@Reflection@King Cosmos @SSW @Manythings





“I’m afraid we’d have to tell you to look for a girl somewhere else.” Noon, nodding over at Ywain. Took out his own weapon. Although in this case it was a shield that he took in hand.

“Hey.. hey there! I’m not a prize or anything. OR well, at least not for you. It might be different if someone like Ywain asked me, but you don’t seem to have a proper head on your shoulder. Some faeries might like them mad, but this isn’t my type at all.”

She twirled and slipped away curving on her wheels to behind Ywain. Clinging to his back, she peeps out slightly while making sure that the Berserker couldn't see too much of him. A hideaway and impasse that continued until the two Paladins reached their... agreement “Huh wait, you know him?” The identity? Of the other saber being revealed aside the fact that this madman was…

“Besides you’re making a mistake. Faeries don’t live in trees. They live in mounds or lakes.”

A partial truth, a partial lie. All she knew was that she didn’t want to be on a tree strung up by that… guy.

“Who said I’m a fairy anyway?” Oh right an important point. Was there some sort of strange intuition to this man, or was he just that loony that he saw the first little girl or thing and decided to crown it as a fairy?

But it seemed like everything was… resolved?

“Ehm.. er… yeah?” It wasn’t all that easy for him to take the discussion between those two friends and the on the dot switch of directions the Berserker took, but the sheepish smile that rose up on Noon’s face grew more steady until he finally began to walk off. But this time he took Elaine by the hand.

“Huh, wh-hey Noon. I can walk by myself you know.”

“You’re a bit too popular. Here I thought I was the target and master you know. So I’ll just have to protect you like this.”

“What kind of teasing is this suppose to be? It’s too… you’re bad at this!”

“I don’t know. Ywain, you’re good at protecting Faeries, right? What’s your opinion? Maybe I should just carry her on my shoulders?”


“Oh come on.” She tugged back, but rolled along due to her shoes. Turning towards Saber she stretched out a hand “Waah, I want to roll around!”

To the protests of a local girl, the party soon made their way to the den of their target.

Curious, how very curious. Manipulation of the air in some method to catch the ball, hm? How interesting for… an Archer, it seemed. A bowman on the tops of buildings made sense, a good view and enough distance to take advantage of the purpose of ranged weaponry.

However, the Archer’s actions were… somewhat confusing. Undoubtedly, he would be able to recognize her as a Servant, and yet, he still reduced the range between her and him. Furthermore, to catch the ball and offer to return it--

Did he fancy himself some sort of lady’s man? It wouldn’t be totally impossible, considering the attitudes of many a hero, to be completely honest, but it was rather unlikely someone would be so foolish to act in such a method during a battle royale to the death.

Ah, she should probably give an answer, should she not? To move closer would certainly give her the advantage, but the Archer’s unusual activities and confidence certainly implied the presence of… something else, which could certainly be a trap. And if he sent the ball down “the same way as she did,” then she would certainly gain some sort of information, which no matter how small, would be invaluable in this conflict. Keeping her hands near in a position where she could summon her weapons with ease, she spoke.

“My compliments on your fine skill with the bow, Archer!” Yoshitsune began. “I’d like the ball back, if you please! A friend lent it to me, so I’d much appreciate it!”

@KoL

Tristan raised an eyebrow momentarily now that he had a good opportunity to "look" at the other Servant. She was as much of a fine woman as he thought at first.

Her footsteps also made it clear that she was as much of a warrior as Tristan's first impression told him. Certainly a fellow knight. Though, she didn't look to be European.

A warrior from the East? Not only that but also a woman who possessed a very remarkable beauty. How interesting indeed.

If only Sir Gawain or Lancelot were here...

Tristan was only shaken out of his revelry when the other Servant replied to his question in a friendlier way than he expected. However, even as she did so, her guard remained as high as Tristan's.

"As you wish, milady. It's unbecoming—nay, it's sad—of a knight to keep that which does not belong to them," Tristan said as he tied the ball to a "string" and shot it back at its owner, harmlessly. After all, delivering messages tied to an arrow was something that any Archer worth their bow could do.

---

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@BlueHelix

“Pardner, your aim’s gettin better. But sometimes the aim isn’t all you need. Sometimes you need something different, a change of the.. What do they call it? Hardware.”Y’seem smart, and y’seem odd considering you landed with me. What doesn’t work with other magic. Does it just not click in your head? Does it just not go boom when you say alakazam? Why does your spell work?”

He pointed down the alleys they passed by as they walked through the streets.

“Bam, bam, bam. It’s a curse right? But you treat it like a gun. Maybe there’s an answer to that. From what y’told me you got it good with that and you put in enough magic energy to pack a whallop. That stuff’s not even s’pose to be solid right? Maybe you’re good at making things that aren’t suppose to be physical into physical? Maybe you’re good with your fingers, or maybe you’re a gunman like me.”

He thought back to the first night. Patroling, shopping, having some fun. They didn’t end up fighting, but he saw the other servants, he saw some of the other masters as they passed by. He was no legendary hero from centuries upon centuries ago. But his intuition was sharp and his aim sharper. Of course he could notice a few things. Perhaps she couldn’t notice but he drove her certain ways, whimsical and yet calculating with his roguish sense. The sort of sense that kept him alive all this time, the sort of sense that drove him to satisfy his desires and freedoms because it burned in his heart and told him “This is something I know I can do.”

He wanted some time to learn about her, to train her a bit before they were going to fight. Maybe he was being a bit soft on her. Maybe he was being too selfish in wanting some free time in a war. But that was fine right? That was Billy the Kid.

The first night they worked on her aim. Basic accuracy, which she was good at. The practices of a mage in controlling their body, and the discipline in their mind meant that it was easy to teach her. Then came training of shooting something moving while he threw bean balls at her. Hit, and don’t get hit. For someone who couldn’t shoot first all the time like him that was a necessary part of life.

These mages really had everything put together to make a human weapon. Shame he didn’t know many of them in life, and shame that they’re all a bunch of nerds… er… bookmen too.

But no amount of training, even if they ended up not finishing the job of it could easily change her demeanor. Well, he trusted in her own desires and wish. If he couldn’t trust in that to give her the drive to fight then there’s no hope for anyone!

Then they ended with learning how to handle a gun. The gun she had, and the gun he brought.

Bang.

Bang.

THe smell of gunpowder, the sparks of civilization’s fang. Deadlier than an arrow, farther than a spear. The weapon of the final frontier, the ultimate end of human’s ability to destroy. That’s what he thought of it anyway. The slugthrower that signified the west, the pistols that were the last bastion of romantic duels and battle.

Modern, fantastical.

Hey, master.

What do you feel when you hold this thing, when you squeeze the trigger?

What do you feel when I pull you into all these places I want to go, when I push on a beer to you.

You look so lost, but you don’t even know where you’re going. But that’s fine. No destination needed.

“You ever smoked before? If not let’s get you a cig too. The french love smokes and wine right? Oh we should try wine. I might be called a rascal and they might think Americans are dirty here but I still love wine. Alcohol’s great, we should have more.

What do you wanna do master? We got a bit of time left before it’s time to go back to practice. Tomorrow I promise ya, tomorrow I’m bringing you a bounty of enemies. Dead or alive.” He winked at the last statement. “We’re all dead y’know? Servants. We’re ghosts, so no need to go easy on them~”

Core District
@ItMeGritty

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As soon as Honda began his charge, Yukimura began moving up the nearest building, hoping to put some collateral damage between himself and Honda. "Wouldn't you rather put this fight off until the end? You'd make an interesting 'final boss,' as they say!" As he reached the roof he took a defensive stance with his spear. "This war would be much easier with the two of us fighting alongside each other!" In his mind, all Yukimura had to do was outlast Tonbokiri to win, but an ally like Honda doesn't show up very often. If he could garner a partnership with him, the war would become much simpler.

---

Core District
@Danchou

---

She tried to put herself into everything that Billy threw at her, and to her surprise, she found herself really enjoying the new experiences. "You know what? Let's." They went and tried everything Archer could suggest, money be damned. She gathered a lot of experiences that night, all good in her mind. Except the cigarette. That was a mistake. But after a bottle of wine or so, she found herself much looser and happy, her recent troubles gone. She figured she'd have to learn about hangovers tomorrow too, but that was fine. Another cigarette. Still a bad idea, but much less terrible than when she was sober. Maybe the war would turn out well after all?

Tenryuu Gensai
Enemy Workshop, Montmartre

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"Finally, Mistress, you manage to do something useful." Chii brought in a few more rocks, even as her sharp tongue kept lashing Tenryuu.

Deep in concentration, Tenryuu kept on making the small automatons, using her abilities to shape the materials, etch the words and implant the wraiths into the small figures. Easy constructions with an easy command planted into them. Run into the workshop, and explode on anything that moves or look important. If there's anyone inside, they would inevitably go out, and if there's no one inside, they could move in, and destroy what they could and salvage anything else that looks interesting. Well, if there's anyone else inside this old decrepit building, they'd probably be stuck in the crossfire, but considering where they were, they were probably no one important. She did not want to kill them, but if they were caught in it, she could hardly avoid it if she was to take advantage of this.

Taking the rest of the flasks, she kept one and gave the rest to Chii to hold.

"Saber. Get ready. We're flushing them out."

Rei Tsurara - Flashback to Night 2
Location - Sanada vs Honda

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Things turned out for the worst when it became a Japanese Reunion. Rei activated Reinforcement yet was nowhere near catching up to the movements of a servant fight, and of all people of legendary figures and heroic spirit; it was Honda Tadakatsu. Rei put reinforcement to her legs and moved vigilantly to catch up to where the fight was at. If anything, Honda's Master should be around but that could come later, whoever the Master was, Rei prioritized her Servant's safety and her safety more.

'Honda Tadakatsu.....Tokugawa's lapddog huh? The Warrior who surpassed Death itself and The Samurai among Samurai.' Rei indeed knew about Japan's History, she's Japanese after all.

Having thought to herself and assumed that Honda's arsenal is that Dragonfly Cutting Sword. 'Honda Tadakatsu. If his legend meant anything and if I think that's what his NP is. Tonbokiri is something I don't want us to deal with. There is no other choice but to use a Command Seal judging on how fast should it cut, Yukimura will die.'.

She sighed:

"The wind has become vehement and the Eagle must change its course. In the name of Tsurara Rei and by the power of my command seal, I order Rider to come to me immediately!" 'I'm gonna have to prepare my Heatseeker Spears at this rate as well.'

Rei continued to remain vigilant while waiting for her servant. Multitasking was hard, Rei prepared her Aria just in case Honda's Master pops out. Safety first before fight, there has to be a way to get out of this situatuon.

"The wind has become vehement and the Eagle must change its course.....Only the unloved seeketh the refuge of the snow.......[Unfinished Chant-T.B.C in next posts]

@The World @ItMeGritty

A flare of irritation spiked through Yoshitsune’s mind, as the Archer before her clearly… made an assessment that she certainly did not appreciate, as he openly moved his head about as if ogling her, even though his eyes remained shut, even at night. Either he was not taking her seriously, or had his head on other matters not quite concerned with combat.

Which meant, from the information available to her currently, that underneath the knightly demeanor and appearance of the Archer, there was someone who was utterly supremely confident in their abilities and justified in doing so, or was someone not even worth letting live longer than tonight.

She had found out as much as she could from the other Servant through passive observation, so now it was time to go on active information retrieval. And well, what was better for that than a good, old-fashioned fight?

Catching the ball, Yoshitsune responded to the Archer’s words.

“Well, I do thank you for honoring your knightly code and returning my belongings,” said Saber lightly, “but let’s not beat around the bush, Archer. We both are Servants, and those who must not observe the Holy Grail War are at home or elsewhere by this time of night. As enjoyable talking with you would be for the entire night, that’s not what either of us are here for.”

Without using a trace of the wind to assist her, she bounded up to the top of the building where the Archer was located in but a single leap. Placing her hand on the pommel of Usimidori, Yoshitsune declared her intentions:

“If you wish to speak, do so after we test our abilities against each other, Sir Archer!”

And then Yoshitsune blurred from sight, and as she reappeared less than a heartbeat later in front of the Archer, wind swirling around her like a shell as she drew her sword in perfect iai form, intent on bisecting the enemy Servant.

@KoL

The sudden change in behavior of the other Servant didn't escape Tristan's perception. She probably took offense at his assessment of her "assets". A reaction that sure wasn't unknown to the Knight of the Round Table.

"I would have it no other way, milady," he said as she challenged him openly.

Tristan's lips curled into a smirk as his foe step in the roof and drew her sword while slashing at him in a single, fluid motion. Just as he imagined, she could only hail from the Far East. Not only that, but the level of skill she displayed made it clear that she wasn't a target to be underestimated.

Nevertheless, the swing would be met with Failnaught as Tristan used his "bow" to parry the strike with the intent of evaluating his opponent's physical Strength.

Normally, a move that placed your bow out of alignment with your target would make it impossible even for the most skilled of Archer's to hit anything. However, such was not Tristan's case as would become clear to his foe when the Archer unleashed a counter of his own. Running his fingers through Failnaught's strings, Tristan "shot" five "arrows", aiming for the other Servant's heels, thighs, and wrist.

As he did so, Tristan took the chance to quickly jump backward, trying to put some space between him and his foe.

"Your swordsmanship is admirable, milady. Even though I'm not too acquainted with the techniques from the Far East, I'm confident that your skill matches that of the best of my comrades in arms. Am I right to assume that you are a Saber?" Tristan asked. For the first time ever since they met, his voice would have shifted away from a completely depressing tone to one of excitement.

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@BlueHelix

Madhisi could barely believe in her own ears. How in the world did someone locate her workshop for the second time in a row? Not only that but for this instance they decided to just bomb the place regardless of the people that lived here and had nothing to do with the war.

"Normally, I would be all too willing to fight. However, if I do it here, there's no way I can avoid killing more innocents, and this is something I can't do," Madhisi thought. She had to find a way of escaping, but there was only one way out of her workshop except for...

"The underground, that's it!" she remembered the fact that apparently most of this city had an extensive net of underground tunnels below it. This building was no different, of course.

"Berserker, open a way to the tunnels under us. But don't use your full strength, that would probably make the building collapse. We are going to escape and find you another battle where you are less likely to cause a disaster," Madhisi said, ordering Berserker to move.

As soon as the opening was made (regardless of the outcome to the building), Madhisi picked her most valuable belongings and jumped into it, commanding Berserker to go back to her Spirit Form. She also sacrificed her last golem to disguise the entrance was well as she could. They couldn't afford the risks of fighting here, they just couldn't.

The half-flooded tunnel was the definition of pitch black, but that wouldn't be a great impediment for Madhisi as long as Mordred wasn't fighting, she could concentrate enough to use her own magic. Calling on a spell that was used to read even the faintest of the wind currents, she began to follow the way the wind guided her to.

Meanwhile, she could hope that her pursuers wouldn't realize what happened until they were far enough, especially since the other Master's attack, combined with Berserker's attack had a really great chance of causing the building to collapse.

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@GreenGoat

Berserker materialized in front of Madhisi, staring into her eyes as she commanded the knight to open a passage to the underground tunnels below. A small grunt escaped her lips as she acknowledged, her muscles tensing as she prepared for breach. However there would be no holding back, not when there was so little time to spare. While she did not activate her shroud, she immediately began pummeling away at the floor, digging into the catacombs below and shaking the earth with the fury of her blows. Hopefully the simulation of an earthquake would motivate all the civilians in the building to leave quickly, especially since the building was already beginning to crumble beneath the weight of her blows. Those civilians would likely die to the machinations of the magus outside, not that Madhisi or Berserker knew exactly what she was doing, but if luck turned in their favor than perhaps Ruler would find a new target to focus his ire on.

Regardless of what happened, collapse or no, Berserker would quickly pull Madhisi into the hole that she had created, only pausing for a bit to let her Master gather her possessions and seal the tunnel behind them. She would then go back into spiritual form as her Master commanded, saving her strength for the battles to come. Hopefully they would find her father, there battle from the night prior needed a clear victor.

A beautiful sight to behold in front of the homunculus's golden eyes. Standing atop the platform of the second most ugliest building in the city. It's no wonder people would rather be up here to take in the brightened city of Paris because it's the only view without this old architecture in the way.

It also makes for a great base. Creating a Bounded Field to cover the whole building was a little difficult for her, the stinging sensation of her magic circuits just burning through her skin only reminds her that death is inevitable and that her expiration date is coming soon. She tried not to think about it, she was just nearly killed by a raging Berserker after all.

In fact, she didn't know what the hell just happened.

When the building started to shake and rumble from the fighting, she was flung out the window and into a bed full of her slime familiars, carrying her off to parts unknown and now she finds herself on top of the near-abandoned building with new clothes to boot.

"Lancer? Are you there? Any activity down below?" An echo from her voice would resonate in Honda's head while she observed the city from atop. They were supposed to go scouting today and hopefully find Tenryuu, the chaos from last night left them separated and didn't know how all this "Geas" thing worked out. Maybe it'll kick in? Maybe it'll give her a sign? Hopefully she doesn't take it as betrayal of some sort, even worse: an attempt to get out of the contract.

@ItMeGritty

As he saw Sanada move up the buildings wall he altered the spin on his spear. If he kept it horizontal he could definitely hit the fleeing servant and likely take the lives of the residents in the building along with him. He shifted to the side, spinning it in a vertical fashion, altering the orientation of the razor winds vertically. As Sanada got to the top of the building and began talking a razor wind would shoot up right in front of him, threatening to slice him in twain.

And then Rider's Master used their Command Seal.

Honda stood their solemnly. Alone with his thoughts he sighed.

"Soon Sanada. Whether we are allies or enemies, I await our next battle..."

---

The Sengoku General was walking the streets of the Illuminated City. It was so weird seeing the streets nearly empty. It seems the Church that were overseeing this war had quite the influence. He could only picture in his mind's eye what this place looked like without the Holy Grail War. He imagined dozens, or perhaps hundreds of people flooding the streets. Laughing, eating drinking. Friends, families and people who preferred the company of themselves. He raised a shake to his lips and took in a big, long slurp.

"Master, I am not entirely sure where to be looking for allies. I have no idea where to even start. Sidenote, this cherry shake is delicious. A shame it did not come from the establishment my old master and me visited the first night."

He thought back to the first night and what he said to that man. "War is a numbers game." If they were to stand a chance against Berserker, or anybody for that matter, they would have to gather allies. The knight Dietrich was off hunting the monster down. Honda was out here trying to consolidate their forces. The Lancer casually leapt to the top of a building and scanned the area. Then he got an idea....

He slammed back the shake and donned his armour, materialising his spear. He gave it a twirl and stuck it into the roof of the building, leaning on it with two hands. He inhaled and yelled into the night.

"I AM GENERAL HONDA TADAKATSU, THE SAMURAI AMONG SAMURAI, THE WARRIOR WHO SURPASSED DEATH, AND ONE OF TOKUGAWA'S FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS! BE YOU POTENTIAL FRIEND OR FOE I URGE YOU, COME TO MY VOICE! WE SEEK ALLIES IN THIS WAR! HOWEVER, IF YOU WISH TO TEST YOUR BLADE AGAINST MINE I SHALL HAPPILY OBLIGE!"

"That ought to get someone's attention..."

@The World@Seirei No Hai

Night came... And his sanity was still out of reach. Unable to return to his love until he had his prize. A Saracen's remains to drag before the one he loves. As such, he returned to that Foreign district, wondering just where his tree had gone. Maybe the tree alone might be enough to appease her long enough for him to find the greater trophy? But, despite having the skills of a homing pidgeon, he just couldn't find the tree. Perhaps if Ogier had joined him that night? Whatever the case, he walked around, eyes narrowed as they flashed from building to building, and lamppost to lamppost. And nothing. And then...

"I AM GENERAL HONDA TADAKATSU, THE SAMURAI AMONG SAMURAI, THE WARRIOR WHO SURPASSED DEATH, AND ONE OF TOKUGAWA'S FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS! BE YOU POTENTIAL FRIEND OR FOE I URGE YOU, COME TO MY VOICE! WE SEEK ALLIES IN THIS WAR! HOWEVER, IF YOU WISH TO TEST YOUR BLADE AGAINST MINE I SHALL HAPPILY OBLIGE!"

Certain declarations can make their way all across a district. Especially when done in such a way that they seem designed to draw as much attention as possible. Particularly when one declares themselves a 'Heavenly King.' To one person in particular there was only one Heavenly King. His Uncle. The king Charlemagne. The GREAT HOLY KING CHARLEMAGNE! Only one kind of person would make such a deceleration. Only one kind of individual would declare themselves a Heavenly King beyond that of the Holiest king in all the world! A stupid person S A R A C E N!

Before he even approached this Saracen, his clothing was gone. Evaporating around his body into a display of sparkles. He wouldn't need it. He was too mad to need armor for this. His eyes narrowed into fine points, and he ripped a streetlamp from the ground. He followed the sound of the voice, eyes narrowing like hawks into the distance. The offender wasn't hard to find, as he presented himself like a massive target ontop the edge of a building. Like a spear he held it, and then he released. The lights and fixtures where ripped off by the force of a single throw, as suddenly from just out the corner of Honda Tadakatsu's eye, he'd see a makeshift spear of metal baring down upon him like a cannon shell. Though probably faster than a cannon would, and probably a bit more lethal.

Whether or not the man managed to survive the strike, Berserker was already charging toward the man's location. His feet hammering at the ground, eyes mad with fury, hair wild with frenzy, and carrying in one hand a sword, and in the otherm another street lamp ripped from its post. Which was then thrown with equal fury after the first. Bombarding Honda from a range before they were even close enough to trade sword blows.

"▂▂▃▃▃▃▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅"

@Reflection@King Cosmos @SSW @Manythings @Crusader Lord





They only returned for a bit, mainly to do a bit of work and rest behind secure walls.

But before they left.

Dressed in a outfit more fitting a servant or waiter, the knight that came from the Clock Tower set the round table with plate after plate. Groceries that Elaine ended up buying the day before, preserved in ice boxes, finally prepared by Noon after their return.

“Hey hey, he’s cooking again. Let’s grab some and feed it to the toads."

"Y’think they’ll explode like last time? "

“I saw one leap out of the marsh and onto the road to get squished by a truck last time!”

The cackling and planning of faeries, disturbing as it was, both in their intentions and also of what they spoke of the meal.

Setting aside a well folded chef’s uniform, Noon was all smiles as he both offered a plate and a glass of wine to his servant.

What was presented at the very least looked fantastic. Fluffy potatoes as smooth as cream without any disturbance to its blend of yellow and white and the light sprinkling of pepper.

A roast of beef coated in a crust of seared meat, herbs, and spice held a strong aroma of rosemary while blackened pan-fried slices of garlic mixed in with grains of sticky moist rice.

Onions and carrots cooked until soft and sweet, almost like candy were also piled up.

Local bread was offered with herbal butter, and oil mixed with vinegar with some of the garlic soaking in it.

Despite the demands of Elaine that they’d go out to town and have fun for as many hours as they were out fighting in the city, and despite the work that was lined up this preparation was insisted on by the knight.

Of course one had to ask how he managed to set up a kitchen.

A number of exhausted faeries fluttering around, moaning and complaining might give a hint as to that.

“Please eat.” he said, beaming with a smile. With the face and movements of a man who couldn’t help but show a certain sort of pride despite feeling as though he were acting normal and nonchalant about things. Almost childish, not smug, nor not quite giddy, but still it was clear that on this matter he was wearing his feelings on his sleeves.

Yet deserved pride came hand in hand with work as he sat down and with a wave of his hand encouraged his guests and allies to dig into the feast.

...Sitting beside the knight the fairy leaned in to whisper to him.

“Just enjoy the meal... Truth is however I cooked it. I sneak it in and replace what he makes with something edible.”

She points over to a bed of wilted flowers that had been hale and beautiful only hours ago.

“I dumped it there. That sort of thing would probably do irreparable damage to even you. Just trust me, it’s something about the entire family. His dad was like that, his grandfather was like that. His great grandmother before that was like that… I think it’s some sort of curse or karmic inheritance. I just don’t get it.”

The zeal was there… but the talent was just not. But whether it was a lie or not the feast being beautiful and delicious due to the covert operations of a fairy caretaker, dressing up the drab normalcy of her human ward just like any old fairy tale, was undeniable.

But then as the meal came to a close...

“And for dessert I made a chocolate fondant cake. If you’d indulge me and bring yourselves to eat a bit more.”

“W-wait, dessert? I thought you said you weren’t going to make anything because we’d be buying some sweets out in the streets!”

“Mhm, I thought about it and I figured that I should offer an entire full meal. Even if we’re a mixture of servants here only for a week, and magi that may become enemies I choose to bare myself fully, just as I declared Ywain’s identity.”

“Ah… shit.”

The little girl visibly wilted, hands fidgeting as her mind went blank for a moment. Ah what was she going to do? There was no time to make a replacement. If he was serving mundane people then she could probably hypnotize them and fool them and mitigate the damage… but there was nothing she could do, nothing that could prevent the incoming catastrophe and keep her secret running through generations.

The first plate was set down before Ywain. A cracking shell of chocolate somewhat dried out with pockets of caved in parts that left holes… covered up almost by a heaping pile of powdered sugar caked on like make up nevertheless showed a hint of the innard of a unsmooth grainy and mash-like melted chocolate.

If one were to taste it, it’d taste like the oddest and most terrible sort of gravy and mashed potatoes. Mentally and intellectually one would register the presence of the flavor known as sweetness due to the sugar and chocolate. Yet the feeling was that of something akin to both a mash and a hardened undercooked root vegetable in weird chunks and clumps. It tasted nothing like chocolate, it tasted nothing like a dessert.

In essence it was perhaps a curse materialized, a terrible weapon and a terrible existence to poison the day.

This was the truth of Noon Triswich’s talent.

This was the curse of those who inherited the sash.

"I-I'm full, I'm smaller than you all and I didn't know this was coming so I ate too much..."

The face of the knight was a rather apparent and strong pout, sad like a puppy denied. "Ah... that's ok." he said, words very clearly at odds with his feelings.

Was he really not that aware of himself when it came to this topic?

"Geh..."

"F-fine, I'll eat, I'll eat."

The moaning of the fairy girl, and her paling of her skin would last throughout the entire day.

As the Archer’s bow attempted to parry Usumidori, she swept them aside with her blade. Her prowess lay within skill, not strength and thus knew not to be drawn into such contests with a knight of the West, and so rather than trying to press the blow, slid the sword aside and moved.

The arrows she dealt with far more easily, as invisible as they may have been, she was mistress of the winds. A child of the tengu she was raised, and a child of the tengu she died, and thus it was child’s play to detect the arrows, sailing through the air as they were. The shell of air around her exploded, forcing them back at their sender, and obscuring the field with dust and debris whipped about by winds not out of place in a storm.

“I was famed for my skill with the blade, indeed,” she responded, a battle-joy writ on her face and voice, “but if you thought a mere five arrows was enough for me, think again! Fill the air as a typhoon would rain, and perhaps you may catch me!”

And oh, perhaps the Archer could. Great was his strength, his speed, and his skill. She had been brought down when she was betrayed and surrounded, when her retainers and dearest Benkei were cut down to the last, and her very own tantō ripping open her own stomach. If the Archer caught her off-guard, if the Archer could fill the air with as many arrows as the stars in the sky, if the Archer was faster and smarter and had resources to spare.

But war roared in her veins, in her mind, in her soul, and she knew that more likely than not, if the Archer or someone else did not flip the battlefield utterly, the Archer could not catch her as things were now.

A smile on her lips appeared as she danced through the winds faster than any an eye could see, as easily as any beast of legend, and only came back into vision in truth behind the Archer, and her sword flickered.

Like a shower of falling stars swordstrokes fell in scores upon the Archer, of wind and steel in equal measure.

“Play faster, o Archer,” she whispered.

@KoL

"Apologies for underestimating you, milady. None but my King and a handful of my comrades has ever been able to face against my bow at such a short range before. It would have been sad if our duel ended before I had a good chance of appreciating the beauty of your skill," Tristan said as his opponent avoided his arrows and skillfully disengaged.

"The craft of the warriors from the Far East is amazing, indeed. However," Tristan said as his opponent disappeared from his sight—which he hardly required—momentarily, "such a move isn't enough."

As he said so, Tristan spun around, parrying his opponent's sword with Failnaught and trying to force Saber into corner. The wind strikes would be met with Tristan's "arrows", no matter how many that came, Tristan would be able to deflect them and still strike back. Speed of projectiles and rate of fire—or rather, saturation attacks—are Failnaught's forte.

The storm that Saber claimed for wouldn't come, however, in its place there would be nothing but the sheer melancholic melody of Tristan's harp playing amidst their clashing still. Soon enough, the number "arrows" the Archer could "fire" in between each well-timed parry, feint, and dodge would add up. Five, ten, fifteen, thirty. A countless number of "shots" capable of overwhelming none but the fastest heroes by volume and speed alone.

And then, they stopped.

Not Tristan's melody, but certainly the "arrows" meant for nothing but protecting himself. Instead of them, his harp grew even more somber as if the very sadness that defined the Knight of Lamentation's existence took form in the shape of his song.

"Your skill is truly second to none, milady. However," Tristan said once again. His voice carrying an unbearable melancholy with them, as if he finally understood something about his opponent that even she may not have been completely aware of.

"They bear the marks of sadness all over them. The way you swing your blade, and the melody of your wind tell me of a story of tragedy, a tale of love, and above all else, a sad end. The life of a Heroic Spirit is tragic one indeed, however, your tragedy is a beautiful one. Wouldn't you be willing to put this sad duel aside for the time being and listen to the words of this humble knight, milady?" Tristan asked. While his words couldn't cut the flesh like his "arrows", for a true Heroic Spirit that knew a life of sadness, one that knew of regret, one who died alone, the melody of his harp and his words were colder than a knife scraping against bone.

Such was his true power. The song of Tristan, the Child of Sadness.

---

---

@BlueHelix

“Just enjoy the meal... Truth is however I cooked it. I sneak it in and replace what he makes with something edible.”

Ywain looked at the fairy quizzically, but simply shrugged. He wasn’t the type to refuse food, even if the circumstances were a little strange. Perhaps it made sense that fairies would be the type to be picky when it came to this sort of thing. And if it meant he got a good meal out of it, he certainly wouldn’t complain.

“It’s good,” He said, nodding politely, unsure whether to thank Noon or his familiar. The food was certainly tasty, similar in ways to what his wife’s servants had produced in life. Was this the sort of thing that fairies like to eat?

And then, the dessert was served.

Ywain took a single bite of the ‘cake’, the slimy, chunky mess that could barely be considered a desert, the curse in the shape of food. A single tear came to his eye for a moment, before being blinked away. “Ahh… How nostalgic,” He said, before wolfing down the rest of the dish within moments.

That was the knight of the lion’s own eccentricity. If Noon was cursed, then perhaps he was blessed, in his own way. Even if the food in front of him could objectively be described as ‘inedible’, even if it was something that no other knight, or perhaps even no other person, could stomach, Ywain himself was the exception.

It wasn’t that Ywain was the type who could eat anything. No, he had his own tastes, likes and dislikes. He found sour things distasteful, and disliked powdery textures. Nor was it that he had simply grown used to the taste over time spent with his friend. It was a sensation that he had enjoyed from the very first bite.

Perhaps it was simply an alignment, a sign of fated friendship between the two knights of camelot.

“You must have worked hard on this, Noon,” Ywain said, with the sincere smile of a friend. “Ah,” He looked towards the other diners. “Are you going to finish that?”



Ywain stood, his ring set with its stone outwards, unhidden from the world. He watched as the lights burst and faded in the sky. A signal to any of the enemy masters or servants watching that there was a challenge to be fought here. He wondered, briefly, if that man would show up yet again, and what his attitude would be this time if he did.

He said nothing, but simply looked down at the city beneath him. The building’s roof was a good enough arena for battle, and defensible, for the most part. Perhaps he would have some trouble with a Rider or Archer, but standing with Noon, he was confident.

A sword appeared in his right hand, and a spear in his left. He weighed each for a moment, before dissipating the sword and passing the spear to a dual-handed grip.

Tonight’s armour was that of his time serving in Camelot, no helmet interfering with his vision as he cast his gaze around the city. His hair flowed free, blowing in the night’s gentle wind. “I have a good feeling about tonight,” He said, quietly. It had started well, after all.

@Danchou

...Master, perhaps that move wasn't the...

He sensed the presence of a servant. It's magical presence was almost palpable. Down the street he saw a crazy naked man with rippling muscles and golden hair, bounding towards the building he was currently posting on.

...smartest idea. How is he not tripping over his...

The crazed knight chucked something at him, breaking his train of thought. A spear? No, streetlamp. Just as quickly as the first a second streetlamp was uprooted and turned into an improvised projectile.

Honda sprung into action, turning and rolling under the first projectile, then he quickly dashed to the left of the second oncoming projectile's path. With the knight still a little ways away but gaining ground he decided that a 'tactical retreat' was the best course of action. Hopefully he could create some space between himself and the crazy naked Super Saiyan looking guy. He had a moment to consume some modern media from his homeland during the day and grew fond of an 'animated play' called The Dragon's Ball. He leapt down to the street on the opposite side of the building Roland was currently running towards and started sprinting down it. At first he thought it was an Archer, given the projectiles, but given the manner those projectiles were 'fired' and a really, really bad feeling Honda had in his gut he was certain what kind of servant had eyes for him tonight.

Why did it have to be a Berserker?

@Reflection@Seirei No Hai