Chaldean Chronicles: Cadence of the Lostgrail
✅ - Pre-Lostbelt Game Rooms / 〚💬｜game-2
The Camp is filled with activity for the assault to the Black Gate, as you arrived at the tent of Cao Cao who immediately order you to prepare for the battle.
The capital city wall could be seen standing proudly, you could sees some small moving figure on top of it.
If you have time to prepare, this is it. Estimation before reaching the gate, 10 minutes.
And with that, the sound of horn of war resound around you as the soldier start to run into the inlet that contain the Black Gate. The sound of boots hitting the earth followed clashing of steel would reach your ears as the battle for the Capital has started.You could sees the wall filled with watch tower that seems to be made of the same material of the wall. Inside of them, dozen of arrows start to rain on the soldiers.From where you all sees, the wall that the Cao Cao's attacking contain a huge black gate and you could sees some stairs has been put and people are climbing the wall, however they all stopped by the watch tower as they all pelted by arrows.
With a force of magecraft that even the highest ranking mage in the Clock Tower become green in envy, The first defensive wall made of stone and hold hope of the soldier to hold on against attack of their beloved city, suddenly will find a large, sizzling hole as lightning hot enough to burn through gate. The after effect of the magecraft then would show itself, as suddenly the rest of the wall would turned to dust.
With a cheer, the force of Cao Cao enter the opening and from behind the line, Cao Cao order the siege weapon to be send forward.Inside, the attacker is greeted by the defender as people start to kill each other. Blood painted the floor red from how many people start to hacking each other.At the second wall, you all sees the famous Black Gate. A gate of pure steel filled with etching of stories of heroes and legend that promised that will always hold the gate back from the invader.
All Servant would immediately sensed a presence of Servant in front of them.
At the front of the Black Gate, all of you would sees 5 imposing figure, Armored Soldier with halberd and spear, their bottom half melded with a body four-legged creature not unlike a horse. At the center, a Huge Man with with Huge horse legs holding its body, holding a halberd on two hands while the other two gripping onto its side.Say anything about this and I will break that shoulder of yours. Jeanne threatens as she tries to get up.Shut it, the other master candidate is out of control. She looks over to Lucius. "Control her or I'll put her down myself."Explain later. I'll deal with the wall with the red head. Jeanne slowly gets on Deathwing which proceeds to bring her closer to the gate. She then hops off and starts walking towards the door, letting out a hum as she inspects the piece of structure.
"Hehe... Just you wait..." The servant mutters as she places a hand on the wall.
From afar, the others can see spikes and flames errupting from the ground. Quickly consuming the gate. Possibly piercing those near the wall as random stakes poke out of the wall too.
-This is the howl of a soul filled with hatred!-
-La Grondement Du Haine!-
As the Avenger releases her Noble Phantasm, hellish flames rose up the wall and blows a giant hole open. Leaving nothing but ash. A powerful NP managing to turn stone to dust. Like a furnace suddenly blasting its heat once opened. All that remains now was rubble and smoke. Debris falling after the explosion."What the hell!?"
Yells Surtr loudly in the telepathic link. Even though she's a literal fire giant, having your heat and life force being sucked out all the sudden still makes an impact on her. Plus, this isn't a her in her prime, so shes much more proned to attack. Unfortunately for Akiha, the Flame Rune that's still active on Surtr body activates itself against her assault, sending back waves of flames into her body as it deals back the damage she had dealt to the giant.
"Gah!? Hey! Someone stop this girl from eating me inside out!"
The giant yells as she let go of her grip, letting Akiha to fall down into the ground. (edited)Explain later. I'll deal with the wall with the red head. Jeanne slowly gets on Deathwing which proceeds to bring her closer to the gate. She then hops off and starts walking towards the door, letting out a hum as she inspects the piece of structure. "Hehe... Just you wait..." The servant mutters as she places a hand on the wall. From afar, the others can see spikes and flames errupting from the ground. Quickly consuming the gate. Possibly piercing those near the wall as random stakes poke out of the wall too. diff -This is the howl of a soul filled with hatred!- -La Grondement Du Haine!- As the Avenger releases her Noble Phantasm, hellish flames rose up the wall and blows a giant hole open. Leaving nothing but ash. A powerful NP managing to turn stone to dust. Like a furnace suddenly blasting its heat once opened. All that remains now was rubble and smoke. Debris falling after the explosion.
Hold the gate? Hmph. Fine. Only because there are still plenty of soldiers nearby. I'd rather not venture into some protected territory. Especially if magic is involved.Once you are awake again we are going to have talk about your habit of getting Cursed...I am sorry for allowing to get get harmed in my place again Master
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The city was burning. Just a massive storm of fire. And it wasn't the fire that was the only storm. Just as they arrived the sky above exploded in a massive detonation akin to an explosion.
You could see the gate ahead in the distance. In the hour that you had retreated it had turned into a living hell of steam and fire. Wei troops were in total route from the gate, many of them were covered in soot and blood and were dragging comrades with them that were horribly burned.
"Fire!" one of them frantically screamed. "So much fire!"
"Cao Cao! She was there after the gate fell," one of the officers leading reinforcements shouted. "Where is she?"
"I don't know!" you heard from a wounded soldier. "I saw her charging enemy lines when that cursed storm broke. I don't know what happened to her after."Gate is like 300 feet away from current position (edited)Before you, through the burning remnants of the gate you would see piles and piles upon of charred and broken bodies, so badly burned that it was impossible to tell allegiance from allegiance. The gate itself had long been torn down but the smoke was so thick that you couldn't see past the great doors.
You know, this silence is pretty nice, don't have to hear the annoying voices of our teammates. Oh, master it seems I've lost my hearing. I'm deaf now.
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”I’ll communicate with you mentally. Stay close.”Upon the walls still intact and in the towers around the gate Wei troops were burned alive by the acid and tumbled down from it. Soon there was just silence as the city sizzled.
@Cherry | Shuten Dₒᵤⱼᵢ
Gilgamesh would see with his masterful eyes that in the remaining towers and block states that still remained there were shadows of movement in the wall slits and bunker openings. Several glints that suggested telescopes or some sort of device that assisted sight.Suddenly everyone would see on the tops of the walls that suddenly flags of multicolored were being raised but they were quickly burned. Though they lasted long enough to easily be seen for a long ways away if anyone was paying attention.A distant voice Gilgamesh would hear, only his divine ears being able to hear over the thunder and rain. "Loose!"
@Cherry | Shuten DₒᵤⱼᵢSomething firey and medium-sized ascended into the air and was rapidly falling onto the position of Chaldea.It landed before Chaldea, bouncing once with a sickening organic crunch before coming to a halt before the feet of Erik. It was a burnt charred corpse that had once worn a red dress and had a gold pin in her now singed hair that held it together.Master? Why did a body fall out of the sky? Is it alive still? Still deaf by the way.”I.. I have no idea. I don’t think we can save them. Come, let’s keep moving.”The storm began to subside and to say the city was badly damaged was an understatement. Everywhere the roofs and anything weak were practically boiling from the acid rain. What had once been a raging flame was not replaced by a liquid fire that sizzled and consumed everything. Several towers collapsed into piles of rubble, their support eaten away. The whole city was now wreathed in a terrible fog of acidic smoke.Can I take the gold pin? I don't think anyone else seems interested in it.”Let’s leave it be,” she said. “We should let them rest In peace. Besides, I doubt it would be worth much in such a damaged condition.”
”Kama, hop on,” Touko nudges her head to the direction of her broom, signaling for her to join her. ”We’re flying!”Ok master.
She had no idea what the others were saying cause she was still deaf for some reason but she joined her master on her flying broom.As you flew above the city you would notice that there were corpses strewn all about. Most oddly they did not seem to die of burns or of lightning. They just lay limp on the ground in a pile of their own fluids, not a single blemish upon their skin.
They were in covered areas that were not at all effected by the acid or the fire. (edited)As they entered the smoke, created by the acid rain, to hide from any surviving eyes, all Masters would suddenly find themselves short on breath.The smoke was rather toxic given it was created by a magical storm and had surely already kill thousands.The smoke clouds broke as you reached the area of the city undamaged at all by the storm. In the distance, you could see the majestic palace of Dong Zhou. Or at the very least once majestic. The savage lightning strikes of the Thunder God Ba'al had wounded it deeply. The two main wings had been aflame. The famous palace gardens below too were aflame.
Below at the gates to the palace gardens you can see what seemed like a swarm of ants battering themselves against the gates, pulling out ladders to cimb the walls and get over.
"For Li Ru! For Zhou!" you would hear the chants being carried on the wind.
You also spot that from the palace there seems to be figures, larger then birds fleeing the firey rooftops.There were more iron gates at the walls to the palace garden, the coup-de-tat troops were futilely smashing a massive ram against the gates yet it wouldn't budge. And all the while they were under constant harassment by artillery on the palace walls and archers on little boats in the large ponds in the palace park.The blast utterly atomized the gate to the point where the concept of atoms no longer existed. Molten shards spat out in waves of whizzing supersonic shrapnel that shredded the dozens of Zhou troops that were waiting on the other side.
"The gate is open!" the loyalist troops screamed. "Forwards! To liberation!"
And just as the first vanguard of troops entered through the smoke-wreathed breach they screamed again.
And not in bravery.
But in agony.
A wash of flames engulfed the first thirty troops that went through the gate and turned them to ash.
"Fire Golem! They have a fire golem!"The Fire Golem would exhale a breath of pure magma at Varus and Jeanne. Varus could sense the sheer amount of mana that had enhanced that attack, surely boosted by the Caster ruler of this territory."Forwards! Again! Once more into the breach or fill it with our dead!" The troops of Li Ru rallied and swarmed the fire golem with a withering volley of spear throws.It was sturdy and many of the troops were wounded, but what they lacked in damage, they made up in sheer number.In case it was not clear, hitting a creature made of fire and stone is not exactly the most effective.With Varus's blast of eldritch energy blasting it off the platform and into the water and with a massive volcanic explosion of fire and steam destroyed itself and several boats of archers nearby.
A Master had done what two servants could not with a single attack.
@Tyonis ShikiAnd he drove back one of the enemy Grail Guardians with several blasts that punted him just out of reach.Suddenly the archer hands would turn into a blur as it fired volley after volley of near-supersonic arrows into the crowd of charging soldiers and chaldeas. Thirty-seven soldiers died to the volley and most of their bodies ate up the shots, but still several struck friendlies.Gilgamesh's firey volley would sink every single boat and put the achers on them into the drink!A voice would suddenly echo through the lake battle scene. "Greetings Chaldea! A pleasure to see a combat test of one of my prototypes. Many changes will have to be made regarding its weakness to water when this is done. You have my thanks for revealing that in full view, Master Magus. But I am afraid that now you must leave for I must now return to my work and I abhor distractions." (edited)
2"Unfortunately I must refuse, Master Magus for I am no Magus at all. I am - correction was - just a humble molder of clay. And besides, I am very busy now with a surprise for my Master's I am sure she will enjoy it. And I cannot work on it if you continue to distract me. So please, do leave." (edited)"This is my final warning Chaldea. I do NOT tolerate disturbances to my work," he said with a suddenly venomous and deep voice, "Not when the project is so close to completion. Leave this city at once and I shall leave you undamaged."
@Game Ping 2"Foolishness Chaldea... foolishness. I have warned you, do not say I did not. I was waiting for a more special occasion but this will have to do!" The voice cut out and suddenly the ground began to shake heavily underneath everyone's ship. A boat sailed lazily along the riverside suddenly began to shake...
And then rose above the water under the grasp of giant hands.
A massive figure rose out of the water clutching the boat, water cascading off it like a waterfall.
"Behold," the voice called out, "The Garden of Even, the salvation of humanity has come." (edited)
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1A withering salvo from the eldritch turrets aimed out, locking on and firing black bursts of withering salvos at Jeanne's dragon, knocking it clean out of the sky and knocking the so-called dragon witch out of the sky.
"You are foolish, all of you shall behold the might of my greatest creation!" the voice called out again.
It began to rumble forward, it's backlit by the flames of the burning palace.
"And now you can't leave. At least not with two working legs."
Varus would suddenly begin to sense a massive buildup of energy within the core of the creature. He would recall he had seen traces of energy like this during Ba'al bombardment of the city, the exact same lingering in the air as he flew by.
@Tyonis ShikiThe lightning bolt cast by the goddess of love for a moment stunned it badly as it advanced forward, causing it to drop the boat it held over its head onto its back with a sickening crunch.
It began to shiver as arcs of electricity danced all over its body.
"System recalibration..." the voice muttered. "Another fault to iron out when the final version is created. No matter. This shall be another combat test."
@Game Ping 2The group would suddenly see the golem move forward with unnatural speed for its size and suddenly its foot would rise off the water the shadow falling on Jeanne and Varus!Even as he felt the throes of madness overcome him, Varus at the last moment would sense something and realized what it was. Some kind of bounded field was growing inside the golem.
No... it wasn't a bounded field.
It was something a hundred times more powerful then that.And he knew there was only one type of magic that could approach that type he was now sensing...Again it would let loose another volley and you could hear laughter coming from the golem.
"I honestly thought this would be much more! I thought you would be better rest subjects. But no matter. Maybe I can create something with your corpses when this is done!"Thanks to Gil's power the Golem would disappear for a moment, but how much time did he by was the question.The Golem materialized back into the real world, a towering monster of clay and steel and stone. Its eyes blazed a blood-red as it stared down the beast of Surtr.
"You dare challenge me!?" The voice blared out again in sheer frustration. "You think your sullied hands can compare to my most holy creation! I shall bring the salvation of humanity in the eyes of God one way or another! So come at me, Demon of Red, I shall crush you all under my fist. One by one, as one!""It's back! Fire!" The troops of Wei and Zhou, united for a split second, outside the walls shouted. A hail of artillery, stone and explosive, arrows and ballista bolts, hammered away at the Golem, chipping away at its armor and skin. But as quickly as an entire army could damage it, it was healing. Knots of clay reappeared in tendrils and filled the wounds.
"No hand but the very Gods themselves shall bring me to ground fools!"
2Though it's regenerating quite quickly.
Surtr took note of the golem accelerated healing, taking rains of artillery to the face without budging. She will need to deal with its regeneration if she want to atleast damage it. Though, there's one way she might be able to deal with such thing. But first, she swung down her gigantic longsword into the golem in the middle of his monologue, not giving a care if he finishes it or not.
Master, stay clear of the blast, I will soon use my Noble Phantasm.
"Well what a coincidence, I've slayed God before, I'll make sure to bring you down into you and your creation grave." (edited)I'll get clear as soon as I can. Raze this creature to the ground"Bah! An annoyance you are Dragon-Rider." Aviceborn screamed. "Let's see how it feels like to survive lacking your mount!"
And it unleashed a salvo of turrets against the dragon. (edited)Suddenly a massive burst of light would erupt from the chest of the Golem and envelope Jeanne, Gilgamesh, and two of the Adens in a blinding light. So bright was it that everyone caught within its blast radius and failed to avoid the worst of it was made blind by this golden light.
1Suddenly everyone would sense a massive buildup of energy coming from the Golem before it suddenly exploded, becoming a reality marble that anchored down into the local area. It was... beautiful. A lush garden, a garden free of sinners, of sin, and of hunger.
This was the Garden of Eden, his greatest creation.
"How could you want to oppose me now!" Aviceborn spoke again. "Witness the elegance and beauty of this!"And like a most divine light it would shine, showering all in the glory of God's Kingdom on Earth.Suddenly the Golem's hand became a blur and seized Jeanne in its grip. "Well, well, well. Let's see how willing all of you are to sacrifice one of your own if you are to take me down."God damn that's hot"The Golem braced as hard as it could but combined with the Noble Phantasms of Sutrtr, God-Breaker, and Jeanne the Dragon Witch it staggered for a moment.
"What!? WHAT IS THIS?" Aviceborn's voice betrayed a sense of sheer panic at the sudden outpour of power. "NO! MY GARDEN! HOW COULD YOU!?
The reality marble shattered as clouds of boiling water and steam enveloped everything. The wounds that wracked the Golem refused to heal, the ground from which it drew its power completely scorched.
"Grrrrr... grrrrrr," sounds of heavy breathing came from the golem. "If you think that's all it takes.... YOU CHALDEANS ARE SORELY MISTAKEN!"
It raised its massive sword at Surtr.
"SO COME AT ME YOU PRETENDER FOR A GOD! COME AND DIE AT MY HOLY BLADE!" (edited)
Steam is heavily obscured to 10 feet. Anything beyond is heavy obscured.As DM I delcare, yes, she is wet in that way.With a shrill howl, the Golem was crushed and then slashed apart by Surtr's blade. "No, no, no, no."
The voice came frantically but it was too late.
Adam fell into the river. Dead. Never to return.
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...?
I wish to verify your claims master, they seem rather exaggerated… is it alright if I were to test my mettle against her later in this simulation…?I recommend you to not, knowing you would attack her when her guard is down and still get your ass handed to you. Not saying you are weak or anything but Ciel is on another level. Plus your pride would take a blow if you got beaten by ciel in front of us. Just challenge her to a match later after the simulation.
This was his response to Ishtar's request. They had a mission to do and he rather not have his servant get taken out of the run cause she wanted to see if Ciel was strong as he claimed.
Now arriving at the bructeri's village, All of you are preparing to go on a journey back to the sigil to check on them following Da Vinci's Request.
Walking on the burning field that was once erected with the bounded field. Peggy who is walking ahead to act as a scout would notice a few white mound around the battlefield. As he drew closer however, he would notice that its not a mound, but a walking piles of bones roaming the street. Thankfully, it doesn't notice him.Hmm they could be the undead we encountered beforeI am alien to these lands but would it be possible for these undead creatures to come back to life again? Surely it would be a discovery and something I wish to study.
Peter lets out a hum as he watches the path they're taking. Once they encoutner these piles of bones, Peter will shove them in his bag of holding.With the help of Archer and a few close call, all of you transverse the fiery battlefield into the edge of the forest.Wonderful work, Corporal. You got us out safe and sound. Peter compliments.Indeed, we have been though her before.I'm shall lead the way to the Circle, Archer keep an eye and ear out for any undead giants or servants.Arriving at the place where the sigil's are, you sees the platform and the tent where the necromancer was killed by Caster. It seems that nothing has disturb the place. (edited)Peter too would arrived at this conclusion.Looking over the tar, Peter would notice that its filled with various curses, one that apparently filled with mystery that even would affect the Servant.
Entering the tent, Veronica will be greeted by the smells of rotting corpses and a small room filled with books and a workshop and a bedroll.Looking over the book, Veronica would sees that it's filled with gibberish characters.While looking around the room, Veronica would notice a small chest under the workshop.As the golem enter the tar, its rocky body would start to sizzling slowly. The sound could be heard around the vicinity.
Slowly, the area that touch the tar would lit up on green fire and the golem start to sunk down.And with the last undead giant falls, the clearing is free from them, but all of you could hear the shambles of something huge moving around. The longer you all here, the more of them are coming.Opening the chest, Veronica would sees an object that seems to be weakly pulsing. From what her basic knowledge got, what she is seeing right now is a magic crest, which mean this magic crest might be came from one of the Master. 
Da Vinci appears in your intercoms, smiling brightly.
"Hey there! I hope you've all settled nicely!"
She reveals her real expression, which looks much more panicked.
"There's a dragon trying to melt this entire mountain down, so if some of you could please hurry up and get down there, that'd be great!"
@ArbyOrNotToBe @Thicc|Fie/Ali/Ayu/Miyu/Nag/Mel (edited)
"It's large, black, poisonous and it's going really fast!"
"In other words, I need you to hurl ass!"
Da Vinci sends you the location of the dragon at the bottom of the mountains.
Your objective is simple: kill it as fast as you can.
@Thicc|Fie/Ali/Ayu/Miyu/Nag/Mel @ArbyOrNotToBe
You hurry and descend down the cliffs to reach the bottom of the mountain.
You see the dragon as described, massive and black with slick, glistening scales, melt through the rock with its poisonous breath.
You're about a hundred feet from it to its left.
@Thicc|Fie/Ali/Ayu/Miyu/Nag/Mel @ArbyOrNotToBe @Sophie, Mary, Nito, Gorgon, BoudResponsing to the sound of flame, the dragon turns its head to your group, snarling in rage.
You start to hear quiet and distorted, unintelligible whispers. Being around this dragon has infected your mind with something.Succumb, submit, destroy...
A chorus of destructive whispers fills Orochi's head.
"Anyone mind putting a leash on him? At this rate, he's scarier than that dragon," Da Vinci comments."That could've been worse. Crisis averted?" Before everyone heads out to accompany Lucius on his way to meet the goddess who gave him Florent, Epona stops them.
"Are you all sure about this? The Romans must already consider you a traitor for siding with us. If it comes to it, will you be ready to fight them?""If this goddess is the reason I haven't been able to beat Ruler, then getting her out of the way is beneficial to me, I won't deny that. But I'm not so selfish to ask you to fight someone close to you."
"..I understand that might not make sense to you. Anyone who's assisting the Romans in our fight is my enemy. Still, I don't want to be some monster. If there is a way bloodshed can be avoided, I would like to see it too."
She accepts your resolve to leave off to meet the creator of Florent.
"That said, I can't join you. If I did, I likely wouldn't be able to hold back from attacking her. I hope you understand."
@Game Ping 2 (edited)"Good luck. And come back safely."
The first Romans turn to the group and call out to them.
"Who goes there?"
Their leader immediately steps out and draws his sword.The Romans aren't approaching the group yet, waiting for them to make the first move.
But the bound tribe people recognize Lucius Francis and Veronica and call out to them too, raising their hands so they can see they are bound.
"Please, help us!"Archer, Rider I shall approach and use my Mana bust you fire at them while they are disorganised.If they attempt to attack the prisoners, fire with intent to kill.”Shall I use my divine prospect as well?” she suggest giving the aura early, yet they don’t know what this people can do, …or if they will doThe Roman leader comes closer too, his followers slowly following.
"We serve the true ruler of Rome. Our commander was Quintus Petillius Cerialis, but he's fallen."
"You.. are you the Emperor he told us about? Is it true that you're siding with them?"When Artoria summons a fey spirit, the group of Romans backs up again.
"What is she doing?"What are you doing Lancer”I’m trying to avoid conflict, play along, if they are just slightly closer I might be able to cast them under a spell” “It’s a mere familiar. It helps me. We mean no harm.” she says nodding her head at the person28
". . ."
They don't come closer but their hostility eases a little.
"Yes, our general falling was ill-fortuned," the leader answers Lucius. "Our emperor said you're a future ruler of Rome, yet we find you on the wrong side of the river. Why?"”My persuasion can go so far, … I have little knowledge and context sadly. I will wait for a moment I can charm them.” Lartoria having communicated to her friends would turn a bit with her horse awaiting for further notice"We answer only to the one true emperor. Even if Vespasian sent word for us, he wouldn't answer it. The Divine Ancestor is the only aid that's come to us in the past six months."
"What does helping these barbarians do for humanity? They're the ones who won't accept peace."
The leader looks back at the people bound in scorn.”Could suggest the idea of there being one target of interest amongst the group which needs to be interrogated? Also adding on the fact that the mole’s face is unknown”19
”I doubt that would pierce though their loyalty”"Do what? Take prisoners?"
"It's war. They have nothing to blame but their own stupidity for going this far out on their own."
A woman speaks up from the bound group.
"We were only gathering herbs. We didn't come here to fight anyone."
Like you saw with the corpses on the battlefield, the rose etched in their armor moves with a gust of wind.
The leader doesn't answer Artoria's question.
Instead, he talks to Lucius again. "Join us."
"With your help, we can restore peace again."The leader seems shaken by Lucius harsh rejection, but his eyes then become a glare.
"We're not scared of you. We've been given the divine assistance of a goddess."
"Get ready!"The leader seems shaken by Lucius harsh rejection, but his eyes then become a glare. "We're not scared of you. We've been given the divine assistance of a goddess." "Get ready!"
”I think that’s enough, …. Let’s not estrange them””Don’t forget we have a mission””I agree with Lancer, let us not taunt these people unnecessarily.”The leader glares at Lucius from his provocation.It doesn't seem like they will hold any more conversation.”Seems someone couldn’t bite their tongue”The smallest amount of divine assistance can make a difference, but these soldiers still stand no chance against Servants. Their leader quickly falls to LuciusThe Romans all lie on the ground, but two are knocked out.
"Thank you."
The woman walks over to the group and the others follow her."Yes, we do."
They look at the group with bound hands.
"We can bring them to the chief, but...""Thanks."
The group of young adults use their now free hands to tie up the Romans so they can take them with them.
"You wanted to talk to them first?"
The woman looks at Artoria.The tribe people wait.From what Peggy sees, they're just flowers.They each nod and leave with the two Romans.The sun begins to set to signal the late afternoon.
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When the group is three miles into their trek, Vee can see her raven take sight of the flower field first. If it flies a little more down, it'll be able to give her a good view of the human figures in its center.Lucius can feel his sword react even from a mile away.
@Sophie, Mary, Nito, Gorgon, BoudVeronica decides to keep her familiar out of danger, but it flies down to the flower field anyways. If Veronica looks through its eyes, she can see it land on top of a flowerbed of sunflowers.
She can also see the group of six girls, five of which are dressed in simple white dresses with hair ranging from dark to blonde.
The only one who's wearing more modern clothes walks over to it and gently pets the fur on its neck.
"What a sweet little creature. Is it bringing visitors, magus?"
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2It's a young girl with wavy, brown hair and hazelnut eyes. She has a modern feel wearing a skirt and top, but she doesn't look like she could hurt a fly.
"I'm really happy to hear that. I was starting to think Lucius hates me."
She smiles shyly.
"Um, do I look nice? Do you think he'll like this?""You think I do? Thank you!"
She keeps petting the raven.
"Here, let me lend a hand."
She points her free hand forward and the entire group can feel the effects of Haste.
@Game Ping 3With everyone's bodies moving twice as fast, reaching the flower field takes no time before the blessing ends.
Eventually, you're greeted by three young girls all dressed in white.
"Welcome, honored guests. Please, follow us."The girls lead the group into the center where they step aside and make way for the person everyone came here to see.
"Hello! You must be Chaldea. And, um.."
Flora's a petite girl and surprisingly timid. She can't even look at Lucius without averting her eyes and blushing strongly.
"I-I'm sorry.. I think this body is getting really worked up over reuniting with a Roman emperor."
"My name is Flora. I'm really happy to finally meet you, Lucius."
"The honor is mine," she says, calming down a little.
"These must be your friends. May I know your names?"”Haven’t their followers attacked us before? I say we exercise caution”"Don't worry. I don't want to harm you."
Flora answers Artoria's telepathic communication with a calm smile. 2"Oh, right."
Flora reaches into the field of flowers by her side and carefully takes the raven out of it, then hands him back to Veronica.
"It's fine. It's just a little drunk. I suppose that's the downside of making these with my own bodily fluids.""You all seem like a very nice group. Then I guess it's time to ask you.."
Flora rubs her arm, looking saddened.
"Lucius, why don't you join my side?""So you want the grail."
She's a bit demoralized hearing that.
"That's very noble of you. I can't find any fault in it."
"But we just met and I would hate to end things so soon. I think that means we have a disagreement..."
Her eyes fill with resolve.
"Alright then! With you, its always been might makes right, so let's settle it your way!"
"Could everyone please step back a little?"
"....and someone please take care of that Archer. He looks really sickly and I'd hate to have my once in a lifetime Floralia ruined lke this."Please stay out of this bout, I do not wish to be rude to them. (edited)"Oh, don't worry. You're his friends, so you're all included."
Flora reaches into her hair.
"Changing myself for this was a little hard to get right, but I met a really nice girl who gave me all kinds of 'cheat codes'. Something about gods being natural cheaters..?"
She suddenly makes a face.
"Though I think her examination was a little too intimate. . ."
She shrugs it off.
"Oh well."
She takes her hand back our and throws a handful of flower buds, scattering them in the air.
Mid flight, they open up into flower petals and expand into a long steel stem, the inside of their petals having a mechanical looking hole.
"Let's get started!"A red leaf blower appears in Flora's hands.
"That nice girl told me something about class advantage, so I guess she helped change me into an Archer?"
She looks a little confused.
"I don't really get it, but the advice she gave me sounded too romantic to say no. 'If you want your Senpai to notice you, you have to aim for their heart!'"
She gets really fired up.
"So, umm..! Here I go!"
A barrage of projectiles made of pure magical energy strike Lucius right at his chest, changing course to avoid every attempt to deflect or dodge them.
"This is my Super Special Kouhai-Approved Goddess Archer Attack! ....Why did she have to make the title so long?"Flora shoots out seeds with her blower, and when they impact with Hippolyta and Lucius, they explode.
"How do you like my seeds, Lucius?"
Flora calls out to Lucius from across the flower field.
"I think she said this one was based on a minigame... um, careful where you step, Lucius!"Seeing Lucius make use of her protection, Flora blushes.
"O-oh. You still use that..?"
"Um..!! I have a lot more coming! I have all these cheats and.."
"They're just a little hard to use.." (edited)"Your friends already got rid of all of my petunias. That's fine!! Just wait a bit and I'll give you guys some more to play with!"Flora takes some more flower buds out of her hair and throws them into the wind, but they multiply and turn into an entire army of laser flowers.
"Uh oh..! I think this is what she was talking about when she warned me about raising the difficulty...."
Flora sighs. "She really should've explained things a little more instead of using all these confusing phrases!"Flora is taking things really lightly, but things could very well turn deadly if she keeps this up.
@Game Ping 2 (edited)
1"Ah..!"
Flora raises her blower to block off Lucius blade, but she has trouble keeping up with him."I do..?"
Flora looks really happy, but she has no time to think about that because keeping up with Lucius is so difficult.
"But..! That's not enough! I have to beat you!""This is fun!"
Adrenaline rushes through Flora.
"Now I see why you love battle so much! Fighting people is so much fun!""But isn't that the point of battle?"
"To hurt and get hurt. To shower in blood. Isn't that right, Lucius?"She still sounds happy about all this."Why is everyone so mad at me..?"
Flora casts her gaze down but then raises her Origin Rose again.
"Yes! Let's get serious!"Archer, Lancer fall back to the master and receive healing attack evasive manuvers"I won't lose!"”I think I’m well quite pass that, the more this will go the more we will suffer, I’m ending this. Please forgive me”Get healing first , then you can choose to ignore me"Y-You're worried?"
"Wait, we're fighting. Um..! I'll definitely defeat you, yes!""Air headed?"
Flora pouts.
"I'm trying to help you and you insult me. Aren't you the one who tried to charm me in my own territory like some dummy?""You're annoying."
Flora turns Artoria into a flower.
"And you! I'm just doing my best to keep up with Lucius! Stop yelling at me already!"". . ."
Flora looks at his fallen body for a second.
"He'll be fine."
She smiles.Flora starts to breathe heavily. She's reaching her limit.
"It took me so long to finally meet you..! 'll prove you I can be strong too!"
The words that girl told her come back to mind. What she needs to make what that girl called her Senpai notice her is a shot right at his heart.
She takes off into the sky, 60 feet.
A giant steel flower appears above her. Its closed petals begin to fill with magical energy, glowing red. It opens to reveal a single shot being aimed right at Lucius!
"I'll show you I can fight too..!"
It's originally an anti-planet anti-alien defensive tool employed by earth. As the goddess that reigns over wherever flowers bloom across the universe, Flora is using it as a Noble Phantasm that has the singular purpose of proving herself to the one she most wants to be noticed by!Flora's hands quiver.
"Oh.. it still wasn't enough...""These are your friends, I understand that.."
She looks a little sad, but then shakes it off.
"Okay! In that case, I'll have to test their worth! Yep, I'm changing my goal halfway!"
2"Oh, they're done already?"
"I was trying to test them... does that mean they failed..?"
"Um.. what should I do, Lucius? Do I keep fighting you..?"
Her Noble Phantasm is still levitating above her after shooting its bursts of magical energy through each one of Lucius' party members."..."
Lucius was getting serious, even Flora could tell that.
"You know.. I don't even really remember why I wanted to do this for you. All I know is wanting to reunite with you. I think I was able to take this form because this girl really wants to reunite with someone similar to you."
"So..!"
"Yes..! Give me everything you have and I'll accept it!"
2
2
2
2I require the use of a Command seal, I need to teleport me 60ft up on my call master.
@Angelic
"I'm sorry, Lucius.. when I took this form, I discarded any healing ability I had to be able to fight you."
"I was really selfish. But.. I'm happy."
Flora holds onto the side of Lucius' arm. 3
2"Yes, I'm alright."
Flora puts both arms behind her back.
"Um.."
She seems a little embarrassed to have brought so much trouble to everyone."A truce?"
Flora tilts her head.
"...ah, that's right. Lucius didn't want to join with the Romans."
"Well, that's alright. They're all strange anyway. Nothing about them is supposed to be this way. I feel a little bad for Ruler, but I'm sure he'll understand."
She snips her fingers.
"There. I think that's it for his protection now.""Interference?""I think that's Ruler."
Flora still doesn't understand the situation, but it dawns on her too.
"You.. think he'll fight you? Now? Here?"
"But.. this is a sacred place of worship.."
The five girls that serve her come out of hiding.
"You should all leave too," Flora says."O-Okay! But where..!?""I can try and assist you to the best of my ability here, but you're all hurt."
"If you want to fight him..."
"I'm placing these people under my protection," Flora says. "You wouldn't harm them, would you?"Everyone except Roma gains the benefits of Bless from Flora's lair action.Flora begins to use her flower field's other effect, charming Ruler."You don't need to do that anymore. These people are strong. If we just help them, we can take down the giants together."I've tried to daze him, but he's resisting it. Maybe if I have enough time, it'll work.I've tried to daze him, but he's resisting it. Maybe if I have enough time, it'll work.
"If all of us join forces.. it should be fine, right? We don't have to harm the tribes. As long as we force them to surrender, it'll be alright."
Flora makes a proposal to the group.
@Game Ping 2". . ."
"In that case.. we can just all leave it there, right? We don't have to fight now."A sudden earthquake shakes through the ground.29
Homebrew content. 29 11
6 5
4
234
30
Flora doesn't really know anything about her but she'll support the group in whatever they decide.22 Homebrew content. 22 27 
bludgeoning: 5d10 (2, 10, 1, 3, 7)
Total: 23"Y-Yes, of course."
”If I may have a say in this, Saber…” Hippolyta’s voice echoed in Lucius’ head as she communicated with him telepathically. ”I am sure you are aware by now, but I believe we have no other choice but to accept. My master’s life is at stake, and none of us are in a condition to fight.”I recognise that fact
"In that case, Archer, As Emperor of Rome we shall accept your invitation Ruler. However, I must request your assistance in getting the Chaldean Master and Flora to safety."
322 Homebrew content. 30
bludgeoning: 5d10 (7, 1, 1, 8, 8)
Total: 2525 Flora mentally speaks to Lucius.
"Lucius, he's still acting like a threat. I can't allow it."
Veronica hears Flora's voice in her head.
"You're a Master. Do you still have Command Seals?""..What's the Plan?"Archer, Rider, Veronica if he attempts attack I will hold him off using Florent and whatever magic I have left, get out of here.
2"Make a contract with me," Flora tells Veronica. "Now.""Understood!"A burst of magical energy gathers between Veronica and Flora, scattering multi-colored flower petals through the air.
"Servant Archer. I accept your contract!"
Their hands touch and the union is formed.
"If you try to harm these people, I'll fight you too, Ruler!"
@Vormal/Asstolfo/Morban/Sword/Cat"Even if everyone rests, the're all too beat to fight you and you know that."
Flora steps in front, standing by Lucius' side.
"I don't know the first thing about war, but I can tell you won't be able to last."
"Give me your Command Seals, Master. If you empower me, I might be able to hold him off for a while so everyone can escape."
@Game Ping 2"S-Sacrifice!?"
Flora gets flustered.
"Who said anything about sacrifice! I'll run away with you too, of course!" 2
What is our plan? I can attempt to stall him to Protection of Flora but I don't know how long that will last"I don't know! Let's just run!"...I shall listen to your Orders Flora...
"Don't pay him any attention. Just keep running.""Just try it. I may be inexperienced with battle, but this body has faced far worse threats than you could ever dream of being."
"We're building distance. Don't let up now!"..I will.Flora looks to Lucius and then the unconscious Master. She's never had to put herself in danger. The Floralia is a festival abundant of games and feasts. There's never been bloodshed where she's gone. From her birth as a nymph to her reign as a goddess, all the way to her end in the discarded hollows of the gods, she'd only known joy.
"Thank you for catching me, Lucius."
It only a moment, but it made her really happy.
She walks forward without hesitation.
"Let the Archer take her out of here first," she orders Remus. (edited) With the knowledge that Ruler is headed towards the tribe, Epona makes preparations to head out to fend him off.
She looks over at your group.
"Last night was a setback, but if we don't make use of this, we might lose our only chance."
She motions to the villagers and they give the group 6x greater healing potions.
"After you helped my people so much, they wanted to thank you. The tribes priest is no longer with us, but some remember his arts. They stayed up all night to do this for you."
@Game Ping 2Epona walks closer, looking Surtr up and down.
She looks back at Erik and then back at Surtr, then back at Erik.
"We look alike?"`
She doesn't see the resemblance..Epona looks at Surtr's hand a bit sheepishly, surprised that she's acting so loud and boastful.
She shakes hands with her.
"It's an honor to meet you, Surtr," she says.
When she realizes she's actually talking to Surtr, she grows a little embarrassed but she tries not to show it.
"I'm the daughter of the Iceni queen Boudica. My name is Epona."At this point, all of the tribes people start to gather too, spears in hand. They want to come along and fight with you."The serpent is still out there. If we'll be in danger either way, we might as well go and fight too," one of them says.
The others join in and they all start to argue for leaving with her.
Epona is reluctant, but after seeing their resolve, she can't say no to them.Or rather, are her will just that strong to overpower even me? It's quite a suprise that not even a shred of my personality are showing itself.
Surtr smiles, hiding away her curiosity behind it as she thought to herself. There's definitely something strange that's going on with Epona connection with him. She'll keep an eye out atleast, Surtr knows she's not someone who would let someone to overpower her own will.When the group heads out, Epona looks over to Muramasa and just stares at his body for a bit but doesn't say anything and then keeps going.
"It would be quite Ironic to kill him with your blessing"
A confident smirk grew on Lucius's face"Yes, he's coming with thirty or so men. His camp must have gotten hit by the earthquake too. I think they're attacking now because their numbers are weakened too."Making it through the fields, it's not long before the group is faced with Remus and his army.
@Game Ping 2
”Vee, you look agitated,” she spoke telepathically before thinking of her next words carefully. ”…Keep your head up. Her death will not be in vain. We will avenge Flora, I swear this upon my honor.”"You're right. Let's do our best!"
She seemed.. Confident once more.
1Epona manifests the greatsword that looks too big for her frame.
"This ends now, Ruler."
@Game Ping 2 everybody join initiative"Kch. You talk too much."
1
1
1"You're mad."
Epona strikes after him without mercy.
"Without that goddess, you're nothing."
Epona focuses on the fight, not giving into his provocations.
2The entire ground begins to shake again, just as strong as it did the night before.
2"Gh..!"
"Just finish him!""Don't give up..! Keep fighting as long as you can!"
After Surtr goes down, Epona strikes Remus with everything she has, her dress scorched from the heat of her blade. She's already lethally wounded his spirit core, but he continues to stand. She doesn't let up. One more hit--
Before her sword hits his chest, the power of a command seal blocks it off.
Worn down and battered, her eyes widen when she realizes her hands are fading.Inside that flame lies the presence of Surtr that has been missing from her.Ah, there you are.
As Surtr felt the presence of the missing Surtr from her, she would suddenly be yanked back to the world of living, gasping for air as her purples eyes looked around in haze.
"Man, and here I thought I'll finally get some sleep....."
She groggily speaks out, the feeling of pain is vivid in her voice.'Your death will be a symbol of hatred and darkness, of which the spring will never arrive in this war.'
Lucius laughed as the pain, adrenaline and hatred fulled Lucius in a mad gambit with all his strength put in one last attack as he saw the light around Remus fade, his grip tightened around Florent as it became enveloped in crimson lighting as the blade flowed with Prada, the floral Pattern of the sword illuminated as he used what power remained from Flora blessing swing Florent into Remus’s opening
"I'LL GLADLY SHOW IT! THIS IS THE STRENGTH OF ROME AND ITS PEOPLE, THIS IS THE STRENGTH OF THE BEAR WHO SHALL IMPOSE ITS WILL UPON THE HEAVENS!" (edited)The serpent arrives, crushing everything under it.
Almost everyone has fallen.
Epona is barely standing, and the tribe people are still going strong. After Veronica healed her, she's still standing, but she is in a very bad shape. She's in worse shape than anyone has ever seen her before.
The tribe people tried to move to help her but with the serpent here they will try to shield it off.What everyone sees is only the head of the serpent. There's no end to its body in sight. It stretches all the way across the country.The serpent mercilessly slaughters through the tribes people trying to protect everyone.
"No..."
Epona suddenly makes a pained sound and clutches her chest as if something is hurting her inside.
"Ng...ah..!"Epona charges the serpent and buries her greatsword deep into its head. Smoke leaves its maw as fire bruns through it.
But even with that, it's still standing and slams its head into the last tribes people standing, crushing them under its weight.
"No..."
"Even with this, I'm still not strong enough..."
Epona clutches her chest again.
"Agh.....!""Yeah, I'm on it," Olga responds. "We've been monitoring your situation closely."
"Don't be shocked. You've come far enough that I can trust you to take care of this without my orders."
"If you die, make it count.""Don't..."
Epona's chest heaves with every breath.
"I should be the one,.. you should all.."
"Gh...!"The giant serpent bites into Surtr's already wounded chest, cutting into the injury Remus left behind."Why?"
Epona holds Surtr's fading body.
"Why can I never change anything?"
@NoLongerdEdGood luck.With Surtr's body having faded away, Epona looks over at the corpses of the tribe people.
"They all trusted me."
She looks over at the group harvesting Jormungandrs body, and her left eye erupts into flame.
"You can all die."
1Fire erupts from all around her, consuming the field with flame."..."
Behind Epona appears a portal, bleeding molten flame out of it.
Two massive arms grip through and then pull it further apart.
The headless body of Surtr forces his way through it.
Epona rises, Surtr looming over her small frame. His left hand grabs hold of her blade and sends it crushing down towards Hippolyta.”Veronica, I’m sorry… I am at my limit,” She continued. Even speaking telepathically took up the majority of her strength. ”Thank you… Thank you for all that you’ve done and for allowing me to live such a wonderful life at your side.”
Rivulets of tears flowed down her bloodied cheeks, and yet her face was adorned with a proud smile.
”Truly, you were the best Master I have had— and being your Servant is nothing less than the greatest honor ever bestowed upon me.” (edited)"Don't say that! It's not over, you're *not* dying here!"
After having rescued her other Servants from the Flames, Veronica ran straight back in.
She's not going to let her Servants die, she refuses to fail.
"I'll save you!"
She moved as fast as she could, arriving at her dying Servants side.
She's glad she picked up healing magecraft back then, it has been invaluable today.
At the very least, she restores Hippolytas spirit origin to a point where she is not in direct danger of fading away.Nh...!"
Surtr's hold on Epona keeps burning through her from the inside, pushing her to keep fighting.
"Get away..! I can't stop him..!"
"..Hha...!"
To think Epona have went on a rampage....
She's worried for the Boudica daughter, as she doesn't seem to be the type to be consumed by rage. It must've been Surtr that's taking over her. Nevertheless, she prepares herself for the fight by casting some spells on herself.With a single strike, Tsumukari reaches the connection between Surtr and Epona of them. It strikes at something that should have been, both long ago and now.
Epona is not nearly strong enough as a hero to be able to resist Surtrs influence. She should've always simply been taken over by him. But the concept of karma is something that spans past, present and future. Once it's been targetted by Tsumukari, no amount of willpower can overcome it..!
With a roar, Surtr resists. He won't allow it to take him back out of this world after he's finally come back. But it's not his existence that is being removed. It's his hold on the girl below him!!
"Ah..."
Epona's body becomes light and begins to gently fall out of Surtr's grasp.
A single cut that lets her use the strength she's always wanted.
Before she can understand she's reached the answer she's been wanting this entire time, she loses consciousness.
Surtr roars.
"Uoooooooooohhh!!"
A deep voice rumbles through the field, leaving his headless body.
Even after some of her injuries being healed, Epona is still unconscious.
The headless body of the King of Muspelheim disperses in a flash of lightning.
The once grassy field is still glowing with heat. There's nothing but ash left of the Romans and the tribe people who fought here. Epona is still unconscious, but breathing.
Surtr, the Surtr that Chaldea grew to know as a rough but kind girl, and Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons, are both gone like a fleeting dream, leaving behind only memories.The group makes it back to the survivors left in the fields, bringing a very melancholic victory with them.
There was a great victory. The Romans and the serpent have both been dealt with. They won't harm these people anymore.
But there was also a big loss. Only women and children are left in the village. Everyone who went out to fight has died. And their chieftain has been badly injured, too."Well done," Olga says.
"Minimal losses. That's what I call a good performance. You should resummon your Servants as soon as you can. Sacrificing themselves for your lives is exactly what we need."
@Vormal/Asstolfo/Morban/Sword/Cat @StarryCleric 1"That's true. There's always room for improvement," Olga agrees. "If your Servants performed better, they wouldn't have had to die. Perhaps you need to be a bit harsher with the next you summon."Some of the women and children go over to Veronica to see what happened to their chieftain."..."
"Don't keep the report waiting for too long."
Olga ends the connection for now. 
1
Sorry that I took my time Master.
Archer apologize through their telepathy connection as she stood beside her.It is okay, Archer. Thank you for coming.
She slightly tilts her head as Peter explains.
"Hnm... Decisions was never my expertise but... What do you think, Archer?"
Teleporting, the group would then arrived at the edge of a clearing. The area seems empty, and only the sound of small animal can be heard.
For a place where supposedly filled with mythical fauna, the flora of this place does not seems to be too different with it's modern version. (edited)Tomoe would sees a trail of something large moving deeper into the forest. From what she could find, at the very least it has four legs, and it's pretty huge. She could also find that it wasn't alone, at least 2 more identical trails is together with it.Master, stick close to us. If you lose the sight of the group, inform me and I'll immediately search for you.The way deeper into the woods are filled with uneven ground, as it's rarely been touch by humans. The trails almost lost its track a few times but with the Archer's eyes she quickly find them back.
The longer they go, the deeper they enter the forest, as the sunlight started to be hidden from the leaves of the trees. Even then, the ground has start to continue to be uneven still, making it hard for people that rarely walk on their sole.Slowly, what you thought is an earthquake starting to get bigger and bigger and suddenly, all the Servant would notice a crack on the ground before something huge burst from it!
Roll me dex save in combat init channel (edited)From the ground, a huge creature with huge claw with shell around its body screeches as it's fail to catch it's prey. Looking back, it's look back at all of you before screech again.
As quick as sound, Saber slash the shell of the monster, the angry screeching has become pained one as green blood could be seen dripping from the wounds.Ordered to continue hunting, Tomoe goes to look around again. She almost missed the trails that lead them into the forest before but now she found it again.As they continue, all of the Servant could hear something in front of them, a sign of life form ahead, animalistic in nature.Moving carefully and with the help of Peter, all of you would see a small clearing with a small lake at the other end. Three corpses of something that resembling a bear can be seen in the middle of the clearing, already seems to be half-eaten. What would take your attention however, is the huge, dark boar that is eating them. It's back is looking over you as it is busy with it's prey. After receiving reports of strange activities from nearby forests, Chaldea has decided to send two teams to investigate the forest. Your group meets up at the designated location, unfortunately the weather is not nice and is raining pretty heavily. The journey to the forest will take about a day on foot.
Scathach is right behind Fie in Spirit Form.
'Did you pack enough food, Master?'Well? What are you planning to achieve by just standing around? Won't you hurry up and bring me to a delightful place already?
Her face indifferent as if looking at mere distractions and entertainment items that is simply not doing anything that is worth any praiseYes, I have some rations for later Scathach. You don't need to worry about me.
Her eyes roamed over to the others in this group, she had met and been on a few missions with monta and that servant next to him seemed to be his servant. She seemed alright for first impressions, Then there was Vritra, Fie had no opinion on Vritra at the moment.As you begin your march, the rain continues to pour. Several hours go by, while not as cold as the winter up north, it does take its toll on regular humans. The forest is still several hours away. You may continue to march but it may cause the group to suffer exhaustion.The group decided to march on in the heavy rain and managed to get to the forest. Their didn't seem to be any signs of the rain ending any time soon. The group could now enter the forest and begin to explore. Looking from outside, they could see some old trees and swamps.Fie and Inari combined efforts manage to down the two trolls but in legend it is stated that trolls have extreme regeneration properties and the two slain trolls begin to get up and then lash out at Inari.As the group continues to fight and attack the trolls, they suddenly hear more movement from the swamp, several more trolls come out of the water, ready to attack the group.'You lack the proper weapons.'
Scathach makes a comment from watching Fie.
'But you're not bad at improvising.'Sorry that I don't have a weapon like yours but at least I can stop there regeneration for a bit with fire. So unless you feel like giving me your spear I have to make due with what I have.
She sent a mental command to her clones sending them forward and attacking the next one, the blade itself doing minimal damage but she channeled some of her magical energy into her clones and blade the clones were causing a reaction of fire to burst from the wound inflicted upon the enemy dealing more damage and soon killing it. She moved over to a tree and began to hide using her years of training as a ninja. It wasn't the best place but with her having a range limit on her clones it was what she had to work with. She would let the clones have the attention of the Troll and attack when the opportunity presents itself.
As the group was battling the trolls, several trees would come to life. They would begin to move to the group before using strange abilities on the nearby trees.Anything you can tell me about these trees or would that be cheating?
She wondered if their was anything special about these animated trees but if not she would just cut them down.'Think for yourself. You're a smart girl.'
In her deadpan way, Scathach sounds a bit smug.With that, the last of the Treants fell. The forest was now at peace or so it seemed.You know I should have expected that that kind of answer.
She looked around the area checking to see if there where any more enemies nearby or hiding. One could never be too careful. Da Vinci contacts the assembled group through their voice comms, projecting her image near them.
"Hey there! It's the cutest, most charming and most reliable inventor in all of Chaldea, Da Vinci-chan!"
"These giants and dragons have been messing you up, but this time, you'll be dealing with humans. I hope you haven't forgotten how to talk to people."
@Game Ping 2
"What about hello, nice to meet you?"
Da Vinci's smiling, but she doesn't sound very happy.
"There we go. Greetings Naomi."
"Your mission is to investigate the human activity our scans have detected in these mountains. Here, I'll forward the target area to you."
"Oh please, you're flattering me too much. But if you want to make a present for me, I won't say no."
Da Vinci beams with joy.
"Anyway, it's a bit of a trek through the mountains. Do you have anything to make the way easier?"
@Game Ping 2
Da Vinci observes the group with amazement.
"Wow, whatever you put Dominic on, it must be that good stuff!"
Da Vinci blushes and smiles brightly.
"Woah, I don't know why, but I feel like someone just thought of me as young!? Well, of course, I'm the youthful beauty Da Vinci!"
"As always, I'll call out if I can spot hostiles near you."
@Game Ping 2After encountering a group of harpies in the mountains, Orochi threatens them with his divine presence.
At first they seem to be shocked by it, but then they go into the offense!
"I hate to play the bearer of bad news, but those harpies really don't look happy about this!"
The rock just accepts the pet because its pretending to be a rock."..Okay then. That settles that."
With Da Vinci confirming there's no hostiles in the area, the group can move on again.
After traveling for a while, they come across what seems to be a more built path that leads them further east. They're very close to their target area, so it's likely this is man-made.
@Game Ping 2The path leads to a small flat hilltop where some flora and fauna blooms. The bushes here seem to have fruit in them.As this is happening, a small group of people are going through the brushes, picking fruit from them.
When they see you, they react with surprise.
They're two children and a young man with short dark hair.
"Strangers? Here?"Master you can handle talking to them.A shame I wasn't there to see that moment, it sounded entertaining Master. Orochi Communicated to Dom over their bond (edited)
"You did what now?"
The young man hands the basket with fruits hes holding to one of the children and steps closer. The group can get a better look at him and can see that he has a glaive strapped to his back, but he doesn't seem hostile.
He sizes Dominic up with an unfriendly looking expression. But he already looked pretty unfriendly before Dominic even said anything.
When he sees Okuni, he gives her a quick glance before looking back at Dominic and squinting."You did what now?"
The young man hands the basket with fruits hes holding to one of the children and steps closer. The group can get a better look at him and can see that he has a glaive strapped to his back, but he doesn't seem hostile.
He sizes Dominic up with an unfriendly looking expression. But he already looked pretty unfriendly before Dominic even said anything.
When he sees Okuni, he gives her a quick glance before looking back at Dominic and squinting.With all due respect, Master Dominic, I believe it is best if we earn their trust before asking questions like that out of nowhere."You have a base nearby?"
He looks up in thought for a bit, then he nods. "Ah, he's one of those types."
"We're doing fine. But aren't you strange? These mountains are really dangerous. Going out of your way to do all this is, it's really dumb."
Whatever conclusion he came to about Dominic, it seems like a pretty rude one.
@Game Ping 2
The man rubs his chin and nods again. "Definitely, definitely insane."
"If it's up to me.."
He mumbles something to himself and then sighs.
"Anyways, what do you guys want?"
@Game Ping 2Da Vinci what did we want?Master, In light of recent actions you are banned from talking."Oh, I just wanted to know why there's humans here. If they're fine, you don't need to do anything."
Da Vinci's glasses flash. "At least that's the answer I'd give if I was some boring old supervisor. You can't just leave a foreign village unexplored."
@Game Ping 2You guys heard her, let's see if we can be friendlyOrochi I may be on drugs, but Okuni seems higher than I am to try and convince these people we are entertainersThe young man's eyebrows wrinkle.
"Sure."
He gives a deadpan response and turns around.
"Follow me then. None of you are right in the head, but I can't just turn you away."
He says that last part as if he's really annoyed about the fact that he can't.
He takes the basket again and makes his way down the other side of the hilltop, from which a view of the village can already be seen. It's small with about six houses and a well in its center.
"Don't do anything funny."
@Game Ping 2"We don't have any kind of name," the young man says. "We were part of a bigger tribe once, but we had to split off from them."
@StarryCleric"Huh?"
When he hears that name, he turns to look at Dominic again.
"You're.."
Even like this, he has an unfriendly aura about him.
"You're not lying."
@StarryCleric"Huh."
He turns around again.
"My name is Brinno. What's yours?"
After a few minutes of trekking, the descent to the village is complete.
"Here you are. We don't have a chieftain or king or anything, so if you're looking for someone to suck up to, you'll be disappointed." When the next morning dawns on the village, Yagyu Munenori would notice a shadow over his body. The dark haired young man is looking down at his sleeping form in the grass from above.
"Get up already," he says.
When he does, his expression looks as unfriendly as ever.
@Thunder - LS | ED | DO | HT
At the same time, two new arrivals are joining the village, as Martha and Saito come from Chaldea's base.
@Ma|Resur|Anastasia|King| C @Kiwa | Saito
"Eh?"
The man doesn't have a clear reaction to Yagyu's question at first.
"...Yeah. Good morning."
He looks over at the new arrival.
"Are you guys multiplying?"
https://i.imgur.com/Egk4q0i.jpeg
He eyes both Saito and Martha up and down, then turns away as if he's bored.
"Sure. Well, Veleda wants to see you guys."
He crosses his arms.
"The place she lives in is hidden, so it's up to me to take you there."Master what did you take?The young man just ignores Martha's question, acting as if he didn't even hear it.
"Just tell me when you're ready," he says.Something I had to put together quickly yesterday. They usually last for about 24 hours before a new one can be applied. Safest way to do them without forming a physical attachment, along with some other stabilizers to prevent dependency. Doing different ones everyday rather than letting my body get used to the same one seems to also be helping. The birds on your head tell me that this one may be problematicThe man looks down at Martha from his height over her.
"You're annoying."
He looks to Dominic.
"She can stay behind," he says deadpan.Are we in agreement she is to walk beside him the entire trip then Master?". . ."
"Listen here little miss."
He looks back down on her, his face coming dangerously close to hers.
"If you don't respect our goddess, I won't hesitate to throw you out, no matter how cute or short you are."
@Ma|Resur|Anastasia|King| CHe smiles dismissively.
"Sure."
"Anyway, your friend is right. Questions can be asked on the road."
He says that, but he doesn't seem like the type who would answer any of them in the first place.
At that point, a voice calls out to the group from behind.
"Good morniiiing! Are you leaving already?"
A young blonde girl most of the group would know as Mari is waving her hand excitedly.
https://i.imgur.com/U2IoVeN.png
"Oh, those are some unfamiliar faces!"
Mari quickly makes her way over to everyone.
"My name is Mari. Nice to meet you! Isn't this exciting? This place is growing more and more lively by the hour!"Master Martha, with all due respect, I do not see how these questions will help us with our current mission."Ahaha! That would be pretty funny!"
Mari gives a bright smile in response, while the dark haired young man only lets out a small, mocking laugh to it.
"Oh, I don't mean to stop you! Stay safeee! And Brinno, please tell Veleda we're all praying for her health!""And your name was Fujita?"
Mari calls out one last time to the group that's beginning to head out, waving goodbye to them and still smiling widely.
"You're really handsome! See you later!"
She doesn't seem like she's capable of being embarrassing by anything she says, no matter how honest.
@Game Ping 2
The group leaves the village and the young man guiding them takes the time to explain their route.
"We need to climb this mountain," he says, pointing up to the cliff of the highest point that's standing tall above the village.
"There's a pathway, but it's narrow. Don't fall down.""Gh.."
Brinno is huffing every now and then, trying not to show it but clearly pushing his body too far beyond what a human should be capable of by trying to keep up with these Servants.
"H-hey! What do you think you're doing?"
When one of Orochi's snakes wraps around him, he protests but he's not able to put up any fight until he's completely in the palm of his hand.
@Sophie, Mary, Nito, Gorgon, BoudHe grits his teeth. He can't deny it, but he's very embarrassed to be made to look like this.At the peak of the highest mountain, almost the entirety of the mountain range can be overlooked. Even the outline of the base can be seen south from here, and when one looks north, they see the blizzard.
"Huff..."
Brinno tries not to show his fatigue, but a single drop of sweat runs down the side of his face.
"Let me down."
@Game Ping 2He looks aside, embarrassed.
"..I'm only a little tired. I'm fine now, so you can let me down."
Once Orochi brings everyone back to the ground, he stretches himself.
"Yeah, those things are real alright. We've been dealing with them since forever."
To the right of the group, a bright, white tower suddenly shimmers in and out of view.
"Oh. She must want to say hello."
@Game Ping 2
". . ."
Brinno gives Dominic a look from the side of his eye when he injects himself with something, but he's seen all of them act stranger than that.
The tower now appears in view in full and doesn't disappear again. It's tall, white and pure, like a scene from a fairy tale, and its only window is at its very top.
He stays by it's ceramic door.
"I'll wait out here."
"...She doesn't really take visitors, so be respectful, will you?"
Inside the tower is a spiraling staircase leading all the way to the top.The way up is almost dizzying from how it spirals. There's no furniture or other rooms inside its white walls. The only room is at the end of the staircase: a slim and tall white door. There's a wooden pole next to it with a swallow sitting on it. It turns towards the group and moves his head up and down, looking at them.
"Please come inside."
A young girl's voice calls out to the party from inside the room. She sounds surprisingly sweet for someone with so much secrecy around her.
The door opens and leaves way into what is a large room filled with shelves of books on either side of it and a set of pillows in the center. In front of the pillows, there's a veiled area where the shadow of the girl is visible.
"You should sit. Do you want some tea? Your journey must have been tiring."
@Game Ping 2Just like all those other boring Gods *Orochi thought to himself before sitting down “I do not want anything either.” (edited)"There should be a tea set in the bottom shelf center right," the girl says, although most of the group declined her offer.
"It's a little hard like this.. please excuse me. I'm not used to talking to people like this."
She reaches for the veil and splits it in the middle, revealing herself to the group. She lowers her head and closes her eyes in respect.
"I am the Bructeri tribe's seer. It's an honor to meet you, Stargazers."
@Game Ping 2
"This tower is my family's heirloom. It's not something I could just make on my own."
She gives a small smile.
"I don't know what everything you're here for entails, but I think I've come to understand some things. If I already knew your purpose, I wouldn't have asked you to come all this way."
She sheepishly looks over to the drawer she mentioned earlier. For some reason, she seems nervous.
"I-I should prepare some tea. Who wanted some again?"
@Game Ping 2She stands up and begins to awkwardly prepare the necessities for making tea.
"It'll only take a minute," she says. "Or two..?"She looks up at Dominic when he comes to help her, surprised, but she wordlessly accepts his help. It's a little too obvious that she's very nervous about meeting people and it ends up being more him making tea and her helping out than the other way around.
Once the herbal tea is done, she places the cups for Yagyu and Dominic on the ground and takes one for herself as well before sitting back in her spot in front of them.
"I thought as much," she says.
"At first, I thought I was to blame for my powers weakening, but I had a hunch there was something like that going on. When you spend your entire life observing the stars, you start to feel when things have changed in a way they're not supposed to."
Though she probably didn't call them just out of curiosity.
@Game Ping 2 (edited)"A Holy Grail? A relic that powerful is here?"
The girl looks up from her cup.
"So if that's how it is.."
She smiles.
"You've already done most of the work, haven't you? You've defeated the serpent and you're nearing battle with the dragon. It's commendable. My divination has been used by many different tribes, but I've never been able to look at something as interesting as that."
@Game Ping 2Her eyes sadden at that. "Recently, I've only been able to observe things in the present," she says.
"It's only logical. When humanity has no future, what's there for me to see?"
She tries to cheer herself up a bit. "At least I know for certain that it's not my fault. I can't help but be a little beaten up over it, but there's nothing I can change about it."
Then, she tilts her head when Dominic says he wants to learn more about her. "Eh? Me?"
@Game Ping 2"I-I see. Being in a stranger's place without really knowing them can be an uncomfortable feeling for people, yes?"
She speaks in a hypothetical and then clears her throat.
"Ehem. My name is Veleda. Since I was born, my family has been taking care of me. Because of my abilities, I can't mingle with humans, so my family has always brought their wishes and wills over to me."
She looks nostalgic, talking about something from the past.
"It's not lonely. At least I don't think it is. I have some company and every night, I can talk to the stars. For me, that's good enough."
She sounds convinced of that, but it's a little more naivety than confidence.
"..At least that's how it had been. After these monsters came, my family did not survive. I'm sure you've seen how desolate this land is."
@Game Ping 2"No, that's not it. It's improper for a goddess to meet humans, so I can't do it."
Veleda has to laugh a bit when she says that. "But I am meeting all of you now, aren't I? Perhaps I should be charging you for a fee. A seer's secrets don't come for free after all."
"..If my name really is remembered in the future, I must have done something right."
When Dominic stares at her so intensely, she shies away a little again.
"I only know a little bit about all of you. I've been watching you since you came here, but that's all."
"But that's enough about me. I should probably say why I wanted to meet you. I.. I would like your help. with something."
@StarryCleric"It's shameful to talk about, but I lost an artifact very valuable to me. One night, when I was observing the stars, a group of harpies attacked my tower. This tower is supposed to be completely hidden from anyone's eyes, but with my magic weakening, they must have been able to see it for a short time. They took it from me. I don't know what beasts like them would want to do with a magic crystal, but I'm sure they brought it to their leader."
@Game Ping 2 
As the group set off into the unknown. They took every precaution. Not making a sound.. All while, the beheld the true beauty of the night skyYou arrive at a long, seemingly endless grass field. It was high enough they could not see something up to their breasts
@Game Ping 2
Kid GIlgamesh comes to realize the land before them is on a slow, but harsh incline. Furthermore, there are odd prints in the ground, scattered about (edited)The prints in the ground seem to be cleft hooves. They seem to go in no explicit direction!The Owl notices a single boar getting particularly close to the party.. what will they do?
@Game Ping 2
Sudden. From the till grass.. the previously ignored beast barrels down the hills at a speed not even it could stop. Jumping over its kin and wrapping the two servants around its tusks. Dragging them through the dirt and throwing them onto their backs! The day to strike has come.
Three teams are assembled to retrieve the grail.
The first to use the weapon created from the lost memories of Surtr.
The second to give rear support for the third.
The third to go against Thrym.
The first team meets at the snow barrier with Scathach and Epona.
The hologram of Chaldea's director appears before the team, one hand on her waist.
1
In an instant, lightning shoots forth from the blade reaching as far as the inferno that lies beyond the edges of this Singularity.
The process is as awe-inspiring as it is agonizing for Lancelot. The act of wielding a fraction of the power held only by the Norse god of thunder shoots through his nerves like electricity, almost bringing his body to the point of collapse.
Still, he stands strong. He endures it until the very end.
With a thunderous roar, the blade's lightning tears the very sky asunder, cleaving the frozen waste in two.
Giants, wolves, trees, snow, ice. Everything is destroyed. The very ground is torn through.
What was once a solid ground of snow and ice has now become a narrow ravine of bright stone. A path leading straight to the grail.
@Game Ping 2In Lancelot's hands remains...nothing.
The greatsword was destroyed by its own force.
Suddenly, the image of Da Vinci appears too.
2”Kama, let me out! Please!”
Touko, trapped inside the dome of force could only watch as her Servant fall. She slammed her palms against the invisible wall, using all her might to try break through, even if she knew it was to no avail.
1
3
5 
The Calasis group rayshifting into the city would be met with an obstacle, it was as if they were being denied of entry, a magical barrier preventing them from reaching into the city. Each person, including servants, felt their spiritron body getting thrown off somewhere else!
The entire group would then find themselves in an unknown cleared area. Luckily, the forest was still a good 30 kms away. Everything in their surrounding seemed scorched or cut, or destroyed, but what they were standing on seemed to be solid ground, with no grass. You are surrounded by massive fields everywhere
Asteria. This is the church team how is it over there?
Gil from the church team contacted you inquiring a summaryI have set up a teleportation circle over in the church. Please set up one in a base near your area]
Asteria pauses for a moment as she converses with the other Gilgamesh.
"Hmm so I was just contacted, they have made contact and arrived safely... They also set up a summoning circle!"
3
2As they travelled, Gil despite Gils words, a stealthy streak of fire would strike the dragons chest with destructive energy! It was powerful enough that despite the dragons ability to dodge it, it still damaged it signficantly. Upon closer look, there was a Magus standing there with an unknown Heroic Spirit behind her back, as they are in Spirit form. She was alone, or as far as you assume at the moment. But she was not done yet. As if surging with energy, she'd do it again.The woman was about to blast them with a different blast but similar but different but stopped. It seemed they had heard them enough. But they had not lowered their "wand" like weapon that was raised towards you all. And as soon as she prevented herself, four more magus appeared, all wearing similar cloaks to one another. And as such, all of you could feel the presence of 4 more additional heroic spirits. 2 3"Stop right there. That distance is good enough."
She'd speak to Akiha and stopped them at 50 feet of distance.Before she looked at the "Pliskin".
"Animusphere's project. Chaldea. I see."
As if she'd immediately understand, she'd lower her wand.
"Then that would mean this is something related to whatever that man is attempting to do. Pliskin and Caelelist, you say? Lowly magus family dare to speak us as if equal. Know your place."
And there the woman stood upon you was no other than a Bartholomei, although she was not the Supreme Queen of the Modern Era, she was an extremely known for her exploits and destructive power. Her name was Bartholomei Azareth, born from one of the branch families of Bartholomei. Her figure was that of a young womans in her peak, but the truth is far more different. This Magus was already more than half a century old.
"Why are you here?"
Her voice of authority would echo as she crossed her arms. The others could be seen as alert and had already prepared to strike upon Chaldeas wrong move.
"The Chelon Canticle Brigade has no need for backups."
One of the other magus, one with pinkish hair, whom was playing with her hair as she watched Chaldea carefully would say. But the Bartholomei simply squinted at Chaldea and looked at
the Servants. Then another spoke, one with golden hair and red eyes.
"Caelestis. I remember her. Her Magic Circuits are phenomenal arrangement to replicate Fairy Patterns. She's a Sealing Designated."
The Bartholomei would awkwnowlegde this information, as she nodded.
"Despite the lack of the necessity in your assistance, the Heroic Spirits that follow you around will quicken the pace of the current assault against Enniash. Shayne, Louisana, direct them to the Queen and inform them of Animusphere's project being successful. Somewhat. Oh, and that dragon must return to his original form or it will be seen by the civilians."
She commanded, and the only male and the blonde magus would nod their head towards the officer. Now, Bartholomei began walking towards the forest, walking past the Chaldeans without batting them an eye, along with her heroic spirit, followed by her squad and their servants except for the two who were given their orders. (edited)"That reminds me."
Bartholomei stopped, as she was reminded of something.
"There are Sealing Designated Enforcers here that won't let the current scene stop them from doing their job."
Before continuing on. (edited)Bartholomei only waved to her words, as they left, as if it was none of her business.
The only ones that are left are the blonde woman and the introverted looking guy.
"Well... personally... that's none of our business."
The guy responded to Akiha as he scratched his head and looked down almost weakly. Meanwhile the woman crossed her arms and hmphed.
"In any case, follow us. We'll bring you to the City and have you meet with the The Queen. You'll have to answer some questions for her."”"Feel free. We ourselves have our servants standing by in their Spirit Forms."
She'd respond as she casually turns around and began walking. The Heroic Spirit would then materialize, into a man, almost naked if not for his cape and his boxers. His body looked like a materialized God of War, with all its biceps as if as hard as any steel in this world. He'd wear a helmet, as if to hide his face. He did not say anything and simply looked at the servants and the masters of Chaldea, gazing intently at EACH and single one of them, before looking away.
The man did the same but waited for Chaldeans to move. His servant too materialized. There revealed a charcoaled color half-naked man, with white tattoo's over his body, as well as golden hangings as if they were simply part of his clothing. This servant simply crossed its arms with its white colored eyes gauging Chaldea before it spoke.
"They're experienced."
Servant Class Lancer, and Servant Class Berserker.
"Yeah, yeah. Keep your mouth shut, Berserker."
The man said as he waited for Chaldea to walk by. (edited)
2”Come, Kama. Let’s not keep them waiting.”
She followed behind the two."6 Months."
The woman would reply as she led. She did this briefly but the male continued.
"A-actually, I believe it was already grown to this point around 3 months ago...."
He'd say this meekly."Then it's three months.""I do mind."
She'd respond, stoicly and uninterested in his question. (edited)"Don't make me laugh. The ground you stand on was originally part of the forests growth. Only a few miles were saved by its glutton. We've pushed it back 50 miles back already."
She'd respond with a scoff as if mocking of his incompetence and ignorance.
"I don't even understand how you can call yourself a magus if you have not noticed that.""This is nothing special. Being able to do this much should be the standard of every mage."
She'd answer stoicly."You sure do ask a lot of questions about us. Here I thought you'd ask more questions abot the tree."
She'd chuckle almost maliciously.
"Mind your manners.""Yo-you're disrespecting her. I-I'd avoid that if I were you."
The man said towards Oliver, almost a bit angry towards his annoyance.
"W-we don't tolerate whatever you are doing. I-I'd stop if I were you."
He'd say with a meek warning.
The girl simply clicked her tongue.
"Don't waste your energy, Shayne."
And completely ignored the lowly mage."The Chelon Canticle Brigade has no need for backups." One of the other magus, one with pinkish hair, whom was playing with her hair as she watched Chaldea carefully would say. But the Bartholomei simply squinted at Chaldea and looked at the Servants. Then another spoke, one with golden hair and red eyes. "Caelestis. I remember her. Her Magic Circuits are phenomenal arrangement to replicate Fairy Patterns. She's a Sealing Designated." The Bartholomei would awkwnowlegde this information, as she nodded. "Despite the lack of the necessity in your assistance, the Heroic Spirits that follow you around will quicken the pace of the current assault against Enniash. Shayne, Louisana, direct them to the Queen and inform them of Animusphere's project being successful. Somewhat. Oh, and that dragon must return to his original form or it will be seen by the civilians." She commanded, and the only male and the blonde magus would nod their head towards the officer. Now, Bartholomei began walking towards the forest, walking past the Chaldeans without batting them an eye, along with her heroic spirit, followed by her squad and their servants except for the two who were given their orders.
"Enough songs. We have reached our destinations. Now have your servants take in Spirit Form."
The woman denied Asteria of songs, as they reached the gate of Calais. There the woman stopped and looked at her Lancer, in which the Lancer responded by turning into Spirit form as the Lancer kept on staring at Chaldea intently before disappearing. The man named Shayne behind them would do the same to his Berserker, in which Berserker nodded and disappeared from sight.
"Before we come in, make sure you do not use any magecraft within the city until we reached the base of operations. Understand?""Civilians are within the city. Although with the massive forest eating up the surrounding area is something that quite breaks it for all, as Mages it is still necessary for us to remain hidden despite our activities. It must be sound a contradiction, but it is still needed."
The male was the one who responded.
"In addition, it's hard to keep the French people, well... a-any people to be honest when they're around things they d-dont understand. Right now, we are playing it off as that w-we are a military regiment made for these scenario's so don't do anything unnecessary or stupid.""That's enough poking around. Go ask them if you're bored."
The woman said as she began leading them in.
"One more thing, I've already stated this earlier, but mind your manners. You seem to lack tact and formality, this group in particular. I only notice one with such elegance. Do not forget this."
She'd say this as she furrowed her eyebrows and clearly defined her words with her tone.
"I will now lead you to the Queen. I believe she is preparing to set off right now.""Have you ever met her? Or any person of her level. Not that there are many.""Not with someone like her. I like seeing humans squirm, but as my boss, here's a tip free of charge: Shut up unless you're directed to talk. She is not the Queen for nothing."The entire group woild be led i to the city, and inside, there were civilians/refugees livining inside, whose eyes wandered over the new people who just arrived. Curious. Although with fear and respect, they kept quiet and whispered amongst themselves, without any attempt to approach.
Continuing on, they finally reached the base of operations. It was neither the City Hall or anywhere else in the middle of the city, instead it was almost at the edge, a building high enough to see what was outside.
Before they could even enter, they were met with a woman, followed by cloak individuals with their head covered. The woman wore a Mystic Code of unknown origin and characteristics, a Mythril Gauntlet, and carried a wand that exhibits magical power only less or even equal to a Servant. Tied up formally, her hair fell onto her shoulders and her eyes looked coldly.
The woman, Lusiana kneeled and Shayne who was behind you walked in front and did the same.
"Lady Barthomeloi. The Chaldeans has arrived." The Barthomeloi looked at each individual Master, gauging them, even towards the Heroic Spirit who acts as a human. Keeping her posture, she'd ask as she looked down on them.
"And what they want?"
She'd as Luisana, in which would reply.
"I suppose they are here to assist us in this endeavor, but knowing the organization Lord Animusphere was attempting to make..."
Understanding what her member was trying to say, she return her gaze to the Chaldeans.
"Speak. What do you want?""Director Olga Marie Animusphere? That girl with lacking of prodigious ability has become a Director? What of Marisbury?"
She'd ask but waved it away.
"No, none of that matters. You speak of the impossible, although it is only right for her lack of intellect to assume this in this large scale. Enniashe lacks in sentience. It only knows how to eat, like all of its kind. It does not know of humanity nor does it care about its progress."
She'd respond to the assumption with clear denial and absolute confidence to this statement.
"The Vatican? Hmph. Tell Narberack that the Heart of Enniash is for mine to pierce, I have no need for diplomacy with the Church."
And such she began walking.
"We are working towards destroying the entire forest until we corner its heart in place and identitfying the location of its core, dwelving inside the forests. Lusiana, take command of these Magus. They will act and speak to you as they do to me."
Walking past them, she says,
"All Mages in this area is under my absolute command, after all. "
Barthomeloi, followed by 5 more people from her brigade began to head outside the city. (edited)Lusiana was the woman who led you here, her blonde hair and ruby colored eyes strikes strong as she held her posture with dignity and elegance. Lacking the smile in her expression, she stands as her leader began to leaving, nodding her head. In the pedestrian zone in the streets of Rome, a large crowd of people has assembled before a priest. In the front, people are sitting on benches while those in the back stand.
There are two other sisters standing behind the priest who continues his sermon.
"...Instead, like Jesus, we are called to soften the rigidness within us by surrendering and submitting ourselves to God’s love. In that way, we become open to receive God’s strength, strength that enables us to fight back against repression not with violence or bullying but by standing up for justice with bold integrity."
He speaks solemnly, but his lips are curled ever so slightly into a smile.
"Aligned with the One are the humble, those submitted to God’s will; they shall be gifted with the productivity of the earth and receive strength from the universe.
Let us end this service with a song."
The two sisters take to the front and begin to sing a song about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Chaldea was informed that there is an ongoing effort to retrieve a holy relic of great value and redirected here to speak to a man called Kirei Kotomine should they want to join in on these efforts.
March 1773 was the last time I came here to perform He thought to himself
"Bonjour"
The priests eyes find the three of them in the crowd.
Once the song is over and a collective Amen is said, the crowd begins to disperse. A few walk up to the priest to give him their personal thanks."Your current self? You must be confused. If this prayer hasn't cleared your mind, perhaps another song will help."
Kirei points out the two sisters that have gone and become involved in conversation with other people.
"Our service will be held again tomorrow. Without the light of the sun, people are quick to lose sight of who they are and what they are doing."
He reels himself back in before going on.
"No matter-- Chaldea, is it? Which mission is it you which to join in on?""Very well. The theft of the Sacra Cintola has caused a great deal of distress among both the people and the clergy. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated."
The fact that the Holy Girdle is missing has already been made public by the pope. Although the Holy Church is the hidden side of the Roman Catholic Church, hiding matters such as these would tarnish their image.
"I was told to guide a group of Chaldeans in this matter."
Kirei smirks.
"I can already tell from the look in your eyes that the results of your efforts will surely bring about many blessings."At first, there's an air of uncertainty if Mozart will even be able to drive this car, but he somehow manages to pull it off, taking off through the streets of this modern Italy.
Leaving Rome behind, the dark highway is eerily empty. There's no signs of mass destruction, but the lack of sunlight and people creates an apocalyptic atmosphere.
@Game Ping 2
There's no response, but..
Whatever their objective was, it's clear they're all ready to book it.
The paralyzed biker's face shows signs of strain, trying to fight back against the magical effect, but it's no use. Underneath her jacket are normal clothes, like any other person.
"Gh..."
The girl groans as the paralyzing effect wears off.
She spits towards Mozart.
"Screw you. The hell are you guys?"
The girl stays lying on the ground and puts one arm up to her face.
"Fuck..""Just fucking kill me and get it over with."Saber allow me to reinforce you a little bit just in case. (edited)"Screw you, old man."
She closes her eyes.
"Shit.."
The girl sighs.
"I guess. I dunno."
"You guys looked rich. Didn't know you'd be fucking superheroes.""Doesn't matter anymore."
She rolls over to her side.
"Turn me in or something, I don't care."
The girl awkwardly is put into a sitting position with her feet and hands tied together.
When Aya makes her offer, she gives her an incredulous look.
"Are you serious?""Okay.. I guess. How much are we talking?"I guess once their done bribing them we'll need to get moving again, I guess we'll go on foot...
"Dollars?"
The girl almost looks like she's about to complain, but she just moves on.
"Yeah, sure."I guess once their done bribing them we'll need to get moving again, I guess we'll go on foot... attachment
The bikes seem to be working fine mostly. We can use those for a bit"There's this chick in Ancona. I was never really sold on her, but she takes in people like me. Lost their parents or their homes, got into some accidents, that stuff."
"I haven't seen her in a while. I wanted to get away from there anyways, but I dunno. Whatever. Can't go back anymore now anyways.""Huh?"
The girl looks at Aya with a mixture of confusion, surprise and shock.
"Are you dumb or something? I just fucked over your ride.""Like I care about them," she scoffs.
"..."
She looks at the dark, sunless sky.
"Why the hell not? I don't have anywhere else to go."
She doesn't even ask where you guys are headed.As an Italian, Alex can immediately tell that this Venice is nothing like the one he knows, though it doesn't take being a native to understand that Venice has seen better days.
In movies and shows, Venice is always romanticized for its beautiful bridges and gondola rides. The so called City of Canals biggest pride is its atmosphere.
Now, most of its streets and buildings are devoid of life. It's a ghost town, like entering the scene of Silent Hill.
@Game Ping 2
The only humans here are the Executors and Knights dispatched by the Holy Church at the St Mark's Basilica. There, you're greeted by a tall woman with short white hair pulled together in a ponytail.
"I've received word that you'd be coming," she says.
"My name is Riesbyfe Stridberg."
She greets you without any enthusiasm.
"You are our new allies, aren't you?"
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/vsbattles/images/f/fc/Riesbyfe.png/revision/latest?cb=20180228014333
"Good. I take it you've already been informed about our failure then."
She goes on to explain the situation.
After their last failed dive into Einnashe, they lost the majority of their Executors and almost all of their Knights. What was originally a mission involving more than hundred forces has been reduced to only two dozen Knights and three Executors.
All of those are currently positioned around various points in Venice, watching out for a potential attack by Dead Apostles. The city was only recently reclaimed from them.
Furthermore, they suffered an even greater defeat: two of the sisters tasked with the safekeeping of the Sacra Cintola have gone missing in action, carried away by Einnashe's branches.
"Here. You can see for yourself."
Inside the St Mark's Basilica are the remaining four sisters.
They're all showing signs of exhaustion, small droplets of sweat running down the sides of their faces.
"The state their in is all the proof we need to understand that the two virgins we lost have already fallen."
@Game Ping 2"They can still keep going. That's all we need."
Both Aya and Alex would know this from their work in the Holy Church: the Sacra Cintola is never taken out of its case, not even by the pope.
The case itself is faith given form by the six virgins. So long as they are healthy, nobody will be able to lay their hands on the holy girdle, wherever it is."The artifact being in danger is not our concern."
Riesbyfe has no doubt in the faith and ability of the six virgins. She makes it clear that with the defensive measures surrounding the holy girdle, it is impossible that someone could misuse it in any way.
The problem is the fact that it's missing. If the Holy Church could make use of it, destroying Einnashe would be a clear possibility.
...
Alex and Mozart's attempt to talk to the virgins is met with more silence.
At that point, Riesbyfe cuts in.
"Let them rest. They need to concentrate."
She goes on to tell Alex and Mozart more about the six virgins.
In every generation, the virgins are only born once. They're all born blind and share the exact same date and time of birth. By age 3, they are conscripted to live at abbeys. There's various other conditions that are taken into consideration before they're taken in by the Holy Church, such as birthmarks and hereditary diseases.
"All in all,"
Riesbyfe looks over Mozart,
"A non-believer would call it superstition, but we know that their purpose is true."
@Game Ping 2
"What the hell are you guys even talking about?" The girl says, protesting Alex' suggestion. "I still don't know what you're really doing. All I know is you're all fucking weird."At this point, a collective gasp comes from the four sisters."If you're gonna banter, get out," Riesbyfe says sternly. "I'll assemble the Shield Knights. We'll reconvene in three hours."The girl begins to leave and glares at Alex. "You little asshole."
"Name's Chloé," she mutters."What am I gonna do now anyways?"
Chloé grumbles.
"At least this place is empty. Guess I'll find a nice mansion or something.""Find a place with a playstation 3."
Chloé scratches the back of her head.
"I know there's a fancier one coming out soon, but I've never even gotten to try it."
"It's a game console," she says. "I guess you don't game."
She looks at Aya's head.
"Why are you dressed like that anyways? The cosplay is getting weird."
"It's cute, yeah. The horns are kinda hot."Once all the Shield Knights have prepared for their next purge on Einnashe, Riesbyfe's second in command introduces himself to the group.
"I've heard all about Chaldea from Riesbyfe."
He's a young blonde man exuding chivalry despite his young age that can't be older than twenty, and he wears a heavy set of a armor.
"My name is Gwydion. On behalf of the Knights, I can tell you that we're honored to lead this attack on the hellish being called Einnashe with you."
https://i.imgur.com/vJcPt7O.jpg
1"You talk too much."
Riesbyfe tells Alex after he's done making rites for the fallen knights.
I will change. I have changed.
I am you, while you are me.
I'm going to change, I will have Changed.
I am you...
...and you are me.
I shall do as you desire.
I'll teach you to desire.
I'll show you how to dream master.
I'll make you happy~!
With each word the energy around the book had become more and more intense. Flaring up in a flurry of not only paper but also... Sparkling dust.
"'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves...
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
An air of mysticism begun to rise around the girl. A smile forming on her lips...
Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
Just like that- the world seemed to get just a little darker. Her eyes opening bit by bit as she looked at the girl. Soon enough, the poem begun to take on the life of it's own. Pages from the book unfurled and begun to spin around her as she told the tale. The girl herself even vanished-- Instead the wall of paper that surrounded the two- instead Fie would find herself in an illusionary- almost dreamlike dimension.
Yet, Nursery Rhyme's voice continue to ring out...He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
A young man picked up a wonderful sword. It looked otherworldy- with a gleaming silver edge to it. The young man then headed into the forest with a look of determination, leaning up against a tree.
And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
The man looked tired after his journey, though short in the eyes of Fie- for him it seemed to be almost hours by now. Yet, from behind the tree leaned a creature- a fearsome one at that. Looking at the young man with a murderous intent. Fearsome beast rushed forward, destroying any tree in it's path and gurgling in the process!
One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
Yet, as the beast came forward- it's head was swiftly chopped off by the young man. The blade's cut was swift and precise- decapitating the beast in a single hit and leaving it for dead. The man then took it's head turned to head back home.
"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.
As the boy came back home, his father quickly embraced his child. Hugging him tightly and joyfully celebrating his victory with a deep laugh.
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
With an image of a a multitude of odd- all too twisted creatures such as what looked to be a badger-lizard-cockscrew hybrid as well as a... Green pig--? The vision faded and once again they were in the evil forest.”Master, you seem to have summoned quite the interesting Servant. A fine addition to our team, I would say. That story of hers was a joy to listen to,” he said, assuming his signature neutral tone of voice. ”Would you mind if I materialize?”"Yeah... It was quite the tale. Glad to hear you don't have any problems with Caster or your at least not letting it show if you do. It would have made working together a lot harder. Go ahead, I don't mind."
She then swapped to her connection to Nursery Rhythm and began speaking through their connection.
Go ahead as long as it's nothing dangerous.
@Andle | Cam, Ib, Rach @sumanai"Nobody has watered you properly in a while, have they?"
"No wonder you're so hungry!" 4"They gave you such a tasty meal once then left you unsatisfied! That's so mean...!""You're really kind though aren't you? You could have grown so much..."The trunk of the tree shifts when she reaches for it, but it lets her place her hand on it, either allowing her to touch it or simply not caring.
There's no particular reaction from it. The dense and dark, almost completely closed off forest only moves ever so slightly, like the beating of ones heart.
@Andle | Cam, Ib, RachRiesbyfe and her second-in-command give each other a look before she gets up from her resting spot to draw the Servant back in.
"Careful there," she says, trying to sound a little softer because of the girl's age. "You should stay inside here. You're only safe as far as this barrier goes."At some point during their rest, the sister Aya was trying to protect earlier, blonde hair and closed eyes, walks over to where she is sitting, trying and failing to hide how difficult it is to move her tired body.
"I'm sorry for having burdened you," she says. "And.. thank you."
@Ma|Resur|Anastasia|King| CThe group manages to reach Salzburg. Mozart can immediately recognize that what was once a city known for its royal appearance..
https://www.bergwelten.com/files/article/header/mauritius-salzburg-stadtnah.jpg
Has become completely tainted and muddied by the trees growing through all streets weaving through it. Its like arriving to the aftermath of a lost civilization that's become completely overgrown in the past hundred years.
Throughout their ride, Nursery Rhyme, though a book, could take in more of the forest. Despite her curiosity and interest, the living forest creates a strange feeling. It's like seeing someone standing completely still down a dark alleyway, right across from you.
This forest is dangerous to someone like her specifically.
"That is exactly where we're going," Riesbyfe says to Mozart. "From there, we should establish a resting point so the virgins can take their time to sense the Sacra Cintola."
She slows down on her motorcycle for their discussion.
"It'll be a matter of protecting them. Once they can give us a more precise location, we can reroute."
She says that, but it clearly didn't work out last time, and now they're not even half of their original forces.
@Game Ping 2
Hmm perhaps I could find some of the priests wine used there.
Riesbyfe gives a sardonic smile. "If you find any bread, I'll gladly join for communion," she says.
She starts up again.
"I'll be right with you, Servant," she tells Mozart.Eight minutes into your ride, Riesbyfe holds her hand out for everyone to slow down.
"Our welcome party is coming. Get ready."
In the dim moonlight illuminating Einnashe's perpetual darkness, there's faintly glowing red lights all around the road, tiny specks of heat in between the overgrown houses.
@Game Ping 2
From the branches, snakes slowly slither their way across to the main road.Time has come to play.
Wouldn't you like to meet my friends?
Big ears to hear you well.
Big eyes to see you there.
Big teeth to tear you to shreds.
Let me introduce you to my dearest friend,
Big Bad Wolf.
@Angelic 
Everyone manages to make it to the Cathedral, but as expected, it's swarmed with undead.
"How is your Servant looking?" Riesbyfe asks Fie.
She keeps the group outside on the road. They should at least have a bit of a breather before they fight to free the cathedral.Nursery Rhyme, in the aftermath of the battle, is still paralyzed for several minutes before the effects finally wear off.
1
Nursery Rhyme, in the aftermath of the battle, is still paralyzed for several minutes before the effects finally wear off. "Not that I know of. Besides Einnashe's spider-like ghouls and the snake familiars, we haven't had any encounters with the dead. That said, we can still be certain there are greater vampires at work here."
Mozart, Amakusa and Yagyu make their way inside the cathedral from one of the bell towers. The attic is eerily quiet. It's also pitch black inside.Now what are the odds this room is filled with undead we can't see? Mozart said telepathically to the other servants
Not unlikely. Look out, don't drop your guard.I can't hear anything at the moment...I am unable to sense anything as well. Let's stay careful and vigilant.I would make my way towards the Organ but I seems someone left the lights off.I am able to illuminate this room, but I would rather not make our presence known. What are your thoughts?
He would ask the two Servants with him. (edited)After tapping around the walls using the little bit of moonlight that manages to come in through the windows, you find a light switch, but when you turn it, nothing happens.
Drip.
Drip. Drip.
Some liquid slowly drips from the ceiling and hits the ground near you.I'll rather have you save your strength. The effects your own... powers, have on you, has not gone unnoticed. Taking bets on that liquid being blood?That liquid is not blood. It's poison... I believe there are a large number of snakes above us. Thankfully, they don't seem to have noticed us yet. 1Oh well that's great, but what do we do now?Retreat is not an option, given our chances.Well then what is your plan Saber? I can provide us with a light Caster, remember we are still in the forest. We cannot risk injuring ourselves before our battle. We use the moonlight to our advantage and find a way out.Tsk even if I am a terrible Caster not being able to use any magecraft has certainly gotten old fastOh dear lord that's a few more snakes that I had expected.
Master, an update on our situation: We have reached the main navel and have found a sizable number of enemies. Eight large snake ghouls, over a dozen fire snakes, and three of a larger type we have not encountered before. How is the situation on your end?
@Thicc|Fie/Ali/Ayu/Miyu/Nag/MelMaster, an update on our situation: We have reached the main navel and have found a sizable number of enemies. Eight large snake ghouls, over a dozen fire snakes, and three of a larger type we have not encountered before. How is the situation on your end? @Thicc|Fie/Ali/Ayu/Miyu/Nag/Mel
That's a lot of Snakes... Geez someone sure has a thing for them. Our side is fine, nothing has happened so far. Are you able to continue with the plan?That's a lot of Snakes... Geez someone sure has a thing for them. Our side is fine, nothing has happened so far. Are you able to continue with the plan?
Yes. We did not expect this number of enemies, but we will continue as planned. he paused for a moment. Be careful and stay safe, Master. This will be a tough battle.
Everyone outside can hear music start to come from the inside of the cathedral, the sign that Mozart has begun his performance.
"..."
Riesbyfe looks on with an uncertain expression. What the hell did she agree to?
@Game Ping 2
Though Amakusa's barrier was erected and hopefully it would keep the bastards out for enough time, Yagyu would stay on guard, ready to slash at anything that would interrupt this perfomance.
All preparations are complete, Master. A good amount of the snakes have been annihilated. Feel free to make your move.
@Thicc|Fie/Ali/Ayu/Miyu/Nag/MelGot it.
"I'm going in and placing the traps."
With that she made her way inside and began to set up the traps while Mozart, Amakusa and Yagyu had the attention of the Snakes.Riesbyfe holds her hand out to Fie who has been carefully assembling traps.
"We're going in."
She looks over to Gwydion. "You stay with the sisters."Riesbyfe nods to Alex. "Then stay with him and protect them. I'm not taking chances with this plan."
She follows after Fie to enter the scene of Amakusa's magecraft reducing dead apostle after dead apostle to nothing but ash while Mozart continues to play his organ and Yagyu slices through any stragglers.
@Game Ping 2 (edited)
"Worked so well that the traps weren't even needed, Good job."
She spoke to amakusa there their mental link as she threw black keys at the snakes killing one of then and injuring the other. After that she moved behind a pillar to hide from the snake's sight.
Over the past minutes, with the amount of dead that came for them and were destroyed by Amakusa's wall, it's clear that any being left is really unlikely.
In that moment, a small voice can be heard.
"..Help me."
It's coming from the attic.
"Someone, please.""Worked so well that the traps weren't even needed, Good job." She spoke to amakusa there their mental link as she threw black keys at the snakes killing one of then and injuring the other. After that she moved behind a pillar to hide from the snake's sight.
I apologize for rendering your hard work null, Master. Regardless, I am glad you are safe. Remember, we still have a long battle before us.
"Good job," Riesbyfe says.
She looks over to Yagyu who's passing by. "Inform the others about your success."
She raises her spear shield. "I'll take a look myself. If there's a survivor who's held out this long, they'll need immediate help."In the attic, Riesbyfe's shield begins to emit a bright light.
"Anyone, help."
The voice calls out again. It's inside the small room that make up the living quarter of this church.
"Stay behind me," Riesbyfe says.The living quarters open to a seemingly empty room.
"..."
Fie is the first to notice that there's somebody underneath the bed.
"You can come out," Riesbyfe says. "It's safe now.""Under the bed, prepare yourself just in case."
She spoke to Amakusa before she lightly tapped Risebyfe's shoulder and pointed to towards the bed of she hadn't noticed someone was under there.Understood.
He prepares three black keys in each hand.Riesbyfe points her shield forward, and in a quick flash, releases a sharp streak of light through the bed, incinerating whatever's below.
"Yeah. I know."
She turns away again.
"Let's get everyone else inside and make our preparations for the night or.. whatever time it is."
@Game Ping 2Master, would you like me to check under the bed?If you want, whatever was under there is most likely dead now.Underneath the bed is a human-looking figure that's bent and twisted as if it has no bones inside its body. Its eyes are hollow and its mouth is teethless. Slowly, it begins to rot to ash.
Now that the cathedral has been cleared of immediate threats, the knights can find a moment of peace, some of those who were injured choosing to rest on the benches.
The cathedral's inside is adorned with images drawn by Italian artists that depict various scenes from the life of Christ. The Passion of Jesus, the final period in his life, is told through a series of fifteen images, ending in his crucifixion.
The main nave of the cathedral contains four chapel rows on each side which each lead to a side altar. The northern chapel row is the so called "Evangelienseite", also called the women's side. It begins with the baptism chapel, where a bronze baptismal font lies. This is the place where Mozart himself was baptized.
The southern chapel row is the so called "Epistelseite", also called the men's side. All of the chapels contain ceiling paintings depicting various biblical moments. The southern altar holds the words "IN ME GRATIA OMNIS VIÆ ET VERITATIS, ECCL. XXIV". Since the early Middle Ages, the wisdom of God has not only been attributed to Jesus Christ but his mother Maria too. In the so called Marian feast days, readings of the book quoted on this altar are held.
In the center of the cathedral's main nave is its pulpit, inscribed with the words "Semen est verbum dei". The pulpit too is decorated with bronze plates showing the life of Jesus, among them the moment when he was asked to stone a woman who committed adultery and declined, answering with the words "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."
At the altar, the words "MIHI FECISTI VIAS VITÆ" are written between the statues of the Salzburg's two church patrons, Rupert and Virgil, the two men who founded this church in the 8th century.The sisters have also chosen to rest in the center of the cathedral, all three facing each other. Even with how sluggish their movements are, their expressions never look tired or weary. They're always trying to have a polite smile.
One of them, a sister with long, black hair, has ordained to go around with Gwydion and Riesbyfe to cleanse the cathedral despite her lack of strength.
. . .
After a while of silence, one of the three sisters speaks up. It's the shortest of the four, a girl with long, strawberry blonde hair.
"It's a shame we missed your concert," she says to Mozart. "I barely heard it from the car."
@Game Ping 2
When Amakusa and Alex join in on removing the remaining evil from the cathedral, the dark-haired sister hands them incense. She begins to recite verses from the Wisdom of Sirach. A quote from the Wisdom of Sirach is inscribed on the southern altar. "In me is all grace of the way and of the truth" -- it's a reference to God's wisdom, something that has been attributed to the virgin Mary since the middle ages.
@sumanai @StarryCleric"You're very kind, but I couldn't ask for something like that," the girl says. "Besides, it's not the same. Music that's played in the moment is special. When you repeat that moment, it loses that."
The other two sisters look at her and Mozart with a faint smile.
"I'm sorry. Everyone's trying to rest and I'm rambling on," she says.
@Sophie, Mary, Nito, Gorgon, BoudHow nostalgic, this takes me back to the days I studied under my mentor.
As a priest, he knew his way around such rituals, and continued to perform."I've read about you," Gwydion says to Amakusa during a quieter moment. "You may be from another continent, but your actions have reached Christians far and wide. I.. admire that. Having a faith so strong that it reaches even people who might never tread the same ground as you is something incredible."
@sumanai
"I can only hope," Gwydion says in response to Amakusa. "Doubting oneself is a sin, but sometimes I can't help but question if I'm truly worthy of wielding the Prayer of Manasseh. I'm not even half as brave as my ancestor."
There are records of a previous meeting between Chaldea and the previous wielder of the Prayer of Manasseh, a woman by the name of Melisandre, from the third Singularity.
"If she was here, I wonder if things might have turned out different."
From the combined efforts of Amakusa, Mozart and Aya, a communion fills the cathedral with blessings once more.
With the simple word of Amen, the entire church is filled with bright light.
@Game Ping 2 1
Over the course of the following period of rest, the sisters slowly open up a little more. The general act of taking residence in the same place leads to everyone getting to know each other a bit better. For one, they're not actually blind, they were just born blind. That becomes obvious pretty quickly. Their names are Petra, Krusch, Magdalene and Cassie.
Two of them, Magdalene and Cassie, the two with light blonde hair, assist Alex while he's making dinner, trying to help out in feeding everyone. At first it's a bit awkward because the Shield Knights are unsure if domestic labor is even something they could demand from them but after some time it settles in that this is just how things will be for now and a lot more people end up joining in and preparing dinner.
@Game Ping 2While preparing dinner, one of the sisters, Magdalene, is helping out with salt. "When we lived in the abbey, we always cooked together like this," she says, smiling at the other sister. "We haven't been able to in a long time. It's a strange thing to be happy about in times like this, isn't it?"
Before she can say another word, in a sudden fit of dizziness, her hand slips and triples the amount of salt she was supposed to use.
@StarryClericMeanwhile, the other two sisters, Gwydion, and three of the knights are sitting in a corner of the chapel with Mozart. Using pillows, they've cozied the corner up considerably.
Somehow, Mozart turned the conversation towards dirty jokes.
The topic is a surprise hit. The reddish blonde haired Sister Petra can't stop making jokes. "Why did bread break up with margarine? Because he found a.. butter lover."
@Sophie, Mary, Nito, Gorgon, Boud"I'm sorry..." On second thought, it's probably for the best if they leave cooking to the others.
"It's fine. We'll just.. take a step back," says the other sister, the one Alex would recognize is the same that Aya was talking to the other day.
With a handful of Shield Knights coming in to assist, making a meal for the amount of people they are will still be fine.
@StarryCleric
Amakusa eventually sits down with Mozart's round too and the conversation turns a little more serious again.
The spread of Einnashe happened rapidly. It truly was like a zombie apocalypse movie. People's lifes changed from one day to the next. On the day that Austria's forces fell to it, the six sisters were actually in Vienna, the capital of Austria. They had to go there as part of their Exorcist Training. One of them was injured while they fled. Her leg was severely wounded, and since they do not make use of things such as spiritual healers, her injury was never treated.
"If it weren't for that, perhaps now, she.."
She's one of the two that has been lost. Still, the sisters are all adamant that the two are not dead. Even though they're shouldering their weight of the holy girdle's case, they still feel that they're alive.
Over the course of the conversation, it becomes clear that they were always treated in a very sheltered manner. Their unique task separates them from the other Exorcists, and instead of being treated with special care, it's more like they end up being outsiders.
At some point, Gwydion mentions that the true enemy has yet to be found too. It's evident that Einnashe has powerful allies under its control and it wouldn't be surprising if a high rank Dead Apostle has chosen Austria as their new home.
@Game Ping 2
"Spoken like a true saint," Gwydion says. "Though you were never bestowed proper Sainthood, were you? I wonder if that's because of your heritage."
If someone like Amakusa lived in Europe, they would undoubtedly have already been granted the status of Saint.
"..Yes. The Holy Church is not infallible," the dark haired Sister Krusch says. "We are only human after all. We must never forget that.""That's not fair, Mr. Saber." Sister Petra addresses Yagyu with a smile.
"You didn't tell a joke yet."
@Thunder - LS | ED | DO | HT
1Gwydion shakes his head with a smile. "Even that statement is like a proper saint," he mutters to himself.
1
1Everyone in the round turns to Yagyu with wide eyes, both shocked that he's actually got jokes and genuinely curious about the answer to his question.For a moment, there's crickets.
"..."
"Ha..aha..hahaha!"
Sister Petra bursts into laughter, and a wave of laughter sweeps through the round.
"You joke like you're someone's dad.""It's great."
Sister Petra's laughting fit slowly simmers down again, and she lowers her gaze, still smiling.
"I'm grateful for this opportunity. This must have been a blessing too."
Her tired hands find the skirt of her habit.
"Being in the car is the worst. All I can do is watch you. ..I'm sure the others agree."
Sister Krusch's silence is agreement enough.
"I'm grateful to be able to talk to you like this. Humans aren't supposed to be treated like shields, and even though you might feel that way, please don't. You're not more important than us.""...Master, why not come join the rest of us? It is not good to isolate yourself."Well I'm resting for one but a decent amount of sleep is hard to get when you're a light sleeper like me. Woke up about 3 times from my sleep before I decided to just lay here. Thanks for this by the way.
"Thanks for the Stew."
She spoke to alex before she sat up and started eating the stew although she was still using amakusa's robe as a blanket. Probably because she would be laying back down once she was done eating.
Do you really want me to join the others?Perhaps it is better for you to rest. It seems the festivities have died down, anyways... He seemed to have trailed off at the end of his sentence. Enjoy your stew, Master, and have a restful sleep. I will remain here by your side.
Four hours into their rest, the Servants can all feel an overwhelming presence of magical energy coming from the street in front of the cathedral.
It's for sure a Servant.Master Fie, be aware, it seems like a Servant is approaching our location. Do I awaken the others or can I trust you with doing so?Tsk this is almost as bad as that senile Saber's joke, I don't know If I have enough time to prep any defensive magecraft...
I can handle it, prepare to intercept if they're hostile.
She moved through the church and began to wake up the others whispering to them.
"A servant is approaching, prepare yourself."
Ruler, Black keys.Everyone in the cathedral is woken up by Fie. The sisters open their eyes almost feverishly, but they push themselves to wake up.Coming right up.
Amakusa hands over a total of ten black keys to his Master. While doing so, he continues to speak telepathically.
I may be able to discern the Servant's true name and basic information. Would you like me to check?Do so, if we know it's name and class we can possibly find a weakness to take it down faster.My Angel's Song Skill allows me to gain information on some Noble Phantasms, allow me to assist you Ruler"Are you intentionally trying to make me mad?"
A rough, female voice calls out to Amakusa and Mozart quietly going up to one of the cathedral's bell towers in hopes of finding the Servant.
They must have reacted in Spirit Form, since the street is empty.
@Game Ping 2No but I tend to upset people with out trying, my apology's"I was curious who these new Servants were, but it looks like you don't have any guts to you."
The figure materializes-- a well-built woman cloaked in red material, with dark hair that's partially pulled into a braid.
"What a shame. I was hoping for someone strong."
Her piercing red eyes wander over the two of them.
https://i.imgur.com/Ewzv1px.png
"So, what will it be?"
The Servant casually raises her right hand and lightning Magecraft begins to crackle at her fingertips.
"I destroy all your rides or you come down and face me."We are engaging the enemy Servant. Her True Name and background is Faker. Parameters: EX Strength, EX Dexterity, and A Constitution. She posseses skills that she would not normally have: a Mana Burst skill that could call forth lightning as well as a skill that allows her to grow wings.
He took a moment to explain the rest of the skills she normally posseses.
Master, stay back and remain hidden. I trust that you would be able to provide offensive support from afar. Caster, I will cover you. I will entrust you with keeping me alive.Faker's still standing in the same spot outside on the streets before the cathedral where the light doesn't reach.
"No reaction, huh? Why don't I go for this chapel instead?"
Faker redirects her hand's focus to the cathedral.
"Does this building mean something to you? I can tell that you must have been celebrating. Reconnecting with God must be an amazing feeling for believers like you. I'm almost getting jealous. Makes me want to send you all right up to him."
@Game Ping 2 (edited)It seems we will have to respond to her provocations to avoid the others being in danger RulerInside the cathedral, Riesbyfe rallies the knights to provide as much shelter for the sisters as possible.
"Very good. That's more like it."
Faker's lips widen into a grin. "Let's begin, Servant!"
@Game Ping 2meet with the Servant down there. She'd let the knights and Riesbyfe take shelter for now, nodding her head satisfyingly.
Aya Almerria would reach outside of the gate and look at the Servant down there. A servantless Master, she was, and although she was weak, it was her duty to speak as a representative of the organization as she was the Master. If she left it for the servants to do so then...
She'd cough, before the battle began.As Aya makes her stand at the gate, she hears two figures approach behind her.
Riesbyfe looks over to her and nods her head in acknowledgement, joining her in this fight.Faker lets her lightning shoot forth at Amakusa, who keeps charging forward, completely unaffected by it and swings for her with his Black Key.
"Ahaha! This is what miracles mean to you!? Don't be ridiculous! A simple soldier could do more than you!"
"Then fall, weakling."
Faker fills her sword with magical energy, making it crackle with red lightning. The lightning expands so far it fills the entire area in its red light.
"Die!"
The attack should be strong enough to completely penetrate any defense Amakusa could put up. In martial ability, he's completely outclassed. But as the red lightning dances from her blade meeting his, he's still standing.
"What the hell..!?"
She attacks again, this time more recklessly than before. Her sword clashes with Amakusa's countless more times, each one with a blast of lightning so strong it could destroy the entire street they're standing on.
"What in the world are you!? Die already!"
@Game Ping 2An excellent display Ruler, I'll try and see how much Mana she's using for her attacks as well as anything my observation skills reveal
"Tch."
Faker's eyes flash with a golden hue.
"Bow down."
"..."
From the corner of Faker's eye, she turns to the giant Oni who leaped towards her.
"I asked for the Servants. Don't get in my way, scum."
She sends a bolt of lightning running through Aya.
Ruler she can only use that ability a handful more times, about seven more uses to be exact if I am reading this mana flow correctly
Thank you, Caster. I will make sure those attacks are centered on me. Keep reinforcing Saber and the young lady. I will be alright.I'll stick back a little longer until those are all used up then I'll move closer to provide some ranged support with my Magecraft, do what you can to keep that master back I'll do what I can on my end.Haha, as expected from the ever so dependable Caster. Please remember to stay vigilant. Your safety is vital.Oh you joke too much Ruler! I am a quite terrible Caster.
Faker laughs at the sight of the girl losing control of herself.
"She doesn't seem happy to see you fight for her," she says.
"What are you still standing for anyways? I told you to bow, fool."
@sumanai
Ruler this Mana she's using doesn't feel like it belongs to her, I might be other thinking it but she might have a Master supplying her with Mana
I'll try and see if I am correct, but if I am they might be observing this battle
My, my, so that's where her excess power comes from. Please inform me of any new information you may obtain. And... make sure that young lady doesn't run off again.
With his unmatched Magecraft, Amakusa is able to fend off the three Shadow Servants completely on his own. Not a single one of their blows manages to get past his defenses. The thin blade of his Black Key is all it takes for him to parry a greatsword three times his size.
"You've got me there, I'll admit it. That miracle is the real thing. But will it help them?"
A familiar female voice rings out. In the sky--
Faker stands with her sword aimed right at the cathedral. The red lightning comes forth not from her hands but from the sky itself. Like Zeus' thunder, the snowing sky has torn apart to make way for the ultimate divine punishment.
"This is my lightning. My fury and my rage!"
The lightning is so bright that the entire forest is illuminated by it. The falling snow sizzles on it, turning to ash.
"I'll crush you!!"
The Noble Phantasm and the divine lightning meet. The stronger the lightning pulses with energy, the more Amakusa's Big Crunch expands, consuming it all.
When both the lightning and the black hole are gone-- it explodes and fills everything with light.
The explosion is enough to tear open the concrete street and send bricks flying.
Every house in the vicinity is destroyed.
The light clears, and in the aftermath of the destruction.. the cathedral is still standing, shielded by Riesbyfe.
"..."
By the time the dust has settled, Faker is once more swallowed up by the roots of Einnashe, gone.
@Game Ping 2
The following day, the four sisters are finally able to locate the holy girdle.
It's somewhere in Vienna.
When they talk about it, Sister Petra bows deeply.
"I know that it's unfair to see our lives as more worthy of protection than yours. I hate the feeling of being unable to help while you're fighting, but..! Please!"
"Keep us safe! Whatever it takes..!"
@Game Ping 2
Outside the cathedral, the streets and houses that were completely destroyed in the aftermath of Faker's and Amakusa's clash have since been replaced by Einnashe's roots. Like a carnivorous animal, it's inching right around the church's barrier of light.The car that had previously been used to drive the sisters through Einnashe has been destroyed.
"I'll find us a new one," Riesbyfe says. "You guys can stay here until then."Einnashe's roots completely block all streets and paths.
@StarryCleric
"Thank you, Amadeus," Gwydion says with a smile while Riesbyfe simply nods before leaving with Alex and Amakusa.Just come back in one piece, with someone like that Servant from last night being around we need to be extra Curious, what a drag...
Einnashe's roots completely block all streets and paths.
@StarryCleric 
”Do not worry, caster, we will be sure to exercise caution. With this Master with us, I am sure we will return safely. Please be careful on your end as well.”
Amakusa sighed as he looked at the state of the streets.
“What a predicament. I have never attempted gardening before, but now would be the perfect time to try my hand at it.”With his Church rites, Amakusa rots through Einnashe's branches while Riesbyfe and Alex can focus on getting a new car going.
After about five minutes, they return to the church with a function albeit run down looking SUV.
"Everyone ready to leave? Getting to Vienna from here is a 180 miles. If there's anything left to do, now's the time."
@Game Ping 2
As they ride over the highway, Einnashe continuously assaults the group.
On the last third of their way, six of the knights suddenly fall behind, going limp on their motorcycles. Struck through the heart, limbs torn, heads pierced. Through a myriad of gruesome ways, they've all suffered lethal injury.
It doesn't take long for Einnashe to sink its fangs into them and claim their flesh.
If one were to look back, they would see the six fallen knights are pierced by a dozen of roots almost immediately.
@Game Ping 2
. . .
"We're here," Riesbyfe says.
The city that Mozart would remember as the place where he married his wife is nothing like it once was.
The best way to describe it is as a snake paradise. Even in Einnashe's frigid snow, the same snake-like dead apostles that were previously seen in Salzburg roam freely.
The sisters can sense that the holy girdle is deep inside this icey jungle, but the number of enemies is in the hundreds.
@Game Ping 2
"This is the first time we've gotten this far into Einnashe. If I'd been to Vienna, I might be of help, but I'm afraid I'm as blind as you are."
Riesbyfe takes a breath in deep thought.
"What I'm about to suggest will sound crazy, but hear me out. We've used a diversion before. It worked well with the cathedral. We didn't suffer any losses because of it. If we can do something like that again, the others can use the opportunity to make it to the city's center."
@Game Ping 2
"Great to know you think so too. So, any volunteers?"
@Game Ping 2
"Yeah, something like that," Riesbyfe says to Alex.
"Good grief," she says with a sigh. "You guys are a little too eager about this."
She places one hand on her hip with a confident smile.
"Alright then. Looks like we already have our volunteers for the hard part. That leaves only me and my guys to handle the easy bit and play bait. While you guys go in, we'll be causing as much havoc as we can, taking on every one of these bastards."
@Game Ping 2"Who said we'll be losing?" Riesbyfe raises the corner of her lips. "You're pretty cocky for a low rank Executor. You have trouble taking orders too. I like that about you."
"Gwydion will be joining you. Worst case scenario, you have the Prayer of Manasseh at your disposal."
She raises an eyebrow.
"What are you looking at me so slack jawed? You better not be handing in complaints this late into our mission."
Gwydion looks around for a second, clearly wanting to object but he bites his tongue in the end and accepts it with a stern expression.
@Game Ping 2
"Yeah, got it. I hate long goodbyes, so let's leave it at that."
Riesbyfe scratches the back of her neck before turning around and facing her men.
"Ha, this part is a pain..."
"You guys look like shit. I can see you're all injured. I've got a couple wounds myself."
She straightens up with a serious expression.
"Tell me, who are we? We are the Vestel Shield Knights! These dead apostles think they can sack a city a mere 300 miles from the Vatican and get away with it. Can a few cuts stop us?"
Her knights respond in kind, readying their shields with a chant. We are the Vestel Shield Knights! We won't stop! We won't fall!
Riesbyfe raises her chin.
"That's right! We're heading out, Chaldea, Gwydion. The next time we see your faces, you better have succeeded!"
"Shield Knights, after me!"
@Game Ping 2
Cutting through Einnashe's roots with a cry as their declaration of war, the knights and executors leave off into the city in a full assault, leading the dead apostles to follow after them. The group can see the houses and streets empty as the snake-like dead apostles all go after them.
There's some stragglers left behind, but other than that, the main road is clear..!
With the road clear, the group can drive past the few dead apostles that were left.
Halfway through to the city's center, the sisters inform Alex about the holy girdle.
"We're getting close," Sister Krusch says. "Keep going!"
...
"There..! It must be in that building!"
@Game Ping 2
https://img.fotocommunity.com/wiener-hofburg-bei-nacht-fa6662b6-536d-4904-ae35-232c8e0d8e38.jpg?height=1080
The group arrives at the Hofsburg, the residential suit of the President of Austria.
It's walls are covered in a thin, skin-like wrap as if its a cocoon mid-transformation.
The courtyard is filled with those same snake-like dead apostles, all of the highest rank. These were the ones that used their poisonous spit against Amakusa, Mozart and Yagyu before."That's enough."
A dignified female voice rings out.
"You've caused enough damage to make me curious. Come inside."
The dead apostles all give pause.
@Game Ping 2
”Master, shall we hear what this woman would like to say?” Amakusa asked Fie telepathically. ”Whatever we do, stay behind me. I fear she is stronger than any of our previous enemies.”
"We kinda have to... Our objective is confirmed to be in there..."Gwydion gets to help the sisters out when he notices the battle has stopped and the group plans to advance inside.The sisters don't show the nervousness of going into a place this dangerous. They walk with their head straight and an expression of pure resolve.
Past the gateway, the entrance gate is filled with five human shaped salt statues covered in skin-like bandages from head to toe, all in varying sizes from tall adult to small child.
Inside the mansion, the infamous royal Hofsburg, all of the walls too are covered in that same skin-like mass.
@Game Ping 2The entrance hall also harbors a myriad of human shaped salt statues covered in the fleshy material.
The sound of heels clicking comes from beyond the hallway.
It's followed by the image of a dignified woman gracefully making her way through her manor.
"Welcome to my new residence, Chaldea."
On either side just behind her are two slender human statues, covered head to toe in bandages of flesh.
"Knowing how hard your journey was, I'm afraid I can't offer any pleasantries at this time. What a shabby way to meet humans."
@Game Ping 2
https://i.imgur.com/XDJ5yLX.png
3"You're foreign intruders. Does that duty not lie with you?"
The woman smiles.
"You're not supposed to leave your manners outside when you enter someone else's house."
@StarryCleric"So that's how you feel. I understand. You're an executor who hunts beings like me."
She lets out an uncharacteristically self deprecating laugh.
"Yes, it should be this way."
"Is there anything you would like to ask before I kill you?"
@Game Ping 2"Who knows at this point?"
She raises her hand. The entrance door closes shut.
"I'm the monster you came to slay."
Her eyes are cold to match her voice.
"I will play my part and devour you all."
@Game Ping 2
join initiative
"..Claussel. That name is familiar. You're not with the Clocktower, are you? Your family has been a thorn in our eyes for a long time."
Adashino laughs.
"Ha.. why am I thinking about something that's meaningless to me now?"
When the others speak their mind, she gives pause.
"I already offered to talk. If you're not here to kill me, then what is it?"
@Game Ping 2 2This is a terrible idea but "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart."
Out of everyone's introductions, one rises the biggest reaction out of her.
"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?" The woman puts a hand to cover her mouth as she lets out another laugh. "Seeing your country in this state must be shocking. In that case, I appreciate your restraint."
"I can already tell you that I have nothing to do with the Sacra Cintola. Just like me, it's found its way here through pure coincidence."
@Game Ping 2
2"That's a talent most people lack," Adashino says in response to Mozart.
"Behind this manor, there's a garden with a pond. The Sacra Cintola fell into that pond. I've never touched it or stepped close to it. I'm a vampire after all. It'd be suicide."
"Then again, I've thought about what it'd be like if I went inside that water. What do you think?"
She steps over to the slender, skin-covered salt statues at her side and gently places one hand on her.
"Even as we speak, I am feeding on human life. How does that make you feel?"
@Game Ping 2 (edited)Those words are all Mozart needs to confirm a suspicion about the human-shaped statues. This entire manor has become a feeding place. Although their state of living could no longer be called human, each and every one of those statues is still alive, undergoing various stages of digestion.
@Sophie, Mary, Nito, Gorgon, Boud
2
Ruler each of those statues are indeed still alive.
”I suspected as much. Thank you for confirming this for me.”
”I would have to agree with Mozart. Personally, I am utterly opposed to such means of self preservation. It is evil and wrong.”"You don't mean.."
Sister Petra covers her mouth in shock.
"Those aren't..""That's only my working theory," Adashino answers Mozart. "I still think too much about the world around me. It's a human habit I can't rid myself of."
"I don't know what happened with it, but Einnashe's roots must have displaced wherever it was being kept at some point."
"You can take it," she tells Fie. "I won't stand in your way."
She takes her hand off the statue.
"All I ask is to let me end my feast. Once I'm satiated, I plan to part from this world.""Sh-she's.. she's eating them," Sister Petra says.
@Game Ping 2Guys she is eating the two missing sisters. What should we do about this?"One more thing," Adashino says.
"I don't claim this fight, but Faker is waiting there for you. She's gone from a false and weak Servant to someone who's become capable of digesting aspects of other Heroic Spirits. She won't stop her hunt."
@Game Ping 2Repulsive
”I am not a holy man, nor do I claim to be one. If my actions are sinful, then God Himself will deliver to me His judgement.“"When you do pray for them," Adashino says, "give them my prayers too."
"The place where they're going, I can not follow."
After all, only hell is waiting for her.In the snow-covered royal garden behind the Hofsburg, Faker stands in waiting with two large skeletal wyverns in front of her.
https://i.imgur.com/Ewzv1px.png 
"What the hell..!?"
Faker's body stumbles when she's hit by a sudden barrage of attacks.
"Ha...hahahahaHAHA! I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!"
The skeletal wyvern in front of her let out a massive, inhuman roar.
@Game Ping 2
"You'll probably taste like shit, but still..."
Faker charges towards Amakusa, carried by her wings of flame.
"I can't wait to eat you!"Faker's sword clashes with Amakusa's Black Key, a wide grin of excitement on her face. Her eye wanders to something behind him, and in flash, she's gone and appears in front of Yagyuu.
"Die, die, die!!"
Lightning crackles all around her. When her sword meets Yagyu's, the overwhelming force of the lightning fueling it sends cuts all over his body. (edited)
Even in deadly peril, Yagyu allows himself the humour to quip.Faker's hand fills with lightning as she unleashes her pure killing intent on Yagyu, but her magecraft is cancelled.
"Tch..! You found a way to avert Einnashe, you bastard!?"
She glares at Mozart.
"And that music.. you're messing with my wyverns."
@Game Ping 2
"Your miracles won't save these people this time," Faker calls out to Amakusa.
"The only wish I'm granting is letting you watch them all die!"
@Game Ping 2
"Ruler get Alexander up now and do something about Faker and those Wyverns. We're not losing anyone here."
For when you're awake @sumanai”If you command me so earnestly, who am I to decline?” Amakusa answered, his voice calm and collected, as if to reassure his Master. ”I will place the safety of Master Alexander of utmost importance. Stand back and stay hidden, and I will tend to Saber once. I would not forgive myself if you were to end up in a similar state.”
Amakusa raised his weapon as a challenge to Faker, after sending a wave of healing energy to restore the fallen Master’s vitality.
“You are mad. My one purpose is to enact the will of God, and it has not changed, ever since the day I was brought into this world,” he declared. “It matters not what happens to this body. If a life must be claimed, then it shall be mine, and mine alone! Face me, Faker, lest you be a coward whose pride weighs upon crushing those who are weaker than her!”Faker's expression contorts into anger.
"You use magecraft to shield yourself and you dare call me a coward!?"”Master Alexander has been stabilized. I will focus my attention to Faker. Master, I will leave the wyverns to you.”
@Thicc|Fie/Ali/Ayu/Miyu/Nag/Mel
The final performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart fills the Volksgarten, but it doesn't stop there.
It reaches as far as Salzburg, the city where he was baptized.
And it continues on.
To Tirol in the West and Graz in the south. To the very borders of Austria.
His Requiem of Death continues until his entire country can hear his song..!
@Game Ping 2
"Kh... you..bastard..!"
Faker holds her head in anguish.
"What have you.. done..!? I'll..crush you..!! How dare you I'll crush you I'll crush you!!"I can only hope by the time it ends...
From the back of the fight, someone who'd been hiding behind the garden hedges finally steps in and calls out.
"You can do this, Amadeus!! I believe in you!" Sister Petra calls out.
@Game Ping 2 1
"Gh...!! Shut up, shut up, shut up! I'm the Heroic Spirit who's beaten Mordred of the Round Table and Caenis the Divine Spirit!"
Faker's burning wings soar to the sky.
"I won't stop until I'm the strongest there's ever been! Stronger than he could ever dream of being!"
"So die, die, die..!"
"Gh.. no...! I can't lose here!! Not like this..!"
"Die already..!""Gh---"
As Aya throws her body to the ground with her, in the middle of their fall--
Alex pierces her heart through her back.
It's over in an instant.
The light leaves her eyes and with it, the last wyvern's body begins to shake and turn to dust.
As her body is fading..
"Ah.."
She finally realizes something she failed to see in the heat of battle.
The notes of Mozart's song dance all throughout the country, filling it with golden light.
"It's..beautiful.."
@Game Ping 2
Sister Petra rushes out, sitting down next to Mozart and wasting no time to heal him with her hand on his chest.
When he awakes, he can see that all the other sisters and Gwydion are tending to the wounds of the others as well.Faker's body disappears.
With her gone.. nothing stands in the way of retrieving the Sacra Cintola.The sisters retrieve the Sacra Cintola from the pond, carrying its glass case in their tired arms.
When they pass through the Hofsburg manor once more, Hishiri Adashino sees the group off without another word.
Undoubtedly, there's an untold story behind her appearance. However her and Faker ended up like this must have been one filled with its own pain and hardships. ..But that's not their objective. And after tonight,.. there's little doubt that it won't be long until Adashino joins Faker.
@Game Ping 2
None of the Dead Apostles in the city oppose the group.
Surrounded by a horde of corpses, both human and undead alike, the commander of the Vestel Shield Knights is peacefully sleeping against a tree, leaning on her shield."Ah, there you are..."
Riesbyfe greets the group with tired eyes.
"Sorry, but uh.. I think I'll have to ask if you'll offer me a ride too."
@Game Ping 2
Even after everything, Einnashe does not relent in its attacks on the way back.
The hardships of their journey never end.
But they survive, and finally, at last.. return to Venice. (edited) 
As the party was teleported in for their rabbit hunt, the group was placed in a small forest for them to wander about in.
"Master, I'm sticking to the Shadows. Rabbits tend to scare easily."
He'll immediately fade away, slinking into StealthNo issues, Assassin! I suppose I'll just hang about and see if I see any rabbits while you stalk about, mm?
Aden walked about, glancing at and around the forest for any movement as he hummed a small tune.Well Aden quite easily finds the tracks of a rabbit... Time to follow them?Mm, hey, Assassin! I found a rabbit tracks here, mind checking it out?"On it."It wasn't hard to follow the tracks, which eventually lead to a ditch. A ditch with a pretty rough incline. More or less just an extremely large pit that was 15ft deep around where they were and where the base was. Oh hey, a small unassuming little rabbit in the middle of the pit?As Emiya is basically opening his third eye he percieves!!! DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUN!!! It's a normal looking rabbit, just chilling on top of a grass patch.Hey, Assassin, anything special about the rabbit..?It's basically the middle of the simulated day btw."I cannot see anything special about it. Do I take the shot?"Hm, alright! Go for it, Assassin!"No sign of the Target. Stay Vigilant."As you guys run away the bunny is watching from the ground, then goes ahead and sits down on a grass patch in its ditch.* (edited)This is wackamole with a demonic bunny fucker that KO'd Aden very quicklyWell the rabbit fucked yall metaphorically as it munched on you all (edited)By the way, after getting ejected there's a smug DaVinci... So good luck shutting her up.DaVinci accepts the bribe and makes off with it, she's gonna pitch these to experiment funds later...
(Aka put that into journal darlins~)And now that's the end of this unspoken taleUnless someone else has something they wanna say The squad sat in front of a forest after getting dropped off by some church members who left to deal with other things!
1As the group snuck around trying to find some of the escaped zombies, they'd notice it ended up taking quite a bit of time. Eventually they did stumble across a small group of them and they were wholly unaware of your existence. Rather all of them were just milling around doing the strangest of stuff, you know tree hugging, wobbling around, pacing about, just weird zombie stuff.Some actually dead zombies wooo!!! So what's next squad?Onwards the group moves for a second group, this time it didn't take as long but hey there were a few more!This time it's 5 zombies just vibing!Wave two of zombies down!! Who wants to go for another wave?Well an even larger group of zombies!! All wholly unsuspecting!Well more dead zombies, will you all proceed with hunting more? The more you clear out the safer Italy gets!Alrighto seems like another wave of zombies is wandering about! They haven't noticed yall but oh boy, there seem to be a few stronger ones!Woo more dead zombies, do yall wanna keep going?As the group sneaks around another wave of zombies was found! This time even larger and more powerful than previous groups!! After entering the Challenge Quest portal, the screen distorts like some kind of TV show..
Slime Bath
Eliminate one at Random
Cover in Glue and then Feathers!
@Player Voting will end shortly! 9 3 4
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1
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4 4 1 3 6 4 2 8
❌Agrius Metamorphosis B+❌
3
1 1 5 1 4 3
As Vee moves to take the grail, the moon's light is reflected in shades of crimson on the cold, pale blue chasm.
A crushing gravitational pressure weighs down on everyone all at once, straight down from the moon itself.BB calmly walks forward to take the grail herself.After taking the grail, BB continues to float into the sky and out of the chasm.Just like that, BB is gone from view, with Chaldea left behind in the chasm.
Even as Artoria says this, BB does not return, leaving only the strange moon above as their company.
On Artoria's request, Marie goes on to explain that BB is located on the peak of a mountain on Roma Island.
But we do that tomorrow cuz LET'S BE SERIOUS.. WE'RE ALL WIPED...
here's the run down..
You have 1 hour to stop BB or she will reset the islands. If she successfully resets, everyone is brought back but without their memories.
5On the peak of Mount Roma on Roma Island, BB is in the midst of transforming all islands into an apocalyptic hell filled with the black mud of the grail.
"There you are, my little piglets. You just don't know when to quit, do you?"
BB pulls out a black and red scythe. (edited)
***Golden Spark***After the Grail is secured and BB is restrained, she's awoken by a healing Mystic Code.By this point, the sun has come out to welcome the first summer morning.BB's body begins to emit motes of golden light.. slowly puncturing through her.
And with that, BB disappears. 2From the peak of Mount Roma, all the other islands are visible.
The massive frozen hole in Germania Island no longer has any outpour of undead, and the beach where Chaldea met Scathach and Medb is now peacefully vacant.
Although Napoleon's grill is now turned off on France Island, the party decorations are still hung up in the trees as if the celebrations never stopped.
Chaldea's base is completely empty now, with everyone having come out to participate in this final challenge.. and Elizabeth Bathory's resort is still a total trainwreck.
And an island with the beautiful, large Crystal Palace shines brightly in the sunlight.
The abyss above the heavens continues to roar with energy, its melody accompanied by roars and clinks of steel and flesh.
Your strike team has arrived at the center location of the Information Center. You have but a few moments to make a plan and prepare preemptively for the threat you are about to face.
@Game Ping 2
The Deer it self looked to have died recently, blood splattered across the road and visual scaring, cuts and torn flesh of the deer told the story of it having likely been killed by a group of animals who feasted on the deer before seeming stopping, the owl also heard the faintest sound of sounded of deep and raspy breathing for the corpse itself
@[Serpon]Teno/Penth/Nico/AzuI found a chest and another corpse under the floor in what looks to be a grave. said Ortlinde as she would then materialize above the floor and attempt to open a path to it.ThEsE MINE noT thems"Lancer, are the corpses that notable? It may be more worth following these tracks sooner than later..."
We should find a quiet and hidden spot for a moment, a fall back place in the city. After wards, we can then start to scout around and try to gather information. said Ortlinde telepathically to her fellow servants."I concour. That's a good idea."Somewhere by the river? We can dive in for a quick escape, and even pretend to be dead.This town is fairly small, it may be hard to find a spot isolated enough.I would like to at least take a look. We may be able to at least find a room.Astraea's Results; Astraea would managed to locate a small rundown building when looking down one of the alleys of the town.
Ortlinde's Results: Ortlinde would noticed a large building with the faint sound of music coming from it and a few smaller buildings which were filed with cheers and laughter
Nagao's Results: Nagao would noticed the same large building as Ortlinde.
@Game Ping 2I have located a large building with Nagao. I am hearing music coming from it, as well as some cheers and laughter. It may be some kind of tavern or something, you know the ones in video games where the hero rests. Did you find anything Astraea? said Ortlinde telepathically to her fellow servants."a Rundown building down the Alley, it may prove useful as a base of operations."Agreed, let's me up there, do a bit of prep and then start to investigate.While preparing that place, should one of us observe the larger building more closely? It would not do if our clothes make us clearly not belong there.
I could send in my familiar to peek into the windows and see what kind of clothing they are wearing.
Ortlinde then began to look at the run down building. It wasn't nice but it would do. "This seems like a good spot, now then, I will transferer the runes to you. Is their anything else we need to do?"We can mark the location, at least. Perhaps we may slip a Caster in with us next time and have them secure the house?Correct, it is too early for that. Until we have driven them out of the town, this house alone will have to do.I have nothing in mind.A Few of the Overheard conversations
I have spotted activity in what appears to be cathedral. Cultists are constantly entering and exiting it. It may be a good spot to investigate.Do you believe we can enter without issue?I cannot say for sure but I believe so."Probably not. If it is where the Cultists commonly move, they are bound to have set up wards."As Astraea listening to the conversations she would over heard the barkeep talking to someone at the bar
"Wooden Figures on a large majority of these people. Also.. The Former Lord Governor is set to be executed. We should investigate." 1"Look Alive, guys. Armored Person is coming here..!"Alone? Does he seem hostile?We may simply want to continue with what we are doing. I don't think I have attracted much suspicion."Seems to be alone, yeah. Try not to attract attention to yourselves."
That one's a member of the Governor's guard... Should we take him while he's alone?" "Well, back to the game, then, unless you gentlemen want safer bets~?"Our mission is information gathering, not combat.Mhm. She nods. "50 each, then.""Let's regroup back at the Safehouse."Agreed. said Ortlinde telepathically as she would than exit the establishment and make her way to the safe house.
Marching troops approaching.
...Alright, we coordinate our answer quickly.Should we say that we attempted to tell the lord governor but the guards didn't allow us?That's probably outside this rank's authority...
Do we even know where the captain is? If not, we should either start leaving or come up with a different way to gather information, like going in spirit form.Not at all, unless he was the one that we saw at that tavern... We may have to hope we find others directly under his command.If we don't, abandoning these disguises may be best. 1Hm... Yes, once we know where he is, if we can find out more about the patrol shifts on the wall... We may even be able to arrange another infiltration when we're called there.Ah, what was that guy's name?"I don't think he told us."Captain Fionn."Well, alright then. Lancer, is your owl still around?
I got a copy of the town map. I will be making my way to the safe house and then entering spirit form before flying away. I believe we have gathered enough information.Understood, I'm on my way back. 
Through the small gaps within Maine's cloak Mary would see glimpses of the town as she want by. Soldiers in bronze and silver armour marching down the streets in perfect order, dirty townspeople with ginger hair ducking into basements and closing window blinds as Maine passed by, and slowly lights coming closer and a sickly sweet smell or perfume as ten minutes passed by.
"We're nearly there so I'll say what I can quickly and quietly. The man you are looking for is Margret Cornrow Thatch. He's the commander of the garrison of this town. With him will be his captains now celebrating a final victory over the island."
"It'll be a messy affair. He'll likely have the enslaved population serving him there. He likes the exotic types anyhow and doesn't mind dirtying his noble blood with that of the Irish. But they're still enslaved."
"There's also another issue."
And that is?"I don't know which building he's in. There are two of them he could be in I've narrowed it down."I see, which of these two buildings is it?"Both were established by the invaders. There's a reason the commander was so eager to send patrols to roundup survivors," he said with disgust in his voice, "The one with a bright red roof and purple-tinted window. That's the The Velvet Fang. It has a basement with rooms to the side of it and a feasting area in the middle that I know can fit his entire entourage within. The other is more of a tavern than a brothel but still offers the services. It has private rooms in the back that could reasonably hold him and his captains. It's called the Leaky Couldron with a mean streak of a bartender and it's constantly packed with soldiers, though most are drunk to the point you can shove them over."
"I will tell you if we hit either of this word's going to go out quick of a pale lady massacring sinful soldiers."Allow the Sinners to show me their Kin. Mary pointed her finger out of the mirror as a series of black wisps began to form and spread across the wind looking for the one who's heart was weighted with the most vile of sins as she attempted to locate the Captain's soulMary would sense within the brothel dozens of scared and terrified souls who were tired with some wanting to just die already. Alongside many cruelly happy souls within it.
The Tavern was more muddy. So many had diluted and ruined themselves in drunken stupor that they had lost themselves to the point where they all melded into one brown analogous blob making it impossible to tell how many there were. But distant from it was four souls. Three of them drunk but one shining bright and clear.
This one was cold. So very cold. It was not cruel. Just reasonable.So that would be them, head towards that one. Mary would point her hand towards the direction of the captain before pulling it back into the mirror"The Tavern? I suppose he would want to be with his men," Maine turned to it. It was a one story building with multiple windows all around it. He stayed around the corner as he described to Mary the building, creating a rough picture of it's layout.
"There's only one in or out exit but plently of windows that they leave open since it can get warm in there. They cook the meat in the back. And there's a private room in the corner."
1"There could be over fifty men in there. Many drunk yes, but fifty nonetheless."So a normal Tuesday for you? Mary said with a subtle laugh"Huh?" he paused for a moment, "Ah. Didn't expect inneduo from you. But if you really want to know there's an alley behind the tavern that... well, you get the picture."
"I can take you in but you'll be surrounded by those fifty odd men taking you from all directions. Fifty men like you say, is a Tuesday."Within five minutes there shall be but one, please enter inside and once We exist the Mirror if you wish to live hide inside"I can assist as well from the back," he taps a crossbow under his cloak. "They'll probably be all focused on you anyhow."Wait inside the Mirror. Mary stated clearly in a threatening Tone
My Friend is quite hungry and I wouldn't wish for you to become a Shrivelled up prune drained of all it's blood."Well." he contemplated, "That's a convincing reason. I'll stay in until it's safe."
"Get ready."
He began to walk towards the tavern and through the doors. There was sudden uproar of noise, of smell, and of heat.
Shanties being sung. Barmaids and brothel workers being harassed. The floor slick with beer ale and food with stray dogs darting between feet for the scraps.
More than fifty. Seventy maybe.
"Gentlemen," he greeted and tossed the mirror into the center of the room, "You've eaten well. It's time for your final course." (edited)
Maine silently disappeared within the mirror in front of a audience of mena and women all seemingly frozen in time.
All hell breaks loose.Instantly a single sword slash of her sword, and three decapitated heads fly off their shoulders, gushing out a hose of blood that sprayed so high it stained the ceiling
The next two don't stand a chance, they're dead before the food so greedily stuffed into their mouth can be spat out. The last one you slash in such a manner his torso disintegrates and explodes outward like a shotgun, shrapnel nearly killing the man right behind him as he shrieks clutching his face, blinded.They all scream.
Sixteen of them are dead and they haven't even had the chance to scream yet.Some tried to fight. The rest tried to flee towards the windows at the back. Yet at that exact moment a unnatural gust of windows slammed the shutters tight, barring escape. It was so panicked that it become a crush as men crawled on top of one another or trampled others in a bid to reach an exit that did not exist. Several were already being suffocated to death by the press.The survivors tried to back into a wall in which there was no escape, crushing even some of their own to death in fear.
All colour was drained from their faces.The man jittered and groan before he became nothing but a lifeless husk.Nine poor doomed souls all stuffed in a corner, the corpses of their once comrades littered all around them.
They begin to beg and to pray, weeping and shitting themselves as they try to escape through solid wood.
Mary would see several figures sobbing and skittering through the massacre left within the tavern.
There was not a single wall left clean. Several bone fragments had been lodged into the wood.
The former bar maids and brothel workers were trying to flee through the back.
Meanwhile from one of the doors at the back she could hear murmuring and whispered words.Just as he is about to be killed, the Knight yells, "Now! Run!"As mary begin to trundle down the hallway in a menacingly fashion suddenly she heard a door from behind slam open and footsteps race through.
"Go! Go! Go!" a soldier's voice sounded from the main hallway as another went to bar the door Mary had just gone through.
Suddenly bursting through the door Mary would see again the scene of carnage she had left and three shocked faces escaping through one of the backrooms.
Amongst them was a tall blonde man in splendid armour who was escorted by two Knights in black.
Mana and power radiated off the trio.
"Veritas Temporis Filia, the time for revival and return shall soon arrive."
Stakes which mimicked the shape of Curtana began to form behind Thatcher before one has pierced though his back as flames began to form at the base of the Pyre, quickly growing and growing as the flames grew hotter for each of the man' sins where judged
Mary put her hands together and prayed "Please beloved God, bring fourth your judgement...[| Curtana; The Sword of Infernal Justice]"
@TheInsanityThatLiesOutside
"Shhhhh save your song of pain for the pits of hell" <3"BITCH!" one of the Knights roared as both of them descended with their blades against Mary.
1
1 1One of the Knights was putting up a better fight than the other two combined as he mindlessly raged and roared at Mary, slashing with her sword at her exposed pale flesh while singing hymmns on his voice.The man is smashed onto the ground by the strength of the two women grappling him.
"G-g-get your foul hands off me!""NO NO NO NO" he began to scream frantically as he realized what they were about to do, slashing at Mary with his free hand.His limbs poped first.
His skin began to tear.
He kept screaming.
His spine began to crack as every vertebrae was torn apart.
His internal organ ruptured.
He began to choke on the blood welling up his mouth.
His frantic attacks became weaker and weaker until they bounced harmlessly off Mary.
Then.
Then it tore.
His organs and spleen lazily splattered onto the group.
He was just half the man he had been 10 minutes ago.
He was now nothing more than a pair lower body and a torso.
Yet he was still screaming."What is that racket!" a voice cried out from the mirror. "Is it done? Is Thatcher dead?"
The entire room was dead. Everything was ankle deep in blood and gore and a wide assortment of bodily fluids.
There were six men that had passed out from fright in a corner... what fate awaited them? Better not ask.Maine stepped out, his face turning pale at the scene...
"Brothers...." he muttered before shaking his head, "Sorry. Many of these men were my comrades. I know they had to die for Chaldea and for my Lord... but it is not easy to loop upon their corpses in such a state.""Anything for my Lord. I do not regret this moment. I only regret that I could not banish such emotions in service to him." he said, "Yes. We must hurry. The entire commotion here will have woken up the town. But with Thatcher and his Captains dead, they will be a hand grasping in the dark that we can slice off."He took a deep breath and entered again.
As the Party enters the Simulation room... The Intercom turns on. (edited)
After these opening messages.. The Room shifts to be in the middle of a Forest.
Wave One begins..
Ten Skeletons emerge from the Woods. Bows and Swords ready to decimate the group...!...The Servants are obliterated in seconds.
Wave Two!
Giant Frogs fall from the Sky, landing in the Woods and the Pond.
Just as quickly as the Frogs were beaten, Ooze drips from the Sky. Cubes of Slime, Sentient Slime..! Wave 3...Even the Slimes prove no challenge for the squad.
The Last Wave.
Shadow Servants!a Majestic display of her Distortion indeed, it is only a shame that it only lasts for a mere second as the Shadow Saber dissolves into shadowy particles as it dies...By the time you even respond to Galway's call, it's already evening. Over the horizon to the west the last embers are being chased away by night sky above and it's dark heavy-laden house. A secluded town on the Irish west coast, Galway sits within the province of Connacht and crossed by the Corrib river. It has a port, the Eyre Square with its shops and pubs, and Daire's inn, which apparently holds a good number of refugees. In the encroaching dark the little lights coming from the windows of the houses and wooden buildings serve as a small beacon in this approaching void.
There are several farms outside the town walls but they have no lights coming from them and all of them have had their doors barricaded and windows barred shut.
The wall itself is a modest 10 feet tall wall with a main gatehouse. But even from this distance you can tell that the Guard has been doubled and that torchlights litter the parapet of the walls.
This is a town that has shut itself within it's confines against the dark of night.
The gates suddenly fly open and a detachment of horsemen, numbering eight in total coming charging outwards through the roads and fields towards the group.
No words. Lances with tassels tied to the shafts flying in the air, the eight horsemen began to surround Athena.They completed their encirclement and all lowered their lances until they were mere inches from her throat.
"Speak thy name and of whose group thy loyalty is to." (edited)Almost at once the Lances lifted.
"Chaldea." one of the horsemen dismounteed and took off his helmet to reveal his face, "They did not jest about your speed. We had only placed out our call for assistance just this morning when we saw the ruins."
"Is it just you they have sent?"
"Well I hope then that three is enough for this beast we are dealing with." he said, "I thought after we had driven the those foul cultists of the Lords back that we would have finally been at peace. But it seems that the Gods are still displeased at our failure to drive the enemy back out with our own strength. A plague has set upon our farms outside the wall. We do not know what it is."
"We only know it just leaves nothing but ruin and death and maiming in its wake. In the past few nights several of the farms and other homesteads not under the protection of the walls have had their occupants butchered or disfigured. We have found dozens of men, women, and children decapitated in such a clean manner not even our best executioners could hope to. There are no witnesses for all who even had a chance of seeing the preparator have had their sight robbed from them.""Is it something I said?" the Horseman asked with concern in his voice before dismissing the thought of Rider with a shake of his head. "Nevermind, we must make haste. I have little doubt there will be another attack tonight
Three men began to dismount, "Would you prefer my men to lend you our horses or would you be able to follow on foot?""Hyah," the horseman cried as he mounted his horse, "By the way, my name is Henderson if you must know. I am Sergant of Galway's Horse-Guard."
"Onwards!"
The eight horsemen would begin to race through the night, leaping their steeds over the hedgerows and fences that dotted the scattered farmland. Through the fuming night mists, they made their way along the limits of the woodland into the dykes and ditches of the Irish pastures. Already the veil of night had descended almost unnaturally fast. Shadows seemed to spring out as if they were creatures waiting to prey on the eleven figures.
Eventually after a solid ten minutes of riding and with the horses painting from the exertion they had reached the area. The fire had been fierce, incinerating the upperlevels and leaving very little of the first floor and it's foundation. Ambers in the darkest of places were still burning and the air was filled with the powerful scent of smoke. There had been two buildings, a barnhouse and the main house. Both were equally ruined.
But on the burnt steps of the main house there was an almost ghostly small figure sitting on the front steps, dressed in white linen cloth with a pale rag drawn over the eyes and silky black hair. She was unnaturally pale as she sat there, face in buried in her hands.
"What the-" Henderson began as his horses suddenly stopped and reared themselves, refusing to go a step further.
"That's Heather. She was the only one that made it." he stammered, "I-I have no idea how she's out here, we had her in the townhall. She must have escaped somehow."
The girl looked up from her hands, but could not see anything. She merely nodded at Rider's word."She's the only survivor of the attack that killed her family here," he whispered, "And not unscathed. T-t-they took her eyes. What type of creature takes the eyes of a little girl?"
"Besides, we haven't been able to get anyone to speak to her yet.""I-I-I just want my mother back!" she began to sob deeply, "She's still in the backyard! B-but I can't find her face! She won't listen to me and she has no face!"
The homestead was was a ruin as far as Tachibana could tell. But the fire had not burnt everything yet. Several walls were still standing and some on the outside with windows. She could tell that something with great force had simultaneously blown them all open. There were blood smears on the ground but they were all burnt, indicating that the blood had been spilt before the fires had been lit.
Su Wukong could tell this child as telling the truth.
"She's back there..." the girl continued to sob to Wukong.
"They're back there," Henderson was pale as well, "We haven't dared touch them."
There was a ditch behind the homestead Rider could see. But she could see within the flooded ditch there was a mound of some sort, and what looked to be a single hand emerging from it, frozen in time as a claw trying to reach for the black skies.Within 30 feet there was magic. An extremely high concentration of it in fact around the mound. And 30 feet up close, she would know it wasn't a dirt mound at all.
It was a mound of corpses.
At the sound of her incantation something began to stir. And then rise. Six of them. Dressed in night clothes or worker clothes as if they had just left their rooms.
The only issue was that they were all missing their heads. Perfectly cut at nape of the neck like someone had simply slid a piece of paper and it had gone through without a hitch.
Ghostly vapours and black smoke drifted off them as they stumbled towards Rider and Wukong, raising knives with their hands.
"Dulluhan..." one of the horsemen breathed as he was the ethereal yet not ethereal beings rise, "It can't be..."Shambling and stumbling they charged forward, one of them sinking their knives into Sun Wukon while another charged. They seemed to be targeting him a bit more than the others.Shrieking in words impossible for a human being to say, suddenly one of the Headless lurched from behind Medusa to strike with it's knife!Tachibana would see something lacking a head come crawling in through the window...
They were all frozen, unable to move as they stared at something in the fog.
Like a voice coming inside your skull... save it had no voice...
It was just words appearing in your mind and you knew who was saying it.
That encouraging mist.
Then it began to shriek as...
Something.
Walked through the mist.
It had no face because it lacked the most vital part that provided the face. A head.
Upon a black steed it slowly strode out of the wall of mist.
And "stared" directly at Tachibana.
The two horsemen just ran. They did not pick up the girl, just leaving her on the porch as the ran wailing into the surrounding forest, covering their eyes with their hands while begging for mercy.
Just Henderson and the horses, still tied to posts, remained. Henderson was too frozen to even move, all colour draining from his face.And for all looked, and beheld a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.
The creature charged forward, letting forth a terrible shriek that echoed through the moors. Suddenly with a single swipe of his hand Wukong and Rider would feel something wet and hot splash against their faces.The bullets bounced off his armour.
The strikes of even a Demi-God didn't phase him.
He slowed his horse to a trot.
And kept slowly trotting forward, letting the strikes crash upon him like a wave against a sea-wall."Buy me time!" Henderson broke out of his stupor as he grabbed the girl and began to run through the ruined house, "Try to lose it in the forest!"
Suddenly it drew a black longsword from his sheath, glowing with necrotic powers. Turning the blade it deflected almost every strike.
But one struck the flank of his horse, passing straight through but delivering fire to his core.
It stopped for a moment, seemingly amused by the strike before somehow "staring" at her.
Suddenly with the force of a God something slammed into the Dulluhan, causing it to stagger slightly as it tried to recover from the strike. It may have been a spirit.
In that moment a small crack split down the side of it's chest plate and sickly green light began to leak through.
In that moment, Rider would sense some sort of familiarity in her feelings. A feeling of intense shame exuding from a small chink it's armour. A feeling of intense regret at what it had become in order to protect something.The only reason she could understand this so closely... was because she had been through so similar such a fate. (edited)
As Henderson began to bring the girl along she began to attempt to resist him as they ran through the home. She suddenly grasped onto a still standing pole with her free-arm, refusing to be dragged along as she wailed. Panicked, Henderson began to strike the girl with an open palm.
"Come on! Come on!"Tachibana would notice that the girl was dragging deep into the post, her fingernails scraping into it despite Henderson's desparte attempts to move her. It was clear to the Goddess that the girl did not want to leave her family home and enter the woods."I don't know!" Henderson yelled, "Bloody stupid girl! Move!"MOMMMY! I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE MOMMY!" she began to wail.
Tachibana would recall the girl saying her mother way in the back of the house...
and she would recall that just moments earlier they had put down several headless creatures in the ditch behind the house.
@Bobby/Dechi/-Blue began to surround the Dullahan, singeing the grass all around it.
Then it spoke once more.
The Fae reared his horse to it's hind-legs allowing it to stamp several times on the ground as it stood still, listening to Sun's words. Before it spoke:
It was all in your minds so every servant could hear it."Help me with her," Henderson granted as he saw Rider, striking the girls hand again to try to get them to let go of the floorboard she was trying to hold onto, "I don't know what's gotten into her!"Henderson was knocked back, all the breath knocked out of his chest as there was a loud cracking sound.
He lay on the ground, choking from the strike. "What the-"
"S-s-servant?" the little girl reached out blinding with her hand in the direction of Rider's voice, "You my servant? Like the lady who took care of my mom when she was sick?""Yes. I would like to see mommy again," she allowed Rider to hold her hand, so small that Rider's delicate hands would engulfed it."You went to get her in the back of our house didn't you?" the girl told Tachibana.
Yes."She was wearing her favorite green dress, the one daddy got her when she stop being sick. She was so happy because daddy made it himself." the girl told Tachbiana. Indeed there was a body with a green dress in the back.
Suddenly, seemingly tired of this game, in a burst of fire something materialized in his hands. A flaming skull on which it held in it's free fist using chains. 
"My momma was sick with it, and her daddy before that. And his..." she shook his head.Tachibana would know at once that this fire had not been set in one location. But instead that it had been lighted from multiple parts of the house. Wooden furniture had been broken up and used as sort of piles of tinder in order to light fires that would have burned down the building efficiently.
As well as that there were signs to struggles in the stone walls. An arrow head buried, slashes in the wood from long blades, and in one place buried under a pile of ruble a steel spear. The bodies of the dead were also showing wounds other then the ones the servants had inflicted on their re-animated corpses. They were stabbed with slashing blades. Purple spots indicated bruises from a brutal beating while they were still alive.From the way their necks were cut, it was like they had been forced to kneel and were beheaded from an above source.
Their wrists were red and sore, indicating something like rope or chains had bound them at the wrist.He coughed, "Damn it, was that needed?"
"Not that I'm aware of," he shook his head, "I mean it's possible. You guys smashed the cultists so hard that they scattered in all directions."Searching around she wound find tracks in the back. They were footprints that didn't belong to the fleeing soldiers from before. These one's were much deeper, like the persons making them were weighed down or heavy with something.
On a branch in the forest there seemed to be a piece of purple cloth that had been caught and then tore off, leaving it on said branch.
Tachibana would recall that in the Greece she came from, Purple was an incredibly rare colour."Purple?" he said, "It's something maybe the cultists would wear... or their commanders at least.""Where?""And the headless? How do we explain that?"Meanwhile it seemed that the Dulluhan was yet to make it's move, totally frozen in place as it clutched it's sword."And we're just going to give her to that filthy pagan creature?" "It's an an afront to Christ and God. Only God may take the souls of the dead to Heaven or Hell, and I know for certain this isn't Him.""What is dead, should stay dead."He scoffed, "I can't believe I got my ribs crushed by that woman of yours to save this girl... then again I don't want to die either tonight. That thing is a devil... but I'll happily punt this worthless girl to it if it buys me a bit more time on this earth."The little girl tugged at Rider's tube skirt, "Did he really call me... worthless?""Is it because I can't see?"2 ◉〇〇〇〇
The girl's feature's flushed back with colour, turning them from pale to red. Her sight was not restored, but she seemed to have greater strength as she walked around, in seeming amazement at her lack of ailments.The Dulluhan Pointed his sword at Tachibana.
He spoke, less loudly, but more like a soft voice in the mind.
Once more he pointed his blade towards Tachibana.
And with that he began to turn around, ignoring Sun.She shook her head. "There's nothing for me left. It was just mama."