Fate/Infinity Compendium.Reboot [IC|Started|Provisionally Accepting]

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Yes, I do."

 

"Perfect. Absolutely perfect. We'll win this war for sure, if you do can back up that confidence of yours." Archer's words was still somewhat demeaning and doubtful, but from her prideful grin it is clear about what she had in mind about her mistress. The atmosphere of the workshop was still pretty much annoyed her though. So much wickedness in one place...had she not attempted to be respectful to her mistress and her clan, she would have demolished the place. Nevertheless, Archer was still visibly at unease about the place, and she couldn't wait until she can get out of this forsaken ground.

 

:"I am Yamato Takeru, the Prince of Osu. From this moment on, as long as you prove yourself to be worthy, I shall be at your service, milady. With my sword and bow, I shall surely guide both of us to victory."

 

Saying that name still bring a funny sensation inside of Archer. Was it...disgust? Perhaps. Well, it's a name that would one day be wiped out from history anyway. It shouldn't matter for her now. The flame Archer held on her hand disappeared as she did her oath of servitude to the girl before her. Soon however, she detected the appearance of another individual, and soon after she was done bowing, she stood up and lit up her flame once more. It revealed...what looked like a wicked mature woman...but she was shorter than her mistress, or even herself. Archer was silent as the woman approached them. She looked familiar somehow, which was weird, but she didn't really want to think about it much. Just like this ground of stronghold, the familiar feeling was soon overturned by Archer's uncomfortable feeling.

 

"...Were you...perhaps, the one that had the responsibility for my mistress, Lady?" Archer asked at the woman. "And, if you are in charge of this place, I have but one request for now.

 

Find me an open ground suitable for magecraft, and I shall make it my own stronghold. If not, I might have no choice but to purify this place to its core."

 

 

"I've already sworn my loyalty to you, but that means nothing if you don't instill all of your trust in me, Ayesha. I am your Rider after all... "

 

"So you are unwilling to dive head in to a plan you have no knowledge of. Quite expected of you, my Rider.

 

Alright then, I shall tell you about it." Ayesha paused a bit, before looking around at the people around them. The magus sighed in annoyance, and uttered several lines of spell incantation. She set up a simple disposable bounded field around her and Rider with that. It would be quite noticeable by a skilled magus, but for familiars or anyone else, it would work well enough. It is mainly to hide what she was saying to not catch unwanted attention, after all.

 

"It is simple. Wars are meant to be won before the battle even started. To ensure victory at all cost, covert operation is key. My plan is to demolish the strongholds of the other masters with a series of explosives planted by accessing their place from our underground network. If this kills our opposition, then good for us, but if it isn't, we removed their sustainability in this war.

 

Is it disgraceful? As a magus, it very much is, but for this I have thrown my pride as both a magus and a human long ago. It's kill the masters or kill their resources.

 

In the end, Pride is not what win wars. It's superior firepower and tactics, and I am sure, you can assist me in this. Let us paint this town with smokes and blood."

 

---

[Mr. Hyde]

"Ahem...please... rise there is no need for such formality between us. My name is Morgan Hultgren, and as you are already aware I am your Master in this Holy Grail War. Now that the introductions are out of the way, I have some business to attend to, however I'll have some servants come to show to where you will be staying, and please feel free should you be feeling fatigued from the summoning. If it's all the same to you I had planned that would sleep in my bedroom so that we might be close together should someone attack the mansion, if this is not to your liking however please notify the servants and they will prepare another room for you. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

 

"Of course, my master, Morgan."  He placed his hand over his chest and bowed as his master left his presence.  This was getting exciting now!  His master seemed like such a collected person, not to mention a fantastic mage.  Even if he were a tad exhausted, it could've been worse.  

 

He was guided by the servants Morgan had mentioned earlier to the bedroom.  On the way there, he made sure to get a good understanding of this giant estate's corridors.  As he entered his masters room, he magically changed into a rather goofing looking pair of pajamas and yawned.  It was a matching pair of sky blue shirt and pants, with white, cloud shaped crosses splattered across it.  His sword was still strapped to his waist however.  

 

"Do not fret, my master, Morgan.  Not a soul will lay their hand upon you while I am near!"  

[Asriel Dreemurr]

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Glauce Euphemus Argus, descendant of the Argonauts and heir to the Argus Family. It is an honour to meet your acquaintance at long last." It brought a smile to the armored man's face that his mistress chose to introduce herself, though he did wonder about something. True, the grail had taught him that this particular method of swearing one's allegiance had fallen out use, but he had expected a mage to be well versed enough in the past to know it. Ah, but she was Greek, now wasn't she? Yes, such practices were not especially common in Greece, and mage families did tend to only worry about history as it pertained exclusively to magic anyways. It was an understandable gap in her education, but one which he would have to correct if there should be a lull in the action of the war. So caught up was he in his thoughts, that he almost missed her first command. "Now then, Caster...Rise."

 

"By your will, my mistress." And so he rose to his feet, once more standing well above the disheveled mage to which he was bound by the contract of the Holy Grail War. Rather than turning to immediately retrieve his helm, he stood there for a moment and examined the room in which they stood. "There is much work we have yet to do. I will begin modifying this stronghold to suit my needs." His tone of voice conveyed that this was not something he would be negotiating on. He bowed briefly to his mistress, and then turned away from her. His sword was returned to its scabbard, and he walked to gather up his fallen helm. "However, mistress, I can see that you are exhausted. Allow me to escort you to bed. My work can wait until I know that you will be resting properly tonight." He turned to face her once more as his armored suit was completed once more, the heraldry upon his cloak and shield disappearing as if they had never been there. The aforementioned steel kite was removed from his arm only to be strapped across his back where it would remain in place, and then he strode back towards his mistress.

 

Glauce was not given the chance to object as he lifted her tired frame off the ground as gently as he could, there was no need to harm her on any of the edges of his armor, and he set about carrying her off away from that scorched spot on the ground. As if anticipating further protest, now that he was carrying her, he put that enchanting voice of his to work again. "Mistress, you are visibly exhausted from your ordeal. Leave me to worry about preparations tonight, you can join me in the morning. Now then, which of these rooms is yours?"

 

---

 

Alexandra was...incensed. This servant, this being brought into the world to do her sister's bidding, had the gall to command her!? Not only that, but this servant was so horribly narrow-minded that they shared the church's views on necromancy! Oh, she wanted to do nothing more than strike her down then and there, and she was fairly certain she had a good chance of doing so. The mana she sensed from this servant was strong, yes, but there was something...discordant about it. Something made it seem as if nothing about her was quite as it should be. Still, she restrained herself for the time being.

 

"I understand your distaste for our family's arts," she began, her voice and expression the very picture of sweetness, "though I would ask that you do nothing to disrupt our fortress while you are here. I doubt I will find a proper place for you to build your own stronghold that is not already built upon, but I will see what I can do." If only Elizabeth hadn't gone and broken that blasted scabbard, we could have had a proper servant! Yes, the Demon King would have been much more appropriate than this princess. All the same, she bowed to her little sister and the girl with the bow before turning to leave the room. Her personal maid was already waiting for her, and accompanied her as she went along. "Mary, have the ley maps brought up to my study. I need to examine the area around Crystalwater again and see if there are any intersections I've missed."

 

"Of course, Mistress." The Demonhost's voice, as always, was a chaotic mess of two voices speaking at the same time that sent an involuntary shudder down Alexandra's spine. There just wasn't any getting used to things from outside of normal reality. "Also, Mistress, we have recovered half of the fragments of the scabbard as per your orders." Now that was news to be happy about. True, they had not been able to recover them in time, but perhaps there would still be a use for them... All the same, the Demon bowed to her mistress and then went about to do her bidding while Alexandra ascended the steps to the room at the very highest reaches of the Blackmoore Manor. She had work to do, and would not be kept from it.

 

 

The Argus Manor was abuzz with activity the following morning. All throughout it familiars both spectral and devilish were darting this way and that. Some cleaned with fervor and precision that honestly could not be matched by any mortal, while others went about examining every aspect of the walls and pillars they passed before quickly scribbling notes down on pieces of parchment. All those that were seen were minor creatures, imps and the spirits of young humans, that were among the least harmful of things a Necromancer or Demonologist could summon. Strangely enough, when Glauce should finally rise from her bed, they were only the most polite that they could be with her. The imps bowed, and wished "their mistress" good morning before returning to their duties while the childish ghosts waved and called out to her before running, or sometimes flying, about the manor in a fit of giggles.

 

However, no matter how hard the Argus Mage should look for him, she would not find Caster anywhere in the manor. It was not as simple as her servant simply being in his immaterial form, he just was not there. Questioning the imps and spirits was no help either, they only responded by saying something to the effect of  "Malchia knows" and then nothing else at all. Of course, once Glauce were to finally return to the room where Caster had been summoned, things were made much clearer.

 

Standing there, barking orders at the various imps and ghosts that flew around, was a demoness. The horns quite obviously gave her away along with an aura of radiating power, but there was something...odd...about the way she was dressed. Given the expression on her face, she was not especially fond of the choice of clothing. Still, she seemed to be the one in charge of the creatures running about the manor. Whether or not Glauce chose to approach her, she eventually took note of the girl and, with the hesitance of one told to do something they would rather not, approached her and bowed.

"Good morning," her voice was pleasant enough, though there was something unnatural about it that chilled any mortal hearing it to the bone. "You must be the Mistress. My master has instructed me to tell you my true name so..." she looked around, as if hoping to find something that could excuse her of her duty, before groaning and turning her attention back to the girl, "I am Malchiarax Adrughuul, Duchess of the Third Canton of Dis... Malchia is fine if that's too hard to say. The Master has gone out, and I understand he intends to acquire reagents that this fortress does not have in stock. He has instructed me to assure you not to worry, as he has 'taken every precaution to avoid being identified' and he will be back soon." The demoness let out a sigh, and reached into one of the pockets on the front of her apron to retrieve a scroll and present it to the girl. "This arrived, presumably for you, by way of a Crow Familiar which we found slain by the defenses of this place, which my master found quite impressive I should add." With that done, Malchia went silent and waited to see if Glauce had any instructions for her.

 

---

 

Things were less busy at the Blackmoore Estate, mainly because Alexandra was certain of the place's preparedness for the war. Speaking of the head of that household, she was presently sitting at the head of the large table in the place's main dining hall. From her disheveled look, she had been up all night going over every map of the city and the ley lines within it that she could. In fact, she had a map spread out before her. It was one of the few artifacts that the Blackmoores had created which were not tied to necromancy: an enchanted map that displayed the course of the lay lines passing through the city in real time. Unfortunately it was an old map, made back when Crystalwater was a much smaller city than it was now. It was so out of date in fact, that she had to set down a current map of the city next to it which she had marked with the corresponding locations of the intersections. Things really did not look good.

"As I thought. Every one of them has a- OH WOULD YOU GO AWAY YOU STUPID BIRD?!" She shouted, and threw the quill pen she had been using for her marking at the offending creature. The crow, which was the source of her irritation simply hopped out of the way and set the scroll it had been carrying down on the table to fly over and peck her on the top of the head in response. This resulted in the mage getting angrier, and throwing back the chair she'd been sitting in as she stood and tried to grab at the thing. She was unsuccessful, and the creature simply flew away from her and chose to roost on one of the branches of the chandelier that hung from the ceiling. "Oh yeah you little rat with wings? Think you're gonna get away that easily?" She grinned, a savage gesture that might well have been intimidating if her foe cared enough to be intimidated. What DID frighten the bird was the orb of unnatural flames she called into her hand. The thing quickly tried to fly away, but was skewered out of the air by one of the undead that guarded that place before Alexandra could accidentally burn the entire house down. Sighing, she dispelled her magic and pulled the chair up to sit down once again. "Where the hell is Elizabeth anyways?"

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

Rider listened to his mistress’s words whilst gazing straight ahead.  Though he wouldn’t show it, the man was analyzing every word, picking apart every phrase down the most minute details. He wanted to  know just how much conviction this woman held, and more importantly; if she had truly turned her back on her humanity…

“Very interesting.” He finally spoke after what felt like an eternity of silence. Shifting slightly, the man ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes as if he were in deep thought, before reopening them to meet Ayesha’s gaze with his melancholy stare.  “As your Rider, I will carry out your will with every fiber of my being.” He paused as if trying to find the right words. “But my steed is not fueled by innocent blood.” As he spoke; Rider lightly motioned towards the civilians in the park. “Those who have chosen to submit their lives to this War will receive no mercy, but I’d to leave the people out of this conflict… for as long as I can.”
 

“Very well. I have all but the intention to lay harm on anyone not participating in this war. However, as it would be the conduct of the war, anyone associating and allying themselves with our enemy shall be our enemy. Whoever they might be, it should not matter.”

 

Of course, that would be a far-fetched ideal. Bloods of innocents will be spilled in any war, and this one would not be different. Rider should be aware of this. Living for battles, he would know it very well. There’s almost no such thing called honor in a war.

 

The place they were resting at was quite pleasant. It was a park near the outskirts of the city, built as the boundary between the city and the wilderness just on the other side. Made her wonder...would any mage used te wilderness as their stronghold? Ayesha regretted about missing the important task of securing the city’s leyline map to make sure she could nail down the probable locations of the masters as soon as she could, but it’s a bit too late for that. However, she still had to make sure that no one utilized the forest as their base. Being out of reach from her network, it stuck out like a sore blindspot for her, and since she was there anyway with her servant, it wouldn’t hurt to check. They’re not in a rush for anything, after all.

 

“Rider, let’s go around the forest over there now. I just need to make sure of something before we return back to our base.”

 

“As you wish.” Rider nodded dutifully in response before rising from his seat and moving towards the pair’s motorcycle. Grabbing both helmets from the seat, the man swiftly fitted the first one on his own head, then proceeded to gently place Ayesha’s on and adjusting it before waiting for his mistress to mount the vehicle. Well aware that the chances of him crashing while driving any vehicle were nonexistent, Rider had insisted on the use of helmets serve as a means to hide the pair’s faces.

 

The ride was quick, and with Rider’s skill he was easily able to push the motorcycle to its limits. Within half an hour the pair had covered the majority of the forest’s massive territory, and was now beginning to push its outer limits when Rider attention was caught be the edges of what looked to be a very crude bounded field.

 

Bringing the bike to a sliding halt that sent soil spraying forward, Rider removed his helmet. “Well look at that…” He glanced over his shoulder to meet the gaze of his mistress, the smallest hint of a smirk present on his lips. “It was rather rude of you not to tell me that you were psychic as well…”

 

Well...this was really convenient. Suspiciously so, even. Ayesha had to make sure she didn’t accidentally walk into a trap by systematically trying to pin down any nearby wards, but nothing seemed to be around. At this rate, it could either be an elaborate trap set by a magus for anyone that would seek something in this forest, or alternatively, just a magus without much experience in the war. The bounded field was crude, and while it would protect from normal people walking in, it would be very noticeable to any half-decent magi roaming around.

 

The chance’s over there, she couldn’t just waste it.

 

“Rider...I order you, demolish the cabin. Flatten it to the ground, but don’t come any closer. I am still unsure if this is a trap or not. Once it’s dealt with, we’ll continue our search through the forest. If this is a trap due to how easy it is, there might be something else here.

 

Don’t hold back, but maybe don’t make too much noise. Can’t afford people noticing us here.”

 

“Scorch earth? I can do that…” Rider’s demeanor shifted slightly upon being granted attack orders. Was this it? Would he finally get to do battle with one of the other servants? He knew it would not be an actual battle however, but whatever it would amount to, he still followed his mistress' order.

Vanishing with inhuman speed, the man reappeared at the top of a nearby tree to get a better look at his target. A small cabin, most definitely hand made by someone who had spent a fair amount of time in the wilderness. The bounded field was quite shabby and a clear indicator that the mage inside was still inexperienced, but that wouldn’t be enough to earn them mercy from Rider.

“Surround it.” Rider whispered into the void, his eyes glowing with mana. Heading their master’s call, six magical glyphs manifested themselves around the cabin before opening to reveal an array of modern armaments.This was why he was summoned to this world once again wasn’t? Though he did not wield a legendary blade or ride a mythical beast, his weapons were twice as destructive and his mount far more elegant. Perhaps that is also why he had been paired with Ayesha, a mage who has no pride as such, and will do anything to win. Even summon a servant whose weapon of choice spat on magical tradition…  Watching this display intently, the man waited for each gun to take aim at their target before vanishing yet again.

Reappearing a few steps in front of Ayesha, the man closed his eyes and brought his hand up next to his face. “Feuer frei,” He whispered in his native tongue as he snapped his gloved fingers, heralding a massive series of explosions that rung throughout the forest in a beautiful requiem of destruction. Taking a moment to savor the moment, Rider’s gaze instantly shot open as he extended his palm to catch a stray piece of debris as it soared towards his mistress.  

“Do you think anyone heard that?” He joked with a rare smirk painted cheekily across his face. Hopefully this would prove to his master that the power of the Black Baron would erase all those who opposed them out.

“...That’s slightly louder than expected.” Ayesha sighed. It should be quite expected, but she at least hoped that the two of them wouldn’t attract that much attention. It’s too late now for that. “Tch, we’re leaving then. People would soon get here, and I don’t want us to get this much attention. Not just yet.

 

Let’s return to our base, and rest. The bulk of this war hasn’t arrived just yet.” Ayesha was still really drained from summoning her servant earlier, but channeling her mana for her servant’s assault earlier proved to be even more tasking. Perhaps she should borrow some of Calia’s mana later. With how things go, she wouldn’t be able to check the rest of the forest now. She might need to return here tomorrow, but definitely not now. The magus wore her helmet once more, and headed back to her motorcycle.

 

“Yes, my Mistress.” Rider nodded solemnly, having already returned to his usual self. Walking over to the motorcycle and equipping his helmet, the man suddenly paused to return his gaze to the smoldering blast site.

 

“Hmm..” A large part of him wished to comb the area to search for any survivors, but he could sense Ayesha beginning to tire and couldn’t bring himself to put her at risk. Knowing that there was not much left he could do for now, he sighed before mounting the bike and beginning the ride home.

 

 

The next day started off quietly. It was hard for Ayesha to rest with how much attention her and Rider's action yesterday would attract, but even after performing the mana transfer process with Calia, she was too tired to stay up any longer, and thus she slept throughout the rest of the night. Meanwhile, Calia begrudgingly finished what her mistress told her to do yesterday with the materials that had just been delivered, and thus didn't get any sleep at all. It shouldn't matter that much for her, but it was still irritating.

 

The next morning, as Ayesha was still knocked out cold due to her fatigue, the maid entered her place to check her condition and to see if her mistress would need any cat or dog offerings or tune-ups for this morning. Entering the room, she immediately noticed Rider's presence, which somewhat annoyed her. A stranger like him, staying besides her mistress all night just like that...? She hid her discontent however, and when she saw that her mistress was still asleep, she decided to leave the place without saying anything. At least, before she noticed a bird sitting on the edge of the window. A crow...the familiar of a magi.

 

"Ah...look at that, a familiar." She said flatly. She would have offered the bird for Ayesha's sustenance had she not realized that it would just make it obvious that this was the residence of a magi. The fact a crow familiar could be here in the first place meant that...shouldn't matter. It's already here anyway. Might as well see how this would pan out.

 

 

"The police force are still investigating..."

 

Drinking a cup of morning coffee from a local store, Archer halfheartedly listened to the news. Yesterday, a loud noise that was like the sound of this world's modern weaponry was heard in the forest outside of the city, and the authorities only was able to find a flattened cabin. No signs of victims or survivors so far. It sounded like something unnatural and weird, but she didn't really think it'd worth paying her attention to.

 

After changing into a modern-day suit that she liked a lot, Archer decided to leave on her own yesterday, not really wanting to stay on the Blackmoore's mansion for longer. She slept on a park's bench, and after beating up someone to get their money, she decided to get herself some breakfast. It's not something necessary for her as a Servant, but she always liked a good morning treat while watching the sun slowly rise from the horizon.

 

"Alexandra...would I even be able to trust her? She's really fishy for someone that short."

 

She remembered it. As much as the head of the family hid it, it's clear that she disliked Archer the moment the Servant mentioned about disliking her choice of craft. Elizabeth definitely felt more like someone she could work with, but with Alexandra factored in, she couldn't be so sure. Though, as she started to think about what steps to take next, a crow perched on the window next to her. She considered offering it some breads at first, but she soon noticed the golden shine on its talon. The young lady snatched the scroll and gave the crow some breads before getting it to leave.

 

The content was simple. It was an invitation to a party in a place called the Piper Tower to celebrate the return of the family's heir. Definitely didn't sound suspicious. Though, it was enough to inject some statement to Archer, and she immediately got up and left the cafe. She even forgot about paying the bills first before leaving.

 

Ten minutes later, she was inside of the accursed manor once more. Her flames was enough to keep herself from being harmed by the things there for now, but she was still feeling discomfort even then.

 

Too bad she actually had no idea about where Elizabeth was, so she had to look around the dreadful place for her and spent more time in its accursed walls for longer.

 

---

[Cherz]

Elizabeth was taken back by the sharpness and sarcasm of the sudden comment. She was visibly stunned for a moment. Sure, she had not expected on becoming best friends and having a perfect relationship with her servant right from the get go, but already Archer had displayed such audacity to return her comment with heinous sarcasm. Regaining her composure, she opened her mouth, as if to say something brash. Fortunatly for her, Alexandra had spoken up at that exact time.

 

"I understand your distaste for our family's arts, though I would ask that you do nothing to disrupt our fortress while you are here. I doubt I will find a proper place for you to build your own stronghold that is not already built upon, but I will see what I can do."

 

Elizabeth knew that tone all too well. Sure, it was sugary sweet, like her sister let on to be. But that tone was fake, she was hiding her true feelings of disdain behind a masterfully executed curtain. If Archer could sense the undertone, she didn't show it. Flustered, but trusting in Elizabeth to diffuse the situation, Elizabeth coolly strode off, keeping what little dignity she had left after her pride had taken a blow.

 

 

Elizabeth had been to her room in the manor at first, but only to grab her sketchbook, and pencils. She took them, then retreated to her favorite part of Blackmoore manor, the Library. She made herself at home on the soft chair, set her sketchbook on the table, and began drawing, as well as writing poems. She spent the rest of the night there, doing miscellaneous stuff. For a bit, she continued sketching symbols, basic ones that she had used her own understanding of magic to edit. In a way, they were prototype spells in a sense, as she had an idea of what they should do, but had yet to experiment them. On the backs of those pages, some poems written in ink. Nothing too special. After doing that for a solid few hours, she reopened one of her favorite books, The Tragedy of Macbeth. She re-read it for the umpteenth time, before finally deciding to get some shut eye.

 

 

The next morning, she was a bit slow. By the time she had woken up, it was obviously time for breakfast. no doubt she was going to be late. She walked through the empty halls towards her room. She quickly changed from her fancy and uncomfortable get-up, into her more natural clothing. She brushed her hair quickly, and put in her bow before heading to the table. She strode down the hall, looking more lively. Truthfully, she didn't need too much sleep to function. She heard the sound of an arrow soaring through the air, accompanied by a high pitched caw. She rolled her eyes, using her imagination to fill in the blanks. Although, this gave her some inspiration for a new poem. She entered the dining hall, and took a seat by Alexandra.

 

"Good morning," Was all she said.

[Love of Ghibli]

After calming down it was easy to see that the Piper family was a lucky break for her. This war looked as if there would be more war like qualities than she initially thought. She smirked at her master's retort, even after having his mana completely drained he was still cracking wise jokes. Berserker was pretty entertained by this and waited as Despina tended to her injuries. This was something impressive nonetheless. This conviction and everything. To be honest she was slightly surprised that people of this era had such conviction. She simply nodded as she heard about this plan. As you wish. I do not mind luring the other masters as some form of trap. May not seem honorable...but it could be bloody. I like it.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

After spending her night in the bunker Berserker was able to actually fully recharge her mana. Sometimes all one needs is to be connected with the Earth. In addition at at least this way she would not have to use Oliver as a source of mana which would easily hinder his skills in battle. Berserker smiled as the team gathered on the balcony to get ready for the grand party. 

 

"If everything goes smooth, we'll have a face for all the other combatants by the time the nights over." With a smile, he closed his eyes to let a ray of sunlight wash over him. "All I need to do is get a good read of their mana... then there'll be no hiding from us." 

 

Berserker raised an eyebrow as she didn't realize that his perceptive abilities were this on point. It was quite entertaining she had a variable hunter for a master. With his abilities essentially he could snipe every master and win the war single handedly. How...stealthy. Interesting, I wonder if I will meet any of the other servants from before.

[a bad post]

The next morning was quite in the Hultgren manor. Awake before everyone else Morgan sat alone in what he had begun to refer to as the "War Room". Detailed maps of Crystalwater City lined the walls, books and files scattered about the room, and a TV quietly going.

 

"Up early are we?"

 

Morgan looked up from the magical text he'd been going through turning to the sound of the voice, his brother, standing in the door frame.

 

"This is war, Cario, I have little time to waste with sleeping in."

 

"It's barely six o'clock you know..." Cario sighed, "couldn't you have at least changed out of your nightgown?"

 

"Like I said, little time to waste. Now," Morgan replied standing, "there are a few things that need taking care of this morning. First of all there is a very bothersome crow familiar trying to peck it's way through the Bounded Field, and it appears to be carrier a message of some sort, if you could take care of that, and try not to let the thing escape any small blow we can deal to our enemy is a small step to victory. Once you get back I'll go over the rest of the day's affairs with you."

 

Leaving the room Cario sighed.

 

"Sometimes I forget he's still just a kid... honestly what kind of kid prepares for war?"

 

Returning to his room to retrieve a pistol and silencer Cario's emotions continued to stir. Morgan had always been overly mature and serious, but for someone his age to be like that. He couldn't imagine how lonely his brother must've been. That was it! Once this idiotic Grail War was finished Cario would take his brother away from here to live with him and his wife. Allow him to experience all the things that had been denied to him in this god forsaken manor.

 

With new resolve in his heart Cario proceeded to the manor's front gates easily finding the bird familiar that Morgan had mentioned. Placing several bullets in the creature Cario walked over to wear it had fallen retrieving what appearance to indeed be a letter. 

 

Meanwhile in the War Room Morgan's attention had turned to the television.

 

"Police are currently investigating the source of a disturbance which occurred late last night, however the the investigation is slow going due to the fact that the area seems to be burned completely."

 

Morgan frowned at the scene on the television. A small wooden cabin flattened to the ground, however before Morgan could give more thought to the matter Cario returned.

 

"You were right, that thing seemed to be carrying a letter of some sort."

 

"Let me see," Morgan said holding his hand out expectantly before his brother handed it over. Unfolding the thing one thing immediately caught the Hultgren brother's eye.

 

"Live entertainment..." Morgan scowled at the shimmering letters, "what a blatantly laid trap, normally I would ignore something so frivolous, however the sender just so happens to be the first on my list of targets."

 

"What do you mean...?"

 

"Oliver Piper," Morgan replied with obvious distaste, "is currently the largest threat to us in this war. Thanks to his... abilities I won't be able to support you and still maintain our advantage while he's still in play."

 

"Morgan, what do you-"

 

"I'll explain later," Morgan hastily cut his brother off,"but first go get Saber. The plans have changed for the day."

 

Far across town in a white haired young man stood on the balcony of his Master's hotel room. The shopping trip the previous day had gone well, and Lancer had to admit he'd quite enjoyed it. Lancer turned from the balcony's railing looking at his Master's sleeping form, and smiled slightly. Perhaps this witch was not so bad, however his true character would be shown once they finally engaged in battle, and Lancer wondered if he would still prove to be so kind then...

 

The flutter of wings started Lancer from his thoughts as he noticed a crow perching next to him, however this crow seemed to be carrying a small golden scroll attached to it's feet. Now this was something familiar to him. In times of war they had delivered messages of in manner similar to this, however if Lancer recalled correctly this war was much more like a battle royale, so why...?

 

His question was soon answered as he opened the scroll. Apparently he, or more likely his Master, had been invited to a gathering to celebrate the return of this family's first born son, Oliver Piper. How suspicious.

 

"Thank you, dear creature," Lancer smiled slightly gently stroking the bird on its neck, returning inside the hotel room Lancer placed the scroll on a nearby night stand before searching for something to give the bird for its troubles however before he could find anything Lancer heard the flutter of wings again as his avian visitor departed. "How unfortunate. I'm certain there are some scraps from last night's meal."

 

However Lancer's attention again shifted to the television and what appeared to be a news story concerning a decimated cabin. While he couldn't be certain Lancer's instinct told him that this destruction was the product of a Servant. It seemed his peers where quite impatient to get this war underway.

[Mr. Hyde]

Saber patrolled the halls of the manor, looking them up and down, scanning every nook and cranny.  He had to lay out a mental map of the place in case an enemy were to strike them at their most vulnerable location.  Although Saber smirked, as he knew this fortress was anything but vulnerable.  Still, to attack one's home was low...the home is where one was to kick up their shoes after a long days work and relax.  However, war time changes all of that.  People become monsters.  

 

"It is of good fortune that I was summoned by a very capable master."  He started to stretch and yawn, he was up pretty early.  "My mana's pretty replenished from that summoning!"  His pace quickened as he started to run about the manor in a gleeful manner.  "We'll win the war no doubt!  And then my master Morgan can sleep peacefully in her home!"

 

"I'll explain later, but first go get Saber. The plans have changed for the day."

 

The phrase perked his ears up a little, and he had found himself outside a room occupied by his master and another.  

 

"Ah, but my dear master Morgan, Saber has already arrived!"  Hanging on the open door was Saber, who covered up his mouth as he yawned quite suddenly.  Was his master afraid of using their telepathic link?  No matter, his master could do as they pleased.  His eyes wandered to the map that was laid out before his master.  "Ahh so this is the city in which the war resides I presume?  Let's have a looksie!"  Saber walked up to the table, scratching his chin as the city of Crystalwater was sprawled out before him.  A large tower on the map stuck out like a sore thumb.  "Does this castle hold some sort of importance master Morgan?  I used to be a general while I was alive...maybe I can help you with your strategies."

 

If he couldn't put his sword to work for his master, his mind was the next best thing.  

 

 

He had finally come to.  The smell of ash and smoke filled his nostrils.  Assassin was nowhere to be seen or heard.  There was a pressure on his right arm...it was almost painful.  He tried to move it.  No...it was very painful.  He looked to his side to notice his arm pinned down by a log.  What had happened?  The last thing he remembered was that there was an intense heat that surrounded his cabin...and then a large booming sound.  Had he already lost?  Had Assassin sacrificed herself to protect him.  His eyes started to well up. 

 

"Of course...a third-generation family like ours...how could we hope to win the grail."  He forced his arm out from under the log, as it lay limp to his side.  It was most definitely broken.  Whoever had found his base already must've not checked for survivors.  Sometime later he had finally made it to the church...neutral ground where he could be safe.  His parents told him exactly where that would be...a precursor to how little faith they had in him.  

 

"I...I seek refuge from the war!"  

[Love of Ghibli]

To be fair it was hard for someone to conduct a ritual and go on about the rest of the day. What was hilarious though that Tristan was able to hold down the entire fort of his home and take his servant out on shopping spree. It was only natural that he would pass out after that excursion. Luckily he ended up with one of the more benevolent servants so he wasn't too worried. When he came to the next morning he could barely make out that his servant was out on his balcony and talking to a bird. 

O...K he thought as he forced himself out of bed and made his way to Lancer. So what is all this about reaching for the paper. After he read this invitation to the Piper's house he realized that this must be one of the master's. There was no reason for him to get any kind of invitation to anything. He looked at the paper over and over, front to back and then he realized. Ah the bird. They must have searched for those with strong mana and with these giant mana generators known as command seals of course they would seek out all the masters. Tristan stroked his chin and chuckled. Wow that is ingenious, did not think of that. Of course there are probably a lot of strong sources of mana in this town even with command seals involved. I guess that is why they want to host a major gathering. Tristan shrugs as he really hasn't made up his mind on actually attending. 

Tristan then looked at the news about the cabin and came to a similar conclusion that Lancer did. Hmmm do you want to check that out? Tristan asked his servant.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

Ten minutes

 

It's like ten minutes of hell already, and she's not any closer to find her Master, if she's even around. The atmosphere and the dark craft the family used wasn't really something actively harming her, but she really just disliked it a lot. Especially since by nature, it would bar her from receiving blessings had she linger too much on places like these. Thankfully she had been summoned as an Archer. Having Independent Action pretty much was the only reason why she even accepted working on this kind of place, other than the promising look she had on Elizabeth. Granted, she doubted that the two would have any knowledge about her true capabilities with that in place, so perhaps sooner or later she would need to inform them. But that shouldn't matter now. With or without Elizabeth, she would have her conquest, and she would surely be remembered this time-

 

"...Ah, I guess my intuition's working well now."

 

The door she just opened led her to a dining hall, with Elizabeth and Alexandra already there. With additional, proper breakfast on the premise, the thought about her unease of the mansion disappeared momentarily, and Archer decided to sit down on one of the chairs, without asking for the two's permission first. As she eagerly waited for the breakfast to be served, Archer opened her mouth and started to tell both about what she had read earlier.

 

"There's an invitation for a party at the Piper family's hotel, apparently. Not sure if both of you had known about it or not. Since these are distributed by familiars, it's probably related to the Grail War.

 

I mean, this sounds fishy as all hell and such, but would it be fine if at least I go there? I don't have a valid stronghold just yet, even if I might check out the place that got bombed yesterday that I saw on the news earlier, and I don't see any reason to go to this war without any knowledge about my opposition.

 

Though, y'know...i don't think even that you will be able to stop me even if you disallowed me to go there. I'd dislike to disrespect your choice on this, though. After all...you're my Master, right~?"
 

---

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Hmm, seems one of the poor mortals has already been eliminated. Caster thought, seated in a small café in the city. His armor had shifted into a modern day business suit, his helm into a hat that he insisted upon wearing in doors. Though it did not cover his face, it left him with a truly forgettable appearance. That is to say, one who looked upon him would find themselves barely able to remember a thing about how he had looked later on. At present, he was busy looking over a television mounted on the wall that was playing a news feed of a blasted cabin out in the woods near the city. He would have been a poor mage indeed if he could not tell that he was looking at magically caused destruction. This is worrisome. I was hoping my arcane power would be without equal, but it seems I have at least one challenger. While he was rubbing his chin, a voice brought him out of his reverie.

 

"Your coffee, sir." He looked over and noticed the waitress, a fairly pretty woman with straw colored hair, holding out a cup on a saucer towards him.

 

"Ah yes, thank you very much." He said with a smile, and took the drink from her. Just before she stepped away, he slipped a small amount of the era's currency into the front pocket of her apron. Transmutation must truly be a lost art if no one is on guard for it. He sipped the bitter drink, and immediately regretted his choice of it. Out of politeness, he refrained from gagging and merely set it down on the table before him.

 

"Caster," the voice of his mistress rang in his head. From the sound of things, she was irritated with him, "return to the manor at once. We have preparations to make." It certainly did bring a smile to his face to hear her like that, in spite of knowing that she was displeased with him. So he stood up, picked up the bag filled with the herbs and spices he would need for his potions and rituals, set a twenty dollar bill on the table, and quietly slipped out of the café. Once he was a suitable distance from it, and away from prying eyes, he returned to his spectral form and rushed off towards the Argus Manor.

 

 

"I...I seek refuge from the war!" Those were words that Cidus had not expected to hear so soon, but he supposed it could not be helped. Ever were there a few who were brought down by the works of others, and this happening now did not bode well for what was to come. Still, the fact that the young man before him standing at the far end of the aisle of that empty church was alive and only injured brought him some small amount of peace.

 

"Very well. You shall be safe here, until the war comes to its end." He said to the young man, making his way over to him and promptly supporting him with his arm. "Now, let's get you somewhere you can lay down. I'll have a potion brewed to help mend your injuries in no time."

 

---

 

Some time later, after he had helped the young master into bed and sedated him so that he need not experience the painful process of healing consciously, the Overseer returned his attention to another matter. On his desk lay an invitation to a celebration being thrown at the Piper Towers, brought by one of that family's familiars. He did find it to be quite a bold move, trying to draw the Overseer out of the church from which he would do his overseeing. Still, he felt it would be a good idea to go. It would give him a chance to see the opening battle, for he was certain beyond any doubt that there would be a battle, of the war first hand. Still, he gave a thought to his charge and the young man's vulnerability. It would not do well to leave him there... but there was another option. It would require preparations, and those preparations would keep him busy for the rest of the day. Should the young man awaken earlier than he expected, he could be found standing before the altar on which the spectral grail rested.

 

 

"Good Morning." Alexandra heard as her baby sister entered the dining hall, and that brought a groan from the woman's mouth.

 

"How much of that little episode did you see? Never mind. It does not matter." She muttered the last few words, returning her attention to the Ley Map set in front of her while doing everything she could think of to ignore the fact that her sister had seen her losing her temper. It would not do well for that to be repeated, not at all. "I have bad news. I cannot find a suitable place for your Servant to set up a stronghold that isn't already built over. So, we'll have to convince her to take over-"

 

"There's an invitation for a party at the Piper family's hotel, apparently." Well, speak of the devil. Here she came along and interrupted Alexandra before she could get the whole of her statement out. Still, at least Takeru had the good sense to make some comments about the likelihood of it being a trap. That said, this did present certain opportunities. The thought brought a smile to the Necromancer's face, and she raised it to look at the Servant once she'd finished speaking.

 

"Oh I think it would be a wonderful idea if you were to go there. In fact, perhaps you should even consider taking it over for yourself? You see, the Piper Towers are built upon an intersection of two Ley Lines here in the city. Perhaps it is not so ideal a place as this manor, which is built upon three of such things, but it is likely to be more in line with what you want." Of course that would be a significant blow not only to herself but also the family, the Pipers had long been a supply of bodies for them. Still, she could not help but consider the idea. It made a fair bit more sense than trying to besiege some of the other strongholds in the city, especially with the Pipers' specific arts of magecraft. "That said, all of us should go. Not only would the presence of both myself and Elizabeth confuse our enemies and make them wonder who is your master, but it will also allay suspicions that we have violent intentions. The young Mr. Piper and I have a... mutually beneficial relationship." 

[Hälō]

"Ah...look at that, a familiar."

 

"..." Rider remained completely silent  as he glared at the crow with a look that would have made any mortal man melt under the pressure. The blasted bird had been harassing him as he watched his mistress sleep for the entity of the morning, and though he wanted nothing more than to strangle the retched thing and be done with it, the man refused to leave Ayesha's side.

 

"Handschuhschneeballwerfer!" He whispered to rat with wings, daring it to come closer and face him like a true warrior. He hate always hated animals, which was rather ironic given the fact that he was summoned as a Rider. Though it seemed the feelings were mutual. A deathly silence filled the room, as the Crow flew from its perch, landing boldly atop Rider's head with a thump. "..................." At a loss for words, the dark a haired man stared forward with a rather blank expression as he tried to process exactly what had just happened.

 

Undeterred by it's victims silence, the Piper crow proceed to peck at the man's head, cawing triumphantly as it did so. 

 

BLAM! 

 

The silence was broken by a the sound of a powerful gunshot. A rain of black feathers filled the room as Rider lowered his still smoking pistol with a small smirk forming at the side of his mouth. He had bested demon bird without leaving his mistress side an- and had fired off a magical firearm right next to her bed..... Cringing slightly, Rider shifted his gaze towards his mistress, only now taking note of the golden scrolls that had fallen on her lap. "Ummmm," Clearing his throat to shake off the embarrassment, he did his best to stop his pale cheeks from turning red before continuing. "Good morning, Ayesha."   

 

 

"We look good!" Oliver cooed to Despina and Berserker as he gazed at himself in the massive mirror that stood before him and his sister. Having spent the majority of the morning with the Piper family tailor, and the rest day of the making sure the entire complex was completely prepared for whatever shenanigans the other masters and servants would almost definitely try to pull whilst inside the main building; Oliver was in quite an amazing mood. 

 

"Of course, we can't afford to be shabby in the presence of the other families. Furthermore, not only are these outfits bullet proof, but they should also serve to defend us from low level magics. Not that our targets would be wielding anything of the sort..." Despina chimed in without looking up from her tablet. There were only a few more hours until party started, and she couldn't afford to miss any details.    

 

"What do think about modern day formal garb, Zerker?" Oliver addressed his servant whilst carefully adjusting the jacket of his ridiculously expensive jet black suit. Though he had initially intended to allow the heroic spirit to wear clothing traditional to her culture, Despina had insisted that the woman also dressed up for the occasion. "The tailor said everything was exactly to your specifications... how does it fit?" He called into the changing room on his right before wrapping his matching black tie around his neck. 

 

The Piper Towers was bustling with even more activity then usually. Mages scrambled about placing wards and familiars in every nook and cranny of the building, workers dashed around the massive ballroom; preparing tables for all the major families, as well as a few other select VIPs, and entertainers practiced their routines whilst trying doing their best not to get in the way of the kitchen staff, who were dutifully setting up the massive buffet. Of course, all the food set out for the normal folks was lace with a plethora of Elixer's and potions- even more so than usual, and the bar was stocked with both magical and mortal drinks from all across the globe.The atmosphere was warm and even though the guests had yet arrive, the ballroom held an energy to it that was simply magical.

 

It wouldn't be long now. In three short hours the doors would open, and guests would he allowed in. Those deemed VIP's would be shown to their tables, and offered some of the Piper family's famous Elixir before having their dinning orders taken and their meals prepared by the Tower's world class chiefs. Though the festivities wouldn't kick off right away. There would be time to mingle before the dancing started and after that, the returning son of the Piper family was scheduled to preform a toast. Needless say it would be a night to remember...

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Oh I think it would be a wonderful idea if you were to go there. In fact, perhaps you should even consider taking it over for yourself? You see, the Piper Towers are built upon an intersection of two Ley Lines here in the city. Perhaps it is not so ideal a place as this manor, which is built upon three of such things, but it is likely to be more in line with what you want."

 

"That would be-"

 

"That said, all of us should go. Not only would the presence of both myself and Elizabeth confuse our enemies and make them wonder who is your master, but it will also allay suspicions that we have violent intentions. The young Mr. Piper and I have a... mutually beneficial relationship."

 

"....Okay.

 

Your order makes little sense. You first told me to practically attempt taking over their stronghold, but next you said that you would rather keep ourselves from having a high profile, by way of saying that you slept around with their family's heir and struck a sort of alliance with them.

 

As a fortress, something in the middle of the city would make it a big target for everyone. As much as it would be a strategic position for me to secure, there would be no way we wouldn't be under fire from every other factions, especially if we took it over from the current family that reigns on that building. Considering the effort we needed to even take over the place...it's a big waste of time. The forest area that had been bombarded yesterday would serve as a better place than the hotel."

 

Archer took a deep breath. Working with the oddly familiar woman started to made Archer worry that Alexandra might try to get herself killed so she could tryher hands at summoning another Servant in this war. Killing her before she could kill her would be her best bet, but that would strain her relationship with her Master. That should be avoided.

 

"Yeah, a shrine's not something you can build in any random place, after all.

 

Although, perhaps coming there to fulfill the invitation shouldn't be a bad idea. I know you've been doing your homework on this, but we still need to gauge the others. And well, if it's a trap, we'll just blast through it. Right, master?" Archer turned towards Elizabeth. The girl still had a long way before Archer could actually respect her, but well, if anything, she's quite pleasant to have around.

 

"Now, master. Figures that I'd ask you now since I'm here and all. What's going to be your plan during this war, and what'll be your plan with the Grail, anyway? I'm curious, nothing more, nothing less. Can't really be in the same team if we don't even know each others' motivation, y'know."

 

---

 

"...I would use my own alarm next time, thank you very much."

 

Grumpily, Ayesha woke up from her sleep. Being woken up by a gunshot was not something she looked forward to in any day, and especially not after yesterday being quite a burden even to her body. At the very least, the mana transfer last night seemed to give her enough mana to play around with today. She turned around to see a slightly embarrassed Rider, a laughing Calia a bit further away, and a bunch of black feathers around her, with a golden scroll neatly placed on top of her body.

 

"...An invitation?"

 

Ayesha, after making sure it was not a bomb in disguise, opened the letter to see its content. At first, she didn't actually give off any expressions, but after rereading it one or two more times, she started to laugh. Despite the condition of her current body, she somehow still managed to laugh as loosely like this.

 

"Are they...oh god, they are really serious about this, aren't they?

 

That's it, this is just plain insulting."

 

As if she had a renewed vigor, Ayesha stood up from her bed, and turned around towards her Servant and servant. Her laugh then soon turn into a smile, then into a wicked grin.

 

"You know what this means.

 

It's time to crash this party. Let's bring the entire thing down."

 

---

[Love of Ghibli]

It would to say that Berserker was not surprised by the extremes her master went through to make her fit in. Needless to say she was pretty impressed with her new outfit. T'was roomy enough to be comfortable yet firm enough that she could maintain some agility. What was the kicker were the finer details. After informing Despina of her mana needs it seemed that her uniform was weaved with small fiber of enchanted grass. Her boots while pretty stacked didn't have leather soles on the inner layer of the shoe it was some kind of loosely formed tree bark or something of the like. It was as Berserker was constantly immersed in the warmth of Gaia but with clothes. Truly a great a experience.

It is weird for me to be at a lost for words, yet you have managed to actually do that twice now.  To thing that I would be so fortunate to have Master of such means is almost baffling to me. However, I must ask if this place were to become a battle ground where would you have us retreat to in the unfortunate event that we are overpowered?

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Today was the big day of the Piper prince homecoming. Tristan sighed as he had to put on a fancy suit for this affair that would most likely erupt into a battlefield. Interesting to say the least. He looked over to Lancer and decided that it should not be necessary for him to need his servants assistance. If push comes to shove he could always do the smart thing and escape. Besides he was not a member of one of the major royal families or anything so in an ideal world no one would even be looking at him. 

Alright Lancer I'm heading out. If you wish to go investigate that cabin then be my guest, but just be safe. I would think all of the Masters are going to be at this party but just in case do not do anything unnecessarily risky.

 

With that Tristan headed downstairs where his taxi was waiting for him. As he took his long taxi ride to Piper's Towers he plotted many exit strategies to get out of the giant complex in case things got hairy.