[IC] Fate/stay Night - War of the Fourteen Magi - High Casual

[vancexentan]

It is the year 2012. The Date: December 1st. The long and arduous task of gathering servants, and masters alike for a new holy war has already begun but at the request of the mage association the very first fight has yet to truly start. The war zone is a city known as Fuyuki City located in Japan which has held multiple wars there during it's life time. Many heroes from beyond time have appeared from times past, present, and future to serve in this war known simply as the Holy Grail war. Typically there are at the very least several servants at maximum vying for the chance to get their wish granted by the Holy Grail itself. Said to be able to perform most any wish theoretically the grail is greatly treasured by mages.

However only those whom the grail selects as worthy masters are worthy attending. And somehow this year despite the odds fourteen master have been selected...no one knows what it means. Or how have doubles of each servant class would work. Would new classes show up? Would old ones change? Would there be no change just more chaos? The Mage's Association has planned ahead this time to both guarantee a winner after the failure to declare one last war by sending two overseers, one monk in training and a father, to make sure things go smoothly with all the servants. The overseer himself has also decided to step up to the plate and add additional rules to the tournament first however he asked that all willing magi meet him at the Fuyuki City Cathedral built and paid for by a wealthy owner from the association itself and donated as neutral ground for the war.
===
The time is 6:00, and the cold night air is flowing all around the city with some minor snow falling from the sky. It wasn't anything to worry about but it was pretty, and very cold all the same. The fact that the war hadn't officially kicked off yet meant that either the overseer was really powerful, the servants weren't all in the city yet, or no one really cared to start a fight before all the dice were thrown. Either way things would start very soon. Probably by the end of the night if what Leon Winchester had thought was true. Leon was clothed from head to toe in thick clothing just to make certain he wouldn't catch anything.

He had a wool cap on even and that was something he hated wearing. Beside him walked his ever stalwart ally Saber. Saber....Saber had many interesting abilities. Like the ability to conceal who he really was. So it didn't matter to his servant Saber who saw him, to them he was just an ordinary person. Unless they were an enemy master in which case they could probably tell what he was just not WHO he was. Saber was dressed in a long black trench coat, with a pair of goggles over his eyes. The goggles were just there for show really. Saber could pull off an interesting trick so that he could completely shroud his identity from most people. It was a trick similar to that skill some servants had shown off in the past. Saber called it...invisible air but not? It was confusing. Saber could pull off just about any sort of disguise if he wanted to...too bad he didn't have assassin's vaunted hiding abilities otherwise it'd be child's play to hide.

"It's a beautiful evening isn't it?" Leon chimed in as they turned a corner. They had been walking for about ten minutes now. The two of them had been mostly silent nothing to really talk about that they hadn't already talked about before leaving the house. Besides that Saber wasn't exactly the best talker in the world. "Hardly Master. What I've seen in my life time makes this pale in comparison. The beautiful stretches of grassy seas, the unclouded sky, and the ravenous blue oceans are much easier on the eyes than this. But the snow...is welcome I suppose." Saber grumbled out with his typically flat tone. Leon looked over at Saber and frowned slightly at the man whom he had spent the last month, or two basically connected at the hip. "Didn't I tell you not to call me 'Master' partner? You make it sound like I own you." Leon grumbled as Saber grunted indignantly, "You basically do you Master. For all intents and purposes you are my master, my liege, and my connection to this very plane of existence. We swore an oath the day you summoned me. And despite your insistence otherwise we're hardly equals. As much as I appreciate the thought that you would consider me an equal partner; you are my charge, and I will fight for you until I can't any longer. I will win the grail for you master that I have already promised you correct? Then please stop complaining and just deal with it already." Saber said as his eyes roamed the roof tops, and alley ways. Always the protector, and ever the 'perfect' knight as their mutual friend liked to tease him about.

As Leon came to a stop he saw a man in a black priest's robes, and a cross dangling from his robes in front. He had mittens on, and had long dark brown hair. He didn't appear to be the main overseer. As Leon approached he turned his head, and acknowledged him. "So then our second guest is here? Welcome Master. Servant I would ask that you stay out here. I'm afraid servants aren't welcome on neutral ground at the moment. Too many servants in the middle of the same place could cause a ruckus. Of course fighting is forbidden out here so close as well. But there is much more room for all of you to do what you will out here. I apologize for the inconvenience it is the will of the Overseer." the man said as Leon frowned, and nodded his head then took a look at Saber. "Will you be ok out here?" Leon asked of Saber who frowned in annoyance. "Of course I've survived worse conditions. I will be a stone's throw away at all times. If you need me you may call and I shall come for you Master. Be careful. And don't do anything stupid." Saber grumbled out as he stood by the wall out in the open right next to the other overseer. "Would you mind assisting me in this matter of keeping the peace?" the man asked as Saber turned his head and nodded. "I would be pretty bad at my job if I couldn't guard a simple doorway. Regardless the bounded field around this place prevents entry from any other sides." Saber stated flatly as the Overseer nodded. Leon took one last look at Saber before nodding at him and entering through the front door after walking down the small pathway leading there from the front gate.

As he entered the cathedral he was immediately welcomed by the warmth that was hoping for. The room was spacious, and had many door ways and entrances to other areas however a small sign indicated where he should go. Leon looked around and felt the need to pull off his extra clothing and stuff the stuff he could into his jacket pockets. He then put all the stuff up hanging from the coat hanger, and then placed his shoes by the entrance as was customary in Japan. He took one last look back at the closed door. "Always the stubborn jackass aren't you?" Leon grumbled as suddenly Saber's voice came into his head. "I can still hear your thoughts Master. I would appreciate not being made fun of." came Saber as Leon apologized bluntly and sarcastically as he made his way through the door until he came to a large hall with a single teenager in there around his age. He had bright tanish hair, and dark brown eyes. He looked well off as he was wearing a suit, and was well groomed. He'd probably be trouble later. "I was told we're to wait here until more people come. The overseer has left for the moment to procure some things. He'll be right back. Of course the fo-good man has been gone for awhile now." the young man said with a sophisticated tone, and it was clear he was a bit of a snotty jerk. At least by standards of being a prep kid. At least he wasn't being an asshole...yet. Now to just wait for more people.

[Phase Transit]

Amina stepped into the church with a brisk but immaculately measured step. There was not a single pause between each of her footsteps, nor was there any discrepancy in the distance each covered. Her gait yielded nothing. It did not hint at the slowness of surprise nor did it reveal the quickness of anxiety.
She moved with a resolute determination despite not having been to the church before. Her posture was stiff and formal, with ramrod straight back and arms calmly trailing her sides. Her left hand did float over her sheathed rapier, however, revealing a wariness that only her eyes, which darted analytically from side to side, showed.
As she had been called here along with every other master, Amina had no choice but to be on guard. The holy grail war, was, as its name would suggest, a war. Duplicity could be found in any battlefield, and Amina preemptively prepared against it.
Despite how tense she was, Amina did feel relief to know that she wasn’t alone in this ritual. A magus hunter was going to accompany her here, but her scanning of the church didn’t find a familiar face. She would have to wait, and she did so, absent-mindedly feeling the crossbow bolt – her catalyst – in her pocket.

[Turboshitter]

Albert Prelati

Fuyuki City - 4:00 PM December 1st, 2012

Hider

A young man dressed in a stylish jacket, clearly a foreigner, hummed a tune to himself through the fabric of his bright red scarf as he perused the streets of Fuyuki. By the way he dressed, the way he walked and the way he talked, it was easy to discern that the boy wasn't exactly a frequent visitor to these lands. Everything he saw seemed to astonish or amuse him to no end, in that "What will those crazy asian people think of next" kind of way.

"Whoaoh, I'm an alien," he sang in accented English. "I'm a legal alien. I'm a Frankish man in Japaaaaan~"

He laughed softly to himself. "Well, technically it's Franco-Italian."

He looked up at the light snow falling from the ember-orange night sky. Checking his wristwatch, the boy kept an eye out for any cabs that might've been stopping nearby before sitting down and pulling out his map, still confused after all these hours of walking as to where he was going.

"It says ze Hyatt is close by," he said, poring over the mess of intersecting lines and highways displayed on the map. "So if I take a left 'ere..."

He sighed, the map clearly not helping. "Merde. Why is it so excruciatingly difficult to get around in zis country? It seems like everywhere you go it's just one giant traffic jam..."

A crass meowing caught his ear, the caterwauling of a stray cat that was brazenly exiting the alleys in front of all onlookers to join the foot traffic, looking for all the world like a proper citizen of Japan rather than the vagrant furball it was. Albert watched the raggedy tomcat with a slight curve of a smile as it meowed and purred its way through a series of cafes and street vendors, plying its trade as alleycats do. More than once it actually rubbed up against someone's leg, prompting a hasty "shoo! shoo!" from the offended party. It appeared as though it was a regular in these parts.

Albert found himself growing more fond of the cat the longer he looked at it. Something about its confidence was delightfully audacious and out there, even for a cat. This was a feline who knew its place in life, and wasn't ashamed to call itself a stray and even take pride in that fact. He sympathized.

Reaching into his travel bag, Albert pulled out the half-eaten bag of beef jerky he'd purchased at the airport. The cat's ears perked up, even halfway down the street. Good, it looked like he had its attention. Carefully, cautiously, the cat tiptoed over to him. He wasn't a regular here like this cat was. He didn't know him. So instead, Albert held out a piece of the jerky in offering.

" 'Ere," he said, shaking the stick of beef. "It's on me."

Cocking its head from side to side, the cat regarded him suspiciously before nibbling on the jerky and cuddling up against his leg. He smiled. The cat, now that he'd gotten a better look at it, was a Scottish Fold, or at least had been related to one. It was hard to tell if it was a mixed breed or not, but it had magnificent fur for an alley cat. Patiently, Albert slowly stretched out his hand to pet it. The cat flinched away at first before going back to eating, but it eventually it relented, and deigned to let him pet it.

"Zere's a good boy," he said as the cat finished the snack, pawing at its face. It looked up at him expectantly, meowing for more food. "Oh, you want more, do you? Zat is what you want, no? 'Ere, let's just pick you up and..."

Gently, he lifted the stray into his backpack with the open bag of beef jerky. The cat attacked it immediately, either not noticing or not caring when Albert shouldered the pack and started walking, evidently content to go along for the ride.

" 'Ow's zat?" he asked. "It's you and me now..."

He paused. What to name this cat? Oh what to name him, what to name him.

"... David. It's just you and me now, David. Now, you wouldn't happen to know where to find the Hyatt Hotel, no?"

Fuyuki Hyatt Hotel - 5:39 PM December 1st, 2012

Hider

Deep in the heart of the Fuyuki Hyatt Hotel, a loud yowling cut through the air like the sound of nails on a chalkboard before it was swiftly silenced, the wet crunching of the cat's neck between powerful canine jaws putting an end to its protests. The hound dropped the corpse faithfully at its master's feet like the morning paper.

"Zank you, Baskerville," he said, picking up the cat. Holding aloft an Azoth Sword, the fearsome black dog's master proceeded to cut upon the cat and let its blood spill into a complex mechanism of tubes, vials and phylacteries.

"Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Repeat five times, and when each is filled, destroy it."

Albert Prelati carefully drained the last bit of the cat's blood into the mold he'd placed over the carpet. He sighed, his heart heavy as he gazed upon what he had done. Not the cat of course. That one had been a stray, and it wasn't the first cat he'd killed in his life. As a summoner and as a magus in general, the blood of animals on his hands was something he'd learned to live with, neither here nor there. Something he got no enjoyment from but had long since stopped troubling him with guilt the way it would most teenagers. No, he simply felt bad for whoever was going to have to shampoo the carpet when he was done.

He wiped some sweat off his brow with his sleeve to keep it from dripping onto his circle. Besides, it's not like he intended to just get rid of the cat. He'd give it a new lease on life as one of his familiars, once he was done with the ritual and could spend time preparing the corpse for its transfiguration. He liked cats after all, and he could always use a new familiar. A good magus wastes nothing, after all, and he suspected he'd be running low on bees in a few days. He was going to need a new streetwise spy.

Albert stood up and looked at his handiwork. An enormous waxy honeycomb in the shape of a magic circle had been spread out on the floor and then filled with blood, like a series of veins and arteries forming the disembodied cardiovascular system of some incredibly alien entity. He liked to use the bees to prepare molds like this for whenever he needed to perform complex spellwork. It was his belief that the precise geometric patterns demanded by most formalcraft rituals should never be disturbed by his shaky human hands. He was no painter, certainly not a sculptor, and even the slightest margin for error when he was performing his art was unacceptable. Besides, simply leaving the busywork of that whole process in the hands of his industrious little bees made things so much easier for him half the time.

"And last but not least, ze catalyst..." he said, more for the benefit of the familiars which had gathered to watch. They all stood stock-still, watching him carefully. All except the bees, which bobbed up and down in a distinct brown cloud. It was almost disturbing how little they all cared for his slaughter of the cat.

His hounds eyed the bloody corpse meaningfully, tongues hanging out. Albert sighed. He should not blame them. For all their magic, they still retained some of their animalistic instincts. For them, what he had done to the cat was probably nothing out of the ordinary. The only part that was disturbing to them was probably that he wasn't eating it.

"We're not getting rid of it," he explained to them. "I'm going to make 'im like you, so you cannot eat ze cat, alright?"

He fished around inside his luggage, retrieving an ornate rosewood box lined with crushed red velvet. Inside the rich, meaty cushioning of the box lay a single glass vial. It was nothing special compared to other catalysts. Hardly as visually striking as a scabbard, a cloth, or some ancient fossilized snakeskin. But it was of a much higher grade than any of those things. What he had was the actual weapon held by a Heroic Spirit.

Albert smiled, rolling the vial between his fingers gently. He had wanted there to be no mistake or misinterpretation on the part of the Grail as to who he was summoning, so he had put in painstaking effort into acquiring this one singular catalyst to show the Grail he meant business. It had taken a few leaps of faith, of course, and more than a few false starts. He had thought that for all the difficulty there had been in removing the fragment embedded in the cliff wall in Rocamadour that it should at least have been genuine. But no, that sword had simply been a fake. Worth less than the plane ticket that had taken him there. Either someone had made him and everyone else in the village the victims of a very elaborate practical joke, or the great hero had apparently been willing to go to equally great lengths to make sure no one would ever find the damn thing after he was dead. While the legends surrounding his death didn't quite support that last hypothesis, Roland's Breach had certainly been compelling evidence in Albert's mind.

It was really something that had to be seen in person to get an adequate sense of scale. Forty meters across and a hundred meters tall on both sides, the Breach was Roland's true lasting memorial. In accordance with his wishes, his sword had never been found, but there was no covering up what had happened when he'd tried to destroy the Ultimate Unbroken Hallow on the border between France and Spain. It had left a scar even in Gaia herself, the sharpest sword to ever exist. How ironic then that it was his very attempts to destroy the damned thing that had led Albert right to it.

Not in one piece of course. The sword was indestructible, even to Roland. But just because it hadn't been destroyed didn't mean it hadn't taken damage. The sword was sharp, and stronger than any other forged by human hands. He'd give it that. But ultimately it was the miracles within the sword that gave it its power, not the steel from which it had been smelted. That meant that very steel was its biggest weak point. It had been nothing more than idle speculation at first, but as he climbed the side of the mountain to reach the Breach, he'd become more and more certain. It was here. Whatever was left of the holy sword. You just couldn't see it.

It had been Albert's theory that perhaps the sword, while nominally indestructible, was merely just so durable that any damage a human could inflict on it would appear superficial, if it appeared at all. Perhaps, microscopic fragments of Durandal had been chipped off the sword when Roland had attempted and failed to break it. If that was true, they might still be there, imbedded in the walls of the Breach. And he'd been right.

It had taken many days and nights of searching even using his familiars and every other tool at his disposable, and it had definitely put his knowledge of alchemy to the test in ways he wouldn't have anticipated. But eventually, he managed to isolate fragments of Durandal from the bedrock. They were so tiny they weren't even microscopic, measuring only a few hundred nanometers in length. When pieced back together, the flake of the great holy sword he'd produced was only just barely visible to the human eye. Roland had certainly done more damage to the blade than any other human being to ever live, but it had still amounted to barely anything at all. Given the size of the Breach, he supposed that was more a testament to Durandal's endurance than it was an insult to Roland's strength.

Albert squinted, eyeing the almost translucent flake, no bigger than a fleck of dust or a grain of sand. It was perfect. With this, there could be no chance of failure. He would summon Roland, and prove to the world that the Prelati family were truly the greatest summoners to ever live. He would command his Servant with grace and finesse, and...

Suddenly Albert didn't feel so good. He put the vial back in the box, tucking it away in the velvety folds. His familiars all stared at him, cocking their heads to the side in that way animals do. All of a sudden, he felt like he needed a breath of fresh air.

A few minutes later he was on the roof of the hotel, looking through the eyes of his owl as he scanned pointlessly for enemy Masters hours before any of them would even think about taking action. Though he supposed that meant they weren't enemies yet.

He sighed. Was he really about to do this? Summon a Servant? Throw his life away in the Holy Grail War? They had warned him that this could be more than he had bargained for. It was only right for them to do so. He was the shining light of the Prelatis, the greatest talent the family had produced since... that man. But ultimately, it was because he was their shining light that no one could refuse him when he'd set his mind on going. But now, he thought, perhaps they were right? What good would he do the family by dying in a place like this?

Albert shook his head, slapping his cheeks. No. He wouldn't die. He couldn't. He was too well-prepared, his Servant too strong, his own skills too sharp to simply be cut down by any of these second-rate magi. He was a Prelati, dammit! Show some backbone! Besides, he thought as he examined his hands. The Command Seals had already manifested. At this point, the Grail wouldn't let him go, not unless he was willing to forfeit an arm.

Satisfied that he had in fact made the right choice, he returned to his circle, ready to begin the incantation. He uncorked the vial, carefully tipping the flake into the center of the array. Finally, in a last minute addition meant to give the ritual a bit of a personal touch, one which he hoped would somehow make his Servant feel more well-disposed towards him, he had the idea to add a drop of his own blood to the flake. With little hesitation, he pulled out a pocket knife and pricked his fingertip with it, just enough to draw blood. It oozed stubbornly, necessitating some squeezing. Three drops should do.

The blood plip-plopped like a teardrop out from the hole in his finger, three drops covering the flake like a jelly or a protective layer. He pulled back his hand, sucking on the finger.

"For ze element, silver and iron, ze foundation stone and ze archduke of pacts. And for my great master, Schweinorg. Raise a wall against ze winds and close ze gates of four directions. Come forth from ze crown and follow ze forked road leading to ze kingdom."

He held out his hands, right hand splayed with his palm facing the circle while his left hand held it steady. The command seal throbbed as the circle showed signs of activity.

" 'Eed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you 'eed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, zen answer my summoning. I 'ereby swear zat I will be all ze good in ze world..."

Albert paused, one last kernel of hesitation taking root in his heart. Well, what he'd said... that wasn't quite true...

He took a deep breath, trying to swallow those words and make them feel less like a lie.

You aren't him, he reminded himself. A mage's hands are never clean, but you will never be like him. That is what you came here to prove. Now do it.

He resumed. "... and zat I shall defeat all ze evil in ze world. And let zine eyes be clouded in ze fog of turmoil and chaos. Zou, who art trapped in a cage of madness, and I, ze summoner who holds zy chains. Seventh 'eaven clad in ze great words of power. Come forth from ze circle of binding, O' guardian of scales!"

[Loki Odinson]

&

The fresh snow littering the ground by his feet contrasted sharply with the black hoodie that covered his form and kept the warmth trapped within. Jonathan looked up, puffs of breath visible in the night air as he made his way through the white blanket, footsteps leaving deep impressions behind in a long trail. The boots were a wise choice, thick enough to keep his feet warm. His pants, however, while certainly in style, were thin and unable to block the occasional breeze cold enough to make him shiver to the bones.

Looking around him, Jonathan noted that he was more than halfway to his destination. His destination being an assigned meeting place, a meeting place that is also the ideal spot to be jumped or caught unawares by all the other participants of the Grail War. While he was tentative about cultivating allies, it was perhaps for the best to pick someone to fight with and have support rather than facing everyone in a free-for-all battle. The one other glaring downside to gathering everyone in one place was that the summoned Servants wouldn't be stopped by mere rules and restrictions, not if their Masters had no care to play by them.

Shivering inwardly at the thought of all the endless possibilities that could unfurl once they reached, Jonathan ducked his head to check his inventory once more, if he still had on himself everything he had prepared the day before coming here. An advantage of being a Rune Magus was that mystic codes could be produced through the inscription of runic magic. For one, his current outfit had the 'Ehwaz' rune placed on them while his glasses had the 'Kenaz' and 'Ansuz' runes. Activating these items would indeed consume some mana but it was better to have them on hand just in case the situation called for it, and besides, one could never be too prepared when participating in the Grail War. In fact, there is no such thing as being 'overly prepared'. Still, even this was the bare minimum and he disliked nothing more than walking into situations like this heavily under-prepped.

Shooting a glance at Caster, his companion and Servant in this War, he eventually broke the silence between them. "So... I know it's a terrible idea coming to this but care to remind me how bad this can turn out?"

Jonathan had chosen this specific question to ask out of a dozen others, hoping that he would at least enjoy talking about the horrible situation that they both were walking into. Caster would surely have something to say about the current scenario, if the mild anticipation thrumming through their telepathic link was real. His Servant was a relatively silent partner who didn't hesitate to give critique or provide his opinion when asked and it was one of the few ways to get him to talk. Caster was a very polite person from what he could tell so far, almost unwavering in how he acted and presented himself.

The Servant was trailing slightly behind the man as they walked at a sedate pace, positioning himself where he could oversee his Master and be able to protect him at a second's notice, eyes roaming the horizon ceaselessly in contrast to his casual gait. He didn't doubt his Master's ability to handle himself should an opponent reveal themselves, but Jonathan shouldn't be forced to do so, not when his Servant was close at hand. Even more so if it was a Servant attacking, thus his constant vigilance the moment the pair had stepped out onto the streets. Hands buried in the pockets of his modern office slacks, Caster pursed his lips, tilting his head slightly to the side in thought. As always, his Master went for the pessimistic side of things right from the get-go. Not that he had any problems with that, for a good Commander would always consider the worst case scenario. All the better to make contingency plans when things do go wrong.. His fingers twitched minutely as he killed the urge to pull out his fan when in deep thought, for it would be a dead-giveaway. The knowledge of a Servant's true identity was best limited to their Master, especially when there's every possibility the opponent has a way to counter one's attack should they correctly deduce it. Assumptions were as useful a weapon as a blade in this War if one played it masterfully.

"What could be worse than dying even before the Grail War has truly started, Master?" Caster replied with a lightly amused air despite the seriousness of the situation, and the severity of the question, which was in itself not a laughing matter. "But it is my belief it will not come down to something so drastic. A terrible idea it might be, to reveal one's identity as a Master to the other participants of the War, however, we shall not be the only one disadvantaged in that regard. Take comfort that Servants can blend into the world, making it more difficult for normal magi to discern our true identities. So even if they know you might have already summoned someone, they wouldn't know who, or what class you have to heed your call. Unless the Servant themselves have a personal skill apt in analysing opponents."

"I know you have something that would be much better than this, so what would you suggest?"

"Currently, with limited knowledge comes limited plausible plans of action. We have not been in this city long to fully scout the place out, nor have I been summoned long enough to determine which Servants have been summoned besides myself. Or if the case may be, have yet to be called. The only fact I am certain about is that we are close to having all seven classes on this plane, else the Overseer would not have called us to gather in the cathedral. I would suggest staking out a vantage point where one has a clear view of the meeting place, if only to note each potential Masters, as well as their individual skill levels. I strongly advice against walking in blind, neutral grounds it may be. Many a death have occurred in these places, especially if any one person does not value the truce explicitly made and wordlessly accepted upon entry."

"Hmm, that’s true." Jonathan replied absently as he observed the surrounding area carefully before turning his head back to look at the trail of footsteps he left behind. 'Maybe I should have covered my tracks', he thought to himself with a sigh and chuckle directed at his silliness. As he was too lazy to backtrack all that way to their starting point, that option was crossed off immediately, but maybe he could do something more stupid instead...

"Caster, what would you think of a Snowstorm to cover our tracks and provide potential protection? I am entirely capable of it, it's just something that might be useful right now but at the same time it might not be..." He asked curiously. "Also... What if we aren't the only ones with this fine idea? In case of a scuffle, are you entirely capable of defending the two of us if X or Y attacked us?" Even as the question left his mouth, he shuddered at the thought of them being ganked by someone from the Assassin-class who would be the type of Servant to do exactly that...

"If this were the start of the War, Master, I have no objections. However, with us rather close to our destination and no spells cast previously to conceal your use of magecraft...the effects would be similar to sending out a beacon to the entire city." Caster replied with a small shake of his head. "As for potential hostiles...I am perfectly capable of defending us from one assailant. Depending on the Servant, we might be forced to make a strategic retreat in the direction of the neutral grounds. As long as we do not actively go on the offensive, we have no cause to worry about being denied entry. Let us not forget we are here to collect information, not engage in a serious battle."

Of course, his statement was purely objective. In the off-chance that they were attacked, no matter what class of Servant the assailant might be, Caster would be forced to reveal his fan even if he went on the defensive. While several other heroic spirits were capable of Item Creation, the item he creates would narrow the potential list of spirits down to a scant few. But it was a risk they would have to take. Knowledge was power, and nothing worth gaining was ever non-risky. That said, Caster was not so arrogant to believe he would be the only one to recommend this course of action. Anyone who was in their position - little knowledge of the city and summoned spirits - will not wish to simply walk through those door unless they were perfectly confident in either their Servant or their own abilities to get out of the situation with lives intact.

"Of course I know we're here not to cause a scene. It’s just ya know..." Jonathan tried to explain, but waved it off as he continued walking through the inch-deep or so carpet of snow.

Caster gave a single nod of acknowledgement for his Master's concern even if he knew Jonathan couldn't see it. "I understand perfectly. Nevertheless, it's like chess. Something gained, something lost. The only thing that really matters is if the gains make your loses worth it. In this case, I say take the risk, for making the first move means being able to predict the course of the other's actions."

Jonathan looked at Caster as the spirit commented on his apparent nervousness which Caster had no problems picking up on. Grinning at the words which sounded exactly like a quote someone would steal to sound wise, he nonetheless admitted it was sound advice. Figuratively pulling himself together, he started walking again, resolve solid once more with Caster a firm presence at his side. The pair studied the buildings on both sides as they passed by, getting closer and closer to the neutral ground with every step as they tried to find a decent vantage point that allowed them a clear view of the cathedral and its immediate vicinity. After moving through alleyways, considering a few of the residential and industrial buildings, they made one final scouting before Caster chose the best spot. It was a decently sized apartment about four stories high. Jonathan was carried to the roof in a few short jumps. Together, the two scanned the surroundings visible in their line of sight from the little nest that they had claimed as theirs before settling to watch the meeting point from afar.

"Hmm...it seems we have missed the arrival of at least one potential Master." Caster murmured quietly, narrowed gaze fixed on the Overseer's house and the lone figure standing guard outside the front gate. From this distance, he could vaguely make out the features of the tall male, as well as sense the mana within him. But besides the fact he was probably a magus guarding the house, nothing else stood out. Caster was certain this one wasn't a Master. "There are at least four magi gathered already, and if one is the Overseer himself and another that guard, the other two might be the Masters."

"Okay then, I guess all we do now is more or less wait for the potential Masters of the other Servants to walk in the front door. Make sure to keep your guard up in case anyone decides to walk in on our little peeping session." He told Caster as he observed from the rooftop with his Servant, snow falling around them as they waited.

[vancexentan]

It took a moment, and no longer than that, for a sudden finger to tap on the shoulder of Jonathan. And a the voice from a young Irish sounding young man to come into Caster, and Jonathans' ears. 'Ey what'cha lookin' at?" said the cocky voice as both of them turned to see who it was it turned out to be another servant clearly judging by his looks, and the fact that he was shimmering into reality. The young man had his face covered with a hood, and a long dirty cut-up green cloak. His eyes where shielded but had a few strands of dirty orange hair coming out of it. His face stooped downward as he looked upon the scene below of the overseer, and the other servant. He had a big smile on his face and was clearly happy by the fact that he surprised the two of them. "I'd say I was here first lads but that'd be dumb after all this is neutral territory. If not I may have taken another approach to having your backs turned. But Master specifically forbade me from causin' trouble. Not that'd I be dumb enough to go with at it that bloke by the overseer, and the other one lurking around 'ere somewhere." the servant continued without waiting for either of them to really say anything. He turned around and walked backward away from the edge of the roof. "You know...what Caster? Assassin? Whatever you are. You really should get your master out of the cold. It's bad for his health. This war's just gettin' started. It'd be a shame if you'd have to find a new one so soon. And no that's not a threat just a 'friendly' warnin'." the young man further commented as he went towards the other edge of the roof.

[Shadow Daedalus]

A brisk wind sent a sharp chill down James's spine as crouched on a rooftop overlooking the cathedral, causing the assassin to shiver and pull his monotone scarf a little tighter around his neck. Pulling his sleeve up his arm a little, he briefly checked the watch strapped to the underside of his wrist. 6:08PM. He was late. Without a word, he finished setting up a small device on the precipice of the rooftop and began to make his way back to street-level. He was careful to stay away from areas that would have been busy at this time, despite the cold night, as he would no doubt draw attention to himself. The katana at his waist would draw more than a few eyes, and some of them might call the police, an inconvenience he really didn't want.

The feeling of eyes on his back gave James pause and his hands brushed against the familiar weight of the two M1911s at his thighs, hidden by his long coat. While the cathedral and its surrounding area was a neutral ground, the particular area he was in now wasn't included in that territory, meaning he was exposed to any entrepreneuring attacker. His eyes turned to the surrounding rooftops, an instinct from his work, and he quickly spied an exposed fire escape. As he reached the rooftop, he crossed to the edge closest to the cathedral and began setting up the last device. Just as he finished, movement caught his eye and he flattened himself against the snowy roof. He watched as two figures jumped up a nearby building before he pulled out a pair of compact binoculars to watch them for a second. Lowering them again, he turned to a space to his left, seemingly empty.

"Two unknowns, possible Master and Servant. Lancer, keep an eye on them but keep it quiet. I don't want a scene."

With that, a figure materialised for a moment before responding and disappearing again. Careful not to draw their attention, yet, James made his way off the roof and brushed himself of any lose snow before he began to approach the cathedral. He stopped near the main gate and turned towards the two figures, looking blatantly in their direction, before he turned back and went inside. He was quick to find the blonde woman that was his partner. He stepped towards her, taking note of her tense posture. When he was close enough, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Amina. Relax, this is neutral territory."

[Loki Odinson]

&

Wiping her hands on a spare handtowel, Brynhilda tossed the scrap of cloth back onto the rack as she exited the bathroom of her one-bedroom apartment. There, with the last bit of blood wiped away, her preparations for the day – and possibly week – ahead was done. Provided that she isn’t forced to exhaust her arsenal of spells within the next few days. Pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose, her index finger brushed the unmarked spot between her eyes. She had foregone adding the ‘Eyes of Petrification’, for it was to be her trump card in the War.

A satisfied, triumphed smirk lifted the corners of her lips as she donned her grey long coat and equally grey fingerless gloves. For years, people had been trying to replicate the Mystic Eyes of a legendary figure, only to fall short and here she was with the means to it, all thanks to her proficiency in blood magecraft. A dark arts they shunned. Brynhilda was sorely tempted to rub this in the faces of other magi within the Association, and would have if she didn’t yet feel she could go even further with this. Currently, she could only use it once. Any more and she would burn out the circuits in her head, causing her to go blind at best and outright killing her at worse. But she hadn’t given up on improving it just yet, for maybe with a little help from her Servant, she could advance it to the point of multiple uses. Imagine it being another spell in her usual arsenal! Oh, the possibilities…

With a mental shake of her head, she focused back on the present. One quick glance at her watch told her it was 7:10. Right, that should be late enough, and she didn’t have anything more to do in order to stall the time of her arrival. Not that she needed more time to familiarise herself with the place as she had done so a while ago. As soon as Brynhilda had selected the Servant she wished to summon, she came to Fuyuki City, settling in the apartment the Yggdmillennia purchased under their name. She didn’t know when they had acquired it and she didn’t care. It was a place to stay before and during the War, assuming this block didn’t get caught in the crossfire before the War ended. At the end of the week, she summoned her Servant, using the fossilized skin of a Balkan whip snake. The book did not explicitly say what catalyst worked best, but Brynhilda figured a well-preserved part of an ancient venomous native greek species would work just as well, dipped in the fresh blood of another of its kin. She didn’t think the catalyst would summon her another Servant tied to a snake like Cleopatra, as that one required an Egyptian species. Fortunately for her, the assumption paid off.

That was a little over than a month ago and Brynhilda couldn’t be more pleased to have Rider by her side. The Servant was loyal to a fault, and didn’t seem to mind her more…dubious practices. She could take Independent Action, meaning Brynhilda could simply give her an order and know Rider will fulfil it to the best of her abilities and judgement. And one absolutely delightful fact? Rider had also been a Servant in the last Grail War, which so happened to also take place in this very city. Obviously, that little fact didn’t immediately made her out to be the Master with the best advantage as there would have been others who had lived her longer than two months. But at least she wasn’t walking into unknown territory completely blind. That was definitely a plus in her books.

Preparation done, she mentally reached out to call her Servant. “Rider? You can stop scouting ahead and return. Let’s head to the cathedral. There’s no time like the present. Oh, this is going to be an interesting night, hmm?”

"Yes, I can feel like things are beginning, Master. I shall be at your side in a moment." Rider responded through their mental link before returning to her previous task of observing the snowy spread of land around her one final time.

In the time she had been alloted by her Master, she had managed to cover a suprising area. As silence fell on her once more, she stretched out her enhanced senses, extending them outwards as far as she could. The awareness of her body slowly faded into the background, with the first being her breathing. Next, the steady beating of her heart. Soon, the clarity of things filled her mind - of the voices in the wind, the mana in the air, the crunch of gravel below wheels and feet - and the intensity of her focus determined what she could hear and feel. Not see, for she denied herself sight until there is no other choice. The echoes of the urban city life was a constant buzz beneath the various foreground noises, and overlapping it all, the sounds of cars. However, none of it was what Rider's watching out for. No, she sought a different catch altogether. Scanning through the overlapping layers her senses were feeding her, she listened to the sounds, tasted the chilly night air, smelled the city itself, felt the gentle breeze and sensed the magical activity permeating Fuyuki. Just as her Master said, just from sensing the heavy atmosphere around the city, it was obvious to her that tonight was going to be different. Inhaling sharply, Rider snapped back from her almost trance-like state of focus and immediately retreated to her Master's side as per commanded moments before. Dematerializing to hide herself as she moved, she made her way her way back to her Master's apartment and within a couple of minutes, she was present by Brynhilda's side.

"Shall we go then Master?" She asked, still utilising the link to communicate as her presence was shielded in her immaterialized form and would stay this way until further notice. She now had her full attention on one objective - her Master's safety, keeping her senses open for full comprehension of anything she notices.

Instead of replying her Servant, Brynhilda exited her apartment and into the cold night, footsteps muffled by the thick layer of snow. Her apartment wasn't very far from the catherdral, so even if she moved at the slowest pace possible, she would still make it within ten minutes. However, she was actually looking forward to meeting the other Masters of this War, and thus her steps were brisk and purposeful. She didn't bother scanning the surroundings for potential threats and such like, feeling secured in the fact her Servant - though immaterialised - was keeping a very close watch over her. Within five minutes, she was within view of their destination. Foreign mana brushed against her senses but her steps didn't falter or pause.

"Rider, how many potential Masters and Servants are within this area? Just a vague number. I want to know if they have started yet." Brynhilda questioned as she stepped onto the church's cobblestone porch. She didn't want to miss the initial meeting and be left to flounder about later. Whether or not anything meaningful would be shared this night would be for her to find out.

"Within in the area..." Rider said as she honed in both her physical and magical senses to feel around the area, reaching out to entwine and grasp at the surroundings, giving a running commentary for everything she discovered along the way. "From what I can tell, there are four Magi (Overseer, Assistant, Leon) in the church and one assumed to be the Overseer who extended the invitation to you, Master. The other figures inside may be Masters or assistants to the Overseer. Outside, on the church porch, there seem to be two magi (Thorne & Amina) along with someone (disguised Saber) who seems to be guarding the church's main gates." Rider told Brynhilda, mental tone taking a curious lilt as she felt the mysterious figure by the gates, wondering what the being could be. "Besides those at the church there are two servants (Caster and unknown) and a single magus (Jonathan) directly opposite the church along with another Servant who I briefly felt (Thorne's Servant), I assume those four are merely scouting and will not be attending the meeting."

"Is that so? Thank you, Rider." Brynhilda allowed a small smirk to touch her lips.

Quite a number of people had gathered already, which was rather surprising in itself. She would have thought the participants to be more paranoid and suspicious about each other, and be generally uncomfortable being in such close proximity to potential enemies. But who was she to judge, for here she was too, walking up to the front gates of the church. She spared the man guarding it a sweeping glance. Besides the almost knightly posture the man - magus - was adopting, there was nothing else remarkable about him. The Assosiation had bodyguards a dime a dozen and while he might have been a higher ranking member assigned to guard the Overseer - a wise course of action - he most likely wasn't anyone she would recognise.

Lifting a hand, Brynhilda threw open the gates with a firm push and stalked inside, head high and drawing forth the serenity she felt inwardly to the surface. It wouldn't do her any good to show her nervousness before these people. She didn't stop to exchange pleasantries with the two magi inside the gate, breezing past them towards the church's doors. Here, she hesitated, warring between her instinct screaming at her to keep her Servant by her side and the fact that there were no Servants within the room. Very reluctantly, she caved, mentally telling Rider to remain outside even as she headed into the room.

[Phase Transit]

A brisk wind sent a sharp chill down James's spine as crouched on a rooftop overlooking the cathedral, causing the assassin to shiver and pull his monotone scarf a little tighter around his neck. Pulling his sleeve up his arm a little, he briefly checked the watch strapped to the underside of his wrist. 6:08PM. He was late. Without a word, he finished setting up a small device on the precipice of the rooftop and began to make his way back to street-level. He was careful to stay away from areas that would have been busy at this time, despite the cold night, as he would no doubt draw attention to himself. The katana at his waist would draw more than a few eyes, and some of them might call the police, an inconvenience he really didn't want.

The feeling of eyes on his back gave James pause and his hands brushed against the familiar weight of the two M1911s at his thighs, hidden by his long coat. While the cathedral and its surrounding area was a neutral ground, the particular area he was in now wasn't included in that territory, meaning he was exposed to any entrepreneuring attacker. His eyes turned to the surrounding rooftops, an instinct from his work, and he quickly spied an exposed fire escape. As he reached the rooftop, he crossed to the edge closest to the cathedral and began setting up the last device. Just as he finished, movement caught his eye and he flattened himself against the snowy roof. He watched as two figures jumped up a nearby building before he pulled out a pair of compact binoculars to watch them for a second. Lowering them again, he turned to a space to his left, seemingly empty.

"Two unknowns, possible Master and Servant. Lancer, keep an eye on them but keep it quiet. I don't want a scene."

With that, a figure materialised for a moment before responding and disappearing again. Careful not to draw their attention, yet, James made his way off the roof and brushed himself of any lose snow before he began to approach the cathedral. He stopped near the main gate and turned towards the two figures, looking blatantly in their direction, before he turned back and went inside. He was quick to find the blonde woman that was his partner. He stepped towards her, taking note of her tense posture. When he was close enough, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Amina. Relax, this is neutral territory."

@Shadow Daedalus

Amina felt the reassuring hand at her shoulder, but her hand still hovered above the handle of her sheathed rapier. She turned to James and looked him up and down, instinctively assessing his condition. She nodded once, signaling that James was in good condition for now. She took James's hand and gently slid it off her shoulder. Her movements were dainty and cautious, her fingers slowly clasping around James's palm and exerting pressure in steady but small increments, making the whole gesture seem like it was performed in slow motion.

She had to be careful. Her strength came from monstrous blood flowing through her veins, and just one moment of carelessness could cause unnecessary damage. It was not an unusual occurrence for Amina to shatter glass cups given to her, and almost guaranteed that a cup should suffer obliteration should alcohol be within it. A human hand was little different, especially one that wasn't reinforced. She felt the softness of James's flesh and the brittleness of his bones, marveling internally at how fragile they seemed to be. Yet James's hands were worn and well used, practiced in intensive martial conditioning.

That she could at least tell straight off. Amina had surrounded herself with the physical arts her whole life, and she could very roughly tell the level of training an individual had just by feeling their hand alone.

"Thank you for your concern," replied Amina, her voice powerfully projected like iron forged as sound, "and it is a great relief to see you. However, I hope you understand that I want to maintain my caution here. The church-"

She waved at the church they were in.

"Has never quite been trustworthy. Of course, magi are also not the best examples of truthkeeping, but at the least I know you enough to trust you."

Her hand lightly gripped her rapier's handle.

"But that means I only have one true ally. Everyone else is a liability. You are a seasoned combatant, no? Then I'm sure you can understand my sentiments."

[Grey]

Berserker
Interacting with: @Turboshitter

---

The touch of prana and the first words of the chant lit the magic circle, casting the room in its fluctuating glow. The hum of magic emanated from the base of the ritual, like echoes of the clarion call cast into the Throne of Heroes. The reactions intensified with each spoken word and each unit of prana poured forth.

Then, as the aria reached its apex, the summoning circle erupted into a maelstrom of energy. The swirling haze at the base of the sigil became a raging whirlwind that threatened to rend its surroundings with unmatched intensity. At the same time, arcs of raw energy rampaged across the room and the dull thrum of prana became a deafening roar. Then, in a single instant, the room was flooded by a brilliant, blinding and all-consuming radiance.

Beneath the blinding shroud, motes of light coalesced into a featureless human form, and from deep within the Throne of Heroes came a response to the summons. Then came the imprinting of mind, body and soul within the hollow container. But such a flawed construct cannot contain Heroic Spirit in their full radiance. There came the Servant's class, stripping away the branches of legend like a sculptor at work.

The featureless form took shape. First assuming the appearance of the hero, then imprinting conceptual information. Class abilities, personal skills, and Noble Phantasms were integrated through adaptation of legend. Finally, the Grail granted the necessary data on Heroic Spirits and the modern day.

Deep amidst the swirling mist stood the form of a knight, the back of a feminine silhouette scarcely illuminated by the circle's fading glow. Her mere presence radiated an almost overwhelming aura of power. In her hand, a silver blade that shone like a beacon of starlight in the haze. The knight touched a hand to the edge of the sword and seemed to inspect it before it dissolved into shards of energy. Then, with the sound of shifting steel and crunching honeycomb, she turned to the magus.

In that moment, the light of the ritual dissipated, spelling an end to the summoning. In its place, the artificial lighting flickered back to life. The summoning was complete, yet Albert's circuits experienced no respite. The steady siphoning of prana continued, but this was only natural for such a ritual. After all, anchoring a Servant to the mortal plane was no simple task, even with all the compromises put in place by the Holy Grail War system.

"Servant..." she paused, raising a hand to her eye level and creating a few experimental fists. "...Berserker." There was clear tinge of disdain and frustration in both voice and expression as she spoke that name. "Here to answer your summons." A moment passed as the warrior's gaze regarded Albert and his eclectic series of familiars. So this boy magus had called her to the modern era, did he? At first glance, she was not impressed. But she had to remind herself not to pass judgement too hastily; she was about his age when she became a paladin. "In accordance with the call of the Holy Grail, your fate is my fate, and my sword is your sword. I ask of you: are you worthy to be my Master?"

[vancexentan]

As the young man, and Leon stood in the same room waiting for people to appear Leon began to investigate the room they were in. It was a wide room. Nothing really all to special about it but it was well lit, and very nicely furnished. It appeared to be just some sort of living room. It had a few chairs scattered about, a table in the corner, and a few desks here and there but they appeared to all be locked. More over there were a couch and a tv in there as well. It seemed to just be a relaxing room for the monks and overseers to stay in and were using it to entertain the guests for the moment. The other boy became more and more impatient as time went by as he adjusted his glasses with a big frown on his face. "So do you have a name you're wiling to share?" the boy asked his fellow magus as Leon considered for a moment the ramifications of telling another master his name. It would be risky, and dangerous but his family was far away and Satsuko was more than just an average magus herself. He needed little protection with Saber around, and he himself was adept in combative magecraft. Leon nodded and sat down in a chair twisting it around as he looked at the other magus.

"You may call me Leon." he replied as the other boy nodded and returned the favor, "A pleasure. My name is Keiji Togami I'm sure you've probably heard of me by now." Togami said as Leon's eyes widened a bit he was surprised. The Togami clan were not only an extremely prestigious magus family, but were insanely wealthy and the head of a conglomerate of jewelry stores. They were powerful, rich, and extremely dangerous. It would seem that Togami had resigned himself to the fact he would be recognized here. But he had not expected the guy to openly just admit that he himself was of one of the most famous clans in Japan. "What is it? Stop looking at me like that you fool. I have no intentions of being gawked at. I have enough of that at home. I was expecting more people but apparently the other mages are either all cowards, or too cautious. To ignore a direct invitation from the overseer is both stupid, and ignorant. The information we can gather here today Leon may very well help us greatly. You may be an enemy of mine for now. But in the game of war like this I suppose a temporary truce may be needed. After all I'm sure the other servants are extremely capable. Of course however I intend to win." Togami grumbled as Leon nodded he wasn't sure what to say really.

"Yeah I suppose you got a point. A truce would be nice but I'm not sure if I can trust you Mister Togami. I'd like to but we're not in a state where trust is easily earned." Leon said as Togami chuckled. "Don't talk to me like I'm an idiot Leon I'm fully aware of our statuses. Likewise I was just thinking out loud really. I'm not even entirely sure I WANT you to be my ally. Time will tell. Oh wait it seems someone has elected to join us." Togami said as he looked over to see another master has entered. "The overseer went to go get something, and the fool is taking much longer than he should. He'll be back in a moment I am sure."

[Turboshitter]

Albert Prelati

Interacting with: Berserker (@Grey)

Fuyuki Hyatt Hotel - 5:39 PM December 1st, 2012

Hider

Electricity crackled around the circle as the lights flickered back into being, their diligent watch momentarily broken as if distracted by the magnificent figure they all now beheld. Albert's hair stood on end. The hounds growled for but a moment, silenced by a harsh mental reprimand from their master. A black knight stepped forth.

His immediate instinct upon beholding his Servant was to consult his Master's intuition, a special type of clairvoyance granted by the Grail to read the stats of Servants. Though he'd never used it before (obviously), the information was delivered to him as soon as he thought to look for it, as if discerning the abilities of Servants by sight was as natural as being able to tell if someone's eyes were blue. This was one of many gifts granted to Masters.

The honeycomb mold crunched beneath the black knight's steel boot as they left the circle, offering their allegiance to him. He was pleased. A surface examination of his Servant's stats revealed they possessed A ranks in most of the important combat parameters when boosted by the Berserker class' signature ability. Truly, they possessed abilities worthy of a Knight class, had he chosen instead to manifest them that way. There was, however, one minor detail that was bothering him.

Damn zose are some nice legs...

He stared at his Servant, who towered over him like an iron giant, evidently distracted by her physical appearance. Her. As in feminine. He'd summoned a woman, not a man. This was immediately troubling.

He scratched his head, regarding his Servant with equal parts awe, confusion, and agitated, rising dread.

"Yes..." he said hesitantly, not quite sure how to answer her question. "But zat depends. Are you... Roland? Roland of Brittany, ze most famous of Charlemagne's paladins? You are, aren't you?"

He tried to hold back his shock and disappointment. Not in her, necessarily, but in himself. Everything had been perfect. The heir of Prelati was to summon Roland, and no one else. If it had turned out he'd summoned the wrong Servant, that he'd failed, after all his idle boasting and the effort he'd put into obtaining his catalyst...

He shook his head, trying to avail himself of the doubts that now plagued him. No, that was impossible. The abilities of the Prelatis as summoners were beyond reproach. His catalyst had been the very fragments of Durandal, scraped from the walls of the Breach that bore Roland's name. There was no possible way for him to have summoned anyone else. If he had, it might have been an even bigger achievement than summoning Roland in the first place, because failing a summoning with such an obvious catalyst would have clearly meant he'd somehow broken the Grail.

No wait, he thought. Maybe zere's anozer explanation.

He had heard of this before, believe it or not. Some anecdotal evidence from past Grail Wars had suggested that certain Heroic Spirits who were remembered by history as men may have either disguised themselves at certain points like Hua Mulan or had their legends altered posthumously by future historians and the passage of time. It wasn't unheard of, is what he was saying. Or at least, that's what he was trying to convince himself of. He certainly hoped it was the case.

"I'm sorry if I sound surprised," he added, not wanting to appear impolite. "It's just zat if you are Roland, I was not quite expecting you to be a woman. It seems 'istory 'as chosen to remember you differently zan you were in life."

[Loki Odinson]

&

Interactions: Armina @Phase Transit, James Thorne @Shadow Daedalus, Disguised Saber + Leon Winchester + Keiji Togami + Unknown Servant @vancexentan

Inwardly cursing at the abrupt arrival of an unknown, Caster deliberately turned unhurriedly as he sensed the Servant materialise fully behind them. Expression unchanging, he shifted slightly, movement casual as though merely reshuffling his weight onto his right foot when in actual fact he had positioned himself to block his Master from the stranger’s direct line of sight. Their choice of perch, although giving the widest range of view possible on all sides of the cathedral, was rather in the open. It wasn’t surprising they were found so quickly, but Caster had been counting on the fact that each Master would keep their Servants close at hand the nearer they got to neutral territory. Apparently he hadn’t taken into account all the variables. A huge slight on his part.

Jonathan, on the other hand, was preoccupied with the surrounding area of the church as he searched for anyone who was heading into the neutral area. One particular person (James) turned to look directly at his and Caster's position openly, to which he gave a small laugh. 'Guess we'll have to be less conspicuous next time...' He thought to himself before he turned to the sudden voice in his ears that was clearly not from his Servant. Turning his head in the direction of the unknown Heroic Spirit, he observed the heavily concealed figure. He was similar to Jonathan himself, as the Master could recognize the obvious traits of an Irish-born anywhere - acknowledging the unique accent and the orange hair.

Caster allowed the unknown Servant to prattle on as he seemed contend in doing so, taking the time to scrutinise him. Green cloak, deep cowl concealing his face excluding the wide smile and dirty orange hair was all his physical appearance revealed. His voice was young, cockiness born of self-confidence and a trace of Irish accent. These alone were enough to rule out the Berserker, Saber and Rider class, but it wasn’t sufficient enough to narrow down the list of possible identities. It was still good to know the Servant’s Master wasn’t one for impulsive rampages nor eliminating opponents as soon as possible. Still, in friendly warning or not, Caster neither acknowledged nor refuted it verbally, merely staring on as the Servant wandered back to the opposite side of the roof.

“While I do resent the fact that he is suggesting that I am too weak to defend you should the need arise, Master, I am afraid he is right about getting you inside.” Caster spoke mentally, eyes resolutely fixed on the other Servant. “He was able to get the drop on me and I didn’t sense him until it was too late. It would be for the best if you go inside the church. I would hate for anything to happen to you before the War starts. The next Servant who takes up by surprise might not be under orders from their Master to refrain killing other Masters on neutral grounds.”

"Alright then Caster. If that is what you think is best then might as well, it was getting a bit cold anyways. Try to collect more data on him while you can in the meantime, along with anyone else you might see during my absence." He responded non-verbally as he made his way to the opposite edge of the roof away from the unknown Spirit. Swinging his legs across the ledge, he placed himself onto the fire escape that would take him down. "Don't worry about lil' old me, we aren't too far from the Church for anything to happen."

Aloud, he said, "Make sure you two don't fight now." The tone was still light-hearted and playful despite the most recent turn of events, and with a final flashed smile, his head disappeared from the side as he made his way down.

"Of course not, Master. You of all people should know I don't sought fights myself unless you should order it. Diplomacy first and foremost, after all." Caster harrumphed, still unfailingly polite but a mild hum of displeasure against the Servant might have made another Master worry Caster was going to go against his word were he any other Heroic Spirit with lesser restraint.

"Right, right. Also, one more thing. Remember that there is another Servant around here from what that Servant said, so be careful." Jonathan mentally told Caster as he reached the floor of the snowy alley and made his way to the Church. Looking through the fence, he pulled out his phone, selected his camera and switched it to front view in order to fix his appearance. Adjusting his hair and the glasses on his face , he flashed a few practise smiles at the camera, nodding at the sincerity of it as he walked. Phone tucked away once more, he looked up, gaze immediately drawn to the guard by the gate, the one whom Caster had curiously described.

"Don't mean to disturb you but you must be bored out here, I mean you've been out here for quite a while already, yeah? Man, being a guard for the Overseer must suck at times but it does pay the bills, eh? Hopefully if everything goes like it should, then tonight will be easy for you." Jonathan lifted his shoulders in a half-shrug of sympathy. "Hope the cold doesn't get you sick alright, bud? It would be a shame if you had to endure that in this kind of weather for the rest of the week." He said with a sigh before clicking his tounge as he gave the guard a small salute with two fingers and winked before entering the church gates, finally stepping onto its grounds.

Glancing around, he saw three figures, two (Anima & James) talking to each other while another ignored them completely in favour of making her way inside (Brynhilda). The two talking seemed to be friends, or at least acquaintances, so he didn't want to bother them... much. Besides it's better to catch people with honey than vinegar right? "Hey aren't you two Masters as well? I'm one too!" He said with a confident grin aimed at the both of them. "It's a pleasure to see what my competition is going to be! Hopefully, tonight goes well for everyone, right? Anyways, I'm going in to get away from this cold ya know? See you inside!" Waving the two a brief goodbye, he sauntered up to the church's closed doors and flung it wide open.

"Hahaha- woah, it's cold out there!" He exclaimed loudly to everyone in the room upon entry. "Told you its much warmer in here!" Jonathan yelled over his shoulder, threw a smile at the lovebirds as he closed the door politely behind him to keep the warmth inside the room for everyone else. It took him a moment as his eyes wandered around the interior of the church, before he looked at everyone within.

"Wow, sure is a nice place they've got here." Jonathan said to the priest in black robes. "Is this really all who bothered to turn up? Pretty understandable, I mean, who wants to walk in all that snow?" He asked the room in general, attempting to make small talk as he got rid of his shoes and hung his jacket on one of the hangers there. "Anyway, my name is Jonathan and its nice to meet everyone currently in the room." He said before approaching the woman nearest him with a hand extended for a handshake. When she merely cocked an eyebrow

Taking a few steps back after to observe the other people in the room, Jonathan flashed them all a sheepish grin and basically twiddled his thumbs until someone else decided to talk. He didn't want to keep on running the conversation in case anyone wanted to pitch something in (however unlikely it seemed to be with this crowd). Man, they were a bunch of serious youngsters. Whatever happened to enjoying one's youth and all that?

"While I am heartened to see you being so enthusiastic to form possible bonds of allegiance early on, Master, perhaps it would be wiser not to bestow the more...intense side of your personality so soon?" Caster sighed over the link, but was momentarily ignored by his Master.

[vancexentan]

Interactions: @BubbleGumKing@Loki Odinson

=====

Saber saw the elder man approach him and thought little of it. He himself knew this man was a master, and thus a threat to him, but unlike the other masters whom had approached him this one seemed to be more talkative. He came right up to Saber, and in his caution, Saber considered that the man was just about to grind him over as some sort of dumb servant like the arrogant fools this world would typically be entitled to bring up. Instead however the gentleman inquired over his health. He also said something about him being a guard, and this being a long time? What was that supposed to mean exactly. "You are mistaken. But you may pass. I am only here to keep the peace." Saber said simply with indifference as the man left and went inside. The other two whom had arrived were conversing but Saber decided to not listen to it. Though it could have important info his master could use Saber's moral code, as much as it was worth, still compelled him not to do so. He'd dishonor his king if he did that much. On the other hand simply being here angered Saber somewhat. It was not worthy of him to guard this gate. But he would do so out of respect for the overseer. The other guard beside him simply chuckled. "Children shall be children. Pay them no mind. At least that gentleman was nice enough to try to pay you some thought." the monk said as Saber grunted. "Indeed." Saber stated flatly.

====

Togami took a moment to process the fact that the other master, a old fart really, had just waltzed right into the room and acted like he was his friend. More over he had thought him some sort of common rabble? Togami walked over to the nearby table in the room and grabbed a small chunk of bread in his hand. Before running over it with his hand slightly. He then threw it really fast and it smacked into the wall before even Leon could process it. The wall next to Jonathan's head thudded with the sound of a baseball hitting it instead of bread indicating that Togami's throwing arm was not to be underestimated. "The fact that you don't recognize me tells me that not only are you new to this town, but more over you're so lazy that you never considered for a fact that I could have killed you with a magic bolt the second you walked into that room. By nature we should've already been out to kill each other imbecile. If not for the fact that this was neutral ground I may have actually ordered you to be slaughtered. I am another master who may very well end up your enemy as soon as we both walk out that door." Togami growled as Leon pulled off his cap and placed it down on a nearby desk before walking up and glaring at Togami right in the eyes. "What the hell is your problem? The guy was just asking a question! There's nothing wrong with that." Leon said with disgust as Togami looked back at him without even flinching the two masters glaring at each other point blank continued until one man with dark grey hair, and eyes walked into the room. Togami immediately broke off as he pointed his finger at the older gentleman. He had a cross around his neck, a white set of monk's robes on, and a pair of glasses on. He was aging and well on his way to probably his sixties but he was still hanging onto a small part of his health as he looked healthy enough to walk with ease.

"Hello Togami, and hello friends. I welcome you to the first gathering of masters. Today I will be revealing to you some rules-" the old man began to say as Togami cut him off. "Hold off a moment you old geezer. First off you took forever to actually get back, and you don't apologize? Second off not all the masters are gathered here yet! What on earth could be the point of talking to us all like this without more people arriving?" Togami growled as the old man nodded his head. "Fair point Togami. I apologize. And to everyone here I offer my sincerest apology for my rudeness. I am after all the High Overseer of this Holy Grail War...or rather the 3rd Great Holy Grail War if what my friends tell me is correct. There are signs that more than seven masters have appeared you know. Which means there will be some rule changes. So I will wait a little longer before I go on. Please make yourselves comfortable." the elder man said as he nodded his head. Leon took one last disgusted look at Togami before moving back to his seat. He was less than pleased about how that went downhill so quickly. "Master I sense that you are distraught are you ok?" Saber asked as Leon replied to his servant that he was perfectly fine. Just a bit pissed off. "I'm surprised the young lad isn't here yet...Maybe he isn't well." the old man muttered as he looked around the room. "Also there's no need to introduce yourselves if you don't want to. Togami may indeed be a bit of a rude young man but he is correct in the fact that you are all enemies like it or not that is the truth."

[Loki Odinson]

Interactions: Jonathan + Rider @BubbleGumKing, Leon Winchester + Keiji Togami + Father Walter (Overseer) @vancexentan

When Brynhilda had accepted to be a Master in the Grail War, she had been excepting to meet people of various personalities, quirks and background, either on the battlefield or away from it. The initial gathering of Masters to announce the official start of the War was one of the safest way to meet potential opponents without needing to fight for your life. She had expected little genius magus full of confidence in themselves, experienced spellcasters with grim determination, even slimy little schemers from the Association or indifferent freelance magi aiming for the Grail and that only, damn the rest. However, she certainly didn’t except the very first person she set her eyes upon to be a youth in a suit calling the High Overseer a fool. Her only reply to his…helpful commentary was a single, long, contemplating look. Leaning against the wall a few feet from the entrance which she came through, Brynhilda folded her arms across her chest and settled for casting sweeping glances over the two Masters within the room. Both were undoubtedly younger than her – masters seemed to get younger every War - and the one who was seated on the chair had yet to say anything. Not that she minded, for in her mind, those who kept to themselves made for better company. And seeing as she didn’t like small talk herself, she was perfectly content to stand in silence and wait for the Overseer. At the back of her mind, Rider was a silent presence, having apparently found nothing significant enough to report.

Just as she was considering to take a sit if the Overseer and other Masters were going to make them wait here for an hour or so, the door flew open, admitting a blast of cold air and an overly-cheerful man older than she was. Huh, and here she thought at the age of thirty, she would be the oldest participant. He introduced himself with abundant pleasure and eagerness, not noticing – or at least ignoring – the heavy atmosphere within. Jonathan, as he called himself, could be plain oblivious to social cues, or was simply trying to throw them off guard. Cocking an unimpressed eyebrow at the hand he stuck in her direction, she stared until he caught on that she wasn’t about to touch him – or anyone else in here, for that matter. Her attention was drawn away once again by the voice of suit-boy, who proceeded to sneer and threaten the older male Master. Brynhilda didn’t bother to smother the scoff of amusement at his mini speech. Egotistical, arrogant, condescending. All these traits he currently exuded remind her sorely of the high-ranking magi within the Association. And boy, did it rub her the wrong way. No way in hell was she going to even begin thinking about asking him to team up. She would try to kill him before the day was over.

“Boys, you’ll have a chance to settle scores once this War starts. It would be a shame to get thrown out now over another Master.” She tuttered quietly just as the Overseer finally deigned to arrive.

Brynhilda tempered down on the spike of irritation at Togami’s – if the Overseer was indeed calling suit-boy by the right name – continued and blatantly rude interruption. It wouldn’t do to set her Servant on high alert over some infuriating youth’s attitude problem. So she took a single deep breath which calmed her almost instantly. Then the Overseer’s next words make her eyes widen in surprise, and opened the link with Rider even further so what ran through her mind at present would be picked up on by her partner. More than seven servants? How is that possible? Was it due to the clashing magic during the last War? Was there truly such large amounts of pent up mana that even the Grail and its rules could be affected? Damn, it was just her luck to be chosen to take part in an irregular War.

She refused the seat, opting to remain in her spot, where she had a good view of the majority of the room. Staying on her feet for hours on end wasn’t anything new, and comfort was hardly a priority in this situation.

“You are telling us something we don’t already know, Overseer. When in history was there ever a War where all Masters were not enemies of each other? It’s common knowledge to everyone participating.” Brynhilda drawled, levelling a narrow-eyes stare at the Father. “Who else are we waiting for and how much are you actually going to divulge about this apparent…changes in the rules?”

[vancexentan]

Interaction: @Loki Odinson

====

Togami merely snickered at the woman's glare at him it clearly amused him to a point where he thought of her as less than significant. He pulled his pointed finger down and crossed his arms as Leon nodded at the overseer signaling he wanted to know more as well. "Did you not quite hear me woman? I just said there are other masters missing. If what I am feeling in the nearby area is correct than there are two masters alone outside right now who have yet to come in." Togami said simply as the Overseer nodded. The overseer introduced himself further, "I am Father Walter and in this bizarre turn of events there have been more masters this turn around. There were supposed to be more command seals given to all of you."

"Six in total if I was correct however instead the grail has opted to split the command seals into three per master this way around. An associate of ours has confirmed this for us and she is not usually wrong about this sort of deal. As I said there have been wars like this were other masters have shown up. Once during the American Civil War. And again towards the middle of the second world war. I will not go into detail suffice to say both sides of those wars had their traitors, and those who sought after the holy grail for their own ends." Walter commented as he walked over slowly to the couch and sat down slowly on it. He breathed in and out deeply. "Yes indeed. I recall that there was an event like that during the second world war but the American Civil War? That's the first I've heard of it." Togami grumbled as Leon spoke up.

"Same. My grand father never told me about any of that stuff. But it doesn't really matter at the end of the day doesn't it? We're still all after the grail. It makes little difference about how, or why there are more but there are. Be it they're a bunch of fakers, or were chosen by the grail itself makes no difference." Leon added casually as suddenly the sound of foot steps came in and a rather well off gentleman walked into the room. "Ah hello Takumi. I assume the little lord is not feeling up to coming himself?" asked the gentleman as the man nodded. "My little master has been asked to refrain from meeting with the other masters by his grand father. I am to come in his place and listen on his behalf. Nothing more or less. I am neither master, nor servant of the grail but I am still a supporter of my master." the man said as he bowed to the group assembled. "Ah so he's turned into a master as well? It seems that I have slipped up." Togami grumbled as he put his hand to his chin still he looked less concerned than he should over the fact that another master had appeared. "Too those assembled however I'd like to inform all of you that the Holy Grail has dictated that you form teams to this end. It wants you to work together. I will wait a little longer before I give you the stipulations to this rule."

[Grey]

Berserker
Interacting with: @Turboshitter

---

First there was a blank stare of disbelief. Then a narrowing of downcast eyes followed this expression of shock, and click of the tongue followed that. The Holy Grail had called her to this age- No, the Holy Grail had called on her specifically to this age. Yet her summoner saw it fit to question her very identity? This was troubling. But even more troubling was the fact that she was had been troubled by such a small slight in the first place.

Clearly something was wrong, but she couldn't quite figure out why. Was this a modification by the Berserker class? An instance of flawed magery? Irregardless, she cast such bothersome thoughts from her mind. All she needed here in this place was her blade, her valor, and her faith. She inhaled sharply, about to answer the magus' words, when she heard the addition to his question. Yes. What she needed here was her faith. In abundance. And not just in the Lord.

"'Remembered me differently'? Tell me, wizard," Berserker snapped with frightening celerity, "Do the people of this age sing a bad song?” It was no threat, but the tone made it difficult to discern. But worry underlining those words was clear: how far did these revisions go? Simple embellishment was a staple of mythic tales, yes. She could even understand why her gender would be obfuscated. But to step upon the sacrifices of her and her men would be the greatest of insults. “The pride of those heroes will not be tarnished by the words of those Saracen snakes,” she seethed, an angered scowl adorning her features.

“Regardless summoner, I am indeed the hero you speak of,” she answered proudly, expression taking a less irate form. “Though clearly not in the way you expected. But I am, as you said, the greatest of the Twelve Peers. So wipe that look from your face; I am sure that such superficial preconceptions will be cast aside soon enough.” She emphasized that with a particularly vicious grin. “If not, it will become clear that I am as great a fool as Olivier said, entrusting my fate to the likes of a summoner who cannot appreciate arms mastery at its finest.”

Berserker stepped past Albert and gestured with a gauntleted hand for him to follow. “Come, magus. We head forth to the house of God,” she commanded, “Imitation or otherwise, this is a Holy Grail War, is it not? I have no intentions of dying, but it is only right we give Him praise and request absolution before the onset of battle, as is tradition of my time.” She pulled the door open and left.

Moments later, her head peeked from the side of the doorway, looking back at the teen and his menagerie of familiars. "Master," she pointed at Albert, "It is time to gauge your intelligence gathering capabilities. Where is the Church?"

[Turboshitter]

Albert Prelati

Interacting with: Berserker (@Grey)

Fuyuki Hyatt Hotel - 5:42 PM December 1st, 2012

Hider

Albert smiled, partly in relief and partly in amused exasperation for his Servant's enthusiasm.

"Ze 'ouse of God is quite a ways away. Fourteen kilometers by my reckoning. Zat's about zirty-zousand six-'undred cubits, but I'm sure ze Grail told you zat. 'Owever, I don't actually zink it's a good idea to go zere right now, ma chère. May I call you 'ma chère'?" he asked more out of formality than for her permission. "I'd be 'appy to take you zere later if you wish to speak to ze priest and commune with God, but zere's a bit of a situation zere right now. Ze ozer Masters and Servants have gazered zere for a meeting, and I zink it would be best if we observed from a distance."

That was certainly the bold-faced truth. Much as his peerless crusader might like to proclaim her faith in front of the holiest of holies, it would give them an invaluable tactical advantage to spy on the meeting rather than attend it. Whatever information the priest was handing out, his familiars could easily pick up with the kind of hearing only animals possessed.

JK, his owl, was particularly gifted in this respect, which was why he'd picked her to listen in on the conversation. If a dog could hear their owners' arrival before they even got to the door, then an owl like JK could hear them before they even pulled into the street, chewing gum and singing along with the car radio. When you figured in that kind of hearing, actually attending the meeting in person became a chump's game. He was content to simply listen to whatever valuable information the priest had to offer from afar, after which he'd have a good first look at the identities of all the Masters in attendance without actually having to expose himself or Roland.

Albert stopped to think about that for a second. Roland. Rooooolaaaaaand. It seemed ill-fitting a name for a woman, and was kind of awkward to say now that he knew the truth. Was there a more feminine form of that name? Rolande perhaps? Roly? Roel?

He shook his head. A matter for another time. Right now, "Berserker" or "ma chère" would do.

"Besides ma chère, we 'ave yet to introduce ourselves formally," he said, his smile taking on the slight contours of a smirk. "I'm sure zat after we get to know eachozer better, we'll 'ave a more... mutual appreciation for eachozer's skills. For starters, I can tell you where your legend may 'ave diverged a bit from ze truth. If you'd indulge me, zat is."

[BubbleGumKing]

Apparently, Jonathan's entrance wasn't appreciated, especially by the guy who was called Togami by the Overseer and didn't seem to be a fun fellow (which he gathered from the daggers being bored into him by two other people in the room) who've seemed to already have gotten his first impression to the other female and male Master in the room. The speech he gave was also an adequate impression for Jonathan to be happy that the stereotype that Togami filled, was one that he would be happy to stump into the ground if he ever got the chance to and he hoped he wasn't the only one. Besides the turning away from the kid after his speech and rolling his eyes which the other girl could obvious see before he sat down on a bench. She was the one to not hide her opinion on the other boy but made no comment about it unlike the other Master in the room who verbally berated the arrogant kid.

"At least everyone in here has something in common, no?" He made a quick and snippy comment with a grin on his face which was directed to nobody specific before going into a deeper look at the artwork of the church while they all waited.

His marvel and interest with the church soon quickly evaporated as his eyes had already wandered the walls a few times and he himself contemplated on several of the painted pieces or architecture. Thankfully, that boredom of his would never reach him as the Overseer decided to begin explaining why everyone was meeting at the church and for good reason that would come quickly. Jonathan turned his head as he looked over his shoulder as he began to listen to the Father's announcement along with some of Togami's own rambling as well when he interrupted, god he was annoying. What was being announced to them was indeed interesting when compared to the other Grail Wars. Wondering where would they get six command seals, as he thought they only manifested when a Grail War took place and thus was limited in supply. It sometimes baffled him when they wondered why nobody could trust them considering how shady what was happening right now was if someone thought about it.

'Six Command Seals per Master, huh?' Jonathan transmitted mentally to Caster who would no doubt want him to be sending everything he was hearing and so Jonathan widened the link between him and his Servant who would be listening intently. He wondered what his servant would have to say about the situation, as this just got quickly different from what they thought previously. With fourteen servants on the board to account for, maybe this will be fun for Caster to handle as this was no doubt going to be interesting for everyone.

The Overseer's enlightening news was something to think about, as it changed the playing field a lot that he pondered deeply about it for a few moments. He missed out some of the context during his brief immersion with his own thoughts as for when he looked up, the Overseer was talking to another man about being a proxy to who he represented which was curious. A representative was surely interesting that a Master would have, musing at what kind of person they would be from the myriad of possibilities there were that the Grail War attracted. It wasn't long after the Overseer's exchange that Togami began talking about how a similar event happened as well while the other male Master began making a comment on the number of participants there was going to in this war. What really took the ball out of the park was the nonchalant part of making a team when only one winner was supposed to be granted a wish (ha- like that was going to happen from the past known and recorded instances). Raising an eyebrow at the statement before looking at everyone to see if they heard the same thing, it wasn't too late to gank Togami outside the neutral area just yet. That has to count being a team right?

[Shadow Daedalus]

Interacting with: Amina, Lancer @Phase Transit

Although he didn't show it, James took careful note of the restraint in Amina's hands as he grasped his own. He was aware of her physical attributes, but it wasn't hard to tell from the strength he could feel, even if she was holding back. The corner of James's mouth lifted slightly as he appeared to adjust his coat, brushing back the sides of his coat to reveal his armament, careful not to let any of the others see.

"I understand, but we've fought mages before. Most of them rely on magecraft as a crutch, so It's hurts them a lot more when you kick it out from under them."

The sound of approaching foot steps caught his attention and he swiftly moved his hands, letting his coat fall back over his weaponry. He watched wordlessly as the approaching man announced himself as a Master before disappearing into the church, a eyebrow raising on the hunter's face as he did so. James turned back to the swordswoman in front of him.

"He seemed far too nonchalant for a man entering a war... Regardless, we have two objectives for now. Ascertain the purpose of this meeting, and summon your servant. Lancer is on standby outside, but we should hold off on your summoning until we find somewhere more secure."

When he finished speaking, he tapped into the telepathic link between Lancer and himself. "Lancer, remain by the gate. Interact with some of the other servants if you deem it prudent, but be careful to avoid giving away any important information." As he was relaying his instructions, he pulled the gun on his left leg from its holster, chambered a fresh round, and replaced it doing the same to the gun on his right. As he pulled back the slide, he held it for a moment as he looked back at the Ossetian witch.

"Let's go, shall we?"

And with that, he let the slide go, a bullet sliding into place with a satisfying metallic click before he slipped the weapon back into its holster and pulled the scarf a little looser from his neck.

[vancexentan]

Interactions: @Shadow Daedalus@BubbleGumKing@Loki Odinson

===

Before James could take so much as a single step forward a hand landed on his shoulder as the disguised saber looked down on him. His face still shrouded preventing the man from glimpsing into how strong he was, and what abilities he may or may not have. In Beserker form he may or may not have been unable to hide the true extent of his power but he supposed it was a blessing that if not for that he was not Beserker he would not have been able to hide more than just a few things such as his true name from the 'boy' in front of him. This was even counting that the master would be trying to use his clairvoyance on him in the first place. "I should warn you. If you make a move against anyone in this place without provocation. I will end you before you can call your servant. I am not to be trifled with young sir. Neither are the servants around here who are waiting for their masters. A dishonorable cur who invalidates a neutral council is a dead cur in my eyes. That is all I have to say." Saber said calmly but very much to the point where he was clear on the subject of the young master's weapons. Saber turned back and left the two masters there and went to stand back at the gate. Saber mentally called out to his master warning him of his the mages coming in and stating they would be armed. "Thanks Saber. I appreciate it I'll keep my eyes open." Leon commented to his servant as Saber implored him to once more to be careful.

However at the same time the Oveerseer named Walter opened his mouth and yawned before checking his watch and nodding. "I have waited long enough young Togami anyone else who seeks to hear my words can come see me at a later time. As of this moment the wish shall not only be one impossible wish for one servant, and master. But a lesser wish for up to six masters. As you know the cup from the previous war was not claimed, or if you were unaware of that fact you know of it now. This incidental coincidence was not told to other masters in previous wars because of the fact that other masters may abuse the loop hole. More over the mana generated during the war goes into the holy grail itself. This would mean the loophole is meaningless and would have prolonged the war further. However with seven additional masters the impossible has come to light. The cup has declared that up to several masters can now claim the grail as a party. Not unlike how some champions of old would do. However that's not the end of it. Each group may not party up with an additional servant of their same class. In other words Assassin may not work with Assassin. Saber must not work with Saber. And Beserker, even if it wanted to, would not be able to wreak havoc in their shared madness. Though the grail encourages the old rules it is now willing to accept this new set of rules for this specific tournament."

"A Great Holy Grail War does not happen often. Also, though this is speculation, it may be possible to grant more powerful wishes with the deaths of more servants than the typically required amount. So that means even if you team up you may indeed wish to kill the other masters, and or the servants. The less there are the stronger the wish I would believe. Though I have not been told if this is a definite possibility as of yet. So you may choose to team up. Or you may chose to go solo. The grail will allow either. However strength in numbers is a powerful thing. If you see yourself fighting a group of other servants without allies...then perhaps you may not have made the right choice. Regardless you are the masters, and your destinies are intertwined with one another. Is your wish so valuable to you all that you would kill each other whole slaughter? Or perhaps you wish to mitigate tragedy and help others at the risk of trusting another? It is not my place to say. I am an old man and I must remain neutral in this war. You must decide for yourselves your place in the world." Walter exposited to the group at hand. Leon, the dapper gentleman named Takumi, and Togami remained silent thinking over what was said however Leon was more focused with his eyes on the door. This whole new dynamic was certainly going to change things but he'd need to think it over with Saber later. Perhaps an alliance may be formed with some of the people here....but were they trust worthy enough? He certainly couldn't pick up their numbers though at the very least Togami seemed to wear his heart on his sleeve.