[IC] Fate/Eunoia

[GuyYouWishYouDidntKnow]

(To begin, it will require three posts to summon your servant. One to arrive, one to make the summoning circle, and one for the incantation. Note that arriving at a location will take one post, and you cannot commit to any other actions short of arriving, for the purposes of that post.)

---

Day One, January 31st, 2005

[Ruler, ???, ???]

Ruler, Heroic Spirit of "ruling". Compared to the false Overseer assigned by the Church, this being could be called a true Overseer. Given Command Seals to bind any Servant of the war to his will, Ruler is meant to protect the Holy Grail War.

However, a Ruler is a phenomenon not meant to occur in all Holy Grail Wars.

There are two circumstances in which a Ruler will be summoned.

One, the Grail War in question has a special form that makes the result uncertain.

Two, the Grail War will greatly affect the world.

Thus, upon being summoned, most Rulers would contemplate the reason for their being summoned. However, this war's Ruler did not need to ponder this, because...

"Ru-kun, Ru-kun, are they finally here?"

...because the girl beside him had already given the answer to this.

"That is correct. It is set to begin."

"Un, finally! It's been boring having to wait, y'know?"

To say the least, Ruler hardly shared the enthusiasm of said girl. The reason for this was simple. Heroes from ages past, "knights" who had mastered the use of their weapon, warriors who rode fantastical beasts, inhuman masters of murder and magecraft, fighters whose lust for battle filled their very essence with power...

-Compared to such beings, the Class of "ruling" was meager in its nature. How was a saint meant to preside over such beings? Regardless, Ruler would take up the role of his Class. Such was necessary, after all.

"Regardless of your position in this war, do not forget my purpose here. Should your actions prove to run opposite to that purpose, I will strike you down."

"Awawa, so scary, Ru-kun. Don't you worry though, I know not to get in the way. After all, I can't possibly stand against a Servant, riiight~? That's just according to the rules~! But y'know Ru-kun, you should really take this less seriously. It's all a joke."

"I am the Ruler of this Holy Grail War. It is my imperative to take this 'seriously'."

"Bzzt! Wrong! Minus five points!"

Lifting her right arm and pointing an index finger skyward, the girl interrupted the Holy Grail War's true overseer with a coy grin.

"...Ah yes, that's right, you refuse to call this a war."

"That's 'cause it's not!"

The discussion between the two individuals continued without an apparent disjunct, the girl going on in an unceasing stream of dialogue.

"A glorified copy machine that tries to make some oxymoron called 'artificial miracles', pretends like it summons things, and tricks what are basically gods into bothering with it. How's a song and dance built around that supposed to be called a war, Ru-kun?"

"Then what do you view this as?"

"Eh? Isn't that obvious? It's not a war, it's not a fight, it's not a tragedy or an adventure or a shonen fantasy super batoru to dethrone the Demon Lord or any trash like that. It's just a play. The actors are all assembled, and it's your job to make sure they act out their parts properly while also playing your own. It's a prewritten play with a predetermined outcome that's inherently pointless because the roles that the actors take will cease to exist once the play comes to an end, get it?"

"If that is the case, what is your role in this? You altered the system, got ahold of 'that', and did all manner of other obscene things to set this up. With that level of effort you could have done something that 'matters', surely. Now that it's begun, what is your role?"

"Me?"

The girl twirled slightly in place, a soft giggle emanating out from her.

"I'm the audience, of course. I'll watch this show that's even less than a farce. This is my entertainment, so I'll enjoy watching it to the fullest."

---

Let us begin.

Selected as a Master, and having chosen to take up that mantle, you have entered this city to compete and win the 726th Holy Grail. As such, in order to achieve that omnipotent cup filled by "God," your goal can be nothing less than the systematic and unquestioned annihilation of every other Master. It is thus obvious that bonds, friendships, and alliances formed during this war are mere falsehoods, ready to collapse at any time. Do not show mercy, for you must be strong. Do not hesitate, for you must act with purpose. Do not fear your death, for you alone must remain alive.

-However, all Masters of this war have a shared need.

The need for the leylines of Fuyuki, which must be secured to summon a Servant. By the invisible threads of destiny and fate, seven Masters have arrived at the same time, and yet only four fallen leylines exist in this city. Any individual who calls himself a "magus" would consider these four areas the most advantageous points at which to summon a Servant, and thus these zones are most likely to be the ones at which Masters will seek to summon.

The mountain temple and heart of the city's Spiritual Ground. The foreign Church of a corrupt priest. The Fuyuki Park which is a demonstration of the Holy Grail War's potential. The abandoned house of the Tohsaka family.

It is these four areas that you will rage, burn, fight, and die over. Before the war of Servants begins, first there must be the war of Masters.

So go forth, fight for your goal of that omnipotent cup.

And do make this an entertaining show.

[Sakaki Chizuru]

[ Christelle Proulx. Backyard, Ryuudouji Temple]

Climbed up a wall? Check

Didn't hurt herself? Check

Several dead birds in a bag? Check

Desire to be a heathen? Not checked, nor will it ever be.

Climbing over the back wall to get into this temple was hard work, but at least it was done. She had picked the perfect place to fight a war, and that was on top of a mountain. Even the most foolish of fools knew that mountains were the best spot strategically. You can look out for your enemies, as well as hiding yourself perfectly. There was also a veil of trees blocking the temple, making it even harder for them to look up here.

Strategic Genius.

1 point for Christelle.

0 points for every other Master.

Anyway, it was time for her to summon her Servant. However, she first needed to cut open these birds and make a blood circle

Eeeewwwwwww

This was work for the heathens, not good little followers of Christ.

[OneBehindTheMask]

[Rei Yasuhiro, Backyard, Ryuudouji Temple]

Someone else wanted to make use of this leyline? Hmph, this would prove more problematic than he had first realized.

He had made his way into the Temple's grounds with ease, and given that there was no sort of interference, he had assumed that no one had set up their field here yet. He would still have to fight his way out of this one.

He kept his gaze fixed on this other girl and readied himself just as soon she had begun to cut open the birds.

[OneBehindTheMask]

(Double post wat)

[Sakaki Chizuru]

[ Christelle Proulx, Backyard, Ryuudouji Temple]

Cut open dead birds with your black keys to make a circle? Check

Have the exact circle memorized? Check

Desire to be a heathen? Still not checked, and it never will be.

Christelle had just finished cutting up the birds when she noticed another Master, Rei Yasuhiro to be exact.

Mage from the Middle East, formally known as Raymond Yssiria, and specialized in mental magecraft from The Middle East. He also may or may not be a muslim, but guessing religions with Magi is difficult. Hell, he might even be an atheist.

Either way, Jesus was not his lord or savior.

Christelle began to form her circle with a bird in one hand, but she readied herself, but kept her grasp on her black key tight. She didn't want anything to escalate, but if he did, she wouldn't spare him. She made sure to keep an eye him while she made the circle, not like she needed to see it. Photographic Memory really was a blessing, and she was thankful for the Lord's gift every day.

[Tatsua Aiisen]

[Elena Lupei, Fuyuki Central Park, Shinto]

---

"...Not quite as nice as I expected." Elena admits aloud, as she glances around the barren, unoccupied stretch of earth around her.

There was a chilly, clammy feeling in the nape of her neck, a feeling she recognized from a certain site back in her home country. She knew this feeling, better than some might. It was a feeling of dread. And yet still, a faint smile was stretched playfully across her expression. She watches quietly as her breath rises in the cold winter air, wisps of white drifting lazily up into the morning sky. She felt refreshed, despite being so far from home and despite having gotten very little sleep on the way here. There was something about this feeling of... freedom, that made her body tingle with excitement. She couldn't wait to begin, this battle royale between Magi. But first, she would need the Master's most important weapon.

Her Servant.

There was one particular reason she now found herself in this dreadful place, and it was quite the easy guess for anybody with rudimentary knowledge about Magecraft. This was one of the places of power within Fuyuki, somewhere where she could summon a Servant effectively without the need for extensive boundary-making or preparation rituals.

In hand, she had a heavy-looking english-style brown suitcase, containing all of the basic necessities she would need for the coming war. Things like toothbrushes, combs, clothes, the works. She could feel the coldness of a metal stake pressed against her side, where it sat concealed beneath the skirt of her uniform. Just in case, she thinks. Clasped in the other hand was a bag, filled with what appeared to be clumps of loose feathers.

Well, I guess it's time to get started, then. Giving the area one more once-over, Elena stoops down and lays a few of her prepared supplies down on the ground. She knew the circle well, as she had spent many a lazy afternoon prior reading up everything she could on this particular ritual. Now, all she needed was a safe place to begin. That was where the Park came in. Even on this fine Winter morning, none in this part of town were brazen enough to be passing through, especially when faster routes existed to circumvent the park in its entirety.

Something about the aura of the place, she guessed, made people regard the park quite unfavourably. She was in the most secluded part of the Park, where a handful of naked trees and shrubs would at least partially obscure what she might be working on within. Even if, by some chance, a mundane individual did decide to pass on by, they likely wouldn't dare try to approach the strange young woman crouched down in the shrubbery.

Elena smiles, and whispers quietly to herself-

"I wonder what kind of Servant I'll summon..."

[Phonic]

[Rayneth El-Melloi Archisorte, Entrance of the Forest, Forest]

One could say that the very nature of success relies in one's internalized potential converted into progression; the ability to prevail despite any adversity. If this was true, one might say that this "Rayneth El-Melloi Archisorte" was someone who could be considered a successful individual. With the destruction of her household and the reorganization through a "certain dog of a man", Rayneth still retained her nobility, and her magical prowess was not something to be scoffed at.

Of course, just because someone is "successful" does not make them a "nice person". One might say that Rayneth was that bully who pushed you into the sand and laughed at the playground, or the person who would cause unneeded problems between groups just for the sadistic satisfaction of watching something crumble. Although personality might not be a gene, it appeared that "being a bully" was something that ran in the family. Kayneth El-Mellon Archibald-sama [may his soul rest in peace ;-;] had joined the fourth war in hopes of, for lack of better terms, "pubstomping" a backwater ritual like the Fuyuki City "Holy Grail Wars". Although founded by three magus families in the far east, various other participants are called upon to obtain this grail and the "wish" of sorts that it can grant. Needless to say, like her former family head, she cared not for this object, and was rather just bored and wanted to kill off a week or so while she negotiated HBO from her cable provider.

It came as a surprise to the current head of the Archibald family that Rayneth would become a participant in this war. Rather, the current head did not really get to react too much as Rayneth simply said what she was doing and took the Mercury Maid-tan with her without even so much of a conversation occurring between the two. After all, a conversation involves two people communicating ideas to one another. Simply barking orders and demands was too one-sided to constitute a conversation. Also "dogs" can't really respond to statements, can they?

And that leaves Rayneth in her current predicament. Within the city of Fuyuki with her mad cash money and her mercury maid, Rayneth wanted to win the war that both the former and current head of her family failed to do only ten years ago.

"Fufufu," Rayneth laughed to herself with a sadistic smile upon her face. She could not help but laugh at these fools, believing that they would be able to beat such a proficient magus like herself. Fools, the lot of them. Although the former family head had been defeated, Rayneth would be different. This was a new battle. A new place to show off her title as an "El-Melloi".

This was her opening chapter to an easy victory, or so Rayneth imagined. If the Holy Grail War was a battle between mages and their ability to support a servant, then it would be quite easy to defeat these "hillbillies" in a simple match of magical prowess.

Black or white but the world is so gray

After riding in a limo service she had procured after her arrival to Fuyuki, she promptly left the limo, paid her dues, and with a tip of the Fedora, the limo driver left Rayneth to do as she wished. One might consider it strange to be dropped off at the entrance of a forest, however, when paid royalties, one's ability to care truly flies out the window.

Well, Rayneth should not take too much time establishing herself within this war. Although the mages were important to maintaining the war, the Servants were also important. She did need to begin her preparations for an easy victory. And what better to base oneself as an ojou-sama than something that resembled a castle?

[Going to: Einzbern Mansion]

[MULTI_MEDIA_MAN]

[Dalton Attwater, Foyer, Tohsaka Mansion]

After a slow march across the city, Dalton finally came across his prize: the Tohsaka Mansion. One of the families to create this...ritual...had vanished along with the others, after the last War resulted in a major catastrophe. Perhaps their consciences had gotten to them. Perhaps the Association had hunted them down, or the Church. It didn't matter now. Slowly approaching the door, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his trusty lockpicks. The door had been locked magically, but he nullified that quickly enough, which just left the physical mechanism. After a minute or two of testing the mechanism, he went to work. The lock was actually rather simple, but it was to be expected of such an old lock.

Of course, he made sure to re-lock the door both physically and magically, in case anybody else felt like coming here. They'd at least have to take a little time, and hopefully that would alert him to their presence. Looking around, Dalton smiled at how decrepit the place looked after nearly ten years of abandonment. Well, it could have been worse, he supposed. The place was fine for summoning his servant, anyway.

[Tatsua Aiisen]

[Elena Lupei, Fuyuki Central Park, Shinto]

---

Leaning down close to the surprisingly smooth ground, Elena brushes aside a few stray twigs and places two of her stakes into the earth, each a few meters apart. Then, without a moment of hesitation, she reaches into her bag and pulls out one of her recently deceased chickens. It didn't take her long to begin draining the birds of their blood, using it to slowly replicate the circle from her studies.

At the same time, she listens carefully to her surroundings, hoping to catch the sound of any approaching threats before they arrived. This wouldn't be the go-to spot, Elena was certain there were more strategic ley lines elsewhere in the city, but she had no way of knowing if an enemy would show up or not. The war had technically started already, and she had yet to so much as meet her Servant. A fight now would be... problematic.

After quickly finishing up her circle, the still-smiling young magus takes a few moments to stay quiet and still. She delves deep into her own mind, considering the various variables of the upcoming ritual and comparing them to the other knowledge in her possession. No living humans should stumble across her summoning site, she had ensured that this location was going to be deserted before she arrived. Her circuits were in good condition, she could detect no problems interfering with their usage. With the help of the leyline, she shouldn't have any problems getting a Servant.

Her Servant's strength would mean her life in the upcoming war, so she should be aiming for one of the so-called Knight Classes if she had any intention of surviving. She goes over them in her head, considering their attributes...

Saber, the Knight of the Sword.

Archer, the Knight of the Bow.

Lancer, the Knight of the Spear.

All of these sounded appealing to her, but she couldn't know which one she would draw until she finished the ritual. The suspense was killing her, and she couldn't help but try to imagine what sort of Servant she might summon. In her mind, she sees a cool, honourable warrior, not the stuck-up sort like her father, but more like her in nature. He'd have to be handsome too, of course, maybe with-

"-It's about time to start now." Comments Elena casually, interrupting her own errant thoughts. It wasn't the ideal time, but it was better than just starting the ritual at random, and certainly much better than waiting longer. And so, with a calm, controlled breath, she speaks the first lines of the incantation-

[Grey]

[Kaname Housen, Basement/Worm Pit, Matou Household]

....

Well this was certainly an... interesting household that the Matous had. Very western. Lots of cylinders. Lots of dead worm carcasses that crunched when you stepped on them. Especially in the basement.

Now, empty, uncarpeted basements were usually just creepy all around, but this one was big and was definitely lacking in artificial lighting fixtures. Not to mention the sizable pile of dead worms in the middle. How deep was that, anyway? Now that he thought about it, it was more like a dungeon than a basement, huh?

More crunching noises. Jeez, ignoring these dead worms everywhere was tough. He'd definitely have to clean, set fire to, or abandon this house if he had the time.

Kaname walked down the staircase leading to the bottom of the not-dungeon, footsteps (and the resulting crunching of dried, shrivelled worms being stepped on) echoing through the pit. Maybe one of the other places would've been better to set up, like the temple perhaps. Definitely would have been less creepy, if more swarming with other potential participants instead of dead insects. Well 'swarm' was probably an exaggeration, but other magi would surely be there and his skills were probably not as suited as theirs for a direct attack on his own. Hence why he had the suitcase on his right swinging jauntily at his side with every step.

Kaname made it to the bottom, stepped into some dried-up invertebrates, and sank.

'EWWWWWWWWWWWWWwwwwwww!!!'

The pile of shrivelled parasites was about as deep as a kiddie pool, and pretty much covered the entirety of the basement-dungeon's floor. Which meant that to get anything done, he'd have to push aside about one or two feet worth of worms across a decently sized area of floor.

And he didn't have gloves.

Isn't it sad, Kaname?

[Sakaki Chizuru]

[ Christelle Proulx, Backyard, Ryuudouji Temple]

Made a scary blood circle? Check

Still watching the guy that is just sitting there and stalking her? Check

Prepared to do some acts a Heathen would commit? Check

Feeling like an actual heathen? Nope. Never. She is a pure maiden of Christ and she always will be.

It was finally time for her to summon a Servant. Her blade for the next two weeks. Out of all the heroes from around the world, which one would she summon? She could maybe get one of the Apostles? They would surely have some power behind them, and would surely have the ability to deal with all the heathens around.

Maybe she would summon Roland? Not only was he always a devout follower, but he possessed The Peerless Sword, Durandl. If not Roland, maybe another of Charlemagne's paladins, or maybe Charlemagne himself. Any of those would be perfect for Christelle, and they'd also have a lot of power to protect her from any of the heathens lurking around.

Someone from the Crusades would be good. Richard The Lionheart might be fun to work with, as he did specialize in slaughtering heathens from all around. He was a true believer through and through.

However, her dream Servant was Joan of Arc. A French pure maiden just like Christelle. If this grail was going to pick Servants from their capability to their Master, Joan of Arc would be the perfect match.

This was not the time to worry about who she was going to summon, and just get down to summoning. Christelle extended her hand out forwards, and began to chant.

"The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.

Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut.

Repeat every five times.

Simply, shatter once filled.

――――I announce.

Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword.

In accordance with the resort of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.

Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.

You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance ―――!"

[BB]

[Caster, Backyard, Ryuudouji Temple]

The end of a thousand years is approaching, and certainly humanity will lose "something". Of course this is true. It's a kaleidoscopic of possibilities to the untrained observer, but in reality, time is linear.

Humans aren't. Origins aren't. Indeed, the cycle of life is circular, reincarnate, be reborn an infinite number of times. But only the "intent" is preserved. That's right. Only the origin remains after death. The soul scatters into a thousand beautiful petals and disperses across the world. Only the origin is eternal- not the soul. In a way it's less romantic than the idea of an eternal soul, but in other ways it's more than romantic. It's an infinite cycle of life, rather than death. Even if humanities "bad ends" are numerous, certainly it will one day stumble upon perfection...-

But while life is circular and beautiful, time is not. From the highest dimension, from a branch far away from human perception, above it, it's all linear. "Fate" and "the future" already exist. Even the "Gods", even "Heroes" are subject to that. Indeed, even the observers are subject to this. But these worlds are not absolute. Nothing is eternal. Anything can be killed by "those eyes". If that's the case, they can be destroyed normally. That means fate can be changed. That means there is no absolute.

Yes. While Casters body formed, she thought.

No, she didn't think, she read "that book" and scanned through it. Nothing is certain. It isn't like one is at a "higher level". It isn't like looking down from a birds eye view. No, Caster is an outsider. So while the information is there, "that book" makes no sense to her. In the end, it's a useless thing that's only relevant after it would've been useful. Things like that are the most despicable in Casters opinion. Yes, if one looks forward, there is only one "absolute". -The Red Moon at the end of one thousand years. A wish almost two thousand years old certainly carries a lot of weight.

Arms, legs, torso, head, and so on. The "presence" that existed in that space became an actual being, no longer merely a half formed spirit. So this is what it was like to "live" again after nearly two thousand years of imprisonment.

The information of the Grail flowed into her. So she was in a land within the far east, huh? How disappointing but exciting at all the same time. Certainly the lands of Midgard were much larger then when she had "lived". -However, the lands didn't matter. It was the people who inhabited them. The world is a large game with an infinite number of choices and constant gambits and bets and risks. Not only between humans, of course, but between humans and luck, humans and fate, humans and nature, and humans and the world. The world, even in this day and age, still requires a struggle to live in. There's nothing wrong with such a system, of course.

-But why is there a system? Everything has become so complicated. Rather than real difficulty, there is false difficulty made by a false system. It's real, of course. But any lie is "real" if everyone believes it, right? History is fought in wars, but won by bards, historians, and books. In the end, heroes are nothing without the former and cannot exist without the later. In the end, even a villain with no good traits can become a "Heroic Spirit" if an ancient historian decides their psuedo fanfiction should be put in their historical library or something. But the struggle to live and die- from those few humans with the makings of "Greatness" that inspire and uplift humanity always become eternal. No name is forgotten in humanities quest for survival.

However, this system is dying. "The end of one thousand years", the Moon that will kill humanity is approaching. Times change. This is natural. But extras and their producers are crying for "stagnation" to occur. In other words, while the fate of humanity certainly looks grim, the reasons for it reaching this stage, no matter the outcome, are the same. Stagnation has caused humanities lifeblood to stop. Yes. It's humanities fate to keep going further up and further in. That is the nature of life, but "Alaya" has denied the earnest wish of humanity and its mother. Humanity is at war with itself, and the result will be grim.

My, my. To the world that humanity is destroying in the game of "life", it must seem like a fair game lost. The world doesn't hate its sons and daughters, of course. It's not a sore loser in that regard- but in the first place that "game" humanity is playing with the world isn't a game.

The result, after the year AD 1353 is when things began to fray. But the march of progress led to the final result of the year 2005 AD. There is nothing inherently wrong with technology, or the AD calendar. One doesn't have to be on the front line against the demonic beasts and giants to have "value'. But there must be a game, a struggle, and a will, right?

So in the end-

"The game was set from the very beginning." Humanity has reached "stability" and it doesn't want to change anything to push forward. To stagnate is to die. To stagnate is to lose value. To stagnate is to make a play with nothing but extras, to constantly play a game you cannot lose.

Isn't it sad?

In an instant of time not even lasting a moment, Caster processed this. After all, she's a servant, and a Caster at that. The light and booming wind fades as quickly as that instant lasts. A small girl with a queen like gaze is the only thing remaining in that circle.

Ew, bird guts. Everywhere. Ew. Ew. Ew. Her master had to be some sort of weird sadist.

"Christian girl- I presume you are my master, little Roman?" Ah, being a little girl was tough. Talking big felt awkward in this small form. Perhaps she should change her form, but her master may be into this sort of thing. Still, something wasn't right-

Her hidden right elven ear twitched. For Caster, "detection of the enemy" was a trivial affair. Right behind her was an enemy master without a servant.

Then there was no need to pay attention. Such a man was not a threat, and it would be rude to disengage a conversation with the girl who had summoned her. The boy could be talked to when that was over.

Taking in her surroundings, Caster somewhat appreciated the layout of this temple. Certainly there would be many useful things here, and it would be interesting investigating the magecraft and religion of this far eastern land first hand. In the end, having a grail flood you with knowledge wasn't the same thing as experiencing it yourself.

[MULTI_MEDIA_MAN]

[Dalton Attwater, Foyer, Tohsaka Mansion]

This was it. Dropping the bag he'd been carrying over his shoulder to the ground, Dalton pulled a small bird out of it first, then another, and then several more. Drawing one of his dozen knives, he smiled as his Magic Circuits activated. It was nearly time for him to find out how the rest of this war would go. His Servant was a massive part of that, both its class and its identity.

Cutting into one of the birds, Dalton slowly spread its blood on the ground, mimicking the summoning circle that he'd spent so long memorizing at the behest of the Association. His job here was the same as it had been years ago: ensure that the secret of magecraft remained a secret. Of course, in a city where seven magi with impossibly powerful Servants would be fighting, the stakes were as high as they had ever been. Perhaps it would have been easier to immediately go to the Church and seek out whomever it was that represented them here. It likely would have been for anybody else, even another Enforcer. But his extended presence would only be seen as an insult.

To be fair, it was. Why else would the Association officially send somebody to ensure the ritual remained undetected, than as a show of distrust in the Church? What had happened ten years ago was easily explainable, but the catastrophe could easily have been much worse, or much more noticeable. Fires happened all the time. Inexplicable craters with hundreds of corpses did not.

Breaking his rumination, Dalton returned to the messy work of making the circle. The sooner his Servant was summoned, the better.

[OneBehindTheMask]

[Rei Yasuhiro, Backyard, Ryuudou Temple]

This woman was a Captain of the Holy Knights from the Church... Christelle something or other. And she summoned an extremely powerful Servant. Of course he would probably be seen as stupid for sticking around, but he was a member of the Yssiria bloodline. Blunders led to triumph in some cases.

He took out his own summoning materials and began to make his own summoning circle.

"Ms. Proutx. I apologize if I upset you with my manner of observation, but I just had to be sure you were a serious competitor in this War. Now that I've confirmed that, I'm curious- would you be interested in allying with me to ensure that this War ends smoothly and as peacefully as possible?"

[Grey]

[Kaname Housen, Basement/Worm Pit, Matou Household]

If there was one thing that Kaname thought he'd never experience in the battle known as the "Holy Grail War" he was assigned to win, it was clean out worm carcasses from a missing magi family's basement. Nevertheless, he still had to do it to get anything done and over with, and after doing so, he wanted to set his skin on fire. He wouldn't do it, of course. He lacked the immediate means to do so, even if he wanted to. Besides, he had better things to do. Like actually set up the ritual he'd went through that sickening experience for.

Kaname set down Puppet-chan's suitcase on a clear patch of floor and dropped the bag held in his left beside it. The teen magus looked between the cleared off floor and the bag of dubious contents before nodding to himself. It looked to be a good enough size for the circle. He then unzipped the bag and removed a ragdoll-esque dead bird, one of several, by it's neck.

He used his free hand to remove his cell phone and check the picture he had taken of the summoning circle. Sure, he... sort of... studied it beforehand, but it was always good to have a visual on hand.

Right then, back to the circle.

[Sakaki Chizuru]

[ Christelle Proulx, Backyard, Ryuudouji Temple]

The bright flash of light that came with the summoning hurt her eyes, but she'd get over that in a moment. She couldn't miss seeing what kind of Servant it could be.

Would it be a knight in shining armor, ready to protect her from filthy heathens?

Maybe it was a knight who has slayed dragons in his previous life?

Or maybe, it was Lady Joan of Arc, her perfect match.

When the light finally settled, and all was said and done, Christelle saw her Servant, which just so happened to be a little girl. Well, she may be any age, but she didn't seem much taller than her, so she would of course assume she was a little girl.

Then again, Christelle was in her twenties, but gets constantly mistaken as someone in grade school, so it really wasn't fair to judge.

Well, that wasn't that important. Just by the air around her Servant, she was obviously a powerful Heroic Spirit worthy of praise. Even Christelle, The Knight Captain of The Order of The Holy Spirit felt like nothing when compared to her Servant, and that means a lot. She kills abominations every other weak, so having something that makes her feel this weak was truly something.

Christelle made a respectful curtsy, making sure she seemed like the polite Proulx family member she is supposed to be.

" Yes, I am your Master. My name is Christelle Proulx, and I am the Knight Captain of The Order of The Holy Spirit. I apologize for the mess you have been summoned into, but the ritual forced me to do so. I am usually never this messy, and I always make sure to clean after myself once I am done. If it isn't too much of a bother, I would love to know the Container you have been summoned under, as well as your name. However, let me deal with this Master first. "

Christelle stood straight up, and then moved her attention towards Raymond Yssiria.

" Now, I doubt that you were being serious when you said you needed to see if I was a serious competitor. Me appearing to a backwater ritual like this should be enough to show that I am serious. I also doubt that you really care that this war runs smoothly and peacefully. As long as you win the war, what do a few cracked eggs mean, right? Everyone in this city is a heathen anyway, so a few causalities mean nothing to me. Victory is all that matters, not the route to how victory is achieved.

Even if everything I said is true, I still find your offer interesting. "

Christelle did find the idea of an alliance interesting, especially with a magus who could work with the mind. Then again, there was always the chance he summoned a dud of a Servant. It was times like this that a Pro and Con list proved to be the best option.

Cons: Summons a terrible Servant, might be useless in the long run, and he might try to backstab her.

Pros: A new puppet for Christelle to play with, and at the very least, it meant one less Master Christelle needed to keep their eye on.

" Alright, I'll accept your offer. Having an ally does make things a bit more convenient for us, and I guess you don't seem like that bad of a guy.

I wish you the best of luck~!

Also, have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior? "

[Phonic]

[Rayneth El-Melloi Archisorte, Inside Einzbern Mansion, Einzbern Mansion]

tfw writing semi-long post and then the site ruins everything

1like=1pray

Something about starting to summon things, etc etc.

[Tatsua Aiisen]

[Elena Lupei, Fuyuki Central Park, Shinto]

---

...

A familiar sound reaches Elena's mind just as she closes it off to the outside world. The air becomes still, and light begins to emanate from the completed circle at her feet. In a strong, unwavering voice, she speaks-

"The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate....the air is moving now, Elena can feel it brushing across her face and blowing her hair towards the ritual's centre...
Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut.

Repeat every five times.

Simply, shatter once filled....a feeling like electricity, flickering through the air with awesome power...
――――I announce.

Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword...the wind begins roaring...
In accordance with the resort of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.

Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead....a flash of light blinds all...
You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance ―――!"
...They arrive.

Holding her hand out infront of her face in order to shield her eyes from the dust, Elena peers into the rapidly dimming light to get a look at what she had summoned. Instinctively, she knew that she had succeeded, as she could see three strange, red signs branded on her wrist. The Command Seals. Then, this feeling is...

[Phonic]

[Cu Chulainn, Fuyuki Central Park, Shinto]

I brilliant flash.

A piercing radiance shone bright as the sun itself, blinding all around the display of the "Summoning circle".

The incantation had worked. The "power of the grail" had been successful in the summoning of a container for a heroic spirit, a being, while being supplied by mana through an "anchor" of sorts, summoned by the Grail in order to determine the most suited individual to own such. If one was to compare a master to knight, the Servent would be the sword to protect their master from harm, the two guiding one another to victory and the like.

However, at the same time, Servants are merely tools for realizing one's own desires. A means to obtain what one wishes for through competition and the like. Simply a means to obtain the desires of the beholder. Like weapons, they are discarded and left after the end of a battle if they can no longer fulfill their function of "obtaining victory" to a beholder.

Some servants cared about these sorts of nuances.

That Servant was not the servant which Elena had summoned.

Different heroes became famous for different reasons. As long as one had accomplished a "heroic deed" during their life, one could consider themselves a "hero". Of course, the grail does not care about true heroes because fuck the police coming straight from the underground. . These heroic deeds can range from any sort of presence, from winning battles to simply acting as an opposing force to another during their tale. As such, the definition of a "hero" can be both skewed and changed to meet a definition.

However, some people's deeds are so strong, they become the "ideal" of their nation; someone that all should aspire to act the part of. From Roland of France to Heracles of Greece, these heroes are considered to be the "ideal" one should aspire to become.

Just as these servants were to their own nation the "ideal", the servant summoned by "Elena" was the "ideal" of Ireland. Known as the Man of Light, Cu Chulainn, Blue Spearman of the Wind, could be considered a hero of the greatest caliber.

However, where as some heroes like King Arthur act on their ideals of justice and righteousness, during a time when depredations and the like were considered just, Cu Chulainn was not the 'typical' hero one would read about in their fairy tales.

Elena Lupei said
Then, this feeling is...

Well, for lack of a better term, "getting groped" would be a rather accurate depiction of "this feeling".

"Yo," the summoned Servant, a man dressed in blue tights protected by runes and holding a cursed spear, said to the young maid before him, as if speaking to a friend long forgotten.

[MULTI_MEDIA_MAN]

[Dalton Attwater, Foyer, Tohsaka Mansion]

Now was about time. Waiting any longer would just be wasting time. Taking a deep breath, he started the incantation. It was a good thing he could go through these quickly, because every second counted. If somebody showed up mid-summon, he'd be in deep trouble.

"The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.
Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut.
Repeat every five times.
Simply, shatter once filled.
――――I announce.
Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword.
In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.
Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.
You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance ―――!"

This was it. Now to see who he'd be working with until this battle was over. The light was nearly blinding, but that was alright.