The contractor he had allied with had begun operating on his own. It seemed that they were nearing completion- through the line that connected the two of them, he could feel it, feel his Master gaining some level of strength back. A cold pit formed in his stomach at that thought, though- all the other magus was doing was treating the symptom, but the disease lay much deeper. So long as it existed, Tom Fruz was trapped. Beyond that, though-

"A banquet of kings, hm?"

An interesting idea, and yet one that Commodus did not understand. Did it not make more sense to pivot such a gathering around a particular kind of culture or class of warrior, than something like the status of a king? A king was fundamentally something that could not coexist with another of the same kind. In that sense, a banquet to gather them made no sense.

...perhaps his own perceptions were merely coloring that view, though. In any event, it could be entertaining, if nothing else. To see and meet with those other heroes without the pretense of combat, to bear witness to great things. It was nothing if not enticing.

"Perhaps..."

But, no. Hercules could not attend such a banquet. Hercules was free from such things, after all, free from the strife and the politics and the trappings of that title. That was why he was Hercules. That was why he was no longer the man who was qualified to attend this gathering.

This was not a point to weep over, but a point to rejoice for. Hercules would not be weighed down by such pointless things as a crown. Hercules would not be forced into a chair that was built to bear the weight of a nation. Hercules would not be unable to stop the world from turning around him, singing to a predetermined tune. Hercules would not cause ruin wherever he stepped.

Hercules could reject his fate, for he was strong. Hercules could save people, for he was a hero. Hercules could be loved by the masses, for he was inspiring.

So long as he was Hercules, then, he should be happy. He should feel joy at the chance to live his life, at the chance to become incarnated and be Hercules once more.

So then, why-

Congratulations, my son. You have been named Imperator. From this day on, we will rule together.

...no matter. The voice was pushed aside, before it could swallow him. Instead, he looked to the child king, to a source of respite.

"...boy, your wish, is it fueled by hate, or by love?"

“Hm...The one near the mountain appeals to me more than the promise of battling a mad warrior,” He spoke simply. “Both of them will be frequented to be certain, but perhaps that one will be calmer than whatever parade to brutality that “strongest Berserker” and their Master will cook up. With that kind of confidence, I’d be surprised if it isn’t the first to turn into a disorganized melee.”

He made his observations while stroking his chin, looking on toward the other side of the river without giving much away. He turned toward his master, once again marveling at the comfort these “sweatpants” and the accompanying sneakers that had been provided.

Sadly, it appeared his frame was too much for most shirts, so they had to make do with what his master had called a tank top. At least this one was not torn to shreds every time Saber so much as moved his upper body.

Saber gave a confident smile.

“You handled yourself well on the bridge, and I agree with saying no to that particular magus for my own reasons — but do not be so quick in writing off all offers. For all you know, we may find someone that we can truly entrust our backs to. And if we make it to the end and I have to fight their Servant, so be it — I will be content if you remain unharmed, and someone that can stand alongside me must be strong, no? I’m sure it will be a battle worthy of song.”

He laughed, and it was perhaps in that laugh that the true difference in the values of the Servant and the Master — no matter how agreeable one found the other’s personality to be — could be found.

The premise of the Holy Grail War meant that any alliance made would have to be dissolved come the end. That was a truth that one had to accept from the outset if they desired the Grail. Saber had already decided that protecting the kid was a larger priority, but that did not mean he would simply roll over for someone else if the chance presented itself.

And, in his opinion, so long as the terms and conditions were made clear from the start, then that “end” could not be called betrayal. It was simply the nature of war — yesterday’s friend could be today’s enemy. Accept it for what it is and give them the respect they deserve as warriors.

“—Regardless, we should begin moving, indeed,” He picked up the pace, an all-too-eager smile on his face as he ran possible scenarios through his head. “I’m really interested in knowing if any familiar face is around, and we should avoid giving up the initiative considering our current situation. Staying in one place all night is not ideal, Master.”

Perhaps an easy enough fight — something to introduce his Master to the nature of the Holy Grail War, a small skirmish or somesuch, would be useful. Though he would not mind quiet nights, it was unlikely that such a thing would happen while this particular storm hovered over the city, and the sooner his Master understood what awaited them in the coming days, the better he would develop.

...Perhaps he should look into teaching him some self defense just in case. Well, he did invent a martial art, so passing it on should not be difficult.

Shinto Town, Leaving the Household => En route to the Banquet

@Yankee

Huh?

They had a 15% increased chance of victory if she exceeded the limits of a...primate? Well, why it sounded rude, that was a tempting offer. Assuming there were 3 of each class, 21, her base odds of victory were slightly less than 5%. However, if this could boost their odds an extra 15%, making it around 20%, that would make their odds 1/5 …

Well, that was an absolute easy choice! Of course she’d acc̶͖͖̟̟̲̭͙͈͖̦͙̠̙͗̍͑̉̎̒ͅẻ̴͕̥̖̞̥̬̎͆̔̐̈́͊̀̈̍̄̃p̸̰͎̈́̾̊̉̽̚t̵̛͚̺̤͔͇̜̬̖̥̖̾́̊̌̐̈́͌͑̓̅̽̂̀̇ͅ ̴̣͚̟͙̞͚̰͕̙̰̓̏̾̈́̃̓͗͛́̌̎̂͗ͅt̴̢̧̛̘͕͈͎̞͉̼̩̲́̋̄̌̄̋͌͛̈́̎́̚ͅͅh̷̬͇̳̼̦̘̞̖͋͂̎́͘͠ä̶̬͙̹͙̅̎͋̿t̶̲͚̼͓͓̲̫͎̺̩̝̀͊͆̎̿̃͘̚̚̚͠͝͝.

---

---

---

Pain.

Heh, that was odd.

One of the first steps of being a proper magus is to come to terms with pain. If you groan with pain every time you opened your circuits you’d go insane.

However, if a magus makes themselves insane, then the pain can’t harm them.

Well, there were other reasons for why a distorted mentality was necessary for magecraft, but this was a reason.

But, if that truly was the case…



The pain wasn’t real.

Or at least, this level of it didn’t seem possible.

The body would twist and contort of the cocoon around it didn’t keep it nestled and secure. Still, the tension on a body just waiting to snap and crack was excruciating.

All sorts of wondrous images played before the mind, all at a speed beyond perception. A flash of colors, many of them unrecognizable, took over her vision. The beginning and the end both played at once, the shared grotesque awe in their aftershock was equally mind boiling. The Heavens and Earth melded into one, their remaining dust scattered in the void to be forgotten for eternity....



The body was gone.

On the river, in a box, all that remained were pieces of it.

14 pieces made up Amara, now they were cut apart and floating down the river.

Except she was still there.

Or was she?

Why did Amara see the corpse of Amara?

---

---

---

The fireworks in the sky caught her by surprise. She really wasn’t expecting such a bold invitation to be sent. It seemed arrogant, but that also likely meant that the team who sent it was strong.

Or at least, she hoped that was the case. Otherwise it was suicidal.

Fireworks marked the beginning of something, but also something’s finale. Though, if every ending is a new beginning, then they were one in the same, right? In that case, maybe the fireworks were the perfect opener of the true beginning of the war.

The Holy Grail War really started now.

Avoiding The End was within her grasp, now all she had to do was grab at it.

Yet, there was another disturbance as well.

A closer one, near where she believed the park was. It was a much less extravagant display, which meant it likely would bring more people to it. To that extent, then it wouldn’t be worth her time in comparison to the one going on near the fireworks. Of course, the invitation to the park is ultimately the one that seemed the more interesting choice, for the simple reason that it included a name.

William Flur.

Rank: Fes

The Flur family is allegedly descended from Merlin. For generations they’ve tried to achieve the same peaks the Mage of Flowers had. They specialize in Illusion Magecraft, almost certainly based on Merlin and British legends.

If this is the case, he likely has relics from Merlin himself. More startling than that, he may still have the blood of an Incubi flowing through his veins.

In others, William Flur has high potential to be a monster, making him pique Amara’s curiosity at the very least.

“Caster, do feel this wind and hear its call? I think it may be in our interest to respond.”

Amara smiled at her Servant and began to move, already knowing her Caster’s answer before they needed to say it. It was asked as a formality, more than anything. As she moved, she’d make her own (basic) calculations and banter with Caster along the way.

[Leaving: Shinto Town ----> Entering: Fuyuki Park]

---

---

---

---

“...Aaaahhhh, so these are modern schools! Master, write down the structure for me, please. I built more schools during my reign than any other King of Babylon. Outside of Ruling, my passion for knowledge and teaching is my greatest passion. When we win and I return in a more glorious form, I’ll build schools like these all across my homeland! I’m sure it has many, but there can always be more! Kuuuuhahahahahahahahaaaaaaa!”

Little did Rider know, it was 2004, and a bunch of Iraqi schools had been bombed.

In hindsight, Rider shouldn’t have brought his Master with him. It was going to be dangerous and Assassin could pop in and try to kill her.

…

Not that they would make it very far.

“Make sure you keep close to me, Master. I’m sure most of these King will be valiant, but there could also be true brutes.

Like Ghenghis Khan, Caligula, or Charlemagne. Those are some of history’s greatest brutes.”

And so, Rider entered the banquet, striding in like the King he was.

---

Shuten Douji was already beyond her capacity for relaxation, and was running up on the edge of her patience as well. While her idea of such things was fundamentally skewed compared to a human she was nothing if not a social creature, and being cooped up did not keep her satiated. Even idle fantasy about consuming her master, in one way or another, failed to bring relief in this time of intense boredom since due to his nature he was a walking case of indigestion at best. He was the most interesting human she had laid eyes on, save for that one particular boy, and yet he was entirely devoid of anything truly appetizing.

So the little demon lay there on the threshold with that oversized coat draped over her, hands supporting her head and legs kicking idly back and forth as she pouted at the garden, barely observing, scarcely listening, and fiercely plotting. This was not the refined Shuten Douji that had grown to appreciate beautiful things, this sight did not please her in the least, this was the brash young Shuten Douji that could barely resist ruining everything in front of her just to see the look upon the child she called master's face.

She continued to mull it over as he tea steeped, but decided that it was not likely worth the trouble she may land herself in. It wasn't that she respected him, but she was smart enough to understand the nature of their bond and the consequences of testing it too sorely. When she received her permission however, unintended or not, she leapt to her feet with a motion that revealed but did not over-emphasize that this was still a graceful and beautiful Shuten Douji even if it was a boorish one. "Fufu~...As you wish Danna-sama."

The enormous club that leapt into her hand was somehow dwarfed by the presence of the immense toothy smile that denoted her barbaric glee... But only for a second. Fireworks on the horizon wiped the monstrosity from her features and replaced it with an almost childlike awe as the oversized kanabo swung wide. Fireworks meant a festival and a festival meant an end to boredom!

The garden lived to see another dawn as the gargantuan weapon was released to cut a cold iron path across the stars and towards the source of their earthly imitators. Shuten leapt after it, obliterating the floor beneath her feet with the immense strength of her take-off, catching up with and landing upon the airborn weapon with a catlike poise, a katana in her hand, and her jacket fluttering behind her like the cape of some cheesy superhero.
Shuten made impact like a giggling cruise missile, the massive kanabo throwing up literal tonnes of earth and upending trees as it dug a sharp trench through the center of Fuyuki park. She didn't care, the sheer density of prana pouring off of her protected her from the ill effects of her own mischief and announced her presence in a miasma of sickening heat that permeated the massive dust cloud.

As it finally skidded to a stop a scarce few dozen yards away from the origin point of the fireworks she stepped off of her makeshift vessel with a pout but no further fanfare, or for that matter acknowledgement of the havoc she had wreaked. "Excuse me but What is the meaning of this? This isn't a festival... Isn't false advertising a crime punishable by death in this terribly boring era?" She asked the sole magus and servant in attendance with a voice full of confusion and disappointment but eyes full of something entirely more vicious and predatory.

All the effortless poise in her bearing, all the beauty of her flawless pale skin and round face, even the sweet scent that flowed off of her, even the horns that marked her as a monster despite those things, all of it was overshadowed by those blood thirsty eyes. They were so dominating that to all but the most astute observers they even masked that little pout transforming into a smile that matched them. "...I'll forgive you though, as long as you are fun. Fufufu." Even this Shuten Douji couldn't help but play with her food.

---

@wug@flood@crusader lord@argonaut@scallop

Banquet of Kings, Academy

Ah, not even a step into the Banquet proper and Orpheus had already been accosted by a figure of authority for a choice in tune. Truly, no matter the era, the fate of a musician would not change.

Ultimately, Orpheus was here to play music. And though it was not often that he personally accepted requests (truly, some people’s tastes in music could be nothing short of appalling), he did not have a proper grasp of this new servant’s personality nor his True Name to truly tailor a song for them.

Setting down his Territory and watching it grow with extraordinary speed, working to cover the grounds of the proceedings, he begins to play the song requested of him. Orpheus’ voice rose up and projected to the rest of the area. “Welcoming, the first guest of tonight- Servant Rider!” The introduction complete, he plays out the tune to it’s completion, moving in with his master at his side, searching for a safe place to leave the excitable girl.

@Reflection @Crusader Lord @BB @Phonic @wug @Froppy

Momotaro
Thot Patrol
Commerce District, Commercial office ----> Fuyuki Park

A blush bright and pink appeared on the boy Saber's face as he burst out laughing in return, realizing his embarrassment almost immediately, but a sense of relief swept over him, realizing this guy had a good sense of humor.

His hand snapped out to catch the candy, eating it quite quickly, letting out a nice relieved gasp as he ate it. His smile shone bright as he enjoyed the taste and feeling of it. The modern world di wonders with food it appeared. A look of pure content washed over him as he listened to his new partner.

"I see! Partner, I like it! We'll have no problems Kotaro Toshizo it is almost by Fate that we were brought together y'know? Taro and Taro, we are truly Partners! You are a hero of justice and I too uphold justice! For that I can tell that me and you, will get along great! Gods! I am so excited to be working alongside you, Partner!"

he laughed heartily and toned his bright smile down a little. "I feared as such... What I did in my time was surely never enough to eliminate evil forever, it festers and remains! But have no fear! With the combination of you and me, I'm sure these modern demons will face harsh cold justice yeah?" he announced to Kotaro with another bright grin as he grabbed a coat and slung it over his shoulders, over his traditional wear.

He felt the energy and nodded to him as he began to make his way there.

Fuyuki Park

As he arrived Momotaro slowed down his advance as he enterred the park and sniffed the air. "Master, I would stand back, there is something sinister afoot" He uttered as the boy continued his advance into the park as he turned and saw the people already there. His sword sheathed he gave a bright smile as his glance grazed over William and Berserker before focusing on the Oni.

"I don't believe your kind of fun is welcome in a public area, good evening all"

He smiled brightly, his eyes sharp like steel. He stood there, awaiting his master to catch up.

---

Knees weak, arms are heavy.. there's vomit on my trenchcoat now, Oni's scent-E.

Ever since that skimpy wearing horned-girl flew over me, I feel all woozy of a sudden.

Like somebody poured over my drink with all kinds of party hallucinogens in the world, corrupting my mind into madness.

Methinks this is as far as I go.

The detective comes to a complete halt before even reaching his partner.

He hid behind a tree from a safe distance, struggling to draw a bounded field to keep the others safe from the inevitable skirmish that is about to happen.

Kotaro deeply sighed, unwrapping a piece of candy to somehow calm the nerves while his eager partner went on ahead. This place was never intended humans now that mischievous servant has arrived.

Based on his observation, that stench was some sort of charm spell that affects within the range of that newly arrived servant was secreting and it would be foolish if he tries pursuing Momotaro.

"Oy, Saber, I'm afraid I can't continue pursuing you from where you stand.. looks like our first case is our toughest case yet.. hehe" He struggles to cough up a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood, mentally communicating with Saber.

"I'll try to be useful from outside, try to oversee and investigate what kind of setup that modern flower mage has here.." Kotaro's iris began to twitch as its color changes into something more vibrant.

"Just remember, be cautious with your surroundings.. do your little investigation in there and whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth..Oh and one more thing, Try not to die before i do.. ya?"

"So Caster... What do you think of my base?" Ariadne was rather aware that she had spent very little time with her servant. To be honest, the reason was simple... What would she say? What could be said? Her attempt to summon a great hero of the Greek era had gone amuck, and in the place of somebody like Theseus, or Achilles... She had summoned a Trojan. She had nothing against the Trojans! In fact, Dionysus probably had the strongest relationship with the Trojans outside of Apollo. He had remained neutral in the war.

So why did it feel awkward? Perhaps it was because she had been trying to summon a big musclebound hero. One she could have lift her in his arms, and parade her around. Instead, she had a priestess of Apollo, who likely wouldn't be up for any of that stuff. In truth, she hadn't even wanted to summon a Caster, but here she was. At the very least, they likely could work together on this to achieve something spectacular.

"I know it's probably not some elaborate temple you're used to, but I figured that a nice, open place to draw in magical energy through its karmic tones would probably do some good, you know?" She did love a good party, and drawing a crowd was her main strength. "Either way, I already made contact with another Master. With luck, he'll arrive as scheduled, and we can forge an alliance. On a positive, they're not Greek, so it shouldn't be too hard to make some friends."

Talia Heigen-Schwertz

---

"I'm certain that you can go ahead and look up how to build a school on your own Rider, you have no need to rely on me."

"And as for those who would dare to violate these peaceful grounds, I'm sure that both you and the host can take care of that, or am I expecting too much from your august majesty Rider?"

Despite the barbed words that crawled from her mouth, Talia seemed rather pleased with current events.

"I too am looking forward to seeing our peers in this war. May this clash between us serve to advance our arts and to showcase the work of those before us in which we take pride in. I can hardly wait Rider!"

Visibly excited, practically shaking with energy, the dynamic duo stepped across the threshold of Homurahara Academy, eager to face the world.

@Aoko Aozaki @Phonic @BB @Froppy @wug @ReallyDumb @Crusader Lord @Breo @Yankee @Reflection

Zoe could virtually feel her teacher's song crawling up her back as she followed alongside him! So beautiful, and yet so modern. Luckily, she too knew this song! Not that she thought she was the utmost best...trying to say she match Orpheus in anything musical was like trying to say she could imitate a nuclear bomb with a twig. Not that Japan needed another one of those. Yet she would get better for sure, and for now could at least play something alongside her teacher! She has summoned a great servant, after all, and it wasn't like she wasn't going to take the time to learn from him. At least until they either survived or died.

The Greek mage began to play her guitar, now in her hands, to best match her teacher as the song played out in her head. She could almost hum the tune from memory herself, but all of her laborious and hard work so far was going to shine as best as it could! If nothing else, at least initially as an accompaniment of sorts on the side to a great hero of old. It was incredibly exciting, to say the very least, and the confident mage happily played along whilst humming the tune to herself. Sure she wasn't the best...but practice always made perfect! And if nothing else she was keeping in-tune!

Thoughts of her teacher's confidence in her, as well as of the most recent affectionate ruffling of her hair, also only seemed to make her smile beam even more as they crossed her mind. She would reach true Music! She would be the true chosen hero for the world! There was nothing she could not do, if she worked as hard as she could, and that was a fact! Humanity could overcome so much, so what was hard work, practice, and time between her and a bright heroic future? Nothing!

Besides, it made her a bit happier after the...ultimately rejected proposal she had made to that Japanese kid and his servant. However, that too could be remedied in time! She was certain that obstacle could be overcome as well!

@ReallyDumb

---

...The idiot. Yes it was nice that, maybe, she'd get something to try to smash and slash to vent her frustrations some. On the other hand, inviting the entirety of the war into an open deathmatch arena was also suicidal as all hell. Sure this class made her angry enough on the average, like her temper was always turned on, but at the same time even she had learned from her own blasted mistakes! Going it alone and trying to be a badass was stupid enough to get her killed for pity's sake! Not that she hadn't been successful...curses. Liking it or not she had been roped into this plan, and at least her idiot of a master had taken time to get ready for this. That had been better than his earlier misadventure, for which she'd properly smacked him after finding an alley to hide in for a moment.

"You had better hope your idea tonight doesn't get us killed. I'm no pushover, but you're also built as strong as wet paper and just invited a veritable disaster in for all we-"

Yamato had finally decided to speak up to her master, when suddenly as great crash landed in the Park. Or rather, what had landed and formed the trench now carved into the park itself. But...



...This 'thing' was no hero. It was a servant, but it was also something else entirely. Yes. It was easy to tell, and a familiar tingle ran up her own spine that sparked an instant recognition in her mind. That sheer density of the prana pouring off of her, that sickening miasma of heat, those horns and gourd and demeanor.



A damned oni. Yet this was not just any oni...it was the spawn of 'that'. 'That' which had been slain by a god, and from whose body had been withdrawn this holy blade. Yamato could feel it in her bones, her body remembering a great battle long passed. For the first time, the hero also gritted her teeth. She then only barely turned her head to the left, to see her master out of the farthest corner of her eye whilst keeping the oni before her securely in her sight.

At the same time, before she could speak to William, Yamato also witnessed another servant walk up who was clearly Japanese. That 'peachy' bright smile and disposition, that sharpened steely gaze, and that childlike aspect he seemed to carry all spoke of one thing. One person. Even way he smiled brightly into the face of something monstrous was a hint, being something the Berserker's instincts gleaned some form of familiarity from that reminded her of herself. A monster slayer, one that could look even upon an oni with a readiness to fight.

...Truly fate had a way of repeating itself, did it not? At least it felt like such tonight.

As William could perhaps notice, at least whilst Yamato was glancing back at him with her other eye on the oni, her face was becoming unnaturally and entirely solemn and serious. Not even an ounce of her anger at him, of her frustration at his antics even, was written into her expression. For a brief moment, the face of a serious hero shone back under the light of the moon.

"Master, if you listen to me about anything tonight...listen to this you thrice-damned flowery fool. Listen to me and listen well.

Stay away from this 'thing', whatever you do, and stay the hell away from it at all costs. You know not what you have brought here this night. And if you yet still survive tonight, then we are also going to have serious words indeed. This is my one and only warning."

After speaking to only where her master could hear, Yamato then looked forward once more in full at her two opponents. Well...primarily just one. Her mouth bent, forming into a wide, fang-bearing grin wrought with a mixture of readiness, focus, and a greater fury seething underneath. However, one last thing was in order, perhaps, before they could begin...and it was hard enough to hold herself back as she was right now. Very hard. Such so that the Kusanagi naturally appeared in Yamato's hands without her having to think too hard about it, instantly enveloping both in a mighty barrier of wind that flickered and raged like a furious divine storm.

"Good evening, warrior who conquered the island of demons. I think we both know what must happen...though if you do not state wanting to take a stab at her first, I will be unable to hold back any longer," the Berserker said, her gaze still focused intently on the oni before her before finally addressing the elephant in the room more directly, "But you, beast? I would think that your precious 'otōsan' would have passed word along to you into the afterlife to stay dead. Or was he merely too terrified to say anything, after I slew him with my bare hands upon the mountainside?

By my honor as a the divine sword of the Emperor, by which his enemies are smitten, and as a descendant of the goddess, blessed by her grace...I swear you shall never survive this war!"

@Scallop@Froppy@wug@flood@argonaut

"Come on, Master, you don't need to be so serious. You have the blessings of both Lord Apollo and Lord Dionisius on your side. Isn't it right, Milord?" Caster said to her Master. She set aside a glass of wine to pet a small, white and golden wolf puppy resting on her lap. "I have seen the greatest dangers that lie ahead of us and even how this Holy Grail War will end. I can tell you, but I doubt you'll believe me," she said.

She smiled when her Master mentioned that this workshop was nothing like a temple worthy of a mage from the Age of the Gods. "I'm at fault for that as well. I should have worked on it, but I couldn't help but want to take Milord to a walk around the city. The world of this era is just so exciting, I couldn't contain myself," Caster said. If she had worked on improving her Master's workshop during the day, it would be complete by now. Alas, they would have to leave it for tomorrow.

Just as her Master spoke about a meeting she arranged for the night, Caster took notice of a message reaching the outer layer of the bounded field around their workshop. "Right on time," she said as she picked the glass again. "While we wait for this acquaintance of yours, take a look with your own eyes at the kind of future ahead of us," she said as she turned the glass in a divination device, reflecting both the battle at the park and the meeting at the school, depending on how it was looked at.
@Reflection

In the quiet of night, in an otherwise hushed building, the voice of a young adult woman could be heard.

"Haah...I wish I had worked on actually adapting my sleep schedule before coming to Japan...being nocturnal is doing nothing for my skin right now..."

Staring at herself in the mirror, Kuristine Marie-Louise Bradbury gave one last check over her appearance, turning this way and that as she made sure that every angle was flawless. Had one been wondering why she was dressing herself up so late in the evening, they would find her answer to be quite simple, though completely unnecessary.


With a satisfied nod, the girl spun away from the mirror, crossing through two doorways before making it to the living room set-up of her penthouse suite. The view from the Four Seasons Fuyuki was beautiful, an entire wall of the room being made entirely of windows that looked out over the foreign district. All that could truly be seen at this time of night was the peppering of street lights that illuminated paths and roads, but it was a wonderful sight nonetheless.

Approaching the center of the room, it would be easy to tell that the furniture had been shifted ever so slightly, opening a central area up where the girl had drawn out her magical circles earlier in the night.


Taking a step back, the girl lifted her hand, and-


Lifting her hands to her chest, she tugged the chain of her necklace up and out from her shirt. Metal snapped as she yanked the chain from her neck, not particularly caring for it as much as she did what was attached at the end of it. Besides, pulling it up and over her head could potentially mess up her hair and the hat she had taken so long to angle perfectly atop her head!

Holding the necklace up to her face, she took one last look at the pointed charm attached at the end of it. After she had to miss out on a weekend getaway to Ireland, her friends had returned with a souvenir for the poor dejected witch. They had claimed it was some kind of thorn they bought off from a museum there, but what hung before her face resembled more of a claw to her than anything else.

With a shrug, she tossed the necklace to the middle circle, leaving her arm extended after doing so to continue what she had initially began just a moment earlier.

_{"Alright, let's see...}

It might not have been the exact chant she had learned earlier, but why should the strongest use the same words as the weak? Of course! Giving it her own touch would surely work in her favor!

With her excited heartbeat thrumming in her chest, the witch waited for her servant to answer her call.

---

@Relex

Spring-Heeled Jack - Assassin

Hotel Room at Shinto Town

Words could not adequately describe the depth of Assassin’s disappointment as he failed to elicit a reaction from his Master; his body language gave nothing away and, of course, his immovable mask didn’t either, but he was practically despondent. It wasn’t like he had expected much; a slight jump or a stiffening of the spine would have been enough, maybe a small shocked exhalation or a squeak of terror, perhaps a small heart attack, and he would have been satisfied.

As it was he was already plotting out his next attempt.

“A man of theatrics indeed, dear Master! I hear they’ve even made plays about me.” Stelle may not have turned around to face him but Assassin made it a point to lock eyes with her, stepping around the clockwork Magus to stand before her even if it meant wading into the cloud of pipe smoke that lingered in the air. “The pleasure is all mine, dear Master. I will lend you my strength, meagre as it is, for the duration of this war; I can only hope it will be enough. I am but a simple scoundrel after all, no great King or warrior stands before you.”

William’s declaration of war drifted through the window; Assassin cocked his head to the side, as if turning a ear to better hear the words, but otherwise gave no reaction that he had heard. When Stelle gave her order however he stepped back and bowed with a deep flourish. “I don’t have much experience spying, but if you order it then tonight I will play the spy. I will keep an eye on this William and his Berserker and see who approaches him.”

Rising, Assassin turned and skipped across the room towards the open window. With a slight hop he leapt up onto the window’s ledge and crouched there, legs bent and arms dangling at his side like a gargoyle, before he put power into his legs and jumped in earnest, all but disappearing in an instant as he flew through the air towards Fuyuki Park.

@Parallel Hearts

****

Fuyuki Park – Enjoying the Show

Assassin’s current perch gave him a good view of the action, the building he had found was far enough away as to be safe from the combat while also being tall enough to let him see what was happening. Even at this distance however, he hid his presence lest his location be found and targeted, he crouched at the edge of the building and kept his legs bent, ready to leap away at the first sign of danger and he paid as much attention to his immediate surroundings as he did the pair he was supposed to be watching. Precautions and precautions and precautions, all to avoid even the possibility of being dragged into a fight.

When the first Servant to accept the invitation arrived, crashing into the ground like a drunken meteor, he felt his cowardice was justified.

A terrible, vicious monster wearing the guise of a small girl stepped out from the cloud of dust and approached the pair. Assassin didn’t recognise her, but he also didn’t need to know who she was to be able to tell that she was someone that he needed to stay as far away from as possible; even so, something about her seemed to call to him, a strange sense of kinship drawing him to her. She said something, a sinister smile spreading across her face as she did so, but the distance meant he couldn’t make out what was being said and Assassin felt bold enough to move closer so as to be within earshot. He tipped forward until he could fall down the face of the building, an invisible shadow dropping from the roof to the pavement before he began to move in the direction of Fuyuki park along the ground.

He arrived at his destination only moments later, keeping his presence hidden the entire time, but another Servant had still managed to arrive in the time it took him to move from rooftop to park and find a suitable vantage point. A young boy, oriental as far as he could tell and almost as young as the girl with the club, had joined the party and was making his introduction.

Assassin waited and listened as the boy spoke and then the ‘Strongest Berserker’ replied. It was all terribly boring to listen to, so serious and dull that he was halfway tempted to leap out at them and add some levity to the situation; only two things held him back, the fact that he had been ordered to spy on this meeting and the fact that he would almost certain die for the attempt. At least he was learning lots of useful information regarding their identities.

Three Japanese Servants, all with at least a passing knowledge of each other. A warrior who conquered the island of demons, the divine sword of the Emperor and descendant of a Goddess and the daughter of someone or something the former had slain.

”Did you get all of that Master? I think I’m pretty good at this spying business.”

@Argonaut@Scallop@Flood@Crusader Lord@Froppy

Jigen and Saber made it over to the Miyama side with little issue. They didn't run into any other masters or servants during the trek - apparently, having two beacons to draw enemies into made getting around the city pretty easy. Jigen had taken Saber's words to heart of course, the nature of the war, it's dangers... but on only the first night, he was feeling kind of good about it all things considered. He happily chatted to his partner about this and that, some of his own life and how extra cool Theseus was now that Jigen had learned all that Google had to say about the man. As they got closer to the source of the far fireworks, it became clear that they were, indeed, coming from the Academy.

"Well, we're here! This is kinda like my home turf," the boy observed as they stood outside of the school. Technically all of Fuyuki could be considered his "home turf," but being a student of course he was very familiar with the Academy itself. It gave him a little boost in confidence, knowing where everything was in the area, quickest escape routes... should that knowledge be needed. He'd hate to run, especially when he was supposed to be a partner to an epic hero, but he also had to survive so they could get Saber his wish - and mine too, once I think of one. That said, he was very much looking forward to everything Saber had to teach him, he wanted to be a partner the man could be proud of.

In the courtyard there were a handful of people already gathered. Various masters and servants... Jigen rubbed his eyes with one hand as his master's clairvoyance came into view on some of the 'party's' patrons. For him, it seemed to take the form of an advertisement - kind of weird, but it was useful. The other servants were strong, even compared to Saber - at least, according to their parameters. It made sense of course, weren't they all great heroes too?

He spotted one familiar face in the group, that of Zoe, and he gave the girl a smile and little wave. Saber said I was right to turn her down, but to really think about future offers, he thought to himself, looking over the other masters gathered and considering. The Greek hero was right, if the terms of the alliance were laid out ahead of time it shouldn't pose a problem, but still...

Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, Jigen focused on the magus he'd met earlier that day again. She had a guitar, that was so cool. Then, that music playing servant might also be hers? She said he was Greek as well. Could he be a 'familiar face' for Theseus? The internet had told him that Saber was part of a large crew of awesome heroes, and there was an amazing musician among them.

"Someone you know, Saber?" Jigen questioned.

---

"Hm," the noise was noncommittal as Berserker stood beside the larger servant with his arms crossed in front of him. They'd talked a little while their masters were busy. Markansas was skilled, Berserker saw that immediately though his personality had left the servant confused at first. Still, he had no doubt that Hercules' master would come out stronger than before, especially if the boy was really in as poor shape as he looked. Regardless, Berserker's eyes flicked over to Hercules at his single word, "perhaps," and he raised a brow.

For his own part, Berserker had little to no interest in a gathering of heroes other than the one they were already a part of, even if it was a so-called "banquet of kings." Berserker was a king during life, but he had also been more than that. Although he hadn't chosen his path as his ally had earlier surmised, he was still a Pharaoh - an existence beyond a king, commanding both mortals and spirits, a divinity made flesh passed down through his father whether he'd wanted it or not. The young servant would have guessed that "Hercules," a hero who ascended to godhood, would not be so interested in that group of kings either - wouldn't he have wanted to test his might against the bold Berserker in the park instead? And yet...

Trying to reconcile the servant beside him and the thought of "Hercules" was a bit of a headache, but Berserker hadn't known the man personally of course. He accepted this "Hercules" as he was now, and though the Pharaoh was a little standoffish, he found he didn't really mind the man at all.

"Does it matter?" was Berserker's reply, a genuine question. "Whether I want to be rid of something I hate, or to save something I may love. The result will be the same either way."

He sighed and cast his gaze back outside. "What of you? That fate you want to overturn... would you tell me?"

Hermes who eternally flew above the world saw all things. Such were the 'Eyes' of a God.

. . .And those eyes saw no boundary fields within Fuyuki Park, save a single pitiful one. Among the Masters present who had revealed themselves, those here really weren't normal Magi. Neither properly hid. None of them prepared their little magus games.

The tricks of Magi could be quite troublesome, from time to time. Caster couldn't complain though. Afterall, the strongest chain was always limited by its weakest link.

Even if she would never lose against this modern breed, there were existed beings that could probably overwhelm Casters master. Even if the possibility was so slim as to not exist, those futures absolutely still had to be held in account.

Moreover, some unknown enemy had deigned to observe the battlefield using divination magecraft. Given the laser focus on conflict and the wide-range of effect, she could only assume it was Caster. The moment she was in a secure position, Caster would begin to gather information to Trace/Calculate/Analyze the source of this observer.

Compute.
------------
+ Number 1 +
Battlefield Analysis Commence
Subject #1 (Japanese Saber?)
|Anomalous Quotient: Irregular Value: Attaching accumulated Variability Index|
Subject #2 (Japanese ? ? ?)
|Anomalous Quotient: Extremely Low; Designation: 'Demon'|
Subject #3 (Japanese Saber/Berserker?)
|Anomalous Quotient: Extremely Low|
------------
+ Number 4 +
Master #1 (William Flur)
|Masters records assimilated and analyzed. Illusionist. Commence further analysis.|
Master #2 (? ? ?)
|Mystic eye user. Commence further analysis.|
------------
Had Caster the inclinations of a human, perhaps she would've sighed.

. . .As it was, one actor had declined to come. No matter. That was highly unfortunate, but the show had to go on. Monitoring the movement of magical energy, she would show some effort in tracking down the missing masters direction.

Suppressing the pairs magical energy had resulted in near-safety when it came to moving near the combat zone. Observing proper caution via boundary fields and the like, it was even possible to enter the battlefield with their various buffs already prepared.

Caster herself had selected a wide open space with little in the way of visual obstruction. Weary of wide-range attack Noble Phantasms, she had kept a fair distance from the projected fighting zone.

While abilities such as presence concealment afforded one the ability to mask their magical energy, Caster could partly negate that by simply ensuring there was no direction or angle to stage an ambush from. With the full use of her abilities, Caster intended to eliminate the notion of Blindspots/Killzones/Vulnerabilities, which Archers and Assassins used to acquire victory. Even the air and ground were being properly monitored against some tricky and outlandish incursion.

If someone wished to fight her, they would need to come head on.

The moment before she began to use magecraft for preperations, Caster created a boundary field to hide her position. Hypatia took extra care to ensure whoever was choosing to observe the battlefield via divination would see nothing but static on her favored ground. Something smaller like Magus familiars were a matter of course reserved for something like Etherlite.

Adding onto the advantageous terrain, she prepared suitable defenses and traps making use of Etherlite. With the proper calculations, she created an instant 'Fortress of Thought' which could withstand even those rampaging Ghost Liners. Probably.

Without even bothering to snap her fingers, she produced magic circles and simulated planetary bodies suitable for the overwhelming firepower she intended to unleash in just a few moments.

"Take care to not cross the boundary line lightly. An ambush from Archer or Assassin is likely in this Terrain/Deathtrap/Warzone.

. . .Moreover, I detected an abnormality observing the battlezone. Test yourself only under cover."

The shot Hypatia had detected earlier today illustrated how much caution was required for this war.

---

"Don't worry, don't worry! You're the best Berserker around! And the only way to get to me is to go through you, so all in all I'd say we're doing just fine! Besides, how many people could possibly show hmm? You saw those fireworks earlier, I bet everyone is going towards those-"

It was almost surprising how quickly people had shown up after making his declaration, from the mad booze soaked demon crashing into the earth like a cruise missile, to the young boy with the sword and his Master who had just shown, it would seem he had attracted more attention than he had meant to with his little message! "Ah. Whoops! I guess a lot of people showed." William muttered quietly as he dispelled the message in the sky, the flower petals scattering into the wind and dispersing all over the city.

Oh my, those stats on the Oni were quite something. Master's Clairvoyance was quite the handy thing, to be able to somewhat accurately judge an opponent at merely a glance was very helpful in considering just how difficult a fight would be. For William, these "stats" showed in the intensity of a flower's color. Her Luck, it's color was quite lackluster, a dull flower that would only be present on a pauper's table, poorly watered and wilting. But every other stat? Simply dazzling, a wide array of beautiful hues that could only be present in the garden of the richest man on Earth! Her Strength and Mana surpassed even that, being almost beautiful enough to belong in Avalon itself! Almost.

The air was heavy with the scent of sake of the highest quality, almost causing the other Master to collapse into a drunken stupor from merely existing in the same space as the oni. A poor Magus then, not that it particularly mattered to the flowery man as he slowly faded into thin air. "Well then, it looks like the party is starting! I apologize for being such a poor host, but as my Berserker said, things are quickly about to become dangerous for me. Which means this is my cue to exit the scene before I get caught up in something rather unfortunate. I apologize Berserker, I know I told you I wouldn't tell you what to do in battle but I'm afraid I must give at least one order. Work with the other Servant to slay the Oni. Afterwards you may do as you please." The last thing to disappear was his mischievous smile as he moved around the arena and behind the tree which Kotaro was hiding behind.

He planted a hand on his shoulder as he reappeared, his staff in the other hand as he peeked out from behind the tree, using the other Master as cover just in case. "Exciting isn't it? This battle between heroes of old and the monsters which prowled the lands, this is what I joined for." He waved his staff lightly as he quickly muttered a few words of power, Yamato's and Momotaro's blades appearing to be just slightly shorter than it actually was as William cast some minor illusions. The most minor of which, being a probe of Kotaro's defenses as William tried to throw off his center of balance ever so slightly. Should he get called out on it, he could simply blame it on the atmosphere.

"Woaaah!" Ron uttered in awe of his Servant's display of skill. To think Maider could clean a stain out from the sky as high as 8,000 feet... Ron really did summon the strongest Maid in the Throne of Service, huh? If she keeps cleaning up like this, then there's no doubt Ron would be able to win the War, and more importantly, hear dad praise him! However, there was only one issue, one that Ron had slowly began to realize.

"Wait a minute... did you just say Santa Claus, Maider? Did you just shoot down Santa?!" Ron pointed at his Servant, accusingly. His face conveyed the emotion of both shock and betrayal as he shook in fear. Destroying Santa Claus's sleigh would mean that Ron would forever be in the Naughty List, and being in the Naughty List would mean that all Ron gets for Christmas is coal, which is bad for Ron's lungs! The young man's night was ruined... unless...

"Hold on... if Santa Claus is dead, then that would mean we wouldn't end up in the Naughty List. Maider, I have a grim task for you, one that we can never tell dad or anyone else. I'm going to need you to go over to where Santa crashed and..." Ron gulped, a cold sweat running down his head, his hands clammy and pale.

"I need you to finish the job, Maider. Oh, and take his presents too! As a matter of fact, when you get there, let me know! I'll check it out myself through your really keen Maid eyes and see if we can get any good gifts in his sack of toys! Oh man, I really want a new set of Hot Wheelz..."

At an instant, Ron's facade changed from that of guilt to that of carefree happiness. He made his way back inside the manor, cradling a pile of waffle tacos and leaving the other half for Maider to either consume or leave out.

---

_@Astarte

---

"Indeed," Kotaro nodded.

"The El-Classico match of Good vs Evil in the land of the rising sun. How their true nature manifests towards one another. You can tell their wavelengths are not sync, one seeks chaos; the other remaining: order. quite intriguing actual --Hey, wait a sec, Ehhhhhh? Where the hell did you come from!?"

The detective winced, a bit shook by the presence of tonight's host breathing down his back all of a sudden. It took a second for Kotaro to figure out who he was subconsciously agreeing to.

"Uh, would you mind" Retracting his shoulder with an involuntary jerk, Kotaro brushes off the magus grip ever so abruptly, keeping his personal space as it supposed to be, moving over to his right while peeking at the other side of the tree.

"You're a peculiar one aren't you, I couldn't decipher what your actual intentions are but I can tell you're some type of a scoundrel who takes the utmost pleasure in setting things in motion in your own twisted ways" starting with a slight conversation, Kotaro's insight is at work here. trying to grasp the magus besides him, like why is he such a douche, carefree and yet ever so deceitful?

And the minor illusion trick was way off. he had a hunch he is being played here. A simple trick to deceive the mind, that is if one is not akin to details.

The thought process and keen observation of Kotaro went something like this: The first sign was the use of a magic circuit. a gateway to magic for any magus. opening even the slightest indicates the increase of body temperature, which is a dead give away considering he just made contact with the detective. Second, that's not his servant's real sword. He should know. Saber has no capacity of retracting the girth of its edge, nor fall short to a short blade. His deduction: False perception is at work here.

The detective simply smirks, and briefly looks at William. knowing what elements he is dealing with here and tries to focus on the important things, like his surroundings.

It's bad enough Kotaro has to experience the intoxicating aroma of the Oni firsthand, barely escaping it but to deal with this illusionist's shenanigans is just too much for one night.

---

Such harsh reactions, and from such objectionable people too... Was it too much in this wretched era to let bygones be bygone and enjoy a good night's revel? It may take two to dance as they say, but even a party of one can make its own fun. The smile persisted as she licked her lips, navigating the fangs with a glint in her eyes.

She called out, just as sweetly as before "It's okay little girls and boys, I can promise you this much-" And then she was gone, her movement a blur that no human eye could ever hope to comprehend and would strain even most servants. What followed was two geysers of displaced earth as the very ground was torn asunder by the immense might of Shuten Douji's assault.

But such vagueries were only for those without the eyes of a servant. That single human instant was a chain of super-human, or rather super monster, events unfolding in rapid succession with a terrifying mixture of grace and brutality.

First, a quick dismissive low kick too far away to hit anyone involved, the toe snagging the solid metal ring at the butt end of the kanabo and tearing it up from its resting place in a skyward shower of dirt.

Second, the foot hit the ground again, a second thunderous impact, as her free hand closed tightly around the handle of the giant club as it pointed straight up at the apex of its rise.

Third, a huge blast that dwarfed both of the prior sent earth and boiling prana flying in all directions, though mostly at Saber since he was behind her, as she leapt off with every bit of her might into a headlong lunge towards the other Berserker.

Then fourth, and finally, that club came down with a crash that put even the one before it to shame as it split the ground with such force that it toppled nearby trees... The only question was whether or not her target was dispersing into the air among that dirt as a mix of ether and red mist.

She resumed speaking as if nothing had happened, but the smile fixed upon her face seemed wider, brimming with more viciousness than that beautiful face could hold without seeming uncanny."-I am not my father."

The sword in her other hand was already raised to receive the worthy with a constant vigilance as the club was dragged back towards the ready position. If a great swordsman knew how to fight with two swords as if they were extensions of his arms then this was the manner of a clever monster that understood the value of having claws on both hands.

---

@wug@scallop@flood@argonaut@BB@king cosmos@crusader lord@parallel hearts

At the banquet was the disgusting device formed from interlocking blades; the asymmetric monstrosity of spikes and jagged edges and twisted metal. And upon it sat the Demonic Lord Rider and his imposing image, frightening the very hearts of mortals. A killer without peer who had killed a sizable percentage of the world population through his brutal reign.

The Brutal King Timurlane.

“Geh. How boring ...”

Rider could not help feeling rather disappointed with the turnout of the banquet he had so readily prepared. He was not the sort to truly care for such parties, or rather, he was not the sort to care much for the current crowd of the party. A bunch of burly men and children along with a few faceless NPCs; the things he hated the most. The intent of the party has failed. He would have to teach his Slave what it means to fail their king later tonight.

“Well, enough of the pleasantries. I was never much for talking small.”

...Of course, there were no pleasantries exchanged between Rider and his guests.

Regardless of those who had shown up were up to his tastes, they were still those who had taken his offer of communion. And he accepted them into his “home”. Into his “possession” because they are of the same cloth as himself; a hero. After all, Rider was the greatest hero to have ever existed (source: Rider).

Retracting the bladed throne back into his body, like a spider retracting its web, he continued.

“I shall get straight to the point. I am the rightful ruler of everything. Therefore, this grail already belongs to me. If you want to serve your betters, I’d ask every single one of you to give me your head; it will save me the trouble of taking it from you. Of course, if your Master is cute girl, I’ll even let them serve me. Gahahaha!” Rider said to the guests at his party, naturally as asking for someone to pass them the salt shaker at a family gathering with a smile that showed rows of sharp teeth behind a vicious, shark-like smile.

He was the demon who had slew the back of the Persians. The devil who had salted the earth of the Levant and the fiend that had burnt down the great cities of Delhi. A man that truly loved war, not only for the wealth that it brought him but also for the pure enjoyment of brutality against his fellow man.

There was nothing that the fiendish man had said that he didn’t believe. After all, he was the greatest conqueror. The man who had set up his dynasty as leaders of the world, yet their passivity prevented proper subjugation of all. Perhaps Timur himself could be considered a bit of an anomaly in some regards. Someone who forced his opponents to submit themselves to him or face annihilation at his hands. If there was something he wanted, he would take it, regardless of the cost it might take.

To those at the party, this Demon Lord seemed terrifyingly defiant and ignorant to the thoughts of those around him. After all, what mad-man declares his intent to kill the most powerful individuals' humanity’s imagination had to offer?

... Like father, like son.