"Now, if you are who I think you are, we should settle on figuring out..." She paused and bit her lip at the word. "Strategize, so that we can be ready." Another pause... "Ooooooor, we can both welcome you back, by getting something to drink. I'd suggest wine, but I'm saving some of this for a ritual before the war properly begins. We can get a drink someplace else in town if you wish. I'm sure there are many foods you would wish to taste."

"Very well Master Ariadne." Prideful. He responeded with a shallow bow as his smile widened mirroring hers. "And I'd certainly not object to a toast, especially if we could take a look around the city and get to know more about one another while we're at it, two birds with one stone you might say." He chuckled pleasantly. "But before that I'd like to ask if you may have some more modern clothes that would fit me, I wouldn't want to attract any untoward attention you see."



@TehChron

A smile grew on Francesco's face widening three times in response to three distinct sounds he knew well. Ah, a military man, and a recent one going by the style of his uniform. "That I am, the name's Francesco Dimani and I'll be your partner for this War." With a gesture he made sure that the wards had not been distorted by the ritual, his other hand rising his pipe to his lips for a quick drag, then continued. "I have already begun the fortification of our base and I was planning on sending some familiars out as scouts while I did so, tho I am open to suggestions on your part, Strategist."

"Lair of sin," Berserker repeated, almost believing his master for a moment. After all, the feeling his magic radiated was the real deal even if his personality was... over the top. Hard to grasp. Super annoying. The Pharaoh's irritation was quickly building after his master smashed the glass and with every word he said after. To desecrate a grave right in front of Berserker while knowing his identity... a show of power or the actions of an idiot? Though in truth Berserker cared very little for the resting places of those other than his own citizens, it was still plain rude. When Markansas got to the part about a hell of his own creation Berserker couldn't quite take it anymore. He swiftly crossed his arms and give the man a look of pity before disappearing, taking his spirit form.

As a true invisible ghost, Berserker followed his master through the streets. He noticed a lot of little things about the town and the man before him, things that left him confused but didn't do anything to quell his annoyance. How could he get through to his fool of a master? His master who seemed in control of dark forces yet seemed glad to summon a child and leave a burial grounds. His master who acted an idiot yet had the foresight to make a body double? Markansas was as perplexing as he was exasperating. Berserker was loathe to indulge in whatever delusions he had going on, but...

...will I be able to see it? Berserker inquired. Though incorporeal, it was no issue to communicate through their master-servant bond. It was easy to note though that the Pharaoh didn't sound genuinely curious at all. That 'hell.' I am no mere mortal, Master.

As they went along, Berserker deemed it appropriate to continue with his earlier line of thought. Then, once back at his master's workshop they could properly think of a plan. Or at least, attempt it... he really didn't know with this man.

You already know my True Name. Now, I'll tell you about my power as your familiar. A curse is my Noble Phantasm, and my Noble Phantasm is my curse... He didn't mean it to come out sounding so much like something his master would say, and if he weren't in his spirit form Berserker would be rolled his eyes at himself. He'd never admit it would be a little fun to talk like that, even if it wasn't about the curse that he hated more than anything. Still, he went on, I see you worry not about drawing the attention of others. That is fine. The earlier I use my Noble Phantasm to lay that curse upon another servant, the easier it will be for us in the long run. Feed me your energy and keep me alive while the curse takes it's toll on whomever touches me. That's the only way for a servant such as I to succeed.

Servant Gunner

SHINTO DISTRICT, FRUITS OF ECSTASY

"You don't seem the worst I could work with and War has had me used to some pretty terrible things. The most I would ask out of you is your best to keep Civs out of this. I know that can be impossible at times but consider this my one condition, from someone who lived his last in protecting the Fatherland. As long as you Mehdi try your best in that regard I will not care for any other horrors you have planned."

SHINTO DISTRICT, FRUITS OF ECSTASY


"Hmm," Mehdi hummed thoughtfully, "OKAY. Easy enough. Though I'm afraid I won't be able to avoid civilians entirely, you know?"

Gunner's Master held up a large sheaf of half-off any large smoothie coupons, "We are working, after all."

Chuckling lightly, the pale magus walked downstairs to the shop proper, "Yo." He called out to the younger man at the bar, who looked up Mehdi warily in response, "You guys got a garden or something out back?"

"...Wouldnt be much of a fruit bar if we didnt grow what we could." Comes the hesitant response.

Mehdi smirks, walks out back to the small planter and young trees that were kept there, "Ho? You kids dont look too shabby, hope you'll treat your new neighbors well, alright?" Chuckling, the magus began planting a few seeds in what little unclaimed space was available. Nothing too crazy. Just enough to keep this quaint little shop the edge it would need for his purposes.

With a smile and a few half muttered words, Mehdi walked out front, ignoring the tensed employee and entered the street properly.

"YO! Fruits of Ecstasy, half off their smoothies. Come now, for the sweetest release you'll ever experience!"

SHINTO DISTRICT, FRUITS OF ECSTASY
And with that I began helping my Master in promoting the shop. Our looks seemed to draw in others, mostly women in at first due to Mehdi's aura as it were and me with my clipped blond hair and bright blue eyes. Added on being Foreigners and the first group approached us, Master using his now familiar flare of dramatics with a dash of seduction to get people into the store.

The tense employee was ironically able to relax with the influx, able to take his mind off of my Master if only for a short time. Many questions were directed our way by regulars and Mehdi took it calmly saying that he and me, his 'best friend', were in the country for 'family reasons' and were taking a job here to help pay for expenses while that got sorted out. I believe he used just a touch of his mind control to have the lie smoothly pass around the surrounding area.

I tried to keep answers short but not impersonal, drawing from my own experiences and explaining me and Mehdi had meet in College as roommates. It stayed steady from there, I went inside to help the Employee who I learned was named Tobi, giving me a wary but thankful look. Master stayed outside doing 'shakes' in a way I suppose, many a young lady blushing but growing closer because of it.

Finally the rush of lunch petered out and only a few customers remained, my Master outside leaning on the door comically fanning himself with what few coupons left. His back pocket was bulging with other strips of paper, giving me a wink when I looked back at his face meeting my own blank one.

"When I got here, helping serve fruity drinks to horny teenagers looking at both your and my ass was not it."

Master got a good hearty laughs at that.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miyama Town
Glad to have Gensai on the same page and apparently buttering her up some as well from what she said we continued from the Park and eventually hit the district. Entering a nearby clothing store, aside from a concerned owner who was reassured that his 'friend' was coming from a play and had forgotten their extra clothes at home, Assassin was left to browse herself. Waiting near the front of the store, she returned modernized, which fit she quite nicely and soon we were back on the prowl as it were.

"I wanted to start in the Miyama area as its the center of town making for lots of foot traffic. After getting the layout here I figured we could make our way over to Shinto later in the day for the same reasons and if nothing crazy happens we find a nice local motel to settle in for the night. If something does up that we can take advantage of, I'll leave it to you in how to approach it considering your experience. I'm best for helping getting away in a hurry."

A pretty simple plan really, stake out the town for some scouting, pick off any random Master we might happen upon or just bug out if things get too heated. Nothing complicated with too many moving parts, allowing us to adapt to anything unexpected happening. Puffing along with my pipe I looked over at Assassin."Anything you want to add or want to know more of?"
@TehChron @ObsidianNoir

"One moment." That was all Ariadne needed to find something good to wear. She opened her bag, and began to rifle through it. Pulling out what looked like a rather simple shirt and pants combo. It was actually pretty bland as far as outfits went, and could blend in remarkably well. Of course it would, she bought it at the airport on the way here. The only thing about it that stood out was the icon on the shirt. One of a big, fat lion wearing sunglasses. Sitting on top of the words 'Just lion about.' Classy.

"This will do perfectly." Ariadne said, with a smile and handed them over to her new Servant. She also pulled out some sunglasses and put them right on his head. She turned away to let him change, and was already heading down the stairs. She stood by the doorway, waiting for him just to be sure.

"Well, aren't you the most strapping fellow in the world." She said, watching her newly dressed servant walk down the stairs.
"Where did he come from?" Neko, the pub's owner, said.
"He came in with me. You must have missed him. He's pretty forgettable." Ariadne said, hoping that would answer that question. It seemed to do so as Neko took that answer, and didn't ask another. With that out of the way, the mage and her servant were heading directly out the door. Suddenly assaulted from both directions by the sounds of the city waking up. In one direction, there seemed to be a man loudly talking about Fruits of Ecstasy. Not a bad place to stop by. Could enjoy a fruit smoothie...
Or... She had been speaking earlier with the owner of Copenhagen, who had suggested a coffee shop that was close by. Both were enticing.

"So, Lion O, how about this. You go to the smoothie place, and get two smoothies. Pick a flavor you like for both of us. I'm going to go the coffee shop, and do the same. When we get back, we trade. One hot, and one cold drink." She said, as if that made sense. "Besides, if anything goes wrong, we're in each other's minds." She tapped her forehead. "I'll summon you if I run into anybody I consider a danger, okay?" She waited only long enough for him to agree, and then started walking away.

Shinto Town, Street ------> Shinto Town, Café Oasis

She knocked on the door, and then the bell rung. Signifying a customer had arrived. "Hello there, are you open for business? It looked pretty dead from the outside, but it's still morning so I figured it might just be a slow morning."

__________________________
@Senseless@Breo
__________________________________________________________________


Xerxes knew his master would seek to build a relationship. But... He wasn't sure if he was comfortable with that. He was after all a famous king and destroyer of the Greek world. And even then, was he comfortable forging a relationship with a man who clearly took pleasure in killing people who could no longer fight back?
Perhaps they were compatible in a way he had not yet realized. Perhaps it was he, Xerxes, who was more like this Master than he'd wish to admit. Or even dare thinking.

Perhaps he should ignore it. Focus on other things. Like finding some others. He stood out, but he still looked fairly modern. So, it couldn't be all that bad. Either way, he turned his mind to the hunt. Find enemies... Or in a better case. Allies. To do this, he was taking a motorcycle. Was it his? Probably not. To be honest, it belonged to the woman who was in the house, currently losing her life. The vehicle may have been one of the reasons she had died. So that Rider could have something... Non-Attention Grabbing to utilize. Either way, it was a very nice motorcycle. Rider had to take a few seconds to really appreciate it, before throwing his leg over it. Twisting the handle, and...

VVVvvvvvvrRRrrrooOOOM! He was off. Exhaust trailing behind him for a few seconds before settling off. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he knew his god would guide him. It wasn't long before a feeling entered his body. Hitting the brakes gently and petering out, the motorcycle crawled to a stop. His foot out, resting on the ground and ready to kick off at a moments notice. He turned his head, wondering just where he had stopped...

A... Convenience Store. Right there, across the street from where he had pulled up, was two individuals. He didn't need to be a genius to tell that pair was odd. Considering the amount of chocolate in those bags. He said nothing, just watching. Keeping a semi-active eye on them. Alert.

"Master, I have identified two possible grail war participants. Should I get involved?" Xerxes transmitted to his master. After all, they could be allies. Or... Enemies. He hoped it was the former, not the later.

__________________________
@Crusader Lord@Flood

He laughed at the strong and protected the weak. He defeated many evils and had many adventures.

Yes, that man had surely left behind a great legend.

He lost all that mattered in the end. He could not protect a single thing close to him in the end.

Yes, that man had surely left behind a tragic legend.

So then, why bother? What is the point now? That legacy has already been carved into your legend. The definition has already been thrust upon your existence as one of the stars of man.

...But even so, it was still something worthwhile. Still something beautiful.

For that alone, it did not matter what history branded him as. It did not matter what humanity defined him as. It did not matter what he thought of himself as.

The legend is wrong.

“I won’t let anything slip away anymore.”

Surpass it.

—The promise was selfish. It was thoughtless. It was arrogant. It was defiant.

And beyond anything else, it was the promise of a hero.

A rolling swirl of ether. A bright, impossible light. And, where there had only been one figure, now there were two.

The man standing at the center of the circle frankly looked like a classical statue come to life. The exposed half of his chest and arms surged with great, powerful muscles that looked like they could easily snap a tree in half.

Perhaps, however, if one were to grade the oddities about the situation and got past the entire premise, the one that would rank the “highest” would be the odd, large belt he was holding over his left shoulder.

For the first few moments, the man made of ether simply smiled at the boy in front of him and held up a hand in the universal ‘a second, please’ gesture. Turning to the side and bouncing on the balls of his sandaled feet, he gave a few light jabs with his free hand.

(Well, the magus would probably recognize said “light” jabs as more likely to literally punch someone’s head off than stun them, but semantics)

Well, he was still working at satisfactory levels, so that was nice. Now, what else…

Ah. Of course.

“Hey, hey, hey, T, my man, my boy, how’s it hangin’!”

About as well as it could, he supposed. It seemed like he would be relying on his Father in the coming tasks, as well.

“Don’t worry my dude, ‘s all-right, 's all good, just you wait t’see how many favors I can get from the fam, they’re already going craaaaazy requesting viewing permission!”

…Ah, in that case, please ban—

“And nope, nu-uh, no can do…I mean I would if you asked, so please don’t ask, you know how Donnie gets when he gets mad yo! Throw me a bone here, T.”

…Damnit. Fine.

“That’s what I’m talking about! Come on T, show the camera those pearly whites and let’s see where this goes! Talk to ya later!”

He felt the presence retreat just a bit, turning around to face the young man that stood in front of him.

Well. Dad did ask.

So, putting on a smile full of confidence and flexing his free arm, he laughed before taking the large belt with both hands and lifting it upward, letting the sun shine off the gold.

“Here and now, I answer your summons!” He hollered, voice deep and powerful. “Congrats on winning the War by drawing me, Master! You got nothin’ to fear, your Servant, Saber, is ready to rumble!”

Ah, yeah, truly an introduction worthy of a hero such as himself, was it not?

@Yankee

---

“Well, if you are going to stay around here, might as well do things the way they go in the modern era, no?” The man spoke plainly, rummaging through the cabinets of another employee area he had guided the Servant to. “We aren’t in my home, Archer, but we are in the place I earn my livelihood...or one of them, at any rate. I sent my employees away because the city was bound to get rowdy, but I don’t intend on closing up, and in case any other Master tries to do anything untoward, having you close at hand would also be helpful.”

There was a pause, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, the other coming up with some appropriate articles of clothing, as well as a similar apron to the one he was wearing. He turned to look at Archer again, then cocked an eyebrow.

“I thought the Grail updated your knowledge? At any rate, pretty women and handsome men on staff usually attract customers, Archer, for what I hope should be obvious reasons even without that. Now throw these on and—”

There was a knocking at the door. At the same time, the Command Mantra on the back of his had were burning up.

…Well. Look at that.

An attack? No, nobody would be that brazen, not on the first day and not in the morning, and they had at least bothered to knock. Even so, there was still a potential “enemy” behind their door.

Then, the words reached him, and he looked at the clock.

Ah, they were indeed a bit behind schedule.

And then, the “face” Archer had been witness to up until this point — shifted away completely.

Coarse expression melted into a far softer one, the smirk playing across his lips turned into a smile full of kindness, and his eyes assumed the light of infinite patience. His slouched posture straightened, and a feeling of calm emanated from him.

Was this the work of magecraft? No, to begin with, it was clear that he had not used his Circuits, and the change had just occurred in a single moment. A different personality that inhabited the same body, perhaps?

In truth, it was much simpler. It something he had gained over years of grueling challenges in the war he had been fighting since before he had left his father’s shadow, something he had perfected to the point of absurdity, no doubt.

But it was still a mundane power that “anyone could attain”.

[Business Mode: Engaged]

“—As I was saying, get dressed properly, Archer. We must move to a new kind of battlefield.”

And then, he marched down toward the door, checked behind him once again to see that the main area was in order, and opened the door to the street, flipping the sing to “Open.”

“Welcome to Oasis. What kind of succor may we offer?”

He even repeated the stupid promotional line without stopping a single time or vomiting blood mid-sentence. As expected of the head of Alinejad—!

@Senseless @Reflection

Miyama Town - Abandoned Home - Jacob Ainsworth
@Reflection

Jacob blinked, stopping midway. The screams have long stopped, due to various reasons. Still, it was quite unusual, to be spoken to in the middle of his passion. He had to get used to that with his servant and what not.

Processing Rider’s words, he hummed in thought. A part of him was tempted. To engage in whatever way he could. But then there was the other part. The part who wanted to have a proper... presentation. This felt a bit too soon, just a bit too early. With that in mind, he nodded to himself with a smile.

“I’d prefer it if you merely remembered their faces and moved on. No need to be overzealous and what not. Not to mention, the day is still young. We should widen our...options.”

Having ‘said’ that, he returned his focus to his work.

Miyama Town - Kawakami Gensai

@Lucker13

On their way to buying new clothes, Gensai held the sheath that was supposedly used to have summoned her. Wielding it in her hand, she gave it a few swings, humming in thought. Hm. That sensation... She exhaled, putting the sheathe next to her hip, with her other hand grabbing where the hilt would be-

Cut cut cut, so much blood. They wouldn’t stop coming. Enemies everywhere. All of them so weak. Was her country so weak now, was the Bakufu so foolish?

Blade broke, sheathe is thus useless. Throw both away, kill and knock out others. Pick up other sword, kill more. Breathing heavy. Allies covering her back. Enemies in front. A wide smile, as if this was all just a stupid jo-

Gensai merely twitched before returning the sheath to her master, smile on her face as if nothing happened.

“Apologies, master. This is not the weapon I used for my... infamous kill. Rather, it’s a sheath that I had to throw away during the second Choshu campaign. Suffice to say it was quite….hectic.”

With that said and done, they had arrived in one of the more modern clothes shop. Looking around, Gensai was a bit confused. While yes, she gained knowledge from modern times, seeing it was a whole different thing. There were so many clothes that would fit more in a man’s shop. Gensai giggled, as she was led inside by a worked, fooled by her master’s words. Well, she wasn’t going to object now, was she?

It didn’t take long to buy her new outfit. “Sports mix kawaii”, the attendant called it. Flexible blue jeans, white sneakers and a white t-shirt with some buttons that only extended to her chest were bought. The T-shirt was apparently a normal shirt one would wear during “tennis”. Whatever it was for, she liked it. Modest, flexible and according to her taste. Well, it wasn’t her usual “housewife” outfit, but it’ll do.

Leaving the place, she listened to her master’s ideas. Nodding a few times, she hummed in thought, her hand on her chin.

“Sounds reasonable enough to me. May I ask what your abilities are? It would help if I knew what you are capable of, master.”

After all, in a war like this, she could every bit of help she could get. Or at least, know if her master was ‘dead weight’ like a certain manslayer brat would say it. If he was weaker than usual, she had to protect him accordingly.

@ObsidianNoir

Miyama Town
So not the actual sheath huh? Not the biggest deal, still got the job done and it was always a risk for those type of things. They were still strolling around at a good pace, taking in the sites and on the look out for anything odd when Gensai asked her question. Fair enough and it was about time to tell a little about himself since he already knew a fair bit about what she could do.

"I'm basically a looter of tombs who's family had an experience with a Magus in the past that let us 'in' so to say. Weird ass story from what I've heard honestly." Starching his beard a little he went on."Because of that I'm not that versed in Magecraft, only enough for the basics and more specialized in breaking into Bounded Fields with some Spirit stuff on the side. The most offensive power I have on me is two revolvers with enough ammo to hopefully last the war."

Still casually looking left to right, Rapheal pops a lazy grin."So I specialized heavily into making myself scarce and getting the hell outta dodge. All three Mystic codes on me are used to help exactly with that." He pats his right pocket while doing so."I picked an Assassin specifically cause you bring the killing power I lack and we can both hopefully get away if the need arises without too much pain on both our ends."

Turning a corner, Rapheal planned to go on when he spotted the weirdest thing he ever saw. One gigantic man with scars on his face, giant white hair and a complexion to put his own to shame on a motorcycle watching a pair exiting a convenience store. The pair themselves were totally out of place, even more so than the guy on the bike, dressed in a white cloak with blue and pink fringes eating chocolate was obviously William Fleur, the Merlin wannabe. Next to him had to be his servant actually tied up with carrying bags of chocolate and other junk food.

"..." For a second he actually couldn't believe it, like it was a trap of some kind, but no they really were just randomly walking towards them. Gensai beside him, if he could read that face right, was also a bit speechless. The streets while not busy, were still chugging at respectable amount for the time of day. Slowly he eyed his Servant.

"How's that for a target?"

"Lets save the world together, Master." Caster responded to her master with warm enthusiasm. Before leaving, Caster made sure to put up a sturdy boundary field meant to help hide their presence whenever they entered. It could be prove a valuable place to rest in the future.

The pair hailed a cab, and they set off toward Miyama Town. Hypatia prepared a screen of etherlite to protect them, but otherwise she was not particularly worried. She began to gather information and process calculations as they traveled, just to establish a framework for the War.

Even more, she attached some etherlite to her master purely for the sake of safety.

Caster had gained enough information about her surroundings to note a destination.

Away from Heracles.





"I'm sorry Master!!!" The young homunculus was running at her maximum speed behind Rider as he left the house. To him it must've been a fast walk with long strides- that said, Rider was still a Servant. She definitely wasn't.

E.E. was honestly unsure if Rider was impatient, didn't care about the difference in speed, or was moving so quickly to mess with her. Honestly speaking, she guessed it was all of the above.

To that end, she had used her boots to the fullest, and it went without saying she was self reinforcing. Watching her chase after Rider must've been like watching some action hero fleeing an exploding building, but it probably looked quite funny when you added Rider to the picture.

Unfortunately he didn't even bother to take the stairs. He simply used his spirit form to move through a window.

"You won't get away that easily, RIDER!"

She was forced to blow the window open with a tungsten rod(that she recovered with amazing acrobatics) and jump out the window behind him.

Thankfully, spells to mitigate falling weren't the most difficult, so she stuck the landing fine. If she hadn't been wearing boots, the shards of glass probably would've done a lot of damage, though.

Taking a moment to gasp in breath, she looked around for Rider. At the very least, the Maids had already prepared her motorcycle for the long trek to the Fuyuki Outskirts.

Arash gazed down at the outfit his Master had given him in slight confusion, but began to get dressed with little more than a shrug. The clothes of the modern era were strange and foreign to Arash, and yet he managed to put them on without any sorts of trouble on his part. He suspected this was largely due to the influence of the Grail, which simply added more questions about the strange wish-granting device. Arash understood that the Grail gave Servants a sort of overview on the modern era, but it only seemed to go into greater detail on information which could directly impact the war. For example, Arash had no knowledge of the history of the nation he was in, and yet he did know the general layout of the specific city where the War would take place, Fuyuki (as well as it's name, apparently).

"I suppose any object such as the Grail would be difficult to understand," Arash thought as he finished dressing, tying a simple knot on the... apron, that was it, that composed his uniform. Arash looked down at his current outfit with a thoughtful look on his face. It seemed that his Master ran some sort of restaurant, a rare occurrence back when Arash still lived. To add to this, it seemed that the Grail didn't deem proper serving etiquette necessary for participation in the War.

"This is going to be a strange few days," Arash murmured to himself. He swiftly moved to follow his Master to the main area of the restaurant, Oasis, if the words on the apron were to be believed, just in time to see his Master open the door. Arash frowned at the strange sort of mask his Master had donned. It seemed to be a good model for how to act as a server (which was exactly what Arash needed at the moment), but Arash could sense a deeply embedded bitterness rise up in his Master alongside it. This feeling greatly contrasted with the easygoing aura his Master had given off not too long ago, and Arash wondered what could be the cause of such strong malice.

Nevertheless, Arash made to stand in the middle of the restaurant, hoping that he didn't look too uncomfortable.

@Breo @Reflection

Just like any other morning, there was silence in the Matou home.

In the dining room there was a setting of a low but comfortable light, the only source were a few of the candles from the two table pieces which allowed the room to be easily seen but would not offend sensitive eyes. The room was perfectly clean, everything was ordinary, the chairs were tucked in underneath the well made dining table. There was a couple of bowls set out on the table, with some spoons set aside for them. Despite this for now there was only one person in the manor. Obviously that person did not expect to be alone for long.

Tsumugi was in the dining room, pondering about what to have for breakfast (ignoring the fact she should be at school right now). More specifically what cereal to have for breakfast. Or maybe just some slices of toast? Despite all of the equipment and presumably free time at hand Tsumugi had never been particularly keen on learning to cook, of course there was times here and there where she got a bit adventurous and whip out a recipe book but for the most part premade meals and the such were the main bulk of her diet. There was also times where she would go out for a meal although that was mostly if her friends asked her to or if there was something in particular that was being celebrated.

She stretched out her arms feeling the stiffness from her nights sleep slowly be wrung away. I must have been lying awkwardly again... I really ought to work on that huh?

Slowly her fingertips drummed against the kitchen counter making a quiet but relieving rhythm, there was almost a cathartic feeling to hearing that quiet sound. Hmm that will do for today- She thought as he picked up a box of cereal at random.

With a calm smile on her face she peacefully closed the cupboard door, now turning she made her way out of the kitchen. The morning light managed to break its way into the manor through the kitchen windows, something that Tsumugi appreciated very much. Despite the manor having a fair amount of windows there was a sense of darkness about the place, now that was not a negative thing per se in her mind, if anything it was helpful for her 'work'. But there was still a nice feeling that came with the sunlight. Well there was that time over the summer where I was vitamin D deficient... On that thought, that probably wasn't the only time...

The once empty kitchen was now filled with the singular inhabitant. Well singular for now. Her family had left for either London or the States, and another well she wasn't quite sure where he was right now but he hadn't been at the manor for a while anyway. But anyway, Tsumugi placed the box of cereal on the table and quickly returned to the kitchen to retrieve the milk from the fridge which she definitely hadn't forgotten among her idle thoughts. First she poured the cereal into her bowl and then the milk, the correct way of course, before taking her seat. Her seat was not at what one would consider the head, or the opposite end, or even the middle. Depending on the day she would sit closer to the head of the table or further away from it. Today was one of the days she sat closer to it.

Tsumugi enjoyed her cereal in a peaceful silence. The morning had been enjoyable so far, she had woken up at around 7, gotten showered, gotten dressed for the day, and then she came downstairs and picked out her cereal. Perfect so far. More than made up for that troubled sleep and nasty dream. Nightmares were nothing to worry about though, that kind of thing happens to everyone.

Once the bowl of cereal was done with she took her now empty bowl into the kitchen and gave it a wash, then a dry, then put its back into a cupboard. Afterwards she returned to the dining room and retrieved the empty bowls and spoons that were set at the table, also putting them back with the bowl in the cupboard and a drawer for the spoons.

Alright then... I suppose now is as good as ever! She thought to herself optimistically.

Time for what? Well the summoning of course. After all how else is one supposed to get their hands on that grail if they do not have a servant! With a confidence and hint of excitement she strolled out of the dining room and into one of the hallways of the Matou Manor. Walking down the hallway she really took in her surroundings, she was prepared for anything to come and although there was a chance for things to go wrong in all of this. That did not seem to really bother Tsumugi. Turning into another hallway she continued her walk to her destination. A very particular place that led to a very particular room underneath the manor.

As the entrance was carefully opened up the already dull light from the hallways shined into the deep and dark room that she was now entering. It did not take long for her eyes to adjust to the room as she descended the steps to the bottom. This underground facility was not unfamiliar to her, and in the middle of the floor at the bottom was the summoning circle that she had prepared the night before. Tsumugi continued walking until she found herself standing before the summoning circle itself.

Momentarily an unprovoked pause. Was it hesitation? Probably not. For a moment she was at a loss for words but then again she hadn't uttered a single word since she woke up. Weird... That aside she was ready, there had been some reading done for an incantation but well, even then recital's weren't exactly her strong suit. Singing in the shower was one thing... Reaching out for a being like a servant was another. At least she was alone for both.

She started.


"Silver and steel be the essence.
Let the stones and the archduke be the foundation.
Come forth now to serve me faithfully.
And in return I too shall treat you in kind.
Together let us swear to retrieve the holy grail.
To fulfill your wish whatever it may be.!
Most importantly let's do what we want to while we can!
So come forth hero! Let's count on each other from here on out!"

That was good enough? Right...? For some reason she felt a bit embarrassed. Well, no do overs huh? Ok then let's try to move past this. Or so the young master hoped.

@Gracefully

Miyama Town - Kawakami Gensai

@Reflection @Lucker13 @Crusader Lord

The urge was there. Oh, it was. The moment her master recognized one of their enemies, she pushed her excitement beneath her cool mask as much as possible. The boiling lust of blood was suppressed, even if barely, and allowed her to focus. She didn’t live as long as she did by just going after every instinct she just happened to feel at the moment.

First. Recognize the situation. She could feel two servants in the vicinity. One being next to the enemy master. The other, a bear of a man, seated on a motorcycle. Gensai slightly bit her lip. If it was only one servant, she would maybe risk it. But with two? The danger was too high. Being a specialist in escaping or not, she could only aim for one, leaving the other servant free to kill her own master. With that in mind, she tugged at his arm, not having stumbled at all as she continued walking, decision made.

“It is too risky. While the situation does favor me, with the people around us and the daylight, two servants at once do not favor us. Let us keep moving and keep them in mind for later strategizing.”

With the mental message sent, she smiled politely, acting as if nothing was wrong. Yet mentally, she was ready to spring into action in the unlikely event they were discovered.

@Reflection @TehChron @Lucker13



Hippomenes walked down the street adjusting the sunglasses his master had given him so that they'd hide enough of his ears to make them seem like unruly tufts of hair, he welcomed the smells of the modern world, growing familiar with them and the other parts of this new age. A car honked as it passed by, groups of people walked and laughed and a couple strode hand in hand.

A longing sigh escaped him, his thoughts shifting momentarily to his Noble Phantasm, or rather who was attached to it, weighing the pros and cons of manifesting it(her) in broad daylight and with people unrelated to the Grail War all around him. A mighty conflict sprung in his mind, Common Sense against the desire to see his wife even in her cursed form, but ultimately his Common Sense won out.

Barely.

Hippomenes' nose perked up, a particular shift in the fruity smell he'd been following catching his attention.

Dirt, sweat, various plants, metal and magic.

Hippomenes tensed briefly then he forcefully relaxed his muscles mentally preparing for a possible battle as the sources of the odor came into view. Their eyes met.

"Lets save the world together, Master."

She could have cried. She truly could have.

If Amara wasn’t trying her best to pretend to be a “proper magus,” she probably would have been in tears.

To have someone that understood her goal was the greatest thing for her.

“Thank you, Caster!”

----

Amara was getting a bit self conscious. Moments after expressing her gratitude to her Servant, Caster immediately instructed her to hail down a cab. It was probably an unlucky coincidence, however. They were heading off anyway, and a cab was much more efficient than walking around.

Still, she was a bit worried.

The magus gazed out at the window, hoping the scenery of the city would be enough to make her concerns fade away. While her home in Basra was “larger,” the architecture of Fuyuki was much more pleasing to look at. It would only get more impressed as they made their way through Miyama and into Shinto.

At least, that’s what the cab driver said anyway.

…

The distraction method was not working very well. Maybe some small conversation with her Servant would do the trick?

“Hey, Caster, what do you think of the modern world? I don’t know how much the Grail gave you, but I think you have enough to have some ideas.”

---

---

---

It took nearly all of Rider’s willpower to hold in his laughter. The combination of both his master’s demeanor, frustration at the map, and pride at turning a corner was almost too much to handle.

What a splendid Master! Truly, this pairing was but another blessing that had been granted to him! How else could he had been fortunate enough to pair with such an entertaining girl!

Girl?

Well, she was more of a lady, right?

She had the appearance of a child, with a demeanor to match. However, she had the grace of someone refined, with goals only someone with a noble heart could have. Rider could have just asked her for her age, but you can’t just, DO that.

Hmm, he’ll have to shelf this conondondrum for now.

“Greeting the hosts of the war?”

He gave a confused look to his master, though he continued to fall behind. There was just something about that idea. This likely involved going around to visit the hosts, the people who have had all the time in the world to prepare, and entering their territories. They likely summoned incredibly impressive Servants as well.

Something about this idea just seemed…

“Perfect! I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the morning! We can greet and thank them for preparing this battle while the Sun is still shining!”

Good thing you can’t attack guests. That was against the law.

Talia Heigen-Schwertz

---

Talia nodded regally, a small smile of pride sitting upon her face.

"Indeed, it would only be proper that we face our adversaries in person. It was the same for you was it not? To cowardly attack from the shadows without giving a name at the very least is most rude.

"Besides, even if they were to refuse, well, even sins can be turned into leverage. Even if we were to be turned away at the door from every abode we come across, fear not. Everything will fall into place."

Turning around with a flourish, the diminutive magus followed along the sidewalk to the spacious western mansion over the crest of the hill. Whilst doing so, a shadow fell across her face, seemingly changing her demeanor entirely. An aura of seriousness filled the space between Master and Servant as she began speaking.

"However Rider, I must tell you that though I am bold, I am not entirely senseless. Let us not forget that currently, we are in a battlefield. We walk straight to an opponent's lair. So please, be a dear and stay in-between me and whatever threats may come to be won't you?"

Silence filled the rest of the walk. Only stopping in front of the gates of the Matou manor.

"I believe this is far enough. I have no doubt we are already expected by the current occupants of this place, all we must do is wait."

@Aoko Aozaki @Kyoka

---

---

Gunnar Hámundarson

---

Light coalesced together, taking shape of a man.

Adorned in shining armor, armed with gleaming blade and smile. Truly, that which appeared was an existence that could only be called a 'hero'. His body was but a vessel of great deeds.

The call was heard.

And here he was, ready to answer

Unbidden words came into his mind, a greeting, and an affirmation of their partnership. Lancer mulled over it within his mind, digesting it, picking it apart.

It would do. With some changes.

"Servant Lancer, I have heard your call."

Standing tall, an ethereal wind blowing his cape, as a calming smile stretched across his face.

"Don't worry about a thing, I'll be your hero!"

@Phonic

As the sound of his alarm clock blared into his ears, the Tohsaka heir slowly shook himself awake. All Ron wore for sleepwear was his favorite set of panda briefs along with his gauntlet for safety reasons. However, as his eyes adjusted to the trickling of sunlight pouring in his room, there was something that felt off about this morning. As soon as his vision was at least bearable enough, Ron picked up his alarm clock to check and see what the time was.

"Oh, woah... What's this?" Ron scratched his head, confusingly. Standing up from his bed, Ron pulled open his window shades, letting his skin absorb that glorious Vitamin D. As the sunlight trickled down his sinuous figure, Ron continue to have that off feeling. As a matter of fact, that feeling had only increased since then. Opening his window, Ron looked up to the sky, glaring at the sun with his own bare eyes.

"Hey, wait a minute... isn't it too early to be eight in the morning?"

Ron contemplated such an oddity for a moment, stroking his chin with a gauntleted hand as he began to make his way across his family home, scrutinizing all the clocks he came across. Soon, the conclusion that every single clock in the manor has been set back an hour early was made. While Ron would spend this extra time considering the possibility that the time cube was out of its proper position, he realized that this extra hour was important for him! It is the first day of the Holy Grail War, after all... and an extra hour of preparation surely is important for a magus, as well.

One hour has passed...

"Ah, all done!" Ron exclaimed as he wiped away the sweat from his brow, proud that he finally had the time to properly tie his shoes! Now that he's properly dressed for the occasion, sporting the uniform of a school he doesn't actually go to, Ron quickly made his way upstairs to the attic, quickly grabbing a bottle of Sunny D on the way. Ron didn't bother to make breakfast, as he had plans to summon his Servant as soon as possible today. Of course, trivial matters such as "breakfast" did not matter to Ron. Not while he was summoning Servant Butler.

The attic had already been prepared for the ritual, the circle being drawn the night before via Sharpie and traced over with gem dust, and the catalyst laying on a table right next to the circle. Ron picked up the summoning catalyst, gazing at it with awe... A piece of the Round Table, his father told him. When Ron learned of this information, he began to research every single Knight of the Round Table that was on Wikipedia until he finally stumbled on one that would make the perfect loyal butler for him!

Sir Gawain.

"Alright, I just need to put the catalyst in the center of the circle and-krrrrRRRRRRRRRRshKNNNNNNNwakkawakkawakka"

As soon as Ron took a swig of his Sunny D, he instantly spit it out, forgetting that he had just brushed his teeth minutes before. The unholy mixture of orange juice and toothpaste burned into Ron's tongue as he tried his best to wipe it off. Unfortunately, most of the Sunny D had been ejected all over his catalyst! Does that mean that his catalyst was ruined? As much as Ron wished to stress about it, he tried hard to make this summoning circle and got so far ahead as well, so in the end, it didn't really matter. He was summoning Servant Butler after all, so once the ritual was complete, he would simply ask his Servant to clean the mess that he made.

Yes, yes... everything was coming together. Ron placed the catalyst into the center of the circle before stepping back, placing his hand adorned with his command spells forward.

"Let silver and steel be the essence.
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation
Let my great Master Schweinorg be the ancestor
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall
Let the four cardinal gates close.
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate..."

Unbeknownst to Ron however, the spilling of the orange juice made another revelation... the "piece of the Round Table" was apparently painted over, the cursed runes engraved within it finally made apparent.

Made in China.

"From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three greet words of power,
Come forth from the ring of restraints,
Protector of the Holy Pantry!"

---

_@Astarte

"The common sense of man has advanced a great deal." Caster tilted her head in response to her Masters words. She set about [Reprogramming] civilians to notify the various pairs she detected on the way about Heracles.

Certainly they would be interested?

Still, they were gaining great deals of information as they traveled. The modern world was a beacon of civilization's light, but it was also dangerous territory for humanity. As someone created to [Save the World], it was disconcerting.

There was always *that* impossible question, after all.

@Crusader Lord
Wandering, Shinto Town
Walking the earth again was a truly unique sensation. But more than that, the information he had received from the grail regarding the current state of music was far too important not to attempt to properly look into. Music had changed and developed with the passing of eras, with the shifting tides of times forcing limitations not only upon humans but also the world. What was once possible had been sealed, no longer freely available.

But even with the changes, humanity still found ways to rise and push forward once more. New musicians stepped up to the stage, and fulfilled the position of the one to raise the collective understanding of Music to now.

Thus, the portable music player he was listening to now gave him a wonderful experience of modern music as he let his thoughts wander with his feet.

Several Days Ago, Greece
Appearing in a brilliant flash of light, Orpheus summoned his instrument into hand. Refusing to look up at his master, he began to tune the guitar-looking instrument, and began to strum. A slightly annoyed look appeared on his face as he gave another experimental pluck of a string and listened intently.

“So, this is what music has become?” Orpheus sighed and finally looked at his master. “Servant Caster, brought forth by your summons. I’ll tell you this much- don’t expect me to win the war for you. At best, we’ll be able to make it out alive. At worst, everything ends the first day.”

Noticing her gleaming eyes, he pulls out another instrument, this one a small flute. “Hmm. Would you like to learn how to play, child?” The offer is not one to be refused, from the looks on his face.

Spreading proper understanding and appreciation of music was just as important as playing it, after all.

Present Day
A commotion stirs in the area. Shouts from passerby and the word of mouth spread rapidly. “Heracles is here!” they say. The crowd grows. Suspicions arise.

“Master, I’ll be checking this out. Enjoy your meal. And make sure you’re still practicing when I come back!” Orpheus sends to his master.

Following the movement of people, he lands upon the scene, instrument drawn. No matter what he'd find here, it would undoubtedly be well served with a bit of playing.

“It has, for better and worse. I don’t think I’d really enjoy the quality of life the past held, but it must be nice living in an era where mystery and mana were abundant! It is sorta sad, when you think about it. You get to come to the modern era, but we can’t visit the past.”

A sad sigh escapes her.

“I guess that’s just how it is. Still, I’m glad you’re at least kind of pleased with the modern world. It would be sad coming back to a hellscape, wouldn’t it?”

Or at least, not an advanced hellscape. The world was always hellish, but in a different way. It was imperfect. That was the world’s problem.

---

“Thanks, Mr. Cab man! Stay away from the Commerce District! There’s a crazy guy there!”

Amara waved the Cabbie goodbye as it drove off, giving him the best advice she had. Hopefully it would keep him away from the Hercules that was destroying the city. She couldn’t bear to think about the kind of destruction such a powerful man could do. Truly, there wasn’t a more dangerous Servant than Heracles.

With the cab out of sight, Amara began to stretch.

“Well, here we are Caster! Did Alexandria have anything like this in your time?

B-besides the lighthouse. That one is disqualified, it being an Ancient Wonder and all.”

Banned.

@BB

---

---

“Of course! What kind of King would I be if I couldn’t protect but a single vassal? If I can’t protect one person, then my title of King is worthless.”

He, dramatically of course, walked in front of his Master. No harm would come to her for as long as he was around. It was his job to shield the world. One little(?) girl was nothing compared to the weight he would have to hold after this war.

Despite talking about protecting his Master, he didn’t take any real defensive stance. He was on guard, of course, but not trusting potential hosts was rude. If they didn’t want to be proper hosts, that was their problem. Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t go around breaking such simple hospitality.

“Yes, rules like these were common around mine era as well.

You always honor your enemy, no matter what.

You never strike from the shadows, it was the mark of a coward.

You always show kindness to those who offer it to you.

These are just some of the rules that humans must follow. Even animals are willing to follow these rules to an extent. A well trained dog or cat will never harm anyone who shows kindness to it. Though, an animal which has never been shown compassion will never understand that. The same applies to humans, of course. Tragic, isn’t it?”

Ah wait, he was ranting. He cut himself off before he could really start going.

@kyoka @Phlogistinator

The gentle silence of an attic. The soft sunlight befalling the wooden floors. The smell of...orange juice.
The sudden disturbance created by a swirl of ether erupting from a sharpie-marked floor.

A young girl stood in the middle of it, the sunlight seeming to engulf her form in its warm embrace. Her appearance was bright in and of itself. Golden waves tumbled down past her shoulders, reaching the entire length of her back and brushing over the angle of her hips. A golden gaze peeked out past dark lashes, shielded slightly by the bangs that covered the girl's forehead.

A silent blink. Another silent blink.

With a start, the girl looked down at herself in surprise, those golden hues widening as she brushed her free hand over her top, then her skirt. Moving down her body she patted over her legs, straightening back up to pat over her arms, then her own head, fingers meeting fabric as she felt the blood red hood that covered the majority of her head and expanded past to coat her shoulders and hang from them as a cape.

She spun in a circle, watching the way the fabric fluttered through the air as she did so. With a quiet and girlish chuckle she completed her spin, that one free hand coming to meet her opposite hand, fingers trailing over the object held tightly in it. The smile painted on her lips was one of adoration. An expression of appreciation and familiarity, similar to that of seeing an old friend. Silently, she traced over the outline of the giant bow held in her right hand. The massive piece of equipment looked as though there was no way it could be a light object, however the girl handled it as though it was light as a feather.


Lifting that free hand to her head once more, she scratched at the side of her head with a single finger pressed to the side of her hood, a quiet grumble coming from the girl as she tapped her foot in her own annoyance.

At last, that curious gaze shifted from herself to the boy standing before her. He appeared young, probably the age of a high schooler, and...


Shaking her head, she continued her observation of the man before her, those wide doe-eyes of the Archer slipping down his form.


The girl could feel her own resolve faltering for a moment, but nonetheless she continued her scan of the male! He had a good look in his eyes - she liked that. He had a fair build - could use more muscle but they would discuss that later.

With a confident grin, the girl quickly switched the hold of her bow from her right hand to the left, once more manipulating the weapon with ease despite its size quite nearly matching her own height. Once in her left hand, she extended that arm out past her side, wrist rotating and spinning the large bow to arrange it behind her back as she took a step forward, her right hand extending out towards the Magus in gree-



She froze immediately, fluid absorbing into the thin fabric of her shoe and seeping through to soak the skin underneath. With a shaky gaze, she shifted her attention to her feet, and more prominently, the puddle of orange juice she appeared to have stepped into.



Lifting her face to the boy once more, the girl tried with all of her might to ignore what she just saw. To ignore the overwhelming scent of orange juice. To ignore the cold touch of liquid soaked shoes.

The corner of her mouth twitched slightly, her once regal and polite smile looking significantly more forced as she returned to extending a quivering hand out towards the boy. A deep breath.



Another deep breath.

"Are you my Master?"

---

@Cu Chulainn