Night Zero, Summoning; Heroes of Legends Past

[SomeStupidWords]

>Grand Lancer<
​

Spoiler

In response to Luna's first question, Lancer turned his head towards the catalyst that had summoned him, that huge wheel, stained with dirt and age. "If you used that, shouldn't you know already?" He asked, his voice quiet - with no irritation, but little curiosity, either. Then, he shook his head. "It's unsafe to talk here. I'll-"


Lancer stopped, as his head abruptly whipped around to look behind them, at the dark abyss of the ocean. Even through the rain and wind, Lancer's ears could hear that strange roar, and the sound of screaming. "That ship," He muttered, his voice still oddly calm. "Something is attacking. With your leave, I'll stop them."


He looked back towards Luna, pausing to hear her orders before continuing. Though he wanted to help the people on the ship, leaving his Master alone would be a problem. Certainly, her guidance was essential here.


@NerdyFox

>Lily von Brandt<
​

It didn't take long for Lily to realise that her Servant wasn't paying any attention to her questions. For a moment, she changed tactics, simply trying to get the giant's notice. She hesitated for a second, realising she didn't know the Servant's name or class, before continuing. "Mister Servant? Mister Servant? I am your Master here, Mister Servant, so you should- Oh!" She was cut off as the giant reached down and grabbed her. "What are you doing? Put me down right now!" In the shock of the moment, the thought of using a command seal eluded her completely.


Then, the Servant jumped. Lily couldn't help but scream - for the entire ascent and descent. As they landed, she felt the impact rattle her bones. She went limp, completely stunned, and barely able to think. But as she regained her senses, she started to think. If her Servant was this unreasonable, using her command seals effectively would be essential, and broad commands likely wouldn't work. Lily struggled, trying to think of a good command, but it was useless. For the time being, she resigned herself to being carried wherever the Servant was going.


@Noxx Hollow

 

[Jean Otus]

Matthias felt his strength return to him as a heady air of confidence filled him. Vindicated, he stood and steadied himself on a small side table which stood next to a great armchair, one of the many pieces of furniture he had pushed aside to make way for the summoning. He managed a smile as he leaned on the makeshift crutch. There was something amusing in the clear challenge this Servant had just offered him. Not even ten minutes after being summoned into the world and the king of kings was prepared to act as arrogantly as he had in life. Simply, Matthias had to prove the worth of this campaign, by providing the promise of spoils not even this great conquerer had known in life.


He looked over to his worktable, where piles of parchment and books lay. Decades of his late maker's research into how to resurrect the dead and how to grant eternal life. Any student of history would know that it was this that could be used to bargain with Gilgamesh, not gold or silver.


Still looking pensively at the table, Matthias mused to Gilgamesh. "I know that I cannot bribe you with material things, I know you own everything of value that you could wish for." He gave a light chuckle, though it turned into a cough. "The Grail War brings many lost things to this world through its limitless magical power. So long as that gate is open, the rules which dictate mortality could be manipulated, if one were to have the right materials."


Matthias walked up to the Heroic spirit, they were about the same height. With arrogance rivaling that of the great king he stared Gilgamesh in the face. "When you win the grail for me I will wish for true love, but before that I will compensate you with the treasures that were kept from you in life. With the power of the grail's influence we can thwart the God's punishment on you." A spark lit in his chest as he felt passion for the first time. Light flashed across his pale blue eyes.


"Gilgamesh, do as I say and I will return Enkidu to you from the hands of the gods, and grant you both the eternal life the serpent stole from you."


@Birdsie

 

[NerdyFox]

She had known who Lancer was. However, Luna wanted to give him the opportunity to tell his story if he wanted it. Her mouth dropped open to respond to his question but she quickly shut it when Lancer jerked away from her. Luna strained to hear whatever her Servant was picking up on, but all she could hear was the pounding of the rain and waves. She immediately respected his desire to run into uncertain danger to help whoever was out there. Obviously, this was the perfect Servant for her. "You may go, but only if you take me with you," Luna responded holding out her hand. Her eyes radiated with a steely determination as she met his gaze evenly. She didn't want to have to order him to do so, but she would if she had to. "I'm better at a distance, though, just a forewarning." 


@SomeStupidWords

 

[Lazarus]

The world suddenly felt as if it had frozen to Liam as that sound had been so strong the mage felt it vibrating all over his frame and shook the very core of his heart. And then came those sounds, the horrible screams of the man in the microphone, the sound of flesh being ripped off…and then...that hole, that thing had actually pierced through the floor of the captain’s room! Liam tried to cover his face when that monstrosity landed.


That creature…Liam’s eyes were open like plates unable to believe they had been spotted…


(…Berserker?...no...it...can't be)


Thought Liam, ignoring that the aberration in front of them was not part of the original servant classes, stead the mage imagined Beast to be of that maddened type. Luckily the creature was attacked by a member of the crew with a knife…that brave yet ignorant man soon meeting its end yet granting Marcus and Liam the seconds they needed to take initiative.


(Marcus! Stand back and conceal yourself! …do not engage!)


And it was that, as Beast was distracted,  that Liam rushed back the way they came, it was good that Liam had warned beforehand to Marcus that they were a subtle team and they were not fit for one on one combat against other servants. As Liam had previously used concealment he made his way through sailors and security members of the crew that were approaching the source of all this chaos...if they only knew that their guns were but nothing against the death that awaited in Beast's many appendages. Luckily servants and masters had their minds connected so talking in distance wouldn’t be an issue even with the screams that surrounded them. Liam trusted that Marcus military training and knowledge in political strategy would be enough for him to understand that going against that thing was a death flag...he needed to stay away...











It happened then…as Liam was running down the paths to the lower floors where everybody was, that he cursed inside…how could this happen?...this was going to call the attention for sure…his fist clenched…the assassin class, the one that needed to remain hidden now had suddenly put a megaphone on their own location...even worse...whoever commanded that thing...had done it openly...to the eyes of many !...wasn't the church supposed to watch that the Grail War happened away from the public eye?!...wouldn't they take the respective precautions knowing that the Grail War had appeared in a populated city like Sydney?! ...it was madness!...what would the church do now?!...how many innocents will the church silence to keep the secret hidden....no...Liam needed to help...he needed to find a way to contain this...he needed to report this to the church immediately...but...how?….yet…then….his feet slowly started to stop….Liam’s eyes widened…He took a long breath…he needed to try it and begged luck would be on their side …


(Marcus! )


Liam called for Marcus trusting the agile assassin was keeping as much distance as he could from the Beast.


(Keep that thing away from you!...if it tries to follow you up to the top of the ship…or to the bottom of the cruise….it is your choice! Just do not engage! …we don’t know if that thing can attack in long distance or what his Noble Phantasm…could be..just...trust me and make time...)


The mage trusted the blond assassin on choosing the best way to keep himself as far away as he could from this threat, he had a whole cruise to use for his game of hide and seek...


When Liam was asked by any members of the crew what had happened, when a member of the security line or tourists asked him what he had seen his answer was a simple one.


“Terrorists!! They are taking the ship!!! To the lifeboats everybody!!!”


It was happening by now for sure…people taking videos of the chaos, the destroyed captain room at the bridge since it was so high…tourists calling the emergency lines…the naval guard would be there in minutes…the HMAS (Her Majesty Australian Ship) was close to the Cruise section of the city for a reason: in case of emergencies and there were always naval units sailing along the coast.

Spoiler

Chaos probably erupts even worse as people hurry for lifeboats in panic to a terrorist attack, as members of the crew use flares to call up for helicopters and the naval guard is getting reported when the sirens in the ship activate thanks to the sailors and scared tourists. All along as Liam blends in the crowd…and the creature seemed interested in assassin….so they had a chance.


Liam kept blending in … where was it?...where…was it? …how many minutes had passed already since he left the captain’s room…what was Marcus doing now?...all Liam could do was pray that the roman soldier will be a snake and keep himself away from any threat.


The mage cursed inside his head…it had started…the end of all had started…women and children boarding lifeboats…others desperately pushing and shoving people side…people threatening others with weapons to safe themselves a spot while the sirens and the speakers announce the same warnings over and over again...at least that would help to muffle the roaring sounds of Beast...right?. Liam spilled tears yet he couldn’t stop..not now...it is not time to be a coward, as he saw people jumping into the water out of desperation for a spot…as the rumour of a bomb exploding in the captain’s room had everybody desperate…he saw people in the lifeboats…Liam did not board them…he wanted some people to have a chance…he tried to help children to reach a lifeboat.


Liam's strategy starts here (he will try to achieve this, the results may change depending on the outcome of the next scene)


@MrEvilMexican

Spoiler

Luckily the HMAS Waterhen Naval Base's closure would give an  output quickly…the ships would start to arrive quickly…they shouldn't be heavy armed ships but fast recon and exploration ones that patrol the harbor. Liam would approach the spot where they want to board the cruise…this chaos…He would wait to see the armed men ready to fight an enemy they won’t be able to defeat…as Liam can’t do but keep the lies...


“The terrorists are in that direction!! one of the terrorists said they had bombs all over the ship!! they want to sink it against the Bay!!! they will murder thousands!!!”



Liam wil try to point in the direction where Marcus is being followed by Beast, Liam can feel Marcus's location...the contract connects them...and trusting the monstrous presence of Beast will overshadow Liam's…he will try to focus on one of the navy soldiers…the one giving orders to the others...


Once the first ship arrives Liam would try to cast magic on their captain, at least the one giving the orders around.


“…Take me back to your base…”


Liam will try to employ Mind Pressure  on the man to be allowed into their recon ship …some would doubt the reasons but Liam trusts he would be allowed on board.


(Come on …Marcus…hang in there..)


Liam would bite his lip as he reaches the recon ship, he shoved sailors aside as he would make his way to the bathroom faking sea sickness and lock  the door behind him…


“…come…Assasssin…”


And as the first third of his command seals is employed…Liam would demands assassin to warp by his side. Liam coughing after this…and falls to his knees…


“Marcus…are you…alright?...”


Liam tries to catch his breath yet his mind is still processing the situation.

(…The devil was that!?...How can the assassin class be spotted?!...my spells don’t even cover a massive amount of space...and that thing….what….what was that?...Berserker?...it talked…did it…challenge assassin?...does the church know about this!?)


All Liam can do now is pray….pray that what he has in mind will help to end that thing and keep the war away from the eyes of innocents…for Sydney was home to more than 4 million people… what would the church do to keep the truth hidden from the world if this comes up to light?...Shit..what if the other masters and servants join the public exhibition that Beast was doing?! ....only time will tell...the clock was ticking...


@Gabriel97

Spoiler

Sideinfo on the HMAS Waterhen Naval Base extracted from their website: “Nowadays, HMAS Waterhen is home to six 'Huon Class' Mine Hunter Coastal Vessels, HMA Ships Diamantina, Huon, Hawkesbury, Norman, Gascoyne and Yarra. HMAS Waterhen is also the home to a busy flotilla of support craft including Diving Tender (DTV) Seal, Torpedo recovery vessel (TRV) Trevally, and Mine Sweeper Auxiliaries (MSA) Bandicoot & Wallaro”

 

[Birdsie]

Gilgamesh watched his Master, or how Gilgamesh saw it; Servant attempt to stand and couldn't help but widen his smile at the excellent pity that Matthias exuded. The same smile faded shortly afterward as it was simply not enough to satiate Gilgamesh's massive boredom. Although he wasn't much to look like, a failure of a homunculus in terms of craftsmanship, Gilgamesh did allocate some worth to his being as he provided a sweeping source of entertainment. When Matthias looked over to the worktable, Gilgamesh did not even flinch however, his eyes turned slowly and lazily towards the general direction to gaze upon whatever the mutt may have been searching for. Gilgamesh continued to listen to the amusing noises that left his Master's mouth, that one could come to call words yet when the end of them came, Gilgamesh felt like it was a huge waste of his time.


Sighing, he looked at Matthias approach him. Gilgamesh already knew what his Master wanted to offer him; immortality that was so rudely stolen away from him by what used to be the very catalyst he was summoned with. Kind of ironic, even funny when you think about it. Regardless, Gilgamesh was surprised to hear his continued explanation. As soon as Gilgamesh heard the word 'God's punishment,' his face shifted. It did not show the same arrogant frown. It was a degree of shock, perhaps even anxiety. Gilgamesh's jaw dropped slightly, but noticeably.


Upon hearing the last sentence, Gilgamesh's aura of confidence was penetrated. He would have Matthias pay for that, but later. For now, he was in pure rage, his eyes showed an emotion he did not display for a long time; shock. It slowly twisted into anger, Gilgamesh yelled at his master. He yelled with three, simple words:


"HOW DARE YOU!"


Gilgamesh was beyond furious. He continued to rant: "A mongrel like you?! Demand me to do something for him? Know your place, you worthless swine!" Gilgamesh was about to burst further and attack the audacious homunculus, however he stopped. With a face of brilliant realization, the King of Heroes came to a pause.


Gilgamesh smiled deeply. His lips formed in deep entertainment as he started giggling. Upon laying his hand on his face to stop himself and closing his eyes, he turned his head towards the sky and started laughing. Through his laughter, he muttered the words: "Fufuhaha-haha, I see, I see! Hahahaha!" He opened his eyes, turning his face to look upon his Master with the same amusement. "I must give praise where it is due, and you deserve your fair share, even though a mongrel you may be! Here I thought this old, worthless rug, that cup and the rest of this litter was all you'd have managed to scatter! You have come well-prepared after all! I accept the terms of your contract, however..." Gilgamesh paused.


The King of Heroes' expression twisted. It was darker, deeply angry. His eyes were open and had burning loathing in them. "It is unacceptable for you to even speak Enkidu's name as if his presence was a bargaining chip. It is unacceptable for you to speak as if you were a pompous brat. For now, I will pretend I did not hear what you have said, but know that I will not forgive it. Your punishment will be postponed and I will let you free of this one act, assuming you didn't yet understand the situation. If you dare do so again, nothing but your agonized screams will leave the boundaries of this room, or wherever you may happen to act such as now again. Allow me to make myself clear by repeating: Never again will you speak to me with this tone, nor refer to Enkidu. As a mongrel like you who uses his existence as a tool - a bribe to further himself with does not deserve to even speak to me. This is a special occassion, but know what I said and remember it."


Gilgamesh turned around, seeing that there was some type of activity in the city they were in. He walked up to and looked out the window and tried to search for the source of flowing energy, but to no avail. "Also, there is something else you should know, mongrel," Gilgamesh spoke more calmly. Then he continued "There is something more to this war than the Grail, I can sense it. But it's not important for now." Gilgamesh turned around to see his Master again, with his arms folded. "If it is the Holy Grail you want in exchange for my friend..." Gilgamesh sublimated into Spirit Form, leaving his master alone. As his legs turned into golden particles of magic and flew into the air, his last words were: "Then I shall provide," and perfectly by the end of the sentence his face was already gone from the spot it used to be in.


Gilgamesh did not intend to ask his Master questions about the current world, as being around that impudent fool was of great annoyance. Matthias was a weird, special case. He amused Gilgamesh nearly equally to how much hatred he felt for the magus. He'd rather find out more about this world himself, but first... some fitting attire was in place. Despite Matthias being insolent beyond the King of Heroes' belief and actually wanting something from him, he came with an item of true worth to Gilgamesh. Once upon a time, he swore that there was nothing more valuable to him than Enkidu. He was not one of his myriad treasures or collections, he was the only person that Gilgamesh considered a friend, so he would go as far as to ignore that mongrel's inane ramblings and bow down before someone for once. For his only and true friendship he was prepared to make sacrifices.


@Shirou Emiya

 

[Captain Gabriel]

The ground trembled beneath Marcus' feet as a ear-piercing roar was shout out. Marcus immediately took out his shortsword, but then Liam's voice was heard by the blonde roman senator. He holstered his shortsword and activated Presence Concealment. He dashed out of the room and used the many crates onto the cruiser to hide, crawling besides them to be as hidden as possible. Soon enough, Marcus had heard Liam's first Command Spell...


Marcus teleported exactly besides Liam. The senator knelt besides him and helped him up,


"Master, are you alright?" He asked, moving him to a more secluded space where Beast could hardly spot them.


Marcus' stance was calm and collected, even in a situation like this. He quickly inspected Liam's body, checking for any possible wounds or injuries.


@Lazarus

 

[LostHaven]

Tentcales burst from the water a grabbed a lifeboat, as all the screaming passengers were torn apart or drowned. Beast's claws clung onto the lifeboat platform and he hauled himself on the ship from the side. He roared a commanding shout and more tentacles burst from the ground, tearing everyone caught asunder. He had unleashed his Noble Phantasm... Tentacles from a variety of Outer Gods. He was their envoy, servant of The Supreme Outer God Azathoth. He was Nyarlathotep, harbringer of the. More and more tentacles grabbed onto the cruise, but luckily, most innocent people have gotten on lifeboats, and escaped the terrible monster. However, the cruise was starting to sink fast, and Liam and Assassin will feel their strength lessening, as if the tentcales of the Old Gods were sapping off their life force. If they didn't do something, they'd end up assisting in bringing abouts the end of the world...


Honourless peasants... I no longer have intentions of dueling you with honor, Assassin...


@Birdsie(Common, big rescue!!!) @Lazarus (if Assassin used Presence concealment, he could sneak up behind Beast and backstab him with an Anti-Unit) @Gabriel97

 

[Birdsie]

Gilgamesh was hoping to obtain clothing that would be more fitting of this age and more importantly; his personal taste. After having traversed some distance in Spirit Form, he felt great amounts of magical energy being released not that far away, as in Spirit Form one could not see with their eyes, but rather 'feel' their surroundings, in a form of clairvoyant information reception. To see what was going on, Gilgamesh materialized into a physical body at one of the ports and saw a ship being overtaken by Beast's Noble Phantasm. It looked nasty and abhorrent. Gilgamesh was deeply disgusted even glancing at it from far away and equally angered. However, he knew that what was being used was a Noble Phantasm and that it belonged to another Servant. Once again sublimating into Spirit Form, his body turned into particles of gold as the King of Heroes relocated...


[After 20 seconds]





 








Suddenly, the sky glew brighter than any other light could glow. The light was a warm, shimmering gold. Soon after, one could see whence the light came from. It's source was a plethora of what seemed to be circular portals, all looked like small pools of unstable water, yet in the color of a bright, slightly translucent gold. There were more than ten of them, but not more than fifteen. The King of Heroes stood proudly, with folded arms and an arrogant frown. He stood there like a shining star, atop the main chimney of the sinking craft, far above the abhorrent Beast and the equally disdainful tentacles of his. "Aren't you a sight to behold, ugly worm? Look at the way your body twists. I have not seen such disgusting deformity over the course of my lifetime! To put it shortly; you are an existence that must be put to an end. For your very existence leaves a mark of horrid stench upon this world. And this world belongs to me!" Gilgamesh's voice was condescending, yet deeply disgusted and angered.


The King of Heroes rose his arm high into the air, and as he did - so did the portals around him change. Now, from them peaked out weapons. Not just any weapons, but Noble Phantasms from his armory. They were in between the ranks of D and C, as Gilgamesh saw no reason to use the weakest of weapons against a Servant, deeming it ineffective, yet not seeing any reason to use the highest grade of Noble Phantasms he had at his disposal, deeming it a waste of swords.


Soon after, the King of Heroes' arm lowered, as if aimed towards Beast. This signaled that the Gate of Babylon was to fire, and so it did. The Noble Phantasms were launched at high velocity, flying towards Beast from above. They all left a trace of golden magical energy behind, creating a spectacular ambience akin to special effects. They would be hard to dodge due to Gilgamesh's superior advantage in terms of height and overall terrain. After each individual Gate fired five times, they stopped. This short burst of fire was a mere test from the King of Heroes, to see if the Beast was a weakling to perish easily, or if it would take a little more than the simplest of attacks. Also, due to Gilgamesh's attack, several bystanders who didn't make it onto the lifeboats and were stuck in Beast's tentacles perished as collateral damage from the Noble Phantasms hitting them. Up to 5 seconds after hitting or missing, the Noble Phantasms would also dissapear and fade away into particles of gold as Gilgamesh's retrieval Noble Phantasm returned them to his treasury.


The only question left was if they hit Beast, and if they did - what extent of damage did they leave?


@Lazarus @MrEvilMexican @Gabriel97

 

[LostHaven]

Beast feasted upon the souls of the fallen. His target was still Assassin, however. That all changed when circular portals opened in the sky, and golden light peered from them, like the rays of heavens piercing the night. However, he knew it wasn't pathetic 'Divine Judgement.' No, each of those swords were more dissapointing than the next... Rank C-D noble phantasms. Beast sneered at Gilgamesh internally, and loosened his posture, not caring at all that he was about to be rained on with weapons.


Rays of gold rained from the sky, swords and spears and weapons galore. The poor people caught in Beast's Noble Phantasm were all killed from Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasm. That itself was an act of mercy. But it was all for naught, for their souls would serve his ritual. The swords thundered against Beast's black, leathery skin, with little to no effect, some even shattering. The dust cleared, and Beast still stood, with hardly a scratch on him. Those pathetic excuses for Noble Phantasms shouldn't even be allowed to exist. Using them against him was nothing but an insult to his gods. Their finest creation, slain by some pathetic sword? It was beyond a joke.


Your swords are nothing but pathetic excuses for noble phantasms... Infinite swords, fired from a golden gate. King of Heroes, those pathetic weapons are beyond a joke. You would dare insult the Great Old Gods with those disgusting weapons?


Growled Beast.


Come down here and fight me, and you will know what is 'Authority of The Beast.'


@Birdsie @Lazarus @Gabriel97

 

[SomeStupidWords]

>Grand Lancer<
​

Spoiler

At Luna's words, a ghost of a smile flickered across Lancer's face. He nodded, and took her hand, gently lifting her into his arms. There was a warmth to his armour, a soft heat that counteracted the cold of the wind and rain. Lancer knelt in the sand, before leaping into the air with a strength unmatchable by any human. He flew through the air, gathering flames behind him to propel them even faster.


It wasn't long before the cruise ship was within sight. Glancing at the scene, Lancer quickly threw a flaming spear at the bulk of the tentacles - shifting Luna into the crook of his left arm, manifesting the spear, and throwing it within mere seconds - but any further action was halted, as he caught sight of the other Servant.


Lancer stared at the other golden-armoured Servant, taking in his lofty demeanour and his apparent confidence. "We may be facing two opponents," He said, his voice betraying no concern at the prospect. Lancer's cloak fluttered, dropping cinders behind it as it slowed their descent. As they floated gently towards the top deck of the ship, on the opposite end from the potential enemy, another spear appeared in his hand. At its manifestation, Luna felt a further drain on her mana.


This spear wasn't the phantasmal spear that he'd thrown before, but one on a completely different level. It glowed with a brilliance that seemed mismatched to Lancer's own being, a cruel purple light that pulsed in the rain. Looking upon it, there was no doubt that such a thing could only have been crafted by the gods themselves.


@MrEvilMexican@Birdsie@NerdyFox@Gabriel97@Lazarus

 

[Birdsie]

Gilgamesh frowned upon Beast's insults, however he could not care less about what such a half-breed thought of him. He kept on the same stance as before, then responded to Beast's calls. "Foolish worm, I can see your nonexistent body structure does not allow you to think clearly. Allow me to enlighten you; that was not an attack. That was target practice."


The amount of golden gates doubled, as the weaponry in them retreated back inside. Then, in it's stead came weapons from the higher ranks, such as A and A+.


Gilgamesh explained his change of tactics: "You possess a very hardened skin. Quite fitting, seeing as you are a cockroach. Only the finest of my armory will damage you. Based on what I observed previously, these weapons of top construction should suffice."


Gilgamesh was just about to fire until Beast invited him down to the ground. "You would have me fight you down there? On equal grounds? As if we were equals? Ha! Don't make me laugh, you abhorrent cockroach. I belong up here, among the heavens." Gilgmesh smiled with pride.


Yet once again, just as he was about to purge Beast from this world, Archer was interrupted. The King of Heroes felt cold neutrality, yet acknowledged the presence of Lancer by yelling. "You are quite late. This monster is already mine to destroy."


Gilgamesh looked at Beast and without further ado, said: "Perish, horrid bug." The Gate of Babylon fired the A to A+ rated Noble Phantasms at Beast at great velocity. As they flew, they left behind a trail of golden color for all to witness. They were also doubled in numbers compared to the previous attack, and just like previously; they would return to Archer's treasuries shortly after hitting something.


@Gabriel97 @Lazarus @MrEvilMexican @NerdyFox @SomeStupidWords

 

[LostHaven]

Beast was somewhat angered at the jerk's remarks. A 1/3rd human insect, would assume to be superior than an Old God? The insect's arrogance shall be his undoing. More Golden portals opened at Beast, and this time, fired more fitting weapons at him.


Pathetic. An Anti-Army Noble Phantasm couldn't even scratch me.


He kept his casual posture until a sword came at him and severed one of his tentacles. Black blood spilled on the floor, writhing, desperately struggling to connect with the body again. Beast let it die on the floor. Tendrils from his Noble Phantasm retracted into the ocean, then formed a protective dome around Beast, shielding him from the onslaught. After the blades subsided, so did the tendrils, and they then grabbed onto the ship to stabilise it.


I see.


Beast snorted.


Gate of Babylon classifies as an Anti-Army, yet it fires numerous Noble Phantasms of different types...


He was about to attack Gilgamesh when he suddenly sensed the overwhelming aura of a servant... Grand Lancer...


Beast, retreat. This is too risky to bear any fruit. Both Grand Lancer and Archer are great threats, return and complete the ritual.


Gatekeeper's voice rang inside Beast's head.


Then it shall be. I will face you and Grand Lancer another time. The Ancient God commands me to retreat, and I only obey.


Beast said, as the tentacles retracted and faded, and the Cruise ship started sinking rapidly again... Now Grand Lancer, Luna, Assassin and Liam were all in danger of drowning...


@Gabriel97 @Lazarus @NerdyFox @SomeStupidWords @Birdsie

 

[Jean Otus]

Matthias could barely contain his laughter, finally releasing a near maniacal belt after he sensed his servant had left his range. He'd been bluffing through part of that speech. He could, in theory extract Enkidu's spirit from the grail with similar accuracy to Gilgamesh, and he could give the two of them bodies as near to human as they could get, but eternal life, that would be forever out of their reach. All mages knew the taboo surrounding that was in place for a reason. Attempting to grant eternal life would only bring about tragedy. By the time Gilgamesh and Enkidu realized their new existences were finite he would have lived his allotment of days with the love granted him by the Grail, and he could rest in peace knowing that he had fooled the King of Heroes. But he was getting ahead of himself, first they would need more mana than even he could supply. He would need Caster, alive.


The tools he had used for summoning now spent, he opened up a small sachet of red sand. This one was from the deserts of America, its crimson color betraying its magical use. He cast a handful of the enchanted sand in a wide arc over his summoning, with a second swish of his hand the sand erupted into flame, neatly consuming everything he had directed it to, while minimizing the damage done to the hardwood flooring underneath. Afterwards he began lifting the furniture back into place himself. He couldn't rely on sand for everything.


The sitting room once more back in place, Matthias retired to the balcony overlooking the harbor. He'd sensed something at a distance, but now he could see it more clearly. There was his golden archer, attempting to rip apart some colossus with his famous bounty. Normally he'd follow to support his servant... But that looked so terribly dangerous, and he'd just poured himself a glass of lemonade. He resigned himself to watching the light show from afar, reading over the process to make Gilgamesh's perfect body in some old alchemical notes. The trick was to make it so perfect by removing the energy required to give it life, like with a homunculus. Gilgamesh and Enkidu supplied life enough, they just needed bodies. He lamented that this continent wasn't still a colony of worthless slaves and prisoners, those would be ideal fodder to build these bodies out of.


As he watched the Beast retreat, he called out to Gilgamesh across their mental connection.


"My Lord, do not sully your treasury with the blood of unworthy enemies. Kill the smaller ones if you want, but let's wait on the beast. Perhaps you and Enkidu can go hunting again as you did for Humbaba in the Cedar Forest." Matthias sipped his lemonade. He would make this war about Enkidu for Gilgamesh.


@Birdsie

 

[NerdyFox]

When Lancer pulled her to him, the fist thing she noticed was his surprisingly warm armor. Luna gasped as she wasn't expecting to feel the heat but she threw an arm around his neck for extra support. When the world shrank beneath her, Luna's eyes slammed shut to keep the nausea away. Heights weren't a fear of hers, per se, but they didn't make her super comfortable either. When she gathered the courage to open them, the first thing she saw was the twisting tentacles of the beast below them. Through all of her studies, Luna had never seen anything like this before and she couldn't help but ponder what this meant for the war ahead. 


Lancer's words forced her back to reality as he brought attention to the other Servants. Luna cursed, "Be careful, Lancer....Archer isn't someone to be taken lightly." When he brought them to the top of the ship, Luna felt a pressure as more mana evaporated from her and looked to see what he had manifested. The glowing purple spear was beautiful and deadly but her attention was quickly pulled away as the monster disappeared. The ship buckled beneath them as it began to take on water. "Lancer, keep an eye on Archer while I see if there are any survivors..." Luna climbed down from their lofty spot until she was on the main deck of the ship. Noticing another man, Luna called out to him without thinking, "Have you seen anyone else? We have to get off of this thing." 


@SomeStupidWords @Birdsie @Lazarus

 

[Birdsie]

Gilgamesh watched the battlefield, as Beast started retreating. Seeing that the ship would sink fully in approximately five minutes and hearing his Master's calls, Gilgamesh decided that the whole night was a waste of time. Knowing that Lancer was indeed a Grand Servant summoned here with a duty carried from the world to destroy Beast, Gilgamesh spoke to him directly. He found something interesting and peculiar about Lancer, most likely the fact that he had a Noble Phantasm that wasn't in the Gate of Babylon. Needless to say; the King of Heroes was looking forward to expanding his collection with Lancer's possessions.


"Lancer. Do not let that cockroach get away. It is like an annoying honeybee, and it has found a field full of flowers ripe for taking. It is merely a matter of time before it returns to it's queen to report said discovery. I suggest you destroy that abomination's lair and the cockroach itself as quickly as possible; then focus on the War. I would surely like to see you performing in top form during our inevitable clash." The King of Heroes said, with arrogance painted on his face. The reason he wanted Lancer to be strong was because facing Grand Lancer was bound to be interesting, especially if he had such rare Noble Phantasms. Gilgamesh felt that in this fight even he would have to show at least some degree of seriousness. And even more so; upon defeating Lancer, The King of Heroes would only bathe in more glory if Lancer was at his best.


Upon leaving said matter in Lancer's hands, Gilgamesh decided that he would not go after the Beast anymore unless they coincidentally managed to cross paths. It was shameful for his weapons to touch that disgusting monster's skin anyway. As the Homunculus spoke to him, the King of Heroes had no choice but to agree in this one instance.


Gilgamesh returned back to Spirit Form, deciding to go back to exploring this new world and learning about it, it's history and most importantly; tools and treasures that were worthy of obtaining and being added to his collection.


@SomeStupidWords @NerdyFox @Lazarus @Gabriel97 @MrEvilMexican @Shirou Emiya

 

[SomeStupidWords]

>Grand Lancer<

Spoiler

Lancer readied his spear, but drew it back as the beast retreated. He turned his attention to the other Servant, and, listening to his words, let his weapon fade once more. It seemed both enemies were retreating. That suited Lancer fine; he wasn't the type who found his life's meaning in combat. He spared no words for either opponent, simply mulling their own words over in his mind. Both were extremely confident, at the very least.


Lancer cast his eyes once more on Luna, allowing himself to float gently to the deck below. He noticed another survivor, and paused. Secrecy was supposedly important in this war, and revealing himself to a random human might get his Master in trouble. Lancer faded into spirit form. Any other Servant would be able to see him - though he doubted any others had made their way to this ship - while he became invisible to any others. He landed close to his Master, ready to take action again if she couldn't find a way off the ship without revealing his presence.

Lazarus Captain Gabriel NerdyFox

 

[Noxx Hollow]

Berserker’s walking slowly increased in speed as she got closer to his actual destination in the middle of the forest no less, lifting his leg and resting his foot on a tree he effortlessly knocked the entire thing over making it crash to the canopy of grass. He then sat his complaining master on what was now a glorified bench in the woods so he could have full range use of his arms without really holding back. Balling up his fists, he began to punch the ground, creating small seismic events that shook the ground and scared away any wildlife that didn’t already had for the heels when he landed; this was his version of digging. He forced his way deeper into the ground for at the very least an hour, making sure to use controlled strikes just in case he broke what he was looking for, but soon enough something shiny could be seen glittering in the creator.

A cheerful growl could be heard under Berserker’s helmet when he wasted no time thrusting both his hands down into the dirt and dragging out what looked like two massive gauntlets both with lion markings engraved on them. Amazing craftsmanship and even more so that it's withstood the test of time being buried so deep that only an ancient creature such as he would know where they were buried. After they were excavated and the dirt removed from the insides Berserker dawned his new weapons and almost immediately began shadow boxing getting a good feel for the new added weight. One uppercut seemed to erupt underground causing the earth underneath it to tear through the dirt causing an even larger hole in the ground, Berserker did not seem to like the earth all that much.

SomeStupidWords

 

[SomeStupidWords]

>Lily von Brandt<

Lily sighed in relief as the Servant set her down, uncomfortable as the tree was. Well, the Servant had been considerate enough to give her a seat, at least. It began to punch the ground nearby. "What are you-" She started, but shook her head. If it hadn't answered her before, it wasn't likely to now.


Lily slumped, resting her chin in her hands as she watched the Servant dig. Each punch shook the ground, jostling her briefly into the air. Combined with the cold, wet weather, and the dark of the night, it made for a very unpleasant experience. She let out a long sigh, and twisted one of the rings on her left hand. "What a frightful companion. He must be a Berserker, don't you think?" She said, breathing the words into the empty night.


For a moment, she contemplated leaving - but this place was foreign to Lily, and she had no real way to navigate. Instead, she started humming to herself, a half-remembered tune from her childhood.


Not too long after that, Berserker stopped his digging. Lily perked up, peering closely at the Servant's form. She'd wondered for a while if he was simply taking out his aggression on the Earth, but at least it seemed that wasn't the case. The gauntlets he withdrew fascinated Lily. In fact, the implications of a Servant that could find treasures under the ground - she suddenly began to feel a lot more optimistic about their partnership.


Lily rose and stepped forward, only flinching slightly at the eruption of earth. "You are Berserker, yes?" She asked, hoping a name would render the Servant more communicative.

Noxx Hollow

 

[Captain Gabriel]

Marcus took a deep breath and looked down at his master, who was still lying on the ground. He grabbed onto his master, seeing as the ship started to sink and put him on his shoulders, sprinting off the sinking vessel, jumping onto the Naval Guard's ship and laying his master into a hidden spot of the corvette, kneeling down beside him to then look around for any danger that could come up and threaten his master. Assassin leaned onto him, placing his finger and middle finger on his master's neck to check his pulse. As his two fingers felt the heartbeat go through his neck's vein, he sighed in great relief, smiling happily as Liam was still alive.

"Master, wake up," Assassin spoke calmly, shaking Liam's shoulders slowly.

Assassin picked him up and moved him to the boat's deck, laying him down on the ground and dashing out of the deck, reconning to get an overall idea of how the craft was structured to see if there would be any advantage points over enemy servants or masters.

Lazarus

 

[Lazarus]

Spoiler: Background Music

Liam was not expecting to have 3 servants in the cruise, he was puzzled when he spotted that monstrous creature summoning its tendrils and tentacles, the way it teared the crew apart with ease making him even more hesitant to this situation. Initially the slim mage thought that violent creature was blindly trying to find him among the many people on the cruise, perhaps it was all part of the violent and rampaging nature that the Berserker class was known for. Yet there was something that didn't fit: he heard Beast calling Assassin for a challenge, he mentioned its desire to combat without honor...the Berserker class could talk?...could propose a challenge?....maybe...this was the Caster class , a minion of some kind? ...it ..didn't seem that possible...a last piece still didn't fit: How were they found? ...the Assassin class was the master extermination team and what it lacked in servant confrontation skills compensated with its capability to remain hidden ...right?

(...It made no sense...)
​

Thought Liam as he ran back to his room, confident as many innocents as possible had boarded the lifeboats...in his head the same question rumbled unable to comprehend how the cards had been turned on them...his feet echoing on the cruise's floor as he reached his room and brought two belongings with himself: the briefcase and his backpack... what a mess...this was going to appear in the news without a doubt, an isolated event was now open for the public to see. Liam wondered if any of the tourists had survived with photos or videos of the gargantuan creature that Beast was. The situation only worsens as golden projectiles rain over the monstrosity, Liam luckily had kept himself hidden far enough so the flying weapons wouldn't harm him. He still felt the ship shaking even more ...his slim frame stumbled before recovering with a firm grip on the wall. To that added a second wave of golden projectiles and the piercing impact of a flaming spear, Liam started to suspect that with all this damage it would only be a matter of time before the ship meets the depths of the bay. Hidden as he held from a door he found it inevitable to feel the powerful mana radiating from the weapons and attacks Lancer and Archer used. His breath turned deep for a moment before keeping silent: Liam didn't want to use his mana, he didn't want to risk himself to one of those two sniffing him out, had they been attracted to the ship because of him?...he gave it some thought and convinced himself it had been Beast what had lured them over.

The creature then retreated ...but...was it defeated?...no...that thing had survived two servants on its own!...Liam's question now turned to a second topic:

(...Who is commanding that thing?...)
​

Thought but soon it had happened again! the ship shakes as Liam brought himself running through the deck, he saw a girl on her own...Liam, ignoring this was Lancer's master, was ready to try to help her find a lifeboat or a way to leave, was there a man with her? ...no...Liam wasn't sure as Lancer had disappeared.


Yet as soon as his lips opened, the trembling of the ship had him yanked off his feet: the world moves almost in slow motion to Liam as the cruise is struggling to be balanced ...this time the movement strong enough to send the slim mage against the edge of the cruise and in opposite direction to Luna's, Liam wasn't exactly a challenge when it came to physical strength, exhausted from the running and helping the crew he was no match to the shaking of the ship that sent him away and rolling on his back down the side corridors...where did the girl go? ...he couldn't see her...where was he? was the ship sinking? he hugged the briefcase as he was losing sense of where up and down were. Luckily enough Marcus/Assassin had spotted him on time and had provided a leap towards a Naval Vessel, Liam could only wish that Marcus agility and subtlety would keep them save from being discovered so early. It was his voice that brought the mage back to his senses, narrowing his eyes to the lights of the smaller ship.

(...Marcus? ... where..are we?...)
​

Asked in his thoughts as the military man recons the surroundings, soon he saw them on that Naval Vessel. What happened to the girl? seemed to quietly ask the black haired mage as he saw the sinking cruise. Being in a Naval Vessel he imagined the Australian Navy would had been on their way by now, the chaos was too obvious to ignore. If spotted by a sailor, Liam would say that he is one of the survivors and try to blend along the other tourists that the vessel rescues, grabbing a blanket and blending along the group.

(...Thanks Marcus...did you see them?...there were other servants in that ship...I still don't understand how did they find us...are they tracking us? ...and...that monster... do you have any idea what that creature was?)
​

Asked Liam grateful as Marcus had saved him, his last question referring to Beast before the mage remembered: there was someone still aboard!

Liam approached one of the sailors and told them there was a girl on the sinking ship: the mage, ignoring he had already encountered Luna, thought the least he could do was let the navy know there was still a survivor before he returned to hiding among the rescued ones.

Oh ...what a start ...for now ...the mage just focused on keeping a low profile and think what the next step would be ...probably find a new spot to hide...and inform the church of this....

​