the Servant at once. And even then, it would have to be one of the weaker Servants. This New Lifer was tall, about 185 centimeters of pure dead Japanese muscle, shaved bald to add to the intimidation factor. To add to all of this, the corpse was covered in scars, shown off by the lack of shirt and further distinguished by the slightly grey tone of it's skin. The walking corpse also looked to be very angry, but that was just how his face looked at all times really. In reality Vlado was more annoyed than anything, hopefully he could get the other corpse back. As he approached the bar, he finally noticed the sign that warned him of the dangers of the bar. His scowl deepened as he knocked on the door of the bar, stepping back and waiting for someone to answer. Whenever someone did, Vlado would begin speaking. "I'm here to talk to the Master and Servant running the local crime organization. I believe they are called yakuza."

He'd been up early, after his alchemy the night before Ludwig had taken a more, tactical approach on this whole war thing. Mapping out not the town but their threats. After the letter arrived from that poor Lesser Ruler, Ludwig had began preparation. Stepping out of his chamber in his long black cloak and mask now fitted with new patterns and seemingly a change of material, and large boots perfect for stomping and staying grounded.

"So do we know of any of the culprits hm?" He asked no one in particular as he paced the church hall, looking for Archer. He was hoping to do some scouting if she was up for it. "Command Seals are essential for survival, recalling and protecting a servant is first most priority of course!" he smiled behind the mask at Archer before he turned to the doors slamming open.

In strode a bloody and bandaged Tesla, Ludwig's eyes widened and he hit his knees. What on earth had this god sent man of the heavens been up to that his body was decimated like that. Ludwig shuddered to now the answer before his eyes took hold of Shuten. A...a devil? Again he shook and backed off a little turning to see if anyone else was present. "Xerxes! Get over here, we have a problem!" he glanced back to Tesla and wryly smiled.

"Apologies Archer but I....what on earth happened last night? ME and Archer held up the fort whilst Darius took care of other business..." He watched the broken scientist move and winced. "Xerxes can help your state, for now I'm gathering intelligence, do you have any idea what happened last night, who caused the fire, anyone we may be able to catch...Essentially< I wish to know the descriptions of anyone you might have encountered..."

He glanced to Shuten again and cocked his head. "Is she...alive?"

After the events of the Incredible Disappearing Corpse, Archer had returned to fixing up the sign. In fact, he was just about to head back inside when something else appeared, looking to be of the same approximate nature as the thing that had entered his bar and probably died a handful of minutes earlier. He turned his head over to the man standing outside, who had just knocked on the door, and leaned his body against the front wall of the bar with a trace of annoyance.

"Yeah, whaddya want? Dunno if ya know this, kid, but it's business hours." The Servant remarked offhandedly, not paying much mind to the fact that 'business hours' were literally every hour of every day. "We can't have solicitors on our property, yeah? Ya don't come to a bar and demand ta speak with the manager, do ya? Ya order a drink, make a rapport, maybe buy a drink for the cute chick at the other end but noooot in a creepy way othawise you wake up missin' a kidney, ya feel me?"

As he spoke, he seemed to be examining the arrival, almost like he was looking through him. After a few seconds, though, he shrugged to himself. A brief flare of magical energy accompanied the appearance of a glass bottle in Archer's hand. "Bacardi 251, they don't make this shit like they used ta anymore." He commented, raising the bottle to his lips and draining it dry before haphazardly tossing it away.

...wait, what did the '251' stand for?

"My kid's busy, so if ya wanna say something, do it ta me. Whaddya doin' at my place? Not ta offend, but you don't seem like tha drinkin' type, kid."

---

"Eh?"

Oh, there was a ship coming in.

Well, that wasn't allowed. Not one bit.

What if it was a ship with stuff that'd help someone else in this weird war thing?

What if it was a ship with materials that could be used to make cool masks, but that wouldn't if they made it to their rightful owner?

Both outcomes were impermissible. And so-

"Shaytanea, be a doll and go check that ship out. If there's anything useful on it, bring it back here. If somehow there's something there able to threaten you, just head on back~"

-In other words, nothing was making its way into Fuyuki by sea without Carly-Beth’s say-so.

Goodness, the people who’d been expecting this shipment of theirs would be quite confused when the ship made it into port.

Vlado shrugged, observing the short bald man passively as he spoke. After he was finished, a small smile spread on the large corpse's face, something that would look absolutely menacing if it weren't directed towards the legendary teacher of heroes. "You're a funny man Chiron, I think I would've liked to summon you. Well, I would've liked to summon you if I were an alcoholic. But that's besides the point." The familiar straightened up, refraining from leaning on the glass anymore as he looked down upon the Servant before him. His eyes darted to the inside of the bar, noting the lack of corpse anywhere nearby. Either it's been disposed of or they moved it, doesn't matter. It was a worthless old man, no enhancements made whatsoever. The only reason he had sent it over was because he had been trying to be friendly. Now he wasn't.

"My name is Vlado Nikolic, I'm a Master in this Holy Grail War, just like your Master Gin Yoshiyaki, the local boss of the yakuza." A small yawn escaped his lips, a completely voluntary action considering New Lifers didn't need to breathe. "I know the fire last night caused many many deaths, which is why I'm sure your Master wants to save as many lives as possible so as to keep his criminal activities funded or some such reason. I have no idea how Japanese crime works, nor do I care. I just know that the one hundred people of Fuyuki I have... borrowed over the past two days seemed very certain that the yakuza and Gin Yoshiyaki cared about them when I asked." After casually dropping that bombshell the corpse grinned, it's glassy eyes reflecting Chiron's face as he stared at the Archer of Debauchery before him.

"Now to be clear, I am not trying to blackmail you. I've collected more than enough people to keep my little factory running, so I don't really need to borrow anymore civilians. I might borrow them if I want to, but I no longer need to. I just wanted to talk with your Master about where we are going to go from here. If he wants them returned or not, if he's willing to call a peace treaty as long as I stop borrowing people, that sort of thing you know? Wanted to be polite with the local crime man." Vlado's smirk was as smug as could be as he turned away from the Servant and looked back inside the bar.

"But like I said, I'm here to talk with your Master. Not you. I don't like to use other people as messengers, the message can get muddied." His foot tapped the bottle of Bacardi thrown away, before kicking it further down the street like a bored child. "So unless your Master is inside, I will be back tonight to talk to him. Maybe I'll even come myself. Who knows, I have a busy day ahead of me." He recognized how rude he was being, how the Servant in front of him could kill him before he even had the idea to blink. But it didn't matter, it's not like he joined a war to make friends. As far as he was concerned, Chiron was just another corpse walking about for he and Frankenstein to tear apart and rebuild into something more useful.

If one were to witness Hamel's current abode, one would scarcely believe the same man who had set up his workshop as an enormous swamp on the outskirts of Fuyuki. Rather then the still, stagnant air of the swamp, here it was lively. A vivacious plot of land that had sprung up after the devastating storm that had impacted Miyama. Trees have sprung up overnight, and deep within this new forest, there exists a small clearing.

It was a space of eternal twilight, truthfully speaking this was a sacred grove grown by Hamel in the evening. A bounded field that could be called a liminal space that was conducive to the types of rituals a druid would perform.

Seated at the very center, an altar.

A peaceful place. Nearby a small mystic code, in the shape of a small music box, playing recognizable children's tune.

It was unfortunate that he would have to disturb this small piece of harmony. Even if it were but for a moment.

With bated breath, he got upon his knees, and struck a match. With as much fanfare as possible, the small rocket launched into the air and exploded into a brilliant display of light. A clear and direct challenge if one existed.

Silence. In response to the profane thing, there was nothing but silence on the part of Archer, all until he turned away.

"...ha."

A barely-audible laugh cut through the air, and then grew.

"-Ahahahahahahaha."

Without warning, the ground beneath them seemed to distort. It could not be said just what had occurred, but there was no doubt that a quality of the land had been changed.

"Not tryin' ta blackmail me? Ya think I'm an idiot, kid? Ya decide ya found someone who cares about human life, and ya decide to come to his place. 'Oh, this isn't a threat, but if ya don't stay outta my way then these people might be fucked, it's just business'. Ya have the gall to come here and spout off shit like that, and act like the one in control here's you?"

...no, not this land, but another. Like a string that ran outwards from Archer, a string that had burrowed itself through the land.

"See, kids like you really make me wonder. Can ya not fuckin' read?"

His head turned to the west, eyes glinting with a steel that had been previously absent.

"I guess Donnie's right, I'm so busy havin' fun that I don't botha thinkin' about how I get seen. Cause a' that, kids like you get ta thinkin' they mean somethin'. Well, here's ya first lesson, kid: you're talkin' to a god, and there are two things ya oughta know about gods. Their minds are alien compared ta yours, and they really, really hate this little thing called 'hubris'."

Connect to the land as a means of expanding senses. Combine with instantiation of far sight in order to attain the viewpoint ordinarily impossible for this vessel. Further augment with precognitive basis. Spiritron-level analysis is not necessary. Analyze karmic line. The world is that which creates these piddling artificial mysteries, so trace along that thread.

"Let's play a little game. Let's say this is an ancient Greek story. A human decides ta come to a god's territory and act like he's hot shit. Lemme ask ya somethin': is somethin' good about ta happen to that human?"

Another laugh, an almost manic lilt to his tone, punctuated the end of his question. In that moment, something changed in the presence of Chiron. His body had not changed, his voice had not changed, but in that immaterial concept of 'presence', something was entirely different, as though the great shadow of something had stretched up behind him, staring at the world with an eyeless gaze. And this time, when he spoke, even that lighthearted tone was absent.



There was no warning, no aria, not even the spell-like waves of magical energy that would accompany an incantation of the ritual-class. After all, for a foundation such as this, such formalities to speak to the world were wholly unnecessary. Every word spoken was already something the world listened to.

Across the city, where Vlado and his Servant stood, space bent.

The air became thick with primal bakkheia, driving all those present into drunken madness.

Indeed, this was the wrath of a world, the wrath of a god.

A Dream for the Wicked. Yay! Development

As Enzo sleeps inside their extravagant school fortress. The colorful Bard unintentionally collects his past memories and projects a glimpse of it to the young mafioso's membrane without even knowing it. The bond between the master and servant is most common in the holy grail war, it is a tale to their past lives and how they came to be in the present.

Perhaps this unintentional projection was a backlash of Piper's views of the two hero's leaping into action in the fire incident, The Greek hero, Achilles and the mysterious Red Knight who wash away the sins of the land. A heroic deed, which Piper has strayed and lost his footing a long time ago. Oh, how he envied and loathe the act of a True Hero.

Would it be a pleasant dream where the underdog hero wins in the end and gets praises from the ones he saved or a haunting nightmare where a pragmatic hero who was betrayed by his very own people and resorted to evil witchcraft and repulsive acts? we shall see..

There was once a colorful Jester,
A fool who faithfully serve the royalty of Hamelin for decades,
Who was a nothing more but a tool for their bidding,
whether it was right or morally wrong,
The artist was obedient to their every word.

In the dark era of Hamelin,
A ruthless king sits on his throne like never before,
Callous and heartless he was,
For years the people suffer under the rule of this madman,
The mad king was obsessed with power and didn't care for the welfare of others,
unfit to rule his kingdom.

One day, The king had a wicked idea,
He demanded the mystical Bard to spread a devasting disease-ridden plague around the area,
just to impose his absolute authority amongst the land,
to fear him even more.

Loyal to the throne,
The jester comply to the king's heinous request to make him happy,
despite committing genocide and being the scapegoat for this atrocity,

The mad king didn't think this through and got infected by the rats by his own request,
leaving him terminally sick from the epidemic,
the irony is strong in this one.
Did the bard do this intentionally and have a conscience?
Did he commit treason to somehow save the people living in Hamelin?
Perhaps. Silence was his answer.

By default, The enigmatic jester ended the tyrant's reign through the plague he inflicted, becoming both the hero to the ones he liberated and the villain to the casualty of the infection he commits.
He was outcast all the same.

The loyal bard did his duty to the throne, The King's Jester did nothing wrong but to obey his Majesty's whim.
- "the Plague that Brought down the Town of Hamelin"

What a weird dream to start the day.

---

Pied Piper(Caster)

My Mafia Academia

The school bell rang,

It's official, Class is now in session and the school is under new foreign management whether they like it or not.

Yesterday's disaster in Fuyuki didn't hinder the children and teenagers from attending their respective classes, Business as usual in the academy as a variety of students filled the school premise, partaking in their educational learning.

Even tho this is his well-guarded workshop, Piper isn't that evil from preventing the youth of Japan from their learning needs, He might have some plans to undermine the current state of the city but he values the future of its children as well. A bit too well as he creepily wanders around, ogling them from time to time, eyeing his prospect on his latest project perhaps? It's clear Piper has ulterior motives for why he keeps this ruse.

A white-haired man dress in a black suit takes a stroll along the school's corridors, needless to say, He's appearance is somewhat attractive and happens to look like some sad young french executioner from the past.

"Greeting, Senpai~" The students around warmly greet him as he goes by.

He casually nodded and continues to walk. Every time the pretty boy passes, He was greeted with respect and somehow drawn to his looks but somehow can't remember his face. Is this the curse of having Charisma and Information Erasure skill at the same time?

Who is this new principal that everyone seems to drawn into? Why it was none other than ya boy, Caster. Not wearing his usual flashy pimp hat and colorful garb. Enzo's fashion sense musta got into him and decided to wear formal black for a change to disguise himself to be more appealing to the common folks. It was slick and swanky almost making him bishounen main character material from the way he looks.

As acting principal of the school, Piper went to his master's office and closes the door, Keeping the facade of him managing the academy.
Well In fact, underneath this life-draining establishment where children come to suffer lies another life-draining establishment where children come to suffer filled with infectious rats and missing children, Empowering his territory 24/7. This was definitely Piper's evil lair under the facade of the school.

"Morning, Master Enzo, have a good night's rest?" He greeted the young mafia boy and skims over the documents he is carrying, checking on the production of his territory, police report that his familiar gathers around these parts and reports it to his master.

"Bills...Enrollment...Parent meetings..huh? What's this? a letter from the H.G.W committee" to his curiosity, Caster unravels the strange letter.

"Destroy the culprit who caused yesterdays tragedy, and receives two command seals.
-lil and greater ruler

"Hmmm, riveting.." Piper keeps a straight face and ponders for a while, before speaking to his master once again.

"Everything is according to plan, I've captured a few children under the impression of these kids have gone missing or died in the Miyama incident.
The Japanese enforcers are still clueless about this event, Hopefully, it stays that way. Of course, We can always use a few more to add to my collection for optimal efficiency." He reported with a straight face to Enzo.

"Second on the list, we have.. ah, yes our proposition with the little mage girl and her navy companion are on the way as we speak. Its only a matter of time before they received it." He said.

"Also there's an unexpected letter from Ruler," He projects the contents of the letter to his master. "What's your course of action on this? should I mark this as spam?" Caster asked his master.

@Seirei No Hai

---

At the Za Boat

A horde of overflowing Rats from the port throw themselves at the sea out of Piper's whim and swam like their life depends on it to catch up to the Adm. Fisher's battleship. These little critters stick together and halted right in front of starboard part of the ship almost looking like a small island in comparison to the huge floating iron fortress.

They scale the ship with the use of their tiny paws, clawing their way in until it reaches inside za tall boat and assembles itself into a man-shaped figure in front of the little girl.

"Greetings, little girl" Rat face spoke without warning. "forgive my intrusion, but I've been watching you err....*cough* I mean me and my master have been observing you and has taken interest in what you do and would like to personally meet you, all expense paid of course under my master's generosity." The shadowy figure offered.

"We can always use an ally on the sea, allow me to disclose my real name, in signs of good trust, My name is Pied Piper, Caster class," Rat-face said and takes a curtsy.

@Paradox Witch@MrCellophane

What is a saber without a sword? What is a hero if they only have one hand to lift themselves up? What is a future when you're fighting off death? Roland had all these things to think about as he stood there in a forest clearing, knowing well that the other two servants were watching. But he didn't care. This was to him, a way to let out a great deal of stress. And to clear his mind. After all, what thinking could he do when he was still learning to get used to his one good arm. In fact, his mind felt sluggish. The poison at work still, but as for his body.

That was still fast. Painfully fast. When he moved, he had to move in measured steps, since he could literally move faster than his mind was willing to accept. But here, he could focus on a target, and when his mind caches up, the target was gone. In this case, it was the lone tree in the clearing, which showered around him as particles of sawdust. A tree branch struck the ground to his side, reflexes picking up on it only after it had fallen. At least the few rocks still standing around made easy targets.

That rock exploded, with stones bouncing off his armor, and his hand feeling nothing. Turning, he attacked another rock, tearing through it like paper. But he could tell he was being watched, if not by Olivier, than by the other servant.
"You know, I haven't felt this low since the day I died." He said, speaking hopefully to his source of wisdom. "At least then I knew why I was dying. At least then I had a purpose. The angels themselves told me so. At least I chose where I could sit down and die." Roland continued, picking up a rock and crushing it in his hand. "What am I suffering for? For battle? For somebody else's glory?" He realized such thoughts were unlike him. But until now, he had always been so sure of his direction. Sure, this was a war. Sure he had a lord to serve under. But were they really the same? For one, he actually saved lives in those wars. Here he watched them die. And as he had been safe at the Einzbern residence, he had seen that man, Achilles, hero of the trojan war, destroy the city. And he hated that. Because... Maybe it was jealousy. This idea of finally seeing another hero in action, that made him... Spiteful. That's the word.

"I am without my sword." He said, before turning to his fellow Saber. "And for once, I have no clear future. How exciting. What a glorious thing to add to my story when I conquer the odds."

__________________________________________________________________________


"Of course she's alive." Xerxes lifted the hatch to the church basement, and stepped out with a sigh. "She's a servant, and an Oni. The same I guess, that removed your arm on the first night. And is responsible for the lack of your second arm." He said, already gesturing for Tesla to follow, and to put down the Oni girl onto a pew or something nearby. "I hope you'll accept my apology, but I did check in on you after the incident. Your current state is... Rather unhealthy to your core." He was already collecting the materials from a nearby cupboard, and several strips flesh he planned to mold onto the injured Tesla.

He began by scooping out the debris, which was sure to cause infection. Not that a servant could get sick in the way other could, but it was best to clean up the area first. Before he started stitching up the wound. "I'm noticing some darkening of the skin along the sides of the wound. Some kind of poison?" Xerxes asked, raising an eyebrow. As he brushed his fingers along the damaged area, he could tell the skin was slightly thicker. "It's different from the Oni's poison, so I suspect it may be something you picked up before or after you fell into the river." He was already making a mental note to investigate the water supply. Might be poisonous run off from the fire, but unlikely. Poisoning the water supply was bad news, and he wasn't fond of the idea of having to hunt down the person responsible.

He realized pretty quickly that Tesla was more obsessed with his arm than any degree of small talk, which was rather annoying considering the archer should be more thankful for his work. But, for now, he just had to operate in peace.

After her early morning briefing with her officers, Strategist had taken a short recon of the harbor area in her immaterial form, both to save on Mana and to avoid being spotted. To the Servant, knowing her abilities and what she did best, this was prime real estate to her. While her mighty 'Dreadnought' can see off conventional ships and - at distance - any potential threat, she knew she'd need additional ships to add to her might. She had noted as such to CTN Bacon during the meeting, who also noted that the harbor could serve as a limited foothold for land forays, a resupply area (if it came to that) and, if necessary, a possible area to launch a blockade of Miyama.

For now, Strategist had been focusing her thoughts of trying to draw up a coherent plan and timetable. That is, until she 'overheard' her Master note an incoming craft, followed shortly by the pinging of a stream of 'dits' and 'dahs' - a Morse code signal from 'Dreadnought':



That did it; Strategist's present stream of thought had been derailed. Fuming and filing her scratched together plans for later elaboration, Strategist dematerialised and raced back to her ship, hoping that the new arrival would not be an imminent threat.

Day 3 would simply be far too soon for both her and her Master to be cast out, or otherwise be destroyed, now...

---

Arriving onto the main deck of her battleship, Strategist was pleased to note that her crew had not been idle. 'Dreadnought's' main and swivel guns were trained where the unknown contact had been sighted, while the ship's compliment of Marines were, even now, holding at gunpoint-

What on Earth was that thing?!

Strategist materialised, her Webley sidearm out and held at her side as the rat-thing - seemingly made from a mass of chittering rats and mice - 'spoke', relaying its master's message to her:

"Greetings, little girl" Rat face spoke without warning. "forgive my intrusion, but I've been watching you err....*cough* I mean me and my master have been observing you and has taken interest in what you do and would like to personally meet you, all expense paid of course under my master's generosity." The shadowy figure offered.

"We can always use an ally on the sea, allow me to disclose my real name, in signs of good trust, My name is Pied Piper, Caster class," Rat-face said and takes a curtsy.

Strategist frowned at the rat-thing's proposal, while a few of the armsmen twitched, their rifles gripped tighter.

"Servant Strategist, of His Britannic Majesty's Royal Navy." she replied, extending the same courtesy but still keeping her real name and identity secure. Even if the Servant's 'courier' had been able to sight anything of particular note about the Servant or the deck of the beast of iron they stood on, Strategist had no intention of divulging anything of use to this Servant or their Master. Not until any form of trust has been proven.

After all, as the old maxim went: 'Knowledge is power; guard it well'. And in a conflict like the Holy Grail War, where one slip of a clue, or a divulgence of a name, could literally mean the difference between life and death, Strategist had no intention of allowing anyone to take her by surprise or off-guard.

"Stand your weapons down, men!" she gruffly ordered the crewmen, which they (reluctantly) complied with, despite the dirty glaes they gave the 'courier'. Holstering her sidearm, Strategist's yellow eyes bore into Rat Face's absent sockets.

"Tell your master that I would be open to discussions on a ... potential agreement, should my Master agree." she replied, her boot heels clicking as she paced the wooden deck. "But understand that I must impose key conditions on this, for the safety of my crew and my Master. First, that if any meeting is agreed to, that all parties are to arrive disarmed. No weapons, no magic, no tricks. Second, that it would be my Master who will convey the location for any such meeting at a mutually-agreed on time."

She paused, rounding on her heels and gritting her jaw slightly, to make the following point clear, as she concluded, "And last, that if I or my Master so much as smell any hint of perfidy or deception on your part, I will crater the ground you stand on and the surrounding five miles until you and your Master are ashes on the wind."

She arched an eyebrow to Rat Face. "I will, of course, invite further input from my Master on your proposal, but will these conditions be satisfactory? Or do you, Multicoloured Piper of Hamelin, desire to seek aid elsewhere?"

Over the course of the evening, Serafina had promptly returned to the Temple. The fireworks show was over, and though a storm had ravaged the remaining crater, little else of note would occur. But one thing did interest her - something she would need to keep in mind. No doubt Berserker had noticed it to - that Servant could be none other than Achilles. The return journey was quiet, as though the world was reeling from the destruction that had been wrought. the death tole would be high.

But the existence of Achilles was more pressing. He was a legendary hero, known worldwide as a prime example of "Being a Hero". No doubt he would be an extensively difficult opponent, and far from one to be taken with any modicum of lightness. But the more urgent issue was Berserker - Ajax and Achilles had been friends in life, and if Sera was right regarding him, there would no doubt be tension. After all this Ajax was one with the desire to kill the Greeks; there was little wonder in her mind that Achilles might be included in that umbrella.

That said, she had things to do. Returning to the Temple was just one point on a list of activities she would have to engage in, not least of all establishing further contact with the Matou's. There was little information to go on, but their Manor, too, fell within the Foreign District, now a smouldering crater. If the Manor was destroyed, Reiki could be dead. Or worse - she could be seeking new and permanent residence.

With the existence of such powerful Servants as Achilles, it was clear that the cast of the War was to be far from under-powered. Additional preparations would need to be made in order to fortify the Temple. As she climbed the Temple stairs, though, Serafina spied one of Caster's Familiars. Seeing it inspired slight weight to the wooden box she had hoisted upon her back for the trek home, but it was ignored. This was to be a fruitful alliance. It was time to discuss the future of the War.



The night was fruitful, terribly so. If she had yet to realise the true extents to which this Servant could assist her, the evenings deliberations had solidified her usefulness entirely. Preparations had been set in place, and something of an excitable fire burned within Serafina's heart. There was confidence from the start, yes, but here and now she could feel and taste and touch her chances of winning - they were more than just dreams.

The night wasn't filled entirely with hope and joy, though. There had been some slight dread, some fear. Screams echoed from beneath the Temple. They were deep in the ground, faint but vivid, the kinds that kept distance and strained ones ears, but rocked the listener to their core. They were real and living. It lingered in her head - the screams, the emotions - but she kept them back, and forced them into a recess in her mind.

There were better and more pressing things to preoccupy her with; that idea filled her mind, as she skipped over the flattened, demolished landscape of the once and former Foreign District, over rubble and towards her goal. Though there was little in the devastation that could be considered a map reference, she had something of a sense to where she was going. After all, it was posited upon a Leyline.

As she approached her destination, her associate formed from nothing. Afterall, this was the Tohsaka Manor, and ripe for the taking.
"Hiya Caster, how's it going?" she chirruped, encroaching on the ritual site, flanked by Berserker, watching as the Bounded and Runic Fields sprung to life, and the Familiars went about their work, "Achilles really did some work to this place, huh..." she spun around, whistling, and taking in the landscape - barren for miles.

Berserker simply stood and observed, clutching in his giant hand a somewhat distinctive spear - white in colour, extensively long, with a thin and brutal tip. It bore intricate patterns, or especially notable designs, but still, it felt distinctive.
"So, bodyguard work, huh? I can do that." Serafina simply said, finding a relatively elevated spot on the otherwise flattened landscape to take a seat, "Somebody had better come knocking; I haven't been in a fight at all yet, and I think Berserker here is in the mood to murderify some people."

She wore a smile, and simply waited. Either they would finish what they came to do, undisturbed... or people would come for a fight, and some blood would most certainly be drawn.

Rider watched as the maimed Saber continued to strike at the trees and the rocks, silently allowing him to lament on his loss. He could tell that this Saber was once a proud hero, even if his parameters or current state of emotions don't quite display it. And even then, Rider understood just how he felt. Even Rider has experienced loss and regret, but it was not of his own life. Throughout his existence, Rider has seen all his friends die. The most painful feeling of all, as king, is to watch as your loyal subjects all fall, one by one, whether it be from accomplishing your own goals or for reasons as petty as treasure. In any case, Rider was no stranger to loss, and felt some sympathy with Saber's pleas.

"Your future is only unclear if you let your regrets consume you like this..." Rider began, crossing his arms. "It is your duty to get back what you have lost and take vengeance to those who have wronged you." Drawing his sword, Rider began scrutinizing it, admiring its craftsmanship. He even swung it in the air a few times before he lowered it and continued to talk to the crestfallen Saber.

"On my road to becoming a king, I've lost all of my closest friends. When I finally reached my rightful place on the throne, I had found that I was alone, that all my friends have died to see to it that my goals were accomplished. I had asked for their aide, and all of them have put their lives on the line to see my dreams, my goals, my destiny, come to reality. Had I not asked them to join my cause, they might have survived to see my dreams finally come to fruition... but instead, in my many years of ruling as king, I sat by myself on my lonesome throne, forever mourning for all their deaths."

Rider wasn't good at this. Comforting others wasn't his strongest suite, but he still tried his best, regardless. Despite being a king loved by his people, he knew he had issues talking with others on a personal level...

"... In the end, I didn't allow my regrets to overshadow my future. I had moved on because I know I'm able to succeed, despite my losses, if I just kept pushing forward. If not for myself, then for my friends. If you find yourself at your lowest, do not allow yourself to wallow in those cold, dark depths. Rise up, stand proud, and step forward like the hero, like the knight you are."

After offering his words of advice, Rider turned away, but not before stabbing his sword into the ground. He glanced at Saber, briefly, before turning back and walking away, waving a hand at him.

"If you lost your sword, then you can have mine. I'm a Rider, anyway, not a Saber. I have no use for such a thing."

And indeed, Rider wasn't wrong. In truth, he still had that sword at his disposal. Rider knows that he will have to draw it soon, anyway...

---

It was tasked by its beloved prince to scout the perimeter of the forest, but yet, its keen senses had heard something that alluded even its own rider; a high-pitched, rather annoying sound. It wished to communicate to his prince of just what it had heard, but he had instead insisted on going out to finding the culprits. It could have just gone to the source of the sound by itself, but it knew that it was something only Rider himself could take care of. Falke had wished that it was able to better communicate with its Master aside from simple gestures, because it knew that this was an issue that would be to his interest.


Falke had considered its next moves carefully as it trotted through the forest, but not for long, as its train of thought was rudely interrupted by another sound only its acute hearing could pick up. It was, again, a high-pitched and rather annoying sound, but it was closer this time. Believing it to be the worst, Falke blitzed through the forest, charging to the source of the sound. Its speed was indeed comparable to the likes of the greatest of phantasmal beasts. One could easily say that Falke, itself, would indeed count as a member of such species even though it was a normal horse in its life, bathing in the blood of the countless beasts that itself and its treasured prince have put down.

When Falke had finally caught sight of its destination, however, it moved into a screeching halt, comically so, its hooves skidding through the dirt until it was inches away from that. Had it not stopped a second later, Falke was sure it would have run over that. And whatever that was, it was something that Falke wouldn't dare even try to strike down...


The small dog, seeing that Falke was just a mere few inches away from it, sat down, tilting its head to the side as it looked upon the black horse. Falke in turn, scratched its a single hoof on the ground, neighing and bowing its head. The dog, in return, let out a single bark, scratching its ear with a rear foot. It seems like some sort of vocal exchange was to occur between the two beasts. At first, it was some sort of apology, and then, it lead to introductions. Soon, it erupted into a full-blown conversation, a cacophony of dog barks and horse whinnies filled that small portion of the forest they were in.

Hours passed before Falke's master, its prince, had called him back to the compound. The dog, who had referred to itself as Shinji, whined softly, seeing it as a sort of goodbye to its new friend. The horse, however, had bent its legs down, nodding its head to Shinji and allowing its canine companion to climb on its back. As soon as Shinji was on its back, Falke had began to set off back to the Einzbern compound, furry cargo in tow. Falke knew it had to bring Shinji home, and not just because it was a new friend...

As the mass of rats appeared, crawling up the sides of the ship, Carly-Beth's expression soured. Shaytanea, having returned from her scouting exercise, came to over at the magus's side, along with Phil. As the rats coalesced into a single figure, she remained tense, eyes slightly narrowed. It was only after the new arrival had finished speaking that she became more lax, letting out a slight sigh.

"Calm down, Strategist. Threats are never a good way to start a friendly chat~" She chimed up, even as Shaytanea stayed at her side. Glancing over to the rat-man, Carly-Beth tilted her head to the side a bit before speaking up in turn.

"Well, that's not at all creepy, P.P. It's fine if I call you P.P., right? Anyway, yeah, maybe work on your first impressions a bit, cause 'cursed rats swimming onto a boat and turning into a guy' isn't a tip you'll find in most self-help books."

She shrugged, not seeming to actually be bothered much by said first impression, but regardless-

"See, here's the thing. It's cool you want to talk, cool you gave me your true name too, but I'm not really keen on meeting you in person. No offense, or anything. It's just...we~ll, there's not much reason to, right? I'm safest on this ship, and as for you and your Master, you're best off in your territory, especially if you're who you say you are."

"Ignoring the idea that this could be a trap, meeting like that opens us up to attack from others. It's just not worth it, since anything we can talk through can be done with our intermediaries. I'd say that should be pretty standard procedure, yeah? We're magi, we have intermediaries, just use those instead of risking our own skin. Sure, it's not as 'polite', but we don't need those pointless formalities, right P.P.? I'd certainly hope you or your Master wouldn't walk outside of your territory if you were invited to a talk without prep and protections out the ass, either. So, tell you what..." The homunculus turned her head to the side, before letting out a sharp yell.

"Hey, Ted!"

Within moments, a floating face had appeared, the face of a disheveled man who did not seem to have had a proper home for quite some time. The floating mask joined Carly-Beth opposite Shaytanea, and began to speak.

"What's up, boss lady? You need a- wait what is that a guy made of rats-"

"Ted, Pied Piper. Pied Piper, Ted. He'll be my liaison for talks with you if you want to have any off of the ship. Don't worry, he's even more useless than he looks." Carly-Beth interjected, gesturing towards the mask somewhat lazily. "If you're ready to talk stuff over now, let's do it. If not, I'll have Ted go with your rats back home, and we can do it later."

"So, what'll it be?"

Vlado stared down at the Servant as he began to laugh, Vlado beginning to chuckle as well. He didn't really know why, but the funny little man in front of him had some really infectious laughter. Truly just listening to this Heroic Spirit laugh made him want to laugh along with him, as if there was an unspoken joke hanging in the air that was just the funniest thing in the world. Suddenly Vlado's laughter cut off as something in the World around them changed. Indeed, something was fundamentally different with Gaia. "Not tryin' ta blackmail me? Ya think I'm an idiot, kid? Ya decide ya found someone who cares about human life, and ya decide to come to his place. 'Oh, this isn't a threat, but if ya don't stay outta my way then these people might be fucked, it's just business'. Ya have the gall to come here and spout off shit like that, and act like the one in control here's you?" No, it wasn't here that had changed. It was somewhere much closer, closer than he had realized. The hand upon which is Command Seals rested twitched, Vlado was almost tempted to call the doctor and his whole arsenal here just to stop Chiron, but it was too late.

"See, kids like you really make me wonder. Can ya not fuckin' read? I guess Donnie's right, I'm so busy havin' fun that I don't botha thinkin' about how I get seen. Cause a' that, kids like you get ta thinkin' they mean somethin'. Well, here's ya first lesson, kid: you're talkin' to a god, and there are two things ya oughta know about gods. Their minds are alien compared ta yours, and they really, really hate this little thing called 'hubris'." Vlado's smirk was wiped clean off his face as he stared at the centaur with an inscrutable poker face, wondering if it was worth it to punch out the mouthy Servant in front of him before he pissed him off any further. No, there was no point. This pitiful corpse he had taken temporary refuge in didn't have the strength to even turn a Servant's head, much less do something fun like breaking their jaw.

"Let's play a little game. Let's say this is an ancient Greek story. A human decides ta come to a god's territory and act like he's hot shit. Lemme ask ya somethin': is somethin' good about ta happen to that human?" Something had just changed within Chiron, even Vlado could feel it. It was true, he had vastly underestimated the God in front of him, he had sized him up from physical appearance and first impression, now he would face the consequences of his hubris. Vlado grinned. This was the type of challenge he lived for, what he had come to the Holy Grail War for.



Before Vlado disconnected from the familiar, leaving it to slump forwards on top of Chiron to disintegrate simply from contact with such a high level mystery, he said one last thing to the god before- no, the god standing above him in every way. "I suppose negotiations are over then. Remember this when I come back to raze your lands. The Age of Gods ended a long time ago goat. God is dead." And with that Vlado disconnected.

---

Vlado opened his eyes and felt it. The heavy scent of alcohol, the feeling of Mystery in the air. And not a half assed Mystery like those which permeated Magus society, no this was a true Mystery in every sense of the word. Something he could not hope to unravel given several dozen lifetimes, something likely from the Age of the Gods. Strange, he could've sworn Chiron was an Archer. But there was no time to dwell on this as Vlado's battle honed instincts exploded in his head. It was like a missile was heading straight for him, no even deadlier. He rolled off the table as it exploded, landing on his feet and jumping backwards as Frankenstein swung for him once more. "Ah, I see." Well this is troublesome.

[h2]



Ludwig was the first to greet him upon entry to the Church, promptly panicking and asking what the hell had happened last night, along with the unspoken question of who exactly did this to him. Tesla would not lie, that would be harmful to the overall alliance really. He just wasn't going to tell the whole truth. "A Servant or several Servants bound curses of all types to the fire. Shuten and I managed to take one of their arms as well as poisoning him, but he managed to escape at the last moment. It was quite unfortunate." He proceeded to describe the foes he fought last night to the best of his ability as Xerxes emerged from the basement, casually dropping the exact bombshell he had been trying to keep hidden. Well, he supposed the secret was bound to get out eventually. He was just hoping it wouldn't be so soon. Xerxes motioned for Tesla to follow him to his workstation, Tesla gently setting down Shuten Douji as Xerxes began his work.

"I hope you'll accept my apology, but I did check in on you after the incident. Your current state is... Rather unhealthy to your core." Tesla smirked as Xerxes said this, already working on his new arm with his now freed hand. It had been so long since he had gotten to do this to someone who wasn't Edison, he was going to savor this.

"I never would have guessed. Are there any other bits of wisdom you wish to bestow upon me Master of Berserker?" It had been so long since Tesla had gotten to shoot off a snappy remark at someone, it was almost as good as a shot of liquor. Almost. Xerxes noted the poison with curiosity, wondering whether it came from before he had fallen into the river or after. Tesla pondered on this for but a moment before answering, nodding firmly as he spoke. "It was most certainly after, I had not been touched prior to the Oni attempting to kill me and throwing myself into the river. And as you said, this poison is different from hers." He twisted his finger near the elbow of the new arm, using some minor electromagnetic manipulation to tighten up the joint. He had already created a functional arm that could channel his lightning in the same amount of time it took Xerxes to fill in the hole in his chest, Item Construction really came in handy. The fingers curled inwards and outwards as he made sure the arm was functioning properly for normal use at the least, he would have to test it for battle later once he was better rested.

"I'm sure you're aware, but I am not going to be able to go out into battle for the day at the very least. If there is anything you would like created, simply let me know and I can work on it while I rest." Working and resting didn't really belong in the same sentence together, but that's just the kind of man Tesla was. He could never just sit in bed all day and relax, not when there was something to be done. Always something to be done, no time for relaxing. Especially now.

“Who can say?” He shrugged, staring out from his spot near the window toward the flattened plains surrounding the site. Between his actions and those of whoever had let that storm loose, they had all but demolished and wiped away everything that once stood in the area. “We were just doing our part to deal with that debacle, Master. If someone else considers us responsible for it and holds Ruler’s declaration as applicable, it is their choice to come and fall.”

Absolute, unshakable confidence in his own victory, just like always. In a way, one supposed it should be expected, considering who Lancer Prime was.

“I expect some will even band together. Last night’s display was not really subtle. . .Though I suppose it doesn’t really matter. If it comes down to it, at least we can win quicker if we crush them all at once.”

His expression shifted to a thoughtful one as he considered their next move, only listening to that which had entered the room with half a mind at best — he had no words to spare for it, and his Master was the one that was being questioned.

Not to mention, he had never been one for architecture. Ask him to lug things around, he could do it, but he had no interest in their planning for the moment. Certainly, having a camp to return to was important, but at the same time he disliked the idea of just waiting for people to come to him.

The simple truth of the matter was that did not really enjoy defensive tactics — it required patience he did not have, and he preferred to be on the offensive whenever possible. So.

“I figure you can deal with this place on your own for the moment, and if you need me I’m only a step away to begin with,” He grinned at Benita. “So, we can see about those Command Mantra or at least keep them out of the hands of others — whichever seems more appropriate.”

After all, those things were trump cards in this battlefield of heroes, so denying the enemy the possibility of acquiring them was, at least, a sound move. However, he did not have much in the way of leads, so he would have to do this the old-fashioned way.

Running around until he found someone to beat up. It brought back memories.

“Anyway, I’ll leave you two to hold the fort here while I go have some fu— err, scout. Yeah, yeah. . .”

And then, he jumped out and began his dash. His earlier boast of ‘I am only one step away’ might have seemed excessive even for a Lancer, but it was something that held true for him nonetheless — he possessed the divine speed of a hero hailed as ‘the fastest’, so even the greatest obstacles in this place might as well have been pebbles beneath his feet for all they mattered.

So, he set out in a run toward Shinto, any arguments his Master might have had summarily ignored. He had been obedient from the start, but it was time for him to do as he liked for a bit.

Now, then, he needed information. And, if he remembered correctly, he’d been told that information was most readily available in bars.

Perhaps he’d find something interesting in that pub his Master had spent the previous night at. In fact, he was even rather curious about it, considering the name, so his course was set..

The plains, the river, then the intact buildings on the other side, all blurred around him as the swift-footed Lancer sped toward his destination, like a comet.

But then, suddenly.

The comet ground to a complete halt.



Those walls.

Those walls. Those walls, those walls, those fucking walls.

His teeth were bared in an expression completely divorced from his earlier, cocksure façade. His raptor’s eyes stared at the fortress before him as a surge of absolute loathing shot through his veins. For a single instant, the hero named Achilles was no longer within the confines of this island in the far east — but rather, standing with the sea at his back in the bloodstained sands of those beaches, looking at that same city, with that man standing on the walls, directing the troops.

It bubbled from within him, a fire lit in his chest and spreading throughout his body, spilling forth from his lips as a —



It could not be called a cry.

It could not be called a scream.

It was a guttural, savage sound no man should make. The howl of a beast that would drive carrion birds away from a battlefield full of corpses, the roar that would crush the spirits of lesser men and make even the most elite of armies falter and tremble with fear.

The rage-filled snarl of Achilles as he once again witnessed those walls. There was no trying to make sense of it — but at the same time, his thoughts about the situation should be obvious.

There was a lull of silence after that — perhaps the calm following an unforgiving storm. If animals had been nearby before, they all had surely fled or been terrified into silence. However, it was not to last, for he broke it moments after.

This time, however, it was not a roar that spilled forth from his throat, but rather, a word.

A name.

And, in spite of that, the sound was perhaps even more terrible than that which had come prior as the greatest hero of the Trojan War spat it out.

Fingers brushed along Tesla's skin, and already an alchemical kit was on the table. A sample of blood to start, cleaning the wound and investigating the area around it. Xerxes had a long life, and that meant he had learned a great deal of skills. One of which was identifying poisons. He could tell almost immediatly that Tesla's blood was abnormally thick. A sign of possible stroke? The yellowing of the skin around the wounds could hint at something else. The blood alone meant that this case may require something more... Powerful than traditional medical magic.

Walking around Tesla, he reached out and held up a light, grumbling as the pupils were already dilated. Arsenic poisoning could explain this, and unfortunately it was difficult to pin down without checking it earlier at the source.
"Wisdom I have in spades." Xerxes joked, already applying stitching to the areas. "You though, have symptoms in spades. This poison has roots going back from ancient Egypt, to the modern day. It's not just a good poison, it's a kind that has withstood the test of time. There are very few that I can list that match that description." He explained, clearly running through the list. He wasn't about to name any, but arsenic came up again. Was this an Egyptian poisoner? There was clearly a lack of experience on display in the poisoning process, but that could be ruled out as merely being a result of Tesla falling into a river full of it, diluting it with water.

A good smack on Tesla's back would answer another question, awkward reaction times. Even for a servant there was something off in the timing. "I want you to relax, but I also have something that may ease your troubles." The persian master sighed, and turned to Ludwig. "Ludwig, I need you to go into the basement, and snap off a branch of the plant I've been growing." He expected that to be done quickly, and he had a mortar and pestal already out to grind the branch into a fine powder.

At this time, his alchemical research was done. And the mage let out a sigh of contempt. "You are lucky to be alive. You have two kinds of magical signatures, both foreign to your body. The first comes from the wounds, and the second is with the poison. I can't determine without further study, but the energy inside your body is aligned with spirits. Not a traditional kind of poisoning."

Placing the kit down, he finally let himself relax. "I want you to tell me everything you remember after falling into the water. Any kind of symptoms, or other things you might have seen. The oni is not responsible for all of this." He could have teased the man about this, but he doubted it would do either of them good.
"Right now, you have symptoms of Arsenic poisoning. It's nearly impossible to detect in the body, but as you are a servant, it's not some hack poisoner. I want you to ponder on any servants who may use arsenic, since that can give us a starting point." With a sigh, he finished grinding the plant into a powder, and had begun to stir it into a tea. "But, you will be fine if you drink this." The herbal tea, made from the Haoma, a mythical plant of persia that could cure any poison known of this earth.

"I will have to have somebody investigate the water, and possibly get a better reading than what can be found on your body." Xerxes said, putting his equipment away by the time Tesla had finished his new arm. "As for what you can do for me, I want you to create a weapon for my protection. I'll explain the details... In private."

__________________________________________________________________________


There was something... Something comforting in the way Rider spoke. As Roland had finally let out some frustration, he turned his mind to listening. And despite never turning to look the other servant in the eyes, he felt a kinship.
"Rider, you remind me of my uncle." Roland said, to break the silence in the moments before he was walking away. "My uncle did indeed mourn my death, but he used it as a stepping stone. He took what I had given, and defeated his enemies. That was the purpose of my death. To make my uncle greater, and to become a stone so that he could sit upon his throne. I guarantee that those you called friends were watching you from where they sat in the heavens. You cannot be a king, if you did not have those stepping stones."

He adjusted his cloak, and finally exposed the bandages that covered the spot where he had lost his arm. Maybe, he shouldn't hide it. He was alone now, and he hoped that what he had to say gave Rider some comfort as well. He reached for the blade, and pulled it from the dirt, taking it as his own noble phantasm. He could tell that this blade had been passed around, and now, it had become his. He accepted gifts so easily. But this one? He wouldn't allow it to leave him. This blade, he would protect until he had taken back his own.

"When my master is able, I know a place to go." He said, to himself mostly. He had only been there once, but the name of the man who ran it had been echoing in his head since he'd learned it. There was a healer who he could rely on, more than any other. "Chiron. I will be coming for you." He said, and placed Rider's blade into the sheath that once held Durandal. "And when I am done, I shall return this to the man who gave it to me."