The Einzbern preparations for the Fourth Holy Grail War had been going just as planned. They had obtained this catalyst many years ago, a true divine relic that could only summon one of the most powerful Heroic Spirits from the history of mankind. Combined with the intended Master, the pinnacle of their craft, there was no way that they could fail this time. In addition, she would be supported by her family, her maids… finally, it was their path to victory. They had taken extensive time to plan their course of action after the delay of the Fourth War due to the farce that had become the Fifth. To think, someone had tried to steal the Greater Grail itself… and met his end at the hands of the Tohsaka Family’s representative, body blown apart and burned to cinders. They had even lost one of the founding families with the death of Matou Zouken…

But now, the grail would be ready, would it not?

Except…

It soon became clear that they were not the only ones who had been waiting for this day.

To those who were present, the Ainsworth raid on the Einzbern mansion in Fuyuki’s forest had been a shocking, chaotic event. Dozens of empowered dolls led by the most powerful among the Ainsworth family’s magi descended on the mansion and begun their assault. In spite of the mayhem, it became clear their target was indeed Illyasviel von Einzbern herself. The ensuing conflict lead to the deaths of many of the Ainsworth dolls, but also the crippling of Emiya Kiritsugu and the loss of many resources due to the devastating attack.

In the end, the Ainsworths had failed to obtain Illyasviel. However…

They had claimed the ritual. Through careful manipulation, they had installed their own Masters, members of their family or others tied to them, in every available spot in the Holy Grail War.

There was no way to obtain entry into the war, now, with all seven spots filled.

Or so the Ainsworth Family thought…

Soon they learned that the Einzbern, and the Tohsaka, were far more resourceful then they had anticipated, and the damage the grail had sustained all those years ago had allowed for even further manipulation of the ritual known as the Holy Grail War.

Two teams of Seven Servants and their Seven Masters.

The Great Holy Grail War.

---

Avalon.

The Holy Scabbard of King Arthur. The Everdistant Utopia that the King was said to wait in after his death, biding his time until the world needed him once again.

The ideal catalyst for a Saber-class Servant. The Ainsworth family had also clearly been intent on capturing it for their own use, but they had been unable to locate it.

For good reason. The Einzbern family had placed it somewhere it would be truly impossible to obtain by anyone else.

Illyasviel von Einzbern had been able to conduct the summoning in a safe location, under careful supervision. Until she obtained her Servant, it was deemed unsafe for her to be left alone at any point. The Ainsworths were awaiting any chance they had to try and obtain the girl, after all. And so their backup location, the Emiya residence, specifically in a shack behind the home itself. It was an unlikely place for such a legendary figure to be called fourth, but it had proven to be an ideal location in the absence of the Einzbern mansion itself.

And indeed, as expected, Illyasviel had conducted the ritual perfectly. Nothing had gone awry, and there had been no mistakes in the process. It was indeed just what everyone had hoped for.

And yet…

“Servant Saber, successfully summoned into this world.”

The figure that had been summoned was not the man they had expected. Instead, a slender, beautiful blonde girl in an armored dress stood before Illyasviel. In one hand, she gripped a weapon cloaked in swirling air, hiding even its shape and length from sight.

“I ask of you, are you my Master?”

Indeed, Saber herself had been somewhat confused by her Master, just as the onlookers had been surprised by her gender. She had never expected to be called to fight in the Holy Grail War by what appeared to be a child no older then ten years of age.

It was not long before she was informed of the truth of the situation, and the nature of the conflict she had been called to.

It was an even greater battle then she had anticipated.

---

The anticipation that had been built up was almost thick in the air. And yet, Tohsaka Tokiomi seemed as cool as ever, collected and confident as he oversaw his daughter’s arrangements for the war. It had been somewhat chaotic, arranging for the impending meeting between the seven Masters of the Tohsaka-Einzbern faction of the Great Holy Grail War. The decision to utilize his daughter as the representative for his family, rather then himself, had been a conclusion fueled by her position as his successor as the head of the family.

This was an opportunity to showcase her position and her capabilities, as well as a crucial battle for their family, and indeed the remaining founding families of the Holy Grail War. The fact that the Matou no longer existed as a family of magi was regrettable, but that had been before his time as the head of the Tohsaka.

By this point, his wife had been safely sent out of town, and out of harm’s way. Only himself and his daughter remained in the Tohsaka residence.

Rin had performed an admirable job, taking to her position as one of the organizers for their faction quite well. Now it was simply time to provide her with the final piece required for a Master’s participation in the battle for the Holy Grail.

The gem that would serve as the core of her summoning ritual. The instrument that would allow her to bring fourth a hero of legend, even if it was not a proper catalyst. The time it had spend storing up mana for all those years…

Soon, the other Masters would arrive. Tokiomi knew the Einzbern had already called fourth their Servant, but he was admittedly uncertain about the others. Regardless, it was time.

“Since everything is ready, Rin… I believe it is time to give you this.”

He held up an elaborate, decorated box. Within was a large, crimson amulet.

Everything had been prepared.

Even if Rin waited until the others arrived to summon her Servant, there could be no denying that she would summon an excellent and reliable Heroic Spirit.

As for the others, in some cases it would be the first time the Masters met one another. In others, they would recognize each other, or even lived together. Whatever the case, they were now allies against the Ainsworths in this Great Holy Grail War.

---

For someone with the wealth of the Ainsworth family, purchasing an entire apartment complex was trivial. With their capabilities, the alteration of the interior to their specifications was even moreso. They had needed a base of operations, a territory in which they would be able to defend against even the most powerful assault by enemy Servants. The current family head, Delphine, had ensured that, to anyone unwelcome, the complex would be a deathtrap. Moving hallways, walls that could crush intruders, and a host of other features resulted in a deadly complex of rooms and hallways that any member of the Ainsworth family could rearrange through the use of Flash Air.

It was a fortress not easily assaulted.

But for the Ainsworth family and their allies, it was simple to navigate. Everything would simply fall into place before them, no matter what.

Tonight was the overture of the ritual know as the Holy Grail War. They had hoped to shut out any interference, but it seemed that was truly impossible. The Tohsaka and the Einzbern, and their allies, had managed to access the ritual anyway, prepare to summon their own Servants. And so it would not be a simple matter to obtain their goal. Oh no, this was to be a battle of two teams of seven Servants and Seven Masters. A clash of heroes of the past.

But that did not matter. All that mattered was reaching that distant goal that had finally come closer.

No matter what, it had to be attained.

The first to arrive had been Sophelia, the youngest child of the Ainsworths, waiting in the vast space that had been created as a meeting room. Clutching a stuffed doll against her slight chest, the little girl’s appearance certainly hid how dangerous she truly was. From birth, she was an unnatural prodigy whose existence shined like a beacon of Ainsworth magecraft.

The others would arrive soon.

Even if they had not all summoned their Servants, they would soon be ready.

To wage the Great Holy Grail War.

Sophelia, of course, was especially concerned with one specific goal of the family. The capture of Illyasviel von Einzbern. Ever since she had seen the other girl, she felt that, somehow, they were rivals. That it was her deepest duty to capture her and prove her superiority. It felt like a natural impulse, something she would follow no matter what. Not only that, but it was an important duty that any member of their faction was supposed to follow.

It was only natural that she would be the one most likely to succeed.

Delphine herself had yet to make an appearance, but she would as soon as everything was settled.

She would stop at nothing. Her goal of all these long years was far too close for that.

@floodtalon@Argonaut@Rin@KoL@Avalon@Kyoka@Anza@Red Alice@PKMNB0Y@Raineh Daze

"This is problematic," Othis thought as she finished the last preparations for the night, dressing up in the Institute's uniform, one of many mystic codes that were employed to Atlasian alchemists in their quest for the cosmic truth.

The fact that Tri Hermes computed more than six orders of magnitude worth of possibilities for the outcome of this conflict or that the average chance of Othis' mission being a success (much less surviving) was less than optimal were not what worried her. Knowing the signs to look for would allow her to navigate cleanly through any of the foreseeable quantum time-locks.

What worried Othis was the fact that she ran out of her favorite blend of coffee beans less than a week after leaving the Academy. She would have to be sure to go look for a shop that could satisfy her needs as soon as tonight's meeting was completed.

Thinking about it.

"Are you done with your preparations, Anastasia and Vyi?" She asked, turning to address her Servant and her amorphous companion, who seemed to have acquired an uncommon liking for the kotatsu that was part of the room that they occupied within the Ainsworth's workshop.

"What will it be now?" Othis said cryptically, as she recalled every configuration of the Ainsworth's tower that she had seen before. Trying to calculate how many reconfigurations they could do became a minor hobby of Othis' ever since she was allowed into the building. She could only wonder how long it would take for her to crack the mystery...


As for the Tohsaka Mansion, the strike of a thunder at their doorstep, followed by an equally rambunctious rapping at its engraved woodwork, would be the heralds of the arrival of the one and only King of Conquerors, along with his Master, right in time for their coalition's scheduled meeting.

"Open your doors, we have arrived for this meeting of allies," he exclaimed boisterously, just in case that anyone missed the earlier cues.

---

Resplendent in red, exquisitely poised, the scion of the Tohsaka household bowed before her father with a smile. "I am honored that you deem me worthy..." She rose, the pace of her movements showing neither hesitation nor overt eagerness, and gently reached out to pluck the gleaming pendant from its bed. "... and shall endeavor to prove that your confidence in me is merited."

The formality was perhaps not strictly necessary, but this gesture held importance for them both. For Tokiomi, it marked a passing-on of responsibility, another step towards Rin's eventual rise to his own position. For Rin, it was a sign of recognition, an admittance of her talent and maturity given tantalizing physical form. In short, a token of approval, and one that made her want to grin with delight and pump her fist in victorious glee- an urge that she carefully restrained as she demurely fastened the amulet in place around her neck. It would not do for a Tohsaka to display such inelegant behavior, after all.

The summoning would have to come soon, of course, but any preparations Rin might have pursued were cut short by a sharp rapping on the doors. She twitched at the noise, sighing with exasperation. "It seems our confederates are eager to begin." Everything was moving so quickly, now- she'd need to act decisively if she was to keep up. "As the representative of the Tohsaka family in this war, I should be the one to welcome them first. We can put off the summoning of my Servant for later- or let them witness it, and show them the extent of our capabilities." She wasn't wearing the precious pendant exposed as a sign of pride or vanity; the jewel was useful as a show of strength to the Einzberns and other mages in their faction. Allies or not, the Tohsakas had every intention of being in a position of power among those on their side, directing or influencing the other Masters and Servants as far as they could manage.

Sweeping gracefully down the staircase and mentally bracing herself for the scheming and negotiations to come, Rin made her way to the looming front doors, where a muffled voice was demanding entry. Not anyone she recognized, and whoever it was evidently hadn't bothered to wait at the gates. Just wonderful. No doubt it's some ill-mannered upstart who thinks he's better than me...

All the same, a Tohsaka should not stoop to pettiness, and she had a Grail War that needed winning. After a final pause, barely a heartbeat in its breadth, Rin pulled open the doors and stepped back, inviting her guests within.

"Greetings, dear allies. Please, enter and make yourselves comfortable- we have a war to plan."

As the smoke from the summoning cleared, the red-headed young man let out a cough and blinked his eyes a few times. Despite the amount of time he had spent in the Emiya family, Shirou himself had still not grown wholly used to the more large-scale rituals that they executed. His foster father had focused on the study of smaller-scale magecraft for his sake, anyhow; the discovery of his ability to project swords had led to some divergence from the original plan, but in the end something like this still felt kind of surreal.

The naming of the Servant that they had summoned as King Arthur was expected, given what his parents had said, but to think that she would be a woman...

That seemed to shock everyone present.

"E-erm... It's my turn now, right?" Shirou finally asked as the introductions and summary of the situation to the Saber in front of them concluded. The small stone with a strange character of some sort was grasped tightly in his hand, and to be honest it was a bit odd to know that, compared to what had been used to summon the Servant in front of them, this was a bit...

Well, 'normal', for lack of a better term.

"Yes, Shirou. We'll be here to make sure things don't go wrong," his mother, Irisviel, stated simply, clasping his hands in her own with a smile on her face. "Don't worry."

The young man glanced at his mother, then towards his father, before his glance finally fell on his sister and her new Servant.

Right. This was to protect his family, so there was no reason to falter here.

With a confident nod, the young man walked over to the summoning circle and placed the stone down before following in the steps of Illya and beginning the incantation thus.

Hopefully, he'd summon someone who could work well enough with the Saber that was present with them now.


To say that the last few days since the Caster had been summoned were 'ordinary' was about as far from the truth as one could get. Like her Master, though, Anastasia's thoughts were about as far away from the way as possible. After all, here she was now, met with someone else who could actually see Viy. To be quite honest, that was more of a shock than either being summoned as a Heroic Spirit or taking part in this odd Grail War in the first place.

Maybe her priorities were a little skewed.

Just a little.

That being said, though, the Caster was currently lost in her thoughts, half-mindlessly wandering around as she followed her Master around their current (temporary) home. The amorphous, blob-like fairy that was Viy followed along in silence, at least until its master's Master prompted a response from them. The creature turned to look at Anastasia, who simply nodded in turn.

"Yes, Master. Viy and I are not traditional Casters, so it is not as if we need to create a workshop or anything of that nature," she said simply. To be quite frank, the Caster would have preferred to not be involved in this conflict whatsoever, but so long as her Master was caught in this conflict, she would follow.

"If only this had been under different circumstances..." she mused to herself as the group continued along. "I would like to know what kind of person my Master is to have the ability to see Viy..."

“From your bearing, I gather that you are the Master if this household. Am I correct, young lady?” Rider said as soon as the doors of the Tohsaka manor swung open and they were greeted by a dark-haired girl at the brink of adulthood.

In his time, such a beauty would have been enough to compel whole armies to move. However, it was her confident bearing and the words she spoke that gave away her identity. In this form, Iskandar was no mage, thus he couldn’t just her worth as one. But the King of Conquerors knows talent when he sees it. This girl would have a promising future, as long as her wings weren’t clipped at such a crucial age.

“We will accept your invitation. Let it be known that Iskandar of Macedonia and his Master have arrived,” He said boisterously as he entered the mansion. “Do you happen to have any wine to celebrate this moment, young lady?”

“Alright. It’s about time for us to depart,” Othis said in a deadpan voice, replying to Anastasia’s confirmation. As soon as she said so, the young Alchemist put on her hat and made it for the door.

Before Othis opened it, she turned around and looked both to the pure white Princess that she summoned as well to the fairy that accompanied her. “I hope this isn’t too hard for you,” she said in the same tone of voice from before, even though she meant these as words of sympathy for them as individuals rather than familiars. In the end, Othis was still unable to differentiate between emotional states, despite her best efforts.

After saying whatever she could think about to try to sooth the psyche of her Servant, Othis opened the door and walked away with Anastasia and Viy in tow. It didn’t take long for them to reach the room appointed for the final pre-war meeting, where none other than the Ainsworths’ youngest waited at the moment.

“Four hundred and thirty-seven,” Othis said under her breath before addressing the other girl with a curt and simple “Good Evening” and helping herself to a seat where would remain silently, unless spoken to by anyone else.

---

Unlike the great Iskander's entrance, Ava was relatively quiet in her entrance of the Tohsaka manner. She simply walked up to the door and waited to be invited in. Once she was, she entered with little fanfare. Gudrun would be following closely behind she was sure, whether it be in spirit form or a physical presence was entirely up to her. "Thank you for your hospitality." Ava said in a neutral tone as she found a chair to sit down in, observing the house around her. It was quaint really. Eastern Magi really were an interesting sort.

"Do you know when the others will be arriving?" She asked aloud, a question for the room more than it was any one specific person. "Also, could someone bring me a glass of water? I find myself a bit parched." It was a strange question to follow up with, but it was one she felt needed to be asked. She had forgotten to bring her own bottled water and she hadn't brought her wallet with her either, so she couldn't buy some from a convenience store around. While she could have asked Gudrun for some money to buy water, she really hated asking for money. So here she was, asking for water from the person who had drafted her into a war where she could die at any second.

"I would prefer sparkling."

The Ainsworth meeting hall wasn't bad. Perhaps a bit ostentatious with the draperies, but it seemed a suitable place for co-ordinating a war. Even the final hall approaching it had aimed to build up the grandeur, with rows of posed armour to build expectations. Rows of armour that now lacked their weapons, all stacked knightly in a pile behind the knight aside from a single blade held to symbolise his class. Perhaps unfortunate for the decoration, but it would be unfair of him to expect his Master to shoulder the burden of his true sword for the entire war.

Of course, the room was quite empty for now, with only the knight and his Master occupying it. Saber's eyes briefly flicked down to where the girl was seated at the long table with her stuffed dragon, before turning back to watch the doors. What kind of people the Ainsworth were that they would force a child to be a Master in this... but there was nothing that he could do about it now apart from keep her safe. It would be easy to take her and run but eventually the war would end, and it was unlikely that he could remain in the world beyond that. Leaving a child on their own like that...

They would have to win the war. Maybe by the end, better care could be arranged.

Though it seemed that their isolation was over and the others arriving, as Caster and her Master had arrived now, and Saber inclined his head towards them.

---

"It was a good thing we could find that suit before everything closed," the white-haired girl said, looking over her shoulder at the Servant she had summoned--and barely able to dress before they needed to be around to see what her younger brother would manage to pull. A Servant that was unable to dematerialise might be something of a liability in the long run... but there was no doubt that this one was strong enough to turn the balance regardless. King Arthur summoned in the strongest class? Command seals could make up for the limitations of a physical form and she was otherwise without drawbacks.

For instance, she didn't seem to have a tight bodysuit and no armour. Assassin, maybe? Though bright blue wasn't a stealthy colour...

---

So far, being a Master sucked. Not that there wasn't an appeal in getting paid for--mostly--standing around and letting legendary figures do all the heavy lifting, but it wasn't mentioned just how disagreeable the Servant would be. Just... how this mountain of muscle was who he claimed to be was one question but his ego was quite another.

"Yeah, Astra reporting with Rider," the mage said, slipping in behind him and clarifying which class they'd summoned. Someone was probably keeping track.

This wasn't how things were supposed to go! Not at all!

The Church had planned this all out for her. Prisca would go to Japan to aid the Tohsaka family in retrieving this supposed Holy Grail. She'd been provided with a catalyst, a hunting knife acquired from a contact in England who swore it belonged to the legendary Robin Hood. Prisca would summon him as Archer and use the sanctified rites of the Church to provide support to him, the two of them staying away from the front lines as much as possible. That was the plan.

But as soon as she'd performed the summoning ritual, it became clear that their contact had lied. They lied to the Church? To think that there were people who would do that... Well, The Lord works in mysterious ways, and not only would He forgive them for this but maybe it was all part of His plan...

But suffice to say, what was summoned was no legendary marksman, no fabled king of thieves. Her Servant wasn't even a man, or even a woman for that matter. No, what had appeared in the circle was a young girl, about ten or so. The tattered cloak she wore covered an outfit most inappropriate for someone her apparent age, and the poor thing's face was marked with scars and stitches. And... And she'd called her "Mother".

"Oh no, no... I'm not... I'm just a S-sister, um..."

But she kept insisting. The young girl would not refer to her as anything other than "Mother", and soon enough Prisca realized she wasn't calling her that because she was a nun. She was calling her that because she honestly, truly believed her to be her mother.

But... But I'm only sixteen! And... And I'm a nun! I can't be a mother!

But still, the young girl insisted. Eventually, Prisca relented, and resigned herself to playing the part of the girl's mother. However, she was in for an even bigger shock upon asking the girl's identity...

"Assassin. Jack the Ripper. Nice to meet you, Mother."

Oh, so she was Jack the Ri-

Wait. Jack the Ripper? The infamous serial killer, who haunted Whitechapel and plunged London into a state of terror? That Jack the Ripper? There was no way that such a small child, a young girl whose face brimmed with innocence, could be Jack the Ripper... Right? Then again, Saber, that beautiful young swordswoman, was apparently King Arthur, so it wasn't... Actually no, that didn't help make it less surprising or unbelievable at all! But... But even if she was Jack the Ripper, she was still a child. Still pure and innocent. No matter what crimes she may have committed in her previous life, surely she could still find forgiveness in the eyes of The Lord?

...First things first, though, she needed to find her a change of clothes. If she was going to be the mother of this girl, she couldn't have her wearing such... Such a scandalous outfit! Maybe she could borrow some from the Einzbern girl, she seemed to be around the same age as Jack... But for now, she'd have to make do with a spare robe. It might be a little big, but at least it was better than that... That thing she was wearing before.

"Come along, Jack, we're almost there," she mumbled, feeling her Servant's tiny hand squeezing hers as they made their way towards the Tohsaka Mansion. With a sigh, she lightly knocked on the door, and made a silent prayer in the hope that her comrades wouldn't react too strongly to her summoning a different Servant than intended.

Mother was holding her hand...

It was a thought that had seemed like something impossible to the little girl at one time. But indeed, her Mother was holding her hand. Her Mother's warm hand, clasped in her own... There were a few things surprising about her Mother though. Her Mother was a nun, and her Mother wasn't as tall as she thought a Mother would be. But that was okay, because her Mother was her Mother. It didn't matter how she looked. She wasn't used to smiling, but she could feel the smile on her lips...

Assassin's grip tightened slightly on her Mother's hand. If she let go, she felt like her Mother could disappear in an instant. So, quite simply she couldn't let go until she was sure. She didn't want Mother to disappear. She wanted to be where it was safe and warm... She was already warmer then she was used to. The robe she had been given was nice and soft, and it looked a lot like what Mother was wearing, too! That made it even better!

But Assassin couldn't help but feel a little nervous, too... being by Mother's side helped, but even that... Mother had told her they had to meet other people. That they were going to be working with other Servants this time. She didn't know what to say when she heard that. People could be scary... people could do bad things. Painful things. She didn't know what she would do when she had to talk to so many people... would Mother talk to them for her? If that was it, then maybe it would be fine. But Assassin didn't want to be unhelpful to Mother, either. Being unhelpful could be bad, too... Assassin didn't want to be a bad girl. Bad girls had bad things happen to them.

The Servant's grip tightened even more on her Mother's hand as they reached the door, and Mother knocked. Shifting her feet slightly and averting her eyes, the white-haired little girl shifted and moved behind her Mother nervously, unwilling to be seen so quickly by a stranger.

---

"Oh, it's the one from Atlas," commented Sophelia, kicking her feet as she hugged her stuffed dragon to her chest. It was red and yellow, with large, gold button eyes. Out of the allies outside of her own family members, the Atlas lady seemed like the most interesting of them, even if she didn't say much. That wasn't to say she was exciting, but she was from Atlas, and that meant that she was different. But really, no-one was as interesting as the snow white Einzbern Master... She was going to win the snow white Einzbern Master for sure. It was something she had decided to dedicate herself to completely! And besides...

She had the best Servant to do that with, didn't she?

One of the strongest Saber-class Servants, Lancelot du Lac! She smiled brightly as she glanced towards him. He was big and strong and had a powerful legend... why, the only other Saber-class Servant she imagined could potentially defeat him was King Arthur himself! His catalyst had been a birthday present, straight from the family head Delphine herself. Something like that was only what she deserved. She was suited only to one of the most powerful Servants on their team, and that's just what she had gotten.

Sophelia smiled brightly. There was no way anyone on the Red Team would beat her.

"Delphine will be here soon, by the way. She's waiting for everyone to come down from their rooms! I don't get why you're all so lazy, really..."

@Rin@floodtalon@KoL@Raineh Daze

It seemed the other Masters had not tarried in summoning their Servants. How else to explain that the first one through the door was a musclebound goliath in a flowing cape, his booming voice practically shaking the air as he barged into her house? Even with Rin focused on maintaining appearances, she couldn’t help but step back in alarm at the sight of him, some small part of her quailing at the sheer presence of the Rider before her.

So this is a Heroic Spirit. One of the greats of mankind, torn through the ages and incarnated in a monstrously powerful corporeal form. They really are on another level… Yet though this huge man was- or claimed to be -Alexander the Great himself, she was Rin Tohsaka. Under no circumstances would she let herself be pushed around or thrown off balance by some dusty old monarch.

“Yes,” she said with a brief nod, “I am Rin Tohsaka- representative of the Tohsaka family in this Grail War.” She gestured towards the living room. “We have wine aplenty, so please help yourself.” Indeed, there was a wine cabinet prepared, stocked with fine vintages- though Tokiomi had taken care to keep the most valuable hidden away in the depths of his cellar.

“…water as well, though I’m afraid we don’t have… sparkling?” Geez, this one has weird tastes. Three women had entered along with Iskandar, one of them obviously a Servant. Rin politely ushered them inside, and quickly poured a glass for the parched magus before another knock sounded from outside.

Bristling a little at having to rush back and forth (why couldn’t they just all arrive at once?) she opened the door and found herself face to face with a nun and a small child.

What.

She blinked twice. Pull yourself together, Rin! This pairing was hardly the strangest thing she’d seen- she knew her family had connections with the Church and had been expecting them to send an ally, and as for the child... well, perhaps it was some Heroic spirit born of a fable or tale for children. Hiding all traces of her initial confusion, she quickly welcomed them as she had the others. Assuming this is a pair, that makes… three Masters and three Servants. She had an audience, and the time was right.

After giving everyone a moment to get settled in, she cleared her throat to draw their attention. “Other than the Einzberns, it seems most of us have gathered here successfully.” She eyed them each in turn. “I thank you all for coming to join our cause. To complete this gathering, and begin our discussion of strategy, allow me to fill in the missing piece- our Lancer servant.” She swept her arm back, perhaps a touch melodramatically, revealing the summoning circle she’d prepared.

Time for the show of strength. The allies would witness her summoning a powerful Servant, which in turn would guarantee their respect, possibly even subservience, in the coming war. The choice to perform the ritual before the Einzberns arrived was deliberate- it wouldn’t be as impressive with a strong servant already present. Though when I planned this I didn’t count on some freelancer summoning Iskandar…

Her teeth grit with nervousness, her hands clenched into fists. If something went wrong here… but no, she’d prepared for this. The knowledge, the resources, the catalyst that would allow her to summon one of the most powerful spear users known to mankind: Cu Chulainn, the Hound of Ulster.

(Later, she would wonder in frustration why she hadn’t performed the ritual just a few short minutes earlier, before that damned Shirou inadvertently ruined all her carefully laid plans.)

Reaching into a pocket and retrieving a small pile of gleaming gemstones, she took a deep breath, and began her incantation.

“For the elements, silver and iron. For the foundation, stone and the Archduke of Contracts. For the ancestor, my great master Schweinorg.
“The alighted wind becomes a wall. Close the gates of the cardinal directions, come forth from the Crown, and follow the forked road leading to the Kingdom.
“Fill… fill… fill… fill… fill.”

Glowing fluid dripped from her hands, and the circle before her came alight in iridescent green, shining brighter with each word, each falling drop.

“Repeat five times, but when each is filled, shatter it. Set! Heed my words: my will creates thy body, and thine sword forges my destiny. If you heed the Grail’s call and obey my will and reason, then answer me!”

Green shifted to red, crimson light filling the room, and an unnatural wind began to blow, whispering as if in anticipation for what was to come.

“Here is my oath: I am the one who becomes all good of the world of the dead, I am the one who shall defeat all evil of the world of the dead. Ye seven heavens, clad in the three great words of power, come forth from the circle of binding-"



“O keeper of the balance!”

With a crackle of lightning, the light flared outwards in a sudden burst of power before fading away just as suddenly. Still, she felt it: a tickling on the back of her hand, the Command Seals manifesting as the Servant was brought into the world. Slowly, she raised it up, gazing in wonder at the red markings now painted across her skin. I’ve done it!

So proud was she of her success, that only a moment later did she actually look up to look upon the warrior she had summoned…

@Avalon

"Keep up, Master! There's no need to wait around!"

Pounding down the hallway with long, heavy strides, a huge golden bale bouncing against his back, Archer laughed, loud and hearty, full of excitement for the coming event. He was alive again! Not only alive, but destined to fight an honorable battle alongside some of the mightiest warriors in humanity's history! Joy of such a scale simply could not be contained. So eager was he, in fact, to greet the other Spirits summoned to this era that in his excitement he seemed to have left behind the slowpoke Magus who'd summoned him.

"Ah well! They're all coming anyway, there'll be plenty of time to catch up." Humming merrily to himself, he kicked open a heavy door and burst into the meeting room.

"Servant Archer, reporting for duty!" Grinning, he set down his rice bale with a soft thump, then sat down next to it. "Is anyone hungry? I've brought food- no better way to go into battle than with a full stomach!"

At her Master's words, Saber nodded. The suit was a suitable outfit that bit her well. As for her Master, it was still something to get used to, having a child as her Master, but at the very least she had quickly been able to accept that Illyasviel was not a true child in spite of her appearance and some of her mannerisms. Saber herself had a body that had ceased to age, albeit not as young as Illyasviel. She wouldn't have been able to abide by the involvement of a child in the Holy Grail War, and to be honest it still didn't exactly feel right to her. However, this would not change her conduct in the war itself. She had already intended to do everything she could to ensure the safety of her Master, and therefore she would continue to do so. Indeed, given the circumstances of the war, she felt that the young-seeming girl would be safe. Not only did Saber herself have the utmost faith in her abilities, but she had learned there were other guardians for her, including her younger brother, who was just now conducting his own summoning.

The knight was certain that she would not fail.

But the system's changes had been almost foreign. Not even the Grail had immediately communicated the scenario to Saber, it had fallen on her Master to explain that this would be a Holy Grail War fought with allies. Against another team of Servants... But the chance to fight alongside other heroes of legend was hardly something that could be disappointing for Saber. The blonde girl looked forward to conducting honorable conduct at the side of others who desired the same thing.

So, for the moment, her attention had settled on the boy performing the summoning. He appeared to be older than Illyasviel, but the reality was that he was the younger of the two siblings. It was also quite easily to discern that he was not related to her by blood, even though Arturia had not been told of the circumstances.

It was only a few moments until they discovered who he had summoned.

Ireland's Child of Light, Cu Chulainn. One of the strongest wielders of the spear, possibly one of the most powerful heroic spirits that could be summoned as a Lancer-class Servant. He seemed to be quite enthusiastic to discover he had been summoned to do battle in the Holy Grail War, and had quickly understood that it was a battle conducted between two teams in this situation. After some conversation, Lancer had elected to perform a patrol rather then head to the meeting immediately, and Saber could certainly agree with his logic. While meeting the other Servants was important, scoping out the city and possible enemy positions was as well. Given his agility and almost canine hunting instinct, he seemed well-suited to scouting.

With that, it had been time to attend the meeting.

"Master," began Saber, as they departed, "I shall take a forward position to ensure that we are not ambushed. While we cannot be certain of the enemy's current level of strength, or their activity, the possibility of an early assault cannot be ignored."

Indeed, while she did not know the way, it was easy enough to take directions from her Master while taking the lead to ensure that she could react to any potential threats as quickly as possible.

It was not long before they arrived at the Tohsaka residence. Immediately on arrival, Arturia sensed the presence of multiple Servants, and indeed they were quickly visible. A tall, musclebound man with bright red hair, and...

Arturia paused for a moment.

Beside a nun, one whom she recalled had been mentioned shortly after their summoning as an ally intending to summon Archer, was... a little girl? It had already been surprising to see her Master, but now one of the Servants was a child as well...? She looked to be the same physical age as Illyasviel.

The little girl noticed her, and when Arturia tried her best to give a reassuring(if somewhat uncertain) smile, the white-haired child quickly sidled around to the opposite side of the nun, in an attempt to hide.

Just who was the little girl? She hardly seemed to be an Archer...

@Raineh Daze@KoL@Anza@Rin@PKMNB0Y

The Manslayer swaggered into the room by himself, a quiet smile on his face as he looked around the room. While his entrance wasn't nearly as loud in volume as Tawara's, it still screamed danger. All one would need to do is glance at the Assassin of Black to tell what class he was, no, what type of person he was. Okada Izou is a Manslayer through and through, so of course he would be summoned as an Assassin. The only other class he could possibly be viable for would be Saber, and Saber was already in the room. Speaking of, the first thing his eyes landed on was the Saber and his swords, a dangerous glint in his eyes as he leaned against a wall. "Hey you! Saber right?" His smile was lazy, yet his eyes were filled with bloodlust as he put a hand on the hilt of his sword. "You wouldn't object to a friendly spar with another manslayer right?" Everyone else in the room was ignored, the focus of Okada's attention was Lancelot alone as he practically leaked his intent to the room. If Lancelot agreed to this, it was all but guaranteed that one of them would die by the end of the fight.

“Hah, your hospitality is very much appreciated, Young Lady,” Iskandar said after their host welcomed them and answered to his questions. “Come on, Master, we are among allies here. Even a professional soldier has to learn to relax every now and then. Let’s wait for this council to begin while indulging ourselves a little,” the muscular man beckoned his master after helping himself to some of the wine mentioned by the Tohsaka heiress.

It didn’t take long for more of their comrades to arrive, in fact some of them were filtering into the Tohsaka manor barely after Iskandar and Astra had made their way in. As soon as Rider made his way to the waiting room and took the wine he looked around, analysing the composition of their forces with interest. “That’s certainly a diverse band,” he remarked out loud as he kept on assessing the others until their host began her own summoning ritual at which point the King of Conqueror’s gaze shifted towards the Tohsaka heiress.

---

The summoning of his Servant had gone without a hitch, or so it had seemed; the arrival of a man clad in blue tights and wielding a crimson spear showed as much. Shirou himself wasn't quite sure what to make of his Servant, though; he had only heard passing remarks about who the Lancer actually was, and even the name failed to ring any bells. The rest of his family seemed to be quite pleased with the turn of events regardless, though, which meant that the red-haired boy probably had no reason to really argue about the outcome.

The family's next destination, it seemed, was the Tohsaka manor. Lancer, it seemed, had opted to patrol the city instead of meeting with everyone else. The choice of action seemed reasonable to Shirou, at least, but there was still a part of him that wanted to make sure that Illya had another layer of protection from attacks.

Just in case.

The other Masters and Servants present at the locale gave the young man mixed feelings even so, though; while the boisterous bearded man was about par for what he had expected from a man who had conquered a great deal of land in the past, the little girl hiding next to a nun was about the farthest thing he had expected to see for anything dubbed a "Heroic Spirit".

"...Hey, mom, dad, sis..." he began to say, eyes flicking back and forth between his family and the girl. "Are you sure that the little girl over there is someone able to match... Well, that?"

'That', of course, was the man who was taking up half the room with sheer presence alone. It wasn't like they would fight one another, of course, but it was hard to imagine that a petite child who was shying away from everyone else present was in the same category as every other Servant he had seen thus far.


There was a bit of an awkward silence as Caster followed behind her Master, unsure of how to respond. She could tell, at the very least, that Othianne was trying to calm her mind; it wasn't exactly working perfectly, mind you, but the fact that they were both under similar circumstances came across fine as it was.

Once they entered the room, the Duchess simply curtsied towards the young lady who was present and waiting before taking a seat next to her Master. This was the sort of person she tended to stay away from the most, or at least one of them; haughty, conceited, and egotistical. The other, though...

"...Ugh."

The verbal intonation of disgust slipped past her lips as she watched the group's Assassin, the thuggish man that he was, walk into the room and challenge Saber to a match. No, the head of the household here was a thousand—no, ten thousand times better than this murderer. Viy seemed to act accordingly with Anastasia's emotions, growing in size and casting a shadow over the Caster as it wrapped over her, almost as if in a hug from behind.

"Master, if there is anything that I must have known right now, it is that the vagrant in front of us is someone who I will wholly object to ever cooperating with in any way, shape, or form. He is the sort of man who I could never tolerate even being near, much less work with," she said quietly, glaring daggers at Izou as he spoke. She wouldn't attack, of course, as that would likely bring ruin upon themselves just as well, but even so...

Who would have expected Shirou to summon Ireland's Child of Light? It hadn't been Illya, she was almost expecting him to manage to pull out a Saber somehow from persistence if nothing else. Or an Archer, which would have suited him perfectly fine. Either way she had expected him to get one of the knight classes based on his attitude, but Cu Chulainn... she was quite proud that he'd summoned someone so strong.

It was a feeling that was a little blunted given the mountain of a man that one of the others had summoned. If nothing else, he had a similar presence to Saber, albeit with a distinctly more imposing edge. Charisma too, then?

"I don't do social." Seemed she wasn't terribly friendly, either, from her response to Iskandar.

Of course, right as Rin was getting her big summoning going, with the Einzbern delegation sliding into the room, Shirou just had to point out that there was another small white haired girl there... and question her competence. There was a definite element of danger in Illya's voice, despite the brightness of the question: "Shirou, do you think you should be judging a book by its cover?"

---

Lancelot's eyes barely strayed as he took in the Master coming into the room and the Caster following her. His duty at the moment was as a guard and loyal servant; to stand at someone's side and watch for danger was not an unfamiliar duty--albeit one that had long sat idle. Aside from a slight inclination of his head to acknowledge the other Servants, he would have stayed mostly immobile... except for the braggart.

The knight was frowning as he turned, looking down at Izou. Scruffy, brash, bloodthirsty... he gave a reminder of Sir Mordred but even the traitor had been a loyal knight at first. This man had no such redeeming features--and he doubted the skill to back it up.

"I must apologise, but even I lack the precision to hold back enough to safely fight you." Against one of his compatriots, maybe, but this man? Unless he were to hold back enough to simply be teaching the basics, and that would be too simple...