#thgw: chapter 4

[tgrailwar-zero]

Well, after our last big attempt to destroy the Solar Cell ended in failure we had our memories wiped and were forced to fight against each other in simulated grail wars. Anytime one finished we were thrust into another. A version of you was there for at least a few. Apparently we went through at least a trillion or something. Our memories were also wiped after each war to keep us fighting each other. We only managed to break free with the last one and ended up in this whole affair. Might have had something to do with most (if not all) the Servants that were summoned in that loop being versions of you and the other guys we had upon our initial incursion. From time to time we manage to recall bits and pieces of stuff either from our original arrival in the Solar Cell or a previous grail war loop, but that’s all.

Also, we seem to be a lot less callous than we were in the past. Probably something to do with us not longer having personal memories of the absolutely backstabbing life that is living in mage society and especially Clock Tower.

MUSASHI: "Ah, I see..."

You've gotten this sort of 'oh, wow'-type of reaction before. Best to just leave that one be for now. She's picked up enough from the conversation so far regardless.

MUSASHI: "Charlemagne... the name kinda sounds familiar, but I'm not totally sure... as for the other questions- not really. Sorry, I'm not much of a computer person."

INVADER: [ "We do not have that capability yet, and I cannot properly analyze the spell. However, Musashi possesses an innate Magic Resistance as a Saber-class. Whatever spell cast should have a weakened effect on her, but…" ]

MUSASHI chuckled, sheepishly.

MUSASHI: "Ah, you noticed that, huh? Basically. I'm sure I could have shrugged it off and made them struggle for it, but I didn't. A punishment's a punishment, after all. And it wasn't like my situation was drastically changed- I just went from one person's vengeful spirit to another. Either way, I wasn't fighting in a way I enjoyed."

INVADER: [ "…With how damaged her Spirit Origin is, you'd need a considerable amount of magical energy to restore it to a proper state. Either via my Command Spells, or through a powerful Mystic Code- and the only one in our possession is the Crimson Blade. However, that blade also belongs to the Servant 'Draco'. It is a considerable bargaining chip, and may be able to restore the Beast to a more manageable state. Examining our currently very limited resources, destroying her body and gaining a new Code Cast would be the most efficient course of action." ]

INVADER stated, coldly listing out the facts. You could see MUSASHI listening quietly, nodding, not exactly disagreeing with the sentiment.

MUSASHI: "...So it's this kind of situation, huh?"

You had come here in order to damage or slow down the MUSASHI in 'reality'. Leaving would just set you back to square one- maybe even worse than that, if she ended up adapting to your hacking.

You felt a tremor in the ground, as the mental world around you began to destabilize.

MUSASHI: "Ah- I think 'Shadow Me' is trying to boot you all out, so we don't have any more time to really chat. If you're going to do something, make it snappy."

You'd have to make a choice here.

[tgrailwar-zero]

You followed in the direction SETANTA went, after a series of winding hallways that went further and further away from the warm comfort of the party.

You stepped outside into the quiet air, away from the party. The night wind was cold. Frigid. At the height you were, the sounds of the city below were distant, and the doors muffled the music from the celebration.

You didn't see SETANTA anywhere. Looking around, you saw some movement that caught your eye--

A small white puppy.

It barked, tail up and alert, eyes focused on you.

A few steps forward, and you heard the door slam behind you. The sound of a blade. Metal clattering to the ground.

SETANTA: "Figured you'd follow."

You didn't see him. His voice just echoed on the rooftop, drifting with the night wind.

His voice was cold. The night wind continued to nip at you.

He continued to speak, his voice young and casual, yet holding an amount of gravitas that was both completely familiar, and bone-chillingly serious.

SETANTA: "You were sealed for a reason. The Solar Cell sealed you for a reason. And now that you're free, that means everything is going to change. I can feel it. Whatever Sigurd has planned… whatever Charlemagne has planned, forget it… I don't have time for the scheming of kings right now… So I'm just going to get this out of the way."

You heard movement. Rustling. Something in your body tensed.

SETANTA: "Maybe you really don't remember a thing. In that case, then you're just unlucky. Sorry."

More movement. A form rushing towards you with inhuman speed.

A slash.

It's an instinct. Your body contorts, twists and cranes itself out of the way as the young man's blade slices through the air. It cuts a part of you- and pain grips you.

But there's a cold, sudden realization. Several in a row.

First.

If this Servant was 'CU CHULAINN', rather than 'SETANTA', that would have truly been a mortal blow.

Then.

Even if SETANTA had missed his mark this time, you couldn't take many attacks from a Servant.

And finally.

The only reason your body evaded on instinct, was because this situation was familiar.

This moment was enough to jog your memories. And this one was vivid.

Painful.

Agonizingly so.

You found yourself hidden away, mere feet away from a Servant.

The Lancer-class Servant you had summoned.

At first he had promise. Excellent statistics. Powerful skills. One of the greatest Noble Phantasms.

Now?

He was condemned. Traitorous. Had given up your cause for his own. You had expected him to be a loyal hound, and yet somewhere along the lines something went wrong.

Now he was just a mongrel that needed to be culled.

And here he was, close enough to kill you- and you to kill him, yet too wounded to move his body properly to deliver the killing blow.

In many ways, that could be considered a mercy. In others, a cruelty, considering the vast amount of pain that surged through every inch of your body.

'LANCER': "…Damn… who'd have thought you'd have the skill to keep up with a Heroic Spirit…? Though Berserker was carrying you for a bit there…"

The man, LANCER, laughed dryly. He leaned against the wall, as you heard the thunderous sound of rampaging off in the distance, as the ground shook. You were losing form… losing your grasp on the world, and it seemed like he was on death's door too.

Still, you knew that 'death's door' meant less to LANCER than it did to others.

You felt something surging from deep within your soul. Rage. Violent, hateful rage. Towards the world. Towards this place. And now, towards the Servant before you. It escaped your form like a violent hiss, the pain gripping even tighter, fueling that pure hatred.

He glared at you, putting one hand on one of his many wounds, before looking towards the sound of the footsteps.

'LANCER': "For fuck's sake… Curse me all you want, but there are some choices I need to make as a hero. So, just die and put that bad luck of yours to rest."

With that, the Lancer-class Servant vanished, as the thunderous footsteps drew closer.

Back in reality, in the present, the young pup of a warrior had landed past you, his weapon still drawn.

SETANTA: "Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

You looked behind you. The door handle had been destroyed.

You were trapped.

He gripped his blade- for a moment with hesitancy- before steeling himself.

[tgrailwar-zero]

You felt the indecision tug at you. To summon, or not to summon? To fight back, or not to fight back? Maybe using one of your Origins at this point wasn't the right idea. Maybe using your items was a bad idea. Maybe it would be fine. Run? Jump? Fight? Wait?

Maybe you could run- call for help... this wasn't exactly the easiest situation.

Of course, you had a body now. Abilities. Powers. Magic, probably. You were throwing a lot of things at the wall, so why not try one more? Your felt a string of logic slowly, carefully, press itself up to the forefront- gentle, not forceful or demanding, just giving a tiny bit of advice in what could be considered a stressful situation.

[ …The Servant 'CU CHULAINN' belongs to you.

He's your Servant. The Solar Cell took him, sure, but that didn't stop him from being your Servant.

If he's your Servant… you could probably take him back, right? Just hypothetically.

Take him back. Gain an ally. Remove a threat. Three step, easy process. It wasn't like you could do this in every situation, but this was a special case.

And why deal with all of the mess of a battle? The city needed to be repaired- it wasn't like having a big massive Servant battle was going to help things. Really, if you solved this now, you could go back to the party before anyone even realized what happened. Get back to being praised and celebrated as heroes. Talk with Rider, dance with Invader, drink with Musashi-- have the time of your lives.

If it worked, it worked. If it didn't, it didn't. You could just go back to whatever you were planning before. ]

Gently, gently, that logic wormed its way in. Not from one of you-- though it was coming from you-- so maybe it was?

You felt something pull at you. You've fought with CU CHULAINN before- you knew how good of a Servant he was.

[tgrailwar-zero]

In a frantic panic, you threw yourselves backwards, your body losing cohesion as you narrowly dodged the blade of the young warrior, looking for an exit strategy. Despite a small amount of inner protest, you figured that making a fast exit was the quickest way to work things out.

After flinging one of your sandwiches at him, you flung yourself off the building, focusing everything you had onto… well, not splattering. Reinforcement Magecraft was hard. Not just for anyone, but even good mages couldn't justify the risk-reward it set up… but, if there was ever a time to try, it was now. So, you focused- put every ounce of magic in your body towards it- felt your semi-corporeal body get a little bit more corporeal and then…

With a crash, you slammed into the hard pavement, kicking up asphalt as your body… remained intact.

It worked.

Of course, then came the surging pain that happened the last time you tried this magecraft. You felt everything go dull, your ability to move fully hampered as a figure landed on the ground, mere meters away. Carefully, the young man approached, his expression playful, but his eyes cold and focused.

SETANTA: "Off the roof, huh? That desperate to survive… you're just embarrassing yourselves."

His tone, as casual as friendly as ever, even as he approached.

He raised his blade again, before suddenly something caught his attention. He quickly jumped backwards, inches away from a slash that cleaved through the air. Your attention fell on a form that… well, you expected to see still partying. MUSASHI, with her blades ready.

MUSASHI: "Long time no see, Lancer. Sharp as ever."

SETANTA: "Heh. ...Yo, Saber."

You felt the tension- thick and palpable between the two, before a two more forms manifested. A chill swept through the air, as the Lord and Lady of the Nameless City made their presence known.

SIGURD: "…Miss Musashi. Allow me to handle this. Look after your Masters. Brynhildr, you assist Musashi and prepare."

BRYNHILDR: "Understood."

MUSASHI: "I… alright. Fine. But… Lancer…"

SETANTA: "No time for talk, Saber. I don't know why you're defendin' them, but I've got a duty."

"Now, 'Lord Sigurd'… Coming from the super-pragmatist you are, I figure you have a reason as to why you haven't killed 'em. Mind sharing with the class?"

SIGURD: "Not at this moment, no."

He stated dryly, drawing his sword and pointing it at the youth.

SIGURD: "You stand in my territory. This is not your forest, Beastmaster. I will give you one chance to cease."

SETANTA: "Hehe. 'Not at this moment, no'."

A lunge forward.

A slash.

Shockwaves.

Glass on surrounding windows shattered. Citizens ducked down as each strike, each clashing blade, created a sonic boom.

Your head pounded after each strike, the exhaustion from the spell you managed to barely eek out causing a dull pain to surge throughout your body, constant and throbbing. You could barely focus your attention on the battle above you, though it was hard to avert your eyes to begin with.

You hadn't seen Lair Servants fight before- but now you were seeing why they were the pride and joy of the Solar Cell and those who lived there. Why they were respected. Loved. Feared. In older times, Holy Grail Wars had to be kept secret, so the unadulterated might of heroes of ages past had to be restrained.

Here? They didn't need to be restrained.

SETANTA: "You're gettin' slow, Sigurd!"

SIGURD: "And yet I'm keeping pace."

In critical moments, to hold the pressure on the Lord of the Nameless City, the Beastmaster would switch to his quarterstaff with a blinding barrage of blows, before swiftly switching back to his short sword to cut in close. And with the might of the Sun, the Lord of the Nameless City would follow a similar strategy, cycling between using his mighty Gram as a double-bladed weapon before breaking into pieces and fighting swiftly with a longsword or a dagger.

A flurry of blades. A beautiful dance of weaponry.

The VALKYRIE kept their distance, knowing that they'd be in the way, focusing purely on making sure that the collateral damage was kept to a minimum and no citizens were hurt.

As you lay prone on the ground, quietly guarded by your samurai ally and the Lady of the Nameless City, you saw that she was carefully etching runes into the air- that once drawn, would fly off somewhere else in a short, subtle burst of magic.

Watching SIGURD and SETANTA fight, it was clear that SIGURD had the upper hand, however there would be moments where SETANTA's being would be surrounded by a black shadow-- before he would quickly shake it off, and continue fighting as normal.

The fight waged on and on, before suddenly the Lord of the Nameless City's voice bellowed out--

SIGURD: "Brynhildr! Now!"

On cue, the Valkyrie slammed her spear into the ground, the runes by you lighting up as well as sending a pillar of light in other places, encapsulating the two battling Servants- and leaving you just on the outside. She rested your head down on the ground, before vanishing.

As the light faded, you could see a shift in the terrain. Not a 'Reality Marble', but something astonishingly similar. The circular space resembled that of a shining white castle, surrounded by burning flames- and the sky in that one specific area was a beautiful clear blue.

This was the 'true territory' granted to SIGURD and BRYNHILDR by the Solar Cell. The facade of an urban metropolis peeled away temporarily. The 'Nameless City' allowed others to live there, but just as QUETZALCOATL's domain was her temple in which she watched over her people, this was manifested to grant the two total authority.

You watched as BRYNHILDR manifested on the other side, before SIGURD appeared opposite her, leaving the young SETANTA in the middle.

They both raised an arm, runic symbols spiraling around them and tracing a pattern on the manifested snowy ground.

The air grew still- as you watched the air in the domain fill with countless women, each of them dressed in identical, shining, swan white tunics.

The firmament shifted from a sky blue to a blinding white, as the countless shieldmaidens raised their weapons. Within the bounds of the city limits, something just short of a catastrophe was about to unfold.

Looking up, a single emotion pushed itself to the surface.

Fear.

BRYNHILDR: "By the decree of the All-Father, and the light of the Sun…!"

SIGURD: "...Witness this fantasy of the End of Days…"

Pure, unadulterated fear.

While this wasn't it, your form recognized this magic as a crucial part of what sealed you away. A Noble Phantasm that spared the pure and obliterated what was evil. That culled the wicked and rewarded the virtuous. Modified, requiring the synchronized hearts of both the Lord and Lady to activate. A localized Ragnarök- and those that failed whatever 'checks' required would not live to see the day.

You could hear MUSASHI's breathing picked up, a palpable tension rising from her body as she gripped her blades tighter.

There was a long beat of tension as the Lair Servants found themselves in a stalemate.

The young warrior's eyes darted around, his teeth grit in frustration before… he held his hands up.

SETANTA: "…I surrender. If you're willin' to go this far for them, then... fine. For now, I'll back off."

A pause, before the VALKYRIE lowered their weapons and the runes surrounding the Lord and Lady slowed.

Though SIGURD's face was obscured, you could practically hear the relief in his voice.

SIGURD: "I appreciate your restraint. Though I'm sure it wasn't for my sake. The citizens of the Nameless City are thankful to not have to witness the full might of the Beastmaster."

With a huff, the young man shrugged before turning away to face BRYNHILDR, who had a complicated look on her face.

BRYNHILDR: "Setanta... we..."

SETANTA: "...This isn't over. If you want them that badly, then they're your responsibility. The second things start gettin' out of hand..."

SIGURD: "...You have our word. They won't."

With a nod that wasn't quite satisfied, but aware nonetheless, the Beastmaster fully sheathed his weapons.

The white castle and your own adrenaline began to fade, exhaustion overtook your form as the Nameless City returned to what it once was...

Before SETANTA could disappear, MUSASHI called out.

MUSASHI: "Lancer. They want to do things differently this time. But I'm sure your mind is set."

SETANTA: "You're takin' a huge risk here. All of you. But whatever, I'm not going to try to fight all of you- not with two more of their Servants en route. The city wouldn't be able to take it. But--"

MUSASHI: "--Don't worry, if things go wrong, I've got my wakazashi right here."

The boy laughed dryly in response, before his smile faded.

SETANTA: "Hey, Saber-- Musashi... I wonder… if us bein' the only ones left makes us lucky, or unlucky..."

With nothing but a half-hearted shrug and a smile, the sword saint responded...

MUSASHI: "…See you around, Lancer. Setanta."

Like distant friends. Like close strangers. The two Servants stared at each other from a long distance away, a shadowed history keeping them tethered to the moment at hand.

With a sigh, the young pup turned away and snapped his fingers.

SETANTA: "We're off."

With an excited yip, the puppy accompanying him- trotting away with a sandwich in its mouth- joined SETANTA...

...And in a flash of blue data, they disappeared.

And additionally, you suddenly felt very, very tired. Not in a supernatural sense, but in the fact that you had just used very strenuous magecraft for the first time, and while successful, it had also been accompanied with the high stress of almost having your throat slit and jumping off of a skyscraper. In this case, exhaustion was normal.

And with that, in the arms of your Saber, you quietly slipped into darkness.

[tgrailwar-zero]

...Huh. What ARE we?

You wouldn't get an answer from him. So, you searched your mind.

It stung a bit, to do this. To try and pull memories.

The stress helped.

-

You remembered a burning wasteland. Screams off in the distance. The sounds of thunderous roars, as the Berserker tore through, his mind clouded by madness as he smashed and destroyed, lightning crashing down around him. The Berserker bellowed, not a Lair Servant to be seen.

The Lair Servant had been killed.

You watched... not with satisfaction. That feeling felt too distant. Too foreign. Just emptiness. The sensation of going through the motions. Unsated rage. Unending wrath.

You heard the sounds of footsteps behind you.

LANCER: "That's enough."

He looked at you, his brow furrowing. This was LANCER. This was your Lancer.

And yet, his eyes seemed too clear, and his expression too lucid.

LANCER: "That woman was right. Using a patchwork of human souls to slip into the cracks where it can't reach, in order to rip this place apart from the inside. It's a real despicable thing, what happened to you. Wouldn't mind doin' me a favor and stopping, huh?"

Something lashed out.

Anger.

Denial.

The Lancer-class Servant shrugged, as if that response was expected.

LANCER: "Yeah, I figured. Even if your minds had the sense to back off, your 'nature' wouldn't allow it. Well, I've been better at killin' than talkin' anyways."

You felt a surge of mana push through you. An attempt to use a Command Spell.

A command for him to get back to what he was doing, since you all weren't done yet.

It fell flat.

LANCER: "Don't bother. Contract's been destroyed. She said it was due to my 'virtue of being under her purview', or something like that. So, my mind's clear, and my spear is ready."

You couldn't tell what he was looking at- but you could tell how. He was staring at you not like someone, but something. Something great. Something terrible. Something to be feared. Something to be destroyed.

Something powerful, yet pitiful.

The spearman let out a quiet sigh, shaking his head.

LANCER: "…I get it. Deep in that body, my Master is in there. And to them, I want to apologize. I wish we could'a made it further, but we lost. We had some good fights, but nobody wins forever. Trust me. As for the rest of you…"

He held his hand out, a crimson streak shooting across the burning wastes. A spear, red as blood, found its way into his grasp as he spun it over his shoulder, before stamping it on the ground, his gaze focused and ready.

CU CHULAINN: "…Come at me."

[tgrailwar-zero]

Rider, is your Revelation (False) skill giving you any guidance?

CONSTANTINE: "Not particularly. It's mostly guiding me towards Draco, but it isn't much for situational awareness. We are on the right path, by the way. That being said, this situation isn't particularly complex. You'll just need to carefully coordinate my actions with Invader, and we'll be smooth sailing."

PRETENDER: "Hm? So you're the type of Servant that skulks around, huh?" CONSTANTINE: "...Ignoring Pretender, these catacombs seem to be rather fragile. It would take precision to do so. Invader is certainly precise, but she has a habit of... overdoing things. I may not have her firepower, but that may be for the better. Let's call this an exercise in 'coordination', shall we?"

-

As an 'Action Post', Constantine tends to have less potential moves, but still contributes to the story via your choices!

This means that a careful coordination is key! Two (and potentially three) Servants fighting and acting in tandem can make you an incredibly powerful fighting force... and also quite dangerous.

[tgrailwar-zero]

KUKULKAN: "Well... it's not impossible, but..."

The idea was worth considering- but it would be worth noting that DRACO does not seem to be as trusting and open as LUCIUS was.

You could tell that while KUKULKAN wasn't as dead-set against DRACO, she was wary of the Beast. Though her lack of animosity was a unique sentiment- perhaps it was because she registered as a 'foreign entity' as well, or perhaps her unique classing.

PRETENDER: "I don't think so. You'll have to think of another plan."

The air grew tense, as you could feel DRACO awaiting an answer.

Regarding some discussion about 'changing DRACO's Spirit Origin', the situation could be defined as this, in order to fully adjust a Servant's Spirit Origin, you would need to defeat her and then re-summon her, like with the Asclepius Origin. This wouldn't be a swift 'hacking' process. Unlike with LUCIUS, which was more of 'unlocking' a latent path of potential via an Ascension-like process, or simply using magical energy to restore MUSASHI to a fighting state, this was a wholly different process.

Which meant that if you didn't want DRACO, or wanted to modify her Spirit Origin, you would most likely need to fight her, destroy her, grab her Origin as quickly as possible, and then summon her in a less volatile state with her memories of her brief stint within the Solar Cell- including your betrayal- wiped if you were successful.

To make a long story short, there didn't seem to be much of a peaceful way of changing her Spirit Origin.

Of course, there was also the issue of the Altered ALTER-EGO... 'SAKURA SUPERBIA'.

If you chose combat, you would have to either take out DRACO swiftly and hope for the best, or split your attention between her and ALTER-EGO and... hope for the best.

Of course, you could also make a contract as is. Granting her the sword, and making a proper contract would result in you benefiting from DRACO's ability. However, that would also make you the Contractors of the Beast, which would firmly establish your relationship to the Solar Cell and the other Servants present as a threat. It would be a rather large gamble for power, but in terms of pure firepower, an Evil of Humanity was a rather terrifying ally to possess. It may cost a few potential allies, but it granted at least two incredibly powerful ones in the process.

DRACO: "I am growing weary of this. You've been granted time to banter, but now I require decision. If you have nothing to give me, then I have no use for you."

[tgrailwar-zero]

*deep breaths* Alright, alright, this is a stupid risk considering we're letting you approach us with a scalpel and our history together, but we still need to try asking...

Is there a way to get into the depths of the Solar Cell and destroy what's lurking there WITHOUT destroying the whole place? We were sent here because whatever is in those depths is going to come out and destroy everything. Everything in the Solar Cell and Humanity included.

Our two choices are either: A) destroy the Solar Cell and save humanity, or B) let the Solar Cell be and let everyone on it AND humanity die anyway.

If there's a third solution where we don't need to do any of that, that you're privvy to, then we'd love to hear it. We're aware you're a Lair Servant so you'd probably know about it better than the Red or Blue Faction.

Our Servant can attest to this, we were SUPER annoying about it earlier during the fight with Lune. Isn't that right?

If you're not willing to talk about it then fine, we'll just do the check up and go.

"I don't believe you, and I'm only doing this check-up because I'm inclined to do so as a doctor. Now..."

It seems like the DOCTOR's opinion of you is… pretty negative. Wonder why.

You hear a voice in the back of your head...

A NARRATING VOICE: [ "Yikes, this is hard to watch. There's a way to shmooze Servants, you know. You're somehow both way too loose, and way too tight. Play it like an erotic dating sim with far too many routes, and also none of the erotic parts, especially if you want him to join your side. Since you all have the collective charisma of a dying moose and he's pricklier than the insects swarming in to devour said moose, maybe it'll be easier if we make this into a click button minigame? Just lemme mess with your UI a bit..." ]

After a long pause, you looked at the DOCTOR again. There was no way this was going to last, but it did seem to ease the tensions a bit.

"…I feel like something really stupid is happening."

"You're getting that feeling too?"

A NARRATING VOICE: [ "There we go. Don't say I've never done anything for ya. Now, as he's doing his little check up, you pick one of these ready-made options, and you'll be golden if you pick the right one! If you don't. Well... at least I can say I tried. Okay, bye, don't try to follow up on this- I WILL NOT respond. Seeya!" ]

[tgrailwar-zero]

After some deliberating inside, you left the laboratory- returning to the town.

The fog was gone.

The town was absolutely empty. Like a graveyard.

Silent, except for a slow, cold breeze.

"We... we'll have to get used to things like this. Our purpose is to destroy the Solar Cell, after all. This was going to happen one way or another."

KUKULKAN said, her voice almost a whisper, though it seemed more like she was trying to convince herself.

"…I suppose."

CONSTANTINE replied, looking around the ghost town.

"Well, we could spend all day ruminating on what's already happened, but we should march onward. We have two potential places of interest."

After taking some time to review the information at hand, CONSTANTINE began elaborating.

"We're currently residing in the Fugue Hamlet, and have just retrieved the Trigger Key through the defeat of Lair Servant Asclepius."

"To the west is the Crimson Citadel, where Saber is in potential danger of a coup coordinated by Caster."

"To the southwest is the Nameless City, where we received a message from the 'Lord', offering a parley for information."

"You already know my vote- to head to the Crimson Citadel."

KUKULKAN spoke up.

"...But you said it yourself- Caster is dangerous. I understand wanting to help Saber, but we'd be going out of our way to fight a dangerous Servant with nothing but a 'maybe' in return. We should learn more about the Solar Cell… as we are now, our Masters are wandering blind. Besides- what's to say we won't have time to head to the Crimson Citadel later? Caster's trying to get two other Servants on her side- we probably have a wider window than 'instantly'."

"Same with the Lord of the Nameless City. He could have nothing for us except a trap. Yes, we should be prepared, but perhaps the risk in helping Saber would be well worth the reward. He could be a powerful potential ally, that's indispensable in war. Now, I'd rather be too early to stop an ambush than too late. The Nameless City can most likely wait. While I can't deny the value of information, we're only two Servants. We need to make up for our lack of numbers somehow."

It seems as if both KUKULKAN and CONSTANTINE had differing opinions on where to go next. Either way, it seems like neither of them want to be here longer than they want, nor need to.

There was the earlier suggestion. If you let one of them go on their own, and then reconvene later. Again, there was the risk factor, but it would serve as a way to cover more ground at once.

[tgrailwar-zero]

Look, Rider, I have been listening, I just feel guilty about summoning someone only to drive them out. Yes, we shouldn't have summoned her in the first place, but we did.

Also, I am starting to feel worse every time she acts like a kid if I am honest...

Are we really doing the right thing by killing her? I mean it's probably in part because she looks like a little kid that I am having such trouble. It's hard when it's directly in front of you.

CONSTANTINE: "…Right. The Beast has bewitched you with it's appearance, and you deign to pity it. I understand. Heroic Spirits cannot be children. Nor is the Whore of Babylon a mere child. That thing does not deserve 'guilt', we must…"

He stopped, before crossing his arms with a sigh.

CONSTANTINE: "…Nevermind. Continue your talks with the Beast."

A moment of long, dejected silence hung before PRETENDER sidled up to him, watching as the Emperor gave another attempt to tug his blade free from the sheath to run through DRACO, only to be met with the resistance of the Command Spell.

PRETENDER: "Oho. With that sigh, I'm sure that means you've heard a lot of apologies and not much agreement. Now, I get that we're technically enemies- as you're the Rider of Red..."

PRETENDER: "...Though you're not much of a 'Rider of Red' anymore, are you? Your allies are now your enemies, and everything you say gets brushed off by your current allies. You want to be a hero, but you're tasked with a different part. I mean, if I were you, I'd be furious. I mean, if my enemy openly wished to behead me, I'd want my Masters to do everything to support me- and yet here they are now, with nothing but excuses..."

CONSTANTINE: "There's no reason to be furious. Besides..."

PRETENDER: "Ooh. Want to mark that ego blow, or should I? I'm sure you expected your Masters to rally behind you against evil, not saddle you with performance art and baby the demon, right?"

With an airy laugh, PRETENDER leaned in closer.

PRETENDER: "Listen, you seem like a stand-up guy. But that still doesn't change the fact that your Masters are giving more courtesy to a Beast than to you. Maybe they're already enthralled by it. The power, the opportunity… I can understand you're the type to 'turn the other cheek', but sometimes you need to just do the right thing. You know… like slaying a dragon."

The PRETENDER-Class snapped his fingers, as CONSTANTINE felt a surge of magical energy rush through his body. Compounding his innate magical ability, the resistance to magic blessed upon him increasing exponentially.

He drew his sword. Smoothly, simply, easily. His eyes widened, as he turned back to look at the PRETENDER- who returned the Emperor's surprise with a coy smile and a wink. CONSTANTINE turned to look at the Beast.

Slay a dragon. Like the great Saint Georgios.

He began to walk forward, slowly. The Beast wasn't paying him any mind. Arrogance, made manifest. He felt a myriad of things- guilt, anger, frustration… mostly towards himself. He was given an order, and he was disobeying. Even if it was the right thing, he made an agreement. This was treachery, but…

He began quietly praying to himself.

CONSTANTINE: "Remit, pardon and forgive, O God, our sins committed voluntarily and involuntarily…"

This was the right thing. He could ask forgiveness later, if needed. He shook his head- why feel shame for enacting justice?

By Saint Mary. Saint Martha. Saint Peter. Saint Paul. Saint Michael, who had boldly fought the Dragon in order to bring peace to the world, as prophesied by Saint John. This Beast must be laid low. Destroyed, completely and utterly.

He continued quietly praying to himself as he marched silently onward.

CONSTANTINE: "…By word and deed, knowingly and in ignorance, by thought and purpose, by day and night…"

Closer. Closer. Step by step. Moment by moment.

He raised his blade.

CONSTANTINE: "…forgive all these... for You are gracious and love mankind."

[tgrailwar-zero]

With a flash, you returned to reality, where the battle had stalled. You saw a bit of battle damage on CONSTANTINE and KUKULKAN- it seems like they sustained a little bit of damage as your interaction with MUSASHI pushed a bit past 'stunning' and turned into a full-on contract. Still, it could be worse.

There was a form standing before you and your Servants. A swordswoman, who smiled amicably.

MUSASHI: "Shinmen Musashi-no-Kami Fujiwara-no-Harunobu, the Flower at the Apex of Heaven, is at your service!"

CONSTANTINE: "A new Servant, and 'Musashi', huh... I guess that means that our Masters were successful. Well, nice to meet you. You may call me 'Rider', we can divulge True Names when we're in… more appropriate company."

PRETENDER: "I get it, I get it. Ah, but a new ally? And a woman claiming to be 'Shinmen Musashi' to boot…"

KUKULKAN: "I'm… uh, Foreigner? Invader? I think there's already a Foreigner, so I'm sticking with Invader! Nice to meet you, Musashi!"

MUSASHI: "Hmm... Rider's pretty handsome, and Invader is cute when she isn't as robot-y... not bad, not bad at all, Masters..."

After listening to MUSASHI murmur something... a bit odd, you realized that you could feel a magical connection between you and her. It seems as if a Contract was established! Monitoring your Command Spells, it seemed as if two of KUKULKAN's Command Spells were transferred over to MUSASHI. It seems like creating multiple contracts without the assistance of some higher power within the system means that you'll have to share. Unless the contract was established before, like with RIDER or potentially AVENGER, and then you'd simply regain the proper amount of Command Spells.

Regardless, of the specifics, this was a success! Because...

[ MUSASHI joined the party! ]

PRETENDER: "Well, as much as I'd love to have a few hours for introductions and teambuilding, there is a Beast currently terrorizing the city, and her main body should now be unimpeded with Miss Musashi's taming."

KUKULKAN: "Oh, right! Draco! Right! Let's go, everyone!"

The rest of the walk was easy. Now with MUSASHI out of the way, at least in terms of her being an active threat against your group, the rest of the path was surprisingly clear. You wandered deeper and deeper into the catacombs, the air growing sticky and dense with vile mana.

You could hear MUSASHI, on instinct, unsheathing her blades and readying them for a battle. You noted that CONSTANTINE had his own hand on the hilt of his blade, but a faint surge of prana restrained his movements as he tried to pull it out, the magic of the Command Spell compelling him against his better instincts.

CONSTANTINE put a hand up, stopping the group.

CONSTANTINE: "We're close. I can sense her- and the terrain is beginning to shift. Which means we'd best strategize on how to handle her."

Your small troupe stopped, looking between one another. This was a conversation that was a long time coming, frankly. CONSTANTINE spoke up first- his voice clear and imperious.

CONSTANTINE: "That Beast is the Whore of Babylon made manifest. The Beast of Revelations as foretold by the apostle Saint John. She is a woman of wicked intent, set on destroying civilization. I understand why that may seem appealing due to our current situation, but all you'll be doing is feeding a monster! Allying with that Beast- becoming a Master of the Beast- will make us the true enemies of the Solar Cell, not just the Lair Servants. Humanity itself will reason for your very destruction. I say we slice her throat as soon as we see the whites of her eyes."

MUSASHI sighed, looking between her new traveling companions.

MUSASHI: "I've fought a lot of real jerks, but my blade hasn't sliced apart any Beasts before. But… I've also known the type of idealist who thinks that they can tame a Beast anyways, so as much as my swords are rattling, I can't lunge one way or the other. I do get what Rider means, though. Sticking the Beast in some other Class may lessen the rest of the World's insistence on killing them, but will make them less… uh, powerful? And that's only if you're able to do it…"

As MUSASHI's comment elicited an eyebrow raise from CONSTANTINE, KUKULKAN spoke up, a bit hesitantly.

KUKULKAN: "I don't know a ton about Beasts and Humanity or the World… I'm still learning about how most aspects of Human History work, but I think we need to take a chance with Draco. I don't want to decide someone is rotten or not just before meeting them, and she'll be good for this fight. I'm sure there's some good there too! If everyone hates us for the choices we make, that's okay, right? We'll be a team! You decided that you'd be enemies of this world for the sake of saving it."

The discussion was cut short as a voice pierced through the air--

???: "Stop sitting and chittering in the wings like rats, and fully reveal yourselves on my stage. To hold up a performance is poor manners, you know?"

As your Servants hesitantly reached the amphitheater, the sky seemed to be blotted out by the dark shape that moved, slowly and intentionally. You felt eyes boring down on you, a presence and weight that held a unique sense of 'gravity'.

Looking up, you saw the massive shadow of ALTER-EGO… or at least a Servant that greatly resembled her. Her body was clad head to toe in black leather, her eyes having lost their joy and luster in exchange for a bitter darkness. An innocent being, once calmed by the melody of 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star', now twisted into something devoid of that purity.

DRACO: "Welcome, o' Former Masters of mine, to my great stage! Oh, and do not mind my new toy. My mud has corroded her mind, Altered her Spirit Origin, and to be surrounded by a woman as beautiful as the sakura trees of the East is only an apt beginning of an imperial court. She is one of my Seven Heads made manifest, now. I've taken to calling her 'Sakura Superbia'."

KUKULKAN: "Wow... Draco is a pretty fast worker, isn't she...? Even I can tell that Servant is super dangerous, luckily, I'm sure our Masters are already thinking of a top-rate contingency plan if things go south... right?"

Staring up with an inscrutable expression, PRETENDER tutted.

PRETENDER: "Alter-Ego... You're quite the problematic Servant, aren't you? Always landing in some inconvenient situation. Avenger and Foreigner will be very upset if we don't fix this..."

"SAKURA SUPERBIA": "Pretender, Pretender, Pretender... you were always tiny like an insect, but now I feel like I could pin you and those pretty little wings to a board. Or should I just squish you instead?"

CONSTANTINE: "How lovely. So... that settles what happened to Alter-Ego, but what of Assassin?" MUSASHI: "You don't think they're controlled like that big girl?"

With a shake of his head, CONSTANTINE continued to look around the area.

CONSTANTINE: "Maybe, but... I'd like to be optimistic and say they escaped..."

Looking down below ALTER-EGO, in the shadow of the Massive Servant, you saw DRACO. She didn't seem... weak, particularly, but she had seemed stronger. It seemed like the lack of a proper contract was putting some toll on her body.

DRACO: "The sword is still in your possession, yes? Good. Deliver my sword, and I shall grant you wisdom of the Solar Cell. Give me tribute, and I shall consider renewing our contract. But behold, with my assistance, you gain an even mightier ally. How magnanimous am I. Normally I would have you kneel, but as you have no true body, my former Masters, I cannot ask you to bow your heads and beg for forgiveness. However, the Rider…"

You saw her mouth twist into a bitter, amused grin. CONSTANTINE shuddered though he did not look away, his eyes cold and piercing.

CONSTANTINE: "Oh, please speak, Whore of Babylon. Give me ample cause to wrench myself free of the Command Spell's curse and loose your head from your vile shoulders."

This seemed like an expected outcome. You told him he couldn't act out and defy your instructions- which at this point cycled around 'wait and see' regarding DRACO. That didn't mean he had to be nice about it.

DRACO: "How brave. Then yes, if you make him beg instead, that will be a far more amusing sight. And have him lop off his own head as well, then I will consider that apt sacrifice and have your debts repaid in full. After all, he disrespected my imperium, and dared to draw his blade against me. Such a rabid dog cannot be allowed to live, lest he bite the hand that feeds."

DRACO: "However, I am nothing but not fair. I'll give you time to discuss. I hope you make the right decision. After all, any resistance, and I'll bring down the might of 'Sakura Superbia' on you."

It seemed as if you were far enough away at the moment to discuss without being eavesdropped on, though close enough that you could call and speak to DRACO via the 'Endless Whispers' code cast regardless.

[tgrailwar-zero]

I have no idea what you are doing Invader, but, I trust you. I hope you will accept our support though.

As you began feeding your own mana as well as joining with KUKULKAN, her light filling up the hospital room, you found your focus wavering.

You saw flashes of events.

RIDER opting to secede from the Red Faction in order to search for AVENGER- and ostensibly you. A discussion between two Emperors. SABER granting that request, fairly yet reluctantly. Being confronted by CASTER several days into the journey. The desperate trigger of a defensive Noble Phantasm. Agony. The severing of a contract. The double-sided sword of having incredible fortitude- excruciating pain yet survival nonetheless. A hooded figure carrying him to a hospital. Darkness. A gnawing feeling. His personal mana running out, his Spirit Core trying to eat him alive. His mana had run out a long time ago- he was holding on through sheer willpower. Brief relief. A figure in black medical clothing setting up a new mana supply- temporary, but effective. Days passed, in a nigh-comatose state. Unfit for an Emperor, for a Servant. Frustration. Shame. Anger. A swirl of emotions, as day after day he tried to struggle out of the hospital bed- only making it as far as the door before falling unconscious again and again.

And--

[ NEW CONTRACT ESTABLISHED. ]

A bond.

Despite skepticism, a sense of belief. Faith, perhaps.

The same heart that you witnessed back on the waterside.

[ SERVANT - RIDER. TRUE NAME... "Constantine XI Dragases Palaiologos" ]

RIDER--no, CONSTANTINE snapped awake.

"Saber! We need to-- the Red Faction--… I need to get back to Saber!"

KUKULKAN put a hand on his shoulder, gently stroking it to calm him down.

"Shh. You're here-- you're fine…"

"Sorry for worrying you..."

As he was being comforted, you felt a new tether. It seemed as if your contract was renewed, but… different.

After all, you could only supply the same amount of mana, and now it was being divided between KUKULKAN and CONSTANTINE, which meant that dealing with combat would be different. Sure, T-Summoning was an option but--

Before you had much time to think, you could sense a shift in the mana in the room. You quickly turned to face the DOCTOR, who was trembling, the air around him beginning to twist and distort.

"Doctor…?"

CONSTANTINE asked weakly, KUKULKAN stepped in front of him.

"This is what he meant. I didn't realize it'd impact him so quickly. Maybe it was a proximity thing...? Well, anyways- get ready, Masters!"

It seemed like the new aggression was a bit outside of KUKULKAN's expectations... however, that became secondary to survival as the DOCTOR let out a violent roar.

A harsh wave of mana rocketed out. There was barely any time to react as KUKULKAN and CONSTANTINE went flying.

You saw the DOCTOR step out of the broken wall that the two Interloper Servants had fumbled through, his form changed, a divine glow around him.

"My name is Asclepius, the God of Medicine. Foul harbingers bearing the chaos of Phobos and raze the Solar Cell of life the hands of Hades, I will hereby destroy you! Begone, Interlopers!"

[ Both KUKULKAN and CONSTANTINE avoided taking damage! ]

"Damn... did something go wrong with my technique...?"

KUKULKAN's- and your action were a success- and it gave her enough time to recover.

Both KUKULKAN and CONSTANTINE were flung into the main room of the laboratory, the two of them pushing themselves up to their feet and drawing their weapons- CONSTANTINE unsheathing his sword as KUKULKAN's fists sparked with mana.

With two Servants, your battle strategy has changed! You can only have enough mana to fully support one as a 'leader'- who takes point during battles. They perform actions as normal, dealing damage- but also taking the full brunt of damage (unless the enemy has a unique multi-hitting skill)! However, the other Servants in your party (up to 2 extras) act as 'auxiliary'! Auxiliary Servants can be triggered for T-Summons, and do a number of 'support skills' (generally at the cost of mana) to keep the battle in your favor! The amount of Servants you can contract can be as high as you want, but has to have a Leader and two Auxiliary Servants when traveling around. You can edit around your 'party layout' while resting. Either have a large group of allies, or a small, elite battle force- your choice!

Statistics (KUKULKAN) - LEADER:

Strength: C Endurance: C Agility: B Mana: EX Luck: A NP: B++ Current Health: 3/7 Current Mana: 11/13

Statistics (CONSTANTINE) - AUXILIARY:

Strength: C Endurance: A Agility: C Mana: D Luck: C NP: EX Current Health: 7/11 Current Mana: 0/5

[tgrailwar-zero]

Meanwhile, back inside, it seemed like things were going well. The dancing had slowed, and the three Servants of the were, in a drastically different mood compared to you.

CONSTANTINE: "…Honestly, this isn't too bad. We haven't had a chance to breathe for a while." MUSASHI: "Ah, someone looks a little less grumpy. Is it because you got to dance Latin-style with Invader? She's a real cutie, you know." CONSTANTINE: "If that's what you think, she's all yours then when it comes to Round 2. And we have different definitions of 'Latin-style', I think... I thought I was a decent dancer, but she made me feel like I had two left feet."

With a few drinks in hand, KUKULKAN eased over to the others.

KUKULKAN: "Ah, our Masters just walked off with that boy… should we follow?"

CONSTANTINE: "It should be fine. They had a decent enough rapport back in my room. Besides, they're perfectly capable on their own, we don't need to babysit them."

There was a long pause between the three.

CONSTANTINE: "Fine. Let me rephrase that. I don't want to babysit them. They need their space too."

KUKULKAN: "Mmn… I don't know, when they're left on their own, bad things tend to follow..."

With a hearty clap on the Foreigner's back, MUSASHI waved it off.

MUSASHI: "Come on, Rider has a point! I mean, Lancer and I were in similar boats, so if Lancer feels anything like I did--"

She paused.

MUSASHI: "…If Lancer… feels anything… like… I did…"

She repeated, quietly, to herself.

MUSASHI: "…"

MUSASHI: "…Shit."

[tgrailwar-zero]

Setanta gets to protect as a Lair Servant.

Musashi gets to atone as a Shade.

Avenger gets to serve as a jailer.

Why are we not allowed to repent?

You felt a feeling bubble up inside you.

Subtle. Natural. Fitting.

Pushing you to get mad.

To rage.

To be the soul filled with enough anger to call forth an Avenger.

Your grudges, faint and distant, belonging to a 'you' long gone slowly began to manifest. To shift and change, to settle themselves into the right cracks.

And a thought, small and simple, appeared in your mind.

'This doesn't seem very fair.'

You were at a party. You were being celebrated. You were a hero.

For the first time, in what seemed like setback after setback, you were finally getting somewhere.

For the first time in what seemed like setback after setback, you weren't being led around by people making a bunch of assumptions.

You made a choice- you made your choice- and it turned out for the better. And now?

And now here you are, with a sword wound and a blade pointed at you, by what? Some half-rate familiar? A 'Servant'? If this was a Servant, if this was your Servant, then the fact that he wasn't bowing seemed to be anathema to his entire existence.

Repent? Forgiveness?

They should be asking for your forgiveness. They're the ones that wronged you.

You didn't ask to be here. To be judged.

This godforsaken place trapped you for who knows how long, forced you to fight, and then sent warriors after you when you were done.

So why not?

Why not get upset? Fight. Rage. Thrash. Howl.

Why not...

(This option will run alongside the initial poll. While the initial options will not change, depending on the choice here, their 'color' will be different.)

[tgrailwar-zero]

Go Kuku go! Go Kuku go! We believe in you!

With a burst of magic, a light brighter than the sun burned from KUKULKAN. She dashed forward as the ground from under LUNE erupted in a pillar of bright, shining light. The paladin was knocked in the air, spinning as they tried to desperately regain their balance, whatever Noble Phantasm or skill they possessed taking the brunt of the attack. With a swift kick, KUKULKAN leaped into the air.

"No mercy, here I goooo! Haaaah!"

She fanned her hands outward, two emerald-green buzzsaws, bursting with her magical energy, manifested in her palms as she threw them forward. With the focused help from her Masters, they found the infinitesimally small cracks in the magical armor, the foreign energy counteracting the traditional magecraft that kept LUNE's shield present. It was an attack nearing perfection- executed in spectacular fashion with the synergy between Masters and Servant.

[ KUKULKAN did 5 damage to LUNE, and reduced the incoming damage to 1! LUNE seems to be down for the count! ]

They went flying, spiraling through the air and crashing into a building. Until--

Until…

You felt the world slow around you. HISTORIA was gone. The DOCTOR was gone. It was simply you, KUKULKAN, and the damaged form of LUNE.

Though not just LUNE.

LUNE's spirit, the energy that composed their existence as a Phantom Spirit. The piece of the Heroic Paladin of the Moon, that had been fractured from SABER.

This was a moment of snap decision. Seconds turned into hours. Hours turned into eons. In this darkness- in this endless starfield condensed into a microscopic space- a Servant stared at you.

The Servant that stared at you was KUKULKAN, but at the same time- wasn't. She was colder. More offputting- but at the same time, she seemed powerful. Not driven by emotion, but by logic. Not driven by her heart, but by her mind. A Servant you had gotten a mere glimpse of before she made herself 'KUKULKAN'.

The class was nameless. 'FOREIGNER' was taken. So, it seemed like your friend from the areas between had created something special for you. 'INTERLOPER' was a bit wordy. Maybe…

INVADER: [ "Enemy Servant reached required vulnerability thresholds. Initializing T-Summon Subroutine. I understand my purpose. Destroy the Solar Cell. Use the Sun to destroy the Sun. Current power to destroy the Solar Cell; insufficient. Further strength required, and can be gained. Master authorization required." ]

-

[tgrailwar-zero]

(Something I remembered just now, we have a body. I would like to try to hug Constantine.)

It was… awkward, but you did it. It was more like 'enveloping' rather than hugging, in all honesty.

CONSTANTINE: "Well, I only really reached the conclusion 'Draco' was antecessor Nero due to the majority of you screaming it in my ears. But… I suppose I have to echo the question…"

He turned to the youth, raising an eyebrow.

CONSTANTINE: "…Who are you?"

The young man's eyes widened, surprised.

BOLD YOUTH: "Huh? Who am I? I mean, I figured that I laid out why I'm here pretty simply-- I was eavesdropping and felt like joining in at a good moment-- but what do you mean 'who am I'?"

You could practically feel the disappointment radiating off the young man.

BOLD YOUTH: "And that stings a bit. I expected a reunion, not to be given the cold shoulder…"

The young Servant beamed.

CU CHULAINN (?): "There we go! It seems like not all of you are stone-hearted bastards after all!"

While, similarly to MUSASHI, most of your memories were from the 'First THGW', you remembered LANCER-- or CU CHULAINN-- being one of the more powerful Servants present during that War.

And, frankly, one of the more composed and experienced fighters going into everything. It had been mentioned that he had become a Lair Servant-- it seems like this was the result.

The young CU CHULAINN folded his arms proudly.

SETANTA: "Former 'Lancer of the Interlopers', current Lair Servant! Uh, forget about the name 'Cu Chulainn', though. I'm the Beastmaster, Setanta!"

Unlike MUSASHI, there was a definite change in his demeanor and appearance.