View source for 5939/FateParadox - Duel

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2018/07/19
|Location=Horizons Apartments
|Synopsis=Saber Gwyn and Archer Shogo Arisu fight in a courtyard while several curious Elites try to track down their Masters, and chaos ensues.
|Cast of Characters=533, 70, 451, 1143, 705, 6381, 317
|Tinyplot=Fate/Paradox
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>The Horizons Apartment Complex.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Built rapidly in the aftermath of the disaster that fell the Union and Confederacy, it was an attempt to cash in on the massive flood of displaced refugees, so 'fast' and 'cheap' was the order of the day.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;However, just as it was complete, the Paladins established their foothold and began overseeing all matters relating to disaster relief. Horizons was immediately pegged as unsafe, and the site was condemned and scheduled for demolition.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;However, it seems the unsafe buildings would see a coronation of sorts on this night.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The sounds of metal ringing against metal, mixed with gunfire and thunderclaps have been emanating from the site, prompting calls to emergency services. Eyewitnesses in the form of a bunch of young hoodlums using the place as a canvas reported seeing 'a way-old Gandalf-looking m********ker' fighting with 'some guy carrying more swords and guns than my little brother's dumb anime characters.'<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Those who arrive to observe would see two figures engaging in a courtyard overlooked by towering half-complete buildings. It is quite transparently Saber and Archer, engaged in a duel. The old king constantly strides towards his opponent, his large sword flashing in an attempt to slice him, while the fallen exorcist tries to maintain his distance, peppering Saber with gunfire that he seems ill-equipped to deal with.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Every now and again, Saber manages a fake-out by hurling lightning bolts to gradually corner Archer, at which point he moves in, forcing the dead exorcist to switch to his blades to fight back. But Saber, as per his name, clearly outmatches Archer in swordplay, overwhelming his dual-wielded defences and landing some clean blows. But each time, Archer manages to slip out of the trap and resume his ranged offense.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's clear that Saber is the one worse off. With each exchange, new holes are blown into him, scattering flame and ash before closing off, each one taking that slight bit longer. Archer has taken some wounds, but all on his upper body. He's done a fine job of defending his legs so as to maintain mobility.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But, once again, no immediate signs of their Masters hanging about. But if they were on-site, they would have plenty of places to hide...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Priscilla had been waiting for this. Though the odd report had filtered in regarding this grail war, and its atypically infrequent but dramatic skirmishes, the First of the Concord had one very particular, and very obvious, investment in this matter that transcended all else. While content to allow other Partners to survey and interfere with other battles, one in which the Saber of this war appears is the point at which she puts everything on hold, delegates all standing arrangements to subordinates, and goes out herself.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The abandoned apartment complex is at least a far cry from a crowded and Multiversally travelled road, and so the Magi of the Grail War have at least taken that warning seriously. On the other hand, it's an environment where a Master could very easily be hide and be highly obnoxious to pin down, which may very well be the point, if they're actually here. Ascertaining that fact is what Priscilla tries to do after arriving at the scene early. Though dearly tempted to, she does not interfere with the battle immediately, moving from building to building in her faded away state, scanning with her eyes and ears, but also for the telltale whiff of living souls.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While she has the opportunity she studies the battle, and the more she sees of it, the more she frowns, gradually picking up her pace with more stiff and urgent steps. There should be no way this should be a contest, under normal circumstances. She knows Lord Gwyn to be insanely, overwhelmingly powerful -literally a god amongst gods. It perplexes her that he should struggle in any way with this, until she picks out the wounds made of crumbling ash and smouldering embers.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It explains a lot, but troubles her even more.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:451|Karian Icefang (451)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Also arriving onto the scene was another of the participants of the Grail War. Though not active in the battle itself, it served a strategic advantage to know your enemies capabilities. With that in mind, Karian Icefang was currently standing on one of the nearby rooftops, watching the battle. He was sure his own Servant, the Rider of this War, would be watching as well, doing the same thing he was.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1143|Touta Konoe (1143)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The young man has never even heard about the Horizons Apartment Complex till he hears word of the confrontation occurring amongst the Servants through the comms. Though one look at the place sorta reminds him of the slums back in his world. Frankly, he probably could be mistaken for a local in the area. Or at least as the dumb little brother's anime character. Touta arrived on the scene ready for anything with his trusty sable-side stick (that's his sword), Kurobo. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Once he makes it to the seen though he's pretty surprised at the scene unfolding before him. "Wow, these guys are impressive." Of course that was to be expected of individuals who would be summoned by the Holy Grail as Heroic Spirits. Individuals who had proven that they were the greatest of warriors, and even when faced with an opponent that they probably had no understanding of they still proved to be capable of fending for themselves. Especially Archer in this case who seemed to be slowly winning this battle of attrition. At least at first glance that appears to be the case. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "We should help Archer, I haven't heard that Reiji or Xiaomu have been able to talk to him yet." The young man is ready with guns...Well sword ablazing. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">"Touta wait! There's no telling what will happen if we decide to hop in now, there might be others lying in wait. Besides, does it look like Archer is in need of help?"</span> <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He can't really argue with the sword. It apparently had a idea of the situation than Touta did. So if that was the case, the next best thing he could probably do was try to find either Reiji or Xiaomu. They'd definitely be coming if they heard about Archer's arrival. So if that was the case Touta intended to meet up with them before anything else. Still there was another question going through Touta's mind. If there was a battle going on with the Servants...Wasn't Ruler somewhere nearby?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:'''<br>This is a complicated situation.<br><br>Not just the fact that there's evidently a duel between servant playing out in an ostensibly occupied (and rightfully condemned) residential zone. That's definitely a concern. No, what's weighing on Reiji Arisu's mind right now is the identity of one of the combatants.<br><br>And, more importantly, whether he would be able to be... Impartial. About this.<br><br>Something tells him that no, he would not.<br><br>But does he have any other choice? He /must/ be here. He could never forgive himself if he were not.<br><br>The exorcist alights on a nearby building and turns a pair of binoculars to the flashing blades and bursting gunfire in the distance. It's them, alright. No doubt about it. And if Gwyn is here, then Priscilla must be, too.<br><br>But... What about the masters...? Could they be observing the battle as well?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova presses herself up against the wall as she approaches the window. It's unlikely anyone here has yet to penetrate her invisibility but it doesn't hurt to be cautious. She peeks out through the windows at the fight playing out in the courtyard below. She watches for several moments, appreciating the gunmanship of the Archer. Saber's swordmanship is not as interesting to her, Nova's own skill in the art barely passable.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course, the Servants are not really the main focus of Nova's presence here. Similar to her previous missions revolving around this specific Grail War, Nova's interest is more in the Masters. Many of them are still unknown and that lack of information in such a crucial situation bothers Nova.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Finally turning her eyes away from the battle, Nova looks over the various apartment buildings that make up the complex. She can obviously only see the facing sides, checking each window before moving on. Of course, anyone trying to remain hidden is unlikely to just be standing in plain sight. So the initial search is unlikely to reveal anything obvious. Searching each room individually would be time consuming and likely ineffective if the Masters have any skill whatsoever at hiding. So more unique methods are required.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova leans her head back against the wall and closes her eyes. She reaches out with her mind's power, seeking out signs of other minds in the area. She's not trying to read them, not yet. First step is just to confirm their existence and rough locations.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:317|Theo Morrison (317)}} has posed:'''<br>Potential Servant on Servant violence? Theo is on the case.<br><br>Literally, actually. It's a case, and he's handling it. Sure, people think of the Paladins as being a glorified Multiversal police precinct, but it really isn't quite that simple. While he refers to the whole thing as his 'case,' it's more like he has a certain level of authority based on his specialization -- namely, his placement in the Multiversal Anti-Counterfeit Division. It sure /sounds/ like a police department, anyway... but you'd be better off thinking of it as a very specialized superhero team.<br><br>(It almost goes without saying that Theo really likes being considered a superhero nowadays. Bonus!)<br><br>Theo arrives at the scene of the clash on foot, hurrying down an adjacent street alongside his three-foot-tall robotic bird sidekick Kickotron. He wears square-rimmed glasses, a local map projected on the frame-mounted heads-up display and connected to a flexible band of material looped around his left wrist that is in actuality a high-tech piece of computer equipment. Kickotron, meanwhile, wears a riot helmet sized for his big bird head and totes around a military surplus backpack full of something-or-other, huge on his tiny metal body.<br><br>Theo stops, standing at the corner of a wall near the courtyard and letting his magical senses open up more fully. His senses of sight and hearing magnify at the same time, letting him feel out sources of active and passive magic nearby as well as any telltale signs of, say, enormous invisible monsters about to stab him in the back. He just needs a good idea where to start looking, and then...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>Various figures show, but none get in the middle of the fight, so the fight continues as it is.<br><br>As the battle wages on and is simply observed by several there, refusing to interrupt, Archer keeps up his ranged assault. The gunfire continues to pepper into Saber, but at some point, as he fights, he seems to understand what he's facing. So when Archer moves to blast him with shotgun, Saber's blade suddenly spins out, deflecting the shot to the side, much to Archer's surprise. Saber takes this moment to slash into him, forcing Archer back, who quickly draws his blade to counter. If they even notice anyone, they don't react that way.<br><br>At this point, a figure appears looking out a high window of one of the apartment buildings. Nova's people sense would be able to pick up the telltale trace of a mind, while Priscilla's search through the buildings and eventual arrival at this building will find a room locked up tight, possibly barricaded based on the noises when it's attempted to be open. Someone's here - she can sense a single soul past the door, though it's pretty quiet if she tries to listen in. Nova's mind sense will also spot something in one of the dumpsters...a person, maybe? <br><br>There's a presence next to Karian, looking down from the building with him. The winged figure in shining golden armor speaks up, the Rider's voice calm, if spirited. <span style="color:xterm220">"Two opponents are engaged in a duel, Master. What are your commands?"</span> His blade is at his side, ready to shed blood if his Master deems it necessary.<br><br>Touta's thoughts about Ruler are justified, but if he takes a look around the area for the man on the broom, he's nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he's hiding, if he's at all there?<br><br>Theo's magical sense detects three signatures close by that are definitely Servants - Saber, Archer, and the Rider high on a rooftop. There's a fourth more faint one high above them in the air, beyond what the eye can see.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:451|Karian Icefang (451)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Karian hmm's softly. "For the moment, we watch the battle. It's not our place to interfere. But if any moves to insert themselves, stop them. If we're lucky, the masters of the Servants will reveal themselves." He says, watching closely, looking for possible weaknesses in the Servants.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Priscilla doesn't quite have the time to feel a little ease of tension and swell of pride as the tides of battle change not too far away from her. Of all the other combatants, the Archer is probably the one she "doesn't care about at all"-s the least. Finding the first sign of a Master is a more important affair, and what she had come here for to start with. If it isn't the one she's hoping for, it can still be one who is useful to her.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She only very gently tries the door, for the exact issue of jiggling and yanking the doorknob making a lot of noise that is very likely to alert someone inside. As soon as she determines the handle won't turn, she lays that hand on the wood of the door instead, and ostensibly empty space 'splashes' slightly, as if it were some almost perfectly transparent liquid.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Priscilla steps inside the apartment. A door is something she can manage, despite trying this very little. She slows her pace even more once inside, using all of her senses to look out for potential traps from a paranoid magus, and shifting her weight as slowly as possible as she searches from room to room. If she can actually catch one unaware, the sensible thing to do is to grab them immediately. A magus shouldn't be hard to physically overpower, and to the best of her knowledge, typically need their hands free to use combat magic.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1143|Touta Konoe (1143)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No luck finding Nagi anywhere. That wasn't the biggest deal for him though. At the moment Touta was more or less on standby. He figures Reiji and Xiaomu gotta be here somewhere and until they pop out he figures he shouldn't either. Or it's more correct to say Kurobo will keep him from being too reckless until something crazy happens. After all he didn't personally have anything to gain or lose from this Grail War but he knew that Reiji and Xiaomu would probably be upset if they didn't get to talk to his dad at least once. Hopefully they'd have a better conversation than Touta did with Nagi. Though he feels that wouldn't be too hard to accomplish. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For now the young man decides that his top priority is to meet up with those two. Though...Does he have a way to contact them that wouldn't be overheard? Probably not. So with that being the case Touta's forced to scower rooftops hoping to find one of the two to figure out what to do. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; With him hopping around though he still has a pretty clear view of the situation going on of the battlefield, and it looked like the tides had turned slightly in Saber's favor. Guess that's to be expected of Priscilla's gramps. That said Archer still didn't look like he was in dire need of help just yet, so until he sees some sort of actions from one of the two, he's keeping his own distance. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Where the hell are you guys?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:317|Theo Morrison (317)}} has posed:'''<br>Theo gets a sense of three -- no... four people, and mutters into his radio. Two must be Saber and Archer, who he wants to attract the attention of the least. One is Rider, who is apparently Karian's Servant, which will definitely be a problem later. That means the last one is...<br><br>"...maybe Ruler," he murmurs to himself, "but maybe not." He turns to Kickotron, stepping back behind the corner and putting more building between him and the Servants. "Alright, we're not here to start a fight just yet, so hold a box in reserve. I'm gonna gather intel before someone jumps our shit." Kickotron nods, rummaging through the bag while Theo rubs his hands together, getting something ready. Both are, really.<br><br>"Signal Pest." There's a flicker of mana and coalesced aether, a white fog rising on the spot Theo points at. The resulting thing that forms out of it looks a bit like a metal grasshopper crossed with a shelled soldier. It's got an array of little red eyes along its head, segmented legs, and big, strong three-fingered hands to grip things. "Start sweeping the interior of the building," he tells it. "Stay out of sight."<br><br>The Signal Pest jumps away, moving with quiet long jumps into the complex. Theo gestures with one hand as soon as it leaves, sweeping his fingers across open air and seeming to wrinkle it in the process. A third-person camera-style view of the Signal Pest's surroundings appears to one side of him. He does it again, and a second window opens to the other... except its point of view is up in the sky, aimed at the hidden magical signature watching from there.<br><br>"Scry two, bitches," Theo mumbles to nobody in particular.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:'''<br>It's not as if the tide of battle was bound to stay its course. Reiji remembers all too well what it was like to do battle with Lordran's once-patriarch. The force of that withered husk's blows are still strong in his memory-- but something about seeing his father endure one himself makes Reiji's hand twitch dangerously close to his own set of firearms.<br><br>But--<br><br>If he interferes now, then that might be the end of it. There's an atmosphere of cooperation between the Paladins and the Concord over this particular operation, and tilting the scales against Priscilla's father in favor of his own might just disrupt that delicate balance.<br><br>And so Reiji is left with the difficult choice to... Trust in his father's abilities and instead go about doing his job.<br><br>The exorcist sighs and turns his attention to the local leylines. His hand presses flat against the concrete beneath his feet as he expands his perception beyond the limitation of his five senses. The raw power of three Servants and multiple Elites will make this tricky, but he is familiar with at least a handful of them. But more importantly, Servants do not exist on their own; they are connected to a master, and the master provides mana to sustain their servant. The question, then, is from where does the mana flow? <br><br>Maybe, just maybe, he might be able to catch a glimpse...?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova locates a number of minds in the area. Some on the roof. Some on the ground... Wait, wasn't that where the building's dupsters were? One really high up in the air... Could be a good place for a Master to hide. But hard for Nova to confirm easily right now. Maybe check that one out later. A couple high up in one of the other buildings-<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova shudders, wrapping her arms around herself at the disturbing feeling. Having interupted her search, the feeling begins to fade. Not entirely though, the sensation niggling at the edge of Nova's mind. The Ghost leans to look through the windows up to the source. She can see a faint figure hidden in the dark, but not much more. Could it be a Master? A part of Nova doesn't want to find out. A part that she listens to. Nova takes a few silent steps back, before turning around and beginning to move.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Some brief scouting reveals that Nova knows most of the people she picked up, not counting the two in the building she's avoiding. Or the one that just arrived with a robot companion, but said arrival and his actions suggest he probably isn't one of the Masters. Nova's not discounting the possibility, but for now she still has a couple others to check on. That just leaves the one in the air and the one near the dumpsters.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova makes her way down and out of the building she's in. She probably passes by Theo's strange jumping creature, which causes some initial concern. But holding her position and remaining hidden, Nova decides to avoid engaging as she waits for it to pass.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Continuing on, Nova begins to approach the location of her current target. She had remembered correctly, the location containing dumpsters. On the one hand, it's a good place to hide. On the other... It's a freaking dumpster! Still, Nova readies her rifle and slowly approaches with the intention of identifying the target. That will probably require opening the dumpster they're in.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>As Priscilla creeps into the barricaded apartment using her teleportation abilities, she'll find the traps rather easily - wires at waist-level all over the place, connecting from room to room where each door is cracked to let them pass through. The wires don't seem to be coursing with energy or electricity or anything of the sort, but much more mundane - there's a series of bells all across the apartment, which if any of the wires are even cut, will likely be tripped based off how gently they're hanging. Too mundane for a mage, so what kind of man would do this?<br><br>Eventually, though, Priscilla can find her man, peeking out of a window with a sniper rifle. It appears to be a bolt-action, set up with a scope, and the sniper is looking for the right time to make his target. He has short black hair, and his breathing and stance is incredibly calm, especially with the fact the wires are most concentrated right at his back - getting anywhere close to him or the window is difficult with sounding the alarm or being incredibly cautious. The sniper suddenly takes his finger over to the trigger...he's about to make a shot.<br><br>Regarding the same building, the Signal Pest going through the ductwork will eventually be able to find the same sights of the man with the sniper rifle through one of the ventilation ducts in the apartment bedroom, though the Master wasn't blind to those, either - the wires extend to the door of it, and any tampering with them will also set off the bells.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As it turns out, wires at waist height are actually incredibly annoying for Priscilla. She's too tall to confidently crawl under them, and they're still too high off the ground to step over. She assumes that someone who isn't confident in their chances of escape would attach grenades or talismans to them instead of bells, which ironically makes her more reluctant to trip them. It comes down to spending a lot of time meticulously and painstakingly fading into the largest spots she can find between them, taking a long time to size each one up even for being such short jaunts. The window itself is an entirely different matter however, with the man she finds having essentially roped himself in. She hadn't expected to see a gun of all things. This War might be considerably more diverse than she had already imagined.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Unfortunately, she's not willing to gamble the 50/50 (more like 80/20 really) odds that this man is on the wrong side, and she doesn't have a lot of time to spare to figure out how to get at him. When she detects that telltale half-breath, stiffened posture, and slight trigger movement, Priscilla -still held back by the bells- darts her tail underneath the wires, hooks it around one of his ankles, and then forcefully yanks his leg backwards. Quite probably, it'll knock him to the floor and drag him away from the window. At the very minimum, he won't be shooting anyone with any accuracy.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:451|Karian Icefang (451)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Karian hears the call of a sniper, and is immidiately on the move. He was cautious, despite knowing that his armor would most likely be able to take the hit. But as he moved to get close, a thought occured to him. He tried to figure out where the sniper was and...literally crash through the ceiling into the same room. Something to be said for shock tactics.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>Theo's scrying into the air will be able to find something - high in the air, watching the battle through a pair of binoculars, is a military man on a pair of flying skis. He's armed to the gills - an M1 Garand rifle, a tommy gun, and a trench gun are all on his person. It seems like he's preparing to descend at any moment, but he's not holding any of his guns or readying hostile manuevers. What is he planning?<br><br>Meanwhile, Reiji tries to tap into the leylines, figure out where the magic that the Servants possess is flowing from. He's able to make his match rather quickly - Archer's connection leads up to the man in the high window, inside the barricaded apartment, while Saber's leads into...the dumpsters! There is absolutely a Master hiding in a dumpster, it seems. <br><br>Who Nova is approaching on. With her stealth skills, the person in the dumpster doesn't see her coming, so as she opens it, she's able to spot...a young woman, in her late teens or early twenties at the most, with half-black and half-white hair down to her rear, and a dress that fits a well-off young woman from a more medieval time. As Nova opens the dumpster, the woman looks up...and immediately spots the rifle. Her eyes widen, and she panics, moving to flow blue energy through her hand. She doesn't move to attack, but seems to be preparing in case Nova moves to straight out shoot her, to do something in return, as she has very little preparation time.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''<br>Quickly opening the dumpster and preparing her rifle in case her target turned immediately hostile, Nova is... A little surprised by what she finds. A dress is hardly appropriate wear for hiding in a dumpster. The surprise is visible on Nova's face for a moment, before she recovers from it and gets down to business.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rifle still aimed but not yet fired, Nova notices the gathering of magic. Or so she assumes. Nova is far from a magic expert. But that fact that she hasn't been turned into a frog or senting flying suggests it's not yet been launched. Makes sense, Nova clearly having the upperhand. The woman's panic is plain to see, telepath or no.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova decides to utilize her advantageous position. Keeping her rifle trained on the woman, trigger finger ready but still, Nova says in a demanding tone, "Identify yourself!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>Meanwhile, Touta's watching the fight between Archer and Saber. Now that Saber can deflect gunfire, and because of his superior swordsman skills, Archer is having trouble on both fronts. His bullets still occasionally hit, but it's becoming rarer and rarer each time. <span style="color:xterm124">"You sure as hell learned quickly, Saber. One hell of a sword arm on you."</span> Saber, meanwhile, just remains quiet, hmphing as he moves for another sword strike.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:'''<br>Two targets. One is in the building-- Archer's master. His father's master. Reiji's expression hardens as the battle-tide continues to shift. But...<br><br>There's a way he can make this work out. Saber's master is down below. If she feels as though she's in a dangerous situation, will Gwyn be forced to retreat? The exorcist rises, then turns and leaps from the rooftop, hopping from windowsill to windowsill as he gradually descends to ground level, only to find...<br><br>That he isn't the only one who figured out where Saber's master was hiding.<br><br>"You're going to want to do that, yourself," the exorcist grunts as he draws and levels his own pistol-- not at the girl in the dumpster, but at the woman with the rifle. "I have business with that girl. If you don't mind kindly lowering your weapon?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1143|Touta Konoe (1143)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "SCREW IT!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">"Touta wait!"</span> <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If anyone had even bothered to notice Touta they would have realized he had looked as though he had vanished. He just couldn't wait anymore in good conscious of what was about to happen. He didn't know why Reiji wasn't intervening but at this rate his dad was going to be cut down, and if Touta was able to do something and he didn't, what the hell kinda guy did that make him? Well he was about to find out. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Using Shundo Touta had launched himself from the rooftop all the way to the battlefield, more specifically at Gwyn, the Saber of this war and Priscilla's relative. The back of his sword would come swinging across the larger man's chest with the back of his blade. It wouldn't be a fatal blow however... <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "2000 FOLD!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But that wasn't his intention. Whether Gwyn blocked or not he was about to be smacked with the weight of an industrial truck condensed into a single sword edge and if all went well he hoped to slam him a into the distance, or at the very least give Archer some breathing room. As for Touta's feelings on what he had just done. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Hi, I'm Touta. I'm friend's with your son." While there's a smirk on his face he's not looking at Archer. In fact there's a slight bead of sweat running hesitantly down the side of his face. There's a part of him that knows what he's just opened himself up to. He might be immortal, but it doesn't mean he likes pain...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>Priscilla is unable to get to the man through the wires, up until she decides to use her tail to trip him. The man is shocked, pulled back and losing his grip on his rifle, but at the same time, his reaction is fast. As he's pulled backkwards, he suddenly grabs a knife from his belt...and then, as fast as he can, tries to stab it into the tail wrapped around his ankle, with the grip so tight.<br><br>It's at this point that Karian crashes through the ceiling, which also startles the man, but he seems to be built for chaotic situations like this, because if he can break Priscilla's grip, he'll try and roll straight out and through the window. If not, though, he's in big trouble.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>Nova has the woman at gunpoint. The woman stares up at her, not finalizing her magical spell into something more dangerous...and forcibly calms herself, speaking with a more cool and haughty demeanor. "I am Cenedril of Astora. If you wish to communicate, put down your gun and speak like a civil person." Though, as she speaks up, someone else shows up and also asks her to lower her weapon...and as she spots him, Cenedril's eyes actually seem to be full of...admiration?<br><br>"Reiji Arisu...! What is the meaning of this?" Cenedril of Astora seems to know him, from the way she talks, but he has absolutely never seen her before or met her.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:317|Theo Morrison (317)}} has posed:'''<br>Theo's Signal Pest magi-cam gives him some weird readings. He keeps picking up sounds of things that aren't there. It seems like footsteps at first, and then again there's some... odd rippling, maybe? The bells all make sense, but what's with those? Invisible wizards?<br><br>Theo chalks it up to ghosts, reports it in, amd leaves it at that.<br><br>The Signal Pest remains in the vent, peering out between the metal slats with its array of tiny red eyes. It certainly isn't invisible, but it also isn't the focus of that particular mess, so it might just go unnoticed if Theo is lucky. He leaves it where it is, but with Karian inbound, he doesn't expect to need to focus there, so he dismisses the scrying window. Instead, he motions to Kickotron, who hands him a cloudy white plastic container. He pops the lid, tossing the contents back and forth between his hands, and then laying them out on a table that his sidekick has helpfully propped up.<br><br>"Plains. Sol Ring." He looks at the window still showing him the guy in the air. A moment passes as gunfire and superhuman sword skill erupt. Rectangles of cardstock inside plastic sleeves hit the tabletop, gleaming in the light cast from a band of silver and sunlight on one of his fingers. "Plains. Fabled Hero." Another flicker of aether. A tall man with a darker Mediterranean complexion materializes, dressed from the waist down in white and gold and bearing a cape over his shoulder and across his back. Theo points at him. "Cover this and get ready to move. Gonna check a thing." The man salutes, grinning. Theo puts his hand of cards down face-down next to it, sighing and stepping back. He looks straight up.<br><br>One of the trinkets worn under his jacket warms. Theo mutters something, and he drifts slightly up off the ground -- and then vanishes, seemingly coming apart into motes of light and slipping through the cracks in the world.<br><br>He reappears high in the sky, suspended there by a hazy blue aura around his feet. The Flight spell is incredibly simple, incredibly old, and super reliable. He keeps a defensive one at the tip of his tongue, and then clears his throat, apparently 'standing' behind the man with the binoculars. "Nice day, isn't it?" he asks. "You just taking in the sights, or d'you have money on one of the guys on the ground?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:451|Karian Icefang (451)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As he came through the ceiling, he'd immidiately spot the knife and with all the enhanced speed that the Imperium's finest were known to possess. He reaches out to grab the man by both the arm and the neck, making sure not to accidentally snap anything, and as he was right by the window, he spotted Touta moving in, and with a quick point, directs Rider to get involved at last.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>As Touta interferes, a few things happen. Saber moves to block that sword blow, but as it impacts on his sword, he's sent flying backwards, skidding across the ground from the sheer weight of it. <span style="color:xterm202">"Hrrr! Do not interfere. This is a fair duel that I hath requested. If you insist on such foolishness, I shalt be forced to deal with you."</span> Archer just takes a moment to pull back, and laughs a little. <span style="color:xterm124">"Oh, hey, a friend of Reiji's? Nice hit, kid.</span><br><br>However, before either of them can react in any other way, a third party is flying in. Rider was told to stop anyone who interferes in the fight, and so, he swoops down to take a strike with that sword at Touta and blow him back. <span style="color:xterm220">"I am Rider! I shall not let you interfere in this fight. Bring your blade at me if you are to bring it at anyone, child."</span><br><br>Though, there's suddenly a feeling, and Archer...moves to start booking it towards the apartment building, getting ready to leap. It appears he senses something's wrong, as he's frowning.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>As Theo rises into the air next to the man on skis, the Servant in the sky quickly draws his trench gun...but he doesn't infact fire. Instead, he looks Theo over, and speaks up. <span style="color:xterm243">"A Master or a bystander."</span> The military man takes several moments to consider what he'll do next, and then finally speaks up.<br><br><span style="color:xterm243">"I have no cares about this fight. I only seek the death of Tanya Degurechaff. While I can do so myself, I was going to descend to offer a deal. In exchange for assistance or proof of her demise, I will assist whoever helps me.</span><br><br>And then, with a cold and determined stare, Avenger stares into Theo's eyes. <span style="color:xterm243">"Are you interested?"</span><br> <br>

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And just when Priscilla has her quarry by surprise, a giant man wearing a car compactor and a tiny anime boy start ruining everything. Only the even bigger dude in a shinier gold car compactor prevents things from turning to a complete and total clusterfuck that'd make Priscilla wish she'd brought more hands, just to be in more places at once.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;First and foremost, it's her tail the knife is menacing. Easy enough to deal with, except that nobody knows she's even here, and so when aforementioned giantboy crashes through the roof like an orientation-challenged Koolaid Man, she's pretty much right in the way. There's not much to do except to appear in a faint splash of reality a split second before Karian hits the floor (which she secretly hopes he falls through given how hilariously unsafe these apartments apparently are) and take some space back, immediately setting off the jingling bells as she deposits herself in the cramped living room. She isn't entirely sure what to do in the heat of the moment, given that he has her target, but is also keeping Touta at bay via his Servant. The fact he has a Servant means he is /also/ a Master, and in fact allowed to deal a killing blow to this one, both good and bad. She quickly decides that's unlikely if Rider is actively protecting the duel instead of sabotaging it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Sir Icefang." Priscilla says from behind, announcing her presence somewhere in the apartment. "Thou hast chosen a strange time. By rights however, thou art entitled to be here, apparently, by thine possession of a Servant. I supposeth this answers another question of mine. I shalt ask of thee thus: what is thine intention here, today. To whom is thine allegiance." Invisibly, she looks to the man he too is after. "And to him, to whom he is /owed/ allegiance." If it were just Karian, she could pass this off as a complication of the skirmish, but if unrelated shounens are here, that probably means other Elites have been tipped off and drawn here as well.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova chuckles at Cenedril's request that Nova lower her weapon, "Like a civil person?" Her eyes glance around at the dumpster that Cenedril is hiding in, "Right. Because a dumpster behind an abandoned building is the place for civilized conversation."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Things get a little more complicated though as someone else arrives. The raising pistol doesn't go unnoticed as Nova takes a few steps back away from the dumpster. She swings her rifle around to aim at Reiji now, considering him the greater threat at this point.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At the request of identification, Nova simply replies, "A concerned individual." Obviously dodging the question. As for the second request, Nova considers for a moment. Her eyes glance between Cenedril and Reiji, taking in the obvious recognition the former displays...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova lowers her large rifle, "Fine." Shifting the weapon to hold in one hand, she gestures a wave towards Cenedril, saying to Reiji, "Go right ahead with your business." Nova waits patiently.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:317|Theo Morrison (317)}} has posed:'''<br>"Interested magical third party," Theo replies to the first bit. He lifts his hands, showing the backs. "See? No crazy tattoos." The military man can probably spot the shoulder holster he's got concealed under his jacket. Theo isn't exactly an international assassin skilled at hiding weapons in impossible places. It's certainly not something a normal Master would carry, anyway. Then again, sniper guy is down there...<br><br>"Tanya Degurechaff? What for?" He blinks. He's actually kind of surprised at the forward and forthright way the guy is laying out what he wants. It's refreshing, even if the coldness there is also definitely creepy. It takes him a second to recompose himself. "Uh... interested? Yeah, I'd say you've piqued my interest." He folds his arms. "I'm looking into the Grail itself, and how this all started. Maybe we could come to some kind of arrangement?"<br><br>MEANWHILE<br>ON THE GROUND<br><br>Kickotron walks around the wary Fabled Hero, over to the front of the card table. He puts a discarded milk crate on the ground, then hops up onto it, picking up Theo's fan of cards. Mechanically, as if obeying instructions, he lays a few down in a particular order...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1143|Touta Konoe (1143)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Yep, this was bound to happen the moment he did this. There is no one he can blame at this point but himself. But that there was no point thinking about it now. Even though he had only used the back of his blade but for him to just be skidding across, not even falling back or feeling the blunt force of the attack. Yeah, this was definitely going to be a tough fight if he decided to keep going. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Yeah, sorry to bust your chops old man but you think you can reschedule for another time. See this guy's suppose to be meeting with his kid later, and I'd hate to break up a family reunion ya know?" He really doubts that Saber's going to be so compromising so if that's the case he'll probably be end up wrapped up in this fight after all. Either way he's got his sword up defensively. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That's when another party comes into the mix. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">"Touta above you!"</span> <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Huh?!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An...Angel starts flying straight at Touta. That's the best way he can describe it and there's not alot he can do in terms of dodging such a quick attack. So if that's the case he'll be forced to take the brunt of it. Thankfully, there is one thing he can do in such a scenario. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "100,000 FOLD!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As Rider strikes he's met by Touta's blade and it would make sense that the young man with such a small frame would be sent flying without much fuss when something going at a greater speed and greater mass was sent at him, but for some reason he'll be much heavier to blow back than intended. Infact, the boy feels so heavy that it looks like the ground below him was beginning to have trouble supporting the weight and was starting to slowly crumble beneath him. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Still that wouldn't mean Touta's out of the woods. It just means this is probably a 2 vs 2 fight apparently and it would probably take him and Archer to... <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Archer...Archer?! Where the Hell are you going?!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Did he seriously just get ditched with Rider and Saber to deal with by himself? Was that really what was going on?!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>As the sniper is pinned to the ground, dropping his knife, he has no choice but to play along. As Priscilla's voice appears, the man looks forward at his traps, the only place he could look. He really should have attached a grenade to them. He doesn't speak until Priscilla asks for his allegiance...and it's the perfect time to confirm a signal. His Archer's already likely to be concerned since he didn't fire the shot, after all. "Archer."<br><br>Doubling as both an answer and a call. Priscilla would be able to detect the soul coming up at rapid speed, only moments to prepare before he crashes through that window. Once he finally does, the Servant draws his shotgun and his sword, and points both at Karian's head.<br><br><span style="color:xterm124">"Sorry, but I'm gonna need to ask you to let him go. It'd be pretty bad for me if he died right here, and all that."</span> Despite his attitude, the Servant is actually worried. It seems he's trying to figure out a strategy to make sure his Master gets out of this alive.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:'''<br>'Reiji Arisu?' The girl knows who he is?<br><br>Reiji considers her for a moment before realizing what this must be about. Astora, of course. Chances are good that she knows who he is, all things considered. Reiji's gaze flickers over towards the girl in the dumpster before shifting back over toward Nova. "A 'concerned individual,' huh? What exactly concerns you about this Holy Grail War?"<br><br>The tension in the air is thick. Thick enough to cut with a knife, even. But soon, Nova lowers her weapon. Reiji soon does the same, shaking his head. "Sorry. Cenedril of Astora, right? I mean no disrespect for asking, but why is a woman of Astora hiding inside a pile of urban refuse...? Our guest is correct in that it's a bit of an awkward place to have a conversation."<br><br>"I presume you know that I work for the Paladins. Miss Cenedril, would you be so kind as to answer a few of my questions? My associates and I are concerned about the nature of this Holy Grail War and would like to learn whatever we're able."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>As Theo turns over his hands, the military man nods. And as he asks 'why', the man shifts the trench gun in his hands, and moves to respond. <span style="color:xterm243">"She has committed a great many atrocities against me and my countrymen. For that, I, the Avenger, will punish her."</span><br><br>The Avenger moves to look down at the battle below, and then continues. <span style="color:xterm243">"If that is what it'll take, I'll find out everything about this war. But she must die. That is my only wish."</span><br> <br>

:'''{{#var:451|Karian Icefang (451)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;KArian simply looks up to Archer. "Impressive reaction time. Almost as fast as an Astartes. But if you came when your master is threatened...I'm certain Rider will come just as quickly." He says, a knowing grin emerging along his face, exposing his fangs. "My intentions were initially to learn of my competition, Lady Priscilla. As well as to enjoy a duel between one whom I assume to be a parent of yours, based on our last encounter. Our sniper friend here may also have answers a few associates of mine seek."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Strategy complete: leave Karian as the only one visible and let him take the fall.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Priscilla got her answers from the both of them, and this teeny tiny apartment with a Space Marine in the way is means a successful surprise attack on the Archer is exceedingly unlikely to be effective. There's no reason to stick around here, and every reason to be somewhere else. Her attentions had been divided to start with, and so with Archer and Karian both being a convenient distraction to the other, Priscilla bails before either of them can notice.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Engage second stage: bully small child.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If Touta is upset about being left 2v1, he can be extra upset about a 3v1 surprise attack. There is a split second wash of frigid air over his right side and the sound of disturbed water, followed by the shriek of air being split too fast by something too sharp to make any other noise. That might as well be a formality though, for someone capable of picking up the massive spike of strange, cold and terrible, alien bloodlust. All that advanced warning given though, Touta doesn't get the luxury of getting to /see/ what is attacking him, or what type of attack it is, before a razor sharp curved blade larger than his torso is very very much his problem.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>As Nova snarks at Cenedril, the girl hmphs, crossing her arms as she begins to stand up. As the gun is put away, she herself puts away her sorcery, and turns to Reiji. "I am in here because it is a fine hiding place, no reason more. Sir Arisu, I would be willing to tell you all you need to know once my business here is done. I am terribly quite busy at the moment." <br><br>Cenedril seems like she's about to try and stand up and get out of the way, if Reiji will allow her. No use in a disgusting hiding spot that's been compromised, after all.<br><br>Meanwhile, Touta is being threatened by both Saber and Rider. Rider feels how heavy the kid's blade is, and moves as if he's going to try another strike, when something happens: Archer runs off, and is heading in the direction of his master. Rider just bows his head, and suddenly moves to break off, leaving Saber and Touta (and a hidden Priscilla). Saber speaks up, taking over what Touta has to say. <span style="color:xterm202">"You would fight solely for that reason? You seem to be no Master, nay, just a bystander. What compels you to do such a thing?"</span><br><br>Archer considers what Karian has to say...he's a Master, huh. Well, there's only one thing to do. His finger moves to the trigger. <span style="color:xterm124">"As you know, I'm an Archer-class Servant. That means I can survive without a Master, yeah? I doubt your Rider can do the same. If you want information, put him down and talk, or I'll take you out here and now."</span> Surprisingly cold-blooded, but likely a bluff? His face seems stone-cold, and the Master himself seems...to approve. "Throwing me to the wolves? How heartless." Though he only has a few moments before Rider arrives for the tactic to work.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:451|Karian Icefang (451)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Karian keeps his grin up. "Far worse things then you have tried, friend. Traitor's dragged me to a deamon-infested world and tried to make me turn and failed. I am my world's Warrior-Elite. In the time it would take you to squeeze that trigger, I can react in a millisecond, and avoid it, or worse, move your master into the path. But then the information he has may be lost. Follow me willingly, and you have my word I will let him go." Karian says, every hint in his voice and body language screaming out that he was not kidding about any of this.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>Archer keeps his finger on the trigger for several long seconds. He's considering. The Master doesn't move. Finally...it's the /Master/ who speaks up, Russian accent clear. "Fine. We will come with you." Archer sighs, relaxing his gun. Rider also flies up at this point, and looks to his Master, hearing his honorable pledge. The question is...will he keep it? The Master, atleast, seems to believe so. If he wanted to kill him, he would have done so before Archer arrived.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:451|Karian Icefang (451)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Karian does as he promised, and let's his grip go. "Know this. We, the Sons of Russ, the Space Wolves, honor our word. When we say something, we always follow through."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:317|Theo Morrison (317)}} has posed:'''<br>Theo frowns for a second, looking aside as if something else had caught his attention. "Island. Nimbus Naiad. Sol Ring. Eidolon of Countless Battles." He squints into the middle distance and then shakes his head sharply. "Sorry. Stuff on the ground seems like it's escalating. You probably won't find any help down there."<br><br>He turns back to the Servant -- the Avenger. "Atrocities? Really? That's..." He slowly shakes his head. "...that's horrible. I don't know what I'd do if I was in your shoes. Maybe the same." He sticks his hands in his coat pockets, suddenly uncomfortable. "Listen. I believe in justice. I think maybe straight-up killing them is... getting off too easy, if they've done what you say they have. And if that's the case, I'm willing to help you put them in the deepest, darkest hole that nobody will ever find, locking the door and throwing away the key."<br><br>Theo shrugs, frowning. "But I'm not an executioner. I got taught that we have to be better than monsters like that if we want to beat them. If that's not enough... well, I'm sorry I wasted your time."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;MEANWHILE<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ON THE GROUND<br><br>Kickotron arranges the board the way Theo wants him to, fulfilling the physical component of the oddball ritual magic. The Fabled Hero suddenly takes on an azure hue, a cloak of stars and darkness falling over his shoulders and accompanied by ethereal armor. He turns, stepping into the air as if it were solid ground, and runs out into the courtyard, leaving a trail of otherworldly starlight in his wake.<br><br>Here comes a new challenger?!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1143|Touta Konoe (1143)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An Angel, A God, and a frightening sense of incoming death. This was fine...Except oh lord it wasn't. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Touta's instincts force his body to respond. Not to a sound, not to sight, not to a smell, not to any other sense. His body was inherently responding to a bloodlust aimed at him. It was as though a pair of vicious fangs had been bared at him. There's not even a moment to worry about Rider, or Gwyn, or any other possible Servant. He has no chance to respond to Gwyn's remark and if Saber could see the boy's face it almost looks like for a moment his eyes had gone dull, as though he's not even consciously aware of what he's doing. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; At 100,000 FOLD the blade was immensely heavy to manuver and even for Touta it would require him to return to weight to something manageable, but the sensation of death encroaching upon him is so strong there's no time. An evil Miasma envelops the boy's arms giving the appearence of demonic gauntlets of a sort, it's almost instaneous in doing so but in the next moment without even looking the small boy finds the strength to lift the small yet immensely heavy weapon at whoever was attempting to bare their fangs at him. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He has no idea what he's swinging into whether it be a weapon, a person, or some sort of armor but whatever it is, Touta was swinging the gravity blade at 100,000 fold with all of his strength to challenge whatever it was that dared to bare its fangs into him.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:'''<br>Reiji certainly doesn't stop a girl who's trying to get OUT of a dumpster. That would just be INCREDIBLY rude. However, as she's /getting/ out, the exorcist shrugs and glances up at a certain nearby rooftop. "It seems as though the battle has been concluded. Mostly. I can't sense... Archer there anymore, though I believe your servant might still be engaged. Unless you mean that there's some other business that you need to take care of here?"<br><br>Mmmmaybe he's not just going to let her run off on her own.<br><br>"In which case," the exorcist cants his head, "I don't suppose you would object if I accompanied you?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova's eyes dart between Cenedril and Reiji as she observes. She recognised that the woman was more likely to be open to Reiji and as such might provide more useful information. However she is being somewhat tight lipped.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Reiji's question about Nova's motivations is somewhat relevant to the conversation, so she offers, "It should be pretty obvious when there's a magical wish granting device at the end of this little war. I'm sure as hell not going to sit back and watch it fall into the wrong hands."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the conversation continues, Nova's eyes turn in the direction of the central courtyard on the other side of the building. She can't actually see anything, but she's getting those chills again, "Oh, as a sidenote. There's some horrible dread monster attacking a rather nice guy in the courtyard. Just thought you might want to know, being a Paladin."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova returns her gaze to Cenedril, "Back to the matter at hand. I have just one question, Master of Saber..." Nova eyes Cenedril intently, trying to tap into the woman's surface thoughts as the question is asked, "Why do you seek the Grail?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:'''<br>Reiji gives Nova a long, flat stare...<br><br>And then sort of shrugs?<br><br>"Yeah the information is appreciated. Though I think my talents are better used right here, you know, being a Paladin who just walked into a strange woman in a tactical bodysuit who I don't know pointing a gun at a girl in a dumpster." He shrugs again. Looks like he's staying right here... for now.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>Avenger just continues to stare at Theo, and in the end, begins to prepare to fly. <span style="color:xterm243">"She has killed me twice without mercy, a monster in human skin. I will end her."</span><br><br>And then, Avenger flies off on those skis, heading in the rough direction of the warpgate. Seems like he's not going to be a problem here, in the end.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While Priscilla may be genuinely shocked Touta had reacted that fast, or rather, almost precognitively, to her attack, she isn't going to be taken off guard by his sword. She'd already seen it knock a Saber class Servant back a considerable distance, so she moves under the assumption that she won't be able to overpower it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There is a a harsh, metallic, and oddly bell-like clang as Touta connects with his enemy's weapon, whereupon a massive black scythe of unknown material etched with whirling silver suddenly appears out of thin air, seemingly knocked out of his adversary's hands. In truth, Priscilla hadn't even tried to keep hold of it, letting go the instant blades had clashed. A split second later is when she herself appears, dangerously close for someone using a long bladed weapon, and as little more than a ghostly white streak with gold slitted eyes, surrounded in an aura of liquid black. There's no dramatic clash or reset to neutral; Priscilla doesn't fight without going for the kill.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What actually comes next is hard to say. No second weapon is visibly produced, and it doesn't seem like she had reached out to strike Touta with a body blow. It's almost like that horrible and utterly inhuman sense of sentient violence had rushed out and stabbed him instead, like a pulse of physically manifest killing intent, visible as a streak of monochrome disturbance akin to a bullet shot through water. She actually slams into him just after, aiming to tackle him to the ground and then fire off her breath weapon in his face, discharging the blast of blue-white soulfire without a word, a warning, or a wasted second, merciless even when dealing with children.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It should be said that while Touta is probably used to dealing with physical and magical attacks, the formless strike mixed in is much worse. Where it hits, the body goes cold and unresponsibe, is subject to vicious pain, and bleeds explosively all over. Violent trauma aside, there's a much worse feeling about it -something capital W 'Wrong'; it feels inherently poisonous to his being somehow, like it'll do something much worse than just tear him up if he lets it keep hitting him.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>As Cenedril climbs out of the dumpster, she shakes herself off and turns to Reiji. "If you mean you wish to escort me home, I cannot risk such a thing, especially with enemies around me. If you mean you wish to take me in, I must also refuse such. I have no wish to be locked in a witness room." At Nova's question, she bristles a little. "I am not going to tell a stranger such a personal thing. Needless to say, it is a noble wish, one you have no reason to concern yourself about." While that doesn't say much, Nova's skilled at reading people in ways they'd never expect. And her thoughtrs are as clear as day.<br><br>'I'm going to bring them back.'<br><br>At this point, Cenedril calls out. "Saber, return to me!"<br><br>But Saber doesn't return, not immediately.. There's a problem. He spots the look on Touta Konoe's eyes, and his reaction to something behind him. An invisible foe attacking the boy? And then, the foe shows herself. The abilities she uses and her appearance are most recognizable, but before he could say anything, Cenedril does first.<br><br>"L-lady Priscilla!" She can't help but shout out, her eyes in even more fawning and admiration than they were to Reiji. Cenedril steps forward and moves to step past Reiji and in her direction. Saber's going to try and move towards her, at the same time, and join up with her. Hopefully, there'd be no interruptions.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova just gives Reiji a smirk at the reference to her own dangerous nature, "Fair enough." Then Cenedril admits to no desire to be locked up by the Paladin. Nova nods in agreement, tightening the grip on her weapon as she says, "I'll have to agree with Cenedril here. Taking her in, or any Master for that matter, could result in a serious shift in the path of this war. And until we have more information about who's fighting it, that's best avoid." Nova clearly isn't willing to let Reiji just take Cenedril.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As Cenedril responds Nova's own question, Nova pays close attention. She's well aware that what's not said is just as important as what is. Like the fact that Cenedril doesn't deny being Saber's master. And of course the thought that Nova picks up on, while lacking in details, does provide some insight into the woman's motives. And so, for the moment, Nova is satisfied. She shrugs, pretending like she got nothing from the exchange, "Fine. Just remember there are many other people with a stake in this war. Not just you Masters."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:317|Theo Morrison (317)}} has posed:'''<br>Avenger floats creepily, and then bails. Theo tracks him with his magical senses until he's clearly moving through a warpgate, and then he loses him. He figures he could follow if he really needed to, but that seems... dangerous. Theo hasn't gotten this far by doing needlessly dangerous thi<br><br>ahahahahaha<br><br>yeah okay.<br><br>Theo disappears from mid-air. His summoned creature, the juiced-up Fabled Hero, steps into the courtyard, lazily twirling a chain with a spike and a back-curling hook on the end in one hand. The other hand holds a copy of the same weapon. His shadow is cast in the shape of constellations of a foreign sky, and his cloak seems to drip the same as it ripples off of him in waves. Walking on solid ground seems to be a suggestion at the moment.<br><br>The Planeswalker who commands him materializes out of a hazy outline of a hole in space. "Ah, shit," Theo sighs. "Go save the kid," he tells him. The Hero nods, then charges off to do just that. He pauses to point back at Theo, who looks puzzled. "You. Poet."<br><br>Theo blinks.<br><br>"Be sure to write this down."<br><br>Theo groans.<br><br>One of those chain-whips lashes out, but not at Priscilla. The back-curving hook on it goes to snag him under one leg and yank him away from the point-blank dragon's breath, the superhuman strength of the Fabled Hero intending to drag him across the paving stones and to safety, but none too comfortably. "No child of Theros will fall to a monstrous beast on /my/ watch," the Hero yells, in typically heroic fashion. "Hold on, boy!"<br><br>The second gets lashed out to a full extension and swept through the air around where her midsection should be, intending to attack her at the same time and jostle her away with a blunt impact clearly meant to keep her off-balance instead of actually injure her. It seems to twist and loop, dropping lower and hooking around a leg, intent on restraint. The chain-weapons are weirdly animated, and clouds of mist roll off of them as they move through the air, a feminine shape dimly visible near them. It's like something was physically moving them in flight to find their targets... is there more than one combatant there?<br><br>"I'm not trying to cramp your style," Theo calls from the far side of the courtyard, "but we might need him to deal with Ruler. Can we call this one a draw, please?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:'''<br>Of course it would never be that easy. Reiji sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, we're going to have to talk about that later. But as long as you're willing to answer my questions and help us get to the bottom of all this, there shouldn't be an issue. Don't worry, I'm not about to haul someone in just because--"<br><br>'Priscilla.'<br><br>Fighting... Touta?<br><br>Reiji's eyes narrow. They narrow further when Cenedril begins drifting in a vaguely Priscilla-like direction. The plumes of killing energy are far too familiar to him. He can feel the sheer wrongness roiling off of her even from a distance. She's in full kill-a-bitch mode. Damnation.<br><br>Well.<br><br>Only one thing to do.<br><br>Reiji darts forward, toward and then past Cenedril, surging toward the flashing blades in the near distance... Right on time for Theo's summoned creature to step in and do what he was about to do. Well!<br><br>That's fine!<br><br>There's room for two heroes here!<br><br>"Touta, I've got you," Reiji shouts, leaping forward to catch the immortal as the Hero of Theros ratchets him out of immediate danger. Of course, things will become significantly more awkward if Touta /isn't/ tossed away from the melee, but Reiji is willing to brave Priscilla's scythe to save a good kid and babysitter from a premature end.<br><br>After all, if anything might be able to at least deflect that wrongness, it's the blade at Reiji's hip...!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1143|Touta Konoe (1143)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Touta has seen this ghostly white streak before, those gold slitted eyes. At once she seemed rather pleasant to him but now that he had assaulted Gwyn there was no way she could consider him a non-hostile. This was definitely turning into more of a fight than he had imagined. It was one thing to face a servant, it was another to face the literal face head of the Concord. Those guys were wild in so many different ways and he had literally just picked a bone with the queen of them. How it happened didn't matter now though. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Touta's first strike proves fruitful in disarming whatever it was that attacked. Though it proves irrelevant as Priscilla uses her large body to go for a body strike intended to strike right into the small boy and it takes its mark. It's in this moment he can tell that whatever sort of feelings or regards she had towards him were irrelevant now. The feeling of impending death she was emitting before was sincere and even with her presence revealed she intended to take Touta down. It's probably very easy to pin the boy down, there's not much of him to need to hold down. It's in the next moment that she opens her mouth right in his face. Was she trying to devour his head? Spit in his face? Worse??? <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Still while Touta might be a small boy, that doesn't mean he's weak. While his appearence was much less menacing than Priscilla's Touta was just as much a monster as her and that monster had monsterous strength capable of wielding such an inhumanly heavy blade. While it was true she had tackled and even pinned him, that was mostly due to her body slamming into him full force. But in terms of raw strength he had already proven just how much of a difference there was between the two. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Uwaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A strange sort of fire begins coming from her mouth and without warning. Touta uses all his strength to push the large creature off of him just enough to give him space for his arms to move. Hopefully it'd be enough to avoid a direct hit from whatever it was that Priscilla was trying to spit on him but if that wasn't the case he still had to try and fight back. The moment one of his arms was free he slammed a fist into Priscilla's lower jaw to shut her up and keep her from spewing anymore of that fire. Though his gauntlet like fist would likely not come out unscathed from whatever it was. The cold, numbing feeling would sink into that of the black gauntlet and strangely enough that black arm reverted to normal before a profuse amount of blood would begin to erupt from his arm. L There's not even enough time to think about what's happening if he didn't find a way to surpress Priscilla than he would di- <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Huh?" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A chain wraps around the boy's leg and it feels like it's trying to tug him likely overexerting itself. It's probably hindered by the weight of his blade but that's changed real quick as it's returned to it's normal but in doing so likely flings Touta way into the air. Unfortunately he doesn't have much manuverability options while in the air so he's pretty much a sitting duck unless either the others get him or he thinks of a way out.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the semi-solid lance of incomprehensible energy pieces Touta and causes its mysterious and extreme blood loss, Touta is in for one last nasty surprise: his magical energy begins rapidly bleeding out with it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Priscilla tackling him and aiming a glowy white dragon breath attack in his face is much more standard to deal with though. It's actually something he barely needs to deal with, given the Fabled Hero and Reiji Arisu leaping to his rescue. The weighted chain hits her dead in the midsection jolting her off target, and then pulls down on her leg, just as Reiji swoops in to dive the kid out of the way. The result is that Touta's fast glances off Priscilla's jaw, delivering a nasty impact that'll be sure to leave a bruise regardless of the fact that her bone is somehow /really/ hard, and that Priscilla's breath beam largely misses him, instead partially catching Reiji's shoulder in the blast with it scorching soulfire and that crystallization he's very familiar with.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Priscilla hisses with a puff of blue vapour from her lips, clutching the side of her face. Her other hand dives down to one of the cases on the silver chain around her hips, and flicks outwards with a fistful of knives at the Fabled Hero, dripping with some red resin. The chain can't keep her anchored for too long, as she demonstrates the offputting teleportation ability in plain sight, dropping through some dark and intangible ocean omnipresent in the air, and then appearing behind him with her slightly less infamous Lifehunt Dagger, aiming to viciously plunge it down the gap between his neck and shoulderblade, characteristic of her usual efficient and brutal violence. It gives Reiji some time to escape with Touta, and let his regeneration fight the apparently black-stained and faintly smoking wound, which would in fact be getting steadily worse without it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Arisu!" she calls out, for once without the standard Sir. "Thou knowest full well the punishment for raising a blade against the Great Lord Gwyn is death! Thinketh not what respect I hath for thee shalt protect him!" Even Reiji can tell that wild and seething edge to her voice isn't the kind for talking about a matter of duty and law. It's blatantly personal. "Thou shouldst knoweth full well I am capable of killing thee all!" Concerningly confident, especially considering an immortal present.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ironically, it'd been Gwyn's Master that Priscilla had come here to exact some form of judgement on for their sheer presumptuousness, but when she hears that unfamiliar voice call out, it takes her all of half a second to recognize Astoran-influenced fashion (under the stains at least). The fact that the Master is a young girl is relatively immaterial, but the fact that she is quite probably native to the world Priscilla is responsible for, rather than a random Multiversal meddler to cut down, is not.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The period of visible indecision where she glances between Reiji and Cenedril lasts only a second. Decisive as always, Priscilla goes to the Master instead, and offputtingly quickly. Not about to let the Paladins (or Watch) have what she came for, she outright picks the girl up on the way past. "Believeth not that this is over." she says, carrying the dubiously fortunate girl away.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:533|Gawain (533)}} has posed:'''<br>As Priscilla shouts out about punishment for Lord Gwyn, the Saber hms, but shows little emotional reaction, though the personal seething causes him some discomfort. However, when Priscilla goes to grab Cenedril, straight up kidnapping her and leaving the girl shocked, confused, and in sheer awe of Priscilla's confidence and determination, he shouts out. <span style="color:xterm202">"Master...!"</span><br><br>But, instead of moving to strike at Priscilla with his blade, it's his Master who changes things. "S-saber, do not attack! Just follow for now." The Saber seems absolutely shocked by Cenedril's request, but Cenedril seems confident about her safety. After all, it's someone important carrying her off, and if Priscilla wanted her dead, she'd just kill her. Therefore, she wants to talk to her.<br><br>So, in the end, two Masters have been 'captured'. Archer's Master, unknown, by the Paladins. And Saber's Master, Cenedril of Astora, by Priscilla of the Concord. They'll might both be able to get valuable information from them.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:317|Theo Morrison (317)}} has posed:'''<br>The Lifehunt Dagger plunges right into the Fabled Hero's neck, driving through the man's flesh and apparently striking the life from him. For a scant few seconds, he twists, grasping at Priscilla's arm like he intends to break it -- and with the superhuman strength he possesses, and the inexplicable durability he's showing, he might just be able to. He drops one whip, closing his fingers -- and then he laughs, coughing wetly, and pitches towards the ground.<br><br>The stars don't leave.<br><br>Two more figures arise from the rapidly-vanishing corpse of the Fabled Hero. One, a woman made of cloudstuff, the alluring figure of a nymph cast from the skies, drifting on the wind and staring down at the body in sadness. The other, a hoplite, a soldier wearing bronze armor and with a body made of the blurred shape of countless soldiers all laid across one another, silhouettes joined by the starry night. He clutches a short sword, and looks like he knows how to use it.<br><br>Both of them back off. Theo twitches at the claim that Priscilla could kill them all. Could she? She was doing a number on that guy they pulled out of there, that's for sure. He'd put money on her familiarity with Reiji translating to knowing how to fight him, if she's as brutally efficient as she was with the Hero. Still...<br><br>Deep breath. He doesn't need to start that fight right now. That would be pointless, especially given her momentum and his general-purpose setup right now. He doesn't have to prove he can beat her right now. He just needs to be prepared to do it next time.<br><br>And, with the way she's taking that other Master, Theo doesn't have any doubts that there will be a next time whatsoever.<br> <br>
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