Kariya Kwest [Fate/Zero]

[Biigoh]

[X] Keep feeding her prana, even if she doesn't appear to be straining and calling on your prana reserves

Despite the rain of noble phantasms upon her, the creation of the endless tides of giants of shadows that marched upon the golden star that rained death upon them.... Saver laughed and her prana requirements did not surge to cripple you.

It was as if she was fueling her Cursed Boundary Layer with prana from elsewhere or perhaps fueling it with her own reserves.

This was... unacceptable. You, or the Matou and the Zolgens before, had accumulated prana, knowledge and mysteries over the ages and for her to bear the burden of the combat all upon herself...

Such a thing... such a thing...

You can only admit that you felt rage.

Anger and concern.

Still, you kept a careful eye on the battles... such as they were, upon Saber and Lancer, upon Rider and his master, upon Assassin and upon Saver and Archer.

So many things to watch, so little familiars.

Were not the fate of the Matou entwined with the Crest Worms? With Zouken's "Happiness Worms"? You had to groan at the pet name that your predecessor had given them.

Seated in the heart of your domain, you grasp the filaments of power and pull. Prana flowed from the pustule sacs that held liquified prana into the proscribed pathways...

And a number of your familiars evolve, and transformed... once worms that could but crawl upon the earth, they bore wings, a bladed tail and an ever eternal hunger that could strip the flash from a man's bones in moments.

In to the heavens, they ascended as a dark cloud. Still, it was a pittance that you could call upon. It would be enough.

While their speed wasn't the most impressive, the blade wing worms were swift enough that they arrived upon the wharf with the battles still in progress.

Still, with things the way they were, it could only end in a dead lock or someone falling as defenses just failed in the face of an assault.

You gathered a small amount of your familiars and had them form a 'clone' or duplicate of your true body and walked out of the shadows. Every bit the distinguished gentleman of yesterday's japan in a fine kimono.

You keep your familiars flying above "you" and walked up to where Rider had parked his chariot in the middle of the open space.

"Oh ho! So, the puppet master shows his face," Rider smiled at you. "I'm surprised that you would show up. Why I would have thought you would be as cowardly as the master of Lancer skulking in shadows."

You do not correct his misconceptions on where you were. "The King of Conquerors. The pleasure and honor is mine..."

The nod you direct at Rider is polite. "I fear my Saver is far more mobile than I. Thus..."

You gesture, implying things or at least your presence.

- - -
Kariya Kwest : Night 3 / Familiars
- - -

What Do?
[X] Talk to Iskander or Waver [Write In Subjects and Topics]
[X] Encourage Sakura
- - [X] Use a command seal so that she can defeat Gilgamesh quicker.
[X] Retreat and possibly use a command seal to pull back Sakura Hahahaha... can't happen, Gil is really pissed.
[X] Observe the Saver and Archer fight with Rider and Waver.
[X] Observe the Saber and Lancer fight with Rider and Waver.
[Write In]

[Biigoh]

[X] Talk to Iskander or Waver.

You had to admit there was something within you that wanted the world to be a better place. One with brighter colors, heroism, where saving the world was more than just petitioning people or go on protests.

Still, as you looked at Rider, the sound if explosions ringing from the battle between a possible future version of your daughter and the embodied spirit of an ancient heroic king, while nearby a female King Arthur was fending off a long dead irish knight....

You have to wonder just what happened to the common sense world you had once believed in? That you had left your family to pursue?

That beautiful common sense world where things made sense?

How had things simply change...

Still, as they said... in for a penny, in for a pound, or something like that.

You can see that young magus looking at you with worry, and trying not to hide or cower. Which after the psychological shock from El-Melloi's speech about a proper Magus training... it was commendable.

Taking a look at the fight that Sakur... no, Saver is having with Archer, it's clear that Archer is trapped in a battle at her pace and thus unable to simply disengage without experiencing some loss, nor could he overwhelm her without changing tactics or using a noble phantasm designed to overwhelm the non-existance of her cursed boundary layer.

It wasn't inconceivable for such to have. But, to use it and not be overwhelmed, that was the trick, wasn't it?

Could Archer.. no, Gilgamesh find the opening needed to deploy such a noble phantasm to proper effect.

With the way he was swearing at Saver, calling her a mongrel bitch of a worm, and thief... it's clear that he couldn't find such an opening yet. That she was not letting him get a chance, and with each moment... with each moment, her giants of shadows drew closer to the golden servant.

Which was perfectly fine with you. In fact, it was an ideal situation as you watched Tohsaka's servant be slowly ground down. A fitting fate for That Annoying Man's status and token in this event.

You look at Rider, no, the King of Conquerors with a pondering gaze. One that he returns with a cocksure grin.

"So... how serious were you about that proposition of yours earlier?"

His look of surprise was amusing.

"Hoooou! So, even in this day and age, there are people who would march against the world?" He seemed pleased at your question before rubbing his beard. "Deadly serious, master of Saver."

You shook your head. "It goes against all common sense, against logic to declare war upon the entire world."

At this, you can see Waver Velvet nod in agreement at you, while Rider frowned.

"But... I can not deny that there is some attraction to what you speak of. To make a mark upon the world, that can not be denied, that will be recorded in history for prosperity or infamy..."

Now, the young magus frowned, and the heroic spirit nodded in consideration.

"There is also the knowledge that unless things change, the world will remain as it is..." You glance at Saver. "And some things... some things should never come about."

"Oh ho, so she was being truthful about being the Last?" Iskander looked at you with consideration.

"Indeed," You nod back. "Still, this quest of yours... to conquer the world, it will not be easy. More than just the weapons of this day and age, there are other things to consider. The supernatural... such as represented by myself and your master. Those of the Clocktower, the alchemists of Atlas, the twenty seven Ancestors of the Dead Apostles... and so many more."

The look of excitement on Iskander's face as you listed out the possible opponents that would be faced... it truly was a magnificent thing. While he didn't radiate the golden aloofness of Gilgamesh, nor the hard radiance of King Arthur, Iskander bore a presence... one that made you want to believe in his vision and follow.

And that presence was only magnified by his excitement to test himself. To push against the boundaries of the world.

"And yet, you would do it?"

"Indeed, how could I not?" He gazed down upon from his chariot.

There was a squark and a tumble sound of metal upon road... and the form of Saber, King Arthur rolled to your feet. Still alive, wounded dreadfully by the skilled spears of Diarmuid... but alive.

- - -
Kariya Kwest : Night 3 / Discourse with a King
 - - -

What Do?
[X] Watch as Saber was dispatched by Lancer
[X] Aid Saber...
[X] Write In.

[Biigoh]

[X] Noblesse oblige.
- - [X] And to the victor, the spoils.

There was a whimper and not quite gasp as the King of Knights attempted to struggle to her feet. The sound of metal upon tarmac... it is clear that while she isn't out, she can't last long. Not against Lancer who was being healed of his injuries by his master.

Rejuvenation from a new master and enhancement of prana flow only went so far, without a command seal order, she couldn't last. Could not win. The gap was insurmountable.

And there would be no command seal orders to aid Saber.

Not in the here and now.

Not when the Einzbern had been captured by Saver.

It is clear to you that the same principle used to capture the weapons of Archer had been used to capture and bind the Einzbern.

It was abundantly clear to you the precepts of Sakura's technique. It was the crystallization of the Matou mystery and enhanced with her element of Imaginary Numbers... you feel that there is a third component, but what it is... you can not tell, not in the here and now.

At the slow approach of Lancer, you can tell that she is desperate. That she is inwardly cursing her earlier carelessness and the price she was paying even now. Her pride would kill her as she would not, could not, never would ask for mercy or help.

That look of helpless desperation, it is one that you find... familiar. You had seen soldiers gunned down, their bodies shattered and dying on them. And yet, they wanted another chance.

There was a certain nobility there, not one born of kingship, but of a warrior who wanted to do more and yet was cut down before her time.

You know at Lancer and can see regret on his face, regret and enjoyment. He truly enjoyed the fight. It was one of equals and yet it would end, and would never be again be.

"Master of lancer," You speak after a moment's thought, amplifying your voice. "Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi, nineth inheritor and head of the El-Melloi, call off Lancer. Saber is now under my protection."

You smile at the outrage on Saber's face at the undesired help and protection. That she was yours to protect, as if a belonging.

"Do you imagine that a no name magus of the Matou family is going to frighten me into submission? I shall..." The arrogance voice of the magus hidden in shadows filled you with disdain and thus you interrupt him.

"I imagine you're going to natter on about teaching me how magus battle," you snort. "In a futile attempt to frighten me as you did the boy who was your student. Rather, you seem to be operating under the misunderstanding that it was a request from me to you, it is not. It is a statement, you will call off Lancer or you and he shall be made... irrelevant."

"You dare think you can threaten me?" The shock and surprise in his voice had you shake your head before you gesture to the heavens, and channel the tiniest bit of prana into a single one of your familiar blade wing worms.

The internal chemistry of the worms used by the Matou had over the centuries been adapted and worked over with thaumaturgy that it responded instantly to your desires.

There was a flare of explosion in the night sky, small and silent as your familiar spent its life and body to craft what you need. And a line of light and fire flashed down to explode beside El-Melloi, rending the roof with the force of a rocket propelled missile.

"I won't bore you with the math, but that was a single one of my familiars converting itself into a weapon to fire something relatively small and very, very fast at you," You continued on, and tilted your head at what you saw Kayneth do, bringing forth his mystic code. "Perhaps, you believe that your mercury blob Volumen Hydragyrum can protect you. It will not."

"Not when the very night sky above belongs to me..." With that you mentally order your familiars to glow briefly... to appear as countless new stars above. For a moment, before fading once more and moving from their current position.

Intimidation without overshowing one's hand was a good way to go about things. Especially when one was successful.

"Withdraw, lancer," You smile as your familiar observed El-Melloi gritting his teeth at the reality of how things were. "That's enough for tonight."

With that, you kept a careful eye as master and servant withdrew from the field.

"M... master of Saver, what is your intention upon coming here," The blonde king glared at you.

There was a gasp and a shout from the shadows near where Saver had subsumed the Einzbern. You had to blink at the sight.

Somehow, impossibly, the Einzbern homunculus was pulling herself free from the cursed boundary layer. Clawing her way free of the shadows as if it was an endless black muck.

It was quite likely that the battle with Gilgamesh was occupying Sakura's concentration and thus, the Einzbern could attempt her escape.

- - -
Kariya Kwest : Night 3 / Mastery of the Skies
 - - -

What Do?
[X] Write in

[Biigoh]

[X] Mercy is a quality that the virtuous should strive for.

You gaze down upon the noble figure, wounded but not dead, at your feet as she attempted to struggle to her feet. Wounded as she was, it would be... easy for you to deal with both Saber and the Einzbern.

Easy and simple.

Easy enough to paralyze the Einzbern and push her back into the shadows with a foot to her face. You silence the whispering from Zouken for his Justeaze, you did not need distractions in the here and now.

Killing or even capturing Saber would be easy, as wounded as she was, and you even had her master to harvest the command seals from.

To be sure, you hadn't secured an alliance with Rider yet. But with Saver keeping Archer busy, there wasn't anyone who could stop you.

You could even expand a single command seal to deal with Archer.

It was all laid out before you... it wouldn't take much to secure yourself as the primary contender for the grail.

And as you ponder this, not yet ready to make your thoughts into actions, you find yourself standing mentally before the doors of a dojo.

"The Einzbern Dojo?" You blinked... the fuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuing laughter from within as the dojo doors opened to revealed shadows... that didn't inspire confidence at all.

You shake your head, certain that doom only awaited you, and that mental image of the dojo doors faded.

What were you thinking? Going after either Archer or Saber at this point was a sure method to get the others to agree that you were the true danger of the grail war and had to be dealt with immediately.

No, much better to let a weakened Saber run. It wasn't as if the other masters or servants wouldn't smell blood and go after her and the Einzbern themselves.

"Saber, take your master and go," You eventually speak up with a sigh. While you could do things now, it wasn't truly advantageous. Not when it was out in the open, and as it was you and Saver had revealed some of the tricks you could do.

That Saver was able to match Archer pound for pound, shot for shot... that wasn't going to end well.

Still, as the blonde king of knights staggered to where her master struggled, you quietly requested Sakura to release the Einzbern master. It wasn't much of a sign, but the homunculus did seem to escape easier with that request...

"So... so dark, S... saber..." It's clear from the way that the Einzbern clung to her servant that she wouldn't be an issue at this point. And with the way the two stumbled, they had come out for the worse this night.

There was a flare of prana from where Gilgamesh stood upon the containers, gazing down upon the shambling horde of shadow giants that flickered and died to his rain of noble phantasms.

A rain of stars that hammered the earth.

Careless.

Ceaseless.

And yet, what hadn't been dealt with by Saver faded into motes of golden prana.

"Consider yourself lucky, thieving worm and mongrels," You can see the rage upon his face, being forced down.

With that, the golden king of heroes vanished. Clearly, Tohsaka had recalled his servant rather than continue a pointless battle.

At a cost of a command seal.

You would have to take that as a win here and now. While, you had revealed some of your secrets, it could be said that the other two of the founding families were much worse off.

That just left you and Waver Velvet, with your respective servants Saver and Rider standing amidst the ruined wharf, the soft roaring of the sea as it surged against concrete the only sound now.

A silence from the roar of explosions, of noble phantasms launched as rockets, of the clashing of blades. Shattered tarmac, destroyed metal containers formed the backdrop as the cool breeze came in from the sea.

"Master of Saver, we will have to continue our conversation later," Rider nodded at you from within his chariot. "Perhaps our negotiations might work out, perhaps we might have to face each other on opposite sides of the battlefield. But there will be no regrets, will there?"

He laughed, and you find yourself smiling. There is a certain something to being present at the heart of a conflict, where death awaited you, uncaring of your pedigree. Or the camera you carried.

It hadn't been that long ago when you were a young fool who roamed battlefields for photos.

And you had enjoyed it. Living life one step at a time, savoring its every moment.

That Rider could see that in you, he might play the part of a fool, but there was wisdom and perceptive skills there too.

"I hope to enjoy our next meeting as much as I did this one. It was invigorating," He smiled and turned to look down at his master. "Hey boy, don't you have anything nice to say?"

There was a blink, a look down before Waver Velvet was lifted up. Shocked beyond words, mentally stunned by the battle that had raged around him. "Ahhh... I wish he'd man up a bit."

The smile directed at you and Saver was friendly. You had known men like Rider in your youth... bros, as some called them. This was a bro who looked at you now with a smile.

You find yourself smiling back at him.

"Farewell." With a crack of his reins, and the cries of his bulls, the King of Conquerors rode off into the night skies.

You can only gaze at the sight of the flying chariot and sigh at yet another of your common sense notions being attacked.

Looking about at the wreckage and ruins of the wharf, you sigh. "So, this is the grail war."

"Yes... and it's only the first night of the battles that will come," Sav... no Sakura sighed and leaned on your back, her soft mounts pressing into your back, as her arms encircled over your shoulders.

"It won't get easier," you enjoy the sensation transmitted by the puppet body of her warmth.

"No, but as long as you stay true and lead, I will follow," There is a scent of Sakura redolent around you as you close your eyes. The soft roar of the surf and coupled with the soft breeze, it makes you want to just go out for a walk with her.

But you can't...

To go out in your true body, especially at night, would be to place yourself at risk. After all, witness what had happened to the assassin master of Saber.

But for now, you just enjoy the sensations transmitted by your puppet body.

- - -
Kariya Kwest : Night 3 / Mercy
- - -

As a fyi, next post will be day 4 or night 4 depending on what is chosen or written in.

What Do?
[X] Spend the day and try to upgrade the defenses of your home. You are, however, near the point of diminishing returns.
[X] Spend the day in the Fuyuki library, you've got research to do on Gilgamesh, Iskander and King Arthur.
[X] Spend the day out with Saver/Sakura, it's scouting and not a date!
[X] Spend the day on breeding more familiar worms, and designing new specialized breeds [Write In].
[X] Spend the day on working on a mystic code [Write In].
[X] Write In

[Biigoh]

[X] Spend the day out with Saver/Sakura, it's scouting and not a date!

Sleep comes once more and you find yourself submerged within a dreamless darkness.

The voices of the dead muted as if a vast sea [of shadows and endless darkness] separated you from the Matou worms and the souls that dwelled within them [and you].

You float within that darkness... a warm feeling of caring protection enfolding you.

There was a vague sense of danger, but it was far away... a pseudo primordial sea that you floated in, while you enemies and predators stalked beyond. Outside in the cold, beneath a stark and relentless ball of nuclear energies that irradiated all beneath it.

Here, you floated without concern. Without stress. Without the weight of the world pulling you down. Without the enmity of the world crushing your works.

Here... you simply were.

Beloved.

Clad in silence.

Surrounded.

And you float.

There is a vague memory.

Of words.

A sense of power overwhelming.

Rage.

Fear.

Lust.

All the darkness within a man's heart, no all of humanity, frothing within a dark sun that ascends behind you.

"I'm glad, Nee-san. That you came instead of running away," 'you' speak... no, this was Sakura. This was Saver's memories, you knew this instinctively even as you spoke.

You can feel the prana pulsing within you.

Ba Bump...

You can feel the limitless r̯̣̖̯̘͙̔̒ͅā͖̪̝͒͂͋̐̒͑͡gè͎̲͍̭͉͎͂̍ͦ͛͆ ̺͇̙͕͖̪̰͘l̹͕ͨͫ̉̀̕u̵̺̹̜͉̘͎͂͗s̉͗̑͢t̬̪̳̟̠̹̮ ͍̣͖̄ͬ̽f̺̟̻̋ͭ͆̊ͅî̜͇̭̪̦̝͉̅̂̎̎̈́ͬ͠l̬̹ͭͫͤ́ẗ̲̽ͫh̭͈͈̥̑̎ͪ̋̀̓ within you pulse in time to the beat of your heart.

No further words were uttered as you gazed down upon her.

Tohsaka Rin.

Nor did she speak as she brought forth a jeweled sword. Gazing upon it, you can feel a Mystery beyond normal comprehension. A TRUTH of the world and that which lies beyond.

Ahhh... you can see how that sparkling sword that glimmered with the countless hews of the rainbow shake ever so slightly.

"What's wrong, why are you trembling, nee-san?" There is a smile and then a soft laughter from you/Sakura. "Don't tell me you've lost your nerve? All of a sudden, here and now?"

".... Well said. Where's the old man? You're a coward. Doesn't it bother you that he's not there for you to hide behind?" The older girl retorts back at you.

You pause and smiled. And the warm air freezes at the look you deliver to her before you sigh and spoke once more. "Grandfather is gone now. He was a bother. So I crushed him and his assassin."

"I see. So you're free of the bindings laid upon you by Zouken," Your sister spoke after a moment. "There's nothing left for you to fear now that he's dead."

You had to shake your head at the error made by your sister. "Not quite. Not yet. Nee-san. Killing grandfather isn't enough. I'm strong and I can do anything I want. But I'm still bound."

There is a look of confusion on her face at your statement.

"You see, no matter what I do. No matter how... insignificant you are," You raised a delicate hand to your face, covering an eye. "You still won't disappear. You still torment me. In My Mind."

"So... so... as long as you live, I will remain bound," You glared at her with a single crimson eye. The energy within you, without you, nearly flares at the emotion of your words. "I can not be free."

Words held power.

Truths held power.

And you are power incarnate.

Your words are light. And yet... they held the weight of truth.

The words she offers in response do not bear the weight of yours. And yet, they were light delicate jabs. Thrusts at your psyche.

In return, you offer up the truths of the world.

"I'm strong. Everything is forgiven if you bear unrelenting strength," You breath and let the words flow. "Yes, I'm strong and no one can defeat me. Everything I've done will be forgiven. If... If I'm not myself. Everything I've done couldn't be helped..."

You calm yourself and allowed the soothing r̯̣̖̯̘͙̔̒ͅā͖̪̝͒͂͋̐̒͑͡gè͎̲͍̭͉͎͂̍ͦ͛͆ and  ̺͇̙͕͖̪̰͘l̹͕ͨͫ̉̀̕u̵̺̹̜͉̘͎͂͗s̉͗̑͢t̬̪̳̟̠̹̮ to simmer once more, to calm your thoughts. "Do you understand, Nee-san? I'm changing. This is what I'm going to become. This is why I can kill anyone and everyone. It is simply natural for me."

"Because I'm no longer human." Your words shine with truth now.

The words of your sister. The mention of S̝̥͇ͨ̈́̀̈́͢h̰͔͙̭̠ͅì̼̹͌r̼̞͍ͪ̄̏͌̀o̤ͩ̏͐ú̋̾. It calms your excitement, and in that calmness, serenity. And in that serenity, you see the truth, you desire him. You will kill him. Quickly. To devour him. To make him YOURS.

At your response, she smiles and swings that sword of hers.

Brilliance.

Infinite Brilliance.

All the colors of reality within and without.

Prana drawn from across the countless worlds of the Kaleidoscope.

A paltry drop against infinity.

You ponder retaliating with a counterstrike of your own with the might of A͚̜̓n̖̘̭̟ġ͙͍̠̫̮̺̗̆̌̇̆ͦͭrͬ͑̔́ȧ̂͆̕ ̼͕̫̼̬̱͌̀ͫ͛̒̚M͖͉̺͆̊̌̒̇ạͥ̐ͭͯͫḯ̱̤ͧͨ̊̏ǹ̷̙̗̟͇̥̥͒͑̚y͖̙̞͍͈̥͛û̈́ and the grail.

Instead... you allowed you to come at you... that wave of infinity.

You can see the look of surprise on your sister's face.

The surprise. The triumph.

The HORROR as you opened your mouth and ate the wave of endless prana. Infinity was added to infinity.

You smiled at her... "That was delicious, nee-san."

And woke up.

The sun was shining in your eyes from where you lay in bed. The dream slowly fading, and yet... you knew it wasn't 'just' a dream. Echoes of memories forged from the Master and Servant bond?

You blink and shifted beneath the blanket.

You don't recall changing and going to bed... perhaps, you are getting old and forgetful. Or the excitement of the battles last night such that it distracted you and you did things on automatic.

The scent of sakura blossoms fill your nose, and there is a warmth softness pressed against your body. A delightful curved softness.

You look down and see Saver... no, Sakura sleeping on top of you.

"Morning," She softly murmured at you.

"Morning, Sakura," You replied with a sigh. This was going to be troublesome, you can tell. This version of Sakura held some... feelings for you. Feelings that were very much unfilial.

You could reject her.

But that would mean hurting her.

And you simply couldn't do that.

Not to Sakura.

Not to any Sakura.

Especially, not to a Sakura who you had failed to save.

 - - -

Breakfast was a simple affair, with just the two of you.

Since she had cooked, it was only natural that you wash the dishes. And as you washed the dishes, you can't help but look out the kitchen window and into a perfect winter day.

No ill weather such as snow, blue skies and white puffy clouds. A strong breeze that rustled leaves and grass alike.

This was a day where one went out and enjoyed themselves.

And given that the others would be busy recovering, or attempting to, as well as analyzing the information gathered from the free for all last night... it made sense for you to relax and enjoy yourself.

After all, this was a lull and one took one's rest where one could.

Especially in a war.

- - -
Kariya Kwest : Day 4 / Sisters and a Day Out
- - -

What Do?
[X] A trip to the library... what kind of woman doesn't like books?
[X] A trip to the seaside...
[X] A hiking trip to the mountains, best remember to bring some mystic codes and prepare for trouble.
[X] A trip to the shopping center of Fuyuki with stop overs in stores and cafes...
[X] Go driving with Sakura...
[X] Write In like a baus worm man!

[Biigoh]

[X] A trip to the shopping center of Fuyuki with stop overs in stores and cafes...

It is a nice winter morning if late, the sun shone in a blue sky, a gentle breeze made it just a touch nippy and drove the white clouds across the heavens.

In the distance, you can hear the cries of seagulls as they wheeled above in the heavens, and as you wonder the streets en route to the Fuyuki library, you can hear the whisperings of people.

Simple sheep. That bleat on about the havoc in the port, proclaiming it a gas leak, with some claiming it was a battle between gangsters, that someone should do something about it.

Simple blind sheep, wandering through life without knowing of the darkness that walked amongst them, of the monsters that did more than just go 'bump' in the night.

And yet, for all their simpleness, there was something to be said to be one of their guardians. Indeed, you even find some measure of pleasure in being an Enforcer, why you were permitted to save people, to be a hero. Was that not a commendable thing?

Of course, you never really spoke of what you found pleasure in, that to be a hero who saved people, there had to be people suffering and in need of your help. And it was their suffering that gave you pleasure. It wasn't nice nor good... and yet, it was one of life's simple pleasures for you.

The other being something that you had in your hand in a metal take out container. God's single respite to you. Mapo Tofu from the kitchen of Koushuuensaikan Taizan. The burning sensation of the sheer spiciness was something you hadn't encountered, and it filled you like no other food could. Truly, Batsu-san was a miracle worker.

Ever since your discovery of Koushuuensaikan Taizan, you have had take out as well as lunches there.

Still, you had a mission this fine day. While you could assign this to one of your Assassins, it was best if you did the research yourself.

After all, you had a few names and books to read up on, namely with regards to King Arthur, Iskander the Conqueror, and Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. You suspect that the other masters were also in the midst of researching what they could...

Or... not.

You had to blink at the sight of the Matou master, Kiriya, and his servant, Saver... walking with their arms linked. Looking for all the world as if they were on a date.

Such a thing, to be so... carefree.

Laughing and feeding each other warm snacks with their free hands, or rather, she fed him snacks. The two did present the image of a loving couple. Even if immaculate ivory hair and crimson eyes were not what one would consider normal.

You know that there might be an effect on those two to make them appear normal, given that you had to blink for a moment to truly see them as they were. And it hadn't exactly been strong if you were able to break free of that momentary image. One of a dark haired man and a lady with hair that was the hue of plums, and natural dark eyes.

You contemplate following them before you see the nominal master blush as he was dragged into a store that specialized in garments for ladies, lacy undergarments for ladies... ahhh... you can sense his mortification, even this far away from the store across the street.

And really, if he wished to waste his time pandering to the wants of his servant, you can not deny that a happy servant was a productive servant, and a productive servant was one you didn't need to waste your command seals on.

You will have to see about what you can do about improving the moral of your Assassin.

You shake your head and focused.

That Emiya Kiritsugu had been taken out of the Holy Grail War before you could pose your question to him frustrated you, but there was no point in attempting to go after the ones responsible. After all, if he had acted like a hired gun for the Einzbern, should he not have been treated as one by his enemies?

For now, you had a date with the library.

And you continue walking, a light song on your lips. Something you had heard as a child, where you can not remember, and yet the song remained...

- - -
Kariya Kwest : Day 4 / Man with a mission from YHWH.
- - -

What Do?
[X] Kotomine Kirei in the Library.
[X] The adventures of Velvet Waver and the man with no pants.
[X] An analysis by Kayneth Archibald, Scion of House El-Melloi.
[X] Tohsaka Tokiomi's elegance in the face of the King's Wrath.
[X] An alliance between a princess and her knight with a master of magic.
[X] Ryuunosuke Uryuu's COOL adventures with his new girlfriend.

[Biigoh]

[X] Ryuunosuke Uryuu's COOL adventures with his new girlfriend.

You had met with disappointment the other day, when you had attempted to summon up a fierce demon with the sacrifice of a family.

It was as you walked home or rather to your hide out that you thought of a possibility. It was perhaps quality that had ruined the summoning, and what better quality than virgin girls? Like those five school girls he he was walking behind... as they giggled in scandal at the oldest amongst them being so daring to steal a kiss from a boy.

Thus you followed them, stalked them... sisters all.

Delightful.

And thus you walked... observed further before striking after the departure of their parents to their night jobs.

- - -

The only difference this time aside from having extra blood from the four girls to paint summoning circles on the floor and walls was that... it worked.

At the end of the chanting of those phrases that made no sense to you, there was a flash of crimson light accompanied by a sharp pain on the back of your right hand. Ruby red of neon blood that faded to a dark stigmatic scar reministic of curves and broken circles.

One by one, the four painted circles with their contained pentagrams glowed and flared with lightning.

The room that you had been standing in shifted and changed as a strong breeze blew about the room. The corpses remain even if now they hung from chains, the youngest girl remain, you remain... but for a moment, an ever so brief moment, everything else changes.

You stood in a throne room within the court of a castle, where the throne would be is a bathtub. One covered in shadows, but still filled with a liquid familiar to you.

Blood.

A figure clad in shadows stepped out of the tub to dry herself towels while humming before clothing simply formed on her body and the room returned to what it was.

As the world returned to normal, you stumble and fell backwards to land in a sitting position.

There is the slightest of moments as the heating unit turns off and the curtain before the window moved and the light of the brilliant moon shone into the room.

The painting of crimson was revealed in its full glorious artistic vision, and you see her. A girl. And yet, she was no ordinary person. You instinctively knew this, the presence that she bore... there was a purity there not seen in normal females. A greatness within her slender form.

You find yourself without words, your thoughts of praises or cheers at your unexpected success die in your mouth as you gaze at her, not because of a fierce appearance, rather... it was the opposite. Her radiant and overwhelming beauty is such that you have no words.

She stood tall, straight as a spear raised against the heavens. Nobility radiated from her very stance and essence. An otherworldly nobility. One scented in that metallic fragrance of blood.

She gazed down impartially at you before speak with aquamarine hue eyes. "I ask of you. Are you my master?"

The horns upon her head rising up, the wagging tail that was split in two at the end, and even the jaunty fangs in her mouth. They all could have been from a beast, or a demon, or perhaps even a vampire... but you instinctively knew with absolute certainty... this was a dragon.

One that had to have come a distant otherworldly realm in the form of a young maiden, but a dragon nonetheless.

"Huh.... master?" She smiled and nodded at you, a noble mien on her face. You realized that only one... no, two words fit her perfectly from her pettanko sizes, that crimson hair, to that frilly dress with its flaring skirt.

She was like a magical girl come to life, only sensual and dark. You had to shake your head to concentrate and say exactly the thought that raged in your head. Moe. Youkai moe.

"Indeed, at your summons, at your call, at your most pleasing of offerings... I have responded and come at your behest, being manifested under the class of Berserker," She curtsied at you, perhaps not realizing that you had caught a glimpse of... crimson lavender stripes amidst a triangle of white. "I must ask for your name. Indeed... who are you?"

At her curious look, you had to blush as you stood up and rubbed the back of your head. You never were good with dealing with pretty girls, or direct questions, or successfully summoning something and thus proving magic WAS real. You shook your head once more. "Uh... well... I'm Uryuu Ryuunosuke. I'm a NEET, that is to say I'm currently not in school, unemployed, and not in training."

"I like killing people, a lot, like really a lot. Especially children and young women." At your declaration of what you were, she nodded as if barely accepting you before walking around you to give you a visual once over.

"Very well, the contract is made," She noted with solemness and finality. "I desire the Holy Grail, as you too must. And it'll belong to us."

"Grail?" At your question, she blinked. You continued on, remembering your manners as a host. "Well... I don't know about the grail, but... how about a sacrifice? You want the girl?"

You turn and indicated the last survivor, the captive, still bound and lying on the floor. She looked about and counted the corpses before looking at the still living offering. At this, the girl started to struggle as Berserker looked at her and then at you.

There was a soft sigh and a tch. "I see, so this is why I got summoned. A perfect catalyst as it were."

You looked eagerly as she walked over to the girl before gently patting her on the head before... woah! That... that was a pretty damn big spear to just pull out of nowhere.

A spinning action later, the spear slammed into the ground and cut the girl loose. "Shhh... don't worry. You're going to be fine... all you need to do is run out the door and get outside. But I think that your fear and natural carelessness will doom you. So, relax and just go..."

With that... the girl was released. What?

What the... why would Berserker even do this?

You were about to speak up, but she held a finger up to her lips. Covered in a pink finger covering it matched her lips. As the girl started to run towards the open door, she spoke once more.

"Ah... there is a puddle of blood that you'll slip on." And it was there, you didn't recall spill blood there, but you had to... didn't you? "You better be careful, because I don't think you're quick enough to catch yourself... but your attempts results in a broken wrist."

You could only watch bemused as the girl DID slip on the puddle of blood and broke her wrist. "Quick, get up... but watch out that loose rug, you'll trip."

And so it went... each footstep forward by the girl was heralded by disaster after disaster, accident after accident. All foretold entirely and accurately by Berserker. Til eventually, the bloody figure stood at the door and struggled with the doorknob. The broken hands didn't help her any. Berserker smiled sadly, well... as sadly as someone gleefully enjoying what she was seeing. "Ah, it's a shame, but it looks like your parents didn't keep certain things in good shape, which is why that overhead light falls on your head with enough force to snap your neck."

You can only watch in fascination as her declaration occurs exactly as described, and the not quite horrified cry filled with despair as the girl looked up and it fell on her.

"Life is like that, one can't escape their fate," She looked at you now. And you realized that it had been entirely a game. An awesome game where Berserker hadn't physically killed the girl but somehow arranged things to just slowly pile up on her. "And isn't it better this way, after all... terror, pain, despair, they all have a certain quality to the emotion when you watch. That quality savored can be enhanced and made more intense by giving them a sliver of hope. Hope kills."

She turned to look at you now. "Emotions are kind of cool that way. I bet you enjoyed that, didn't you? When her hope turned to terror and despair?"

This.

This...

This was so... before you could speak up, she turned and looked at the corpse before leaning down to wipe the blood from the girl's face with a finger and licked it. "Ahhhh..."

You found yourself blushing even more. Before she had just been moe and cool. Now she was... sexy. But, you found yourself unable to stop from asking the question that came to mind as you saw her skirt flip up to reveal her striped panties and the tail. "Just how far up does the scales go from your tail?"

She paused to look at you with a mortified blush on her face. "... y... y... y.... you saw?"

The nod from you got a cry of despair from her as she blushed. The sight of her face going red once more brought another involuntary word from you. "Cute."

"You... you better take responsibility," You blinked at the fuming, not quite pouting face of Berserker. "So. Will you marry me? Or will you be killed by me?"

This was horribly cute. It was like she was the distillation of tsundere, or something. "Well... I don't want to just be killed. But I can't just marry you, just like that... it's not right, you gotta do it step by step, right?"

She nodded slowly, giving you a chance to continue. "Now, I don't know about the grail thing, but if you'll have me... I'll be your boyfriend and we can get married later."

You smiled and ruffled her hair, that blush on her face. She... really wasn't used to being around men, or being touched by one. Totally a virgin. You could do worse, but that wasn't likely.

"But for now, I'll happily follow you. Let's kill some more. Let's make killing cool and artistic," She beamed at your words. Clearly, your enthusiasm was infectious. "Show me all the coooool ways of killing."

"You... you said you were Ryuunosuke, right?" You nodded at her question. "It seems like this is going to be a fun relationship. I'll be happy to show you what I can do... it feels like things are going right for me, and maybe... this time I'll achieve my dream."

"Your dream?" You tilted your head at her.

"But of course," She smiled widely with pleasure. "To become a world famous idol, what else?"

You blinked. That was adorable. "Ah... I forgot to ask you, what is your name?"

"Fuhuhuhuhuhu, my name is Elizabeth Bathory, the dragon's daughter," As she said her name, you could see stats and numbers just form when you look at her.

"Hoooooh...."

- - -
Kariya Kwest : Night 4 / Daughter of the Dragon
- - -

What Do?
[X] A worm's PoV.
[X] A brash boy who is struggling with THE IDIOT! who doesn't know of pants OR underwear!
[X] A princess and her knight
[X] A knight and his lord.
[X] Write In [within reason please]

Servant
Name               : Elizabeth Bathory
Master             : Uryuu Ryuunosuke
Class              : Berserker
Also Known as      : The Blood Countress, Countess Dracula, Daughter of the Dragon
Alignment          : Chaotic Neutral      N. Phantasm   : A
Strength           : C                    Agility       : E
Mana               : D                    Luck          : B
Endurance          : D

Class Skills:
Mad Enhancement    : E-

Berserker's Mad Enhancement is very low, allowing her to retain her reason. There is not much benefit to the skill, turning her Strength and Endurance into a state that is more "don't care about pain" than anything else. She instead has Mental Disorder, a state of the mind falling ill and a mental "super armor" ability. Rather than the common madness added to a Berserker, she becomes incapable of feeling the pain of others and unable to sense the mood in the surroundings.

Personal Skills:
Dragon's Breath    : E
Charisma           : C
Innocent Monster   : A
Magic Resistance   : A
Mental Disorder    : A
Territory Creation : B

Berserker has been demonized by the Innocent Monster skill that uses the image produced from one's deeds in life to distort their past and way of being, which ends up transforming their abilities and appearance. Her form is due to the deeds she practiced in life Though she looks like a demon, her horns and tail are those of a dragon, and though her fangs look like those of a vampire, they are also those of a dragon. Her lungs have been turned into a spirit world, attaining tremendous lung capacity and a Dragon Breath attack through the means of ultrasonic waves. Although turned into a dragon by the Skill "Innocent Monster", maybe she is forcing herself somehow for its power is low.

The form is not a forgery caused solely through the means of Innocent Monster, but rather brought about from the dragon's blood mixed within her. The source is crest of the Báthory family, a shield coat of arms patterned after a red fang that represented the dragon's gallantry, vigorousness, and the brutality of never letting the enemy live. It grants her Magic Resistance of the same grade as King Arthur, another with dragon blood.

Her Territory Creation allows her to build up a prison-castle and that is mainly used in confining girls. According to the records, the master of he castle would capture five virgins a day, execute three for the sake of bathing in blood, and torture to death one as if a pet. She gave the last remaining the right of challenging various fates. This has translated into a manipulation of fate noble phantasm.

Noble Phantasms:
Bathory Erzsebet: Fresh Blood Demoness                  A
Anti-Fortress
This is a Noble Phantasm that summons the castle within she reigned during her lifetime and uses it as a stage to make herself prominent. The castle is the Prison Castle Csejte, a demonic castle where hundreds of young girls were tortured to death, and by being soaked in the fresh blood of girls that she used to fill her bloodbath, a bathtub of blood, she maintains an enormous magical power and charm power.

Utilizing her singing talent to contest for the top position on the planet and the castle that has been remolded into a giant amplifier, they bring about a tune that is certainly something that can be called hell on earth. Her lungs, having gained tremendous capacity from her dragon blood, allows her to amplify her voice through the Noble Phantasm enough to resound off of a section of the Tokyo Dome and turn it into a noise capable of making it crumble.

Kilenc Sárkány: Dragon Cry Thundering Voice             B
Anti-Unit
The ability is the majesty of a roaring dragon by the name of Sárkány converted into a Noble Phantasm by weather spirits according to ancient legends in Hungary. The ability works by amplifying sounds and vibrations to invoke wind and rain by means of that resonance.

This spear allows Berserker to amplify sound and vibration, using the resulting resonance to call forth wind and rain. It utilizes the charisma, soothing effects, and ability to fill others with dread that reside in the wielder's voice. It can also be said that it simply increases the voice's volume by eighty-one times. It is a demonic singing voice that destroys and tramples not only the body of any listener, but also their mind. Growing wings and standing atop her spear, she lets out a sound wave that assaults the opponent.

Eastern Wonderland Magic: Manipulation of Fate          D
Anti-Unit
It is said that in the distant future, there is a tale of the daughter of Dracula that calls her the Scarlet Devil. The scarlet devil is such that she could manipulate the fate of those around her. This tale has propagated across the world within the tales of an Eastern Wonderland.

Because she was summoned in Japan, Berserker resonates with the tale of the Scarlet Devil and has the ability to manipulate fate. Allowing her to make declarations that will come true.

While the rank of this noble phantasm is D, and its effects can be negated by anyone with a rank of D in Luck. Under certain conditions, the power of this noble phantasm can be increased by the power and history of the Blood Countess' fondness for "playing" games with the last virgin girl that she has captured out of every five. For each of the following conditions fulfilled, the rank of the noble phantasm increases by one level, and it takes an equal rank of Luck to resist the effects of the manipulation of fate.

1) If the target is female. 2) If she is a virgin. 3) If she was a captive. 4) If she was captured and held prisoner with four other females, who have since died.

While, the curse effect of Manipulation of Fate can't outright kill, it can be used to set up conditions whereby the target dies. Much like Zabaniya: Delusional Heartbeat, physical defense is impossible, but resistance to curses or a high level of luck may permit evasion.

[Biigoh]

[X] A princess and her knight...

"I do not trust her," Saber spoke softly as she looked out the window. Her displeasure could be felt in the quiet and dignified words.

You could only sigh and shake your head. If only Kiritsugu was still alive. But you couldn't bring him back now, only the third magic could. So in the end, you would be forced to choose between the ambition of the Einzbern and recovering Kiritsugu or the dream of your beloved, and bringing peace to the world. This was a conundrum that you wished you weren't experiencing, but were. "I agree that the timing is suspicious, but..."

You look helplessly at the immaculate form of your servant. The wounds inflicted by Lancer were all gone, all save one. The one that rendered Saber less than optimal in a fight; her left hand. Without that hand, she would be unable to fight with her full strength, without that hand, her Noble Phantasm was sealed.

"A gesture of good will, but I fear that wound will have to wait until later." Their departed guest hadn't exactly made her intentions a secret there. Just sufficient skills at removal of curses and healing to demonstrate that the curse of Gae Buidhe was as nothing to her, but not enough to permit Saber or you to simply say no to the offer of an alliance now that your servant was healed.

You mentally reviewed what you knew of the so-called "normal housewife" who had just left. She was no servant, you instinctively knew this and confirmed with the so-called Master's sight. And yet, that you had to check against this was due to the presence she had, she felt like Saber; ancient, absurdly powerful, overflowing with a certain majesty despite her normal everyday clothes.

"But what can we do, Saber?" You sighed and looked down. "I fear that I will be a poor Master for you. I do not have the experience or skill to serve you beyond healing you and providing you with prana... if only..."

"Irisviel, enough." The voice of Saber is firm, and brooked no disagreement. For a moment, you can see her standing tall and proud and speaking as only a king could. "What happened has happened, nothing more or less. We must move on and adapt."

"I will say this again, I do not trust that woman. But as my master, it is your decision if you trust her enough to form an alliance with her," You look at the back of Saber as she stood ramrod straight and looked out into the dark night of the Einzbern mansion's grounds. "That Kiritsugu was lost in battle, it is... a regrettable thing. But not an insurmountable thing. And as long as we meet our objectives, any and all collateral damage is acceptable."

You paused and looked at your servant. "But..."

"It is better to lose a single village and save ten, than to lose all eleven," Her voice is now... so... cold. So resolute. This... this was the King of Britannia. It's as if you were speaking to Kiritsugu when you were first introduced to him. The Kiritsugu who thought of people as... numbers. No wonder Saber rubbed your husband wrong, he could sense in her the same metal that was within him.

You could only sigh. "Very well, then... Saber. Tell me, in your opinion. Could you defeat Lancer as you are?"

"As I am? I can not say," She shook her head. "Perhaps if I still possessed Avalon or had my hand healed, I might be able to defeat him now that I have his measure. But as it is..."

"Avalon," You paused and felt the noble phantasm within you pulsed once more at the presence of Saber, its master. It would be a simple thing to return it, but hadn't Kiritsugu told you to not tell Saber of its presence and to keep it within your body?

- - -
Kariya Kwest : Night 4 / Dodgy Housewife
- - -

What Do?
About Avalon~
[X] Tell Saber of where Avalon is, and return it to her.
[X] Keep quiet about Avalon and adhere to Kiritsugu's wishes.

About certain dodgy housewife and her offer
[X] Accept the alliance, make the phone call.
[X] Do not accept the alliance for now.

Next Day Activity
[X] Research up about the other servants.
[X] Search for one of the other masters, and see about an alliance or perhaps a truce?
[X] Wait at the airport for the arrival of additional back-up homunculi from the Einzbern.
[X] Write In.

[Biigoh]

[X] Keep quiet about Avalon and adhere to Kiritsugu's wishes.
[X] Do not accept the alliance for now.
[X] Wait at the airport for the arrival of additional back-up homunculi from the Einzbern.

You look long and hard at the sleek black plastic thing on the table that had been left by the so-called "normal housewife". You instinctive knew that this was far too advance to be an ordinary cellphone. For one, you had seen cellphones used by Kiritsugu and Maiya. They were not sleek plastic that resembled black glass devices with glowing numbers on one surface when one side was touched.

"It's set to call me if you press the green phone symbol twice," that "housewife" had said it. And yet, such a device seemed beyond this world.

If you didn't know better, you would have sworn what sat on the table was a mystic code. And yet... and yet... you sensed no prana from it. A simple test using reinforcement to feel its structure only got you back an impression of glass, copper, and plastic. There was no sense of age that said this was a noble phantasm.

This was, as far as you could tell, an absolutely mundane device that shouldn't, no, couldn't exist. And yet, it did.

You breathed in and tried to think like how Kiritsugu would. Yes, he would refuse. For now, and look for the drawbacks or perhaps other possibilities first. "To accept now, would be to appear weak. No, desperate. And that... that would be bad."

There was the vague thought of telling Saber about Avalon, but that thought was quashed. Kiritsugu had asked you to not tell Saber about it, and he had to have a reason. You would adhere to that unspoken of reason, for now as well. Unless it was absolutely necessary.

And so the night passed, and you woke up and drove into town with Saber. Or rather, more specifically, to the airport at Fuyuki.

The weight of that device that the "housewife" had given you sits heavily in your pocket. You are sorely tempted to make that phone call, but don't.

Once there, you sit with Saber and wait. You had gotten a call from Jubstacheit Einzbern regarding reinforcements after, in his words, the... disappointing showing by the Magus Killer and his death so early at the hands of a Servant.

Thus, you were being sent a number of Einzbern combat homunculi to help give you an edge, after all... nothing said one couldn't stack the hand that you were dealt. You recall reading up on the last Grail War, of the German Nazi and Japanese Imperial Army being used as weapons to support servants and masters. Of the desperate battle that had left Jubstacheit with a dead servant in mere days, despite him fielding an army of homunculi.

But that was then and this is now, there were no armies expected. Save that deployed by servants as part of their noble phantasms such as witnessed being done by that Saver.

You sighed and relaxed on the hood of your car, parked next to the car was the small bus that had been purchased for the duration of the Fourth Grail War.

The landing of the private jet was almost understated. Not so much the battle hardened homunculi. They stepped forth out of the jet one by one, clad in the traditional battle maid uniforms. Their weapons packed away in their luggage.

A 'small' army was now at your command, with sufficient fighting ability to rival any servant not of the Three Knight classes. Their lifespans were going to be short even without active combat. But they were, like you were (suppose to be), loyal to the cause of the Einzberns.

They stood before you, in squads of three, with seven squads in total. While not identical, it would have been easy to mistake them and you for close sisters; crimson eyes and white hair concealed beneath their cowls. "Lady Irisviel."

The ripple of synchronized nods directed at you was enough to make you blink, as were the voices spoken to you. Had you sounded like this before Kiritsugu? "Sisters. As you have been made aware, the Magus Killer was killed not long ago and our ability to contest for the Holy Grail has been reduced. Thus, you were sent here."

Another silent nod. You can see how such a sight might be disconcerting.

"You will head to the Einzbern mansion in the forests outside of Fuyuki," you swallowed drily. "Once there, you are to fortify the mansion and its barriers further."

Another nod. "Saber and I shall return later in the evening."

With that, the maids boarded the bus and put away their luggage and assorted weaponry.

You watch the bus back out of the parking lot, being driven by one of the homunculi. Your skills and knowledge of how to drive, of learning to drive had clearly been implemented within the new generation of homunculi.

"They will be lucky to see the end of the Grail War, won't they?" You swallow at the notion of those homunculi marching off to their deaths. They like you were not going to survive the war.

"Perhaps," An arm awkwardly reached around your shoulder to hug you. "Perhaps, they will survive. Perhaps, they won't. I shall seen the impossible happen before. And they are rather well disciplined. They might still have a chance."

 
- - -
Kariya Kwest : Day 5 / Clone Wars
- - -
 
 

What Do?
[X] Drive about Fuyuki for reconnaissance?
[X] Research up about the other servants.
[X] Search for one of the other masters, and see about an alliance or perhaps a truce?
[X] PoV Switch [Which of the Masters now? Note I hold the right of Veto]
[X] Write In

OOC~
(9:05:47 PM) Bii_Witch: Someone wanna roll me a 2d6?
(9:06:58 PM) Bii_Witch: and a 1d100 M even= yes, odd = no
(9:07:09 PM) qqdice: Latewave rolled 1d100: [55] = 55
(9:07:22 PM) qqdice: Latewave rolled 2d6: [2,5] = 7
(9:08:13 PM) Bii_Witch: 21 Combat Homuculi have shown up to reinforce Irisviel[/center]

[Cherry Lover]

Nice, it's good that you could post this here too.

[Biigoh]

Nice, it's good that you could post this here too.

Figured might as well...

[Cherry Lover]

Yeah, definitely.

[Biigoh]

[X] I have no pants and I must laugh.

You are an extremely frustrated magus. That you were.

It had taken a fair amount of work for you, mister third generation magus of house Velvet, to get the concept of underwear and pants into the stupid block head of a servant you have.

You can even now remember the LOOK on your host's faces when Iskander came down and introduced himself to them WITHOUT pants or underwear.

The comments about how it didn't matter what kind of tastes that you had in men, but my... Alex was a nice strapping young man, wasn't he?

That the idiot had then managed to connect with the McKenzie in a way that you didn't quite manage... that was upsetting. After all, the old man and your servant had proceeded to spend the night drinking and sharing war stories... with Rider's sanitize for the modern era.

You could only shake your head.

Didn't the fool realize of the absolute danger you and he were in? There was the overpowered freaks of nature summoned by the Tohsaka and Matou.

Shadow giants and an endless array of noble phantasms that could be used as disposable missiles. How could he not see the absolute danger there?

And the Matou master had already killed one of the masters in the war and had threatened your teacher. Sure, you hated him. But that the Matou saw nothing wrong with eliminating masters... you shuddered. You could be next.

The way that the Matou servant had declared herself the Last Heroic Spirit spoke of the difficulty of identifying her. She had either be someone from the future, an impossibility unless one involved one of the True Magics... or that meant that she was the last heroic spirit. The last one ever before modern day made it impossible for such to exist.

Tricky.

You sighed into the scarf that Martha had given you before headed out.

"Hear my song~" Right, just when you thought your day couldn't get worse. The natives were holding some sort of public popularity or singing contest in front of the main library in Fuyuki.

The voice was perky and high pitched as the young... girl shrieked into the microphone to the cheers of those gathered before the stage. This was not singing, you will grant that she had an acceptable voice.

And yet, the audience ate it up. You suppose that didn't say much about the tastes of the people of Japan. Shaking your head, you attempted to walk around the crowd.

"Boy," a heavy hand rested upon your shoulder. You blinked and looked back up at Rider.

"What's wrong, Rider?" The big lummox shook his head and pointed at the stage.

An eyebrow rose now, as you looked at what he was poin... wait, did that girl have horns and a tail? No matter how you looked at it, that girl was not normal. Certainly, even if one took those items as prosthetics, it still wasn't normal. But the way that tail swayed left and right said that it couldn't be natural.

You looked back at Rider. "Servant?"

His response was a simple nod and a smile. It looked like you wouldn't be doing your research. As Rider was going to do that stupid thing he kept doing EVERY time he met an interesting servant.

"Come on, let's find out when the show ends..."

- - -

Your name is Matou Kariya, you are the inheritor of the Matou crest worms. You are the sum and summary of the Matou magic, of its advances towards the root, as every magus should. Really.

You weren't doing it because it's what everyone expects of you as a magus. Including the dead magi INSIDE your mind murmuring away. Oh, the old man, your predecessor wasn't interested in THAT. He and a few others within your mind were content with things as they were. There was a form of immortality here, after all.

You were currently in a Holy Grail War that allowed you to claim a "shortcut" to a True Magic.

The heroic spirit you had summoned was an alternate version of your adopted daughter, and it's clear from yesterday's activities as you scouted the territories of Fuyuki that she was... interested in you that way.

But it felt wrong. Because no matter how things were, she was Sakura. Your adopted daughter. The child of Aoi. You couldn't just do anything like that with her.

While yesterday had been a nice day where you had relaxed, today... you had things to do. That had to be done. You shouldn't be relaxing in bed being snuggled by Saver. You knew she hadn't been in your bed last night.

And there had been that odd dream again.

- - -
Kariya Kwest : Day 5 / Idols and Worms
- - -

What Do?
[X] Ahhh... forget it, iet's enjoy ourselves with Saver, another day out in Fuyuki. The other masters would still be recovering.
[X] What was up with those dreams anyhow?
[X] Let's go to the main library in Fuyuki and research those servants.
[X] Let's talk to your spies and see what the other masters had been up to?
[X] Work on your home's defenses... you're not sure HOW you could even upgrade them further.
[X] Work on a mystic code, there were several left incomplete... okay, there were numerous incomplete projects that those within you had worked on, but had put aside and things just happened.
[X] Check on your familiars and make sure that they were breeding properly, or perhaps, you could work on creating a new variant strain?
[X] Write In.

[Biigoh]

[X] What was up with those dreams anyhow?

Let it not be said that you are unobservant. You weren't.

Nor let it be said that you weren't slow. You had to admit that by the standards of magus or other people, you might be considered slow. But that was because you took the time to think things through instead of just scream and leap like a Kzinti. Wait... where did that thought come from?

You traced that odd statement to one of the recently deceased minds in the mass of voices with the back of your mind. How... scandalous that a magus would enjoy science fiction novels. Still, fiction was fiction and there was no overt shame in a magus reading a science fiction book like a scientist enjoying a fantasy novel.

Still, it didn't mean you hadn't come to the realization that recently, something was happening to your dreams. At least, far more than could be explained than the bond and connection between... a master and his servant.

Yes, that was a safe way to describe the relationship of mutual symbiosis between you and Sakura... no, Saver.

You had made allowances for the dreams of her and... Rin, of the fall out. Of that 'sempai' of hers. Of the Shinji of hers... he had behaved the same in her dreams as he did here, Shinji adored Sakura. But that would change in  time when the subject of magic came up.

More, there was the way that her 'Zouken' had treated her. You can see the echoes there in the memories of the previous head of the Matou. He could have done it if he needed to. Might have done it in a different circumstance. If there wasn't a way to propagate memories and souls into the Crest Worms, if things were just slightly different.

Worse, you could see how you would have, could have, might have died in a different world. Your body a shambling wreck.

You would die alone in the darkness, with nothing but determination that Berserker would give you victory. That Sakura would be saved.

You would die a failure.

No honor.

No glory.

No salvation.

Not for you, for Sakura.

Your body consumed by the worms where you died in the crypt beneath the Matou mansion.

That version of you was an absolute failure. Because he was you. And you were he. His actions were comprehensible to you and yet he was destined to fail.

You had vowed not to.

Thus, as might be imagined, the dreams of the endless dark sea in which you floated were... quite disconcerting. You could not see how your... Servant might have experienced this.

It felt too real to be a dream, and ironically, not real enough to be reality.

Perhaps, it was an echo of her existence within the Throne of Heroes? Did it not exist outside of time? Did it not, theoretically, exist in a state of permanence?

Or perhaps, this was the darkness within which your adopted... no, Servant, slept and existed in? The realm of imaginary numbers? She did, after all, spend some time in there after saving Gaia.

The most unsatisfying possibility was that it was just a set of rather memorable nightmares. Of floating in darkness, blind, unseeing and unseen while nearby a pane of glass existed. A mirror gate to sanity and light, a realm of angles and curves and soft sacs of liquid chemicals that sparked and twitched with chemically created impulses of electricity.

You could ask her, but there was the feeling that she might not tell you the answer or give you one that you would like. Was there not something to mysteries unsolved? Simply leaving things as they were? Or would you pit your intellect and all the wisdom of the collected dead within you against this mystery and determine what it was before speaking to Saver?

 - - -
Kariya Kwest : Day 5 / Dreams of Darkness
 - - -

What Do?
[X] Talk to Saver, and question her about the dreams?
[X] Pit your intellect and that of the countless within you against this puzzle.
[X] Perhaps, it is merely a dream, you have been overwrought as of late with the 4th Holy Grail War
[X] You had, other things to worry about, than some silly dreams, such as; [pick one]
- - [X] What the other masters have been up to.
- - [X] Some of your spies have simply failed to check in, most worrying.
- - [X] The identities of various servants and their weaknesses and strengths.
- - [X] You'll have to deal with those murders that Tohsaka hasn't dealt with, too much attention is bad.
- - [X] The unresolved tensions you had with Saver.
[X] Write In

[Biigoh]

[X] Talk to Saver, and question her about the dreams?
- - (1:12:13 PM) qqdice: Bii_defeated rolled 1d100: 12 = [12]

Really, it was clear that Saver had to have had something to do with your dreams of late. It was... staggeringly clear to any one with an ounce of sense.

The only questions, really, when it came to do it were the reason and the method.

You knew of the connection that a Servant had with its master, of the transmission of prana and certain base knowledge if the connection was strong enough. The only question was, was it that your connection with Sakura was too strong?

If so, you couldn't really say. But the other possibility was that this was a side effect of her noble phantasm, and your closeness to her.

Thus, you find yourself speaking to her when you felt her shifting on you and signifying that yes, she was awake. "I don't know how to say this or rather ask this?"

"Mmmmh?" A pair of crimson eyes looked down into yours, a lazy expression on her face.

You focus your thoughts. You would be distracted from this. Nope. "I've been having dreams lately."

"Isn't that normal?" Certainly, her response was reasonable. But in this unreasonable world where common sense had been long lost, you wouldn't be deterred.

"Perhaps, but I suspect you could shed some light on the dreams I've been having lately," You looked at your servant firmly, not brooking any backtalk.

She responded with a look of amusement, as if humoring you for now. "Is that so?"

"Yes," She was trying to get a rise out of you and divert the conversation. You just needed to stay the course. "Lately, I've been having dreams where nothing happens, where I just float in darkness and..."

She looked as if she was about to speak up, likely about how that was just psychological and stuff, but you push on. "And I'm no longer connected to the Matou... mysteries."

She nodded grudgingly, it appeared that you were on the right course. You just needed to find out more and get her to take it seriously.

"Now I could accept it as a dream from your past or some such, but... I've experienced your past in dreams. I know what it is like, and this... this is not the same." You continued, even as she looked away from you. "Please just tell me what's going on."

She paused as if thinking, and perhaps she was. A decision on informing you of what she was doing or happening could be seen as important.

Eventually, as she looked down at you in consideration, you see her lips twitch before curving just so. You remember Aoi smiling like that, that mischievous smile before she did something... naughty when the two of you were younger.

"Well... I could tell you or I could show you..."

And she left the choice in your hand. How delightful.

 - - -
Kariya Kwest : Day 5 / Choices
 - - -

What Do?
[X] Have her show you.
[X] Have her tell you.
[X] You'll need to think on this.
[X] Write In Magic~