Fandom Fate/Millennium End

[Kloudy]

Caster of Black​

Whilst Archer's words may have been true, it had become increasingly obvious the war could no longer wait for the unpunctual.

"Your time draws near, Archer. You cannot afford to wait any longer..."

Caster's lack of expression made the statement all the more disturbing as it began to meld with the darkness of the mist that remained. Soon, the figure completely vanished from sight as it regressed into its spirit form for a more convenient travel.

"I shall be watching..." Was all that echoed from where Caster had once been, the mist slowly dissipating from the rundown church. The cracks in the stone were the only testament to Caster's previous presence and it would feel as if a great pressure had been lifted from those in the room, a feeling of warmth returning to their extremities.

Meanwhile, Caster, hovering above the church itself, set about using some of the mana its master had supplied. A dark purple magic flared in the outstretched cloaked hand and, as the glow died down, a skeletal bird would appear. The familiar fluttered it's bony wings momentarily before taking flight, by no regards to physics other than magical, to then land back within the church. Seconds later, more birds of the same kind were made, each like small undead robins, nimble, slender, fast. They took off in all directions, scouting the land and identifying locations of interest; defensive positions, areas of high population, potential enemies and other valuable resources. Undoubtably, more than a few would eventually find the Red Team before long.

With that done, Caster then levitated itself forth from the building towards an aforementioned location of interest: a densely populated area. It was a small village of sorts, but the people count would more than suffice for what Caster had in mind. Again, the dark purple hue shined and this time four large totems broke up through the ground, rising at the four corners of the village, encapsulating it. The totems were made of the remains of bodies from various creatures, a skeleton tower each, fashioned from arms, legs, rib cages, skulls, and not just of the human variety. It included many animals and even creatures not indigenous to the human realm. Upon each totem laid an orb of similar colour to Caster's magic, that pulsated a dark energy rhythmically.

"Serveth thy nature and yield thy soul. Damned be thy name for I hath claimed thou, hellspawn."

With the incantation complete, a beam of purple light shot between each orb, creating a square outline around the village. The faces of the cube then filled out and it became clear what was happening: a bounded field and been formed. However, this was no ordinary barrier. Immediately, a sense of dread could be felt as the souls of hundreds were sucked from their now-husk bodies, their energies assimilated into a dark mana that funnelled directly into Caster, fuelling it. The lives of these innocents would be more than enough to create Caster's fortress of sorts, something only achievable due to his class skill of being a potent magic user; a caster. The draining process would not be instantaneous, however, so Caster waited a while longer until it had taken as much mana from the village as there was to reap. What was a few hundred mortal lives to the infinite amount Caster had and would take?

S Slick416

 

[Balfnaught1]

Rider of Red
Uriah stared in rapture at his servant. Knowledge flowed through his mind of his servant. He grinned, then calmed himself.
“Well, fellow masters, I think Rider’s Noble Phantasm will provide us both transportation and protection. We must strike fast, before they manage to organise themselves. Who still remains to be summoned?”

Rider looked upon the summoned heroes. Some of whom he recognised from tales of his own past. He grinned. Another chance to kill and raze upon the world would be well-appreciated. He raised his hand into the air, and summoned his flagship. In the sky above the hotel, an enourmous ship shimmered into being. Screams of pain rang out from his crew as they were dragged into the world before falling silent. Their captain would not allow weakness. Rider smiled, a hunter’s smile.

 

[Prrrgadilly]

Red - The Fae

"Beserker is the only one left." Asa replied to Uriah while casting an unimpressed gaze towards the young girl meant to be Beserker's master. "My dear, we do not have centuries for you to pull yourself from a bravado induced revelry. Summon up, so we can move out." He didn't snap girl, but somehow the slow pacing of his words carried a far harsher venom. "Hon, quit eyeing Lancer and Saber with such disdain and make yourself useful. Until we are ready to leave, place a barrier around the building, then layer it 4 times over. I want this building to blend in with its surroundings so well, that it hurts to even thin about, but do not make others look away; we need them to think nothing special is going on here but not appear so devoid of mana to arouse suspicion. Once you are done with that, begin a search for strongholds to build your workshop, and mine. Just the top 4 candidates, thank you."

"Master, do you wish for me to-"

"Include Rider's ship? Yes? I know it will take some extra juice, to hide all of that," here he cast an annoyed eye at Rider and his Master, "but I can take the pull. Being a battery pack is one of my greatest qualities." Caster gave a clear smirk at the rueful tone in his voice before slipping into spirit form, and making a quick exit to complete her task. It seems that she had drawn a somewhat competent master. At least he knows to use my strengths. She thought as she spun out the threads for the first barrier.

"Now, Uriah is it? While I respect your... obvious seniority and experience in magecraft, I question your forethought on facing the enemy straight on without a single modicum of information about their forces. For all we know, they could have summoned purely offensive Servants with multiple Anti-army Noble Phantasms and could blow us to dust in a single concentrated attack. Surely, you have more self awareness than you let on." Asa spoke to Rider's Master in an patronizing tone and even had the gall to chuckle. "If you do not, then I am sure the rest of us can be just aware enough for you."

 

[Balfnaught1]

Uriah grimaced. He had allowed his desires to overwhelm him, and now he had lost face. At this point, the only thing he could do was to accept his error. However, the man’s tone was completely unacceptable. He would suffer for it.
“Of course, you are correct. I apologise for my eagerness. I merely wished to attack before they set up their own fortifications. As an alternate strategy, might I suggest sending some of our more durable fighters to skirmish with them, with Archer, Rider, and Caster providing long-range support? After we gain information on our own servants, of course. Oh, and “Fae”? Uriah dropped his polite tone, and reverted to his natural cold rage. “Never speak to me that way again.”
Behind him, Rider laughed.
“I really found a good master this time, didn’t I?”

 

[Prrrgadilly]

Red - The Fae

Asa couldn't help but laugh alongside Rider at Uriah's cold tone. He was perfectly aware that the man was serious, but he simply couldn't bring himself to care, not that he ever did anyway. "And what, pray tell, do you propose you would do to me if I did not heed your warning? Attack me with some nasty magic you, no doubt, have hidden on your person?" Asa feigned a mocking fearfulness before mirth claimed his face as the twinkle in his eyes became a flash for barely a second. The air around him thickened imperceptibly, as Asa opened his circuits. "Do not forget that on this battlefield, we are all considered equals, and if you feel the need to test your strengths against mine, I'd be more than happy to help you shame your bloodline." Asa mimicked Uriah's cold expression effortlessly. "Now, enough needless tension and useless posturing; we have more important things to do than preen."

Having said his peace and grown disinterested in Uriah for the moment, Asa put on a easy, but serious, grin. He was here for business, not pleasure. At least, not so early on. "Back to your former statement. I, personally, do not see the point in skirmishing at all. If my studies are correct, the Church has always been the type to build strongholds before engaging the enemy. I believe it would be prudent for us to do the same. Truthfully, only Caster and I would need to stay back to do so, but dividing our group before we've had the time to construct contingency plans is ill-advised. They are probably much more used to working with allies than any of us are, and that gives them a notable advantage. Of course, I do not have nearly as much experience with the inner workings of a magi's mind, so I am always open to input."

 

[SAIGO-NO-HEATS]

Red

"Good to see we're all going to get along." Ichiko rolled her eyes at Fae's remarks and Uriah' response. "We don't have to like each other, but can we at least save all the vitriol until after we've a least met the enemy team?" She threw her helmet up into the air and caught it as she walked over to the summon circle. This was going to be a long week.

"You shall serve with your eyes clouded by chaos.
For you would be one caged in madness.
I shall wield your chains."
​

The incantation went off without a hitch, naturally, and Ichiko smirked as the strongest servant in the room appeared before her. He was tall, and though he wore no armor his body seemed chiseled like stone. He was beautiful, even through the malites he seemed to shine with an unnatural aura of perfection. He was... Falling. Towards her. Ichiko braced herself, barely managing to catch his weight and keep standing. After a few moments of awkward struggling under Berserker's massive body the mage managed to hurl her servant back off of herself, where he landed on his knees, staring emptily and motionless at the ground.

Ichiko's face was bright red as a mix of confusion, embarrassment, and anger made its rounds and washed over her.
"W-What the hell?"

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Black

Light cracked as the executioner finished his ritual. He had little to say as he looked upon the fruit of his labor, A knight dressed in bright crimson armor, wearing a tabard the bore the sign of the holy cross. At first neither of them said anything, as lancer looked at his master and between the other masters and servants gathered.

"You are servants of the church?" He asked, but his tone seemed almost one of disbelief.

"Indeed we are." Benicio's grim tone didn't seem all that convincing. The Knight considered this briefly, before removing his helmet and giving a warm smile.

"Then we are friends and allies both, glad to have you behind me!" He slapped his master on the arm, a move the executioner clearly did not appreciate, and headed directly for the door.

 

[Ian Temero]

Saber​

"Perhaps..." Saber responded hesitantly to Ashley's opinion of villainy. "But evil is concrete. And these two are evil. Thieves and or murderers who did so not because they had to, but because they wanted to. Their souls are dyed black and there is no perspective that will change that." Then Lancer began to cause a scene. "Oh. Pardon me a moment."

She aproched the spearman. "I quite agree, Lancer." She announced with a gentle smile. "It is certainly a strange feeling not having to fight the rest of you. And I completely empathize with your... dislike of Archer. I myself am unhappy with some of our allies. But please don't forget that the enemy are also Heroic Spirits, seven people who's legends might be equal to if not exceeds your own. Those are odds even a god would struggle with. We need to overcome our grudges and work as a team and not as individuals. The church will be doing the same and the only way we can win is if we meet them with the same." She offered him her hand. "Please Lancer, lend us your spear."

There was a thud and Saber glanced over to see Berserker on his knees and his master raging. "Oh dear! Are you okay? Is he okay?"​

 

[Balfnaught1]

Uriah sighed. Fae’s actions infuriated him, but he would have to relax for now. “Queen Anne’s Revenge has EX rank durability. It is as good a fortress as can be constructed, although it could still be obscured via spells. Anyway, the point of skirmishing is to gain some information on their servants, and hopefully discover some things about them. My Rider has some... cards to play as well. He watched the summoning of berserker, such as it was, and narrowed his eyes as Berserker collapsed.
“I do hope that’s not permanent. Can you not provide enough mana?”

 

[Slick416]

Black

Archer sighed. "What a personality on Caster...."

When he saw Lancer appeared, he smirked again. "Oh no, another knight? How very....interesting. Hey, Saber, another brother in arms of yours!" He called over to the other Servant.

Father Nathan stayed silent, simply thinking about how he could enact his plan. He doubted anyone would take kindly to it, so he would have to be extremely careful in conducting it.

Berserker, of course, was still tense, breathing in and out. He was a loaded gun, waiting for his master to point him at something, anything. And Patrick was trying to think of what he could point him at. "Um....Berserker here is just waiting to go on a rampage. What should I do right now?"

simj26 SAIGO-NO-HEATS LyssiNae Kloudy

 

[Kyouka]

.

.

.

Daiyu Song

Master of Red

While various other colloquies suffused the room, Daiyu was only taken aback by her servant's immediate distaste for her. It seemed that she set a new record—all it took was a simple affirmation to being Assassin's master for the letdown to sink in, although Daiyu couldn't exactly pinpoint the reason why. Perhaps her demeanor was a bit too rowdy for her elegant servant's liking, or maybe she was too young compared to some of the other participants of the war? Whatever it was, Daiyu wasn't just going to leave it at that.

"And precisely what do you see in me that is so disappointing, Assassin?"

With a light tap on her chin and pursed lips in thought, Assassin formulated her response shortly after. "I had hoped for a valiant gentleman as a Master, rather than a juvenile girl deficient in maturity. I suppose that my expectations were too high." Despite her charming voice remaining ever so prominent, her blunt words stung just a little, as Daiyu merely concealed it with a mirthful laugh.

"Really, now? Sorry, Assassin, but it looks like we'll be bound together, whether you like it or not. If it makes you feel any better, though, I'll have you know that I'm an adult! So, let's achieve victory as a team, with the rest of the Red Faction. Rest assured that I'll give it my all, and all I ask of you is to do the same, okay?"

Assassin appeared to ponder for a moment longer, though finally nodded her head in approval. "Very well, I will properly acknowledge you as my Master. I do not fancy a bad start, so I will cooperate. I expect that you will prove yourself worthy in the long run."

Daiyu eagerly grinned, satisfied that she had at least won over her servant and ceased the bickering temporarily. "Of course!"

Finally tuning in to the rest of the team, the duo was greeted by squabbles between two Masters, among other things, while Lancer seemed displeased by the concept of teamwork. Assassin couldn't deny that it might have felt more correct to simply kill one another from the get-go, though the conditions of the war seemed more favorable to her, to have 'allies' to lean back on.

"Greetings, masters and fellow servants," Assassin saluted with a slight bow, "It seems that the sympathetic Saber has taken the words out of my mouth, and I concur that our collaboration will be essential. I look forward to—"

Before she could finish, Berserker's jarring summoning transpired. Both Assassin and Daiyu tore their gazes away in preference of focusing on Berserker's colossal figure (as well as his poor Master), with the latter gaping in awe.

Assassin was a pampered woman, easily unsettled by such scenes, though she was just as confused as Berserker's master was from the way he materialized. "Must the Berserker class consist of such brutes?" She softly muttered to herself.

code by spookie

 

[SomeStupidWords]

Red - Virginia and Lancer

Lancer blinked, looking back towards Saber. "Working with others really isn't in my nature," He said, his grip on Virginia loosening, "But if the enemy is doing it, it might be worth trying. So long as that Archer stays far away-" He was cut off by Berserker's summoning, and subsequent collapse. Letting go of Virginia entirely, he strolled over to the kneeling figure. "What's wrong with you?" He asked, leaning in towards Berserker's face. "If you were just going to collapse and be useless, then you shouldn't have answered her summons in the first place." There was no malice in his words, but a simple, almost naive curiosity.

Behind him, Virginia smiled at Saber. "Thank you," she said. "Lancer's wonderful, but he has a very strange way of thinking, and he doesn't really listen to me..." She trailed off, looking at him and Berserker.

 

[SAIGO-NO-HEATS]

Red

"Yeah! No! I'm fine!" Ichiko huffed, clearly not fine. Her face only became brighter as she realized that everyone was now watching her, but her embarrassment briefly took a back seat as Uriah seemed to insinuate that it was in any way her fault that her servant was acting strangely. "I'm giving him more than enough mana!' Berserker, stand up!" she snapped indignantly but the servant didn't budge. She allowed herself a moment of disbelief before stomping over and grabbing his arm "I. Said. Stand..." She reared back in suprise, dropping the arm as quick as she had taken it. Berserker slumped further, falling hard onto his side.

"He's cold.. He's like a corpse." Ichiko backed further towards the crowd, looking feverishly between them and her possibly deceased servant trying to find something to say.
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Black

Lancer smiled at Patrick's question as he pushed open the chapel door. "You and your berserker may do what you like, I however am off to meet our enemies."

"What do you mean 'meet' with them?" Benicio snarled at his servant, annoyed that he was acting so independently.

"I intend to speak with them of course!" Lancer laughed, as though it should have been obvious. "If our enemies mean to face us then surely they must not realize that they oppose the servants of God! It would be a disservice to not at least allow them to understand their folly."

The executioner stood stunned at the stupidity of his servant "You will do no such thing!"

"Oh, but I think I shall!~" The servant's voice grew fainter as he got further away.

Benicio Looked to the other masters, and briefly to his command seals, before shaking his head and rushing out the door to catch up with his rogue servant.

 

[Slick416]

Red

"Yeah! No! I'm fine!" Ichiko huffed, clearly not fine. Her face only became brighter as she realized that everyone was now watching her, but her embarrassment briefly took a back seat as Uriah seemed to insinuate that it was in any way her fault that her servant was acting strangely. "I'm giving him more than enough mana!' Berserker, stand up!" she snapped indignantly but the servant didn't budge. She allowed herself a moment of disbelief before stomping over and grabbing his arm "I. Said. Stand..." She reared back in suprise, dropping the arm as quick as she had taken it. Berserker slumped further, falling hard onto his side.

"He's cold.. He's like a corpse." Ichiko backed further towards the crowd, looking feverishly between them and her possibly deceased servant trying to find something to say.
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Black

Lancer smiled at Patrick's question as he pushed open the chapel door. "You and your berserker may do what you like, I however am off to meet our enemies."

"What do you mean 'meet' with them?" Benicio snarled at his servant, annoyed that he was acting so independently.

"I intend to speak with them of course!" Lancer laughed, as though it should have been obvious. "If our enemies mean to face us then surely they must not realize that they oppose the servants of God! It would be a disservice to not at least allow them to understand their folly."

The executioner stood stunned at the stupidity of his servant "You will do no such thing!"

"Oh, but I think I shall!~" The servant's voice grew fainter as he got further away.

Benicio Looked to the other masters, and briefly to his command seals, before shaking his head and rushing out the door to catch up with his rogue servant.

Black

Archer sighed as he watched Lancer run off, closing his eyes. "Knights, always off to seek glory or serve the Lord....ah well."

Father Nathan nodded in agreement. "Anything we should do?"

Archer thought for a few seconds. "Master of Berserker!" He snapped, turning to Patrick.

Berserker tilted his head to the side as Patrick took notice, confused. "Yes?"

"Go after Lancer and his Master right now! Keep your Servant close! I fear battle will soon ensue, and to lose a Servant at this stage....well, that doesn't need elaboration."

"And what should we do, Archer?" Father Nathan asked.

"I'm going to find Caster, bring the fool back here. I wish for you to remain here, Master. Saber!" Archer declared, pointing his flail to the knight. "You stay here and stand guard! Once Rider and Assassin are summoned, explain to them the situation! Understood?" His tone of voice clearly indicated he would listen to no argument.

Patrick thought about for a few seconds, then nodded. "Got it. Come on, Berserker." With that, he set off, running after Lancer. Berserker was quick to follow behind him, stomping alongside the boy.

Archer quickly moved off as well. "When I get back, I hope all the remaining Servants will have been summoned!"

LyssiNae simj26

 

[Kloudy]

Caster of Black​

As Caster's minions set about quickly travelling the lands, Caster itself had swiftly moved onto the next centre of population a little further afield: a larger town. As with before, another four totems rose from the earth and a bounded field was set up. It was then that Caster noticed two things; one was that Archer of Black was being irritating and had set out to try and distract it, the second being that one of Caster's familiars had discovered a considerable gathering of powerful mana in a concentrated area. Upon further exploration, the skeletal bird revealed a whole host of servants, presumably from the enemy red team. The bird settled near to them on a windowsill, content to watch as the live mental feed was transferred to Caster.

Another identical familiar would land on Archer of Black's shoulder and the servant would hear Caster's hallowed voice echo through his mind, "I have located our enemies..." Indeed, it seemed as though Caster was the only one doing anything of actual importance in this war. Thankfully, it didn't appear as though the red team had moved much from their original summoning, however there was an issue. Caster would then speak again in Archer of Black's mind:

"Rider of Red has summoned a noble phantasm. It is... powerful." It seemed to be the appropriate thing to describe such a vessel of great significance. Clearly, assaulting the location with it present would be a foolish notion. Caster knew exactly to whom the ship belonged to, for it was the very same man that had danced with but ultimately eluded Caster for many years, offering many waterlogged sailors in his stead. But the same could be said for many men that Caster had eventually claimed. There was always an eventually.

Having finished claiming the souls of the town, Caster decided to join their latest rogue servant in an attempt to convince him to turn back. Whilst Caster didn't believe Archer of Black to be particularly helpful, it had to concede that endeavouring to rendezvous with the enemy was suicide. Exiting from spirit form, Caster floated down, accompanied by its signature black mist, to hover alongside Lancer of Black as he strode forth.

"The enemy awaits with too great a force for you to face alone. Your time approaches rapidly with every step..." Whilst Caster had enough mana to execute its more impressive noble phantasm several times over, it did not believe it to be enough to defeat the red team in its entirety, even with Lancer of Black present. Caster could cover for Lancer for a brief amount of time, but defeat would be inevitable should the servant choose to stay and fight. However, such an encounter would only expose the enemy and Lancer could always be retrieved and reused if necessary...

"Berserker approaches..." The blank red-dot gaze glanced back at the hulking figure of Berserker of Black as it lumbered after them doggedly. There was no telling what the servant of madness would do, but Caster had no intention of getting physically involved. It would be a waste to have to damage its allies.

S Slick416 SAIGO-NO-HEATS LyssiNae simj26 @ red team

 

[simj26]

Khabarovsk and Saber

“Master?” Saber turned to her at Archer’s orders. She was seated on a pile of rubble, one gloved hand tracing figures on the dust. He did not ask what she was doing. For all he knew, she could have been drawing protective runes of some sort. After all, he had had no experience with the magical. He would have had preferred if he had been summoned as a Rider instead… He felt that he was in fact, doing an injustice to his Master, who seemed to be quite competent at…whatever it was she did

“We’ll do as he asks.” Khabarovsk waved dismissively, barely turning away from her idle drawing, much to his surprise. “It won’t have done much for us to argue at any rate. Old men are like that.” Saber prided himself on his ability to read the emotions of others. Or perhaps he was just used to be stuck in the company of a partner who was just that easy to decipher. Nonetheless, his Master’s face betrayed nothing. She was calm, composed, and rather non-plussed at everything that just occurred in front of her. It wasn’t disinterest she was showing- she watched all of them with a discerning eye, reading them just as he was her right now.

So he remained by her side, following her across the room as she shifted her position, and sat herself down at patch of dry grass, where she continued to trace something on the ground.

“Saber.” She suddenly spoke.

“Hm?”

“We won’t last long in this war.”

“Ah.” She had said it in such a matter-of-factly way that he was, quite frankly, also caught up with it. The bitter taste of defeat still stung his tongue, to be honest, and perhaps that was why he felt nothing towards the statement.

“You fought with friends, and allies. You never fought alone, isn’t that right? The one time you did--”

“Did me no favours, no. But I was prepared, wasn’t I?”

Khabarovsk scoffed in amusement. She seemed to be in a habit of scoffing out of derision and amusement. It was at least easy to tell which was which. The smirk on her face and her turning away in abject refusal to show her expression to him meant that she was at least tickled by his humor. She let the silence sit between them, her eyes cast towards the remaining mages, waiting for their summoning to begin. It was a while before she started again.

She stopped in her drawing, and had turned to face him now, looking straight into his eyes. “Then we will play this game together, Saber. I will not have you fight alone. Is that understood?” Not even the commotion earlier of Caster's arrival, Lancer leaving, and Archer's taking of command had even made her take her eyes off her work, Saber noted.

He was also currently aware of the attache case placed at her feet. Perhaps she had only now just shifted herself so that the dim light poured over it so he would notice it. Or she purposely drew his attention away from her feet with a conversation, and let the commotion her allies go on to keep distracting him. Or perhaps it was never there in the first place. It was all he needed to learn that his Master was perhaps hiding more than what she showed underneath her sleeves. Saber offered a light smile. “As you say, Master.”

She may shroud herself in shadows, and hold everything about her in the darkness. She may be a traitor, even, as long as it helped her cause. She was strong, perhaps not physically, but was exceptionally so mentally. And she was also all heart for those who served her. No lies, all truths, and no hiding behind anyone’s backs. Khabarovsk drifted back to silence, and once done with her scribbling, she stood up, made some mental calculations, and then proceeded to continue her ritual at another spot.

Saber continued to watch her, unquestioning. He could not have asked for a better Master.

 

[LyssiNae]

Black

Bernard watched quietly as the other Servants appeared, one by one.
He watched the serious-looking woman summon a radiant Saber. The teenage brat summoned a dangerous-looking Berserker. The Archer seemed capable. The Lancer... too carefree. And that Caster...

Turning his attention back to his summoning circle, Bernard got frustrated with himself. He'd gotten distracted in such crucial moments. He fumbled for a piece of paper in his pocket, and read out a standard summoning chant. He was no mage, he'd not do this some fancy way.

At first, it seemed like nothing happened. Then, the air in the summoning circle started rippling, revealing the figure of a beautiful woman hovering a feet above the ground. She was clad in black, and her eyes looked dead.
"Hello, Master," she said in a breathy voice.

Bernard took a step back. He would never get used to people appearing out of thin air.
"H-hello, Assassin," he answered, collecting himself.

-

Alice had muttered her summoning chant. She'd done everything right. So why wasn't Rider answering her call?
Bernard would scold her if she couldn't produce results. Ah, he'd already summoned Assassin.
A new emotion filled Alice. Frustration.
She muttered the chant again, quietly. Nothing.
"Please..." she whispered.

Rider appeared. A young man with dirty blonde hair, dressed in traditional European folk clothing.
He winked at her.
"Sorry for taking so long, Master. I was just deciding whether I should answer your call or not. What would benefit me, you see."
Alice didn't respond.
Rider looked around. "So... where are everyone? Hey, a knight! That's nice."

 

[simj26]

Khabarovsk and Saber

“Saber, you’ll be fielding the Q&A session.” The blonde in the suit told her Servant without as much as a glance towards the new arrivals.

“What do you suggest they do, though, Master?”

“I’ll leave that to you as well. You’ve served him well as a strategist too, haven’t you?”

This woman was smart. She knew how to pull his strings, with his pride, namely. It was flattery, and he knew it, but he accepted it nonetheless. Something told him that Khabarovsk was not one to dispense with praise easily, flattery or no. “Verily so.” He puffed out his chest with pride, then made his way to the new additions to their cause. He bowed low, sweeping his hand across his chest. “I am Saber. ‘Tis a pleasure, Sire and Madame,” he glanced at the Servants respectively, “as well as your Masters.” He straightened up and smiled, almost like an attendant at the doors of a grand hotel. “I’m afraid our rambunctious Lancer has departed before an appointed time, making a beeline for our opponents, I would think. Caster, the ever enigmatic, has gone Lord knows where. Archer has gone to pursue Caster, and Berserker after Lancer.” He pursed his lips, and touched a part of his grand pompadour on his head, before continuing. “It would behoove you to stay with us for now. I cannot stop you from leaving, and neither will my Master, I expect, but there is always strength in numbers, non?” He bowed again. “I leave it to you. Now, excuse me, I must see to my own Master, but I shall be here, if you wish for conversation.”

With that, the Saber gathered his cape, swept it around him with a flourish, and then returned to Khabarovsk’s side, who was still busy muttering to herself and pacing about the area. This time, however, she had graduated to using a piece of chalk, the same one she had used in summoning Saber, and was evidently putting something on the ground.

LyssiNae

 

[Slick416]

Caster of Black​

As Caster's minions set about quickly travelling the lands, Caster itself had swiftly moved onto the next centre of population a little further afield: a larger town. As with before, another four totems rose from the earth and a bounded field was set up. It was then that Caster noticed two things; one was that Archer of Black was being irritating and had set out to try and distract it, the second being that one of Caster's familiars had discovered a considerable gathering of powerful mana in a concentrated area. Upon further exploration, the skeletal bird revealed a whole host of servants, presumably from the enemy red team. The bird settled near to them on a windowsill, content to watch as the live mental feed was transferred to Caster.

Another identical familiar would land on Archer of Black's shoulder and the servant would hear Caster's hallowed voice echo through his mind, "I have located our enemies..." Indeed, it seemed as though Caster was the only one doing anything of actual importance in this war. Thankfully, it didn't appear as though the red team had moved much from their original summoning, however there was an issue. Caster would then speak again in Archer of Black's mind:

"Rider of Red has summoned a noble phantasm. It is... powerful." It seemed to be the appropriate thing to describe such a vessel of great significance. Clearly, assaulting the location with it present would be a foolish notion. Caster knew exactly to whom the ship belonged to, for it was the very same man that had danced with but ultimately eluded Caster for many years, offering many waterlogged sailors in his stead. But the same could be said for many men that Caster had eventually claimed. There was always an eventually.

Having finished claiming the souls of the town, Caster decided to join their latest rogue servant in an attempt to convince him to turn back. Whilst Caster didn't believe Archer of Black to be particularly helpful, it had to concede that endeavouring to rendezvous with the enemy was suicide. Exiting from spirit form, Caster floated down, accompanied by its signature black mist, to hover alongside Lancer of Black as he strode forth.

"The enemy awaits with too great a force for you to face alone. Your time approaches rapidly with every step..." Whilst Caster had enough mana to execute its more impressive noble phantasm several times over, it did not believe it to be enough to defeat the red team in its entirety, even with Lancer of Black present. Caster could cover for Lancer for a brief amount of time, but defeat would be inevitable should the servant choose to stay and fight. However, such an encounter would only expose the enemy and Lancer could always be retrieved and reused if necessary...

"Berserker approaches..." The blank red-dot gaze glanced back at the hulking figure of Berserker of Black as it lumbered after them doggedly. There was no telling what the servant of madness would do, but Caster had no intention of getting physically involved. It would be a waste to have to damage its allies.

S Slick416 SAIGO-NO-HEATS LyssiNae simj26 @ red team

Black

Archer stopped his pursuit of Caster once he got the message. He put his hand on his chin as he thought it over. "Very well....I will not question how you got this information for the time being, however, I want a full and complete detailed analysis of this Noble Phantasm, find any weaknesses it might have. Be sure the Red team doesn't spot you, we don't want to provoke them just yet." Even now, Archer's tactical mind was at work, devising a plan of attack. Yes, perhaps this would work.....

"Caster, keep an eye on both Lancer and Berserker. We can't afford to let either slip away, and be ready should battle begin. Understood? I will be returning to the other Masters." And with that, Archer was off, heading back to his own Master.

Patrick, meanwhile, was feeling rather exhausted as he moved alongside the massive Berserker. At one point, he actually had to stop running to catch his breath. Once he could see the others, however, he smiled. "Great! We almost have caught up to them, Berserker!" A simple grunt was the only bit of acknowledgement Patrick got from Berserker. It didn't occur to him just yet that perhaps this Berserker was a bit too intelligent.

Then he saw Caster and stopped. He was a bit intimidated by the sight, but tried not to let it get to him. "Berserker, wait up!" Berserker did as he was asked.

Father Nathan had watched the summoning of the last two Servants with interest. Archer, the remaining Servants have been summoned.

Archer smiled at that. Excellent. Now, we need to prepare for battle!

Father Nathan stayed quiet for the time being, of course.

LyssiNae simj26 SAIGO-NO-HEATS

 

[LoneSniper87]

"Well, if Berserker were already dead, he would have dissipated already, no?" Ash asked, moving toward Beserker and feeling him with a gloved hand. She frowned, feeling the cold corpse as well. She took a few steps back, lost in thought. "Hmm..." She murmured. "This certainly is a development... Would anyone happen go know how to fix this?" She asked, turning to face the other Servants and Masters. "If not, it seems fate is already trying to screw us..." She said to herself.

@redteam

 

[LyssiNae]

Black
Rider stepped out of the summoning circle, sizing up Alice. She'd taken a few steps back, glancing at him. Not the most talkative Master, unfortunately. He turned his attention towards Saber.

"Well, thank you for the gracious welcome, Saber. More than I can say for my Master!"
Alice bit her lip and glanced down, taking a few steps away from Rider.

Assassin quietly hovered out of her summoning circle. "So everyone is summoned," she muttered. "Good."
She moved her gaze between the people still in the church, before she floated to the altar and sat down on it.

Bernard turned towards Khabarovsk and Father Nathan.

"Will they return? I feel like we haven't had a proper discussion of tactics."

 

[Ian Temero]

Saber​

"Oh it's no trouble at all." Saber told Virginia, giving her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I have some experience trying to lead, uh... difficult people. He seems to respond well to logic though, so Lancer's already got one up on my-" She paused and frowned, feeling something at the edge of her senses. She closed her eyes and focused for a second and when she opened them again they were a dull grey.

"Archer's Master. The-there are three Servants aproching from the east." Her voice had lost its incredible gentleness and was now quiet and shy. "Pl-please have Archer in-intercept." She quickly made her way over to Berserker's body and knelt down next to it, her eyes returning back to their original blue. "Berserker," she called, her voice once more impossibly soothing, "please wake up. We need you..."​

 

[Prrrgadilly]

Red - The Fae

"Well, isn't this just fantastic. A dud summoning, and my Servant was too slow to shield us from scrutiny. Indeed, I believe something is trying to tip the scales in Black's favor, but do not count us out yet." Asa sighed heavily as he rubbed his temples in a noticeably unconscious manner. "Alright, let's see. Caster! Stop the barriers and focus your attention on the approaching Servants give me classes and names, if you can." Asa stood us fro his chair and began circling the room; mindless movement helped him think.

Responding to her Master int he same way he called to her, Caster's voice rang out for everyone int he room to hear. "Master, I can sense a familiar being used to observe us should I-"

"Kill it? Yes, but do so with a simple spell. Nothing signature." Asa added the last part hurriedly. The enemy already had an advantage, they did not need any more.

"Understood." With a smirk, Caster located the skeletal familiar and dispatched it promptly by crushing it with solidified air. Turning her attention towards te enemy Servants, Caster sought them out mentally, and while she was able to clock them, they were a bit out of her range for specifics, though the enemy Caster was unmistakable. "Master, I cannot the discern the other two, but one of them is Black's Caster."

"Alright, keep your eyes peeled." Asa nodded as her voice sounded through the room once again. "Next order of business: Berserker. Child, is it?" He asked Ichiko, intentionally corrupting the meaning of her name. "If Berserker is not, in fact, dead, there must be another reason for his current state. I would assume that it would have something to do with his True Identity. Since you are the only one who's knows those specifics, kindly pull yourself together and fix the problem. A comatose Servant with an ineffectual Master is quite literally dead weight." As he spoke to Ichiko, Asa had approached the lifeless body of Berserker and nudged it with his foot to emphasize his point.

"It looks as if you'll get your skirmish soon enough, Uriah. Since Queen Anne's Revenge is a ship, I would assume she has cannons. Does the ship have cannons, and if she does, are they readily available for long range assaults?" Asa focus his attention on the aforementioned Master and Rider. Without giving them a moment to reply, he addressed the remaining Master.

"Masters Mordaunt, Mordaunt, Song, and Winters we have no idea what the enemy intends, so I will be brief. I believe it would be prudent to have Archer scout the enemy, Lancer and Saber to join Caster outside, in active defense, and Assassin to remain here; she's the most likely to be nonplussed in a melee."
SAIGO-NO-HEATS Balfnaught1 SomeStupidWords Kyouka LoneSniper87 Kloudy

 

[Balfnaught1]

Red
Uriah smirked to himself. “Does she have cannons? Of course she does. Anyway, they are more than ready for a long-range assault, or a close-range one, if you prefer. However, keeping Assasin in reserve may be a mistake. She is borderline useless in close-combat. Should we not all move to the safety of the ship and organise ourselves from there? It involves less civilians and is more secure than the hotel.”

 

[Slick416]

Black
Rider stepped out of the summoning circle, sizing up Alice. She'd taken a few steps back, glancing at him. Not the most talkative Master, unfortunately. He turned his attention towards Saber.

"Well, thank you for the gracious welcome, Saber. More than I can say for my Master!"
Alice bit her lip and glanced down, taking a few steps away from Rider.

Assassin quietly hovered out of her summoning circle. "So everyone is summoned," she muttered. "Good."
She moved her gaze between the people still in the church, before she floated to the altar and sat down on it.

Bernard turned towards Khabarovsk and Father Nathan.

"Will they return? I feel like we haven't had a proper discussion of tactics."

Black

"I can assure you, Archer is indeed returning," Father Nathan answered.

He had his eyes on both of the new Servants. Rider seemed odd, but Assassin....she seemed deadly. Very deadly.

Just then, Archer did indeed return. "Caster is trying to get Lancer back. Hopefully, he won't take too-oh!" He stared at the two latest Servants. A boy and a woman. He smiled.

"Excellent! All of us have been summoned at last! Best we find somewhere to prepare for battle, eh?" His tone of voice suggested he was less asking a question and more giving an order.

"Would anyone wish to go and get out wayward compatriots yet?" Father Nathan suggested. He had been taking stock of the other Servants and Masters, hoping he could figure out how dangerous they all were. Hopefully, not too dangerous....

Meanwhile, Patrick and Berserker were finally catching up to Lancer, Lancer's Master and Caster. "Hey! We need to stay at the church for when the other Servants are summoned!"

 

[SAIGO-NO-HEATS]

Black

Lancer had rushed a good ways ahead of the others, and was a bit suprised when caster appeared before him. Still, he laughed off the cloaked servant's warning. "Wouldn't be the first time I've died, won't be the last." He shrugged. "And besides, I have no intention of fighting tonight, I simply intend to parlay a bit and get a feel for how this war is going to go, what are enemies are after. Who knows, maybe we can even reason with them before this whole thing gets out of hand? In any case, that church was stuffy and the people were boring. I don't plan on going back even if this doesn't go well."

He looked over his shoulder as Berserker approached. "If you're looking for a fight friend, you're following the wrong guy. Those self important priests back the other way are probably more your speed." He was smiling, but there was a bit of venom in his tone. Clearly he wasn't fond of berserker.

He stepped through the last bit of foilage and found himself at the edge of a street, numerous cars whipped by in either direction. "A highway." He recalled from memories that were not his own. With a single leap he jumped from the forests' edge to the top of one of the overhanging signs.

"Say caster, since I assume you're keeping an eye on them, just how much farther is the Red Base anyway?"
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Red

Ichiko was ready to spit on Asa but her attention was drawn away as Saber began speaking to Berserker. The Servant's dead eyes didn't blink, but they turned to face the woman as she spoke, then as if coming to life quickly began to dart around the room.

"He's alive!" Ichiko rushed over to her servant and grabbed his hand. He seemed confused at first, but took her hand anyway and the two worked together to pull him to his feet. Even with his newfound senses, Berserker still struggled to stand as as soon as he found his footing one leg gave out from under him. Ichiko caught him this time, determined not to let her servant embarrass himself any further and through one arm over her shoulders to help hold him up. Asa was right on one account, this was all likely a result of his true identity clashing with how he was summoned. Berserkers often developed severe personality quirks as a result of the mad enhancement drawing forth their deepest scars. It only made sense he'd be this damaged given how he'd lived.

"You're right, I'm not sure berserker is ready to fight just yet, but I think I know how to fix him up. If we're planning on leaving anyway I could put him somewhere on Rider's ship, maybe set up a lab for healing and magecraft on there while I'm at it?"