[M] Fate/Abyss (IC)

[Fleija Croze]

Three Days before The War.

"A pen with blood for ink?" The remark was made towards a blonde woman wearing what is most appropriate for forest trekking. He can see her crouched down, making symbols that seem vaguely familiar.

"It allows runes to be inscribed within mere seconds." With a *Snap* she stabbed the now broken- And jagged bat bone in the center of the transparent film, activating it while anchoring it to the root of a tree. Unlike flashier runes, this one wouldn't glow. Not to mention it would be nigh-impossible to find it at night. It doesn't even exude any leaked prana without a bounded field to seal it inside. Her mother's witchcraft combined with her father's formalcraft.

"What does this do?"

"It works similar to radio triangulation. While you were practicing your shooting, I was placing them along the perimeter of the city." She stood up and pocketed the pen before walking back to their hotel room. This was the last rune among an entire series. The man had only decided to accompany his master after knocking down some cans placed on Fuyuki Bridge.

Her father's hero was standing next to her yet she felt nothing. She would look at him and he would look at her yet no words would come out from either's lips. Perhaps it was the hunters' understanding- Always keep silent, for the woods not only contain game, but also danger. Fuyuki City's woods were not in the same arctic environment as they both lived in, but a forest was still dangerous.

Two Days before The War.

"That's a unique rifle you have."

"It is a custom-built semi-automatic rifle chambered for .338 Lapua. It carries some special traits, but it can be best explained after I hit a target."

"Ah, so we both use rifles..." Assassin can't help but admire the rifle, however, it carries a detail that irks him. He cannot bother to mention it, as he fights using his style, as his master fights with hers. However, if she's using a rifle, then it could only mean that her magecraft was lacking. It was rudimentary, but lacking- At least for a direct confrontation.

The weak always find a way to topple the strong- Namely, to strike when they're at their most vulnerable and ensure they cannot strike back. His class and her fighting style were suitable to one-another. He had been summoned by an arrogant master before- Every fight felt awkward- A game of cat and mouse. His master would pretend to be the servant while he dispatches the enemy master before his gets obliterated. Unfortunately, midway along the war, his master died. He had independent action as a skill and lasted for a day before disappearing.

"Assassin. Do you want to explore the town some more?" Almiira was still busy tinkering with her rifle and hadn't bothered to look in his direction.

That one day was enough for him to explore good territories for fighting, but no more. His master also hadn't tried to explore more than the places where she left runes. However, she appeared rather busy.

He shrugged, "Why not tomorrow?"

"Alright."

[TheExiledChampion]

Three Days Before The War

It was an peaceful evening at Lyle's apartment, most of the lights were off at certain rooms. Those that were was the hallway and the dinner room/kitchen, which has the lingering aroma of cooked food as Lyle and his guest were having their dinner. Eating at opposite ends of an table, Lyle at one end and a young woman at the other. Now this would be consider romantic somewhat, but it wasn't, there was no candles on the tables and so forth. It was a only a pleasant dinner between two people, one of which was Veronica Chalmers. An dear childhood friend of Dalila, who requested to help Lyle with the Grail Wars.

Veronica look around a bit with a confuse face, "isn't Lancer going to dine with us?" Veronica asked as she kept looking for the said Lancer, wondering where he had gone too. "He told me that eating isn't necessary for him, but I've made plenty in case he changed his mind." Lyle explained to her as he continue eating, not looking to her as he speaks. "I see...Is everything settle for the next few days?" Veronica asked as she look up at him, finding it difficult to fall for his charming looks. Which made her feel guilty as she grew to like him, only she can tell that Lyle is still aching over the lost of his family. Lyle may not show it, but the pain is still in his eyes and Veronica can see them clearly like anyone else could.

"I've placed several bounded fields in key locations last few weeks, placed a few more yesterday as well." Lyle answered as he took a sip of his tea, finishing it as he soon gathered his dirty dishes and headed to the kitchen. While Veronica remained seated as she pick at what remains of her food, then with a long sigh, she gather up her own dishes and join Lyle in the Kitchen. "Thank you for dinner, I best be going now before it get dark." Veronica explained as she look at Lyle, who was busy cleaning the dishes by hand. "You're welcome, it was nice to have company. Stay safe alright, we're visitors here after all." Lyle stated as he look to Veronica, giving his farewells and watch her leave. Then return to cleaning the dishes, scrubbing down on them with a sponge.

---

One Days Before The War

"So you denied knowing the Valdes plot against my family?" Lyle ask as he look at an elderly nervous man name Duncan Skidmore, he was a good friend of his father and was the same man that introduce Lyle with Vance Valdes. Since the day of Lyle's wife and son were killed, Duncan vanished few days afterwards. Took almost whole four months till he was found and a week to be brought too Fuyuki City, just so Lyle can have a private discussion with Duncan. Taking him to an local cafe as he reserved a room under another alias, which would make any attempt of attack be impossible within a public place.

"I'm telling Lyle, I didn't know that they plan to kill you. You gotta trust me, I had no part in their ploy to killing your family." Duncan explained as he pleaded with the other Magus, who just stared at him with an blank expression as he sit with his right leg resting on top the other. "Trust you...the fact that I took the boy under your encouragement of him being a great pupil, who turn out to be spying on me and my family to plan an assassination attempt on me." Lyle spoke out as he lean forward with hands entwine together as his chin rest on it, staring directly at the Magus sitting opposite from him. "How should I trust someone after that, it was only because of you being a good friend to my father that I trusted your words. which my family paid for with their lives!" Lyle exclaimed with a angry tone, which brought chills to Duncan's spine as he stared back more frighten than nervous. Lyle sighed as he close his eyes before speaking up again, "Go...we'll continue another time, just know that if you try to leave...I'll know and we won't be talking again." Lyle stated as he finished with a faint menacing tone in his voice, which Duncan picked him as he tried to keep a calm demeanor before exiting from the room.

"That was mild cold," spoken an masculine voice as Lancer materialize from behind the chair Lyle was sitting on. "Do you really believe he was working with them?" Lancer asked as he look toward Lyle sat, despite being blindfolded. "Would you if you gone through what I had to endure?" Lyle ask him instead of answering as he look to where his Servant stood, seeing he was dress in an classy black suit that went well with his long shaggy hair and complexion. "It was hard to tell, but he was clearly frighten about something. You perhaps or the Valdes family, but he clearly scared about something." Lancer explain with a faint grin as he uncollapsed an cane such as Lyle was getting off his seat, who wore a similar style attire. Only he had the coat open and no tie was around his neck, a white button shirt was under the coat with one button not done and the collar mildly folded.

The two soon exited from the reserved room that was at the far back of the main area of the cafe, already getting looks from customers. Mostly at Lancer as he stood out the most with his apparent blindness, since it was more of an odd sight in the room. Lyle didn't pay them any mind till he caught the glimpse of two other foreigners visiting the cafe, two young women of different height. One was an tall blonde woman and the other an dark hair woman of average height, those two gave Lyle pause as he discreetly look at them as they pass. Lancer politely excusing himself by them after lightly tapping the dark hair girl's foot with his cane and gently pushing the taller woman aside.

When the two men were a block or so from the cafe, Lancer grasped Lyle's shoulder as he whispered into his ear. "We best be cautious, those two are more than just foreign visitors." Lancer warned with an worried and cautious tone, causing his Lyle to be at guard after hearing Lancer's warning. "Let not waste time then," Lyle replied as the two begin to make haste back to Lyle's apartment. Lancer vanishing from sight when no was looking.

[TheDoctor]

First Night of the War
9:24pm - Fuyuki Church

Father Lachlan O'Riley tapped the chessboard in thought, noting the symbols underneath each piece. Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Berserker, Assassin. All 7 classes had been summoned, it was time for the War to start in full. He'd been aware of the movements of a number of Masters before the War actually began, but there was nothing in the rules against that. All he had to do was make sure that they didn't do anything to blow their cover or put the city itself in danger. It was a simple enough job on paper, however he felt that he'd need to take a more heavy-handed role. He wasn't going to sit by and let people do what they wanted to do if it would endanger people. As an Executor, he couldn't allow that.

Picking up one of the pieces, the Priest looked it over carefully. Saber, the most powerful Class. If he was going to truly keep an eye on the War, that would be the place to start. He believed in his skills enough to remain hidden and out of the way, but what if someone did find him? With a frown, he set the piece back down and left the room. Perhaps it wasn't the right time, yet, but he'd have to remain cautious. The entire War reeked of espionage and he wasn't going to fall victim to it.

~~~~~

"What do you mean, I have to fight the Grail War now?"

Ayame Mizuki stood in front of her Servant with her hands on her hips, a dissatisfied frown on her face. She wore an evening outfit of a skirt and blouse with high socks and shoes, and her purse was draped over her shoulder. Her wonderful Servant had interrupted her just before she had left her house to convene with her friends for a night out, and frankly she didn't understand why. No one knows I'm a Master, so I don't see why this is a problem! This is between Servants, not Masters! "So you mean I can't go out and have a good time before I get thrown into this stupid war? That's ridiculous."

"To be honest," Saber yawned as she stretched, showing off all her curves in just the right ways. "I wouldn't really care that you were off doing your own thing, but I can't let you go and have fun on your own. If I'm going to be trudging around in the dark, I'd prefer to have a cute, young girl with me."

With a small smile, Saber let her eyes dart up and down Ayame's figure; not hiding her intentions in the slightest. Ever since the summoning, she'd been nothing but trouble. Constantly following her Master around, asking inane questions, making daily rituals a lot more difficult and acting more and more sultry by the minute. It didn't help that the only clothes she bothered to wear was something akin to a skintight bodysuit, which she adamantly refused to trade out for anything else. Something about showing off her "godly assets" or some other similarly stupid thing.

"Not to mention, I'd rather not have you get caught out and die on the first night. Useless or not, you are my Master..." Saber grinned a toothy grin. "Or would you rather test the theory that I really do need you around, A~ya~me?"

Ayame's eyes widened as she blushed with frustration and embarrassment. "You fucking perv!" She crossed her arms and turned slightly in an attempt to hide from her Servant's gaze. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Aren't Servants supposed to listen to Masters, not try to seduce them?" Shaking her head with a sigh, ponytails bouncing across her shoulders, she reached for the doorknob. "Fine, come with me, but you better stay phantasmal. If people see you with me when you're dressed like that," she gestured at Saber's clothes. "I'm gonna get shit for it too, and we'll get unwanted attention."

Opening the door, Ayame rolled her eyes. She might be the most powerful of the Servants, but she's horrible to deal with. I just want this to be over with.

"I better stay phantasmal, huh?" Saber snickered as she did just that. "Well, I suppose I can do that for you, my oh-so-wonderful Master. Don't forget what we're out and about for; I'm more than happy to turn corporeal to ruin your night if you start doing something pointless. If I don't get my blood pumping by the end of the night, I'll be taking it on you, okay~?"

Saber's words were so sickeningly sweet that it was nearly impossible to shrug off, her entire presence demanded attention and her actual appearance only made up about half of it. Even worse was the phrasing, she was serious about letting her frustrations out on her Master; but how she planned on letting it out was another matter entirely. Oh, there were a lot of choices... Saber nearly licked her lips at the prospect of it.

Ayame halted halfway through the door as Saber threatened her, becoming somewhat worried for her state of well-being by the end of the night. There was something she had on Saber, though. Something that Saber could never take away from her, something that rendered her powerless. Raising her clenched fist, she showed Saber the back of her hand. It was marked by crimson Command Seals in the shape of an elaborate and decorative three-pronged claw. "Yeah, we'll see about that."

Stupid bitch. With a humph, she turned away from Saber and left the Mizuki mansion. Fuyuki was only a short train ride away, and the train station was a walkable distance. Maybe if I get lucky, she won't screw up my night so bad that I have to use one of those.

~~~~~

Axel stood on the top of a skyscraper in Fuyuki, gazing out over the electrical lights plaguing the night sky. He held a set of binoculars in one hand, enhanced by his embedded Mana to significantly increase the magnification while retaining superior clarity. The city was just as lively as it always was at the dawn of night, yet nothing of its uniform noisiness stood out to him. His other hand was tucked into his black coat pocket, closed into a tense fist. The war had begun, and he needed to initiate his plans.

But first, we need a battle. His eyes continued to scan the horizon, watching for any disturbance or flare of Mana. Someone will undoubtedly reveal themselves, and all I need to do is keep an eye on them. Retrieving his hand from his pocket, he glanced at his pocket watch before reversing the action and returning to his original position. Of course, if things become drastic, I need to prepared to react properly with swiftness. If a Servant does find me, then Caster will need to reveal himself. Otherwise, he’ll stay phantasmal and tell me anything he sees. The Servant’s presence remained in his mind, nearby and ready to materialize at a moment’s notice. He had been surprisingly accepting to Axel’s plan for the night, even if it meant staying phantasmal for a long period of time.

Sitting down upon an AC unit upon the roof, he continued to gaze at the city. But who is Saber’s Master? They have remained undetected this whole time, but with the war beginning now… He released a concerned sigh, feeling the breath exit his lungs slowly. It was only a matter of time until something broke out.

~~~~~

Ayame stepped off the train platform and onto a loan street. It was peculiarly vacant at this time of night, but she knew that things would become more populated as she entered the city. I won’t be alone for long. Well…I’m not even alone now. She’s still there. The Servant’s presence loomed over her like a hungry wolf, starving for conflict and bloodshed. She knew that keeping her Servant sated that night would be no easy task, but she was sick of her anyway. We’ll see how she likes the taste of a command seal if she dares to try anything.

Minutes later, she was walking upon a large boardwalk along the river, yet it was still eerily empty. Her destination was still ten minutes away, but the sight of the quiet water helped her pass the time. The click of her shoes against the pavement echoed against the buildings on her right and out to the river on her left. How oddly quiet. For a war, this isn’t really very violent. Dad said it’d be a bloodshed from the start. Shrugging, she continued on her way.

[Rhomeo]

First Night of the War
9:53pm - David's Workshop

Sudden laughter roused Irisviel from her nap, causing her to fall off the couch in shock. Rubbing the back of her head, she stood up and glanced around the now dark room. David sat in the single armchair, arms folded and eyes glazed over. Ah, so he was looking through Berserker's eyes then. He'd mentioned that it was the start of the War, but to begin patrols already? With a sigh, she pulled herself back onto the couch and leant back into the comfortable leather. Would he even respond if she talked to him like this?

“So, David...?” Irisviel started.

“Ah, did I wake you? I apologise, I couldn't contain myself. It looks as though we've found our first target already,” David muttered with glee, a small smile twitching at his features. “A young girl, she just waltzed straight through a preliminary field and it went crazy. The amount of energy she has... whatever Servant she's got will be ridiculous and I wouldn't mind getting a sneak peak.”

“You're going to fight her this early on?”

David's eyes turned back to normal as he turned to Irisviel, frowning. She found the sudden stare too much and quickly turned from him, as though to escape it. What was so strange about what she'd said?

“Berserker is good at surviving, if anything else. I trust in his ability to maintain a stalemate while we figure out the enemy's weakness while not revealing anything of our own. I don't even have to get him to activate Mad Enhancement, either, so we gain far more than they do.”

“What if he gets killed?” Irisviel pointed out, turning back to face David's gaze.

“Unlikely, no one would be willing to expend that much power on an opponent they just met. His parameters are... deceivingly low without the chains of madness binding him. Once I let him go, though, they'll be sorry they held back.”

---

9:54pm - Fuyuki Boardwalk

Three dozen meters ahead of the girl and her Servant, a body materialised. Red specks gathered and built up a body quite unlike that of what you'd expect from a human. An incredibly strong form, formidable looking armour and at least four different blades slung behind him from his lower back.

It probably didn't help that he was over two metres tall.

The figure opposite him was quickly joined by a similar creature, something far more dangerous. Black particles joined into a beautiful woman with a smile that would send the shivers up the spines of even the hardiest of men. There was something... very wrong with her presence. It was inhuman in a way that screamed 'You're going to die'. The killing intent washed off of her like waves from the ocean, it was something you couldn't beat.

Berserker, however, merely grinned. No words passed between the two Servants, who neither drew weapons nor made an effort for diplomacy. There was a mutual understanding, they were going to fight – they just had to receive the order. As if expecting the battle, the full moon, previously covered by the clouds; lit up the entire boardwalk. It revealed that they were the only ones in sight. It was no surprise, really, considering David had already set up a field to defer people around at night. That is, unless they had enough inate magical resistance to ignore it. This girl must have had a lot, to not only shake it off entirely but not even notice it was there.

All he needed was that order...

---

9:57pm - David's Workshop

Oh, damn.

“What's wrong, David?” Irisviel questioned as she poured her 'escort' a cup of tea.

“Her parameters are... very high,” he managed to get out.

“How high?”

“21.7% chance of victory without Mad Enhancement, 43.2% chance of victory with it.”

That was very, very bad.

“What if you used his Noble Phantasm?”

“Unsure,” David sighed as he picked up the teacup. “Assuming he could get in the first strike, 100% chance of victory. If she used a Noble Phantasm of her own, it could drop down to between 30 and 70 percent, depending on the strength. She hasn't revealed her weapon, either, there's no way to tell what Class she is.”

“With high Stats, you'd expect it to be Saber, correct?” Irisviel pointed out, raising her own teacup to her lips.

“85% chance she is Saber, indeed, but I won't jump to conclusions quite yet. I'll let this play out for now... if her Master wants to make the first move, all we need to do is react accordingly and gather information. If she has less combat experience than Berserker, we can use that to our advantage. If the girl is as inexperienced as she looks, she could be the easier target. There are a lot of variables around, after all; five of them to be exact.”

[Bionicllama]

The Morning of the War

Archer lazily got up from her bed and yawned. Last night was a long one. Lots of planning and lots of eating. Michael didn't look like it at first, but the kid was smart. He had laid out plans on a map of Fuyuki of possible battle locations. These locations were open enough to where she could use her powers effectively and not be hindered by buildings or other structures being in the way. One of which was the river area where they currently resided. She didn't fully understand his plans but Archer had faith in him to execute them perfectly. Now that she thought of it, she never really heard Michael go to his room last night.

Walking out into the hallway, she saw what she feared the most. He was, in fact, still jotting down notes and going back and forth from map to map.
"Michael, you really should-" Before she could finish Michael interrupted her. He was too involved in his work to look up, but he spoke to Archer nonetheless.

"Cleo, tell me. Which class is the strongest of the seven?"

Archer sighed at the little pet name he had given her. But, it wasn't her true name, so she would allow it. "If I had to answer truthfully, that would be Saber."

Michael kept skimming through his notes with a smile on his face. Even though dark circles were evident underneath his eyes he felt like he had more energy than ever before. "Precisely. Now tell me, would it be wiser to simply defeat Saber and his Master, or to attempt to form an alliance until the very last moment?"

"Well, I would say defeat them at the-" Again, she was cut off.

"Not the correct answer. An alliance would be the better of the two outcomes. This allows us to thoroughly examine him and his Master. At the same time we hide all of our best tricks and wait for the opportune time to strike. So you were half right. As they say, it's the best of both worlds."

Cleo sighed and leaned against the wall next to her, the white silk robe she had on flowing. "Mikey, this all sounds good and all, but you should really get some sleep. It's ten in the morning."

Michael looked down at his digital clock and grimaced. "Cleo, it's two in the afternoon."


The First Night of the War

After a good seven hour rest Michael was ready to head out. He needed to scope out the Fuyuki Bridge and see if his dimensions of the structure were correct. Is so, then it would be the ideal battlefield for Archer. He had on a black jacket with blue jeans. Along with that he wore black gloves in order to cover his command seal.
"Cleo, there's no need to go into your phantasmal form at the moment."

Archer had done so before Michael had gotten dressed. "I know this, but just in case we run into another Master we don't want them figuring out our identities early on."

Michael nodded in agreement. It made sense after all. He made sure to bring a backpack of supplies with included a quill, vile of blood, chalk, a pen, and an e-cigarette. Weird supplies to bring for a night on the town, but no one was going to check his bag randomly in the middle of street anyways. He went out of the door and cool night air hit him hard. He wasn't used to the low temperatures and quickly came to hate it. As he started to walk he noticed a young girl out on the river bank. "That's a bit strange. She seems a bit too young to be all alone." Of course she seemed younger from afar and he couldn't get the full scope of her age. Walking towards her from atop the hill where the houses and other building were, he called out to her.
"Hey, miss! You seem lost! You need directions to somewhere-" It was at this moment that a black figure appeared in front of her, and another one, this time a woman, next to her.
"Oh, shit."

Archer chuckled as she materialized next to Michael. "Guess your night of relaxation isn't going to happen, now is it, Mikey?"

"No, this is perfect. I finally get to test out my theories." He pulled out the e-cigarette and held it in his hand. Smoking wasn't his thing, but the device came in handy in situations like this.

[Fleija Croze]

First night of the War

Almiira was working on an experimental rune on her room's study table. Its ingredients were highly exotic- Fangs of various vipers, grenade shrapnel recovered from a casualty in the Gulf War, the crest of an oarfish and blood from a torture victim. After grinding the solids into powder, the blood would be boiled, and the powder mixed in before reciting some diabolic curses. It may not be wise to perform research at the very beginning of a war, yet she continued.

Assassin had materialized and was maintaining his firearms. The parts were placed on the room's coffee table along with a drawn map of the city, with the 34 detection runes Almiira used were marked with white pins. The map was not a geographical map, but a more complex civil engineering map with precise layouts of roads, their dimensions, along with weight capacity among other things. At the center was modeling clay mixed with 3 vibrant colors.

It wasn't long until the clay started making the table vibrate.

Almiira turned her head once before resuming her project. "An aura's been detected. Please note the color and location of the clay, Assassin."

"Close to the Fuyuki River. Colored red."

"That's convenient. This hotel has a balcony to watch that spot. Use presence concealment to keep hidden and observe. Bring your rifle."

"Will you be coming along?" The man asks.

"After I finish. This hotel has little very notable features to distinguish it from the Fuyuki skyline and it blends quite well with its surroundings. Do not compromise it unless it ensures victory."

"Alright."

Assassin leaves his master in the room, looking back before opening the door. Almiira paid no heed and continues to finish her project as Assassin watches the source of the aura: A muscularly-built man wearing armor and a winged woman wearing a leotard.

[Snotgirl]

First night of the war
9:59


The first night of the war had just begun, so Maria found it imperative that she take the initiative. However, it seemed that a few had already done so. Using a small flock of birds as familiars, she’d set them about, flying over various areas of interest. The bridge, parks, forests, and so on. At around 10 pm, a single bird flying around the Fuyuki Boardwalk spotted three figures in the night. One was a tall imposing man in armor, the woman opposite him sporting some sort skin tight suit, and behind her stood…a child? Maria frowned at that. Clearly the two were Servants. The massive amounts of prana within them were far too great for any Magus.

Maria’s first instinct was to simply head straight there. To either fight them head on or watch and gather information. But then she had a thought; nobody was obligated to fight through the night. In Sierra Leone, there had been factions within both the military and the rebels. Sometimes they fought together, oft times, against another. And in every battle, there was always at least one observer from every faction, trying to find the weaknesses as the two sides bloodied another, ready to take action at a single glimpse of weakness. It won’t be any different here. On a much smaller scale, but in this war, information is vital. Revealing a Servant’s true name could at best, be a mild annoyance, or at worst, lead to a Servant’s downfall.

There will no doubt be observers here as well. They will have their eyes strictly on the battle between the two Servants. If I can strike down a Master now before he has a chance to react…

At that, Maria thrust open a locker, and glanced through a rack of firearms, looking for the few perfect for the situation. Taking out a Master from long range was preferable, but if worse came to worse, she would need another weapon for the inevitable close range fight. Licking her lips, Maria picked out two and set them on a steel table set against the wall. Both were black as night, compact, had different specializations, yet were both only suited to one purpose; to kill.

One weapon was the VSK-94, a suppressed sniper rifle used by the Russian Spetsnaz. It chambered what was essentially a 7.62 mm rifle cartridge with a revised neck to seat a 9mm parabellum round. It was accurate up to 1300 feet, give or take. Not exactly the most long range weapon, but considering she was in an urban environment at night, the suppressor would limit both sound and visual detection. The other weapon was compact and light. The FAMAE SAF was favored by Chilean armed forces. Normally, the gun would take 9mm rounds, but this had been modified to shoot .40 Smith & Wesson rounds, thereby giving the weapon a heavier punch. One that would be sorely needed should Maria run into a Magus that used barriers.

“Rider, we’re leaving now.” Maria said curtly, “Stay in phantasmal form until we reach our destination. No need to draw attention to ourselves before we launch our own attack.” Quickly breaking down the sniper rifle, she put it into a small backpack. For the FAMAE, she simply folded the stock inwards and placed inside something akin to an overlarge handbag. Hefting both bags, Maria stepped out of a seemingly abandoned building.

Rider, who’d been relayed the images that Maria had seen, stayed silent. Now that the war had truly begun, Rider could breathe easier. The time waiting for this moment was excruciating. Now that it was finally here, Rider could barely contain her excitement. Not only was the war starting, now she would be able to fight. In her legend, she was known as “The stormy one”. One wouldn’t find it hard to figure out why either.

The boardwalk actually wasn’t too far from Maria’s base, Rider noted. In fact, it was almost directly in the middle of major predicted battle sites. Rider could only nod in approval. Maria’s planning was already starting to pay off. The battle itself was actually across the river.

Setting off at a jog, Maria started off towards the boardwalk. Switching between the various eyes of the familiars, she bade one to fly a little closer to the inevitable battle. But as the bird flew in, Maria noticed a third party entering; another young man, with a look of surprise on his face as he gawked at the Servants. Perhaps an unaffiliated party? Or another Master? The look on his face looked genuine thought. No one important. The ones who mattered right now were the Servants. She looked at the armored man’s stats.

“Well, that’s something else.” Maria muttered.

“What is it, Master?”

“The armored Servant’s parameters are…surprisingly low. It’s entirely possible that you won’t have to resort to using your personal skills should you fight him.” Disappointing, Rider thought.

“The woman though. Ridiculous.” Maria sucked in her next breath through her teeth and clenched her fists. A true contender. “This one will be real trouble.”

“Any guesses at their classes?” Rider inquired. Rounding a corner, Maria shook her head. “The man looks like he could fit the Saber class to a tee what with the swords and all, yet his stats don’t reflect that. It may be that Saber was summoned underneath an exceptionally weak Master.”

They were close. Already Maria could see it in the distance. “The woman hasn’t yet revealed her weapon. But her stats are extremely high. Her class is unknown.” Maria frowned. The visual and stat information were contradicting each other. This wouldn’t be as easy as Maria hoped.

As they made their way, a few pedestrians cast curious glances at the foreign woman running in the night but none stopped her. There was no more conversation between Maria and Rider as both were intent on the target ahead.

Drawing close, Maria stopped and looked around. No one was around. “Rider, I need you to draw as close as you can and observe the battle.”

“What? What will you be doing?” Rider asked in confusion. Rider had expected the both of them to stay together. It was dangerous and foolish for a Master to stray by themselves.

“Looking for other Masters. Don’t worry though; I don’t intend to stray far from you.” Maria smiled at Rider, “If I run into another Servant, you’ll be the first to know.” Rider hesitated. This was a risky plan. If Maria fell on the first night, it would mean the end for both of them, before the war had truly begun. Maria sighed, raised her hand, showing Rider a single black glove on her hand. “Believe me; I’m not as fragile as you think I am.”

There was a moment of silence, before Maria felt assent from the Servant. “Alright. I’ll do as you say. Maximize efficiency and all that, right?” Soon thereafter, Rider melted away towards the battle across the river. Maria looked around and grimaced. This close to the Fuyuki River, there wasn’t exactly high points of elevation. The best she could do was what seemed like a small building that looked like it contained transformers. Sighing, Maria climbed to the top and unzipped the backpack. Reassembling took as little time as it would to tie her shoes. Loading a clip into the weapon, Maria cocked the charging lever and heard a satisfying clacking sound. Through the scope, Maria noticed the tense little group. Not much had changed. Checking her watch, Maria had found about 15 minutes had passed, yet almost not a single move had been made. The armored man and the woman still stood in the same spot. The…child…was stock still as well. She was glancing between the woman facing away from her and the armored Servant.

The girl must be a Master but how could a child be let into the war? The Grail War wasn’t some friendly competition. The girl had a high chance of ending up dead. Maria placed the crosshairs on her chest. Probably at the hands of Maria. Maria’s finger hovered over the trigger. I don’t even know for sure if she’s a Master. For all I know, she could just be a bystander, someone at the wrong place at the wrong time. It happened more often than people think. Maria bit her lip and lowered the gun.

Closing her eyes, Maria flitted through the visions of her familiars, looking for other sources of targets. Nothing. Pedestrians in the distance, the small group at the boardwalk, and nothing else notable. Sending the familiars different directions around the boardwalk, she willed the birds to fly higher. Their superior eyesight would be able to spot anyone lurking in the general area, although-----Wait. A bird had flown towards the skyscrapers and turned back in another flyby over the group. Back, back to the building. The familiar obediently wheeled about.

Someone was sitting on one of the skyscrapers. Sitting almost comfortably on an AC unit, his legs swung back and forth in the gentle breeze, his eyes clearly fixed on the group below. What the hell…? The man was staring intensely at the Fuyuki boardwalk, as though he were expecting something. No way…

From this distance, Maria wouldn’t be able to sense any prana. In fact, he was nearly out of range of the rifle. It would be a hell of a shot. Bystanders were usually killed if they caught a battle between Servants. Maria willfully didn’t think about the girl with the twin ponytails. If she fired and missed, the worst that would happen would he would be startled if he were only a civilian. But if he was a Master, he would instantly know about the attack. Not the exact location, but the general direction. Maria’s finger once again hovered near the trigger.

Master!
Maria’s finger jerked off the trigger, startled out of her reverie by Riders voice.

“What?”

Riders voice was unusually tense.

“I-I think I know who the man is.”

What?!

“I know. Who. He. IS. “ Rider enunciated every word. “How? Tell me.” Maria, her urgency was almost tangible.

There was only the sound of laughter.

“I took him. I’m the one who took him to the afterlife.”

[TheDoctor]

Oh?

Axel pushed himself from the AC unit and walked calmly to the edge of the building, raising the binoculars to his eyes. The two Servants that had just appeared were both quite intimidating, one in appearance and one in stats. The tall man with the broadswords held surprisingly low stats for a Servant while the smaller winged lady with the leotard held quite a high parameter. She must be Saber with those stats, unless she is another class with an extremely powerful Mage as her Master. Assuming that the girl behind her is said Master, then I don't believe that that is the case. But if that is the case, then who is the man? His gaze was fixed upon the enormous Servant. Logic says that he is either Lancer or Berserker, although any of the other classes are possible. Regardless, his stats tell me that he won't stand a chance against Caster's skills.

Suddenly, he was informed of another presence, a black-haired man and another feminine figure who materialized beside him upon a hill next to the imminent battlefield. Another Servant. It seems that I'm not the only one who is watching. She was too far away for Axel to get a glimpse of her parameters, and he considered sending in Caster to provide an analysis. But if he becomes exposed, then they will be able to pick up that of his own stats. No, he'll have to wait. The binoculars lowered again as he exhaled slowly, watching for any sign of unpredicted movement. Where is he, anyway?

Wait, what's this? His eyebrows furrowed into a frown as he raised his binoculars to the scene between the lady and the giant. The girl who Axel assumed to be the female Servant's Master was strutting towards her Servant angrily with little regard to the imminent showdown. What is she doing?

~~~~~

"What are you doing, you idiot?!"

Ayame grabbed Saber's arm, yanking her towards her. "I told you to stay phantasmal! I don't want some girl in a freaking swimsuit appearing in front of me whenever someone approaches! God, I look like a freak!" She clenched her fist holding the command seals, her shoulders hunching in anger. "I'm already late to meet up with my friends, and now this? Why don't we just go around him and let me enjoy my last freaking night before this stupid war?!"

Saber's laugh covered the boardwalk quickly, expanding her presence and making her feel larger than she was. Neither pushing her Master's arm off, nor making any aggressive moves towards either of the nearby Servants; she decided instead to turn towards Ayame. Smiling brightly at the young girl's expectant gaze, she nearly considered cutting her down for her absolute stupidity.

"Ayame~, do me a favour and look at that man over there, okay?" Saber started with a bittersweet tone. "If you really, really think he's a human, then let go of my arm and walk around him right now. If you survive, I'll let you have your night! If not, well, I guess I'll just have to play with him all alone."

Ayame squeezed Saber's arm tighter, but she doubted that she even felt the pressure. Ugh! Is it so hard for a girl to have a night out without getting harassed? With a dissatisfied humph, she released her arm and crossed her own, inclining her head towards the man in front of them. "Fine. So much for a fun night. Saber, destroy him, and make it fast." Maybe if we make it quick and quiet then I can still meet up with my friends.

"Roger!" Saber announced before turning back to her opponent. A single step forward to partially block Ayame, a sultry grin and a twitch from the wings behind her. She reached her right hand out to her side as a tarnished golden blade appeared in it, forming from minute particles that clumped into a wicked shape. The blade itself was beautiful, but it felt corrupted; as though its original purpose had been twisted into something far more brutal. It could only count as a short sword by its length, but in the hands of such a monster... her grin widened. With so many spectators, she'd have to put on a good show.

[Rhomeo]

10:00pm – Fuyuki Boardwalk

Berserker's hands reached behind his back to pull two weapons free of their sheaths. In comparison to Saber's weapon, they were behemoths. Quite nearly the size of his opponent, it would be sensible to assume both swords were meant to be wielded with two-hands each. His solid grip and straight face, however, revealed that it didn't bother him in the slightest. Combat for him was about utilising every strength he could muster as well as abusing the obvious weaknesses of his opponent. Size and strength, mixed with huge weapons that people couldn't move past had made him a terror on the battlefield.

On the other hand, Saber was totally relaxed with the intricate shortsword in hand. Its shape was strange, as though its purpose wasn't really to be a weapon. Complex patterns, tarnished by the now darkened corruption of its owner suggested something far more delicate than combat. Still smiling, Saber lifted the weapon towards Berserker.

“Normally I'd play around, but she did say to be quick... you don't mind if I kill you in one blow, right? It'd help scare off all these perverts watching in, too~.”

Without a response from the stoic man, all she could do was shake her head. If he didn't want to play along, then there was only one thing to do. Flicking the sword to her side, her body tensed. The wings twitched ever so slightly as her smile broke out into a grin.

Bang.

It was as though she'd gone super-sonic, the ground at her feet cracking as she sprang forward towards her opponent. The gust of wind from the now unfurled wings blew Ayame's skirt up, although there wouldn't be a soul that would have their eyes on her at this point. In less than a second, Saber had closed over thirty metres of distance, her sword sweeping straight for Berserker's head. Through pure combat experience, both of his blades shifted up to meet hers; stopping it mere inches away from his neck.

Insane. No way. Both of his arm's were shaking in an attempt to hold back her blow, while she looked like it was totally natural. The sheer strength in her one arm trumped his in a way he couldn't respond with. Grunting, he pushed out with all his might in an attempt to get her away. Snickering, she played along and jumped back a half dozen metres, landing lightly on one foot.

“Very nice, but let's see you do that when I'm right here, big boy,” she cooed.

“Berserker, activate Mad Enhancement.”

As Saber exploded forward once again, so did Berserker's muscles explode in size. The constricted armour literally broke in some places, leaving his arms half uncovered. His eyes clouded over in a haze and his mouth curled up into a permanent snarl. His arms swung up to meet Saber's blade, his strength matching hers almost perfectly. Surprised, Saber responded with another swing from the other direction, but he deflected it with one blade and made to swing at her with another.

Clucking her tongue, Saber deftly jumped back to avoid it. Not allowing her a chance to retreat, he leapt forward as she had earlier, throwing the offensive onto her. His blows rained down on her constantly, forcing her to deflect and dodge every blow as though it were a deadly dance. Whereas her combat style seemed to be based entirely on instinct, his was still very controlled. Despite the madness covering his expression and inhuman snarls escaping his lips, his arms still acted as though he had full control of his mind. So he was the type who'd used madness as a fuel, rather than let it consume him? How dangerous.

Responding with a particularly vicious counter attack, Saber ducked in and swept straight at Berserker's lower torso. Avoiding it by jumping back, Saber quickly did the same and brought her spare hand up to her mouth. Biting through the thin red material, she drew blood from her thumb before smearing it along the blade. Expecting foul play, Berserker tried to rush her before she could complete whatever she was trying to do.

Far too late.

The sword exploded into flames, forcing even Berserker to fall back almost instantly. Heat pulsed from it with a strength he didn't want to mess with, however Saber didn't seem fazed in the slightest. Her Magic Resistance must have been ridiculous to hold that thing in her hand.

“Now you've pissed me off.”

Saber took a single step forward, the intense inferno in her right hand burning bright. If he could still attack her with a strategy with that sort of strength, she was going to have a hard time; best to go all out then. Body tensing, the ground beneath her crumbled as she leapt forward. Meeting her from his defensive position, Berserker did everything he could to keep the blade as far from his body as possible. The flames occasionally curved from the blade in an attempt to touch his skin, but his constant parries and deflections left it too far from his body to inflict any damage.

Realising that her current assault wasn't achieving anything, she decided on a new strategy. Blade swung errantly, she made as though she was going for another blow towards his head. As a blade moved to parry her, she dove right underneath the other blade and struck out with her left hand as a fist.

Surprised and unable to react, Berserker took the full force from her blow and went flying back. Feet slamming into the ground, he quickly stabled himself before glancing down towards the armour. The area she'd hit had entirely crumpled in, now a twisted piece of steel. Some of the metal had actually turned totally inwards and was now cutting into his abdomen, shown by the rivulets of blood that trickled out onto his greaves.

A savage grin crept onto his face as he stared down at his opponent. Her expression shifted ever so slightly, noting that rather than decreasing, the killing intent from him had severely increased. There was no decline in combat prowess, it felt like he'd gotten stronger. That was... exciting.

Rider watched as the armored Servant was blown back by the blow. The girl had done it with her fist. She was obviously extremely strong. Rider felt her heart rate pick up. This is what she'd been waiting for. A true battle between Heros, having the ability to cross blades from different stages of time. Truly a spectacle to behold.

"Master, I'm going to reveal myself." There was a wave of confusion on Maria's end, then silence as Rider waited for her to weigh the benefits.

"Okay." came the answer. Smiling broadly, particles of white clustered together, slowly building into Riders form. As she materialized, her wooden shield and long spear did as well. Only a few feet from Berserker, she turned her helmeted head, long blonde hair freely flowing, and said, "O mighty king, surely you're having no problems with this little girl!". Rider gave a light laugh.

Once swirling with total rage, Berserker's eyes cleared. That in itself was insane, a Berserker lapsing from Mad Enhancement was nigh-on impossible without a Command Seal. Especially on the level of insanity he was just working with.

“Is that-?” Berserker's words were cold, yet layered with wisdom. It was the voice you'd expect from a man who spent his entire life in war, yet came out of it as a human at the end. “I'd know that figure anywhere, come to lead me to Valhalla yet again?”

“Hey! Don't just ignore me here!” Saber shouted, sword pointed at the pair. “Get out of here, you floozy, before I cut you down alongside this wannabe monster.”

“You would dare call those who dedicate their existence to leading true warriors to the afterlife a 'floozy'? You overstep your bounds, Saber.”

“Oho, that's cute, but she's no angel...” Saber's spare hand reached back to one of her wings, trailing her hand across its length. Her entire body shuddered at the sensation, the still-dripping blood from her thumb tainting the white a brilliant scarlet. “Not that I am either, but do you think you can take me together? Ber~ser~ker?”

Rider only laughed at the girl. Her confidence was bordering on arrogance. Making it a point to turn her back to Saber, Rider placed her a closed fist over heart, a sign of respect to the great king. "I truly did not expect to see one of the souls I took from the battlefield to make their way here." Riders white cloak swished as she turned back to Saber. "If that one is Saber, then I know what class you belong to, king. How utterly befitting."

Rider pointed her spear at Saber, "You are overconfident, girl. Those pretty flames of yours will have no effect on me." The butt of the her spear hit the ground with a smack. "However, I will not place myself in this fight. I don't believe this one needs my help at all. After all," Riders voice turned low, "he is the original.". Leaving Saber with those cryptic words, Rider glanced at Berserker, "Should you lose your life tonight, I will personally bring you to Valhalla, but I don't believe this will be the case.

Rider walked closer to him and whispered, "Show me how a true Berserker fights."

“As touching as that is, that's enough for tonight, Berserker. Fall back for now.”

“I refuse.”

Everyone in earshot turned their gaze to the declaration from the giant in armour. Rider thinking he was responding to her request, Saber confused and David shocked.

“I will fight, and I will win, whether you want me to or not; Master.”

David sighed over the telepathic link. Rider didn't seem hostile, so it wasn't worth wasting a Seal on. “Fine, but go all out on her, you understand?”

Berserker shot forward, lapsing back into Mad Enhancement. Both of his blades swept around, trying to catch Saber with the superior length. She merely stepped forward, however, holding her spare hand out to the side. Too late did his deranged mind realise what was going to happen, too late for him to dodge to the side.

An ominous red glow took up everyone's vision, not allowing them to see what happened as Berserker went straight past Saber. The entire midriff of his armour had been sliced right through, with blood pouring out. It wasn't fatal, not nearly enough for Berserker with his constitution, but even for him it was a severe wound. Saber, meanwhile, was untouched. Her spare hand twitched slightly as he turned back towards him, her grin returned.

“Is that all you've got, King?”

[TheExiledChampion]

First night of the war

Lancer looked out through the balcony window, which has the curtains closed over it. "It seem the war had started, I can sense at least two...barely." Lancer exclaimed as he kept looking through the curtains, acting vigil over his Master. Who was relaxing in an lounge chair, eyes close as he looked through the eyes of one of his avian familiars. Mainly his personal favorite, which was an Albino Great Horned Owl. An unusual bird to be seen flying around for any of the civilians that caught sight of it.

"I see them...one armored male and another...is an woman wearing a bodysuit, there also a girl with the woman...looks young though." Lyle described as he try to get a better look at them, soon finding another person joining the scene. He see no one with him till an woman materialize behind the young man, which instantly label the man of being another Master.

"Should I go and observe?" Lancer asked as he look over his shoulder to look where Lyle's voice was heard from, who had open his eyes to look back at the dusky hair man. "You may, but stay concealed and don't engaged at lest confronted upon." Lyle stated as he watches Lancer disappearing from sight, then closes his eyes as he began looking through the eyes from one of other familiars that was over looking a few buildings. One of them being an small one, and while the avian familiar flew over it. Lyle notices someone on the roof and command it to go back for an closer look, Lyle could see that it was the same woman from the cafe and from the look of her weapon. That woman wasn't an ordinary Magus, which is pushing it with how they can cast spells and such. But more importantly is that if she was here, then so is her servant. "Lancer, our acquaintances from the cafe are there as well. So be cautious, we don't know if they know about us." Lyle warned as he switches back to the large white bird, that been observing the scene at the riverbank.

Just in time too as an fight broke out between the woman and the armored man, both of them lock in trying to overpowered the other through their swords. It was difficult to tell through the owl's eyes, but Lyle can tell that the woman seem strong from how she pushing down on her opponent's with one hand.

"Lancer...what do you think?" Lyle asked his servant through their telepathic link between them, "almost appear to be a stalemate, but the woman is clearly stronger than she look. She seem to be toying with the man, can't tell what their class are very well. But I can strongly say that the woman might be Saber with what I can tell, the stats just seem to match with what you'll expect from an Saber-Class." Lancer explained to Lyle as he observed from atop of an nearby building, watching the fight as it continue. While his Master continue to do the same through the owl, which had perched onto Lancer's shoulder. Giving Lyle the chance to witness the sight of the alleged Saber sending the armored man flying with only a single punch, making it pretty clear that she was very strong to do such a feat.

Lyle almost thought it was over till another woman made an appearance, getting between the two fighting and from the look of it. The new arrival seem to know the armored brute, "Things just got interesting...Lancer? Lyle exclaimed before speaking to his servant as the perched bird looked at the man as well, I recognized the woman prana levels, it the same one from cafe...and it seems I was right. The angel is indeed Saber," Lancer stated as he did his best to listen to their conversation, which was mildly difficult due to the wind and the distant. But he did managed to the hear argument the three seem to be having, which made the blind man smile at how it sounded that it be two against Saber.

But the scene of what Saber did next shocked both of them, with Lyle seeing the act through the owl's eyes and Lancer sensing the man presence wavering as the armored man was force to suffer an severe wound by Saber.