[IC] Fate/esoterica

[VitaVitaAR]

Saber

"I must say the same to you as well," Saber replied, "A strong opponent to engage in battle with is a valuable thing in this grail war."

Then there was that flash of light. A lesser warrior, perhaps, would be unable to understand what was occurring. But among her peers, Saber had been unparalleled. She could see them, if only for a split second, the thrusts of the spear as the chariot rushed towards her. And luckily for her, she needed only a split second to react. Her nodachi flashed, the side of the blade deflecting each blindingly quick thrust with a resounding clash of steel on steel, before the onrushing chariot came far too close for comfort. And so Saber hurled herself to the side, her shoes scraping along the concrete and scattering a shower of sparks through the air as she slide along the ground.

This wasn't an ideal circumstance. Normally with an opponent like this she would attempt to guide her enemy towards a location where direct charges would no longer be feasible, but here... There were observers who were not part of her deal with the opponent. They could easily strike while she was preoccupied, so an attempt to pull this fight to more advantageous terrain would not be possible. She could not risk straying too far from her Master. The other magus's comment hardly put her concerns to rest.

As a result, she had to stay close, she had to find any opening she could. Saber raised her blade, eyes fixed on her enemy. An opening, any opening...

She would not use her Noble Phantasm as anything but a last resort. Not this early.

---

Estelle Varianbec, Master of Rider

Estelle cocked her head to the side. Deep down, well, she'd rather not kill any Masters. Not if they were interesting, at least. If a Master was useless and annoying she wouldn't have many compunctions, but the witch girl's response already made her at least worthy of not dying if it could be avoided. If not, didn't every participant understand they could die? Aside from her, at least. Estelle was certain that she would be the victor.

Estelle's attention almost returned to the fight. Until Faust called her family cruel. Immediately, the tan girl's attention snapped back to the magus, her eyes narrowing. Her small frame was filled with a sudden rush of anger. Her family? Cruel? She had never met them, certainly. But they had left so much to her. The catalyst with which she summoned Rider. Her maids. Everything had been left to her... Estelle's heart was always filled with her family's memory, even though she sometimes resented the restrictions her maids had placed on her movements.

"I don't know what you think my family has done," she snapped, "But I'm not dying in this war. I'll be the victor, no matter what! I won't waste everything they left me!"

Indeed, it seemed as if she'd found her first true enemy in this war.

@Blackstripe@Raineh Daze@Cu Chulainn@Feyblue

[Blackstripe]

Rider

"Not bad at all!" Rider complimented the deceptively frail-looking girl when she managed to not only deflect his attacks, but slip out of the way of his chariot. It seemed that witch girl had managed to find herself a rather impressive servant to fight beside her for the grail. But he was only testing the waters with that last exchange. Now he would find out the measure of her worth when he actually applied some real pressure.

Turning the chariot in a sudden 180° arc, his speed never once faltered. The only difference, in fact, was in the way Rider began to move. Darting from side to side in sharp zig-zagging pattern, it was a motion that is - quite simply - impossible for any chariot bound by natural law. This level of precision maneuverability, in fact, had no equal even in the modern world.

But it was not merely a display of agility.

Saber had escaped him once by dashing to the side, but such a tactic would prove far less effective now, as Rider endlessly arced towards her from either side, barely ever giving her a moment's reprieve. Yet he was not satisfied with this alone...

As his spear showered the elegantly dressed servant with more punishingly swift thrusts, she would find herself under attack from another source: one of the mighty warhorses that pulled his chariot had began making a concerted effort to slam down its hooves upon her whenever her blade was preoccupied with defending against Rider's attacks. Worse, this was not the assault of a mere beast: it's blows carried power rivaling that of Heroic Spirit!

"Wahahahaha!! You've proven worthy of me putting forth a bit of effort, Saber! You should feel honored!!"

@VitaVitaAR

[Feyblue]

Mira Grace

Dɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✦ #8AB8E6 || Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✧ #EBB40E

---

True to her word, Saber followed through on her end of the bargain, challenging Rider directly. A battle without the involvement of Masters... That meant she wouldn't have to worry about any more surprise attacks, provided that Rider wasn't simply bluffing. But if there was one lesson that her mother had hammered into her head, it was that people from outside couldn't be trusted. What if Rider lied, and was just waiting for the chance to kill her when her guard was down? Or, come to think of it, their deal hadn't included any provisions against the Masters targeting each other... Then, that meant that this girl whose bloodthirst was practically palpable might try to attack her, right? No matter. She was a Witch, an inheritor on an ancient mystery, of curses beyond the reckoning of the modern era. There was no way a modern Magus could overpower her, was there? She tried to psyche herself up, to tell herself that there was nothing to fear, but at the same time, she had no idea of what modern magi were capable of. What if this girl had some kind of trick up her sleeve? The arrival of another Magus only further increased her apprehension, especially considering that this other woman didn't seem to have a Servant with her. That narrowed the possibilities down distinctly. Archer, Assassin, and Caster would all be loathe to show themselves directly, and of course, all of them would doubtless pose the most direct threats to her own person.

She decided that no precaution should be spared, and began recalling her flocks of familiars, crows circling far overhead in preparation for the battle to come. It was odd, though... As her flock descended, she couldn't help but notice that there was another bird of some sort in the air here, despite the howling winds and the growing feeling of danger from the two Spirits clashing below. It wasn't one of her familiars, and it didn't look like anything she'd seen around her manor, either... One of her crows glimpsed something golden trailing from its neck, confirming her suspicions.

There's a Familiar watching us.

No matter. Saber already had her orders not to go too far. This didn't change anything. As for herself, all she could do was prepare as best she could and hope she could handle whatever surprise attacks might be directed at herself. With her flock observing the battlefield from above on all sides, it was unlikely that she could be approached by an enemy Magus without forewarning, but Servants had ways to circumvent such measures. It was hasty, but her best means of defense would be...

Unseen by the others, her Prana surged through her primed crest, spreading outward from her body in the form of almost imperceptibly tiny threads, stretching themselves across the air all around her person. If any would dare attack her, they'd best have been prepared to endure the curses that befit a Witch such as herself.

...At that moment, everything began to shake. Once more, Mira struggled to follow the battle that was unfolding in front of her. Her own Servant, Saber, was naught but a glimmering blur, dancing between descending blows such that her very form seemed to bend and twist beyond Mira's ability to distinguish. But Rider... Rider's motions no longer so much as resembled the act of "moving." Rather, it was as if his destination and his location were always one and the same, and by the time her brain could so much as realize the fact that he had "moved," the "motion" had already been completed.

Two seconds had passed, but the conclusion was already immediately obvious. Saber wasn't just on the defensive... she was on the back foot. This battle was one that was ill-suited to her in the first place, as, out in the wide open of the crater, there was no high ground to take up to deter an enemy advance, nor was there any cover to place between herself and her enemy to obstruct Rider's movements. The mounted servant, on the other hand, had every advantage, as he was capable of striking at her from any direction he wanted without so much as slowing down, then darting out of reach the moment she tried to counter. His reach, positioning, and speed all exceeded hers, while Saber couldn't bring her own innate power to bear. But, now that they'd already been confronted, there was no way to reposition themselves either - not without presenting Rider with the perfect opportunity to strike. Then... what could be done? Was their only option to hope that Saber could outlast her enemy? Or would they have to resort to using Saber's Noble Phantasms? But not even Mira knew what her Servant was capable of... What if she didn't have anything that could work against this enemy? And, in the first place, the Rider class excelled when it came to Noble Phantasms! If she resorted to such a technique, then the only way to ensure victory would be if it killed Rider instantly, because if he got the chance to retaliate, then...!

No choice. She'd already committed to the defense, which meant that she only had one option. She had to trust Saber, trust in the strongest Servant that she had given her all to summon! An image flashed before her mind, the eye of a black cat opening wide and glowing amidst the darkness, reflecting the light of the crescent moon. With this trigger, a creeping numbness began to spread through her extremities, carrying with it a feeling of warmth and an electric crackle as her old and powerful circuits simmered to life, bursting with energy that she funneled into her link with Saber as fast as she could. Even if they had no other advantage, at the very least, her Servant's stamina wouldn't be outdone!

@VitaVitaAR@Blackstripe

[Blackstripe]

Cassandra Edelfelt

A titanic battle between two servants that, frankly, blew away any and all expectations she had. That was what Cassandra Edelfelt now observed through her familiars.

Small, insignificant rodents likely to go unnoticed on a calm day, much less when there was a battle taking place right in front of you, her rats made the perfect spies. She had, of course, sent no small number to observe the Church. It seemed like the most obvious place to acquire information on her enemies, and sure enough, several masters had already entered and then abruptly exited when the fighting began.

Said fighting resembled less a battle, and more a series of flashing lights. She could just barely make out the figure of the Saber, while the other moved with a speed that made even trying to properly comprehend it a real headache.

So instead, she focused her attention on something she could actually see: A flock of ravens. Or crows. She had trouble telling the differences sometimes. Whatever. It was the way they were moving that was important: very controlled, very organized, circling around the witch girl. Probably her familiars.

There was one odd-bird out among them, though. One that clearly didn't fit.

Focusing her attention in on it, Cassandra leaned forward in her seat, her eyes squinting.

...A golden chain. It carried a golden chain around its neck! The mere sight of this sent a sharp chill darting up her spine. Leaning hard against the back of her chair, she covered her mouth with a hand and began to tremble. "Oh God..."

"...That hawk is ghetto as fuck!"

@Feyblue@VitaVitaAR
@Raineh Daze@Cu Chulainn

[VitaVitaAR]

Saber

Indeed, there was no way to ignore it. The terrain here was leaving her at a distinct disadvantage. Saber was doing her best to keep her eyes following that chariot, but it was difficult to say the least. The speed and motion, the zig-zagging, indirect approach. But in that moment that he prepared his next attack, the black-haired swordswoman found her footing. Her katana was a blur as it swiftly deflected each blow, but then the horse joined in. The only choice that Saber had now was to give up her footing, but at the same time, she had found her target. It was difficult to lash out at the one behind the chariot... but his horses, on the other hand... even an injury to those horses could force her opponent to an on-foot battle. Let alone if she could slay one of them...

Skidding back to get some distance, Saber suddenly sheathed her blade. Perhaps it was only because of her opponent that she had a hope of pulling this off.

Slayer of Men: EX

Perhaps in a different circumstance she wouldn't have that extra edge of speed. The chariot was still baring down on her, that horse's hooves rearing, preparing to strike her...

In a single motion, she made her counterattack. Her nodachi flashed as it suddenly left its sheath, and in the same motion, taking advantage of the lengthy reach of her blade, she darted back in hopes of avoiding those hooves. She had to land that blow. She had to at least injure one of those horses. The only way she could gain any ground on such open terrain was if Saber could damage the chariot's ability to move, even if only temporarily...!

@Blackstripe@Raineh Daze@Cu Chulainn@Feyblue

[Cu Chulainn]

Berserker

@VitaVitaAR@Blackstripe@Feyblue@Raineh Daze

Berserker kept note from what his findings were, at a quick glance of each Servant. It looks like the two enemy Servants before him are of the honorable sort, which is what Berserker had expected. How boring. Neither of them seemed to have any inherent evil around them, and not even an evil Noble Phantasm he could judge, as well. At the very least, though, he is pleased that his current vantage point hasn't been detected, yet.

It was only a matter of time, however, that he would be spotted by some prying eyes. A hawk with a strange, long tail is not hard to spot.

And it looks like Rider had the upper hand. Hmph, and he's taking on Saber all for himself! Not if I, the King of ■■■■■■■ has a say in it!

Berserker picked up his altitude to where he was high above the clouds, transforming once again. Those with observant eyes would be able to see a shimmering golden light high in the sky. He transformed to his true form, complete with his golden-tipped staff. Spinning the staff in his hand, he began to prepare a dive, right for Rider. Berserker was indeed upset at this fight, as he didn't want to see one Heroic Spirit, especially one of the Saber class, to die before he could get a chance to fight them himself! He joined this war to fight other Heroes (and make rude gestures at them) after all, and he wants to taste the power they all have to offer.

Berserker had began to steady his breathing, raising his staff. To one who has some sort of mastery in Martial Arts, one who could track such a fast-moving object, they could see that Berserker is using a breathing technique in an effort to gather his Qi, or what a magus would call Od. Mid-air, still high in the sky, but halfway to the ground, Berserker finally released his focused prana into a huge burst of golden light, using the propulsion of this collected magical energy to give himself more momentum, more strength in his diving attack for Rider.

Mana Burst: C

To the many mortal spectators, they could only witness a flash, seeing what appears to be a golden comet coming down withon the crater where the two Servants were fighting.

[Blackstripe]

Rider

It seemed like Rider had her on the edge. All he had to do at this point was press his advantage and bring this battle to a close. But she was resilient, to say the least. Despite constantly driving her back, she never ceased to deflect his blows. She could take pride in being one of a precious few who could claim that distinction. It made him almost sad that she was his very first opponent in this war, for everyone after this would likely pale in comparison.

When she went skidding backwards, Rider was swift to press his advantage. But something was different now. She seemed to be sheathing her blade. But this was no gesture of peace, he knew...she was preparing for a precision strike.

Logic would dictate her target to be himself, but all previous such attempts had completely failed. So what was her -

"...Eh?" A flash off to the side drew Rider's gaze. Turning his head ever so slightly, he immediately realized that he was staring at an attack. His chariot immediately swerved away from Saber before he came within the blade's reach, ascending slightly into the air in order to avoid being engulfed in the golden attack. Spinning to face whomever had dared to interrupt their duel, Rider focused his savage gaze on the audacious interloper.

It...

It was...

"A monkey?!"

---

Cassandra Edelfeldt

A monkey...

Now that the servants had come to a stop for at least a brief moment, she was at last able to make something out of the battle before her. What was previously a duel was now shaping up to be a free-for-all...she still didn't know who the Saber or Rider class servants were, but as for the monkey-man...

Well, it was pretty obvious. She was a big Dragon Ball fan, after all.

@Feyblue@VitaVitaAR
@Raineh Daze@Cu Chulainn

[Raineh Daze]

Johanna Faust

She didn't know? She didn't know? Of all the cruelties to inflict on a child, even if the child was a homunculus, this had to be one of the worst. Brought into the world and immediately given a duty without concern for whether it would be suitable, nothing more than a magical doll to be made and thrown away. Yet to leave the child with the delusional hope that if they did what their parents wanted, anything would come of it? Those sort of people were the worst.

The golden flash and the increased strain on her reserves meant one thing and one thing only: Berserker had joined the fighting. Well, so long as he didn't get killed and didn't start deploying Noble Phantasms at an alarming rate, if such a thing was within his abilities, she would be under no pressure and free to keep talking. If you need backup, just say. Rider doesn't possess Saber's magical immunity.

"You might be the victor, but you would still die regardless of your other actions," the white-haired magus said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a somewhat crumpled packet of cigarettes, "The way the war is constructed leaves you with no other options, unless you can claim to have seen the Vessel of the Grail stored elsewhere."

Lid off, and one bent content pulled out, "Before the Grail can itself be activated and its ritual completed, all of the defeated Heroic Spirits must be stored in some suitable vessel. For the first three of Fuyuki's wars, is was truly just a cup. Yet the Einzbern recognised that such a thing was too fragile, too vulnerable--even an accident could destroy it and freeze the war. Something had to be done to prevent this, so they made a single change for the wars within my lifetime.

"By making one of their homunculi into the Grail, they created one that could heal and keep itself alive, that could use magecraft to support a Servant. Why not rig your chances of winning the war by making your entrant one that none of the other participants can afford to kill?" she said, a brief word lighting the cigarette--a simple spell, even outside one's affinity--and drawing in. Really, of all the habits, that she kept this one after all the fighting... well, maybe she'd not have the scars without it. "For Fuyuki's Fourth and Fifth Grail Wars, their homunculus was also the Grail.

"But a person cannot be a container for Heroic Spirits, not for long. No matter how things turned out, no matter how they performed in the war, there could be only one outcome. By the end of it, they would be reduced to nothing more than a vessel to complete the ritual. To the homunculus, it would be an empty victory. If they won, there would be no chance for them to make a wish. If they lost, they would die even if spared by the other Masters. If they were killed beforehand, the ritual would fail and their entire existence would be worthless." Another cloud of smoke.

"Unless some other homunculus is part of this war, then your family never told you the truth. Without a doubt, you are the Vessel and your victory will earn you nothing but suicide. The Einzbern are unquestionably the greatest at making homunculi, so you might not even be able to hold on all the way to the end of the war as a person. Do you really plan to push on with this attempt, knowing that you cannot achieve anything?

"Better to spend your remaining time more pleasantly, or to fight your pre-ordained fate. If they taught you all that would be needed, there might still be chance to make a substitute."

[Cu Chulainn]

Hasabe Evans

@Crusader Lord

The first moment Faber looked away, Hasabe was already gone. He was just there a second ago, though... Oh, no. Has he been taken away? Did Assassin strike him the moment Faber looked away? She already knew her Master was incompetant in Magecraft, but was he so weak, he would get taken or even killed off the moment the Holy Grail War kicked off?

Nope. He was just getting a broom, dust pan, and a trashbag. He started to sweep up the remains of the relic at once. While he was cleaning the mess he made, Hasabe began to think just what kind of Servant would this catalyst even summon, anyway? After all that is said and done, he tossed the remains of it into the trashbag, wrapping the bag around its remains into a nice rectangle before putting it on a chair.

"I'll put it away when I'm done eating. Haven't really eaten anything yet today..." Hasabe told Faber, yawning. According to Faber, she's an extra Servant. It's pretty odd though, how the Holy Grail works, but Hasabe figured that his half-assed ritual netted him an extra Servant anyway. Not that he thought Faber was half-assed. He'd just sometime wished she didn't nag on him too much.

"I don't really get it, honestly... why you're a 'fake,' I mean. If anything, I think I summoned you a bit earlier... wouldn't that mean I wouldn't get an Extra? Well, I guess it isn't something to worry about too much. Do you want to go to the Church, now, then? There might be a few other enemy Servants there right now... do you think it'd be a better idea to head over there tomorrow? I know a few routes we can drive through to the Church, a few of which only locals around here would know, so getting ambushed along the way wouldn't seem too likely..."

Hasabe took a pizza slice for himself, taking a bite from it. He indeed ordered a Meat Lovers pizza. He wanted to watch his cholesterol, so he normally doesn't order pizza with too much meat, but Saber seems to like it, so he can't really argue with it too much. Plus, he normally manages to eat only one or two slices, anyway... how does she eat that fast?

[VitaVitaAR]

Saber

He swerved?! At that last moment, the moment where she had the opportunity to cripple his biggest advantage, to force him on-foot, he swerved away?! But there was no way he could have guessed he was aiming for his horses that quickly, and an attack directed at him should have seemed unlikely to land, so-

It was not anything she had done, Saber swiftly realized. Rather, it was an intruder. Moments before she had performed an attack she was certain would level the playing field, an un-involved party had inserted himself into their battle. The audacity...! To interrupt a duel between heroic spirits, no matter what was happening...! Saber's eyes narrowed as the fell upon the unwanted intruder. What's more, this battle had once again become more complicated. Now, more then anything else, she felt she needed to return to her Master's side...

But first she needed to evaluate the interloper. The black-haired swordswoman's eyes widened. He was a... a monkey man?! Certainly that narrowed the possibilities for his identity down considerably, but at the moment Saber was still uncertain. Regardless...

"... What made you believe you had the right to intervene?" she asked, her grip tightening on the hilt of her nodachi.

---

Estelle Varianbec

As the other magus spoke, Estelle could feel it rising inside of her.

The burning flames of anger.

She was lying. It was the only explanation. No matter what had happened in the past, she had to be lying. Estelle had never met her family, but they left her with so much, so many things. They left her with everything she would need to take victory. In their memory, she would claim the Grail. It was the only way things could go.

It couldn't.

Be.

Questioned.

Her small hands balled into fists. How dare she. How dare this woman accuse her family of something like this. The family she never met. The family whose memory she was upholding. How dare she make such claims of them. Estelle was certain. The family that left her so much would never have brought her into this world only to die. They surely, absolutely, had wanted their representative to win unquestionably. That was the reason for all of this. It had to be! Shaking with anger, she raised her right hand to point squarely at Johanna Faust.

"Liar," she snapped, "Even if they were gone before I was born, I know my family would never have done such a thing! They made me to be the victor, not to die!"

Her eyes drifted to her Servant. He was strong enough. He'd be able to do it.

"Rider, kill her!"

@Blackstripe@Raineh Daze@Cu Chulainn@Feyblue

[Blackstripe]

Rider

Rider, struck silent by his opponent's appearance, quickly erupted in hysterical laughter. Leaning forward against his chariot, he reached a hand up to wipe a stray tear from his eye. "H-he's...an actual monkey! I regret not being present when he was summoned, if only to see his Master's face."

When Saber expressed outrage at their duel being interrupted, Rider's cackling ceased.

She was right. To interrupt such a wondrous and exhilarating battle was indeed the act of one sorely lacking in dignity or respect. Granted, he appeared to be some manner of beastman, rather than a proper human, so perhaps civility was lost to him. Regardless, Rider turned to face Saber, his rightful opponent. "It seems that we must endure an unfortunate respite in our duel. I do not wish it to be any longer than necessary, however, so I offer a proposition."

Pointing his spear at the animal that so rudely interjected himself in their battle, Rider grinned. "What say you to us removing this creature from the war? Surely the elimination of a dangerous and unpredictable enemy servant would benefit both our Masters, and allow us to recommence our fight uninterrupted."

Pausing for a moment while he awaited Saber's response, he suddenly felt his 'Master' issue him a command. His jaw clenched in irritation at this, never enjoying having orders barked out at him. Nevertheless, he had agreed to be her partner...her 'servant'. "If you accept, Saber, then occupy this beast's attention while I carry out my Master's...'orders'."

With that, his chariot shot straight up into the sky. He would make the execution of the Monkey Tamer quick and painless, and so long as he wasn't interrupted by her servant, there was little she would be able to do. She wouldn't even be capable of reacting in time, he knew. Indeed, the instant his chariot had moved, he was already upon her as far as human eyes were concerned.

A spear through the heart would bring a quick end to the woman, surely.

@Feyblue@VitaVitaAR
@Raineh Daze@Cu Chulainn

[Cu Chulainn]

Berserker

@Blackstripe@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze@Feyblue

The impact from Berserker's strike to the ground left a crater inside the already larger crater. Due to a mix of the sheer weight of his staff, which happened to be deceptively heavy, the strength of Berserker, and the boost from his Mana Burst, the very earth around them would have shaken by its impact. After landing, Berserker stood up, entering a warrior's stance.

"Monkey? Hah! I am the Great Sage Equalling Heaven! And I just didn't want to see either of my potential opponents killing eachother off before I face them, first!"

As expected, these honorable clouts would have a problem with his little interruption. And to talk about honor while battling right by neutral ground? Such hypocrites! Berserker stood his ground, into a more defensive position. This looks like it'll be an uphill battle for Berserker....

Berserker grinned. This is just what he's used to!

Then Rider began to laugh in a mocking tone, laughing at his status of being a monkey. In his life, Berserker had to deal with such stigma, and had spent the entirety of it rising above his bestial nature. To be laughed at for such a thing was the last thing Berserker wanted to hear...

Berserker started to growl like an actual beast, the grip on his staff tightening, and his muscles bulging. His flaming eyes began to intensify, his sharp terth now bared. And finally, his hair, his fur around his body all began to change, as well. They began to wave and flicker, almost like a flame, and changing into a fiery light red.

Mad Enhancement: E
Mental capacity is sacrificed in return for enhanced physical parameters. Cannot be disabled normally, and while active may inhibit some Personal Skills or Noble Phantasms. Rather than the rage of an unstable mind it can be said that Berserker’s personality retains elements of the animalistic nature he trained himself to rise above. When angered or insulted he can fly into a primal rage, increasing his Strength Parameter by one Rank, but causing him to act erratically and instinctually.

Berserker let out a primal howl. True to his class, he has become a raging beast, his Strength raising to the highest parameter the Holy Grail system can record.

Strength: A

Berserker prepared to crush both his opponents with his staff. They may have both conspired against him, but to Berserker, all he sees are two pests that need to be crushed.

"Rider, kill her!"

Berserker had heard the threat to his own Master's life, despite being blind in his rage. This was due to the primary Noble Phantasm he would have summoned in this form. Of course, the many deeds that Berserker had performed in his life would net him a dozen Noble Phantasms for him to use, and it was only the Berserker class that limited his options the most. And there was only one Noble Phantasm that would be the most fitting for Berserker; ■■■■■■■■■■. A leash to rein in the wild and nigh uncontrollable beast that Berserker is. A countermeasure to his rebellious spirit, so that his Master would be able to control him, despite even being able to ignore orders weighted by Command Spells.

This leash that reined him had commanded him to defend his Master above all, like a piercing headache that just won't go away. Berserker was forced to comply, and especially in this state, it's as if his very instincts commanded him to defend his Master. And of course, this Noble Phantasm also rewared Berserker when taking actions to defend his Master from any harm.

Endurance: B

Cracks appeared on the ground below his feet, and a mere split second later, Berserker lept, breaking the sound barrier. He had used his immense Strength to propel his legs forward, his leap was further enforced with a burst of mana, although due to his lack of focus in his state, it wasn't as strong of a propulsion as it was during his initial attack.

Mana Burst: D

And so Berserker propelled forward in an explosion of force and mana, the blast from his movement hopefully knocking away any interference for his goal; straight for his Master. His aim was to tackle her, to bring her away from any immediate danger.

[Raineh Daze]

Johanna Faust

The command, so clearly given out, still left too little time to properly prepare for a Servant. Even a single action, something that the magus had enough time to do, wouldn't be able to compensate for a sudden change in attack vector. It was the worst possible situation to be in when your attacker could strike incredibly quickly. Still, there was just one thing on her side: horses weren't renowned for their acceleration, whereas a person... or Servant, could cross a straight gap relatively easily.

Being unceremoniously tackled out of the way and onto the floor... well, somehow, the cigarette had stayed in her mouth, which was a miracle unto itself. She didn't need more burns. Yet being on the ground had its own advantages, hand pressed against rock, the burning feeling of magecraft already in her veins...

"Fangen Sie."

A quick spell, too quick for a common magus to copy in the same time--and an immediate response, mana flowing through the ground to Estelle. No unsuspecting girl caught up in anger would really be expecting what followed, nor one unprepared for any sort of physical altercation. One leg caught above a gap, falling, then the gap sealing just as fast. Not dangerous at this stage... not so long as she kept the spell up, didn't let the world's corrective impulses do the rest of it and set up a race against time. Barriers and magecraft could only hold out so long if one didn't have a specific way out of it.

If she was concerned about that, it was easier to just suffocate or crush them herself.

"You'll see I was telling the truth, Varianbec. Promise to leave, take Rider and go. This is more than enough in one night for a child," the enforcer said, looking up from her hunched position, towards the girl--though a clear view was necessarily blocked by Servants.

[Feyblue]

Mira Grace

Dɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✦ #8AB8E6 || Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✧ #EBB40E

---

Her plan seemed to be working. With the newfound power surging through her system, Saber had planted herself firmly on the brink of the crater, and in the split second that followed, Mira was able to discern her drawing her sword for a swift counterattack. This blow... if it hit, it might just turn the tide of the battle!

And yet, in the next instant, Rider swerved sharply, and where he'd just been standing was struck by... A third Servant?! But that didn't make any sense. Neither her Saber nor the girl's Rider had sustained any injuries as of yet, so why would a third party choose now to interrupt, when both of his prospective opponents were at their best? There was no tactical reason for it. If anything, it would only serve to make him the enemy of both of them. And, although she hadn't been able to hear much of their conversation over the roaring wind, she could hear Rider's master shouting an order to her Servant, clearly referring to the other woman who'd showed up to watch the fight.

The new Servant sprang into action. He appeared to be holding a staff of some kind... Was he Lancer? No, his bestial roar and transformation a moment later changed her suspicions. Suddenly, his earlier reckless charge into battle made more sense. Of course he wasn't fighting tactically - this was Berserker! He dived immediately for the woman who was evidently his master, pulling her out of the way as Rider circled to attack. But, at that moment, the magus launched a counter-attack towards the other Master. The ground began to split, cracking and crumbling away beneath her, as if to drag her under.

Mira made a split second decision then and there. Rider's Master had seemingly agreed to the terms of Saber's duel, and hadn't interfered. She'd also never made any directed attacks at Mira herself. So, she was probably willing to see reason and keep from endangering Mira's own life. However, this new woman... Had she been threatening the girl? It didn't make much sense why she'd suddenly snap like that otherwise... And she showed no hesitation in attacking a child, either. Between the erratic behavior of both her and her Servant, nothing was guaranteed. In that case...

Divide and shift. Three steps, two bodies, seal and displace!

The splitting earth beneath Rider's Master suddenly vanished completely, replaced by an untouched patch of loose dirt which sank only slightly beneath her feet. At the same moment, a few paces to the left of Mira, the ground split wide open and crumbled away. She breathed a sigh of relief. Even with her ravens scouting the area, and even though the substitution she'd just performed wasn't terribly complex - nothing more difficult than moving earth from one place to another by hand - it hadn't been easy to select the precise start and end points in such a short time. Even so, she'd managed it. The other Master wouldn't be in any immediate danger until she had the chance to prepare herself, and hopefully, she'd realize that Mira still intended to uphold the earlier terms of their engagement.

"I believe we agreed not to involve Masters in this battle, yes? Personally, I rather liked that arrangement," She said quietly, shaking her head. Of course, she'd rather not kill the other woman, either, hence why she'd only intervened defensively. But, at the same time, she didn't want to risk Saber trying to interrupt a fight between Berserker and Rider, both of whom seemed to be tremendously powerful, least of all to protect the life of a self-proclaimed enemy. These modern magi were one thing, but Heroic Spirits were quite another. In any case, so long as Saber didn't end up matched up against multiple enemies at once... It didn't quite sit well with her, but what other option was there at this point? Hopefully, they'd stand down, and if they didn't, then that meant that whatever happened to them was their own responsibility... didn't it? She was, as always, just defending herself. This was the only way to stay safe. Right... So, even if she didn't like it, she pressed on. It was already too late to turn back now.

Saber, I think we can count on Rider to uphold his word for the time being. These two, though... I have no idea what they'll do. For now, I think it's best if we deal with them before considering a battle against Rider. If all goes well, we may not even have to fight him, or at least might be able to relocate to a more advantageous position for you.

@Raineh Daze@Cu Chulainn@Blackstripe@VitaVitaAR

[VitaVitaAR]

Estelle Varianbec, Master of Rider

Almost the moment she made the order, Estelle became uncertain. She rarely felt that, but deep down she disliked targeting other Masters. Even with how... stupid and... and... and cruel that enemy Master had been to say such things, had it really been worth breaking Rider off of the fight to attack her? Well, at least there would be one less pair to worry abou-

Something strange happened beneath Estelle's left leg. She stumbled, and one leg fell into a hole... and was promptly surrounded by dirt. She didn't realize it at the time, but the dirt was actually quite helpful, preventing the hole from becoming far smaller far faster and trapping her leg, or worse. But on her own, it was difficult to pull her leg free. She wasn't strong, and even though her bounded field might protect her leg when the dirt gave way...

Even in spite of her knowledge. Even in spite of her situation. In spite of everything, Estelle was still a child in some aspects. Attempting to tug her leg free, the tan-skinned girl's heartrate began to quicken.

"M-my leg, it's pressing down on... on..." the girl was trying hard not to panic, but she was beginning to find it hard to resist that natural impulse. She had some room, the dirt was moving a little with each tug, but it was also pressing down. Her bounded field was holding, but...

"I-I can't get it out! I... I... i-it's stuck I..."

---

Saber

Saber hesitated. The agreement was restricted only to Rider's Master and her own, and not on any others. However, Berserker's Master had not done anything to harm Mira or herself. At the same time, it seemed Berserker's Master had attacked Rider's. She was a child... Saber could not confess she wished to see a child attacked, but she was an enemy as well... this left the black-haired swordswoman uncertain of what to do, even after receiving the mental communication from her Master.

And Berserker, as well... there was no denying his class now. On top of that, familiarity was starting to become more and more apparent. She still wasn't precisely certain, but she knew that such a figure was spoken of in legend... She simply had to recall which one. A monkey-like man who qualified as Berserker...

For the moment there was only one thing she could be certain she must do. As much as she disliked seeing a child in distress, she was still the enemy and it could be expected her Servant would assist instead. So, keeping her nodachi drawn, Saber slowly returned to her Master's side to protect her. It seemed like the best option at the moment given all that had happened.

@Blackstripe@Raineh Daze@Cu Chulainn@Feyblue

[Crusader Lord]

Elizabeth Reinholt

violet = speaking

lightcoral = thinking/mental communication with servant

---

As she was about to answer the other woman's introduction with her own, to at least be polite about the situation, Johanna (as the woman had introduced herself) seemed to catch wind of something and blitz off in a heartbeat from the Church to what was apparently a servant battle already erupting nearby. Taking note of what had happened, the possible dangers, and what could be taken from this for future reference, the Master of Assassin needed only a moment to decide what to do. After all, information in this conflict wold be just as valuable as action. Though she needed to make sure Jackie would be ok as well in this situation.

'Jack, dear, mommy is going to see what the other people are doing. Don't pop out unless its to save Mommy though, ok? I don't want you getting hurt by the other servants right now.' Elizabeth communicated with her servant mentally as she herself moved towards the opened Church doors, reinforcement empowering her body before she took off after the Master of Berserker, following her but standing a ways from her at the target destination. After all, if this woman was targeted in that obvious position, she herself did not want to be in danger at the same time. Especially since Jack was not an up-front fighter herself, being an Assassin-class servant and all.

As she observed the situation, the servants, the masters, and listened to what was said from her own safe position, it was easy to tell that things had not only already heated up...but that the Lesser Grail had been discovered already by this woman who might be her ally (should things work out in that manner later). Still, it was a lot to take in, though her position afforded her that much of an advantage at least. Such was the advantage of being able to sit in the shadows, she supposed. Though seeing the other servants in action left her with a slight desire to be able to have a servant capable of such direct combat. Yet....she would not trade her little girl for any other servant right now even if she somehow impossibly had the chance.

Saber seemed Japanese in origin, which left a relatively smaller list of servants they could be if she did some research. Rider, as well, seemed famous, with a flying chariot, great pride, a spear...hmm, she would do some research on the Trojan War and other Greek Myths to be sure about any suspicions she could have about this one. He seemed to fit that sort of bill, anyways. A for Berserker, between the shapeshifting and such it was much more obvious to her whom he was now. Especially since he was a figure from one of her mentors' favorite books, perhaps. It was all very interesting, but at least her servant was still concealed for now. That was one small advantage she currently still had at this time. Though even she had to admit that the close call with Berserker and Johanna was one reason she herself had not stood too close to the woman.

'Ah. Jack, dear, keep an eye on that little girl with Saber protecting her, maybe be close enough to her to listen to what she says....and be in a position to attack if we need to. But don't prepare to attack her for now. We need to keep you hidden from that mean Saber right now!'

It was a plan. At least, if girl decided to attack Elizabeth's potential ally. Though it also gave a good position if they needed to draw things into a stalemate for now, if they wanted to all avoid a free-for-all as well anyways. A hostage situation could help forcibly defuse things...or at least that might be the only thing Jack could do right now short of trying to assassinate another master, though this act would likely see the two of them a possible ally in the process.

Blast, this Grail War was already frustrating in some sense.

@VitaVitaAR@Feyblue@Blackstripe@Raineh Daze

---

"Fake"!Saber NaggingMom!Faber

orange = speaking

lightblue = thinking/mental communication with master

---

The female servant gave a light sigh to herself as her master bit into a slice of the pizza, scarfing down another two slices herself at inhuman speed before she felt like continuing to speak about things.

He did have a point that he had summoned her earlier than other masters might have, but at the same time the botched ritual had done more to mess up things than he had perhaps thought as well. Still, it was a situation that could not be taken back or reversed, and now they were a master of this war formally or not. The matter of getting to the Moderator, though, was to her an important one. If they were considered "interlopers" in the war for never presenting themselves or the like it might make them a target for everyone in the war if the Moderator deemed it that bad of a situation. Not that such would happen as a guarantee, but having less enemies at the start by not turning the entire set of servants on you was maybe better than nothing for their situation.

"Hmmm, thinking ahead a bit about the matter of enemies being near there or not. Good initiative there, master," the female servant said in an approving tone whilst she looked Wasabi her master over as he ate at a slice of pizza, "But we need to present ourselves to the Moderator tonight to be safe about the matter. If we don't, it could perhaps put us in a worse situation. Still, if there are enemies there on the way and that pay any heed to us, i can deal with them. The main point is getting to the neutral grounds of the Church for this, so no one can attack us there without suffering the wrath of the Moderator of this conflict. So the quickest route to the building would be preferred, not stopping unless we are attacked. To that end, i will remain in my spiritual form on top of the car to conserve energy and stay out of sight on the way there."

@Cu Chulainn

[Raineh Daze]

Assassin

Assassin nodded, following her Master out of the church, further down the hill... and waiting in the underbrush beside the road. Following the action was easy enough--though a weak Servant, speed was in her favour and precision too, cuts had to be exact... it would be wrong, wrong to make a mistake there. Yet... against these Servants, she could do little, the Berserker and the Rider both too strong to risk, both given too much of a range advantage. A single surprise attack would not do anything... and her trump card was useless there. The Saber, she... she would be vulnerable, more in line with something that Assassin could reach.

But all their Masters were easy pickings. Three girls, each. If Mother ordered it, two of the conditions were met. It was dark, the targets were female. The third she remembered, the choking, cloying smog, air thick with coal and muffled noises. The third was carried with her, always, and the first preparation that would be made if she had to strike. The chances of a human surviving her curse were slim.

People needed their guts. She knew, she'd seen them cut out before.

[Blackstripe]

Rider

Rider stared for a long moment at Estelle, saw the doubt on her face, the fear and panic in her eyes when she started tugging at her leg. He had initially believed that her appearance was merely a shell. That she was - mentally - ready for this war. It was only now that he saw that his 'Master' truly was a child when her back was up against the wall. And it was only during times of great duress when you could truly take someone's measure.

Frowning in disappointment at the girl, Rider declined to further attack the Magus, instead descending to Estelle's side. Staring down at her with an uncharacteristically deep frown, he cleaved his spear through the earth entrapping her and pulled her up onto his chariot.

She had panicked the moment she was attacked, but not only that. She had also given him an order that - judging by her expression - she had immediately regretted. Even if your reason for killing is driven by grief or anger, you should commit to your decision and never waver until the deed was done. The respect he had slowly gained for her had vanished in that moment, and had likewise killed his enthusiasm for today's battle. Continuing to stare at the child for another long moment, Rider turned to look to the Witch that commanded Saber. Despite her initially timid appearance, she had proven sturdy in the face of danger.

He felt just a tiny pang of jealousy for the swordswoman.

"I'm done fighting for now," Rider stated to Estelle. "If you want to force me to continue, you'll have to use a command seal."

@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze@Crusader Lord@Feyblue@Cu Chulainn

[Raineh Daze]

Johanna Faust

The mage climbed to her feet again, watching Rider dig out his Master. Something about the Servant's expression and shift in attitude were concerning... it wouldn't be past many heroes to only respect strength and nothing else. Of course, if Rider was somebody like that and split with his Master, from the Servant's observed combat ability it could only be to the benefit of the rest of them. The wise thing to do would be to encourage division and marginalise the vessel so that she could be eliminated from the war without putting the ability to complete the ritual at risk.

As a magus, as an Enforcer, she was supposed to put practicality and results before moral considerations. That was quite easy most of the time, simply keeping to the teaching and attitude her family had carried throughout the years. Even the threat that the Grail posed could be accepted simply by trying to ascertain its state before activating it. It seemed like the true cost of her training surfaced in situations like this, though--even after an attempt to kill her, she couldn't bring herself to just treat a child as a casualty so easily. Nor one to be left to suffer through the consequences of her birth without support.

"Rider," she said, standing firm at her full height. There could be no room for doubt, no wavering in her confidence. Not in front of a hero, not if she was to be listened to, "Your Master is just a child, a child burdened with a terrible fate. If you abandon her for any reason..."

"I will kill you."

She meant it. It was on the edge of impossibility, but wasn't that all that they did? There were other sources of power, other ways of equalising the balance if it came down to it... such a thing was doable. Backing down would not be an option. Yet it would be better to never have to make the attempt.

[Cu Chulainn]

Berserker

@Raineh Daze@Blackstripe@Crusader Lord@VitaVitaAR

When an animal is in danger, it will fight for its life, if it has to. If the immediate threat is away, or if it is unable to fight for various reasons, then it will flee. Berserker, who was now nothing but an animal at this state, operated only by instinct. His Master, who was his source of existing, his source of staying manifested in this world, was threatened and almost killed. Berserker, himself, is currently surrounded by two opponents, and as far as he knew, they had intended to team up against him just earlier. Berserker was outnumbered.

What else could he think to do but run, anyway?

Scooping his Master up and hoisting her over his shoulder, Berserker looked at all his enemies once again, giving a low growl. He then turns away, leaping off once again, away from everyone else. With each great leap, he covered hundreds of yards. Berserker would indeed be able to cover such ground in a shorter amount of time, but he also needed to be sure that his Master was safe. Traveling in such high speeds would pose some problems without the proper protection, after all.

Berserker finally stopped once ue reached about a mile away from the Church. Placing his Master lightly on the ground, Berserker began to shift back into his normal form, his Mad Enhancement deactivating. As he did, he fell to his knees, using his staff to support him up from falling completely. Berserker had opted to draw primarily from his own mana supply earlier when Mad Enhanced. His own mana was naturally high, after all. Still, though, and especially when under the effects of Mad Enhancement, Berserker had used a bit too much mana in that encounter. Not enough to cause him to dematerialize, but to where he would suffer the effects of exhaustion.