---

The Caster felt a tinge of annoyance as the barbarian princess once again foiled her plan to watch the Servants in the name of her amusement. Admittedly she haven't felt such amount of annoyance since people started praising the goddess instead of her for her talents.

She wanted her to show her face? Fine she will, she wanted to punch that face of hers for killing her childr- familiars.

She retrieved her tapestries from her Master and began marching out of the building. "No promises." she yelled in the niche case that she is forced to fight.

Manifesting her threads she began swinging her way around the town, heading towards the parking lot where the upcoming brawl.

The information that the Saber is teasing, she should try to learn what it is about. It will be too late for her to hear about it but if she played cards right, she might be able to make that rouge servant spill her the secret.

But enough plotting, it would be useless if she failed to arrive to the fight in the first place.

---

Jan's mustache droops as the discussion goes far over his head. He was quite embarrassed he hadn't managed to detect the familiar spying on them, and was rather concerned that it meant Constantine's eager introductions wherein he said his and Jan's true names got broadcasted. Not that there was anything he could do about it now that it had already happened. Furthermore, all of this talk of spying, corrupted grails. Zoroastrianism? Jan was feeling dumber by the minute. He knew his strengths and his weaknesses quite well, and he knew that unlike before, when he was doing battle, he was no longer in a strong position. He thought to himself one thing as a fair bit of the conversation went right over his head;

Ah.. I miss my wife.

Marie would know exactly what to make of all this. The politicking and decision making was so much harder when you didn't have a trusted advisor, or a beloved partner.. But to fall apart without her would be to shame her choice of husband. The warrior king may not be at his best in the battlefield of trading words, but he would endeavor to do his best. And as Saber called on him, he mustered the best response he could.

"Truth be told, I've never been the wisest of men. I cannot say for certain I understand the full context of what is said. But I understand well enough, I think. It speaks to your wisdom as a tactician not to so easily accept the words of a could-be foe, Saber. I understand your skepticism, and find myself suspicious of just how Shielder came about this knowledge. Knowledge that, from what I know, no servant properly summoned has been given access to."

That was the ticket. View this through the lens of a battlefield, and Rider's understanding became far better. He still felt a bit outpaced, but now at the very least he could keep up. He was certain Marie would find the tactic boorish, but charming. As she did the rest of Jan's behavior. He looks over at the Shielder who seemed to have all the answers, and finds himself conflicted.

"However, I know the True Name of this man, and as such I know his character quite well. He has been summoned young, perhaps not as wise as he would be in his prime.. But he is honorable to a fault. That is to say, he is no liar. I do not know if what he says is the truth of the matter, but I am certain that he has no intention of leading us astray."

Berserker

Berserker gave his master a considering look as he spoke. Planning their route so as to avoid bringing civilians into their conflict spoke well of him, morally, but to do so at the cost of sending them to scout a location unlikely to result in anything further added to his concern that Shou was someone not used to war. That they had not established or found a location for a base of operations before summoning him was another sign of that. “The forest it is then.”

They had delayed here long enough. Hang Jebat broke eye contact with his master and turned to walk away, keeping his pace slow enough that he was inviting Shou to walk with him, rather than leaving him behind. “I was not aware we didn’t yet have a base of operations; in that case we should hope not to encounter anyone and instead make that our priority.”

The forest would work for now, since as Shou said it was unlikely anyone would be there, but at some point Berserker would like to take a closer look at this town that his master mentioned. If possible he would prefer setting up base closer to or even in an urban area rather than somewhere isolated since while that isolation would hide them, it would also make them stand out more while in transit to and from their base.

”While we travel, could you inform me as to the resources we have available and what you are capable of, Master?”

@Iamme

---

Once Hojo Tokimune materialized as a masterless Heroic Spirit—a rogue servant, as the Grail informed him—he quickly concluded that he had no use for the Grail. After all, he was someone who had accomplished what he sought to do in life. As Shikken of the Kamakura Shogunate, not only did he maintain stability in his nation, but he also successfully repelled an invasion from the mighty Mongols, something no one around him had thought to be possible. Indeed, if Hojo Tokimune had no unfulfilled wish, rather, dying as a monk of Zen Buddhism, he would have practised a meditational that focused on emptying oneself, which included divesting one's desires to reach enlightenment.

True, the Kamakura Shogunate eventually fell, but that was the duty and responsibility of his successors. As for Tokimune himself, his honour in the completion of his duty as Shikken was unblemished. In this, he had no regret to speak of. And so, Tokimune had, from the outset, had no intention to fight for nor interfere with other wishes for the grail. After all, if they are mighty and capable enough to defeat heroes from all over the world, across time, then it was only right they are able to use the grail.

Tokimune's only concern in this Holy Grail War was but one, to ensure the safety of the people of this nation he is a Shikken of. After all, in this age where the so-called Emperor was but a figurehead, and the authorities were seemingly unaware of the war, it fell to him to do what he was duty-bound to do. Because it was his duty. Nothing more and nothing less.

And so, Tokimune claimed the Higashiyama War, where the temple he was summoned into was his territory. He intended this place to act as shelter for the people of the city. And so, he started to spread the word to the local populace, first to the temple monks and next to the local citizenry. He had to summon winds and thunders in a reduced capacity to prove he wasn't simply a lunatic, but eventually, though some still call him charlatan, words had started to spread through Kyoto's populace, that 'All of Kyoto might be in danger soon enough and you may evacuate to Higashiyama Ward for safety.'

Tokimune was aware from the knowledge the Grail provided him that this was a breach of the concealment of mystic that mages were concerned about, but Tokimune was no mage, and thus concealment of mystic was of no concern to him.

Perhaps in the long run the concealment of mystic was better even for the general populace, but Tokimune was not concerned about that. For what moved the man known as Hojo Tokimune was not inherent benevolence but rather his own personal moral code to which he was honour-bound to follow. To Hojo Tokimune as long as he existed, he was honour-bound to provide shelter in his territory, what happened after the war or to people who chose to not heed his warnings were not his concern.

And so it was that Hojo Tokimune walked the grounds of his territory, looking for possible intruders.

Shou saw Hang's look and couldn't even blame him he hadn't taken time to sufficiently prepare he didn't have a big enough base of operation nor did he have any scouting magic he had spent the majority of his time researching offensive magic he had focused on the fighting aspect of war instead of focusing on the defensive aspect. If he had asked he knew the Iwata clan would have provided him with a safe house but he didn't want to rely on them.

All that led to their current situation wandering around in the forest and sighing when Hang talked about their base of operation but then Hang asked him about his skills the one thing he was confident in "Well I have a phone" Shou said pulling it out before putting it back in his pocket "As long as it's charged we can ask it anything" Shou had made sure that the wifi was mobile losing internet would be a huge detriment to their war effort.

"I have some cash and some clothes left over from where I summoned you" Shou realized that Berserker probably wasn't talking about utility but it would be nice to at least inform him of such "If we're talking about combat skills I can use wind,fire, and healing magic along with reinforcement magic." Shou showed Hang his katana and black blade before swinging his katana a little and generating lighting.

"Then there's the grasscutter sword which generates lighting and a black blade that doesn't have much use" Shou still didn't know why he chose the black blade he just felt it was calling out to him, Shou had talked so much that they were in front of a temple before he knew it "Kiyomizu-dera temple..."

"There was a temple nearby but I didn't think to note it" Shou pondered for a moment before talking "If there's no one using it which is unlikely we could use it as a base of operations but if there are people we could at least procure some supplies" and just like that Shou was going to meet a rouge servant

Berserker

The forest was as empty as Shou had predicated, at least as far as their cursory investigation could tell. Hang stayed close to his Masters side as they travelled, remaining visible and tangible so as to provide a target for anyone they stumbled across and to better protect Shou should another Servant appear.

From the sounds of it, they did not have much in the way of resources with; a phone, which his knowledge of the modern era gave him some understanding off but his own lack of experience meant he was missing some context, some money and clothing but little else. Had his Master really entered into this war so ill prepared? Was it confidence, naivety or desperation? He mentioned a brother he wanted to save, so perhaps the latter.

In terms of skills at least he seemed better equipped. Berserker still didn’t have much confidence in the martial ability of modern mages, but Shou’s skillset at least seemed suited towards combat. Even so… “Wherever possible, leave the fighting to me. It’s a Servant’s duty to fight for their Master and the longer we can keep your abilities hidden the better. Act only in self-defence if you can or in secret if you can get away with it.”

They arrived in front of a temple. “If someone were here, I suspect they would have made themselves known by now. Let’s take a look for ourselves.”

@Iamme@Randomguy

---

As Tokimune felt the presence of a servant in his territory, the rogue saber immediately headed out to investigate, finding the servant and what presumably was his master on the temple grounds. Tokimune frowned. The Master seemed to be a native of this country, and yet he had chosen to contract what appeared to be a foreign Heroic Spirit rather than one from Japan. He supposed he should see for himself if this foreign servant was strong enough to merit such insolence from the young Master...if they were foolish enough at least.

"There was a temple nearby but I didn't think to note it" Shou pondered for a moment before talking "If there's no one using it which is unlikely we could use it as a base of operations but if there are people we could at least procure some supplies"

"And how, pray tell, are you about to 'procure' these supplies?" Tokimune replied as he materialised himself in front of the two.

Tokimune then turned to Shou, levelling him with a glare, "You are among those seeking the Grail, are you not? Using this place as a base will surely invite violence into this holy ground. You do yourself a dishonour, no man of this nation should have such disregard for temples and the gods whose blessing protected this land."

He continued, turning to Berserker, "And you, foreign warrior. Take your master and go. This territory—this entire ward of Higashiyama—belongs to me, to be a shelter for the people of this city who heeded my words and sought safety from the Holy Grail War. Now begone, I have no interest in the Holy Grail nor the miracles it grants. As long as the two of you refrain from entering my territory, I shall stay my blade, but..."

Drawing his katana, he declared, "Should you insist on claiming this territory your own, or make it a battlefield for the war...then I, Rogue Saber, shall claim your heads!"

"Servant" Shou grunted preparing to pull out his sword till he heard "Rouge saber..." Shou could put two and two together and calmed down but still had his hand on his sword " You're a Rouge servant " Shou stated "so you won't be going after the grail right, so we have no reason to fight" Shou sighed they had just lost a potential base of operations because a servant without a master or any allies was pressing them.

"I was going to ask for supplies," Shou said. "That's all, I wasn't going to steal anything." Shou took the moment to look Tokimune up and down before spotting his hojo clan badge. Shou had prepared for the holy grail war by researching Japanese history he recognized the Hojo clan badge but couldn't recognize the hero that wielded it.

"Hojo clan huh..." Shou started walking away looking over his shoulder if the rouge servant tried to make a move to attack him "Let's go berserker we should save our energy instead of getting into a useless fight." He hoped Berserker would listen so far he's shown mental control but as his name implied he could go berserk, but seeing how this place was filled with civilians,

he sought to avoid a fight.

---

"However, I know the True Name of this man, and as such I know his character quite well. He has been summoned young, perhaps not as wise as he would be in his prime.. But he is honourable to a fault. That is to say, he is no liar. I do not know if what he says is the truth of the matter, but I am certain that he has no intention of leading us astray."

Gajah Mada replied, "Ah yes, on that matter...we also knew his identity, and yours too, actually, turning to Shielder, she added, "The young Emperor there did shout it out for everyone to see. By this point, I imagine that most participants are already aware, I doubt that my master was the only one who had surveillance set up."

It was quite unfortunate for Rider, Jan Sobieski. The manner by which Constantine ousted his identity was through something rather vague that it might as well be a lucky guess. But now, he has been identified by everyone who was watching. She wondered if Constantine had a high-luck parameter or some sort of skill that allowed him to make a correct guess from such a vague starting point. If so, then she had better be careful around him.

Gajah Mada continued, "That aside...let us say that we could trust his character by virtue of who he is...

Truth be told, her Moksha's skill, able to see things free of preconceptions did seem to support Jan's assertion. From what she could perceive, Constantine truly believed what he was saying and seemed to generally believe he was doing the right thing.

But...there was no way she'd say that, risking them identifying her from the skill.

"...however, that is not a guarantee that perhaps Shielder had been misled. Or even that he believes that deceiving us is righteous for the sake of the greater good."

To Gajah Mada, a ruler, either an Emperor or a King need to be unblemished, standing as an embodiment of the philosophy that galvanized and moved their nations. It was the responsibility of their adjutants to make the necessary compromise as a bridge between idealism and pragmatism.

Therefore, as Emperor of a Holy Empire, Constantine should be a paragon of virtue, however...Gajah Mada knew fully well that her thoughts on this matter were not necessarily shared by everyone and that Constantine was alone without any of his retainers to make that compromise, which meant that Constantine lying for what he believed was right could not be discounted just yet.

@GubGar@Letter Bee

Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald

“I will say, that is a rather impressive act coming from you.” The bird spoke, and the Lord of the Clocktower smugly held his chin in his hand. This was impressive to him as far as he was concerned- he never thought of the Animushpheres as a particularly impressive clan of individuals, yet this boy actually displayed some level of conviction.

“Very well, let our alliance to end a fool’s supposed tyranny commence.” The Grail was his to claim, if he played his cards right. He could not let his arrogance cloud his judgment, so that this entire situation could be resolved.

He wondered though, if the boy was willing to do drastic things in order to win the war, and ultimately, destroy his father for whatever reason that he believed in, and so, the Clocktower Lord’s familiar spoke up: “Are you willing to commit any act to get to your goal, Oleg-Marie?”

The Lord stared intently at the projection that was in front of him, of the prospect of his alliance with the boy. If he would answer to his satisfaction, then he would perhaps not betray him in the end.

@Letter Bee

Constantine XI Shielder Lily



Shielder sighed and said, "No, I do not lie. As for how I found out about all this, well, the Grail itself is in a tug-of-war between 'Fragments of Purity' trying to prevent Angra Manjyu from corrupting any Wish made, and Angra Manjyu itself. Various acts committed during the Holy Grail War will affect that tug of war. I have one of those Fragments inside me during my summoning pumping knowledge into my Saint Graph from the Grail, but not extra Mana - This is another reason why I need to either stick to Leylines or get someone to provide me with magical energy soon... Although to be honest, I'd choose Rider any day after he stood up for me, and as atonement for me being indiscreet with his True Name and Identity."

He then faced Saber and sighed, "So it seems that you'll have to make a very good counter-offer or just defeat me if you want me serving you - I have a debt to repay now..."

@GubGar@Randomguy@Double D

Oleg-Marie Animusphere

Oleg grumbled at Kayneth's words, making his views clear with his own, "No one trusts anyone 'willing to commit any act' to get to their goal. So paradoxically, to get my goal of displacing my father and stopping his foolishness... I must have some limits. That said, I am willing to kill and betray to get what I want; sometimes the end does justify the means, and sometimes... It might not. It depends on what ends and what means. Is that an adequate answer, Lord El-Melloi?"

While waiting, he took out his personal Mystic Code, a microcosm of his father's project, "CHALDEAS", and gave it a short, but deep glance, before muttering, "Huh, Lorenzo and a bunch of Servants are in an abandoned construction lot. Also, it seems like some of the corruption that stopped my father from using the Fuyuki Grail has rubbed off on the Kyoto one."

Remembering Puss' existence, Oleg then telepathically messaged, Assassin, you're still watching that construction site, right? If so... Observe what you can about that mysterious Saber. If you can kill her Master, do so at once.

No Command Seals were used, though, and Puss can feel, through their bond, that Oleg didn't actually want to kill Saber's Master, the Churchman. But he was still going to do so if it got him an advantage. After all, Lorenzo Calungsod Emiya was the enemy, mysterious personal attachments must be pushed aside.

@GOATPlumber@ManyThings

Berserker

As it turned out, Berserker’s assumption was wrong. There was someone at the temple; they were just slow in making themselves known. He stepped into front of his Master as the other Servant appeared, not blocking Shou’s line of sight of the newcomer but placing their body between the mage and the potential threat.

The temple’s occupant was a swordsman, a samurai specifically, by appearances; the robes and lack of armour made him look more like a noble or a bureaucrat than a warrior in Hang’s opinion, but the air of confidence and competence he carried himself with and the ease with which the sword sat at his side ensured he would not underestimate this opponent. Should it come to a fight.

They were a Rogue Servant though. Supposedly not after the Grail and looking only to protect the temple and their territory; Saber claimed not to be their enemy, unless they made one of themselves first. Berserker’s fist clenched around the hilt of his blade when the katana was drawn, though the lack of reaction from the Noble Phantasm itself let him know that this was a not a real threat, just a bit of theatrics. Nonetheless, Berserker almost drew his blade in turn; all this talk of territory and taking heads was starting to make the red creep in at the edges of his vision. Saber was not a tyrant, he was not a king or even a leader, though he may be some kind of noble based on the way his Master mentioned a clan name; but the high handedness with which they were handling this situation…

Hang Jebat relaxed his grip but did not let go of his weapon’s hilt. “As you say, Master.”

@Randomguy@Iamme

---

The Caster type servant continued swinging around the city until she found the parking lot, deciding not to rush things up she circled at the surrounding buildings allowing her to prepare a few strings in case of an emergency.

After that she landed on a nearby rooftop, giving her a good view of the situation, covering herself with black cloak won't probably hide her from most of the servants here but it would allow her to hide her face from the bickering servants.

"No, I do not lie. As for how I found out about all this, well, the Grail itself is in a tug-of-war between 'Fragments of Purity' trying to prevent Angra Manjyu from corrupting any Wish made, and Angra Manjyu itself. Various acts committed during the Holy Grail War will affect that tug of war. I have one of those Fragments inside me during my summoning pumping knowledge into my Saint Graph from the Grail, but not extra Mana - This is another reason why I need to either stick to Leylines or get someone to provide me with magical energy soon... Although to be honest, I'd choose Rider any day after he stood up for me, and as atonement for me being indiscreet with his True Name and Identity."

The Caster cooed at the rouge Saber's explanation before mentally communicating to her Master. "Are you hearing this Master? It seems that the wish would be very risky even if you won." she spoke in their shared link before focusing on the parking lot where a stand-off is occurring. Strings began forming beneath her cloak as she felt the tension of the battle.

The main priority here is survival, making the barbarian Princess spill her name is the secondary goal. She lost if her name got revealed for no gain.

She can do that.

---

Tokimune nodded in approval as the Master recognised the Hojo Clan emblem embroidered on his cloth. While it narrowed down his identity quite a bit for the young Master, there were quite a bit of renowned members of their clan that his identity wouldn't be immediately apparent. He was, however, quite pleased that even in this modern age, it appeared that the legacy he, his predecessors, and his successors left behind managed to endure that this young man recognised the emblem of his clan.

'Smart move,' Tokimune then thought as the young man who conveyed his intent to back down and leave Tokimune alone.

His servant, on the other hand, while outwardly acquiescing to his Master's will, seemed to hold some sort of ill will towards him. He suppressed it well enough, and Tokimune did respect vassals who were willing to set aside their own wish for their lord, especially since his master referred to him as Berserker. But Tokimune was a practitioner of Zen Buddhism, a state of mind that granted him clarity in battle, as a Servant, it became a skill that allowed him to assess the state of a battlefield keenly. Even more so since they were now in his territory.

And so, Tokimune noticed how the Servant almost imperceptibly clenched his fist around the hilt of his blade, how Tokimune had seemingly earned the servant's ire with his handling of the situation.

Tokimune chuckled, as he turned to the enemy servant, "Haha...have I earned your ire, foreign warrior?" Pointing his katana at him as a challenge, he continued, "I am quite curious how capable you are, given that one of my countrymen contracted you, a foreign heroic spirit, rather than one of this nation...Berserker, out of respect for your willingness to put aside your own desire to fight in deference to your Master, I shall grant you this. Let us have a bout, worry not, I will allow you to leave with your life after we are done and I have satisfied my curiosity."

Tokimune issued the challenge with an air of absolute confidence, in his eyes there was no doubt that he would be the one who emerged victorious. It was not merely a self-assuredness borne from confidence, rather it was one that rose from his clarity of mind, focused only on seeking what he had decided needed to happen. The same sort of state of mind that had Tokimune answered with one singular word, when asked how he was planning to fight against the invading Mongol army whom everyone thought was unbeatable, that word was...'Victory.'

@King Cosmos@Iamme

---

---

Once more, Saber confirmed through her Moksha skill that Constantine appeared to be genuine, or at least he believed he was. She replied, "Do not get me wrong, Shielder. It is not my intent to cast aspersion on you, I was merely giving my assessment, which I do believe was perfectly reasonable. We have nothing else but your words at the moment, being cautious is only prudent. Let us set aside the possibility you are lying for the sake of argument. The only one who could confirm the true nature of these 'Fragments of purity' is you, but even if you truly believed what you are saying, who's to say that someone, say a powerful mage or a Caster-class servant did not tamper with your spirit origin and only made you think that way for their own ends? Until we have more concrete proof, I would say some reservations are warranted, no? As a counteroffer, frankly, I do not understand why you are insisting on having us fight, especially if what you say is correct. Rather..."

Turning to Jan, she continued, "I have a proposition. Both you and I must desire the grail, we are summoned into a Holy Grail War for a reason. While I do think that the Grail should be dismantled if what Shielder said is correct, but currently do you not agree that there are still so many unknown elements to be certain of that fact? I believe that the best course of action is to secure the grail first, and then we can examine it properly to determine the truth. To that end, why not work together to secure the grail for ourselves so we can determine the veracity of Shielder's claim? If it turns out the grail is indeed corrupted, we will destroy it, if not, then we can settle this Holy Grail War with a duel between us."

She then turned back to Shielder, "That extends to you as well, of course. As far as 'counteroffer' goes, this is my counteroffer. After all, corrupted it might be, it is still a wish-granter, I would not doubt it if some servants and masters still desire to use it even if it is corrupted. Fortunately for you, you ran into myself and Rider. I have already said that I intend to destroy the grail if it is corrupted, and I am a...good judge of character, shall we say. From what I can see, Rider is inclined to do the same.

That is, at least, what her Moksha skill could tell her about Rider. He appeared to be an honourable man.

"Of course, if that is all right with you, Master," she said toward Lorenzo, before turning to Jan, "...And yours."

@Letter Bee@GOATPlumber@GubGar

---

Gajah Mada replied, "Ah yes, on that matter...we also knew his identity, and yours too, actually, turning to Shielder, she added, "The young Emperor there did shout it out for everyone to see. By this point, I imagine that most participants are already aware, I doubt that my master was the only one who had surveillance set up."

Jan's face contorts into shock as he pales. It made sense, tragically. Jan had wanted to attract attention to strike first, so of course he would be watched. But had his powers of perception evaded him so thoroughly as to not notice any observers? The Spider Familiar was bad enough. But this was downright shameful. He could practically hear his lovely wife working herself up into a furious lecture. Ah, even when ripping him to shreds verbally, her voice was so beautiful.. Like the world's most irate symphony.

He finds himself lost in memories of his wife for a moment, which causes the conversation to begin to outpace him. He still heard what was said, he simply did not find himself swift enough to respond in time. Saber, whomever she was, clearly spoke with wisdom. Jan found it a bit enviable, wishing he had a bit of that himself. Lord knows it would have done him wonders whilst he was still alive. But as Envy was a sin, he discards those feelings swiftly as he could manage. She spoke of potentially misled servants, reasonable caution, and offered alliances with open palms. Jan found himself.. hesitant. He sensed no ill will from her, but as he had recently found out, his perceptive prowess was less than stellar!

Besides, alliances.. They never seemed to go his way. He suffered no betrayals, per say. Rather.. He recalls quite vividly doing a massive amount of work. Performing feats worthy of manifesting as a Servant and being labeled a savior of Christendom. Only for Poland to not benefit whatsoever from these efforts. Before any of that, though. He had to speak to Shielder about revealing his True Name, and this idea of penance. As Constantine turned to face Saber..

Thwap!

Jan smacks him upside the head. Not nearly hard enough to be damaging, but evidently scolding the younger Servant. Not for the reason one may think, however. "Enough of that, Emperor! Atonement you say? Indiscretion you say? Pah! Nonsense. When you revealed my True Name, we stood across each other on a field of battle. Certainly it is deeply unfortunate that such a valued piece of tactical information was revealed about myself.."

"But when you have information on a foe, which at the time I was, it is your choice whether to use it or leave it unused. I am quite cross, but you were well within your rights as a Servant. So do not lower your head."

This was Jan Sobieski. A man who could not bring himself to hate his enemies. Even when they were the invading Ottoman Empire, eager to crush Christianity, he found their power and dedication admirable, even as he opposed them with all his might. In his eyes, this had been sorted. To him, Shielder should be lamenting revealing his own True Name more than Jan's. It was proof that while lacking wisdom and maturity, this was the virtuous Emperor Constantine.

He turns his attention now to Saber, dipping his head in apology for derailing the conversation momentarily. "I confess, Saber, I was eager to test my mettle against yourself and the Emperor, here. Your idea, however, seems much wiser than mine! I will of course have to see what my Master thinks of your proposition. But until I can give you a definitive answer, I will stay my hand."

Mentally, he relays a message to Lord Kayneth through their connection. What say you, Lord El-Melloi? Shall we align ourselves with Saber and the Rogue Shielder? The idea is not without risks, but it seems as though it would grant us a powerful advantage. Regardless of his Master's answer, Jan keeps his eyes trained on the battlefield. The gaze of a veteran commander taking in the two other Servants. Yes, after an embarrassing first showing.. He would not be taken unawares again.

Jan solemnly swore as much. All without knowing that while his focus on the two already revealed was keen and sharp as a blade, directly behind him, another Servant had arrived.

First Night

Near the Abandoned Lot

---

On the roof of a shoddy little convenience store, concealed by their class skill and their spirit form, Assassin was in an excellent position to hear and see all that unfolded between the Servants who had gathered down below. And there was a lot to take in. Defenders of Christendom, a stray Servant offering his talents to the strongest contender, a blackened Holy Grail...

All the heroes gathered in the lot seemed to be of a similar mind about what should be done to a corrupted Grail, even if they weren't willing to immediately all band together as allies to accomplish the task. How much did this affect Assassin's plans? As Puss in Boots, they were honour-bound to grant all their Master's wishes and bring them the finest things in life, but the structure of the war was beginning to break down before it had even begun. If there was no magical wish granter to be won, it meant they would have to grant Oleg-Marie's wishes with nothing but the point of their sword.

An easy task for the Master Cat!

That's good judgment, Master. Puss responded through the telepathic bond. Indeed, a sharp-eyed Saber was probably the most annoying sort of Servant to have running around when you were an Assassin. I'll give it my very best effort at the first opportunity.

Puss' words dripped with false conviction and energy, uncharacteristic of the loyal Assassin. Perhaps Oleg-Marie could read into the message that lay within that sarcastic tone. Puss in Boots would grant all their Master's wishes, but if he didn't truly want Lorenzo killed, it wasn't going to happen. For Puss, the Master's orders came second, after the wishes in the Master's heart.

Anyway, if you've made an alliance with a Master, the next thing you should ask about is whether their Servant is one of the ones gathered here. Puss chimed into their Master's head again, eyeing the Shielder and Rider. There's a guy with a little bicycle who's been making an awful fool of himself, and a kid who's looking to team up with somebody. They're probably going to try and destroy the Grail, if they can reach it.

They sensed one more, a moment later, swinging over the streets to loom over the gathering, not so different from what they themselves were doing. And another Servant's shown up. I'm not sure how long things will stay peaceful for... So just let me know whose side I should be on, 'kay?

@Letter Bee

Berserker

It was a particular talent of arrogant nobles to demand something they wanted and make it sound like they were offering you something out of their own generosity; they all spoke that way, like you should be continually grateful in their presence. Berserker did not want a bout; his Master had already said they were leaving and he had no interest in fighting for sport or for this man’s entertainment. Hang Jebat also did not miss the insinuation that Saber would win and would graciously let them leave with something that was not his to give or to take away, that their lives were not their own and would remain their own.

What right did Saber have to grant him anything? What right did he have to allow them passage or to leave? What right did he have to claim this temple as his territory to begin with? Conquest? Birthright? Did those under his rule choose his protection? Did they accept it? Were they even aware it existed? Was this anything more than a man grabbing at power and land and forcing his will onto others?

Was Saber a tyrant after all? It was hard to say. Perhaps he had the makings of one. He was a man whose first act back from the dead was the claim land and people as his own. He was a man who made demands and claims like he was owed. He was a man who would brandish a katana boldly in the face of those he said were not his enemies.

A fair king is a king saluted, a tyrant king is a king disputed. Saber was not a man Hang Jebat felt much like saluting.

Lashing out with the hand not on the hilt of his weapon, Berserker made to grab the blade of the katana being pointed at him; if it was just a mundane weapon and not a Noble Phantasm then the properties of the Taming Sari would prevent it from cutting him. With his other hand he drew the kris from its sheathe, bringing the blade up and swinging it across Saber’s stomach in a reverse grip in an attempt to disembowel the Rogue Servant.

@Randomguy@Iamme

---

As the Berserker charged at Tokimune, his keen vision took in his opponent in full, as well as the circumstances around them. It was the clarity of mind afforded to Tokimune due to his zen state of consciousness, allowing him to calmly assess the battle and deduce the best course of action. As they stood upon grounds Tokimune had claimed as his territory, this preternatural vision became even more sublime, with everything looking as if it was coming to him in slow motion.

With one hand extended, Berserker intended to grab for his katana, and the other—reaching for the hilt of his weapon—was poised to strike at his bowel.

His katana was sharp, of that there was no doubt, and yet Berserker was deliberately putting his arm in harm's way. Tokimune discarded the possibility that this was merely the madness of a Berserker class at work, a glance at Berserker's focused eyes told him that it was done with clear intent.

Was his opponent confident he could simply shrug off his blade sharpness, then? Tokimune discarded that hypothesis immediately as well, for though Berserker's face was resolute, it was not an expression of one steeling themselves to endure their hands being cut open. No, rather, there was no doubt in those eyes that the blade would not damage him.

Therefore, Tokimune concluded, possibly some sort of skill or noble phantasm that mitigated damage, Tokimune concluded. His first objective, then, would be to determine the true nature of that defensive skill.

The samurai began making his move, his movements were swift as he withdrew his blade, away from Berserker's reach. With one quick, graceful movement, he drew his katana away from Berserker's grasp, before swinging it sideways to deflect the kris. Had this fight occurred anywhere else, their speed and strength would have been a match and the foreign warrior might have been able to catch the sword even as Tokimune withdrew it, or prevent Tokimune from deflecting his weapon with brute strength, but Hojo Tokimune reigned absolute in his territory, eclipsing Berserker both in swiftness and strength of arms.

Using his previous assessment of the battle, Tokimune deflected the weapon expertly, striking it at the right angle to throw his enemy off-balance based on his. To Berserker, it would appear as if the nobleman knew exactly where he would strike. Tokimune's manoeuvre was not enough to completely have Berserker caught off-guard, but through the slight opening, Tokimune swung his blade upward, just enough to graze Berserker, before leaping backwards to gain some distance.

He found the spot where his swords had grazed Berserker to be unmarred, his blade unable to even leave a single blemish upon Berserker's skin.

Tokimune was certain he had struck with enough precision and power that it should have left a mark, therefore...

'I see, it would appear that I wouldn't be able to harm this one with mere steel,' he thought as he observed his opponent. He was starting to see why the young man had chosen the foreign warrior.

Of course, a katana was not the extent of Tokimune's offensive arsenal.

" O' wind...come!" Offering a small prayer, Tokimune swung his katana sideways, summoning a sharp blade of wind heading towards Berserker. A partial activation of his Noble Phantasm, not releasing its true name just yet to summon the heavenly fury of the Thunder God, but merely invoking the winds of the divine thunderstorm upon his blade.

@King Cosmos@Iamme

Shou watched as everything went to shit he watched as how Berserker attacked the Hojo servant, and how the Hojo servant swiftly retaliated all his moves were graceful but deadly. Despite how he looked he managed to outspeed Berserker and outpower Berseker even managing to catch him off guard a little. But deep down his guts were telling him something was weird. When he was taking fighting lessons his instructor told him the most important thing to do in a fight,

read your opponent.

Shou didn't want to look down on the rouge Hojo servant but he was sure Berserker should have been able t outspeed and outpower that servant but he couldn't. This led Shou to one conclusion the Hojo servant was using some magic to boost his power, most likely territory creation but before he could warn Berserker a blade of wind was heading towards Berserker.

He knew the smart thing to do when servants were fighting the smart thing for a master to do was to watch from a distance but that wind slash seemed like it could hurt, and there was a chance Berserker would choose not to block it. The servant they were facing wasn't even going after the grail, fighting and tiring themselves was a stupid thing to do.

So pulling out his katana he sent a slash of lighting to counteract the Hojo's servant wind blade "Berserker," Shou called out. "He's using some sort of territory skill to strengthen himself." It made sense he had called this area his territory it was likely that the territory also expanded far outside of this temple.

He was sure of one thing though, the chance of Hang winning by himself was slim, if he joined he would improve those chances but...he was just a normal human fighting a servant like the Hojo servant would be impossible and he might just drag Hang down, but he had to try didn't he?

Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald

“Very well… let this alliance be formed.” He spoke through one of his familiars, this time a lowly insect that could only truly deliver information from one place to another. Overall, it was in his best interest to form this alliance.

The insect then spat out some fluids, which quickly formed into what seemed to be cursive and elegant text - a contrast to the common dirt that it layed on top of. It was a contract, not exactly of the same potency as a Geis, but enough to give enough hefty punishments for all those that would violate the contract.

“I would prefer if you signed the contract, though it is purely optional in nature, as I do not want you to be forced to do anything too out of your range of comfort.” As uncharacteristic as it may be, he was still a lord, and someone fully capable of negotiation despite his pride.

“Please, take your time. I will not force you to rush.” His voice was surprisingly neutral, now free of that smugness that so permeated earlier.

Meanwhile, somewhere else, with the company of Oleg-Marie, Kayneth's bird familiar spoke: "Now, what shall we do as our first act of our alliance?"

The bird spoke with a neutral tone, leftovers from Kayneth's emotions when handling the others that wanted to form an alliance as well. It was clear that he wanted to do something significant - the more bombastic and noticeable acclaimable to him, the better.