---

"Ah, indeed i desire to go out and uncover my enemies! I wish to clash against their shields, and let the din of battle ring out once more!" the giant of a servant said aloud, his tone remaining upbeat as a more toothy grin came onto his face, "The night is still young! I shall be your shield, but as a warrior i cannot sit idly by as our opponents likely wander these streets!"

Mages were of such a squishy and little sort, or at least so much had he gleaned from what the Holy Grail told him about this day and age at any rate. This little witch who had summoned him at least had a fire within her, but time for her to prepare whatever sorcery there was to prepare would come later. They had to seize the initiative whilst the night was still young, and make their enemies feel the might of their arms so they could in turn find out more about them and seek to strike them down! He was best on the defense, admittedly, but even then it was still wiser to engage the enemy and glean from it whilst they would in his mind. He'd learned valuable things about Hector from their bouts, about the Trojan army from him butchering them single-handedly, and the like.

@King Cosmos

Karushka soon made its descent onto an open field within the heart of Eastern Tokyo. It was this park that Rider believed would be the perfect place to begin the Holy Grail War in earnest. Indeed, there were few other locations within the city that could have been more fitting, as unbeknownst to Rider, many of his enemies indeed flocked the center of this vast metropolis as well. Even then, this particular park seemed to also have a sort of historical connection to the Motherland as well, vague as it may be. As Karushka finally landed onto the snowy field, Rider dismounted at once, offering a hand to Snegurochka so that she may come off as well.

"What do you think, Miledi? It isn't too cold for you, right?" Rider laughed at his own joke, scratching behind Karushka's ear while looking out to the snow-filled landscape.

"Such an open place in the middle of this city's bound to draw some attention from our enemies. Open enough so that I don't have to be too careful with my strength, too! All we need to do is wait for any challengers... Miledi, has Milord fitted you with some sort of way to draw attention to us? As much as I'd like to proclaim a challenge vocally, I wouldn't want to wake the rest of the city with my bellowing voice! We might draw the wrong kind of attention with that."

Rider procured his weapon, a mighty spear fit more for slaying titanic beasts rather than fighting other heroes. It looked unwieldy, too heavy to deliver swift thrusts, but in Rider's hands it looked as light as the air. Indeed, all of Rider's weapons were made with his mighty strength in mind, as most mundane weapons that he had wielded in the past (including the broken sword his Master utilized as a catalyst) broke under the might of his monstrous strength alone. Leading Karushka a few meters away from Snegurochka, Rider took a deep breath as he awaited his first challenger, his arms flexing with anticipation as Rider felt his strength well within.

Archer Actaeon

Fomonar Workshop; Release the hounds

At the assent from his Master, Archer summoned three more hounds to join those already waiting, the small workshop beginning to feel crowded as the large hunting dogs with the aura of beasts filled the remaining empty spaces around the table. Snapped his fingers her drew their attention and alerted them to the fact an order was coming, though Laelaps and the three new comers were the only ones to respond, and pointed towards the most prominent circle on the map; Tokyo Tower. According to his Master’s notes it was both an important landmark within the city and also the site of an unclaimed fallen leyline; it demanded the most attention from his scouts and would therefore be the focus on this largest group.

A short, sharp whistle saw the four attentive hounds disappear as they became immaterial, fading from the senses as they ventured north towards the city centre; though invisible to most Actaeon could track their movement in his mind, like a sixth sense that felt strange yet comforting at the same time.

Summoning two more hounds Archer pointed to the next location on the map, further west than the last, before dispatching Dorceus and the pair with another whistle. Another two hounds went with Hylaeus to the north-eastern portion of the city, another two to the south-west, three to the south-east and another five given orders to simply roam and report anything unusual back to him.

In total he had sent twenty scouts into the city, sending hunting parties to the most notable locations with a few others running around freely for good measure. He was wary about putting too much strain on Mercedes by summoning too many hounds at once, but the sheer scale of their battlefield demanded at least this much effort on their behalf. Tonight they would hope that their enemies were being careless, fighting in the open or moving without hiding their presence, on future nights they would seek to narrow their searches down using the results from tonight and begin to home in on lairs and hideouts. Once they knew where to strike they would begin the final phase of the hunt and bring down their prey, but for now all they could do was wait.

While he had been organising his forces Mercedes had dug some kind of journal and a deck of playing cards out from somewhere and sat down at the table. Actaeon watched her write for a moment, her attention on her work and not him, before her question caught him off guard. I can’t say I played many games of any kind. My life was one of training and hunting and fighting and I was happy with that. The magus picked up the deck of cards and began to shuffle them as Archer watched, somewhat confused by both the line of inquiry and her current actions. I wouldn’t mind learning if you wish to pass the time, though how you expect to play when I can’t speak I don’t know.

Mercedes continued, drawing a card from the middle of the deck and slapping it down on the table before smiling as if at some joke only she was aware of. Circling something in her journal she tore out a page and held it out for him to read and Archer was surprised to find his own name within the circle, selected from a list of name of other heroes he could only assume were other candidate for his true identity.

He smiled and nodded, amused and relieved in equal measure that she had figured him out so soon; both his inability, as opposed to unwillingness, to speak and his identity had been revealed quicker than he had thought. As the scrap of paper burnt to ash Archer thought to himself I don’t know if I believe in prophesies, but I do believe that we’ll be fine together.

@Yankee

"Did you know, Berserker? Tokyo Tower is the largest structure in all of Japan!"

“The tallest..?” Edward nodded. “It certainly is impressive. Such a structure would have been impossible to build in my time. Imagine a tower like that on a fortress.” For a moment, Berserker imagined the kind of castles that could be built in this era. Perhaps these techniques could make a fortress worthy of being called a new Camelot.

"Good idea, Survivor! Hey, Berserker, do you think I should send my royal familiars to go and scout for the other masters? We'll find them in the time it takes Dracomar to clean out his food bowl, if their Servants stand out as much as you do."

“Information gathering is certainly important,” Edward said. “Scout as you wish. I’ll leave it to your discretion, since you know the area.” The Masters were less his concern than the Servants, but knowing the enemy was still paramount. It wouldn’t do to simply leave everything to do with them to Daisuke, but he had little to offer before they had gathered any intelligence.

It was then that Berserker noticed the presence of an enemy Servant ahead. Ever so slightly, he smiled. “It appears we’ve been anticipated.” He continued in his path unimpeded. It seemed the enemy had created a field to keep out any witnesses. An intelligent enough decision, though it hardly mattered to Berserker.

“Be ready for a fight,” He noted to Daisuke, before striding into view of the enemy. A woman in strange armour that was half a dress. It was perhaps surprising to face a female knight here, but Berserker knew better than to underestimate anyone who could be summoned from the throne of heroes.

"A knight, I presume. I'm the Saber Class Servant summoned for this Holy Grail War. It'll be my honor to challenge you to a duel,"

Berserker gave a brief nod. Certainly, any Saber was worthy of at least some respect, though how much would be determined by their battle. “I would be honoured to accept, Servant Saber,” He said, gravely. “Come, then. Test yourself against the Knight of the Hammer.” With that, he manifested his Noble Phantasm; a great stone hammer appearing in his hands. Certain Servants would be able to recognise such a famous artefact, but it was one that several people could lay claim to. Only its true name release would reveal his name directly.

The first ‘blow’ would be a simple one. Look away, Daisuke. If you want to witness this fight, use your Master’s Clairvoyance… But beware of the enemy’s own Master. With that warning, he glared. Edward’s aura of suppression flared up, pressing down upon the enemy’s mind and body. If the enemy’s Master was watching, they would feel the effects with even more intensity.

It was unquestionably an attack, but not one with lethal intent. Saber didn’t seem like the rebellious, chaotic type who were most affected by Edward’s will; the odds of it doing any phsyical harm were zero. But it was an opening to the fight nonetheless. Edward simply stood in anticipation of his foe’s first attack, his weapon lifted and ready.

@KoL @heroic2019 @Duoya

Daisuke was just about to release some of his familiars to start scouting - Tokyo was a massive city, but Daisuke's sole objective in scouting was to guarantee no masters were within a certain area around their base. He couldn't care less about actively seeking them out, which would be a lot more difficult than sticking to a relatively small radius. Daisuke didn't get the chance to release any from his tome, however, as he rapidly noticed that no other people were around them anymore.

This was impossible - Tokyo Tower was always popular at all hours of the day, and at least a few people would have been walking towards it with Daisuke and Berserker. Daisuke had no clue what was causing it since he never really paid attention when his family tried teaching him stuff like this, but he knew it had to be some form of magic keeping people away. Didn't matter if it was enchantment or some kind of mental manipulation - all that mattered was that somewhere nearby, there was a Master.

That was a lie - there was at least one other person here. She was a woman in some odd combination of dress and armor that really didn't look that effective. Daisuke didn't need any kind of magic to realize who this was - it was clearly a Servant since no modern person would wear such a getup outside of cosplay.

It didn't hurt that she literally said she was Saber. Daisuke immediately balked at that. Sabers were considered to be some of the best Servants in the war, thanks to their incredible stats and lack of weaknesses. It took a lot of effort to calm down - Daisuke had to remind himself that he had Edward on his side. Daisuke wasn't meant to help too much, other than be a mana battery and to try and rout out the enemy master.

Look away, Daisuke. If you want to witness this fight, use your Master’s Clairvoyance… But beware of the enemy’s own Master.

Daisuke immediately turned around, keeping his Servant out of his sight. He had no clue why, but he did know one thing - if your Servant warns you, you want to obey that warning.

Survivor, you'll need to look for the other Master - they should be close by since she isn't an Archer.

That wasn't necessarily true, but it wasn't really like Daisuke knew that - he knew basic information about the war, but when it came to specifics like range and mana drain, he was pretty much clueless. Daisuke just knew that Archers could go further away from their masters than others could, and could stay away longer as well. A ball of flesh seemed to grow from Daisuke's neck like a tumor, before detaching and growing feathered wings. It flew towards the tower, keeping its eyes up and away from Berzerker. Looking for the master was gonna be difficult, especially since Survivor had to rely on Daisuke's Master clairvoyance to keep in mind where his servant was and avoid it.

Daisuke started walking forwards, away from Edward and Saber. He would only be a detriment to Edward if he stayed so close to their fight. All he could offer was distractions and attacking the source of Saber's mana.

"Be careful, Rider. If you require my aid, call for me - I'm not above using a Command Seal the first night."

Daisuke started walking slowly, doing his best to try and appear cool and nonchalant. Internally, he was terrified - Servants could kill a normal human a hundred times over in a second, and keeping his back to a hostile one would normally be impossible for someone like Daisuke. He could only manage it because he trusted Edward to protect him while he tried getting to a safe spot. Daisuke's goal right now was a building nearby - if he managed to get in there and make it to the roof, he could use his familiars far more easily to look for the enemy master, as well as stay away from the battle the Servants were going to have.

@SSW@KoL@heroic2019

Saber was ready to strike when the other Servant acknowledged with a sharp glare. She found herself hesitating for a moment, tightening her grasp around her sword's hilt but resisting the impulse to give any ground.

The pressure from being under his gaze was impressive to say the least. That sort of overbearing personality could certainly shock a lesser warrior to halt, maybe more.

Nevertheless, Saber knew better.

Despite hesitating for a moment, Saber recovered fast enough to meet her opponent's expectation. She didn't say a word, her expression remaining the same cold gaze from before. This wasn't a duel that would be resolved by speech, but rather by action and so she acted.

Dashing forward under half of her best speed, Saber struck with her blade. She aimed for the gaps in her opponent's armor with quick trusts combined with fast draw-cuts. A style that was only made possible by her fencing-like footwork, with gracious movements that felt like those of a swan spreading its wings over a moonlit lake.

From his distance, Assassin knew he would be reasonably safe from any projectiles that went wayward. Any beams, knocked aside swords, rubble, or in the very likely case, a Saber's broken body parts were well out of range. From his vantage point, nothing escaped Assassin's vision. The Saber was the first thing he really noticed. Her armor and dress were strange, but as he watched her, he found he just couldn't make any sense of her. She easily claimed to be a knight, but of what kind? One of the Paladins of Charlemagne, or the Knights of the Round Table? Those two groups where the most likely to be summoned under that container. But then again, even he could qualify as a Saber, so it wasn't the most restricted group, since anybody with a sword really qualified.

The man with the Hammer, who claimed to carry a hammer... Yep, that was a Berserker. Probably one of the rare ones that were sane enough to fight on their own accord, but still clearly insane. It was the attitude. Or perhaps that was just a thing for Kings? Either way, he was no Lancer, Archer, or Rider. A Rider usually had a mount. Kirigakure's attention drifted to both the masters and...

One of them looked away. Away from his servant. Oh. OH! OH NO!

Assassin turned his head, but even for a moment he had been looking upon Berserker. The distance took most of the force away from the presence, but even he could feel it. That was a pressure. An in human pressure that struck at the very core of an enemy. No doubt several familiars had been struck dead by the sheer weight of the man's presence, but Kirigakure could still feel it.
'Master, the Berserker has an aura of some sort.' Kirigakure said, transmitting it thoughts. 'He's a fearsome foe. The only such person I ever met with something like this... Well I'd likely have recognized him instantly if they were one in the same.' His eyes narrowed, as he dwelled on that man.

That man... Sanada Yukimura. The Last Hero of the Sengoku Period.
That fierce man in his red armor. Wielding a spear and riding upon his stallion. The great hero of his time. Kirigakure bowed before him, and knew no other lord of such power. The man he followed... And the man that the name Kirigakure Saizo died alongside. If Berserker was even half the man that Sanada was, this war might be difficult.



She had flown multiple times in the past. But, Snegurochka had never flown on a horse. Rather, she had flown through the night sky with her master, held aloft by a magical sled that clambered through the night with magical bells to ward off evil. That evil was almost always Baba Yaga, her mortal enemy. But Rider was unlikely to be targeted by the witch, at least for now. So they were safe from evil curses. Maybe that was why she seemed to enjoy herself. Her snow-white hair trailing behind her, and her heavy coat billowing in the wind. But she didn't mind the cold. In fact, she adored that chilling cold air.

The stallion flew through the air, and slowly settled back down. The cold winter air was crisp, and she placed her feet down on the chilled ground. Only when Rider spoke, did she turn her attention away from the snow.

"Miledi, has Milord fitted you with some sort of way to draw attention to us?"

"Oh, of course." She said, and flashed a small smile. "My original Milord designed me to defend him against all enemies he may face. As such, something as simple as an attractive, silent flare is well within my power. Though, if you had asked earlier, Milord also possessed a chemical compound that could create bright lights."

She raised her hand, and ice began to gather around each of her fingers. Gathering and gathering, before... She sighed, and it fired off into the air like a rocket. Her hand missing for several seconds, before slowly reforming from the rest of her body. As for the ice, it sailed higher... And higher... Until it was over the treeline, and exploded. A silent flash of light as the moonbeams caught it just right. A glittering snow that drifted back down to earth, and touched the snow all around them.
"And please, do your best to win. My Moroz will be very happy to watch you work."

@Dosthou @Reflection @Cu Chulainn



The first show of his master's magic huh? As basic as he called it, something like that, navigation through looking at the world around them was important even to him. Whether it was as an adventurer, a hunting young boy, or a knight waging war direction and guidance was important. Even if he didn't quite have the head, but rather the heart for such things initially. -Righto! With this they could definitely fight.

"...By the way master, is it ok if we invi-actually no. That’s something else for another time! As far as women go I'm not sure if they're always so forceful as you say, but anyone grabs at what they want or find important, right?” a glance he was giving the women that he had been chatting with in the moments he strayed from his master cut off as he sharpened his posture. The glass he had in hand swiftly found itself drained and left as he made his way to the overlooking view that judged the city.

“Mhm. That’s why we’re here even, isn’t it? But speaking of… it’s time to fight isn’t it? You won’t be disappointed. Have you ever seen a knight before?” He looked over the city as if trying to follow the gaze of the stars with his own eyes, being up high as they were. After a while satisfied that he knew where they were going to go through consulting the magus he turned around.

“Well, Lan-Lan would probably say this is more fitting of something to say to a woman but..” With a grin he tugged Brahelius off the edge and threw himself fell off as well. A magus could float down, a servant could handle such a fall. But to meet the earth wasn’t his plan.

“Hoi. Let’s get closer to the stars ah?” Twisting in the air, Lancer placed his feet against the side of the building they were just upon, and with a widening expression on his face, pushed off. Grabbing Brahelius he took his master with him as the two shot out, following the path of the stars to their battle as they soared through the sky. Sneaking away from the party. The light of the night was abandoned for the sparks in the dark between blade and blade.



“Oh? A firework? All the better.”

Striding forth into the sight of the the enemy came Lancer. His more modern clothes provided by his master replaced by the hefy and yet well-conforming armor on his frame. A large spear in hand, the servant walked with a cheerful and light step towards what would likely be his first battle. “Yo, yo. I’m the Knight of the Spear, Lancer. Which one are you?”

"Would believe me if I said I was also a Lancer?"

Chuckling along with his jest, Rider's seemingly perpetual smile grew wider his challenger approached, also bearing a spear. Climbing atop Karushka, who stood beside him, Rider quickly adjusted himself before looking at his opponent once more. A knight and a spearman, likely to have more mobility than Rider given his class. However, this only takes into account if Rider happened to be off his steed. Confident in Karushka's ability to keep up with his faster opponent, Rider sat comfortably atop his mount as he met Lancer's gaze with a look of determination.

"Heroic Spirit of the Mount, Rider! It's a pleasure to have my first fight against another knight! I hope you don't mind if I start things out. Surely a Knight of the Spear should be fast enough to meet my charge!"

And with that, Rider stirred Karushka into an earnest charge. To the human eye, Rider's horse seemed to break the distance at the blink of an eye, deceptively fast for a steed bearing the monumental weight of Rider's mountain-like form. However, to a Servant, its speed was just as expected. Avidly, Rider rode forth, eager for his spear to clash against his opponent's.

It seemed there was no more need for words. Their actions would do the talking. The clash of combat was a natural state for knights such as them, after all.

From her speed and elegance alone, this certainly would be a dangerous foe. Even under the pressure of his will, the Saber was the faster of the two combatants.

His large hammer, too, was unwieldy compared to a simple sword. With his instinct telling him the direction that the attacks would come from, it was possible to swing the shaft, adjusting it to meet and repel the incoming attacks. There was no opening to make an attack of his own, though, at least not without opening himself up to taking damage from the Saber at his more vulnerable points.

He was on the defensive, and he had no way of knowing which of them could keep up the fight for longer. He frowned, thinking over his options. Perhaps for now it would be best to stall defensively, to trust Daisuke’s ability to take out the likely incapacitated opposing Master. If that proved too slow, perhaps he would have to use his trump card.

@KoL @Duoya

"Hmm, don't think so.” The jest was responded to with a smile as he braced himself.

“Rider huh? All the better.” The connection was made as he waited for Rider to climb his mount. “I’m a horseman myself at times. So why don’t we make this a bit more formal? Take this, my human jousting techniques!”

He erupted. Magical energy flooded and coarsed out of Lancer, coating him and wreathing it with its volume. The charge was less a man and more a beast of legend as the aura whirred and spun. The rotation of his energy focused the aura as a drill pointing forward, harnessing that otherwise indiscriminately burned away and churned the earth underneath him in his passing.

It was no explosion like that of his king, but a continuous flow from world to man.

If the horse was a beast that matched the abilities of man in its intellect, then he was a man who matched the stature of a monster with his spear. Shining like a phantasm, Lancer charged past, side by side, his large spear aimed at the Rider as he passed the horse. The drill-like blow aimed for his chest, aiming to gouge into him and rip through as he passed.

The energy was his true spear and shield both, and with the speed of the already swift servant class augmented by the coating from his spear, his sudden rush blazed forth as a surprise. His passing burned at the flank and hooves of Karushka.

Here was the hard part.

An ability that could be called the cornerstone of his fighting style, and a taste of what his trump card had to offer. Yet the biggest problem was that…

It was hard to stop! But if something like that was too much for him. Then he could hardly be called a hero. His instinct and experience, along with his rush-forward gungho attitude were what made this ridiculous fighting style possible in the first place… and also let him think of it to begin with.

Lancer slammed his feet into the ground after their exchange of blows, dirt and grass melting away from the mana-coating, his footing crumbling from the force and energy. His hand swiped through the ground to turn him about, Lancer swiveling to face his foe again as he prepared for another charge

Well he showed his trick, but the initial surprise was only the start of the battle.

“Rider, your horse is a nice horse. But it’s unfortunate. I’m the best horse around!”

"Woah, no kidding! I can feel that from here even though I'm not in even that close. Try to not get caught in the crossfire, ok?" Alex said once Emon made his observation about the enemy. "I'm really sorry for leaving everything in your hands like this," she added in a half apologetic tone.

So that was a what it means for two high level familiars like Servants to clash against one another, huh? Alex could not only feel the oppressive aura coming from Berserker, but also the powerful gusts of prana blowing from the tower. Or rather, she could see their after effects, like scintillating waves rippling before her eyes.

"Talking about seeing things. I wonder if none of the other Masters are going to notice my trick. I tried to set it up as close to the Tower as possible, but it seems that either I made it too much like a genuine concealed bounded field or they are just too dull. I bet it's the second," she said to herself as she continued to wait on her hiding spot.

The fact that her opponent had a hard time keeping up with her speed despite Saber being not only limiting her own output, but also under the effects of his skill said a lot about the gap in their powers.

That Saber was able to analyze it while keeping her own information concealed was a great advantage for herself. One that she planned to capitalize on.

Of course, she didn't plan to underestimate him. A single hit of his weapon was likely enough to even the odds, if not put Saber at a disadvantage. As long as she could keep herself from being hit—even if she had to sacrifice some of her momentum—she could keep on the pressure.

A war of attrition. At this point it was probably going to be a matter of who would be exhausted first.

Saber's icy expression didn't show it, but this was actually a battle that she enjoyed so far.

Cleo Forsberg

Preparing for war

“I had a feeling that would be your answer. I suppose I should do what I can to locate our enemies then.” Cleo stepped away from Shielder and moved towards the low table she had pushed aside earlier to make room for her circle, turning her back on the Servant who only moments ago had threatened her life. The suitcase she had brought with her to Japan still sat open where she had left it, clothing and various implements of magecraft visible inside, including the chalk she had used to draw the framework of the summoning ritual. Grabbing something from within the case Cleo turned back to Ajax, a short wooden tool of some kind now held in one hand.

Practitioners of Seidr had always been thought of as weavers of fate, so it was incredibly fitting that the tool most associated with them was one used to help ease the spinning of threads by keeping them tangled together. The distaff Cleo now held was one that had been in her family’s possession for what must have been centuries and it had been used in all of their most important rituals for almost as long; even just holding it she could feel the spiritual energy around her thrumming, while those spirits which had been bound to her workshop and those which was still lay dormant in the graveyard feeling that much closer to her. Or was she closer to them?

“This will only take a moment. Watch over me while I’m gone.” This was, she supposed, the first leap of faith she was going to take in this war; she was betting on the fact that Shielder would be true to his word and protect her as she made herself as vulnerable as she possibly could. Closing her eyes Cleo took a deep breath before, with a sensation like stepping off the edge of a cliff, she activated her magic circuits and entered a light trance. When her eyes next opened they were glassy and unfocused and what Cleo saw was not the room or Shielder, but a vast network stretching into infinity like the web of a particularly diligent spider.

When the elders and more experienced mages of her family came together, crafting a large ritual over the course of days and combining their efforts, they scoured this network for information about the future. They untangled the threads of fate, seeing which paths led to what outcomes and making sense of the near incomprehensible mess that came with trying to change the future. What she was doing now was nowhere near as complicated, merely glancing at the nearest threads to get a vague hint of an idea of what would happen in the next hour or so. Would she and her Servant find enemies if they went North? What if they went West? East? South? South.

She would find conflict to the South.

Coming out of her trance and finding herself still in one piece, Cleo focused her vision with some effort and found Shielder’s gaze. “Our enemies are to the South; only to the South, for some reason. Perhaps they are already fighting each other, or there’s only one pair brave enough to venture out tonight. We’ll find out soon I suppose. Let’s go.”

@Crusader Lord

Caster

---

Caster was slightly taken aback, her response a little bit flat footed. Whether it was confusion around the value of the question itself or her masters intent, it was pretty hard to tell. It wasn't as if Caster herself was a Magus, even if she had the general fundamentals more or less expanded within this container. She had been relying on Merlin this entire time, and she imagined her true instruction would begin whenever it was time to sleep.

". . .You are wrong. We're both going to be pupils, Mast-"



"Charlie, the enemy is in front of us."

Artoria immediately cut off the thought as her scouting familiars were killed by an overwhelming pressure she could feel through their shared link. It was enough to stop her for a moment, though in truth that was more in reaction to enemies. It certainly hadn't been magecraft. An enemy ability or Noble Phantasm, then? It wouldn't make a difference to her either way. Without any hesitation, she increased her own resistance against mental attacks with a spell. Whatever it was, her own abilities had limited the effects greatly. There was no telling what it could do to someone else, though.

Caster took a brief moment to direct her Master to a safe hiding spot, then moved on her own to confront their opponents. A powerful aura ability like that was dangerous for even an experienced Magus. Until its limitations and nature were verified, she couldn't risk exposure for Charlie. However, she wasn't going to obstruct them from fighting; there was something abnormal about Casters Master. Her contemplation only lasted for the briefest moments before she crossed the short distance left required to reach Tokyo Tower. While traveling she prepared self targeted spells to improve her overall speed, for flight, and to create a flexible barrier of wind around herself. When she finally did arrive, Caster made sure to extend a larger barrier around the park to discourage any attention.

The area was dominated by a small park full of trees. Obstructions like that would be a terrain advantage to consider in the coming battle, and concealment would be a lot simpler. She had initially worried that this area would've been open ground for an Archer to snipe into, but that would probably only be an issue if Caster committed to aerial combat. The Holy Grail War was full of oddities, however. She would have to be on guard for the likes of Archer or Assassin interfering.

"Master. For now, just watch through our link. The opponents ability is too dangerous for your fighting style."

When she finally reached the scene, a battle between two opponents had already begun. This was a struggle between a Tyrant with an overwhelming aura and a pure white Knight.

In other words in front of her were two superb opponents. Rather than attacking from the shadows, she elected to reveal herself whilst conjuring up a contingent of Men-At-Arms to her front. Archers were positioned to her sides and back(with a clear line of exit behind herself), and for now she elected to not use aerial combat.



". . . ."

Even discounting her monarchical regalia, Casters own 'aura of Kingship' was itself quite potent. The male opponent was obviously a King, and most likely a Tyrant at that. The pure Knight was a different story, but she had clearly pushed him onto the defensive. With just the tiny demonstration she had been shown, Artoria was already impressed by both. But then again, this was the Holy Grail War. Perhaps all of her opponents would be this majestic.

For a few precious moments, she watched their exchange of blows. If neither had a word to speak in that time, she would doubtless begin her attack. It would've been nice if she could've spoken with them, but introductions were a luxury in mortal combat.

Moments later, she unleashed a ray of searing blue light from her scepter directed at both Saber and Berserker. It was a mere probing attack and wouldn't do a great amount of damage, but it would test their magical resistance. After that, the real battle could begin.

More importantly it would work well with her archers to suppress an enemy charge.

"Ugh..."

Though she had stationed herself in a building that she had thought would be at a prudent distance from the scene of the battle, Sekimoto Yuriko was almost immediately brought down to her knees the moment Berserker made its presence known. That intense and unrelenting pressure felt like a hammer trying to nail her down to the floor with each moment that passed by. Originally, Yuriko had intended to remain by Saber's side, in order to both provide immediate support and avoid unfortunate accidents, such as bumping into an Assassin Class Servant. But now, with this she understood why Saber had insisted that remaining close to a fight between two Heroic Spirits was dangerous. That sensation of dread, that aura of absolute command that Berzerker exuded... Might have killed her outright if she had been close enough to the source. Though Sekimoto's method of keeping people away from the Tokyo Tower was rudimentary at best, she was glad that she had erected that bounded field to at least reduce the number of casualties.

"..."

As soon as the blonde Magus was allowed to recover, she immediately sprung into action and activated her magic circuits. She felt a surge of pain run throughout her body as she channeled Magical Energy through it, turning nerves into circuits and activating her mystic code. At the same time, she released three spider-like puppets she had been keeping inside a small box. Though initially just tiny cubes of wood, the figures quickly unfolded to transform into decently sized constructs, at least one meter tall. Controlled remotely by her almighty Formal Wear, they'd be able to search for enemy masters as well as record the events of the epic battle taking place below. After all, these puppets couldn't feel anything and thus were unaffected by the Servant's aura.

---But there was more.

After all, 'puppet remote-control' was not the only function Convergence could carry out, and only a fool would believe otherwise. Yuriko had long since surpassed the levels of an average tailoring Magi, not to mention this particular toy of hers was supposed to be her life's work, a Mystic Code that wouldn't be available in the market for the next thirty years, but would surely become a must-have after its release. In other words, a piece of equipment capable of turning a mediocre Magus into a superb spellcaster. With nothing but a thought, Convergence executed an immediate analysis of the structure were Yuriko was hidden and all of the nearby buildings and streets within its range, relaying all the information to the young woman at real time. You see, while Sekimoto's line of work required her to have knowledge on structural analysis, with Convergence she could extend its application and range for it to be suitable for a real battlefield, using it to easily locate her foes. Granted, the outcome was closer to a surface movement radar than a fully-detailed battlefield map, as it was unable to tell apart friend from foe, let alone detect spiritual beings or the activation of magecraft. Convergence would then use this information to send the puppets in different directions. One will devote its existence solely to recording the fight taking place below, while the other two would take a more active role and be sent towards suspicious points on the area.

---

---

Hmm? So this was perhaps one reason why the little witch here had summoned him, that her arts left her so exposed upon the battlefield? At least, such seemed to be the case to the towering Achaean's experienced eyes. He had never been one to make use of the magical arts, but so long as this woman didn't merely hide in the shadows he was perfectly fine to be the bulwark that protected her in return. That had ever been his specialty, it seemed, and without further words or meandering about the giant of a man stood up once more. He took his spear and great shield in hand, the top of his head against the ceiling once more as he looked down into Cleo's eyes below. They had a bearing towards where their foes lied, and he himself was itching for the glory of battle once more! Such was the fate of any proper hero, he felt.

"Meet me on the roof, then, and from there we will go to meet our enemies!"

Without another word, Shielder shifted into his spiritual form. Tonight would be a fairly exciting one, of his gut instincts were correct. Perhaps he would run into his former comrades in arms, or one of the heroes who had stood from the Trojan side? It was of no matter for the most part, for a battle was a battle and a war was a war no matter how some might have tried to look at it. Who knew what the tides of battle would bring this time around, though?

And so they would set off into the darkness of the night, their only light those of the city below and the stars above.



As soon as he had his master cradled in one arm for carrying, a position that was perhaps more awkward than it should have been, Shielder had begun rapidly moving south with his master quite literally in tow. He seemed to care not for the modern scenes that were placed out before them, though his movements seemed to shake the rooftops he was leaping to and from. Shielder himself eventually felt himself pointed somewhere by his own gut feelings and intuition, though admittedly the warrior had decided for what was perhaps the more "obvious" option. In other words, he had found himself traveling towards that great tower that scraped against the skies themselves within this city, violating the domain of Zeus himself in an era where the gods no longer held sway.

It seemed to be a place some Archer might go, or another who desired to survey the city from on high. A strategically important location, in other words, that would naturally attract others to it in his opinion. If it hadn't already done so.

Though as the hulking servant approached Tokyo Tower, his gut instincts seemed to be proven true. He felt a sort of pressure in the air, and the air of battle almost caused him to jump right into the fray were it not for the fact he was carrying his master still. Stopping on a very close nearby rooftop next to the tower, the hulking and materialized servant gingerly set Cleo down. She would perhaps be able to feel what was going on, and it wasn't like his own presence wasn't going to be detected and obvious to the three servants he could see down there.

'Master, stay here for your safety. Sooner or later those below shall notice me, if they have not already. I shall be your shield, so watch as i fight our foes below! Witness the Bulwark of the Achaean army!!!' Shielder communicated to Cleo through their link, before moving down towards the three servants by jumping off of the building.

A graceful knight in a bird-like dance, swiftly moving in and out and attacking her opponent. On the other end, a tall and mighty man that Shielder himself almost would compare to his own height (almost)...who also seemed to be the source of the pressure that was being exuded into the area to boot. He must be a mighty warrior - no, king - indeed, one befitting a conflict such as this whilst wielding such a great hammer! And then there was the third, dressed in such a regal fashion and and aura whilst being surrounded by what seemed to be a battalion of archers and warriors about her in a great throng. This one too gave off a very kingly presence, though seemed to be more of a Caster-type than someone who got into the midst of a melee.

Already Shielder could feel his blood boiling for the thrill of battle once more, as the towering giant of a servant crashed down onto the pavement to the other side of the battling duo (landing on the opposite side across from Caster). The ground buckled and cracked under his strength, and the pressure and presence of battle in the air had too brought forth a distinct gleam of joy in the eyes of the Achaean. He held his great spear in one hand, and held his trademark great oxhide shield in the other hand, which left little if anything to doubt his nature as a servant of notable stature as well. A pleased grin was on his face, unable to be hidden any longer as the Greek heroic spirit crashed into the middle of a situation that felt much like home to him.

...Truly, no words were needed.

@King Cosmos

Taking a deep breath, Rider's smile only grew immensely at Lancer's display of power. It seemed as if Rider's assumption of Lancer's speed was true as he blazed forth at such a blinding speed. What Rider hadn't anticipated was his opponent meeting his charge with an attack so extreme, Lancer's spear ripping through the World like it were paper. If Lancer was capable of making such a charge, then Rider knew he needed to take this fight more seriously than he had initially began.

Karushka steered to the side, away from Lancer's monstrous charge at an attempt to both mitigate its damage and help position its Rider to safety. Faster as it may be on an extended sprint, even Karushka would not be able to meet the burst speeds of a standard Servant, let alone one as fast as this Lancer. Rider knew this as well, and leaned far to the side seemingly avoid the brunt of Lancer's blow, as if he was falling off his horse to the side. Of course, even if he tried his best to just avoid the attack, the best that would come out of it would be Rider's shoulder being ripped apart by that drill-like spear. No, Rider had no intention to try and avoid the attack. Instead, Rider was leaning away to position himself for his own attack...

"Chernigov Smash!"

Throwing a hook with all his might, Rider's fist flew to the side of Lancer's spear with a sudden burst, slamming it off-course with the weight of a mountain flying at the speed of a freight train! Servants were existences that exceeded a normal human so much that even a weak Servant's attack could be compared to that of a ballistic missile... but the strength behind Rider's blow was insane.. To compare, if the energy surrounding Lancer's charge is akin to that of a monster's aura, the output of power in Rider's punch is also equivalent to the strength of a monster's. If Rider had known his opponent could charge like that, he would have done away with his own spear in the first place! A true hero meets such a threat with his fists, after all! Needless to say, the shockwave produced from their exchange of blows would have likely caused the earth below to erupt with snow and dirt.

Laughing giddily at Lancer's "Horseless Jousting" after their exchange of blows, Rider commanded his steed to take to the skies, replacing his spear with a mighty horseman's bow. Karushka leaped, soaring upward as its speed began to pick up, soon flying just as naturally as a bird or a plane. But how could such a normal horse, strong as it may be, fly without any wings?

"Even if you were the best horse in the world, it wouldn't matter! Understand this, Lancer... if there is a limit set, then to us it is merely an obstacle to surpass! To exceed expectations is the true power of both myself and my steed... Even something as impossible as flying without wings or any sort of propulsion is something we are able to do together!"

Rider clenched the fist he used to clash with Lancer's attack, sprained and smoking from both dealing and receiving such an output of power. The armor surrounding his fist up to just past his elbow had burned away from the attack. Attempting to "joust" with a knight such as Lancer any further with the injury he sustained would be unwise for the duration of this battle. For now, Rider instead chose to rely on his superior aerial mobility. Of course, if Lancer was able to produce a burst of power like his opening attack suggested, there wasn't anything, there likely wasn't stopping him should he choose to just charge upward. Taking another deep breath, Rider welled more of Svyatogor's strength within him, preparing once again to meet Lancer's charge with a fist should he need to.

Milord... if you can, please advise Miledi to flee to a safe place.

And so Rider began to bombard Lancer with a volley of arrows. While they didn't carry the strength of Svyatogor, they were still strong enough to blow holes in the earth and cause snow to fly. Rider made sure to hold back on his strength, being careful not to harm Snegurochka with any collateral damage and also conserving his magical energy. That aside, Rider was certain Lancer would be fast enough to dodge his arrows, and as such focused his flurry of attacks not on accuracy, but on overwhelming might, eager to see how his opponent would meet his attacks.

“Wah wah wah!” His spinning was worse than usual thanks to the prodigious strength of Rider. “You really pack a punch! Are you really a human?” he cried out as he watched the two take to the skies.

“Ah… but, that’s not really jousting is it?” The disappointment was minor, but still something that filled his words as he watched Rider prepare his next onslaught. “Well, if that’s how it is it’ll still be a fight. I’ll take it as my win then! So how about the next course? The night just started after all.”

As the arrows rained down he flew as well. His leap took him through the air, shining like a star as he made to meet Rider. But even with his sense, even with his speed, the lack of manuveribility was rather difficult. His twisting spear thrust at Rider whenever he got close, and otherwise batted and crushed arrow after arrow as he forced a straight on battle. His armor and own arms contesting the volleys of Rider.

He crashed to the ground, and turned to leap again. Again and again chasing after Rider, as though he were trying to strike down the moon in the sky.

But even if this target moved around more than the moon, it was a lot closer too. Again and again, chasing down the end he sought, the goal that honed his mind and magic energy. The tactic of Lancer was oh so simple in this case, but more and more he made the adjustments needed to chase closer and closer.

The damage dealt was that to the battlefield, gouges ripped into it from his passing and the meteor-shower like arrows of Rider. The wounds of the park a testament to their strength, both in their blows, and in their defense from how neither suffered from these exchanges.

“I hope that power isn’t in just one arm. I think your archery’s been hurt a bit from earlier!”

This was the one!...

Again Lancer took to the skies, flying up as a javelin towards the horse and Rider. Dozens of passes left the park burning, and the air crackling with energy as well. But all of them were fruitless, Lancer sure to be worn down by the two weights of his own self and Rider’s archery at this rate.

But this time their paths intersected, this time Lancer’s eyes met that of Riders.

“I wanted to have a jousting match, but you’re fun either way.”

Ah, it wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t close enough. But even then he could strike, the tip of his weapon sweeping forth in a slash at Rider.

Striking the horse? Such a thing never occurred to him, or rather wasn’t his plan in the first place. The man upon a horse, Rider. If he was to truly measure himself against it then he would have to face him with the protection of his horse. He’d have to apologize to his master later. But this wasn’t a battle to win… not yet.

Besides, that strength… Well, he could probably survive an exchange of charges without restraints. But if that Rider had more like that, or even something beyond that? Then a charge that sought not to battle but to seek victory would likely cause a clash that would leave one in ruin, maybe both.

So let’s fly, just a bit longer, you and I.

Daisuke Nakahara

Daisuke didn't think his distraction worked - despite calling Edward a Rider, he could sense through his connection with his servant that the Saber class servant simply attacked him directly. Maybe she would have done that no matter what class Edward was? In the end, it didn't matter - the Rider class servant has yet to reveal themselves to Daisuke, so that would make a good disguise for Edward to take for the first night or two of the war. If he was lucky, they would be much more careful around Edward and think that he had more Noble Phantasms than he really did. The more intimidating they found Edward, the more likely they would simply leave him and Daisuke alone - which was all that the young master really wanted.

After what felt like an agonizingly slow amount of time, Daisuke finally managed to make it into the building he was walking towards, and he immediately took cover inside. Here, he could finally relax. Daisuke slammed the door of the building shut, and quickly began hyperventilating, before falling to the ground. He was exhausted - not from mana drain, since the ritual hadn't really been all that stressful on him, and it seemed Edward was not too mana intensive for some reason. Daisuke was exhausted from fear - he had been within a few dozen feet of a hostile Servant, one of the most dangerous things that he could possibly confront in this city. And he turned his back on it. Walking away rather than running hadn't been too bad though - it didn't matter whether he walked or ran since any Servant would catch him in seconds either way.

After freaking out for a few seconds, Daisuke immediately lunged for the stairs headed towards the roof of the building. He needed a vantage point, and while it wasn't the best protection from a Servant, the vertical distance was a much larger deterrent than horizontal distance or physical obstacles. Daisuke's body slammed against the door to the roof, but he didn't open it. It took some time for his mind to realize that going into the open air, even if it was on a roof, was a bad idea - Survivor still hadn't found the Saber's Master, so being anywhere outside was a horrible idea. The enemy could snipe him with a rifle, or use a command seal to kill him instantly.

Instead, he stayed on the top floor of the building, hiding in one of the corner rooms. No one was inside for some reason - clearly the work of the Saber's Master. Whatever they did that caused the usual large crowds of people near Tokyo Tower to disappear seemed to affect those inside buildings as well. It was times like this that Daisuke wished he studied things other than Familiar-craft, even if it was just to know what other Magi were doing. The fighting outside could be heard clearly, as Berserker and the Saber were fighting. Daisuke wished he could watch the battle with his own eyes, if only to know what they were really up against. He set down his duffel bag before pulling out the large, tattered Tome from earlier. He opened its pages, and after reading some of the small scripts on the index of the Tome, decided on who he wished to summon.

"You're my sacrifice, Lamora..."

Lamora of the Cobblestone - the 11th Pidgeon that Survivor caught, and the 1st he didn't immediately eat. Having passed that trial, Lamora earned the right to join Daisuke's ranks of familiars. He never spent much time with her, but even he thought what he was about to do was exceedingly cruel. Daisuke walked over to the door to the roof, opened it very slightly, and pushed the Pidgeon through the crack.

It only took some slight mental coaxing to convince Lamora to begin her flight. Just as Daisuke was about to take over her senses, his connection to the pidgeon immediately snapped. He was about to question how something like that could happen when he heard a sickening splat outside the building on the ground. Lamora must have seen Edward and that... killed her?

Daisuke didn't know if he should have been excited or terrified of Edward at that point. On the one hand, he was an extremely powerful being, able to kill a familiar that just looked at him. On the other hand, it seemed like Daisuke was not immune to this ability, seeing as Edward told him to look away. Even if Lamora was just a Pidgeon, it was still a familiar - one that died as soon as it saw Edward. What would happen if Daisuke accidentally saw Edward during the fight?

It didn't matter - all that was important was finding the enemy Master. That was Daisuke's role in any battle. Find the enemy Master, and throw as many familiars as necessary at them until they finally succumbed to the weight of bodies and minor injuries. Daisuke released five more birds from his Tome - two crows, a parrot, and two more pigeons. All five flew out of the roof's door, and Daisuke was extra cautious in informing them where not to look in order to avoid Edward's aura. Reconnaissance was everything, and while Daisuke had far, far more flying familiars at his disposal, he wanted to keep his mana-consumption somewhat limited while Edward was fighting. The Parrot was especially nice - if he was lucky, he could distract the enemy Master with words while he informed Edward of the position of the Master.

Daisuke felt far from safe in his small building, but he was not going to waste the energy needed to summon and maintain one of his larger familiars. Even a caster would be able to smack them aside with ease, and they lacked the versatility and stealth that Survivor possessed. Reluctantly, Daisuke called Survivor back to his location, and after opening the roof door once more, allowed the creature to enter his body once again.

"Fai... lure..."

"I-it's okay, Survivor - I sent some of my winged scouts to survey for the Master. Your objective now is to keep me safe."

Survivor was nowhere near strong enough to harm a Servant, but he could probably tank a weak blow or two. That would give Daisuke enough time to use a Command Seal and summon Edward to his position.

Five birds weren't going to attract too much attention, but they would definitely help to scout. Daisuke didn't share his senses with any of them, fearful of Berzerker's aura, but they informed him via a mental connection of every interesting thing they saw. It was only a matter of time before they found someone, and when they did, Daisuke only needed to let the hordes loose.

One of the Pigeons found something first - sigils layered on the walls of an alleyway, which could only be a Bounded Field. Of course, Daisuke, being unknowledgeable about anything unrelated to Familiars, had no clue what it was. He only knew that whatever it was, it was magical. The Pigeon, Tromar the Gregarious, was quickly instructed to roost nearby, and keep an eye out for any Masters wandering in the area. Daisuke didn't know this, but this field was indeed set up by another Master - although, it was a fake merely meant to distract any Masters who discovered it. Tromar (and Daisuke by extension) would almost never find the Master responsible for it - she was hidden behind an actual Bounded Field, meant to hide her presence from people like Daisuke.

Daisuke deemed Tromar's station important enough to warrant permanent roosting, and he released another Parrot into the battlefield to replace the pigeon's prior duty. Good thing he did so as well since as soon as he released the second Parrot, the first managed to find something interesting as well - some kind of massive spider. Daisuke, unlike with the field, knew what this was. It was a Puppet, designed to look similar to a Spider. Daisuke had always wanted to try creating Puppets and Golems, which had intrigued him and he believed might be similarly obedient to him as his familiars were, but he always lacked the resources and knowledge necessary to experiment with them. In the end, animal familiars were something he was far more experienced with, and something that was much easier to procure.

He sent the Parrot to fly a dozen feet above the spider a few times, testing the creature. It was obviously connected to a Master, but Daisuke really doubted that his Parrot familiar (Morama, Devourer of Pota-Yaki) could even lightly damage the construct. The best thing to do was to try communicating, or at the very least try to distract the enemy Master. That would give the other familiars time to actually find the damn person.

Daisuke got jolted back to reality by a sudden, uneasy feeling. Unaware of the cause at first, he focused on the various connections he had at the moment, before honing in on the one he had with Edward. Someone had joined the fray between the two Servants. It couldn't have been a Master - no Master would be suicidal enough to fight a Servant. That could only mean one thing - another Servant had joined the fray. Three Servants... A loud sound resounded through the battlefield, and Daisuke had to restrain himself from looking out the mirror. Even an accidental look at Edward might have meant his death... Although, the fact that it seemed like another Servant had joined the conflict may as well have meant the same thing.

FOUR SERVANTS!? How did they find Edward so quickly? Did a tall foreigner really stand out so much that nearly all the Servants in the war could find them? Even worse, Daisuke hadn't even found a single Master yet. Daisuke messaged his Servant, extremely distressed.

I'm sensing more Servants through our connection! What's happening?!

@heroic2019@KoL@SSW

Mercedes smiled back at Archer, and kept seated for a few moments. Though the grail supported it's Masters in their summoning, she was still not used to supplying a familiar so powerful with mana, let alone the hounds he had summoned. 'It's not that bad, might take a little getting used to. It's good to get this out of the way,' she thought. A night of the twenty dogs roaming around would get her used to the mana drain. Familiarcraft was not her forte, as she had reminded herself multiple times throughout the night.

"Alright, while the puppies are out to play..." she began, standing with a small flourish after she felt she had rested enough. She walked over to the board holding the map and the potential master suspects. She took the latter down from the wall, swiftly skimming over her notes again. "Finding out the enemy servant's identities are important, but if I can suss out their masters' identities too, it will give us an advantage - however small." Mercedes scrutinized the sheets, already mentally crossing some people off the list. She glanced up at Archer briefly whilst doing so. "If I can figure some of them out, and we use your hounds to catch a trail, we can corner them.

"Oh - but, don't worry, I have full faith in your strength too, Archer. If we get intercepted by a servant, I'm gonna leave that to you." She grinned as she continued. The enforcer turned to the map then and considered it. "I was thinking we should keep a few other safe houses in the city. We can use them for anything we need... hmm, maybe here," she brushed her fingers over a neighborhood closer to Tokyo's center. Another base to return to, even just one more, opened up many opportunities. It could be stocked with supplies of any variety, serve as a quick area to escape to should things turn south for her, or even make for a dummy workshop to lure in other participants. She'd get to work on securing them as soon as possible, so that the next night after the hounds brought back any information they could, she and Archer could launch a strategic attack. If she had learned anything during her years as an enforcer, it was that magi were just as routine as they were unpredictable. The sentiment may seem oxymoronic, but in her experience, it was true.

"I have some ideas, but I'd appreciate your input, Archer. You and I are strangers to this city, but if you see an area you might like as a bowman's perch just say the..." She blinked, realizing what she was about to say. She didn't worry about offending the man (she very much doubted any spirit would be at something as small as that), only brought the issue of their communication back to the fore front of her mind. She walked back over to the table, placing her notes down and picking the journal and pen up. She turned and held them out to her partner.

"You can use this - or anything else I've got in here - to communicate anything more complex than 'yes or no,'" she explained, "Sometimes I can... feel something, through our bond, but in the mean time I'll be working on understanding you better. And... there's something important I need to know."

She fixed Archer with an easy-going smile, and to anyone else that's all it would appear to be. It was an expression she wore to put others at ease. However, like Mercedes was able to feel something from Archer, if Archer were able to feel anything from Mercedes he may sense the serious nature her aura seemed to take. Whatever his answer may be, they would work with it, but it was something that bothered Mercedes in the back of her mind.

"It's my understanding that a noble phantasm's true strength comes from calling out it's true name. Can you use your noble phantasm to it's full ability like this, Archer?"