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[Mors]

 

Chapter 1 – Grail Divided

 

After making sure his daughters were sleeping peacefully in their rooms, Tohsaka Tokiomi descended the staircase towards his home’s basement. It was a large stone sanctuary of arcane knowledge and artifacts where he had spent most of his time in the past few years. The summoning circle had been drawn there weeks in advance. He pulled the jewel pendant from out of his coat pocket and began the ritual.

 

Ye first, O silver, O iron. O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract.

 Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade.

 

Tokiomi clenched the bright gem tightly in his hand as he began chanting the summoning incantation. Despite the unimaginable strength of the heroic spirits that could emerge, the summoning itself was surprisingly simple, especially for an experienced magus of Tokiomi’s caliber. The circle and catalyst was all that was needed, as the Grail itself did the actual summoning just as it chose the masters that would participate in the War.

 

If thou submittest to the call of the Holy Grail and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond.

I make my oath here.

 

Tokiomi closed his eyes and continued the summoning. The jewel glowed brightly and the circle began to spark with energy. Behind him stood Kotomine Risei, the war’s supervisor. Because of Tokiomi’s generosity towards the church, they had agreed to ally themselves with the Tohsaka family for the sake of ensuring the grail did not end up in the wrong hands.

 

I am that person who is to become the virtue of all Heavens.

I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades.

Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words,

come past thy restraining rings, and be thou the hands that protect the balance-!

 

A brilliant flash of red light passed, and a bearded dark-skinned giant stood in place of the circle. “Which of you would I call my master?” he rumbled.

 

“You are…” Tokiomi asked excitedly, before being taken aback “But you are summoned as the Rider class,” Tokiomi turned angrily towards the priest, “Risei you said Rider was already summoned.”

 

“It was, I am certain of it,” replied the solemn old priest.

 

“Then what is the meaning of this?!” Tokiomi yelled, gesturing towards Rider.

 

“This may mean…that the grail has been divided” Risei closed his eyes and rubbed at his chin in thought.

 

“Divided…” Tokiomi echoed, “You mean to say that there are now two grails?”

---

 

Umeko rubbed her eyes, adjusting to the bright morning sunlight. Every morning it was the same pain – the pain of waking up. In her dreams, her parents were still alive, and she wasn’t alone.

 

Umeko still wasn’t used to her new setting even after living there for a week now. It was the home of Sanae Katsuragi, the kind police woman that handled the case on the night of her parents’ murder. It was all a hazy memory really, all that blood and fearing for her life, and the man that saved her.

 

She was surprised how few questions she was actually asked. For some reason Sanae seemed much more interested in her and not her parents’ murderer, Uryuu Ryuunosuke. She didn’t even have to come up with an explanation for how she survived or how Ryuunosuke died. Umeko doubted they would’ve believed her anyway. She could hardly even believe it herself.

 

“Master?” came his voice, and he rematerialized out of thin air.

 

“S-Saber? I told you not to do that!” Umeko said angrily, though she didn’t really mind that much. She wasn’t sure how much she believed in his story of the Holy Grail War, but she couldn’t deny that he saved her life and was definitely something more than human. He looked almost like an angel really, with the way he could disappear and reappear like that coupled with his knightly armor and soft handsome features.

 

“I apologize Master, but I think we should leave this place. The woman who took you in is a mage, she might even be another Master luring you into a trap.”

 

“What? But Katsuragi-san is so kind! You must be mistaken.” Umeko responded, though half-heartedly.

 

“Even so. If she is an outsider then we’re putting her life in danger just by being here. This place isn’t safe,” Saber’s face was serious. Umeko felt like there was nothing she could say in response.

 

“But where would we go? I…I can’t go back to that house. Not now.” Umeko pleaded.

 

“We’ll find some-“ Saber began, but stopped himself mid sentence.

 

“Saber? What’s wrong?”

 

“It’s another Servant...” Saber responded,  his face troubled, “He must be mad. Every other Servant must be able to sense his presence. And in broad daylight too.”

 

“Another Servant. T-that means they’ll try to kill us right? What do we do?” Umeko panicked before Saber embraced her, calming her down.

 

“Don’t worry Master, I will protect you. Let’s go. I want to see this madman with my own eyes.”

 

 

OOC

Spoiler

The Grail War starts! You all have already summoned your servants, but you can still write the summoning out if you want. What I pm’d you guys is only the basic personality structure for your servants and you’re free to provide your own alterations to their character.

 

Right now a Servant is making a big showy display and making sure everyone else notices. You can check out that situation or go do your own thing and I will update accordingly.

 

 

Omake Chapter – Assassin’s Ennui

 

Assassin rolled around the couch restlessly. He flipped through the channels on his Master’s small television, but quickly grew bored and tossed the remote aside with a heavy sigh. Near his feet, Jun’s pet cat Mesquite toyed around with a dead spider.

 

“Arghhhhh. What a boring master!” He complained. “No leaving the apartment? No killing? Well…I suppose he didn’t use a command seal, but still I wish he would just understand.”

 

He watched Mesquite toy with his prey for another minute before letting out another sigh.

 

“You get me right? You understand what it’s like. The joy of tearing them apart. The beauty of their guts spilling across the floor. The heavenly feeling of pushing the knife into their flesh. Ha. Ahaha. They said I must be mad, but I never believed them. But look at me talking to a cat…” Assassin fiddled with his dagger, consumed by violent thoughts.

 

“Hey! I don’t suppose you’d let me cut you up? I mean…it’s been ages since I’ve cut up an animal. Not since I was just a little boy actually!” Assassin held the dagger, barely grazing Mesquite’s fur. The cat didn’t seem to mind or suspect anything though.

 

“Heh…ehehe. No, I guess I can’t cut up my new friend. Not yet. Humans are much more fun anyway, eh? Eh? Ah….damn. I WANT TO CUT SOMETHING!” Assassin shouted out.

 

Then, he heard a knocking at the door. Driven insane with boredom, Assassin decided to open it even though his Master said not to leave the apartment. It was a dumb small apartment that smelled like cat-piss anyway.

 

“Erm,” said the young woman in the doorway. “I live downstairs and I heard someone yelling. Is everything okay?”

 

Assassin grinned. He leaned down towards Mesquite and whispered, “Well what Master doesn’t know won’t bother him, right buddy?”

 

“Ahaha. Sorry Missy. Everything is perfectly okay now…why don’t you come inside and have a drink?”

 

 

OOC

Spoiler

I’m gonna add an Omake chapter to every update from now on if I can. It won’t effect the story at all, but it puts me in the mood to write and lets me explore some of the Servants personalities. Let me know what you think and if you want your characters featured in an Omake just pm me and let me know.

Edited by Mors, 04 November 2014 - 09:14 AM.

[Unbelievably Majestic]

Oka

Caster stood in the center of the room. The lights were dimmed. A window was slightly open, gently wafting the curtain for dramatic effect. Candles flickered all around him causing shadows to dance over the walls. He cleared his throat with a small cough in preparation. And then he spoke.

"I see you coming.
I watch you in the shadows.
Soon, death, embrace me."

Caster looked to Oka with a curious smile on his face. "What do you think Master? You can be honest." Lately he'd taken an interest in poetry. He was currently in something of a haiku phase. Though the poems always seemed to be about death. Perhaps that part was less of a phase and more of a personal preference. Oka wasn't sure. "Too... On the nose?"

"Caster casts the word spells. Oka likes it. But always death. Why?" Oka asked, tilting her head sideways like a curious puppy.

For a moment Caster didn't answer. He simply looked at Oka as he gathered his thoughts. Watching her with the same interest she showed him. He'd never met someone quite like her before. He felt she was certainly either insane, or too sane. Finally he spoke. "Death is the ultimate mystery. The great unknown. Ever present. Close enough to touch. But so far from grasping. Especially so for me. And thus it intrigues me. Are you not the same?"

Oka shook her head violently, he hair waving around slightly. "Oka knows. Death, death, goes away, comes again, back to play. The record spins, the grooves get wider, but always round. Round and round. Same and same. Always and ever. Oka just tries to nudge the needle."

Caster look at her for a while longer as she started playing some mysterious card game with herself. He seemed as if he was trying decipher what she meant, or trying to put something into words. But in the end he was distracted. "Master." He said sounding slightly alarmed. "Someone is being rather... loud. Another servant."

"We must swim Caster! Overboard and to the rocks! The siren calls and we have no other choice!" Oka leapt to her feet, jumped out the open window and ran off into the streets. Eventually she realized she didn't know which was she was going and had Caster point her in the right direction.

[Ilyse]

 

1 – Theory of the clockwork universe

 

When Isaac Newton first derived his famous laws of motion, he showed that the rules of physics and thus the material world was one that could be calculated almost mathematically. Much like a clock that would never stop ticking, a perfect machine that is governed by such laws is very much predictable. The thought that one could understand the universe was similar to the feeling of having power: it was an intoxicating thought, one that would make any humble man into the most arrogant person.

 

In a sense, you can say that the clockwork universe both proved and disproved the idea of Laplace’s demon: while entropy and time may have slain the idea, the fact that just about everything that is defined physically can be seen as a fixed number would imply that should such a demon exist, he can indeed predict the future.

 

Daniel adjusted the scarf to cover his reddening nose. It seemed that compared to what he was used to back in Egypt, the weather in Japan could not agree with him whatsoever. Sneezing, he sullenly walked across the bridge that went over the river dividing Fuyuki City. He could hear a mocking giggle behind him, and he rolled his eyes as Assassin tried her best not to snicker at him.

 

They were playing the role of siblings, but they were just one pair of Master and Servant who have decided to participate in the war. Looking at Assassin, outside of the strange hair color and the piercing gaze that seemed to betray her surprisingly cheerful nature, she was just your normal schoolgirl.

 

Of course, unlike most schoolgirls, she didn’t happen to like sweets, and to make sure that Assassin would stop laughing at him, Daniel stuffed a bar of chocolate into her mouth, causing the Servant to spit out the sweet and start coughing out what remained of the goodness onto the concrete below her.

 

“You might’ve been a great warrior who protected her country, but it’s funny to think that your big weakness is sweet food.”

 

Assassin said nothing, just holding her mouth while glaring at Daniel, her cheeks reddening in anger. The relationship between both Daniel and Assassin was surprisingly close: it seemed that despite being given a catalyst to summon a specific hero, Daniel couldn’t really see any other Heroic Spirit that he could’ve been paired with. It was almost a match determined by fate.

 

Scoffing, Daniel continued on ahead, as Assassin stumbled behind him, still spitting out bits of the chocolate behind her. But of course, Assassin then stood still, and looked off towards a direction. Daniel looked at her, and understood.

 

The enemy has revealed itself.

 

Both of them nodding at each other, Daniel grabbed onto Assassin as she began to move quickly towards where she determined the enemy Servant’s location to be.

[Vafhudr]

Inspector Sanae Katsuragi / Archer 

 

'I ask of you – are you my master?'

 

Before Sanae stood a very, very handsome man. He seemed to have been hewn out of stone or bronze, a stunning human colossus. His heroic build, though, vanished at his face – his eyes were sly, and on his face was a perpetual shadow of a smile. His default expression appeared to be mild sardonic amusement. His eyes, on the other hand, were not mischievious. No – they had a certain melancholic quality to them. Sanae struggled back to her feet, feeling drained. Despite choosing a spot she had scouted ahead of time, a location where multiple ley lines crossed and intersected (dowsing rods are bullshit, kids – don't buy them), she still felt her energy dip dramatically as the ritual drew to a close. The bruise on her hand now shaped itself into an intricate pattern – her command seals, and a proof that she would now stand among the elected.

 

“I – I am Sanae Katsuragi. I am your master. Pleased to meet you'' she reached out her hand to shake on it, unsure how to properly seal the ritual. The notes were kind of unclear on this.

 

The spirit hunk was momentarily taken aback – his eyebrow shot up in surprise. This turned into a different expression – as if he had... recognized someone. A thought occured to Sanae – oh please don't let sexism ruin this across time and space, for goodness' sake. Fortunately, his face turned bright instead, and dashing smile broke around his face. Instead of grasping her by the hand, he clasped her at the forearm and held her at the shoulder.

 

''HA. The gods work in mysterious ways. To think I would run into another woman like this. I like you, Sanae Katsuragi. You have a good face, a good mind, and a good handshake. I will gladly win the Grail for you.

 

''Oh thank goodness.” she let out, relieved.”

 

(...)

 

bzzzz

bzzzz

bzzzz

 

''Master – what is this little device that is shivering on the side your girdle?” The man asked quizzically as Sanae reached for her pager.

 

''That, Archer, is the sound of trouble. And of work.”

 

''Oh. The life of witches these days seem to be full of troubles. Must you return to your lair?''

 

Sanae gave him a meaningful side glance.

 

“I do not know what you are imagining, but I am not a full time witch. This is a hobby. A hobby I take seriously, and life goal I want to see realized. On the other hand, this is my job. My work. I am a detective. A legal officer.”

 

“I... do not understand.”

 

“I protect the peace. I detect crimes that have been committed and track those who have done them. I bring them to justice.”

 

Archer's mind was trying very hard to assimilate the information. Heroic spirits might be provided information to function in whatever age they are summoned, but cultural memory and identity can get in the way.

 

“I have no analogy with my own time. Your duties bewilder me, Master. You sound like nothing short of a king.”

 

Sanae did not dislike the comparison. She had her small dominion. The people under her command, the lab from which she got daily report, and a territory within which she kept the peace, protected the weak and punished the wicked.

 

“Well, it's not quite like that.'' They had arrived at her car. It was a phantom car, a civilian vehicule outfitted with police car features. She donned her bulletproof vest, strapped her gun, and put on her police jacket over top. She was not looking forward to this – at this hour, it was seldom ever anything good. Archer looked at her gearing up with a certain measure of amusement and interest, as if he was looking at an old scene in a very new light.

 

''Master, you had not told me you were a warrior.” Archer simply said.

 

“Hm? Oh. No. I am inspector. Part of the police. We are like... hmm... an internal army. We take down internal enemy. Our country does not have a real external army. Only a self-defense force.''

 

“You are a commander, then?” he asked, with great interest.

 

“Yeah. You could say that. Of a small unit, of sort.'' she said, punctuating this by closing the car's back door. Outfitted, she walked to the front door and got in behind the wheel.

 

“Are you coming in?” she asked from within the car.

 

Archer laughed to himself. Even in this era people rode in chariots to battle.

 

(...)

 

“What is the situation?” Katsuragi asked as she bowed under the yellow caution tape. She could feel Archer's spiritual presence at her side as she walked onto the crime scene.

 

''Two ritual murder victim. A third victim, possibly the perp, found dead from back stab wound. No suspect found on premise.”

 

“Survivors?” she asked, as she donned a pair of latex gloves and other precautionary equipment.

 

''Yes. A little girl. She is in state of shock. The paramedics are seeing to her. Do you want to talk to her?”

 

“For the sake of initial action report. I doubt we'll get much out of her tonight. Have you contacted Child Services yet?”

 

“It is 3 in the morning. We don't expect anything until 7 AM. We are trying to arrange something for her, if she isn't going to spend the rest of the day in the hospital.''As they walked, the paramedics were bringing out the last body, already in a body bag.

 

“Can you give me 2 minutes alone in the room?” she asked to the first responder.

 

''Of course. I've heard impressive stories about you, Inspector Katsuragi. I'll get my men to let you work your magic.” he said as he motioned to his fellow responders to evacuate the room.

 

As the door slammed behind her, she pulled out an energy bar from one of her pockets and began to chew ravenously on it.

 

''You are sure you are not a warrior? You have the manners of a barbarian brute.'' Archer snarked from the ethereal plane.

 

“I'm hungry. Summoning you has depleted my prana and I have to use it right now. Fuck, I could use a coffee right about now too...”

 

And it would have helped if the corpse were still in here. She thought to herself as she brushed the floor with her fingers. Prana flowed out from her finger and sank into the shitty, blood-soaked, shaggy carpet.

 

She could see.

 

She watched as the phantom of a young man brushed by her, intangible, a sinister smile on his face, knife in hand. The parents are watching TV. The door was unlocked – he simply slid in with all the confidence in the world that they would not see him. The daughter is already in bed. He comes from behind in a quick, practiced movements slits open the throat of the father. The mother notices, but cannot scream – as the young man plunges the knife in her throat and slices downwards. She screams worldlessly, and unworldly, silent scream spouting along with her blood from the new orifice carved into her.

 

The young man delicately removed the table and places it by the side of the wall and proceeds to draw a something with the adult's blood. Her hearts sinks.

 

It's a summoning circle. This man was trying to summon a servant.

 

The young man dabbled in the blood, and apparently disgruntled, moved toward the rest of the house, probably looking for the girl. He disappears from her Sight for a while, but then someone else enters it. A young girl, followed by the young man holding his knife.

 

Something happens. Her vision is disrupted. But the killer is now dead. A large amount of prana had been unleashed to smudge the tracks in such a fashion.

 

“Archer...?”

 

“There has been a summoning here. I can sense the servant is around. It's.... Saber.”

 

She closed her eye. The apparition stopped. She had seen what she needed to see. Apprehension now filled her due to the nature of those visions.

 

''The Master is still here.” she said, aloud, to herself and Archer.

 

She stepped out of the room, out of the house, and toward the paramedic.

 

“I am here to see the girl.” she said to the nearest paramedic, showing her her badge.

 

“She is not well.” the paramedic interjected.

 

“She... is now under the protection and custody of the Fuyuki Metropolitan Police.” Katsuragi countered as she nudged the woman aside.

 

The young girl had been provided a thermal blanket and tucked away in a corner with a few intervenants while the scene was secured.

 

''Hey. Hey there. I am Inspector Katsuragi. I will be in charge of this investigation. Do you understand what I am saying?'' She asked as she approached the young girl.

 

She nodded. She could feel the presence of Archer tensing. The other heroic spirit was near.

 

“Good. You are a smart girl, right? What is your name?”

 

“Umeko.” she whispered.

 

''Umeko. What a pretty name. A pretty name for a pretty girl. Look Umeko...” she reached out and grabbed her hand, both to comfort her and to confirm her theory. A rock sank into her stomach as she espied the sign of the contract between a master and a servant on the girl's tiny hands. She bit her lip. She clasped the tiny hands withih her hands. “I'll take care of you while this gets all figured out, okay? We'll contact Child Services and try to establish contact with your next of kin as quickly as possible. For the purpose of our work though, we will need to keep you protected. This is where I come in. Are you okay with that?”

 

She nodded.

 

“Alright. There's a brave girl. She lifted the girl into her arms, blanket and all, and brought her to her car and put her on the back seat, brushing away some of the trash on the floor to make her space.

 

“Sleep now, I'll be back before you know it.”

 

...

 

“What are you going to do now?” Archer asked.

 

Tired, disheveled, mildly traumatized, Sanae Katsuragi was driving to her apartment as dawn was breaking on the horizon.

 

“I am going to go take a nap. And desperately trying to not think about the amount of paperwork and explaining I'll have to do my boss.”

“I mean about the girl. Saber is pursuing us. I can fight him. You have infused me with enough mana for that to be possible. It would be a lot easier if he was not anchored and supplied by a mage.” he said, looking meaningfully at the girl.

 

Sanae flashed a look of pure anger and disgust to archer.

 

“I will not TOUCH that girl. I did not know bystanders could enter the war.” she vociferated, speeding up slightly.

 

“Tell me, Master, have you ever heard of Iphigenia, the fairest daughter of the great king Agamemnon and his wife, Clytemnestra?”

 

“No. I haven't. What's your point?”

 

“I can do it.”

 

“You will do no such thing. Not as long as I have these tattooed on my hands.” she said, holding up her hand to Archer.

 

“No. I will protect her. I will figure something out. It's always the innocent that have to suffer.” she said, half to herself.

 

(...)

 

Archer opened the door for Sanae as she brought Umeko inside, dodging the jumble of shoes crowind the entrance of her apartment and into her bedroom. She tucked the sleeping Umeko into her futon, left on the floor from the previous night, and proceeded to the kitchen, dead tired. Archer walked by her, looking at the living space with interest and an active eye.

 

“Houses have changed quite a bit since my time.” Archer said, materializing by the kitchen counter as Sanae brewed some coffee.

 

“Yes. Well. Behold my castle. My lair as you called it. My witch laboratory is in the next room, motioning to the kitchen counter and the small shelf overrun by books on a vast array of subjects. “Not exactly deluxe.” She said leaning on the side of the fridge.

 

“There is nothing wrong with a humble abode.” Archer replied. ''Though I must say you lead a rather subdued life for a witch. No minions. No monsters. Do you have a man? I would rather avoid any confrontations.”

 

“Ah. No. No husband for me. Not yet anyway.”

 

Archer frowned.

 

“You are not married?”

 

“Nope. I own this, witch or not. Well, sort of. I rent it, at any rate.”

 

The coffee was ready.

 

“Want some?”she asked.

 

“What is it?” Archer inquired

 

“Coffee.” she answered, holding up a can of express coffee.

 

“Smells delicious.”

 

“Yeah, well, smells can be deceptive.” she said looking away as she took a sip from her cup.

 

“This... tastes like ash.” he said, visibly upset at the substance.

 

“Welcome to the modern world. It taste like shit, but it has its virtues.” she said, cheering with her cup. “I am crashing on my couch for 3 hours and then we go to the headquarter.”

 

''Your army's base?”

 

“Yeah sure whatever.” she said as she jumped on her couch.

 

“This is a war. I could use arms and an army.”

 

“We'll figure this out in the morning, okay? Can you keep watch while I get some shut eye?”

 

“Of course.” Archer said as he vanished into the aether.

 

 

(...)

 

 

“Your headquarter is quite impressive.” Archer let out as they approached the Metropolitan Fuyuki City Police Headquarter. “You have such high and mighty buildings in this era! They are all glimering and shining! What marvel!”

 

Archer's enthusiasm only made sleep deprived Sanae even grumpier. He was dressed in the most bland male clothes that she could find. He didn't seem to mind, having only the barest grasp of modern fashion.

 

“Do you mind if I scout the building while you do your business, Master?”

 

“Hm? Oh yeah, sure. Just don't go too far. I don't know how bold the other servants or masters will be or whether Umeko's servant will chase us. Umeko occupied a lot of her thoughts, actually. When she left, she was still sleeping deeply. Hopefully her business would not be long this morning. A few hours at most. She had left breakfast and some instructions to the girl in case she got up before she arrived.

 

She had barely settled at her office desk, sorted out a few outstanding matters with her subordinate, when Archer's voice suddenly flooded her mind. Telepathic links are useful, if jarring at first.

 

“A servant is making his presence known. Do you feel it?”

Her magical sensitivity was not very high, but she could feel a tingle of apprehension.

 

''Hmm. If we act now, we could remove a dangerous Servant right off the bat.” she mused to herself.

 

She looked at the file on her desk. Technically they had no description of last night's criminal. Already in her mind a plan had slowly been hatching, inspired by the theatrics of the serial killer. If she could frame the other masters as part of a cabal committing various crimes and mischief, she could take them down with the backing of a SWAT team to boot. This Servant who had revealed his presence had only made himself an obvious target on whom to pin the blame for last night's murders. She knows that no one is supposed to be involved outside of the mages in this war – but she is not a mage, or at least, does not consider herself to be a true one.

 

And after all – her Servant did need an army and weapons.

 

(...)

 

“You want an intervention team?'' her boss, the sub-intendant, asked, incredulously.

 

“Evidence collected at the crime scene early this morning suggest that they were at least two murderers, and that the second one killed the first one, perhaps has part of some unknown new age cult. Considering the rash of similar crimes, I think we might be facing a cult or some occult ring. We have received sightings of a man that would appear to be roughly the same as that of a possible suspect. Since we expect the suspect to be armed and dangerous, I see this as necessary precautions.”

 

“What about the girl? I heard you spirited her away last night from scene?”

 

“She is under protective custody and has been placed at a registered safehouse. Once the murderers know a witness might have survived their little massacre, they will undoubtedly track her down.”

 

She replied, tac-au-tac.

 

Her boss looked at the file, and then back to her, and he was clearly displeased. On the other hand, Sanae was a decorated and well respected officer, something of an icon, and on her way to becoming one of the first woman to reach the higher echelons of the local force. Her reputation and methodology, which proved themselves over and over again, carried weight greater than the dubious evidence presented to her boss in his decision.

 

“Alright. You got your mandate. Try to be discreet. We don't want this to fan into hysteria.”

 

“Of course.” she replied, saluting and taking her files with her.

 

She had effectively created an anti-servant/master unit and division. She had received 15 officers and 2 inspectors (as well as 1 dog) to help her. And right now, they were about to go on their first raid.

 

Half an hour later, her small improvised, but well armed team had assemble by two trucks.

 

“Everyone is here?” Sanae asked, herself all geared up.

 

“Well, we are missing the tactical commander.” the communications girl remarked.

“The tactical commander?” Sanae looked at her clipboard and saw no such thing.

 

“Yes. Colonel Daremo. He just transferred from Tokyo, apparently. See, here he comes.” the diminutive communications girl continued. Sanae had to restrain herself from shouting. Coming toward her was Archer, all geared up in police gear, a submachine gun by his side and a sniper rifle on his back. He looked ready to take down a Yakuza lair. Men and women alike were taken aback by his charming look and dashing, slightly mocking smile.

 

“Inspector Katsuragi. I am Colonel Daremo. I might be new here, but I hope you will not mind if I handle the fighting if it ever happens.” Archer said to Sanae, winking at her. Struggling to keep her cool, Sanae blurted out that it was fine.

 

This was the first time Sanae got to see Archer truly in his element. People followed his ordered as if it was the most natural thing in the world. His intelligence and strength were never in question, leading them to overlook the obvious logical gap in this whole affair. The two of them sat in the head truck, Sanae in the passenger seat and Archer in the driver's seat.

 

“Maybe not an army, but I can work with this.” he said, with a roguish smile. Sanae's heart was beating hard. The excitement that comes before a battle.

 

(...)

 

The small team took up various positions and sniping vantages around the shipyard. The objective was to set up a perimeter to observe the location for a fixed period of time and intervene if any suspect appeared. Sanae and Archer split up from the two main groups and scouted the location by themselves. 

 

"That subversive activity skill of yours - you think you can make use of it here?" she asked as she surveyed the broken landscape of the industrial area around the abandonned shipyard. 

 

"Oh yes. I picked up a few surprises from your headquarters. The enemy servant as not detected our position. Both of us are using concealment and our help is too far and too faint to be picked up by a servant or a master." 

 

"Boobytrap it as well as you can in the next 20 minutes. The other masters must have detected the presence as well. Some of them might already be here, but if we can pick off a few of them right her and right now, we can shorten this war considerably."

 

"I am always for quick wars. Sieges are never a good idea, in my experience." Archer said with a smile as he proceeded ahead, undetected. 

 

"And now... we wait and see who we catch in our net." She thought as she pressed her hand against her handgun holster, making sure she could reach her weapon at a moment's notice."

Edited by Vafhudr, 05 November 2014 - 08:00 AM.

[Johnny Paradise]

Tanimoto Jun -- Assassin

 

Jun sat at his desk, buried beneath a mountain of receipts and anpan wrappers. He tapped listlessly at a calculator, watching the remainder of his paycheck turn into red bean paste and gin. That money used to go towards his savings; now it's his Assassin fund.

 

He may not have understood much of what Assassin told him, but one thing he was fairly certain about was that these Servants shouldn't need to eat. They were fed off of mana, or SP, or something. Assassin nonetheless assured him that without a balanced diet, winning the Grail War was nothing but a fool's dream; Jun had never seen Assassin eat anything other than sweet breads and chocolate. His once barely livable paycheck became a wholly unsustainable one, and he had to dip into his savings to make ends meet. So much for going back to school.

 

Jun's most recent expense yawned exaggeratedly from the couch. He did this at least once every five minutes.

 

"All I ever see you do is sit at that desk, Master," he whined. "Seriously, have you ever even wanted to have fun? Just once in your life?" He picked up the remote and clicked through the channels without looking. He knew what was on already, as this was the third time in twenty minutes he had done this.

 

"I am having fun," Jun said, clearly miserable, still poring over loose receipts. "Entertain yourself."

 

"Really? Can I?" Assassin nearly shouted, almost stepping on Mesquite as he jumped up from the couch. The cat darted beneath Jun's desk.

 

"Entertain yourself without killing someone."

 

Assassin's expression soured and he fell back onto the couch with a loud sigh. He turned off the television. He yawned exaggeratedly. Five minutes on the dot.

 

"A Servant!" Assassin said suddenly. "Tanimoto, a Servant! Do you feel that? No I guess you probably don't--but I do! Let's go see!" Soundlessly, Assassin was off the couch and behind Jun, hand firmly on his shoulder. Jun felt as though Assassin didn't mean that as a suggestion. He could still feel the cold steel of Assassin's knife on his throat, still felt the same terror he did when his Servant was summoned; although he seemed docile enough when full of anpan, Jun was still deeply afraid of Assassin.

 

"G-go by yourself if you want to see," Jun said with a wave of his hand, voice wavering slightly. "And NO KILLING when you're out there! I mean, if you have to kill someone, make sure it's a Master or a Servant or what the fuck ever."

Assassin was pleased enough with that.

 

"I'll be back soon~ Don't miss me too much, Master!"

[Blue Flaming Wings]

Didero opened up the door to his apartment with a silent creak. The night sky outside and the unpowered lights within baked the entire room in shadow. Baked, not cooled, for the darkness had a heat, a resonance, which called to him with every step farther into the room. There in the corner sat a cage. The creature glared at him as he approached, luminous red eyes like beacons, foam dripping out from the muzzle.

 

“Those are good eyes.”

 

The wolf made a muffled snarl.

 

And, with that, Didero snapped his dagger out, slicing its neck. The beast whimpered as blood pooled and dripped into the basin beneath the cage.

 

When the wolf had drained out, Didero draped a blanket over the cage to keep the corpse out of sight, picked up the bowl of blood, feeling the ceramic edges with his fingers, and went outside to the apartment’s attached cellar.

 

It was time.

 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

"I call to thee."

 

With those words alone, the magic circle inscribed on the concrete cellar floor lit up with a red glow, the blood pulsating with a life of its own.

 

"Shut(fill)” Blood dripped from his clenched fist, splashing onto the circle and fueling it. The light grew from its dim hue to a brighter shade. More. He needed more. “Shut(fill). Shut(fill).” It grew brighter. “Shut(fill)” And brighter still. “Shut(fill).” The power in the circle shimmered as the last of the blood feed into the circle. Didero let his blood stained hand fall to his side.

 

“Repeat every five times. Simply, shatter once filled. I announce – ”

 

The call.

 

“Thy body, borne of my will. My fate, resting on thy sword. If thou wilt bend to my will, heed the Grail’s call and give your answer.” It was not a demand, but a request. His words carried softly over the circle as it flashed, as if in answer.

 

The oath.

 

“I swear before you. I wilt fulfill my duty, though thy madness burdens, I wilt not bend, I wilt not cave, though thine eyes shall be clouded with chaos, though thou shalt be trapped in a cage of madness, I shall hold thy chains with all my will!”

 

Now –

 

“Seven heavens, clad in three holy souls, cast thy shackles and come forth, O Keeper of the Balance!”

 

Mystic winds blew out of the circle with screeching cries, toppling crates and causing wine bottles, which the landlord had stored in the cellar, to tip over and shatter, the alcohol flowing down, mingling with the blood and shifting to an even darker shade of red. Dust rose from floor, a cloud that suffocated and obscured, but then it died. The winds, the sounds of screeching, and then the cloud, dispersing in thin wisps.

 

And then she stepped forward. 

 

Clad head to toe in a streamline black armor, she looked like she had stepped out of an illustration of an angel of death, a grim reaper, or, as it was known in this land, a shinigami. Beneath her helm he could make out wide green eyes that just stared and stared at him and strands of red hair. Didero looked at the Heroic Spirit, summoned from the void, and spoke, his voice louder than it had been during the entire summoning.

 

“I am your Master, Didero Ploteus, I ask of you, are you – ”

 

“Master!”

 

“Βαρύτερος” He muttered, seconds before the Servant careened into him, throwing her weight at him to topple him in a hug. But the added weight to his body grounded him, like a pillar that had sprouted from the floor. She pulled back, realizing that the strength she put into the tackle wasn’t enough, and smiled.

 

“You’re just how I thought you’d be!”

 

“Oh? And how is that?”

 

“Strong!”

 

.................................................................................................................................…………………………

 

“That is a … unusual Noble Phantasm.”

 

Following the summoning Didero led Berserker up the flight of stairs and into his apartment complex. As he brewed them some tea, she lifted up the blanket and stared at the cage in the corner of the room. When he came back with two steaming cups, he placed it on a small table and took a seat. She, too, took a seat. After that, he asked the two main questions – her identity and her Noble Phantasm.

 

However, despite his deadpanned reaction to it, Berserker just smiled, “Yep!” She said, “It’s gonna shock ‘em!”

 

Didero sighed and took a sip of the tea. Once done, he put it back on the table and said, “I don’t really know what to make of this situation.”

 

The Servant tilted her head, the metal helm clanging as she moved, “What do you mean?”

 

"I'm the representative for the Association for this War. I was given an assignment by my sponsor to investigate some tampering that was done in Holy Grail War sixty years ago, where the Berserker class was replaced by a strange new one, the Avenger class.”

 

“Is that why you’re fighting in this War?”

 

“Yes, to investigate. I wanted a Servant with the Curse of Madness. If the tampering the Einzberns did was permanent than an Avenger would be summoned instead. The chances were slim in the first place, after all, why would the Einzberns give anyone else an advantage in the war? But to not even get the Curse? Something must have gone wrong with the Summoning.”

 

“Would you have preferred if I was mute, hulking and bloodthirsty?”

 

“Honestly, no. I think we will work better this way. Now, onto the first matter of business – ”

 

“Shopping!”

 

“Yes, we – wait. Shopping?”

 

“Yes! There’s so many new things that have been invented that I must try! Makeup! Fashion! Magazines! Do you think they have Cosmopolitan here in Japan?”

 

“I … don’t know?”

 

"We’ll look then. I think they sell magazines at corner stores and the like.”

 

Didero paused. Just staring at Berserker in incomprehension before sighing again, more long and drawn out then before, when he opened his eyes again his gaze was hardened. “No,” He said, “Our next step is to investigate the Einzbern Castle on the outskirts of Fuyuki. We’ll test the strength of their Bounded Field.”

 

“And shopping after that?”

 

“Sure, shopping after that.”

 

.................................................................................................................................………………………

 

A week later Didero sat in a chair in Uniqlo, while Berserker hurried into a changing room. Since their botched attempt at trying to sneak into the Einzbern Castle she has been dragging him to various clothing chains in the city. He should have expected it, but when he arrived at the Castle he realized that the Bounded Field was too advanced for him to breach. And if Berserker did just overcome it with brute force like she offered to, it would just rain too much attention on them – after all, for a Master to use a Servant against magi unaffiliated with the War was strictly taboo after all.

 

But the fact that the Einzberns seemed to be unaffiliated was in itself a shock. When he went into the church a few days ago to let Risei know he had summoned his Servant, he heard that Tohsaka had been chosen as a Master but had not summoned his Servant yet. The fact that the other two Great Houses, the Einzberns and the Matous, were unaccounted for was mindboggling (well, the fact the Matous weren’t involved was not too startling, as they lacked an heir, but that old worm would normally stick his nose into the War anyway).

 

So, at the moment he is just searching for any sign of an Einzbern to question.

 

And searching for any sign of other Masters too, of course.

 

Master. Berserker materialized by his chair in spirit form. The customers of the shop walked past him, caught up in their own affairs, without giving the space by his side a second look. Even the store clerk that was helping her still stood outside the now empty changing room, giving hushed requests of ‘Do need help?’ in broken English.

 

Yes? He thought telepathically, a new skill he was far from being used to, as he flipped a page in a newspaper he was reading.

 

There’s a Servant a few blocks away from here. Several other Servants are converging on it.

 

Now? In the middle of the day? Are they crazy?

 

What are your orders?

 

With that Didero folded the newspaper once, twice and stuffed the square into one of his suit’s pockets. Let’s go observe. Do not engage.

 

“Roger!”

 

If any of the customers glanced to see where the sudden voice came from all they would see is Didero’s back as he exited the store.

Edited by Blue Flaming Wings, 06 November 2014 - 06:54 PM.

[Chizzy]

Sora - David (Archer)

 

Sora nonchalantly made his way toward the local arcade with a mysterious teenage boy -- dressed in a red fur coat -- trailing closely behind him.

 

"Hey, Master...?" The teenage boy called out. 

 

"What?" Sora asked not batting an eye.

 

"Where are we going?" the boy inquired with slight curiosity showing on his face.

 

*Sigh*

 

"How many times have I told you to stop calling me that...?" slight irritation could be heard in Sora's voice. "Anyway, the place is called an arcade. It's a place where we go so I can kick your ass." a small grin could be seen creeping up on Sora's face as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

 

Upon reaching the destination and strolling in through the automatic doors, Sora quickly led the two to one of the of the most popular games in the arcade. Hanging proudly at the top of the machine read the words: Street Fighter. Popping in several coins, the two boys began the battle of a lifetime. 

Now Sora had carefully planned for this particular day. Having taught David how to play Street Fighter a week or so earlier, his new protege was ready to be put to the test. Truth be told there was nobody that could come even close to beating Sora. He was the champ. Yet he struggled for the first time when playing against David. The kid was insane. How he was able to become so good in such a short amount of time... Nobody knew. I mean the kid's entire existence was a mystery, but Sora could care less about the details. The most important thing was this guy could play Street Fighter and he was a beast. Who knows the kid might prove to be a worthy challenger.

 

Sora furiously mashed several buttons unleashing a combo in perfect synchronization. It was at this moment when Sora realized David had stopped playing. Glancing over his shoulder revealed a troubled teenage boy. 

 

"Hey, what's wrong? Givin' up already?" Sora taunted, as he proceeded to fire off multiple hadokens.

 

David simply turned toward Sora before speaking up, "Uh... I have to use the restroom. I'll be back!"

 

This response left Sora slightly confused, but at the same time he didn't really care. There were plenty of games in this arcade after all.

 

"Alright. I'll be hanging around the arcade a little longer just look for me when you're done."

 

With his Master gone, David felt a sense of relief. He had suddenly felt a servant somewhere out there making his or her presence known. The presence he felt wasn't menacing, but he could feel the servant calling out both servants and masters alike. He decided to go scout the area and see what was going on.

 

There were bound to be other participants of the war there after all.

Edited by Chizzy, 06 November 2014 - 04:41 AM.

[Wandering Rogue]

Rick - Rider

 

~I dreamed a dream the other night,~
~Lowlands, Lowlands, away, my John.~
~My love she came dressed all in white,~

~My Lowlands away~

 

Rick groaned pitifully as pawed at his head to try and hold it together while it felt like splitting apart.  He cursed loudly in the vague direction of the singer but if they heard him they made no show of stopping.  In fact, the young mage could of sworn it got several degrees louder instead.  Forcing himself to sit up, Rick came to the realization that he was stark naked and to top it off nothing resembling clothing was anywhere to be seen.  Which was odd.  Seeing as how this was the cabin he'd taken for himself and left all his luggage at.  He didn't need to think long about it though, after all, the culprit was still nearby singing quite contentedly.

 

~And bravely in her bosom fair,~
~Lowlands, Lowlands, away, my John.~
~A red, red love did my love wear.~
~My Lowlands away.~

 

He wasn't going to find so much as a stitch of clothing.  Rick knew it and so rather than time rifling through drawers long since cleaned out he decided to confront the problem head on.  Filled with an indignant, not to mention hungover, fury he left the room.  Not before he grabbed his knife though.  As odd as it may be for a naked man to be carrying around his own yacht it only felt prudent to face her armed.  That's right.  It was his yacht.  He had won it fair and square by killing it's previous owner with a knife.  This  knife no less.  Actually, it was in this very room he was walking through right now.  

 

~I bound the weeper round my head,~
~Lowlands, Lowlands, away, my John.~
~For now I knew my love was dead.~
~My Lowlands away.~

 

Honestly, had the guy chosen the spot intentionally?  Sort of a just in case the catalyst hadn't been enough or something.  Like the smell of liquor would bring her.  To be fair, right after Rick had killed the bastard and completed her summoning she had gone straight to the bar without so much as a greeting.  Said something about it'd been too long since she'd had a drink as if that explained it.  She'd also applauded his guts in killing her would be master and taking his place.  Rider clearly wasn't a typical servant which suited Rick just fine seeing as how he was a far cry from your typical master.  Right now though he was just happy that she'd cleaned away his blood.  Can't imagine how much of a buzzkill it is to see that kind of mess.

 

~And then awoke to hear the cry,~

~Lowlands, Lowlands, away, my John.~
~'Oh, watch on~
~deck, oh, watch ahoy!'~
~My Lowlands away.~

 

Rick came upon her singing happy as could be out on deck with some kind of blanket on her lap.  Curious as that was his stinging brain and exposed bits demanded justice.  Course the wind and sun hitting his skin helped to wake him up some and the fact he recalled just who he had about to be waving a knife at sort of took the air from his sails.  With a sigh filled with the hurt that only comes from wounded pride, Rick sat down across from his servant.  

 

"Morning, Dove.  Didn't wake ye did I?"  The glint in her eye irked him.  However, it was the way she seemed completely nonplussed at his state hurt him more as he realized something.

 

"Rider...how did I get to bed last night?"  Rick didn't care to be seen naked but the thought of being defenseless before her rankled him.

 

"Ah, that all you wanted?  Why I laid you down o' course."  The corner of her lips twisted upward at some joke she hadn't shared.  Her hands worked away at the cloth in her lap as Rick realized it wasn't a blanket.  She was sewing something.

 

"Rider, where are my.."

 

"I was gentle"

 

"Ri-"

 

"Bit o' skinship is good for the crew.  I'm a deft hand at it Dove."  She seemed quite pleased with whatever she was doing and was paying Rick the absolute minimal amount of her attention.  For his part he seemed resigned to not get the full truth out of her and changed the subject as he looked about through bleary eyes for something to drink that wouldn't burn on the way down.

 

"So anything happen yet?"

 

"Mhm.  Plenty.  This and that, here and there, and just a bit of you know what."

 

"What does it all mean, Basil?"

 

"Specific questions get specific answers.  Act the fool and you get the fool.  Savvy?"

 

"Savvy.  So...any movements involving the war?"

 

"Mhm.  Someones making a mess.  Don't worry, Dove.  Been preparing since the wee hours of the morn for us to move."

 

"Should I ask what you mean by that?"

 

"No, but you will so I'll answer anyway.  I've prepared my flag...though can't say I'm sure where to hoist it."

 

"You can't do that."

 

"The hell I can't!  Bugger off it's my flag and I can do with it whatever I want."

 

"Rider, you will be giving your identity away."

 

"The problem with that is...what again?  How can they know to fear me if they can't see me coming.  It's fucking common courtesy that the lowest scum of a sailor knows.  You show them who be coming so have time to get their affairs all in order."

 

The argument went on as they had a habit of doing until eventually it ended as they always ended.  Rider gave in and didn't hoist her flag for all to see and in return Rick would take her into town to do...whatever it was she wanted.  She had a habit of finding exactly the right place to be when she went places so it paid to let her follow her instincts.  Rick suspected she had never had any intention of raising that flag and it had all just been a ploy to get him to agree.  Which he would of had to anyway to go and get himself some new clothes.  Honestly, the fact that some servant was running wild was tertiary to his concerns.

 

Course...they would be heading there too as would most of the other servants and masters.  They couldn't rightly pass on such a buffet now could they?

Edited by Wandering Rogue, 06 November 2014 - 06:46 AM.

[Insane Soul]

Hana- Saber.

 

H-here!

 

Hana was standing inside a coffee shop, there were a couple of coffee tables and chairs, she stood next to one occupied by a middle aged man reading the newspaper. This person slowly changed the focus of his eyes, from the newspaper to the young girl who was extending her arms to him, holding a small cup of coffee, the man silently accepted this and held the cup while staring at the liquid inside for a couple of seconds. Hana stared him as the Man closed his eyes and began to raise his arm to take a sip of the coffee he was holding, the closer the cup was getting to the mouth, the slower it was getting on Hana's view, her legs started to shake as the man's lips touched the cup. He dramatically took a sip, then quickly placed the cup over the table, opened his eyes and stared at Hana.

 

W...well? Ho- I mean... How does it ta-taste?

 

The man raised the cup once again, so Hana could see it perfectly, "W-wait!" the moment he did it Hana tried to back away, but...

 

"While it is far from perfect..." he took another sip "I guess this will do"

 

"*sigh* Finally..." Hana sat in front of him, exhausted from her ordeal. 

 

"I would be delighted if you refined your skills in this matter, Master. I only drink the finest coffee"

 

"But...I told you I tried my best"

 

"Pardon? You mean that 'Black Water' of yours was your best?"  Black Water, that is how he adressed the coffee Hana prepared to him every morning, and of course, everytime he tasted it, he threw the cup disgusted. Fearing more damage, she resorted into taking him to a Coffee shop, or rather, multiple coffee shops, as the previous ones banned them from entering after he threw the cup at the manager multiple times. This was her seventh try, a gamble that finally paid off.

 

"Nonsense, no Master of mine will lack knowledge in such crucial matter, If I must, I will teach you personally!"

 

"Well, at least this place allowed us to enter, people are already wary of us, your rampage got us a bad reputation" 

"Excuse me, but I respectfully asked them to give me a better meal" 

 

"It would be helpful if you tried it without throwing cups and plates at people".  She held her head as she recalled conmotions that Saber caused her by the same cause. Tears started to gather in her eyes "Is not only you, everyone is giving me the bad eye lately as well... how did I come across such a troublesome servant!" she yelled and pointed at him, Saber stared at her silently as he finished his coffee, he placed the cup on the table.

 

"*chuckle* Perhaps I should demonstrate what someone like me is capable off?, If so, I would be delighted to show you" he quickly stood up, and gracefully took Hana's hands. "Let us go then!" He then dragged Hana with him, whatever he sensed, it was a good opportunity to show off.

 

"W..wait!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Insane Soul, 06 November 2014 - 05:21 PM.

[Mors]

Chapter 2 - Enemy at the Gates

 

Lancer stood at the center of the abandoned construction site, growing more impatient by the second. The other servants heard his challenge, he was certain of it, though still none appeared before him. They were all supposedly great heroes, but all they did was hide themselves and skulk in the shadows like rats. It didn't matter much to him - he was fine letting those snakes continue with their plots and schemes, all of them would eventually crumble before his might. He was getting more and more restless though. His mind wandered back to his conversation with his "master" that morning.

 

"What do you mean you're going out to challenge them? We have to think about this we-" the magus was cut off mid sentence by Lancer's spear. "You only summoned me to this world, but dare to call yourself my 'master'? I obey no man. Your treacherous magics are nothing before the might of my blade. I don't need more strength or wisdom! Having you around will only weigh me down." Lancer's master faded away too fast to use a command seal. A boring end for a pitiable man.

 

Lancer had enough waiting. If revealing himself was not enough, then he simply had to go one step further. "Is there no one? Are you all cowards? Argh! I wish to wield my blade in battle! I do not care who! Come and face me! Come and face the great Lu Bu!" Then with a defiant roar he slammed his pole arm against the ground causing the entire area to tremble.

 

---

 

"Colonel, do you need assistance? What's going on over there?" cracked the officers voice in the walkie. Though they were positioned too far away to see the Servant, they certainly heard and felt his challenge. 

 

"Stand down officer. Don't worry, Inspector Katsuragi and I have the situation under control," Archer responded.

 

"Alright sir, we're waiting on standby in case you-" the officers words were cut short by a sudden cry of pain.

 

"Officer Kanagi, are you there? Respond," Archer spoke back. They had Lancer under close surveillance, so it had to have been someone else. Another servant perhaps?

 

"Maaan, I know Master said not to kill anyone, but I just couldn't help myself... this really sucks. Even in this era, police are just no fun to murder. Maybe it's the uniform...huh? Hey what's this? Some sort of phone? Hello? Is anyone there? Do you mind if I cut you open a bit? Hellooooo?"

 

---

 

Rider stood at the bow of her newly commandeered vessel, materializing her small telescope to survey the area. In both her time and this one she felt that nothing beat the fresh salty scent of the ocean and the beautiful gleam of the sunrise against the waters. At her master's request, she refrained from hoisting her flag and in exchange he took her shopping! That too was as agreeable as ever, and she found she enjoyed this time's fashion quite a lot, now wearing a tattered shirt and jeans giving her somewhat of a punk look. It was even worth losing her flag - at least for the time being. She was certain her master would come around in time.

 

At the edge of the water she noticed a suspicious looking duo sitting on a small dingy.

 

"Caster, what are we doing all the way out here? Didn't you say that some Servants have already begun fighting? We should go there and gather information!" whined the young man. He was even younger than Rider's master and didn't seem suited at all for war.

 

"Quiet, idiot boy!" crooned the other one. Her voice sounded like it belonged to an old woman while she, herself, looked like a young woman though it was hard to tell under the cloak. "How does the saying go in this era? Oh, right. You shouldn't eat where you shit!" and then she gave out another mad cackle.

 

Rider couldn't tell exactly what the duo were up to, but it was almost certainly no good. She felt a sudden surge of magic radiating from Caster's boat and the water began to ripple and boil.

 

 

Omake Chapter - Archer Vice

 

Archer had mixed feelings about his new Master. It was nice to have someone he could get along with, but having a Master that didn't know any magecraft was a distinct disadvantage in this war. And it seemed to him that Sora still didn't fully understand the situation he was in - that they were engaged in a life and death struggle for the Holy Grail.

 

Having no interest in Arcade Games, Archer left Sora to go deal with the situation on his own. On the way there, he was distracted by a sign on the street.

 

"O-oh heavenly father, I h-had no idea that you have created such a p-paradise in this world," Archer proclaimed aloud, rubbing some blood away from his nose. The sign in front of him read: Mixed Bathhouse.

 

"B-but one such as I shan't be tempted by such e-earthly desires," he said walking away.

 

"No! My all loving lord wouldn't put such a miracle in this time for no reason. Clearly I was meant to...take a...quick peek!"

 

And then Archer, hailed as a Saint and benevolent king during his time, ascended into his modern paradise. 

Edited by Mors, 07 November 2014 - 10:20 PM.