Yukitamas

Fate/Empty Providence

Death, evil, punishment, pain, fear. All that was bad that could happen, all that people didn't want. His skin crawled, he was revolted, this was revolting. To not be disgusted, to not hate and to not be afraid of this was to show one to deviate from what one was human.
Yet.

Was it that bad?

The culmination of peoples fears, what they did not want, what they wished upon the worst of others and their most hated enemies. It was what they wished to stay away from most of all. Anything was fine, to not be here was the reward for virtue, to be here was the punishment for sin. It could be said to be the embodiment of the worst fortune, to be damned to hell. And here was this woman that descended upon it, taking it for its plunder, seeing it as just another place to pillage.

A mad woman who lacked so the pain most others held.

Was it so bad? He was afraid, it was horrible, but it did not hurt as much to look at, compared to many other people. This was what people feared, this was not what people experienced, and so it was not something he shared in. Yeah, as long as it was that, as long as he could live knowing this was the end that people lived to avoid rather than the life people lived moment by moment. He didn't need to see and acknowledge the fact that someone was living that, lived this. It wasn't something that happened, it wasn't something that was happening... well, at this rate it might be happening to him and Berserker. But, this he could live with. It was not pain that he had to share in, it wasn't pain he ignored while it seemed to cry out to him, to anyone to be acknowledge and to be brought salvation to.

Ah, he really was a terrible person, wasn't he?

"Berserker. They're just swords!" he cried out as a reminder to the Berserker who made blades that were himself.


youtube.com/watch?v=4ZcwnpF3AIs

Runrunrunrunrun.

No.

Run.

No. At least, not in the way his boiling blood demanded. If he came to this war, this conflict filled with heroes that were all existences that slew and brought fear to demons and monsters, then he should have been prepared for something like this from the beginning. Perhaps this was an eye opener in a way?

The call of his master shock him back into focus and he jerked his torso to the side, presenting his shoulder towards the incoming blades as he settled into a stance.

Yes, they were just blades, and it would be surprising if there was a heroic spirit in this war that knew them better than him at all.

Hider

Eye for Art (Swords): B
Beserker's reputation and skill as a one of the best blacksmith at the time made him accustomed to many works of other people seeking to show their own abilities to him. With his skill, he is capable of deducing most of a sword's structural properties from a brief inspection or clash of blades, factors such as weight, brittleness, quality of the metallurgy, whether it leans in one direction or another and so forth.

Cursed Blades of the Dark Capital, imbued with the desires(fears) and hate(wishes) of man. Unfortunately the way this woman fought it seemed unlikely that he would get any good chance to check out their properties. Yet, combining with his own wits and allowing himself to lose himself to the flow of the battle he felt, he saw.

Yes, the shapes of the blades were known to him. Even if their materials were not known, even if he knew not what sort of cursed steel they were... He too held a cursed blade, and there was a key fundamental difference. Not in the make and materials, nor even perhaps in legend and mystery, but there was one vital and fundamental difference between those blades and the one in his hand. To a samurai the blade was their soul. A blade was an extension of the warrior. Likewise the sword was not complete without a peerless warrior that took it into his life and sublimed it into more than a hunk of sharpened metal. Even if the form was similar, even if the function could be said to be similar the distance between a knife and a sword was infinitesimal. That was because of the samurai, the other half of the blade.

He was a smith, not a samurai. But his blade perhaps embodied the relation between man and steel in a terrifying twisted way that ran deeper than any other. This blade was part of him. Into it he imbued part of himself, his bloodthirst, his madness, his curse. All of it was poured into it along with the sweat and toil of each of his hammer strikes. The blade grew under each stroke, pounded out and with his essence poured into it. Such was the nature of each Muramasa. It was a Muramasa within a prison of steel, it was a Muramasa that had a body of steel. Muramasa wielded Muramasa and so the one whole blade stood against the six incomplete ones that rained down.

He saw, he knew. How to strike, how to defend, how to dodge. The rain of blades was not so frightening so long they did not hold a master.

Hider

Instinct: C
Beserker's skill to feel the developing situation of a battle and at this rank, it resembles a formidable sixth sense from not only his personal achievements but a part of his nature of seeking the perfect opportunity to draw the blood of his opponent. At this rank, it reduces the modifier by a fourth from any obstacles obscuring his vision and hearing.

Fate/Empty Providence

youtube.com/watch?v=KIBXOmbd4CU&index=9&

Standing before the Master and Servant, she appeared.

Wrong wrong wrong.

Death, no, worse than that. To face that was something he knew to be wore. He didn't know what exactly, he didn't know why. It made no sense. This was a servant, it was something that was similar to him and yet this feeling. It was no overwhelming predator, it was no unfair disparity akin to the dread a peasant felt confronted with a knight.

"Master!"

His voice rung out carrying enough emotion to make the blade that materialized in his hand shudder. No, don't fight it, don't confront it. This was not a matter of a fight. What was it? He didn't.. he couldn't. No, he didn't want to be here. He who faced the rejection of humans, the demonetization of his name and the unkind hand of people, who accepted his deeds and moved on from such a past now shuddered in the wake of this unknown.

"We need to leave... now."

The blade in his hand was proof of his legend, proof of his curse, proof of that which shaped him. But in this case the idea of raising it seemed foolish. His hands, clammy from sweat, was white was bone with their grip on the hilt that seemed to cause a creak of protest. He didn't know if it was from his bones or the blade.

Even with this...

"We should run from this servant."

It was another servant. That was obvious enough from his sight alone, and from how fast she came. Even a normal person without eyes like his could've been able to say that she wasn't a normal human. But why then was Berserker reacting so strongly? It was enough that he could feel the anxiety himself, the fear. It was a "pain" that he could see, a vortex that swirled within Berserker as the presence of the girl bore down on them.

Master's Clairvoyance, or so Berserker called it, the servant having explained it, and a few other things in the Grail War as they walked to Shinto. Came in as he laid his eyes on her. Her parameters were higher, but that shouldn't have been the cause for a reaction that strong, right?

He took in a breath.

Sh was weird. No signs of real scars or pain on her. Yet she obviously wanted to fight, she looked forward for it, she came to fight whatever brought that flash of light. Well, they weren't her target... and maybe there was a way to keep it that way.

"Hey, you. Heh, well, sorry to disappoint, but the feeling is mutual. I wanted to see what made that light during the night. We trekked all the way over here just to see, but ah well, I guess we should've just gone to the Church."

He let out a half-hearted laugh. Toshi's eyes glanced between his servant and the girl, unable to decide on a focus, while his body hunched over a bit, back and head lowering. Looking at Berserker he already knew he didn't like the feeling of this. If she could just go away, if she could just leave them alone then. He wasn't ready to fight, not yet. The idea was something he accepted but without the ritual of visiting the church it felt off. But such a regular and controlled baptism was hardly a thing he could ask for in a war.

He finally settled for laying his eyes down on the girl. With a louder voice and a straightening out back he tried to get more comfortable. Although, his head continued to hunch downward.

"So, you're looking for a specific servant? What makes him special anyway? Well, you'll probably not be able to find him if you talk to us too long however."

Fate/Empty Providence

I mean they're also demons that she has with her, not ploys.

Fate/Empty Providence

Not great or anything, but team scrub is moving forward.

Also we're moving to intercept Team Sumanai I guess.

RIP us.

Fate/Empty Providence

-================-

“That alone is reassuring, at the least. The grail is suppose to choose those who are fitting to participate, but it’s good to hear that you’re motivated.”

Even without any true knowledge, or even context as to the ritual it was equally dangerous to have a master who was either too afraid to chase after the wish, or didn’t have a strong interest. Still, the complete lack of ignorance was still rather painful. At the very least the concerns of his master, citing a desire for a rulebook or someone to talk to, while painfully mundane, was actually something that could be provided.

“Since we are in the area there is the Church. The Church is suppose to be the place where an overseer of the war has taken residence. However, that’s only the information going off what was recorded and told to us about prior wars. It could end up as abandoned of its duties as much as that manor you summoned me in. Whatever the case, as I have said before I am fine with whatever you choose to do at the moment, master.”

Still.

He wondered if his master could truly back up his words of apathy if he learned more about his past. Memories brimmed below the surface and he found his eyes taking even greater note of the world about them even as the darkness become so absolute. It was not like back then that he was given the privilege of simply being chased after or raising the ire of others in the sunlight.

What would have come if his blades were celebrated instead of feared and seen as bringers of death and calamity? If his blades were praised like those of Masamune, or the famous holy blades of the west. Would he have accepted the summon to such a ritual even then?

In the end all that he could ask for was to see those who had the light shone on them on more proper paths, wielding holy blades and glowing with heroic legends.

-================-

“Wha’dya know? Well, it’s better than nothing. A church huh? I guess it isn’t too surprising that a city like this has some Christians. We never had anything like that back where I came from however. It’ll be weird, I guess. Churches usually aren’t anything good in stories you know, it’s all about priests actually being demon summoners or bringers of darkness all along nowadays.” He let out a derisive sort but kept a grin of sorts up. “Well, that’d be a stupid plot twist, wouldn’t it? Well, whatever. We’ll head there first. We can go home and eat something before hitting the hay, or something after. Doesn’t really matter, but I’m too tired to go off looking for fights.”

Toshi became quiet as he adjusted his path. Retracting his steps, heading back to the graveyard, back towards the Church. Ah, this really was going to be a long night, wasn’t it? Forget the fighting, patrolling the city, scouting out the enemy, all those things that just meant a lot of walking, that alone was going to be a lot of tiring work wasn’t it? Well, as long as it was night-time like this it wasn’t really much of a bother, and it was not as if he had that much to do anyway.

The two walked in silence for the most of the remainder of the night, and it was as the new day had begun that they noticed that it came with a dawn of Twilight. The sheer energy that came with the arc of light that illuminated the sky blazed bright in the dark morning, and to Toshi who looked upon it the sense of something that should not be struck him. What he saw brought wonder and shudders. Even more than the summoning of Berserker, even more than his eyes and what he saw throughout his life. It was this light that brought him to awe, that made him stop and feel the plung the into something so alien and beyond his imagination. There was a world that he could not comprehend, not yet. And as the light blinked out into nothingness, every ray disappearing like the target of the blade, he found that his curiosity was roused.

Perhaps it was only fitting that upon joining a war for a wish then one would see the crystallization of imagination, wishes and reverence.

“Berserker.”

“Yeah, master?”

“Change of plans. Let’s go see what that light was.”

How else could one contextualize their dreams and truly learn the weight of a wish?

Fate/Empty Providence

Considering the master and servant situation there isn't really too much of a need for Nessus I think.

Well, if we do get a full roster of masters he can be summoned, but if we get any new masters I'd say I'm fine with him holding the least priority to match up.

Fate/Empty Providence

@WildChocobo

Will you be able to respond tomorrow or something?

Fate/Empty Providence

At this point I'm not sure what Team Scrub is up to.

Probably going to eat frozen bentos or finally the church, someday.

Fate/Empty Providence

youtube.com/watch?v=YHIfh1FqEZU

@WildChocobo

“I don’t care what you did, or what you were. I just don’t like feeling pain. Looking at you, looking at anyone, I can feel traces. I already know just by being around, just by looking, I don’t want to know more, I don’t want to see everything. Although when I think about it, there’s more than just whatever is around that bracelet. It makes me think of bad things, that and you, but you also have this like… glow around you that’s… really bright, it’s amazing in a way. You’re very bright with white. I’ve never seen anything like it before. You don’t feel… normal, as obvious as it is. But whatever.”

He came to a stop and took out his phone, letting out a “Tch” as the display lit up to show that its battery was dwindling. “Leaving that aside, I know people better than most others in a way. I see what’s happened, what they remember the most in terms of pain, and I feel it, I feel that pain, I see blurred memories of what happened when I touch them.

Pain, He was used to it by now, He could tolerate it, he still hated it, hated it deeply. The sensation of pain is bad enough, but it was something that was just a given, something he accepted. No, it was what came with the pain, the knowledge, the hardships that others had lurking and brewing under the surface that tormented them, whether they were ongoing or painted their existence as a past they could never forget.

When was the last time he could feel that he felt a pain that was his? Was there a difference at this point? He was just someone who felt it, there was no room for a person who received the pain of others to feel his own. It was already overwhelming as it was, if he felt more, if he felt his, if he could put his own name to it and paint himself with those scars himself…

Would it be something that breaks him? Or maybe the pain that one owned for themselves only was something small compared to the samples of dozens of others. Yes, whatever pain he felt was no doubt small, inconsequential and stupid in comparison. A single person could not weigh themselves against the world, against civilization or the masses. To care about his own pain and hardships if he had any seemed just like the course of a crybaby.

Yeah, whatever he would feel, if he felt anything deep like that would just be a droplet in an ocean.

The thought was frightening.

"...What did you do anyway?"

Toshi nodded along to Berserker's explanations of their situation and the rather, less than stellar standing that they had. A sigh came from him, along with a shrug. Well, it wasn't like he was told ahead of time about this. There's no point in studying for a test in a course that you didn't even know existed, you couldn't be held accountable for not knowing the answers. Still, he was in it now, so whether he knew or not, that'd come to bite him in the end.

“Ah, I see. So that’s how the relation works. So servants need masters to be around? This world? Do you come from another one or something?” He suddenly whipped his head up and with a wry grin snapped his thumb in an accentuated motion that led to him flinging out his index finger to point at him “Are you an alien or ghost or something?” He let out a bit of a giggle before returning to walking down the road.

“Well, so these other masters have things like me, right? Do you know what sort of things those tend to be? What are these masters called otherwise? Or are people with weird things called masters in general? Otherwise who organizes this thing anyway?” With a frown Toshi shoved his phone into Berserker’s face “If you had some number or rulebook, for contacting whoever was in charge of this thing this’d be a lot less confusing, or at least it’d feel a bit less nebulous. I don’t have a reason to not believe you but there’s nothing that really makes it feel like there’s a sense of joining some sort of secret conflict. There’s no whistle at the start of the race, no quest accepted jingle or anything like that.”

He pulled it away.

“Well, that’s how it is, I guess real life is rather quiet compared to sports events, classes, public events or games. I guess if we got nothing we can just go back. If you don’t want to eat on top of not needing to eat that makes it easier for me, but I got enough servings of frozen stuff back home to last us two for a bit.”

He pocketed the phone again and walked in silence for a time. His head lowered, his back hunched over and his gait became a bit more rigid, a bit tighter.

“Well, otherwise do we just wait for them to come to us? Or do we just wander around until they find us and challenge us to a duel like it’s a bunch of trainers with monsters running around? Ah, if that’s the case I should start carrying around my lunch money as something to give if we lose.” He let out a bit of a laugh that petered off into the night. “Well, don’t worry.” he said after taking a sharp, refreshing breath. Suddenly he seemed to relax, even coming to have a smile. “If I’m doing this weird thing, I’ll be doing it to win, don’t worry, Berserker. I’m serious.”

Fate/Empty Providence

@WildChocobo

He shook his head. "I only see the pain of things that are alive, but I see other things with objects as well. It's rare, but things here and there are noticeable, those things aren't really a bother, the only thing I have a problem with is the obvious. " The normal and the supernatural visible, huh? Perhaps there was merit to the idea of such. But what then was the explanation of his eyes specifically? They were related but surely the stories would have described this vital aspect that plagued him most of all? "On top of that it isn't just sight. If I touch what I see it seems to bring that pain to both me and that person. I see things, glimpses and flashes, context as to how that pain originated. It's not fun, so don't take it personally if I say I don't want to touch you, or give you a hug." He spread his arms wide before opening and closing them a few times like a rigid, robotic crabtoy. "It's better for both of us that way." A quick glimpse of his phone followed after the display and the time stated on it in turn brought him to look out towards the city outside. His hands stuffed themselves in his pants pockets, a pair of simple slacks that were a big baggy as though trying to intentionally make it hard to define the shape of his legs through them.

"Tch... Alright." he spoke before making his way out of the Ghost House, pocketing his phone as he came out into the outside world that was faintly illuminated by the moon. "Hey, Berserker. What are you anyway? You're a servant, right? Also where should we be going anyway?"

Without any input he simply began to retrace his path, deciding to wait for Berserker's guidance while on the road. Even if it was hard to remember the road, or rather see it as the same he walked down earlier today, the presence of Berserker and his branding making him feel quite suddenly, and accutely, as though something were amiss in the war. Well, it was mentioned that it was a war, a competition after all. That meant there were others, like him, like Berserker. But just as equal in value an explanation was that it was just plain hard to see the road, especially as the city was covered in darkness.

"Also do you need to eat or something. We might have to plan out a budget or something in that case."