“I suppose we will be visiting the more disreputable parts of town then. Perhaps we can put the criminal element here to use in finding the other Masters; it would make up for my lack of familiars.” Checking his pockets one last time, mostly to ensure his poppet was in place, Thomas opened the door to the suite; he let Archer leave ahead of him before following and locking the door. A short hallway led them to the elevator which Thomas called for, entering when it arrived and pushing the button to take them to the ground floor. The elevator proceeded without interruption; at this time of night no other guests were trying to use it. As they descended the Magus could feel the moment they crossed the boundary of the bounded field he had established, the field covering the entire top two floors of the building and much of the space around it, signalling the moment they were no longer protected.

“How adventurous are you feeling tonight Archer? We could simply take a walk around town and see what we find but if we truly hope to catch sight of one of our opponents we will have to take risks; go to the places the other Magus are likely to be and hope that they do not take us for anything more than what we present ourselves to be. At this early stage the other Masters will still be seeking to announce themselves to the Executioner, but we risk revealing ourselves if we are seen at the church at this late hour.”

As they reached the ground floor the elevator announced their arrival with a ding before the doors opened. Thomas stepped out first before stopping and turning back to face his Servant. “You are more experienced in these matters than I. What would you suggest we do first?”

@PKMNB0Y

----

Rider tensed as both Assassin and her Master rose to face him, the Servant summoning her sword to her hands and the young woman placing a hand on the rather more mundane weapon by her side; the warrior widened and lowered his stance, turning slightly and raising the shield to cover more of his body, the grip on his scimitar tightening as he readied himself. Assassin accepted his challenge, taking her own stance, apparently preparing to fight him head on; this was counter to his expectations and immediately Rider began to reassess the situation. This Servant did not look uncertain in her abilities with a sword, though that could be a façade designed to make him hesitate it was something to consider.

A moment after speaking Assassin looked suddenly unsure, speaking over her shoulder to her Master in a voice too low for Rider to hear. Her Master’s answer however, he could hear. “Are you suggesting an alliance?” It wasn’t said outright, but the suggestion was there; to form a partnership that would allow them to defeat opponents they couldn’t defeat by themselves. If that was indeed what she was suggesting, then Rider would reject it. Assassin was often a Servant who was weak in direct combat, but left unchallenged could become a threat that hung over the heads of every Master in the war. Even just a pact of non-aggression would benefit them for more than he and his Master. Better to remove the threat now.

However, he would not be the only one to make that decision. Ultimately it was his Master’s choice as well and no doubt he was listening to this conversation through his familiar. He would have to wait and see what he thought of this as well, before giving his answer.

@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze

Around the corner, in the dark interior of his vehicle, the Master of Rider threw back his head in silent laughter.

Oh, wasn't this just rich? An Assassin accepting a head-on duel, and a Master who appeared to have trouble accepting that this was a war. He'd known these two wouldn't be the kind of opponents he'd expected to be facing from almost the moment he saw them, but for them to be such a delightfully entertaining pair... such a wonderfully foolish and vulnerable pair... ah, what luck!

His attention was split for a moment as the familiar he'd had stationed near the Church caught sight of another pair. A Servant and Master, apparently, and if her headwear was anything to go by, the former was a Caster. Rather than stick around to watch or eavesdrop, however, the bird on the church's roof silently took off, flapping away into the darkened sky. Kazamyr had already lost one familiar tonight, and a Caster-class Servant would be all the more likely to detect and destroy his prying eyes if he kept them around too long. He'd caught a glimpse, but that would have to do for now.

In the meantime, he had a far more pressing situation on his hands.

"A united front, then?"

The crow that had lead Rider to the scene fluttered up to perch atop his shield, and from its beak came a harsh croak of a voice, a shrill and broken imitation of Kazamyr's own smoother tones.

"Ah, so tempting, so tempting!" It hopped on one foot, making a gurgling noise that was perhaps an attempt at mimicking laughter. "But what is a mouse's allegiance to a cat? Any good hunter knows that his prey cannot be trusted." The bird fell still, turning its head slightly to stare at the enemy master with one pitch-black eye. "Is your proposition honest, or are you simply trying to wriggle out of our jaws and live another day? Actually, don't answer. I'll find out for myself." The familiar's head turned towards Kazamyr's servant.

"Have at them, Rider. If they think they're strong enough to be worth more as allies than enemies, let them prove it here."

“If that is your decision, Master.” Rider began to advance slowly towards his opponent, never taking his eyes from Assassin’s own as he did so. He held his shield in front of him, covering his body from attack, and held his scimitar out to the side; he had the suspicion that his opponent was better with a sword than he was, faster and more skilled, and so approached the fight with that in mind. The shield was his advantage, something his opponent lacked even if it was by choice, and he would leverage it as best he could during this battle.

When half the distance between Rider and Assassin had been covered, the armoured Carthaginian increased his speed, rising from a walk to a trot to a run, until he was sprinting at his opponent and bringing his sword around to attack. “Haah!” with a shout Rider swung his sword up and then down, aiming his slash at the point where Assassin’s neck and shoulder met.

@Anza@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze

Ah... her Master wanted to try and make an alliance? It was the sort of thing she'd been talking about before, in order to make sure they had some place to stay... for a few moments, Assassin paused, lowering the tip of her blade slightly as she carefully watched Rider. She had to be prepared for anything, after all... in battle, that was simply what was expected. And so, she waited for whatever little move he choose to make, whatever tactic he tried to use if the bid for an alliance didn't work...

And then he charged forward, using his shield as a barrier.

"Stand back, Master. I'll demonstrate to you my true skills!"

As Rider approached, and raised his blade to attack, Assassin's katana snapped up to meet it, catching the moonlight as it flashed through the air. Steel met steel in that instant, and there was a shower of sparks as the enemy's scimitar ground against the flat of her katana, knocked entirely off-course by her deflection. What was possible to sense merely by being nearby was the fact that the impact of both Servants' weapons against one another caused a burst of air pressure, something beyond human capabilities.

Without a moment's hesitation, the silvery-haired girl pressed her assault against his shield, a flurry of blindingly fast stabs slamming against the hard metal. She couldn't pierce it like this, but she could force him back, and maybe create an opening!

@King Cosmos@Raineh Daze

It came as no surprise when his attack was deflected; that she chose to redirect his strength rather than try to challenge it was expected as was the fact that she would have the speed and skill to do so. Rider’s scimitar slid down the length of Assassin’s katana with a rasp of metal, and he pulled his sword back without complaint, keeping a wary eye out for her counter.

Assassin’s approach was more direct than he would have thought, attempting to push him back with sheer force as she hammered the tip of her sword into the bronze surface of his shield. Each impact rattled his bones and he felt himself pressed to retreat, to give way and separate from his opponent. Instead he dug in his heels and held steady under the onslaught, even pushing forward slightly to meet her attacks.

He didn’t yet know what his opponent wanted from this exchange, what her strategy was or how she would go about this battle; he would come to understand it in time, but for now he was relying on past experience and instinct to guide his actions. Perhaps he was falling directly into her trap by not retreating; maybe he had already made the fatal mistake that would lead to his death. Overthinking things only worked to slow your reactions however and he couldn’t afford that here; for now he would take Assassin’s actions at face value and respond appropriately. If she wanted to push him back then he would not move. Deny your opponent what they want at every opportunity.

That did not mean he would be complacent however. The next time Assassin lunged for his shield, once she had committed herself to the action, a short hop to the side, a turn of the shield inward, and Assassin’s katana would glance off of a sloped surface and her own momentum would set her off balance. Then, raising his sword, Rider spun around and slashed through the air at neck height.

@VitaVitaAR

The fact that Rider's shield didn't yield wasn't exactly unexpected. The flurry of stabs she had put into it were both an attempt to force him back, for him to give way, as much as they were an attempt to see what he would do in the face of her attack. And his own strategy seemed to be to hold fast at all costs. Given the shield was quite sturdy, this wasn't something Assassin didn't expect. It was giving him an ample defense from her assault, which meant that a head-on attack wasn't the best option. This also gave her a bit of a hint at his own level of skill. Not that she doubted it in the first place, given the girl samurai's own pride in her capabilities, but it seemed clear now that when it came to personal skill with a blade, Rider was inferior. Given his class it wasn't altogether surprising, Riders weren't summoned for their personal abilities but rather for their Noble Phantasms.

Drawing back once more, Assassin narrowed her silvery eyes and made for another, much stronger strike. This would be her last forward attack, one designed to make him think she was committing to her assault... at least, until he suddenly twisted and used his shield to deflect her blow! For a split second, she was put off balance...!

But when Rider's counterattack came, Assassin was already gone. It wasn't as if she had simply dodged. No, it was almost as if she had teleported away, but Assassin had no such capabilities. The air whipped around her as she simply moved, seeming to reappear roughly a meter out of the range of Rider's scimitar.

Shukuchi. The skill allowing for the capability of 'seemingly instant movement'. A mere step below true teleportation.

Assassin leaped and flipped forward with speed stunning even to the eyes of a Servant, her katana flashing downwards towards her foe with the momentum of her rapid descent behind it!

@King Cosmos

Fast... they were both so fast. Until now she hadn't really gotten how big the gap between a Servant and an ordinary human was, but... if she hadn't been concentrating, or if this had been just a few days ago, Ami wasn't sure that she would have even been able to follow what was going on in any capacity--just heard the constant sound of steel ringing on steel. As it was, this only made Assassin's speed all the more impressive, to be able to move like that.

How had someone like that been born in the Shogunate?

Suddenly, standing at the bench didn't seem far enough back for safety--perhaps, yes. She'd jump back a bit, and up, and not lose her balance no matter how giddy she felt about being able to pull off something like that now when she'd always thought it impossible.

But here, from atop a lamppost, it was probably a bit harder for the other Servant to gut her.

“I… sorry for that, I wasn’t thinking things through. I suppose even legends from the past have things they don’t want to talk about,” Kirsi said in a somewhat dejected tone after her attempt to raise a bond with Caster failed. Or at least she thought so, considering the Servant’s answer to her question.

In situations like this, understanding each others’ motives and interests would make their teamwork even better, but it seemed like Kirsi didn’t have the social skills for that, or at least she believed not to.

Thankfully, the perceived awkwardness wouldn’t last for long given that they had finally reached their destination. The creaking of an old mausoleum’s entrance was the only sign of their arrival that anyone would have any chance of noticing before Kirsi quickly made it to the Church’s backdoor. “It’ll be better if we avoid the streets, right? It’s very likely someone will try to ambush us if we stay in the open for long,” the smallish blonde said as she knocked at the door, hoping that someone would answer them quickly. If that didn’t work, they would have to invite themselves in.

-----

“As you wish,” Lancer said as she let her Master lead the way back to the city. However, when they were not that far away from it, the silver-haired Valkyrie stopped and said, “That said, shopping will have to wait. I feel a battle happening not very far from us, we can use it as a chance to study our adversaries. However, you may wish to hide your presence; until we know for sure, we should assume that we are under constant surveillance.”

“More than anything else, I want to see what kind of Heroic Spirits we are going to face. Even if Father cast me aside a long time ago, it’s still my duty to bear witness to their bravery and soon to come demise,” Lancer said with a very nostalgic, almost melancholic, voice.

It wouldn’t be long before they made it to the immediate vicinity of the park where the other two Servants were dueling. Before Lancer went made herself known, picked up a pair of pebbles, inscribed some runes into them and gave them to her Master. “I know you have the Command Spells for emergencies, but save them. If anything happens, use these first. They should produce a flash bright enough to momentarily disorient even a Servant, giving us enough time to retreat,” she said.

Once all the preparations were done, Lancer turned to her spirit form and flew towards the park. She landed atop one of the lampposts not that far away from the battle and observed the skills and techniques of both combatants. Of course, she was no Assassin, so it was only a matter of time before the other Servants, or maybe even the scaredy-cat Master in a position similar to Lancer’s own, noticed her presence.

Not that she wanted to keep herself hidden for long anyway.

The trip from the forest back to Redrock didn't take as long as Astrid had expected it to—probably because she had a companion in the form of her Lancer now. Luckily enough, there had been no attacks targeted at either of them. Whether it was out of luck or due to those potential enemies having other things to handle, though, was yet to be seen.

Once they had arrived, though, Lancer's own assertion that a fight had broken out caused Astrid to stop in her tracks. She had only just arrived, after all, and being thrown into the heat of battle when she was only really alert by means of a caffeine boost was a dangerous proposition. That being said, though, her Servant did have a point; finding those sorts of people was what her mother had sent her here out to do, anyhow.

Taking the runes that had been given to her by her Servant, Astrid quietly moved to a position close enough to the battlefield where she could see the battle in question unfolding. With her own spear ready in her free hand, the translator-turned-Master stared in silence at the high-speed battle unfolding in front of her. It was hard for her to keep up with each individual strike and the nuance of each movement, if at all, but that didn't stop her from trying anyways. Even if she could never hope to even come close to matching them, the possibility to trying to survive if it came down to a direct confrontation would have a lot more meaning if she knew what they were capable of.


The old man in question closed his eyes, as if deep in thought, when his Master requested a line of action. The possibilities that he presented were all options, but given the time of day and their appearance it was likely that they would be caught red-handed should they attempt to spy directly on any other faction. That only really left the problem of deciding whether or not to head to the Church or wander about town instead. Given the circumstances, the Archer was leaning more towards the latter.

"Magi tend not to acknowledge the common folk, despite how useful they may be," he remarked, walking out of the elevator with a sly grin on his face. "Though it may be against the general conventions of how these things go, so long as we never expose them to any magic or dispose of them if they do, we should be fine, correct?"

Now was the time to see how far his Master was willing to go in pursuit of victory. If he gave easily, then it would only make some of the more "morally reprehensible" things a bit easier to attempt in the future.

The crow familiar fluttered up into the air as Rider moved to engage, its wings allowing it an ideal vantage point from which to observe the battle of the two ancient warriors. If he was obeying Kazamyr's command it was unlikely that Rider would be going all-out from the beginning, but this would still be a good chance to gauge the capabilities of both his own servant and that of his would-be ally.

And they didn't disappoint.

Back in his car, the freelancer quietly whistled. Rider and Assassin were supposed to be two of the weaker classes in terms of physical attributes, but even so, they were well beyond anything a human could accomplish. Enough to make mincemeat of me, should I try to take them on directly... He scratched his chin. As he'd thought, it would be best to steer well clear of Servants, and let Rider handle the bulk of the fighting. Kaz himself would need to watch for isolated Masters, and try and take them out from a distance. Perhaps he could do something about that Japanese girl whilst Assassin was distracted... but no. A compromise with that one could be useful, and that jump she'd made to get clear of the fight had been impressive. That, and if the fast-moving Assassin did take notice of his approach, there'd be no escaping her.

Instead, he busied himself with Assassin's identity. Rider seemed to be holding her off for now, but her technique would provide a few hints. Japanese sword, female, blindingly fast footwork. An Onna-bugeisha, maybe? He pulled up a web browser and entered a few of the terms, skimming the results while he kept his attention on the fight. Nothing seemed to be matching up just yet, but if Rider could push her a little further, perhaps he'd catch a giveaway...

Following Archer as he walked away from the elevator, Thomas listened as the Servant spoke; the other gentleman was being quite ambiguous with his words, but the experience Magus caught his meaning nonetheless. “Given that your reputation precedes you Archer, I’m going to have to ask you to clarify your meaning. I’d rather win this war and survive than not, but I hope you are not suggesting we do something that might risk attracting the attention of the Church or the Clocktower?”

@PKMNB0Y

****

Upon seeing his opponent seemingly disappear Rider immediately pointed his shield in that direction and began turning his head back and forth to locate his opponent. Was this teleportation, invisibility or something else entirely? He had known a fight with an Assassin would not remain a simple duel, no matter what his opponent appeared to be on the surface.

When he finally located his opponent it was in the air above him, the samurai already descending towards him with her sword flashing downwards. Shifting his weight the bulky warrior leapt back, seeking to move himself out from under the attack while also being fully aware that he would not be able to dodge it completely; at the same time he raised his shield arm up, positioning the object between himself and the quickly descending blade.

Making it just in time, Rider’s shield rang out as Assassin’s sword collided with it. The force of the blow forced his arm down and the Carthaginian stumbled back ungracefully before he caught himself, coming to a stop a few feet away from where the Japanese swordswoman had landed.

Breathing a little more heavily, Rider raised his shield up in front of him again and retook his ready stance. It was clear by now, as if it wasn’t just from looking at them, that Assassin was much faster than he as well as being the superior swordsman; in terms of power he had the advantage, just due to his attacks having more weight if not more strength behind them and his shield was allowing him to fend off her attacks in spite of his other disadvantages. This was still a winnable fight in Rider’s mind; although he didn’t know how she had disappeared as she had he had seen nothing to suggest she could survive his Noble Phantasm should he decide to go all out. “Aah. I’m too old to be fighting like this. Holding back your full strength is a young warriors ploy.”

Raising his voice to be heard by the familiars that his Master was no doubt watching this fight from, Rider spoke. “Have you seen enough to judge her worth yet Master? Should we accept their alliance, or end this now?”

@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze@Anza

Accept their alliance, or end this now?

Kazamyr chewed on one fingernail, thinking hard. Based on Rider's words, the Servant seemed confident he could end his opponent. To go all-out now could mean taking out an enemy early on... But on the other hand, escalating the battle here would mean unleashing Noble Phantasms. They still didn't know what Assassin's was, and using Rider's would almost certainly give away his identity to any observers. While Kazamyr doubted there were Masters in this war who could match his skill in crafting familiars, there were many ways to gather information, and the other pairings would almost certainly be out searching tonight.

Even then he might have made the sacrifice, but his words before had been honest. Assassin had been able to hold her own against Rider's physical abilities, and even if she might be weaker than most Servants, that speed of hers could be useful in going after enemy Masters. Ah, it would be satisfying to see her crushed... but imagine what we could do, working in concert!

The two crows circling above erupted into a series of harsh caws, that rained down from the night like laughter. One of them landed once more on the brim of Rider's shield. "I'm satisfied," it croaked, "I wouldn't want to push you too mush so early on. Besides, for a sneaking killer, this one seems strong!"

The other familiar alighted on a lamppost near the Assassin's Master. "Fine. We'll cooperate." It tilted its head to one side, balefully observing the young woman. "I know where Caster and her Master are. Shall we go and kill them? Or perhaps Lancer?"

@King Cosmos@KoL@Raineh Daze@VitaVitaAR

The girl started when the bird talked--birds couldn't talk, that just wasn't possible--and nearly drew her sword. It was, however, on a different lamppost--completely out of reach of an ordinary weapon. On the plus side, she hadn't lost her balance, and didn't seem as perturbed as she felt; Ami had always been proud of her ability to keep calm and breathe easily no matter what was going on.

But that offer...

"Ah... do we have to kill them? Couldn't we all just... agree to some other contest of skill? Servants take mana or... something to stay around, so the loser could just... not... give any?"

---

"I can help with that, for the rest of the war... once we've been somewhere once, I can easily get us to it without being seen," Kezia stated, keeping to herself that there was almost nowhere in Redrock that she couldn't move to already. That knowledge had to stay a secret until she had a day to move about on her own. Then she could just claim to have scouted out locations when she'd actually been checking on everyone else's progress.

It was at this point that the door opened, and Caster adopted a protective position in front of her Master. Of course, it was the nun--that girl with far too much magical ability for anyone perfectly mortal. She was still a bit envious.

"Caster and Master reporting."

He'd given the Master of Assassin an opportunity. A chance to work together and immediately close in on some of their opponents, to use their combined might to wipe out one or more of the enemy pairings on the very first night, and thus drastically increase their own odds of claiming the Grail. Any mage worth their salt would have jumped at such an offer.

Instead, Kazamyr (and the dead crow through which he spoke) found himself stunned into silence by her response.

The bird stared at the young woman as the Master of Rider struggled to understand what the hell had just happened. Was this girl actually that naive, or was she trying to mess with him, make him underestimate her? No... That comment about Servants and mana was the key. She seemed completely uncertain about how they worked, and that could only mean one of two things: either she wasn't a mage, or she was such a novice that she could barely be considered one.

... how interesting. On the one hand, it made her less powerful as an ally, since she wouldn't be able to offer much besides the power of her Servant. On the other hand, it made her perfect. Who better to align oneself with than a Master completely ignorant of the backstabbing ways of mages? This was someone who could be manipulated, or at least trusted not to turn against him at the earliest opportunity.

"You're new to this, aren't you?" the familiar said at last. A puff of air came out of its beak, something like a sigh. "It would be pleasant, perhaps, if we could resolve this through some other means. A game show, or a race... but this is not a Holy Grail Game, Miss. This is a Holy Grail WAR. There are Masters in this town who would not hesitate to give up lives, honor, even their own happiness, in order to obtain their wish!" It narrowed its eyes at her. "Mercy is not an option. A Master could maybe be left alive, if not a threat on their own, but for this ritual to be complete... Servants will have to die." It ruffled its wings, as if to emphasize the point. "So will it be theirs, or yours? Choose quickly, Master of Assassin..."

@King Cosmos@KoL@Raineh Daze@VitaVitaAR

Cautiously, Assassin kept her blade at the ready, trained on Rider as she did. But it seemed as if this would be the alliance that they would pursue... if Assassin was being frank, she wasn't quite sure she liked it. The manner of Rider's attack, while the warrior himself seemed to be an honorable one, rubbed her the wrong way... but she would comply with her Master's wishes. That was the best path forward, and it meant that her Master would be safer, as well. At least for the moment.

Wait...

Now that Assassin wasn't focused on a fight, she immediately detected a presence atop a nearby light post.

Without a moment's pause, she darted back towards her Master, gaze fixing upon the location from which she felt the presence!

"Master! There's another Servant here!"

@Raineh Daze@Anza@KoL

Though brief, the battle that ensued before her eyes gave Brynhildr a very good grasp at the other Servants’ capabilities. In fact, Rider was one that she was able to identify without much difficulty, given that he was a brave warrior of the twilight of the Age of the Gods, one of the many that she had looked over personally while performing her duty as a Chooser of the Slain. Not only that, but all the information gathered in these brief moments would prove to be incredibly valuable in the continuation the war.

“Master, get ready to leave. We have acquired enough information for the time being. However, I would like to track those familiars back to their origin if you are--” Lancer was about to conclude her telepathic report to her Master and leave to a more secluded vantage point when Assassin finally noticed her, derailing the silver-haired Servant’s train of thought momentarily. “Please, remain on your guard, Master. As long as you keep your magic circuits closed they are unlikely to notice you as well. Nevertheless, if you believe you are in danger, don’t hesitate to call me,” Lancer said to her Master in the brief moment that it took for her spiritual body to materialize.

“Apologies for the intrusion, Rider and Assassin, it really seems that old habits die hard, especially for Heroic Spirits,” Lancer said after summoning her spear whose blade reflect the moonlight in a nigh supernatural way, in a way similar to her burnished mithril armor. Her hair swayed back and forth in the nocturnal breeze as she said, “Rest assured that both your skills and bravery have touched me. Especially you, King of Strategists. I never would have expect to have the honor of meeting such a prominent hero of the Age of the Gods in a battlefield of this era. And you, Assassin, though I may not know much about your history, your swordplay swayed my heart.”

Following her greetings to the other Servants, Lancer turned toward the Masters, “While I’m not interested in your modern Magi politics, I’ll hereby greet you in my Master’s stead. Furthermore, in honor of the bravery of your Servants, I ask you to not command them to press on any retaliation tonight. I respect your decision to join forces, nevertheless, I would prefer to face your Servants in a duel, when I’m not the only one at an information advantage. I can promise you two days before I begin to hunt you down; if you know your craft as Magi, you should be able to discern at least some information regarding my identity by that time. If you agree, I shall take my leave at this very moment. Otherwise, I can give you a demonstration of the power I command here and now.”

Just as Lancer had directed, Astrid remained quiet as she knelt by, concealing her presence as best she could as she watched the battle come to a close. There was an ample amount of information gained from simply waiting around, which was a blessing of fortune in and of itself, but it seemed that things wouldn't simply end like that.

"I understand, Lancer. I still believe I can hold my own should it be necessary, though," she replied as she watched her Servant materialize in front of her. There was a small tinge of doubt in Astrid's heart about whether or not the Lancer could handle both of the enemies at once if they were to team up and strike, but for now she would quash that doubt and remain on standby.

If worst came to worst, she could attempt to intercept the man and leave the female Servant to Lancer, but even that was pushing matters a bit too far...

@KoL


The grey-haired Archer let out a slight laugh as his Master seemed to hesitate about his choice of words, but continued to pace onward regardless of that fact.

"Naive of you to think that I would simply allow us to be tracked so easily. Even that damned detective took ages to figure out my identity; how long do you think it would take those simpletons, even with my name so open? The key, my Master, is to simply never be caught. Though it is far from my ideal scenario, something as simple as manipulating the uneducated to gather information for us would not even be considered as something worth noting. After all, if they are caught, it falls to our enemies to dispose of them. We need not even contact them directly, you know?"

With that said, however, the old man slowed down for a moment before thinking about the current location of the Grail War.

"Mmm... That being said, though, Master, how fares organized crime in a place such as this? Unlike London, this is a small town in the middle of America. I saw no location suitable for street rats or the homeless on our flight over, so would it be correct to assume that no such criminal element exists? That would be quite a shame..."

@King Cosmos

"I... think--"

That was as far as she got before Assassin called out warning of another Servant, and then that Servant revealed themselves. It... certainly changed things; going after Lancer definitely wasn't much of an option whilst Lancer was standing right there; it completely lost them the element of surprise. And since Lancer seemed to know who Rider was, then that would make any fight here even more difficult... and obviously she didn't want to signal any aggressive moves when a Servant had a clear shot at her from another lamppost.

"Well... all you mages are sneaky and untrustworthy and could do terrible things if given time to prepare," Ami said, looking back at the bird rather than the oddly pretty warrior lady (two in one war seemed strange), "And Caster's got to be the best magus here. So we should defeat them before they could start human sacrifices or whatever you need to do.

"Which means that I would greatly appreciate two days before we need to fight, ah... Lancer?" the schoolgirl finished, turning and bowing towards her. This was quite hard to do in her current position, but...

"What's this? An unannounced guest?" The crow laughed its hideous, croaking laugh once more. "I'd cry shame on you for eavesdropping, but that would make me quite the hypocrite!" Indeed, the familiar seemed quite amused by the whole situation, and Kazamyr himself was quite happy to sit back and watch how the Master of Assassin reacted to this latest development. Even he hadn't been expecting this... For Lancer to get here so quickly, does she have some kind of ability? Or is she simply that fast?

Either way, he found himself liking this new Servant. She'd made things interesting.

"You could be bluffing," the familiar said to Lancer after the other Master was done speaking, "but the young lady here is right: we have tastier fish to fry. Out of respect for Assassin's skill, and our newfound alliance, we'll accept your two days' respite." It eyed her with a tilt of its head. "Be sure to convey our gratitude to your Master."

Of course, Lancer's offer couldn't be trusted. For all he knew she might be someone famous for her lies and betrayals... But then, even if he half-expected her to come after him tomorrow, at this moment it would be more advantageous to take on an unprepared Caster than a powerful Lancer, especially when the latter seemed to know about his Servant. Her words and her appearance had given him some clues as to who she might be, but he'd need more time to form a solid hypothesis regarding her identity— unless Rider knew something he didn't.

@King Cosmos@KoL@Raineh Daze@VitaVitaAR

It seemed this evening was turning into quite the event as another Servant announced her arrival. It didn’t speak well of him that he hadn’t noticed her presence at all until Assassin announced it, not that he expected to have sharper senses than the swordswoman, meaning that there were at least two opponents in this war who could ambush him should they choose to.

From her apparent weapon of choice it would seem that they were in the presence of the Lancer of this war; a rather oddly attired woman with long, silver hair and a weapon with an excessively large blade. He didn’t recognise her at all, or even the style of the armour or weapon she bore, though judging by the title she gave him it would seem that she knew of him. “It seems my reputation precedes me Lancer, though I would thank you not to use that title too freely lest you give away my secrets; being famous in life has its disadvantages when one wishes to remain incognito. I must confess to my embarrassment however that I do not know your name or even the land you hail from; since you have me at a disadvantage, perhaps you might like to even the playing field by giving telling me how you came to know of me?”

@KoL@Raineh Daze@VitaVitaAR@Anza

****

“Hmph.” Thomas couldn’t help but notice that Archer hadn’t said they wouldn’t do anything that might upset the Clocktower merely that they wouldn’t be caught doing it, which as good as confirmed what sort of methods the Servant wished to employ in this war. No matter; the aged Magus had known what kind of Servant he was getting when he had chosen his catalyst and he hadn’t been lying when he said he’d rather remain alive that keep his hands clean. He would just need to make sure Archer didn’t do anything too extreme; though how he could stop him if he tried Thomas wasn’t sure.

“Nothing like London I’m afraid; I imagine what crime this town has would be rather unorganised compared to what you are looking for. But no matter what you saw every town has its homeless, its bad elements and its criminals; I would have thought you of all people would know that Archer. You may not find anything more than petty thieves, muggers or drug dealers, but you’ll always find something.”

@PKMNB0Y