---

"Ah, my love, you misunderstand. Spiritual form would only be to leave the building, after you may walk about with me in the moonlight. I merely wish to have a private walk with you, and you alone. No prying eyes, no Rinaldo to interrupt us, no Saracens to molest us, just the two of us where our love will shine without any jealous eyes~"

Charlotte could speak words like sweet honey, spin them like silken threads, and for this Berserker playing the act of the happy lover was as easy as taking candy from a baby. And as soon as she could get her servant to leave the building with her as desired, without inflaming his maddened rage, she would make haste to their ultimate destination. Not a bad place, but a peaceful one where she could talk with her servant and seek to avoid prying eyes for this first night. She felt that tingle of her command seals...there was something going on for sure in this area or close enough to it thereof.



Eventually, she would get her servant to their destination. A lovely lake, reflecting the gentle moonlight that had so been the container for her servant's sanity. She was no Astolfo, dressed in woman's garb in order to satiate the crazed knight, but being his Angelica seemed an easier route right now for the most part. Yes, and she would use this man's maddened obsession with love to seize the spiritual land of Paris, and if she cared about it then that backwater cup that had been used to make summoning a servant possible. The former was her primary goal, the latter....well, she supposed it would be worth study and examination after her victory. Summoning of heroic spirits would be useful to protect this land, should such a thing be exploit-able in some manner or another.

Ah, but for now that was something that needed to wait. Because-

"Ah, my love, is the park not beautiful tonight? Especially with just the two of us here, to enjoy our love without any seeking to taint it so?"

@Reflection@Red Alice

Put simply, he was unstable. More than the standard, even. That was only to be expected, though- no sooner had he been summoned than was he forced to recall the most hellish point of his life.

Then again, that was only suitable. He was a man made into a story, so of course he could not ignore the story.

Forget everything before it. Forget your childhood fancies, forget your tired woes, those are mere dust. Yes, for the role being played is not "Canio, the man", but "Canio, the story".

"Information, is it? Learn where they are, learn how they walk, and eat, and sleep, and love, like setting up so many dominoes. How very like him, Master. But, but- let us bind to that story, nonetheless. Very well, I shall play my part. The paint comes on once again, as I once more become a tool to kill hated things."

Laugh, clown, Assassin, man-cum-story, for you have exceeded your limits! Paintless, powderless, even as nothing more than yourself, you have a role to play! Laugh at the absurdity, laugh at the tragedy!

"Yes, how very like him, but I do not hate it. Not yet, not yet. So I will agree, let us learn of those we will kill. Let us see, let us see..."

The form once again rippled, the presence of a Servant faded entirely, and a broad-shouldered Parisian man stood where the clown once had. Were it not for the fact that there was a witness to the change, to identify that new shape as a Servant would have been virtually impossible. Even the cadence of his voice had changed, that manic timbre lost in favor of a gruff bluntness.

"This'll work, unless you were thinking of something inanimate. Where to?"

---

Like a black streak in the evening, Isidore hopped between the rooftops like some sort of urban shinobi. Originally, he had been looking for other familiars within the area, though his search in the end bore no fruit. In the end, Isidore figured it would be best not to worry about such small trivialities while the night is still young. Instead, the alchemist began to finally work on seeking out his enemies instead. Part of Isidore's objectives were to ensure that an artifact with as much potential power as the Holy Grail does not end up in the wrong hands should he be unable to obtain it himself, and accomplishing that would require him to be proactive in learning his opponents.

Of course, Isidore also had a wish of his own.

Dipping into an empty alleyway, Isidore removed his helmet, placing it back into his gym bag before he began to slip on the same stylishly gray hoodie he was wearing just moments before. The alchemist figured that it would be in his best interest to at least look normal enough, especially given that his own Servant would trail behind with their presence concealed. It would be troublesome if the cyborg, in his armor-like frame, was mistook for that very same hero the Gavros had sought to emulate from afar. In any case, Isidore began to take the streets, the calculations in his head deducing that The Core would likely be where most activity was taking place. As he made his way due north, however, a stinging feeling would surge in Isidore's wrist.

What's this? A gathering of that magnitude?

Isidore quickly made his way towards the anomaly, the pain stemming from his Command Spells becoming more apparent as he made his way towards a mass congregation occurring at the border between the Latin and Residential districts. At the same time, however, the surge of magical energy was not grand enough to assume that combat was taking place. Rather, based on Isidore's own calculations, it seems that either hostilities are about to take place, or negotiations are taking place. If it were the latter, that would be especially troublesome to Isidore's objectives. It would be in his best interest that such an alliance would be nipped in the bud. More than one strong Servant working together may prove to be a large obstacle, after all. Finding a nice alleyway far enough from the group to conceal himself in, the alchemist found a nice place to settle in, concealed from the public eye as he began to take off his hoodie once again, transferring his consciousness into Assassin to allow himself to see through his Servant's eyes.

Assassin, observe the congregation and listen in to what they are discussing. Trail them if they leave, but do your best to stay hidden. I'll follow you to the best of my ability. If they come rushing for me, I'll let you know.

---

^{Business District - Close to River Seine.}

Mentions: Tristan (@KoL)

---

A mere ten minutes later after they've met, Cerzelium and Yazhu had parted ways at the park. They had spoken for a bit, exchanging some pleasantries and tidbits about themselves, eventually reaching an agreement between each other. However, a point in the conversation left a bit of a sour taste in her mouth and made her regret something she had said before. After all, even if it was true, was it correct to introduce herself as a member "of the Hua Family"? They had backstabbed the family that had housed them for so many years, and the one they were bound to. Was she happy being part of that group of people?

Once again carried by her Archer, Yazhu signalled him to move onwards to the Latin District, as to avoid a second encounter with Cerzelium. She had her qualms about crossing the river: from what little she knew the Foreign District could be filled with magus of the Jin family trying to find and kill her in order to gain control of the shard of the Round Table she had in her posession. Moreover, they'd be aware of this Holy Grail War and she believed them to be vindictive enough to execute her on the spot in an act of retiliation towards her family. The situation was dire for her, and meeting the old man, albeit it was a breath of fresh air in comparison to what she had come to expect, didn't ease her worries in the slightest. In a manner of speaking, she hoped that this path would lead her to the sort of treacherous magus that she believed were participating in this war. At the very least, that'd help her take in the cruelty of the situation she was living.

---

Currently moving from the Business District to the Latin District

Yoshitsune didn’t quite frown, she was too disciplined for that, but she really did wish to express her displeasure with her Master. It had hardly been a day since she was summoned, and she was as far from adept from understanding humans as possible, but it was glaringly her Master was beginning to crack at the seams. She saw it in animals, in humans, in monsters, when they had given up. Something in them had given up the will to fight It wasn’t the encounter with the shinobi and her ilk that caused this sort of behavior, or at least, was not the source. This… needed to be dealt with, sooner or later. The mind was the breaker or creator of victories. One could not hope to be victorious with --

Saber forcibly shelved this line of thought. They were out in the open still, and she was keeping her Master waiting.

“Morgues are usually in the basements of hospitals, are they not? I’d advise not to go there, because the dead these days seem to be heavily monitored once they enter the eyes of the government. You have a plethora of material down here in this realm of the dead, do you not? Vermin and such should serve you better if you wish to have… fresher material, as it’s far more noticeable to have an animated dead human than a rat or pigeon.”

She paused, tapping the hilt of Usumidori.

“I would advise for you to either purchase or craft a weapon, or at least a means to defend yourself, if you wish to go out in the open, even in the day. If you are insistent on entering the deeper city once more, I would recommend the truly urban areas. There, you would find in dark allies wares not found elsewhere easily, and in the surface of the city, you may find clues to other masters and such.”

@1Charak2

---

Lancer was pushed back from Berserker. He found the Berserker's strength and speed overwhelming, having just had two of his strikes dodged and his third grabbed. He surely would have lost his spear if Berserker's attention didn't shift. He saw that the Servant of Madness was winding up to throw her blade at her Master.

"Master, look out!"

Time seemed to slow down for him. He knew that Berserker would be left vulnerable to an attack, but doing so meant his Master would likely get hit, ending the War for both of them prematurely. The Lancer sprung into action, spinning his spear quickly like a buzzsaw and diving for the sword, looking to block it or even just divert its course. As he sailed through the air he spoke the true name of his Noble Phantasm.

"Tonbokiri!"

---

Meanwhile...





"Very well, friend Lancer. Upon the wings of freedom, find us an obstacle that lies between us and our ideal world."

The eagle let out a mighty screech and flew above the city, scouting out activity.

"Something seems to be going down in the Latin district. We shall head there and observe from a distance, gather some intel."

@KoL @DostHou @floodtalon @King Cosmos

Tristan abstained from commenting on his Master's decision, in the same manner, he kept his thoughts to himself all during her conversation with the other Master. It was not a knight's place to do the contrary and, as long as he wasn't asked about his opinion he wouldn't do so.

All he needed to do was follow her bidding and vanish into the night. With the knowledge of the identities of one of their opponents, it would be much easier to track them down when the time for battle came.

As soon as they arrived at the Latin District, Tristan would follow the same search pattern from before. Zigzagging between the tops of the buildings in the area, following a path from north to south, in search of the presence of other Servants, while alert to Yazhu's sensibility to other Masters. This time, however, he could feel that there would be more foes to be met than before just as he arrived at the district.

It was just a matter of whether they would find or be found by someone else at this point.

---

---

@SubjectVision

This was too good to be true, Ryte thought. Just laying in the arms of a total stranger that knows what she's doing compared to her. She could feel her eyes getting heavy, her bright yellow eyes dimming as she finally knew that what's waiting ahead is a warm bed and a cozy blanket for her to sleep in without fear of any of the rogue magi currently after her.

She thought her luck had changed.

She thought some semblance of Fate had come to bring her out of this.

Unfortunately for her, it was really too good to be true.

The smell of smoke filled her nostrils, invading it, disturbing the peace she had created in her mind. She woke up, now out of fear instead of her last-minute calm demeanor. She let go of Tenryuu and turned to the old cottage she stood in, only for her to look on in horror. The only things she saw as the cottage collapsed.

Was a very angry Saber and a downed Caster, her Caster, her supposed "powerful" familiar. She wasted her mana for this, she wasn't going to waste something as precious as him especially since she had overused it upon arriving here.



She turned to Tenryuu, gripping her shoulders and kneeling down in front of her as she sobbed. "T-tell him to stop! That one was yours right? Tell him to stop!" Exclaiming like a little girl whose toy was being taken away. If Tenryuu wasn't going to agree to it, then she'll have to use a Command Spell on accident... again.

It's bad news if Masters are left with one. She bit her lip, a little too much as blood trickles down the side, slowly shuffling to the burning cottage just murmuring the Saber to stop and for the Caster to stand and come to her side. Her hand clenching into a fist as the heat she's experiencing was incomprehensible, it was hotter than any fire she stood near.

@Indra
@Cu Chulainn
@GreenGoat

---

Nobunaga was enjoying herself, taking big spoonfuls of delicious desserts in her mouth. Just as she was about to eat one, she stopped midway, like something just tugged on her head- her soul- her spirit core. Something must have happened.

She placed the spoon down, trying to communicate with her Master as she walked out without paying. It's a good thing that the place was populated otherwise someone would've called her out.



Just as high commanding officer would to a low ranking soldier, she'd expect some report by now. Pacing her steps and speeding up just a little as she put on her most serious face, fixing up her stylish Bakufu cap and readied her sword to draw should she encounter any resistance.



A click of her tongue, irritation. Something indeed happened. Was she captured? It matters not! For her, anything is possible if it meant destroying their entire base. In a lonely street right near the entrance to a randomly numbered arrondisement did the Demon King start running up a wall and onto the rooftop, leaping from top floor to top floor as nothing but a mysterious blur in the darkness, whenever she obscures the moon, it's more akin to a bat or a raven midflight. Even now she kept contact with her, not wanting to lose hope if the worst case scenario started.



She stands across the Penthouse Suite, on top of an empty building just in front of it. She could feel her Master's still presence there and without hesitation, leaped for it... several matchlocks just floating right next to her as she broke into the room of Roland's Master, Charlotte.

"MASTER!" She called out. "WHERE ARE YOU?!" she had to rummage the place, ransack it to the core and if some places were locked. She was going to destroy them with a shot of her matchlock. Sure it made a hell of a lot of noise but it was to get a family member in and out.

Some jewelry, some clothes, strands of blonde hair, strands of black hair.

She checked every nook and cranny of the Thunderthot's workshop until she made her way to Nobukara just sprawled out, unconscious on the floor. With a sigh of relief, she hoisted her up over her shoulder and gave her a pat on the back. "Should've been mroe careful Nobukara... let's get you to the infirmary!"

With a victorious shout, she let her floating matchlocks lay waste to Charlotte's room and anything she may have left behind as a trap. No one was going to harm her ever again. The only way to do this was to let this room be nothing but ash.

...

Nobunaga kicked open the hospital double doors, nearly knocking someone in the way of the emergency room. "Hello! Yes! My sister is gravely injured and we're foreign dignitaries from Japan!" She said, slapping the necessary credentials needed for them to confirm that they are part of the Japanese Embassy.

"I need her well and you're going to help her right now, do you understand?!" Aggressively slamming the counter, which nearly caused it to crack. Nobunaga demanded that these people help her or else everyone in the hospital had to suffer the same fate as Charlotte's room.

@floodtalon
@Crusader Lord

It was always fate.

Enzio always hated that word.

Ticking away were the gears of fate that bound everyone, regardless of race, age, or class. It was an all-encompassing system. Something that could not be touched nor interacted with could determine the life of all beings. To be bound by the sins of the father and the father’s father was a concept that Enzio outright rejected within himself. It was this very “fate” that bound Enzio to his own, decrepit and failing body; it was this very “fate” that forced him to participate in this Holy Grail War.

“Perhaps,” he thought, “here would lie the means to save myself.”

If he could not continue, then he would perish where he was. He would not subject an heir to his Crest if it were to grant them the same fate as himself. So long as this cursed thing was attached to him, he would be bound to this fate.

He could always give up his Crest; if he was a magi no more, he could live whatever shortened life he had left without the pain that knowledge provided him. He could exist as a normal, though likely weakened, everyday man.

But to a mage, to give up the Crest was the same as giving up the pursuit of the “truth”, and that was not something that Enzio could give up on, even at the cost of himself.

However, if fate was absolute, there was another absolute law of humanity, and that was “hope”. To believe in a better future and to take the steps to ensure that future would materialize has the power to overturn this grand principle. If the person known as “Enzio” was destined to die anyway, he would not go out with a whimper as his Mother had but would go out with a bang.

If his “fate” was to die, then rebel against this Enzio shall! He was mortal, but a magus, dammit! If there was no way to save himself from the sins of his family, then he would be forced to seek something that could grant him this respite: the Holy Grail.

Opening up the book Enzio kept to his side in a leather strapped case and flipping to a random page, he spoke:

“Is our path laid out before us, or is it something that we choose?
Are we guaranteed a victory, is success just ours to lose?.”

It was his favorite book. Something that he was given at a young age, after all. He knew the pages by heart to the point where reading it was simply a formality, though he still continued to do so despite this. There was comfort it this book; something that he had long lost as a mage. It reminded him of something; something familiar that seemed to escape his thoughts like a fleeting ship in a foggy night, but like a scent one truly never forgets it lingered in the back of his thoughts.

Why did he love this book so?

“Regardless … The time is upon us. It is time for us … to begin.”

Pausing for but a moment before continuing, Enzio made a simple wave of his cane, walking towards the “work” he had done. Into the floor of the

“I offer upon you, o’ Demon that grants Life
I offer upon you, o’ Angel that cedes Death
Take the offer of which I give
That Grudge I take upon my Crown

I shall grant you life once more
I shall become the cornerstone
I shall be the anchor that grants you form
I shall allow you to deliver me victory

Crush together into greatness
To our souls, we shall become as one
Allow our roots together join
O’ being of the Sky the end of our arrangement shall be our end
Come from my flesh to become my weapon!”

And thus his requiem would begin.

And thus his requiem would end.

---

---

_{Failure is not an option Agria Schluss...}

"Perhaps then we should head to a district to see if we can find any backally dealerships." Agria said as she wondered for a moment. "Hunt for a black market first, before we decide to steal a weapon from a more... governmental source." She said continuing her musings. "If a black market doesn't exist then our options will have to change. But for now Yoshi, if you could please carry me once more so we can cover ground fast enough with minimal chance for ambush that would be best appreciated." Agria said. Her words were simple her words were cold. Her pale hair, as a result of years of self-inflicted stress breezed gently in the night air. Eyes that held no fear and yet not longing staring at her servant.

Such was the mannerisms of someone who had nothing to live for.

Aftermath Of Spider
Rei @The World
Eiffel Tower

The surrounding area that Rider and Rei are standing at is frozen due to Rei's fear of the Spider, she quickly got it off of her skin on impulse and had it frozen. Rei tried calming herself but she couldn't for such touch made her feel violated and worst it was from an animal. "Pffff!! I'm not a joke to you!! Stop laughing." Rider managed to tick the inner walls of Rei considering she lost her composure and had a brief moment of difficulty regaining it.

Flashback
Rei was horrified and surprised by the Spider, Rider refused to help her according to her point of view because he was having fun poking at her. Unamused by the crap she was in, Rei used her Yuki Onna ice powers and let out a huge roar after saying the aria for her Daifubukihoko spell.

"I, who embodies the snow of the Great Yuki Onna, Oyuki and fanner of the snow, beseech thee. Howl of the vehement wind of my forbidden kiss, Ice Maiden of the snowy mist, grant me the kiss that smites the soul, that I may vanquish the Parade of One Hundred Demons! BEHOLD. DAIFUBUKIHOKO!"

And that was how Rei froze the Spider and their respective area that they stand. The floor was covered in ice as well.
------

"Rider. I do not speak as your Master right now but I speak as Rei Tsurara, a broken girl and the rightful heir of the Tsurara, I am but a child, my Crimson Demon of War. " As each time Rei gets closer to her servant, it seemed that a sexual tension is present because Rei is blushing and stuttering due to her heat impulses which is eating her sanity up rather quick.

"Ehhh...treat me as a woman Rider!! I want to make babies with you...no I dont wanna!!" She slapped herself trying to get herself to calm down but Rei started taking her top off revealing her voloptuousness(is wearing a bra). Then ahe finally hugged Rider.

"For crying outloud....I hate this part of me. Just kiss me already so I may not feel cold anymore, and dont laugh at me this time..idiot."

Eiffel Tower - Comforting his Master
@Indra

---

Rider was stunned for a moment. He certainly wasn't expecting his Master to come on to him like this and it was altogether unsettling. However, he knew that something like this, at least as little as a simple kiss, was both necessary and reasonable of his Master to ask of him. So after a moment's hesitation he conceded and gave her a kiss, just long enough to sate her before pulling away, embarrassed.
"Please refrain from getting yourself in such a position again if possible, Master. While it's my duty to protect you, I'd prefer to keep our relationship as platonic as possible." He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I feel we should use this night to garner allies from the other Masters. My Noble Phantasm works best with allies, after all. Tomorrow we can get that bike you want me to use, but for tonight let's search around and see if we can't befriend anyone. I'll leave it to your discretion where we go."

Rei
Eiffel Tower
@The World
Rei got back to her calm and collected self.

"My aplogies for my indecent behavior, Yukimura." Rei addressed her servant by his real name and wore her top back.
"I bet you have not seen a Yuki Onna before and you should know by now I am merely an apparition, a mongrel incarnation of the said monster." For a moment, Rei clenched her fists and was self loathing.

"It is good to look for allies and you have my permission. I am ready to face the danger ahead but before that let us go find a safer place which would be a decisive move, I want us to be unbreached by our enemies and I need to study the Spider's contents and based on my intuition, it is probably tied to necromancy since it do not possess heat therefore dead." Rei catched her breath for a while and continued.

"That is Plan A. Plan B is let us approach them, I do not want any unnecessary fight and try not to get killed. I expect things to go off of the rails too. As much as possible, I do not have to issue a command seal. By platonic, do you mean friends or colleagues? I never have a friend before though..." Rei in deep thought afterward, she seemed to be getting chatty thanks to Rider.

"Sheesh. I kinda am talking too much but it is of neccessity. I do not plan on dying and neither do you. Since I owe you one, the driver's steering wheel is yours, how about you lead the way and if things go wrong...I got a plan by then. I trust your wisdom, Milord."

After the conversation with Yazhu and her Servant had come to a close and the pairs had gone their separate ways, Cerzelium nodded slightly. "She seems to be struggling with something. I hope that she is able to work through it, whatever it may be. Ah, it's probably poor form to wish good fortune on our enemies, my apologies, Rider." He seemed to be initially speaking to himself under his breath for a few sparse moments, before turning to face his Servant for the later comment. A touch of embarrassment showed in his face as he realized his own slight faux-pas.

"I'll see to it that you have the chance to stretch your limbs. You'll have to forgive me, though; for now, I think it's better to keep a calmer approach. Alliances are dangerous, and breaking promises is undoubtedly 'evil'. Temporary nonaggression pacts, though, are an excellent thing if they are made with like-minded individuals, rather than remorseless killers. I believe that should be our focus for now, along with perhaps a light skirmish if possible, to get a grasp of the opposition."

"...although, it was tempting to play our hand, just a bit, during that talk. I must thank you for that idea, Lady 'M'. I look forward to the time when we are able to make use of it."

Letting out a slight laugh at that comment, a trace of light entering his eyes like a child with a new present, he then let out a sharp exhale, releasing the tension he'd been carrying during their most recent interaction.

"Well, for now, I think it would be fair to enjoy the city. What do you say, Rider? A glass of wine on an outdoor patio sounds quite nice, if you like; consider it my treat for both you and your wife."

Eiffel Tower - Moving North-East
@Indra
"Not personally, no. But what you are has little bearing on who you are, I've found. As for a operational base, you're right that we should be searching for a good place as well. Perhaps if we can obtain a map of the city we can find a good area." He thought for a moment, looking at the frozen spider in his hand. It certainly appeared wooden. "Could it not be lacking heat due to being a karakuri creation? Once again, I am no mage and I'm sure you'll figure out whatever the truth is once you have enough time in a protected space." Rider smiled gently. "Nonetheless, figuring it out will have to wait."
"I hope that we can become friends over these few coming days, yes. Even so, please refer to me as 'Lancer' for the duration of the war. It would be best to not even use my name in private, just in case. And keeping my class a secret may net us an advantage somehow. And if you wish for me to take the lead now, I believe it would be best to follow the river east until we find a map and a place to set up a base."

---

Saber looked down at the dying Caster, his rage smoldering away at the sight of the object of his wrath fading away. He picked his monstrous blade up, letting it dematerialize in his hand before kneeling down to Moses. As the cottage slowly burned down in the fires constructed out of the Demon Prince's anger, Saber began to contemplate this "victory" to himself. Sure, he might have achieved one of the first deaths in this Holy Grail War, if not the first death, but at the same time, it was a potentially powerful ally. If Saber were a better man, he would have been able to hold back his rage from such a boastful Caster. At the same time however, he felt the need to bring this Caster some semblance of humility, which was strange given his identity. To laugh at the face of the Demon Prince in such a vulnerable position would be the worst thing to do, ally or not, and Saber expected better from a man whose own legend encompassed modesty to a higher power.

"Where's the strength of your god now, prophet of YHWH? Know your place, for you are merely a wandering slave."

With his final words spoken and the last of his anger quelled for now, Saber faded into spiritual form, leaving the cottage as it continued to burn down. Almost at an instant, he would find himself at his Master's side, silent. He could not bring himself to tell Tenryuu what he did, which was in opposition to her own wishes. At the very least, they were able to take in another Master under their complete control, but it was all but meaningless if their own Servant was dead. In the end, this was but another hollow victory that Saber had achieved.

Saber could only hope that he would find at least one other worthy opponent tonight.

Tenryuu Gensai
???, Arènes de Lutèce

---

"Huh?" Tenryuu stared blankly at the girl, before looking back towards the cottage. The flames flared up, and even where she stood, she could feel the intensity of the flames.

"Sa...ber?"

It was not anger she felt, just... disappointment? There was a bit of anger... but the flames looked beautiful. Strong, hypnotic, having different qualities from the flames generated by an explosion. She wasn't angry but, she would definitely have to get back at Saber for this. She said recruit, not roast. The leyline here would have to be exploited another way. When Saber showed up moments later, all she could do was give him a glare.

What was done, was done. She did not have the knowledge, talent nor the ability to resurrect someone after all.

"Sorry... but I.. ah.." She had no idea how to break it to the girl.

"Your Servant is dead." Chii said simply, turning up in a taxi. The taxi driver was nowhere to be seen. Had Chii made off with a taxi cab without anyone noticing? No wait, it was simply a rental car, not a taxi. In that case, where did Chii get the money for renting it? Wait, did her wallet..

"I'm really sorry. Let's go, before any other Master notices and come after us."

There wasn't any room for argument, not when she took that sympathetic yet, commanding tone. It was a simple order with a simple ultimatum. Get in, or someone else might come and try to kill us.

@Seirei No Hai@Cu Chulainn

It wouldn't take long for Tristan to notice the presence of other Servants. Five... no, four just in this district. One of the presences had just disappeared out of nowhere, which indicated that either they were dealing with an Assassin close nearby or someone had been defeated already. Neither of the possibilities was especially auspicious, thus he made a point of tightening his watch around his Master.

More interesting, however, was the fact that the other three Servants he could feel were all close together but no signs of battle reached him so far. Perhaps they too were just conversing for the night, or maybe even striking an agreement. There was only one way to know but it would put Yazhu in the line of fire which was not desirable, or acceptable, for Tristan.

Once they reached a vantage point from which he could spot the other three Servants, and -- to his surprise -- notice that he knew the identity of one of them, Tristan returned Yazhu to her feet and said, "While I understand your desire to fight alongside me, Master, I believe that this will not be the place for it. I have no intentions of engaging in combat at this moment, but in case it happens, I want you to remain safe. I noticed a Servant's presence disappearing in this area so we may be dealing with an Assassin, if you are able to conceal your presence through magecraft, I urge you to do so while finding a safe place inside one of the buildings nearby. It would be the absolutely most unacceptable outcome if we allowed an Assassin to take advantage of this situation and reach you while I'm unable to intercept them."

Being close to a potential battle between multiple Servants wasn't good for a human. Even if other Masters were present in the street, Tristan wasn't too keen on allowing Yazhu to expose herself without being sure of the circumstances that lead to this gathering, especially when a knight such as that one was here.

"Heed my words just this once, I beg of you. Now, if you allow me, we must get apart to ensure your safety," Tristan said as he moved to a roof across the next street at a range where the other Servants would likely have no trouble catching his presence, but only he would be able to keep track of Yazhu and continued to pay attention to their conversation while keeping his own melancholic silence.

---

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@SubjectVision@ManyThings@SSW@1Charak2@Sunglass@Cu Chulainn

"If my Master should be troubled by the ice cream, I would be delighted to dispose of it for you."
Chieko reacted by laughing. But it was less a graceful laugh, and more the kind of laughter one makes when they discover they just married their brother who was estranged from the family because he was actually an evil clone. AKA: A shocked laugh that droned on a bit too much.
"I'm fine with vanilla. It's nothing. It's stupid." She said, glancing away dismissively after the fact. A loud huff making her point clear.

There was silence for a good minute...
Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock...
"Do you promise not to laugh?" She said, to break the silence more than anything else. It wasn't an order not to laugh, but a plea. As if... "It's really stupid... But I've never had vanilla ice cream before." Bombshell. "I know, it's sounds so STUPID! Vanilla's the original flavor! It's one of the most popular? Who hasn't had vanilla? Who hasn't had it with root beer before? Well, cards on the table, not me!" She was ranting, and in between words she was biting down into her soft cone'd ice cream. She looked at Hanzo now, heart thumping in her chest. It was... "I just thought... There might be more to this vanilla, you know? I guess... When you spend thirty years of your life looking at something from a distance, you give it some greater value."

"I hate chocolate... Because it's the only ice cream Atsuko likes." She said it, and it was out there. "I hate chocolate because it's bitter, and tasteless, but most of all... It's because I never had a choice! Whatever Atsuko wanted is what everybody else had to deal with! Some stupid family tradition!" Her fingers clenched, till the cone cracked between her fingers.

"I hate her! Did you know that until I was 15, I never spoke to a boy? Because Atsuko was the only one allowed to do s-so-s-s-so!" Her voice finally cracked. Tears streaming down her cheeks and landing on the table. In frustration she took one more bite of her broken ice cream, and tossed the rest into the trashcan nearby. Even when angry she couldn't bring herself to litter.

"I'm sorry... Assassin." She said, wiping tears with the sleeves of her outfit. "Just... I never had a chance to say that to anybody before."

She was over five hundred miles away... The other side of the world... And sometimes... She felt free... But she would have to return to her cage. "I want to enjoy vanilla ice cream... As long as I can."

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Oni no Hanzo
Business District

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Hanzo's gentle smile never went away but there was a slight melancholic quality to it now.

It reminded her of someone she had served before, a boy still, who she had been ordered to execute by his own father due to a verdict from Nobunaga. She could never see him more as a bright eyed boy who wanted to move out from the shadows of his father, but ultimately denied that chance after Nobunaga wanted him dead on accusations of treason. The sword trembled in her hand, as her visions blurred, before she realized tears were streaming down her face, and she had refused to gone on with the execution.

"Even a demon sheds tears, it seems."

Those words, her dear friend's voice, rang out, clear as a bell in her mind, as she gave a small bitter laugh.

"Hmph. I did not know my Master was the type to just give up like that." She stepped forwards, finishing the last of her strawberry ice cream, her back turned towards her Master. "As long as you can? Don't make me laugh. I don't know the specifics of your family, but I got the gist of it. You are here, aren't you? You're eating vanilla ice cream right now, aren't you? You don't need to follow their every wish. You don't even need to return after this War. Forget about your family's wishes. Make your own decisions, make your own mistakes. Your life is not your family's. Whatever you decide, Master," Hanzo turned, flashing a gentle smile. "Know I will be there to support your every move."

Perhaps that had a bit more emotional baggage than needed, she thought to herself.

"But I apologize, Master." She bowed deeply. "I should not be the one to lecture you so. Ghosts shouldn't judge the living."

@Reflection