>>3198318
Girl, Alice

>>3198318
Girl, Laylah

>>3198357
second

>>3198318
>Guy, Raymond.

>>3198357
>>3198383
You are of course, a girl named Alice, age 18 and fresh out of school, with plain looks to boot. It's not that you look generic, it's simply that you have a simple appearance that doesn't stand out. Before you have a chance to muse further on this topic, you're interrupted by your best friend from school finally arriving and slumping into the chair across from you. "Ehhhh, you got here early, Alice." Says Rin Matou, brushing her seaweed-like blue twintails over her shoulders. "It's a good thing you didn't keep me waiting, but if you show up to all our meetings early, you'll make me look like some sort of slob. Think about how your actions affect me once in a while." She then orders a deliciously sweet sundae and begins tapping her finger on the table, as if her percussion will make it arrive faster.

Rin Matou, your fellow classmate, and the person voted most likely to "Crush all opposition beneath her superior heels." Rumour is she snuck into the school at night and changed the information, which would explain why you are supposedly the person most likely to "Be a sidekick to greatness." You were touched that she included you in her dreams of world domination. Regardless, Rin isn't the kind of person to take no for an answer. What with her top marks in class, stunning good looks, and her defiant sense of stubbornness, she could be a serious success in the future. If she took the attitude down a notch, that is. "So, you've gotta be wondering why I called you here." Rin's drink finally arrives, and she looks at it for all of three seconds before attacking it viciously with a spoon. "Especially so soon after graduation, right? Well the thing is, I've got a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity for you." She explains the situation to you without stopping her rampage against all that is dairy. "There's an obstacle course event going on in the nearby park, and whoever gets the fastest time wins two free tickets to tonight's Bunny Ears concert. Obviously, you'll be entering, so we can nab those tickets and go see it! Aren't I amazing, find out about this sweet opportunity? I am, right, right? She finishes the sundae with gusto, and points the spoon directly at you. "So c'mon champ, chug that down and let's go claim victory!"

>Sure, why not? You have nothing to lose, and tickets to a concert to gain.
>Tell Rin to get bent, you're not her errand girl now that school's out.
>Suggest that Rin compete, to show her inherent superiority over the other participants.

>>3198437
>Sure, why not? You have nothing to lose, and tickets to a concert to gain.
Go for gold.

>>3198462
You contentedly resign yourself to once more serving Rin's interests. It's not really a bad deal for you either, since you could get a free concert ticket, and you don't have anyone else needing a spare. You gulp down the rest of your drink and follow Rin to the park. There, uniformed City Government workers stand at the entrance , directing participants to the starting point behind them and timing the runners as they tackle the course. The other entrances to the park seem to have been cordoned off for the event. "Take on this challenge for a chance to win two tickets to tonight's famed Bunny Ear Concert! Only the Participant with the best time by 5 PM will walk off with the grand prize!" As you draw near, Rin circles around to your rear and begins pushing you forward. "C'mon Alice, go go go go go! The deadline's almost up! C'mon, show them the might of Rin Matou's chosen contestant!" After a few seconds of adjustment to being rushed forward at breakneck pace, you find yourself directly in front of the uniformed woman in charge of registration. She hands you a form and you quickly fill out your personal details on it, before being ushered to the starting line. You've barely gotten a good look at the obstacle course itself until now, so you take the time to drink it in while the person in front of you finishes.

There's a series of hurdles, a rock wall climbing frame, one of those nets you have to crawl under, and a rope swing over a pit of sand. Oddly, there's also a large jigsaw puzzle at the end. There are only a few pieces and they don't look too heavy, but solving it could eat up some time. Overall it doesn't look too tough to complete, but the trick will be doing it faster than anyone else. Luckily, you're in pretty decent shape. You exercise regularly, so this should provide you with a bit of an edge. As you gaze out on the course, you find yourself wishing you were

>Stronger, so you could climb over the climbing frame with less effort
>Faster, so you could clear the hurdles quicker
>Smarter, so you could clear the jigsaw puzzle at the end with ease

>>3198560
>Stronger, so you could climb over the climbing frame with less effort

>>3198560
>Faster, so you could clear the hurdles quicker

>>3198560
>Smarter, so you could clear the jigsaw puzzle at the end with ease

>>3198560
>Smarter, so you could clear the jigsaw puzzle at the end with ease

>>3198592
>>3198657
You are suddenly grasped by an odd sensation, as if the air you're breathing had turned to a sickly sweet syrup. Tiny lines of blue text dart across your eyeballs too fast to read, and your body begins to heat up. Tiny pinpricks of pure heat spring up all over your body, as if you had been set aflame in a hundred different places simultaneously. The back of your neck feels like a knife has been jammed into it, both skewering you and blocking your windpipe. You feel as though you're about to burst from the painful stimuli, the heat reaching a breaking point.

And then it's over, as quickly as it had begun. You're left slightly out of breath and with a light sheen of sweat coating your forehead. The person in front of you is still on the jigsaw puzzle, and no one nearby seems to have noticed anything amiss. Readjusting to not being on fire, you notice that your [School Uniform] seems rather different. It seems less worn, as it did when you first received it. You sense a feeling of warmth and comfort emanating from within the fabric, as well a sensation of sharp, crystal clear vision. and you feel you could use that to increase your chances of winning those tickets.

>Use Code Cast: brain_up (16), whatever that means.
>You don't need cheap tricks to win, power on through with your sheer force of will.

>>3198592
+1
Genius duo is a go

>>3198660
>Use Code Cast: brain_up (16), whatever that means.
It is not cheating if you don't get caught.

>>3198660
>You don't need cheap tricks to win, power on through with your sheer force of will.

>>3198688
>>3198725
It's a tie, going with the first result.

You focus on the feelings the [School Uniform] inspires in you, and the pinpricks of heat return. You once again feel as though you are engulfed in flame, but this time you realise that this energy is something you can draw upon. You bring your hand up to touch your temple and focus on drawing the energy from all around your body upwards into that specific point. There's a sudden flash of searing pain in your brain, gone as soon as it came. You blink, and suddenly the world around you seems clearer, cleaner, more comprehensible. Whatever you just did clearly improved you somehow.

The whistle is blown and you take off like a bullet. You leap across the hurdles, your sharpened reflexes eliminating any need to slow down. The rock climbing frame proves tough, but while hauling yourself upwards, you manage to figure out which handholds to take to minimise your time. The net similarly takes a bit, as all you can do is crawl under it. You rush over to the rope swing, grabbing the rope as you maintain your forward momentum by kicking off the edge of the platform. Releasing yourself at the optimal point of your swing, you soar over the pit and land on the other side without slowing. Finally, you reach the jigsaw puzzle. As you gaze at the puzzle, you instinctively see the final pattern they are supposed to fit into. You set about fitting everything together, and a few seconds later you've completed the picture. "Time!" calls the announcer, as they hit their stopwatch. They look somewhat surprised at your performance, and glance at the timekeeping device in their hand. "53 seconds, that's the fastest time so far! You must be in your school's track club." She winks at you before gesturing towards the starting point, where Rin is waiting. You nod to her and head back to your friend.

"You did it Alice! Those tickets are ours now for sure, all thanks to our great teamwork!" Rin showers you with queenly praise, grinning smugly from ear to ear as she counts down the seconds to 5PM. One more challenger tries to beat it, a boy with blonde hair and a determined face, but he falls just short of your time. He looks rather disappointed, and goes to sit on a nearby park bench. A member of the event staff hands you the tickets, one of which is quickly snatched by Rin. She starts you by the arm away from the park, back in the direction you came from. Now that you have the tickets, it's just a matter of deciding how to fill the rest of your time.

>Go shopping with Rin, now that school's over you're going to need a new regular outfit.
>Go talk to the boy on the bench, he might have won the tickets if you hadn't done... Whatever that was.
>Go to your secret training area and try to figure out what the bloody hell just happened at the start of the obstacle course.

>>3198842
>Go shopping with Rin, now that school's over you're going to need a new regular outfit.

>>3198842
Go shopping with rin

ask her to step on you

>>3198851
>>3198854
You decide to ask Rin if she'd like to go shopping for new clothes with you, since you have time to kill before the concert. She smirks in response. "I suppose you do deserve a reward for your part in getting these tickets. Sure, I'll grace you with more of my presence today, since I need to go shopping anyway. There was this cute dress I noticed the other day..." Rin has always been like this, acting like hanging out with you is like doing you a favour. Personally you think she just might be happier when you're around, but maybe that's just vanity. Rin rambles on about outfits she's had her eye on whilst you idly daydream about your friendship.

During a lull in the conversation, a rather vivid and perhaps scandalous image of Rin pops into your head. Surprised by this, you accidentally blurt out the image in the form of a question, asking Rin to please step on you. Her head swivels around to look at you with such amazing speed that you could have sworn it left an afterimage. As she locks eyes with you, her face turns beet red with pure embarrassment. "Wh-wh-wh-what are you talking about!?" She furiously sputters, rapidly shaking her head as though she was trying to dislodge a pebble stuck inside. She slaps both her cheeks and drags her palms down her face, regaining her composure a little. "Ahem! That was quite the joke, Alice, but you should try to keep your failed comedy routines to yourself next time. And besides, something like that is, well, you'd have to impress me a whole lot to earn it. Anyway, let's just go pick you out a cute outfit instead of lollygagging around here!" Rin speeds off, perhaps going even faster than you when you tackled the obstacle course. You have to sprint to keep up, and in almost no time you're at Spring District's foremost shopping mall, with clothes stores galore.

You and Rin spend time window shopping for outfits you would like, but ultimately you two only have the money for one each. Rin settles on a black jacket with white fur lining on top of a long-sleeved red sweater, with a white skirt and black thigh highs. You yourself found three different complete outfits that Rin agrees you just might be able to pull off. There's a set of black jeans and a red leather jacket over a white shirt, with matching dark red boots. There's a smooth blue dress where the skirt ends around the knees, along with a light brown simple, yet fluffy, jacket, and similar shoes. Finally, there's a black and green colored gothic lolita style get up, with a bow, frills, a somewhat poofy skirt, leggings, the works. Each outfit gives you a very different kind of look, and you get different sensations from them, similar to the one you got from your [school uniform] just before you ran the obstacle course. Which should you pick, and should you change into them in the store or just bag them to take home?

>Pick the [Red Leather Jacket Combo]
>Pick the [Blue Galaxy Dress Combo]
>Pick the [Green Gothic Lolita Combo]

Whoops sorry everyone

>Red Leather JAcket

>Pick the [Green Gothic Lolita Combo]

>>3198907
>Pick the [Blue Galaxy Dress Combo]

We have to match our friend

Forgot to ask guys, should you change into your new outfit after you buy it or keep the [School Uniform] on today?

>Keep [School Uniform]
>Change into new outfit in store

>>3198955
>>Keep [School Uniform] for today.
You need to wash it first!

>>3198955
>Keep [School Uniform]
What he said

>>3198961
Seconded. They just throw shit on the floor in the storage

>>3198917
>>3198921
>>3198924
It's a three way tie, so once again we go with the first post. You acquire one [Red Leather Jacket Combo]. It gave you a feeling being 10 gallons of badass in a 5 gallon jug.

>>3198961
>>3198970
>>3198983
You stow away your new purchase in a store-provided plastic shopping bag, and head on your merry way along with Rin. As you leave the concert, you notice that late afternoon has become early evening, and the concert isn't too far away. Rin notices the same thing. "C'mon Alice, we gotta get going. We can swing by home on the way to drop off the clothes." This is a sensible strategy, since your houses are between the mall and the stadium. The two of you head into the residential suburbs where you both live. You and Rin live near to each other, which was one of the reasons you've been friends for so long. Her house is a veritable mansion with two stories and large rooms. It certainly dwarfs your dinky little apartment. You and Rin split up to drop off your clothes, agreeing to meet each other outside her house. You approach your apartment complex and walk up the two flights of stairs necessary to get to your apartment, entering the first door on the third floor landing. It's a small place, one bedroom, one bathroom, a tiny kitchen/living room. But it's served your needs for all of your life, and it's been a good home. You drop off your shopping bag on your comfy couch, lock the place up again, and head off to meet Rin.

However, once you get to Rin's house, the Matou residence, you notice something amiss. Not only is Rin not out the front waiting for you, but the front door is ajar. Rin never leaves it open, she's too paranoid about bugs getting inside. While you're pondering this mystery, you hear a girl's scream emanate from the upper floors. There's no doubt about the owner of the voice, you immediately recognise it as Rin's trademark shriek. Whatever's going on inside there, it's not good. Your best and only friend in the world might be in serious danger.

>Enter cautiously, attempting to sneak through the house without alerting any potential intruders, giving you the element of surprise
>Barge in at top speed to try and ensure Rin's safety as soon as possible, though you might risk running into a dangerous situation
>Climb the tree in the Matou Residence's yard, you can peek inside the top floor rooms from a distance, and one of the branches extends to near a window.

>>3199007
>barge in at top speed

>>3199007
>>Climb the tree in the Matou Residence's yard, you can peek inside the top floor rooms from a distance, and one of the branches extends to near a window.
I wonder how many worms are inside her right now.

>>3199007
>>Barge in at top speed to try and ensure Rin's safety as soon as possible, though you might risk running into a dangerous situation

>>3199007
>>Climb the tree in the Matou Residence's yard, you can peek inside the top floor rooms from a distance, and one of the branches extends to near a window.

>>3199013
>>3199027
>>3199049
>>3199058
These ties, always with the ties. Once again, going with the first post.

You dash through the open doorway and charge up to the second floor, taking the stairs two at a time. You don't see Rin in the hallway, so you quickly glance around in an attempt to locate her. You notice the door to Rin's bedroom has been knocked off, so you run inside. There you are greeted with a shocking sight. Rin is being dragged into some sort of swirling violet vortex in the centre of the room. What looks like an dark, shadowy arm is reaching through the vortex and has latched onto her ankle. She's grabbed onto her windowsill to try and escape, but she looks to be in considerable pain. She spots you and is visibly surprised. "Rocky! Oh thank god, help me! Help!" Obviously you don't want to just leave her to be sucked into a mysterious vortex, but how should you try and stop her from getting sucked in?

>There's a sword hanging on a frame near the doorway, if you break the glass and grab it you might be able to cut off the arm grabbing Rin.
>Latch onto Rin and pull her free from the arm's grip.
>Grab a hold of the arm and haul it out of the vortex so you can beat the crap out of whoever's pulling this stunt.

>>3199027
>I wonder how many worms are inside her right now.
How many do you want there to be?

>>3199106
>>There's a sword hanging on a frame near the doorway, if you break the glass and grab it you might be able to cut off the arm grabbing Rin.

>>3199106
>There's a sword hanging on a frame near the doorway, if you break the glass and grab it you might be able to cut off the arm grabbing Rin.
Or Rin, if the arm probes to be too sturdy. Rin would surely handle herself well enough with only on leg.

>>3199106
>>There's a sword hanging on a frame near the doorway, if you break the glass and grab it you might be able to cut off the arm grabbing Rin.

>>3199111
>>3199119
>>3199124
In an instant, inspiration strikes. You know exactly what to do to solve this predicament with both Rin and her worm-free limbs intact. A decorative sword is hanging behind a glass frame on the nearby wall, so you punch the glass, causing it to shatter. You grab the sword by the hilt, ignoring any glass-induced cuts on your hand, and swing it at the arm entangling your BFF. It slices clean through, causing the rest of the arm to retreat back to the vortex, from which you hear a squeal of pain. Success! The hand holding Rin dissipates into nothingness, and she slumps to the floor in relief.. But this is no time to dawdle, the vortex is still in the middle of the room and you have no idea how safe that is. You walk over to Rin to see if she's alright, but just as you reach her you see an expression of terror at her face. She's looking right behind you, toward the vortex.

Oh. Motherfucker.

You feel your neck and limbs seized by a multitude of grasping hands. You try to take a step towards Rin but the shadowy apparitions drag you backwards into the vortex. The last thing you see is a terrified Rin Matou running out of the room. After that, everything goes black. You feel yourself floating in an endless dark void for what feels like hours, trying to make sure the neverending repetition of nothingness doesn't get on your nerves. Eventually however, you feel yourself pulled back to what you call reality, the darkness fading away as your vision filled with sunlight. You raise a hand to shield your eyes from the glare, and realise you're lying on your back. You quickly get up, brush yourself off, and take stock of your surroundings. You're in an environment very alien from the Atlantis City where you've lived all your life. At least you managed to hold on to the sword, so that should help if any nasties pop up. But just where the hell are you?

>You have awakened in a snow-covered forest, surrounded by tall mountains.
>You have awakened in the middle of a vast desert filled with ruined structures made of glass.
>You have awakened in what appears to be a large underground waterway, with a network of bridges suspended over the running water.
>You have awakened on an ornate throne as wide as a bench, positioned in the middle of an island of flowers, in the centre of a large lake.

>>3199156
>>You have awakened on an ornate throne as wide as a bench, positioned in the middle of an island of flowers, in the centre of a large lake.

>>3199202
This place is a strange one alright. You're in the middle of a field of flowers, which an island surrounded on all sides by a large lake. Looks like quite a swim to the other side. There's also a very fancy throne here, one perhaps fit for a king, or emperor, or other kind of ruler. It is wider than a regular throne, but other than that it doesn't seem to be out of the ordinary. For thrones, anyway. You hop off the throne and start walking towards the shore to better get your bearings, and you properly step into the field of flowers. The second your foot hits the ground, a flurry of petals rushes upwards, nearly blinding you in a torrent of wind and multicoloured flowers. Your left hand starts to burn, but this burn is different from before. The heat comes from without, not within, and it feels like your palm is being branded with a cattle iron. Through the whirl of petals, you see a bright glow in front of you, a figure emerging from within the light.

They are dressed in silver and red, wearing steel armour and red cloth, complete with a dull metal helmet. They are tall and decently muscular, cutting an imposing figure. As you look in more detail, you realise they're a woman, as you can see the gray chainmail conform to the contours of her small breasts. Between where the cloth and mail ends just above her knees, and her shoes, her legs are bare. A short, straight sword hangs at her belt, and you can make out the outline of a round shield behind her back. The wind calms and the petals tossed into the air begin to float back down, tossed weakly this way and that by the now-gentle breeze. The pain in your hand subsides, and you spare it a quick glance. Emblazoned on the palm of your left hand are a strange series of red markings.

You look from the markings to the woman in front of you, who has just now noticed you. Perhaps at your bemused expression, she lets out a playful laugh. Still grinning, she removes her helmet, revealing a crop of short blonde curls. "Well hey! You must be my Master. Pleased to meetcha!" She puts her helmet beneath her arm and extends her other hand towards you, as if offering a handshake.

>Shake her hand and introduce yourself before asking just who she is
>Point your sword at this suspicious woman and ask what the hell is going on
>Unleash a surprise attack by hugging her instead

>>3199303
>>Unleash a surprise attack by hugging her instead

>>3199309
You step forward to greet her, but instead of grasping her offered hand you step past it and wrap your arms around her. She reacts just as quickly, returning the hug. You soon find yourself being squeezed a little too tightly, and you note that chainmail is not the most comfortable clothing to be making contact with. "Quick and decisive, huh? I like that in a Master." She releases you, allowing you to breathe in some much-needed air. "Or maybe you're just a bit of a perv? Not that I can really criticise you on that front, those in glass houses and all that." She beams at you with a smile like the sun. "My name is Marcus Antonius, a Servant of the Saber class. But you can just call me Saber. Pleased to meet you Master!"

You stare blankly at Saber's face. She might as well have been speaking in french for all you understood that. Saber seems to pick up on your puzzled expression. "Oh, you don't know what a Servant is? Ahhhhh, I see why this is a special circumstance now. Lemme try and explain the basics real quick. Servants are basically souls that were legendary in life, known as Heroic Spirits, summoned forth from a biiiiiig source of magical energy, the Holy Grail. There are seven classes, one of which is Saber, my class. Sabers are Heroic Spirits of the Sword, so now you know what this is for!" She taps the sword by her waist before continuing. "As for why we're summoned, we can leave that for later. All you need to know at the moment is that I'm here to help you out with passing a test. Aren't I nice?" She pauses for a second to check that you're following everything. "Anyway, I'm not a free agent, I'm specifically YOUR Servant, those marks on your hand are proof of that. You've become what's called a Master, which means you're supplying me, your Servant, with the magical energy I need to function. It's not really something you need to worry about at the moment, since it won't kill you or anything."

Saber lets out a massive sigh. "Phew! I like to think I'm a pretty good talker but I prefer dialogues to monologues. That's the basics you'll need to know for now. Any questions?" She looks at you inquisitively.

Do you have any questions for Saber?

>No, I'm good
>Write-In

>>3199335
>>No, I'm good

>>3199335
>say "Alice. [...] Which way we ought to go from here?"
Only to thing to do is to see how far the rabbit hole goes. While there's a mountain to ask for, the MC probably lacks the context to ask anything more pronounced than the nature of the upcoming test, especially considering how disoriented they must be.

The Philosopher-King as a Saber? My first guess was Augustus. Given earlier choices, she seems pretty great fit.

>>3199375
>>3199382
You're thinking of Marcus Aurelius. The Roman Empire does have a wealth of potential heroic spirits and a naming scheme that gives a lot of the important people similar names. This is Marcus Antonius, also known as Mark Antony, favoured general of Caesar, Great-Great-Grandparent of Nero Claudius, member of the Second Triumvirate, second lover of Cleopatra. It was over her corpse that Augustus installed himself as the first Roman Emperor. She was also an important character in two Shakespeare plays.

Saber grins as you introduce yourself. "Alice, huh? That's a cute name! But we can save the flirting for later. I dunno the specifics of what we're gonna have to do, but I do know where we have to go. There's a bridge behind the throne, see?" She takes your hand and leads you around the back of the throne, showing that there is indeed a small rope bridge leading off the island. The two of you carefully cross it, reaching the far shore. As you step onto the grassy fields on the other side, your vision warps and distorts, stretching out and snapping back. You rub your eyes as you adjust to your new surroundings. You're in the mouth of a dark cave. You turn back to look for Saber, and are relieved to find her still at your side. But also the rope bridge, lake, and island are all still behind you, with the rope bridge leading directly into the cave. "Oh yeah, space is kinda funny here. You'll get used to it, Master. The important thing is, we have to get through this cave! I'll take the lead, so follow close behind me!" The cave seems somehow sinister, as if the darkness itself had intent to harm you and your Servant. It's enough to give you the chills. Nevertheless, you consider your options before blindly accepting Saber's advice.

>Alright then, I'll leave it to you.
>Hold on Saber, I'll take the lead.
>We should walk side-by-side.

>>3199418
>Side by side

>>3199426
You tell Saber that the pair of you should walk side-by-side. After all, the cavern is wide enough, and both of you have swords. She looks surprised at you, though the surprise quickly turns to amusement. "Very well Master, as equals!" The two of you stroll forward into the cave proper, each with sword in hand. You walk for some time, the dimly lit cave providing nothing to break up the monotony. No cave tunnel can go forth forever though, and eventually the two of you emerge into a larger, more well-lit chamber. It's a hollowed-out space the size of a two story house, with wooden ledges clumsily hammered into the rock at slightly uneven angles. Light is provided from crude lanterns suspended on top of stone pillars, or hung from the rocky ceiling. On the other side, you can see a narrow tunnel similar to the one you just emerged from, with something illegible scribbled on the rock just above it. Here you can see several short, stubby creatures skittering around the room, whizzing back and forth like large ugly bipedal mice. "Goblins, Master. Or, well, copies of Goblins." Saber rattles off a calm analysis of the situation as the supposed Goblins begin to take notice of you, and start chittering angrily. "I don't think we'll be talk our way out of this one, Goblins are notoriously stupid." The chittering gets louder. "Oh, especially now that I've said that. They also take offence really easily."

Saber glances at you eagerly. You can tell she's just raring to go. "Permission to slice them up, Master?"

>Cut loose, Saber!
>We'll take them on together. This sword isn't just for show.
>Let's try and run past them! There's no need for anyone to get hurt.

>>3199440
>Cut loose, Saber!

>>3199507
You gesture dramatically at the Goblins and instruct Saber to go for broke. She obliges with gusto, drawing her sword and dashing right towards the teeming horde. 1, 2, 3, with each swing of her sword, at least a few Goblins are sliced apart by some rather clean cuts. The strength behind each attack is enough to create wind in this small space, and the sheer force that Saber is displaying makes your hair stand on end. When it comes to strength and technique, it's not a contest, but a one-sided slaughter. If the Goblins are like an endless torrent of water, Saber is like a gale strong enough to part the sea. She twirls, and corpses fall in a graceful arc around her. It almost makes you want to applaud at such a display of showmanship. After a mere minute of conflict, most of the Goblins lie dead around the room, and the rest have skittered off somewhere. Saber turns to you and takes a bow, as if to show gratitude to her audience of one. While she is bent over, you notice a solitary Goblin sneaking up behind her, knife in hand!

As Saber gets back up, she throws her left hand out and spins 180 degrees, clocking the would-be assassin in the face with her shield. She smirks and turns back to face you. "That should be a good example of the kind of power we Servants are throwing around, Master. If you ever got attacked by one without your own Servant handy, you'd be in serious trouble." She gestures at the corpses, as if to say you would end up just like them. "Anyway, we should be going. This isn't our last stop!" Seeing as there isn't really in this room except Goblin corpses and shoddy carpentry, you decide to continue onward. You head to the exit on the opposite side of the room, and continue through a dark tunnel. This tunnel is considerably shorter than the previous one, it only taking a minute or two to reach the next chamber.

You arrive in a small chamber hollowed out from the stone. It contains a lit campfire, two stone slabs with primitive bedding materials laden on top of them, a pot of aromatic stew, two stone bowls, and a wooden ladle. The doorway on the far side is completely open, but it also has something etched above it. This time it's a legible message. "Point of No Return." Saber reads the sign and turns to you. "Looks like this is a big part of the Test, Master. If you wanna eat or have a nap or something, this is probably the best place for it. Oh but if you wanna do it now it's no problem. That fight earlier was little more than a warm-up exercise!" She pumps her fists and does stretches, as if to show you that she's in tip top form.

>Take a nap
>Share a meal with Saber
>Continue on past the Point of No Return.

Welp, I started this sixteen hours ago and it's pretty late here, so I'm gonna go hit the hay. When I wake up tomorrow I'll continue. In the meantime, any feedback you guys have is appreciated.

at some point we have to find out who topped: marc antony or cleopatra

>share a meal

>>3199530
>>Share a meal with Saber
Ask saber why is he crossdressing, you are sure than Mark Antony was a man. Even if he is not that Mark Antony, the name is clearly male. Ask why he is an heroic spirit. What determines who can become an heroic spirit? No offence, he doesn't seem to be particularly legendary, he is certainly not an invention or exaggeration of some kind of foundational myth of the roman empire. His live is too well documented. PLEASE LET ME LICK YOUR HAIR IT LOOKS SO GOOD. A successful statesman, a good military leader, and vicious opportunist, yes. But an heroe? Doubtful, even with the more fitting conception of "hero" of the greco roman culture.
Maybe Cesar himself would suffice, someone from the Nerva–Antonine dynasty, or even some eastern emperor that made gains trying to reunite the empire. You need to comb that hair in drills. No offence, just trying to understand the situation.
You were worshiped as a goo latter on, like an greek heroic cult or a more traditional ancestor worship, so that maybe it. I don't know.
Was Cleopatra good in bed? She did it like an egyptian or like a greek? This is important please respond.

>In the meantime, any feedback you guys have is appreciated.
Get a trip, maybe decide ties with dice and not first come first serve, clarification of the write-in situation. No write-ins for now/ever, implicit write-ins (you may always use a write in even if it is no a listed option), just comments on already existing options (flavour to the option, additional questions, more precisely how to do it, etc), etc.

>>3199663
if you wanted a boy you shouldn't have picked a saber obviously

>>3199669
I didn't. But that would be the reaction of any borderline sane person not familiar with fate, like the protagonist. And it would be wise to discover her attitude towards the whole gender bender thing right now so we don't walk in a minefield latter. She may or may not be as insane as Mordred, whatever the case it is better to know it sooner than later.

>>3199530
>>Continue on past the Point of No Return.

>>3199530
>>Share a meal with Saber

>>3199663
Alright, I'll decide ties with dice, that is more fair. You guys can do write-ins at any time, I'll put that at the start of any future threads. I think I kind of get the jist of your statement on existing options, but I would appreciate clarification.

>>3199598
>>3199663
>>3199744
>>3199783
The two of you take a seat on the cool cave floor and Saber ladles stew out into the bowls. She watches you intently as you rattle off a list of questions. She nods repeatedly. "Mhm, mhm! Those are all good questions, so lemme try to answer them. I am definitely "That" Mark Antony. It's not surprising that history marked me down as male, since that was my intention from the first! I and my family weren't well known during my early years, so when I decided I wanted to join the military, I disguised myself as male. I'll spare you the dull details of how I managed to pull it off, but later on it involved body doubles and all sorts of tricks! I only ever let the most important people in my life know the truth. But since that's all ancient history now, I can drop the disguise!" She ladles another spoonful of stew into her mouth, looking awfully pleased with herself. "As for why I'm a heroic spirit, I personally think I just got caught up in Caesar's coattails Or Cleopatra's. Or Octavius's. Or maybe I'm counted as a hero due to my death helping to usher in the Roman Empire? Typically the kind of Heroes you get are more like Caesar, that's true." Saber looks downcast for a second. "Sorry you didn't get him instead. He was a truly great man."

Saver slaps her cheeks with her hands, shakes her head viciously, and continues. "Anyway! About your other two points! Thanks for the hair compliment, though I don't think it's long enough to comb into drills? That would be something I'd like to try out though, since I never really had long hair in life." Saber runs her fingers through her hair thoughtfully. Her face then breaks into the smuggest of smug grins. "As for your last question. Did Cleopatra do it like an Egyptian or a Greek? She did it like Cleopatra, there simply is no comparison that can be made! I was married four times, and had plenty of love affairs in my youth. No woman I had ever had compared to Cleopatra, whether in the bedroom or around the conference table. It was inspiring to see a fellow woman who was my equal in so many fields, and who shared my love of Caesar! In the end, I gambled it all on her, and though I lost I'll never regret that decision." You see Saber's face light up as she animatedly describes the only woman to truly charm her. It looks like she definitely respected and admired Cleopatra. "Anyhow, I admit I'm a bit of a character, but most Heroic Spirits have led interesting lives. If you come across more of us in the future, prepare yourself for surprises."

>(1/2)

>>3200736
The two of you finish your stew, put down your bowls, and stand up. Your stomach is full and you've gotten to know Saber better, you're ready for what lies ahead. You and your Servant draw your swords, and continue past the Point of No Return. As you make your way through this short new section of tunnel, you hear a door slam shut behind you. In front of you is a large illuminated chamber with the appearance of a temple, a stone statue on top of a raised stone platform in the centre. It depicts a fully armoured knight plunging a sword into the floor below. There appears to be no exit doors to this room, and the way you came from is already closed. Looks like whatever you have to do, this is where you must do it. Saber nods her agreement. "Mhm, this is the test proper. I can sense we have to complete some condition while in this room. But there's really not a whole lot to investigate here, Master." That's true, there's really only a few stone steps, a raised stone platform, and that stone statue. You suppose you could investigate the statue.

>Knock on the statue's helmet, just for fun.
>Look around for some sort of switch or lever.
>Investigate the platform itself, that sword's got to be going somewhere.

>>3200751
>>Investigate the platform itself, that sword's got to be going somewhere.

>>3200751
>>Investigate the platform itself, that sword's got to be going somewhere.

dead

>>3200878
>>3201057
While Saber inspects the cave walls, you turn your attention to the raised stone platform. It's shaped like the top half of a cube, with the full height of the platform being just shorter than you. Only one of the four side faces of the cube has steps leading down, the rest are sheer drops. Granted, you could probably hop off the platform and land on your feet without incident, since it's not that high.

In your search, you find a small protrusion on the base of the platform. Pressing down on it, you hear an audible click as a section of the stone base swings away, revealing the space under the platform to be hollow. Poking your head inside, you see that the statue's sword does continue all the way downwards. However, it's also wrapped in vines, which seem to be coming from the corners of the platform's base. The vines are pulled taut around the sword, as if entangling and trapping its movement. It seems like an odd arrangement for a statue, especially since this area was hidden.

>Cut through the vines with your sword
>Call over Saber and have her slice them apart
>Examine the statue in more detail first

>>3204924
You're right. I apologise for my absenteeism.

>>3205024
>>Call over Saber and have her slice them apart

>>3205039
You call Saber over to you and show her the small room under the platform. "I see. This definitely looks suspicious, Master. Stand back and let me take care of it!" Saber grins and draws her sword, preparing to strike. You follow her advice and stand well back, walking out from under the platform and observing from a safe distance. Once you're in position, Saber begins to slash apart the vines, cutting them to ribbons. Instead of the dancing, agile swordplay you saw earlier, she simply stands in place and hacks away with her sword at lightning speed. You can feel the sheer power of her strokes as each one causes the air to reverberate. Within seconds, all that is left of the vines are small fragments that drift towards the floor. The statue's sword, now freed from the vines, slides upwards. Following the motion, you look upwards and see the statue itself drew the sword from the platform below. The stone of the statue's armour cracks and falls away in flakes, revealing metal underneath. It turns its head to look at you, and as it does so you hear a slamming noise. The space under the platform has been sealed up again, with Saber still inside.

"Master! Master are you okay out there!?" You hear your Servant cry out from within her stone prison. You hear her slash at her confines to little effect. "It's some sort of enchantment, I can't break it open!" Before you can reply to her, the armoured knight on top of the platform points their sword at you and speaks. "I see you have awakened me. I would congratulate you on doing so, if it were not cruel to praise someone mere moments before slaying them." The voice that emanates from the knight's helmet sounds distorted, to the point where you wonder if it is even a human under that armour. "It would seem The Holy Grail wishes to test you before you enter the war fully, and it has selected me to do so. I will offer you a small few moments in which to pray before your demise. Make your peace." You have no doubt that the knight is willing to make good on their threat, and you can sense that they are an existence with power comparable to Saber's. You, a regular human, might not fare too well in a fight with them. "OH HELL NO! There's no way I'm letting my Master get killed right in front of me without doing anything!" Saber yells at the knight, having heard his proclamation. "I've been through that once before and I'm certainly not letting some discount Servant the Holy Grail pulled out of its ASS do it to me again! Master, focus on those command seals on your hand and wish for me to break out of here! They'll make it happen!"

>>3205135
As you're about to follow through on Saber's request, the Knight interrupts your conversation with her. "If you bring your Servant out here, all that will be dealt to her is death. That much is certain. However, if you stand down and allow me to kill you, I shall spare her. You have my word." You look down at the three red marks on your palm. Can Saber really beat this guy? He seems like he might be even stronger than her. But if you do nothing, you're going to be alone with Sir Stabbalot over there, and if Saber can't beat him then surely there's no way you can. Ultimately, you choose to...

>Stand down and let the Knight cleave you apart in order to save Saber.
>Bring Saber out using one of your three command seals.
>Challenge the Knight to an honourable duel.

File: 1508491474656.jpg (91 KB, 720x720)

91 KB JPG

>>3205137
>Bring Saber out using one of your three command seals.
"Saber, I wish for you to be the lethe of this putrid simulacrum, so that world itself may forget that such splotch ever existed."
It is not like you practice increible verbose ways to express yourself in hopes to be as cool as Rin. Definitely not the case.

>>3205137
>>Challenge the Knight to an honourable duel.

>>3205209
This Knight doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. You have faith in Saber, and you know she'll beat him! You extend your hand, the red marks on your palm facing outwards, and will for Saber to appear before you. As your hand is engulfed in a burning sensation, you recite what you feel is a suitably cool monologue. A great wind picks up, causing your hair and clothes to flap wildly. In the blink of an eye, you feel space distort, folding in around itself, then bulging outwards. Where previously there was only air, your noble Servant now stands, blade in hand. "Right on, Master! You've got the spirit down, we can work on the wording later." She beams at you before turning to the Knight standing above the two of you. "Now prepare to get absolutely DESTROYED, you utter fool! Your fate was sealed the second you threatened my Master!" The Knight sighs and readies himself for battle. "Would that you had made it easy. I'm afraid I must kill you now, Trial Saber. Impurities such as this Master must not be allowed to reach the Holy Grail of the Seventh Heaven, for hey are not worthy to bask in its radiance. Now perish!"

The Knight leaps from the podium and Saber rushes forth to meet him. Their swords clash with such intensity the sound reverberates through the cavern. The earth beneath your feet shakes as the two Servants engage in a flurry of attacks and parries, their blades cutting through the air almost too fast to see. Sparks fly as the two pieces of metal collide several times a second. Were these ordinary swords they would be broken after only a few blows of such intensity, yet the fight continues for several minutes with nary a scratch on the blades. You can feel that the both of them are holding nothing back, each of them fighting at full strength. Even with near-limitless stamina, such exertion must be starting to tire them out. After a particularly vicious exchange, the two break apart, allowing you to see that Saber is breathing more heavily. The Knight meanwhile stands as stoic as ever, they don't seem tired in the slightest. "And you would call this fool Master, Trial Saber? You are as much of a fool as she. What has she done to support you in this battle? She doesn't even have any skill as a magus, to the point where you fight no different with or without her. Such a pathetic existence is not worthy of entering the Holy Grail War. She would be an insult to the brave souls who have put their very lives on the line to grant their wishes! Tell me, why do you bleed for one who will not bleed for you? The girl you serve is not Caesar reborn, she is an unskilled coward." In response to that, Saber simply grits her teeth and prepares to charge at her foe once more. "You don't get to decide a person's value, you pathetic pawn! You don't get to decide if a person is allowed to fight for their life!" The opposing sword-wielders ready themselves for another clash of blades.

>>3205313
The Knight's words echo with you. You've just been letting Saber take care of this. Sure, you might not have the strength to go toe to toe with a Servant, but surely there's some way you could help Saber? You rack your brain, trying to think of options that would help ease the burden on your servant.

>Charge at the Knight with your sword. It might distract him and allow Saber to deal a killing blow.
>Cheer Saber on with all your heart. You can at the very least provide moral support to someone fighting on your behalf.
>There was that weird thing at the obstacle course, maybe you could try it on her. Attempt a Code Cast: brain_up (16); on your Servant.

>>3205317
>>There was that weird thing at the obstacle course, maybe you could try it on her. Attempt a Code Cast: brain_up (16); on your Servant.

>>3205317
>There was that weird thing at the obstacle course, maybe you could try it on her. Attempt a Code Cast: brain_up (16); on your Servant.

>>3205328
>>3205352
You recall your feelings and actions back at the start of the obstacle course earlier today. It feels like a lifetime ago now. You clear your mind, and deliberately set your spine alight. As the searing pain flows through you, you focus the energy it brings and aim it at Saber. A flash of blue light arcs out from your hand and envelops her, causing her to shine brilliantly. "Yes! That's my Master for you! I can feel our connection strengthening! I can draw out more magical energy now!" She caresses the blue light surrounding her, and you see her breathing become even. Her eyes look much more focused now, as if all distractions have been wiped away. If it was possible for someone in full plate armour to look taken aback, then that was how the Knight looked now. "A Code Cast? That uniform was actually a Mystic Code!? Even if your master has some small skill in magic, it matters not, for I shall cut you down with my next strike! Prepare yourself for oblivion!" You can sense the knight drawing upon a massive wellspring of energy, shaping into the form of an attack. Surely your boost isn't enough to overcome something as powerful as that?

As if sensing your concerns, Saber speaks. "Don't worry Master! You've just given me the window to use my trump card. I couldn't have asked for better support!" She winks at you, and then positions herself in a stance you've not seen before. She stabs her sword into the ground and grips her shield with both hands, as if readying to throw it. "You want to see Caesar Reborn, you bargain-bin reject? TAKE A GOOD LOOK!" The air shimmers around your servant, and reality itself seems to shake and rip apart. Her shield becomes wreathed in green flame, and she is engulfed in a shining light of the same colour. "Behold the shining star that heralds His rise to the heavens! As His humble priest, I call forth His divine sign! CAESAR'S COMET!" Saber spins, before tossing her shield like a discus at the Knight. The green streak flies toward him at the speed of light, breaking the sound barrier effortlessly. You get a glimpse of the impact before the fiery explosion causes you to slam your eyes shut, using your arms to shield yourself from the blast. You see the bright light beyond your closed eyelids fade, and you slowly open your eyes. As your vision readjusts to the dimly lit cavern, you see the Knight's sword clatter to the ground, and then fade away completely. Your foe is no more.

You slump to the ground, all of a sudden you're feeling rather exhausted. Saber strolls over to you and sits down beside you, also looking visibly winded. "I used a lot of your magical energy to make that happen Master. Don't worry, you should recover the lost magical energy in a couple days, but in the meantime you'll feel more tired than usual. She smiles her usual smile. "Test complete! You passed, good job!"

>Ask Saber just what the hell that explosion was.
>Pat Saber on the head and congratulate her for a job well done.

>>3205408
>>Ask Saber just what the hell that explosion was.

>>3205417
You ask Saber what just happened, and she obliges you with an explanation. "Every Heroic Spirit has something called a Noble Phantasm. You can think of them as our trump cards, since they're usually super powerful and increases our chances of beating an enemy we couldn't defeat normally. The only catch is that since they're based off our legends, using your Noble Phantasm is a surefire way of identifying yourself. It wasn't really a problem this time, but it's something for you to keep in mind for the future. Anyway, they also usually cost a ton of magical energy, which Servants get from their Master. Normally I'm just taking enough from you to maintain my form, but this took a whole bunch, so I emptied your tanks a little. This means you can't just spam your Servant's Noble Phantasm until you win, you've gotta use them at key moments!" Saber pauses and rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "I guess I kind of turned this into a lecture, huh? Anyway, that was my Noble Phantasm, and it beat the enemy Servant, so we won!"

She gets to her feet and extends a hand to you, helping you stand up as well. She leads you over to the far wall of the cavern, and you blink as you experience the now-familiar sensation of space distorting right in front of your eyes. You're back on the island of flowers, with Saber by your side. The only new edition is an ornate door standing a little ways away from the throne. Saber points towards the door and begins to explain. "That door connects this space with Atlantis. You'll be able to come back at will, now that you've cleared all the enemies out. The technical term for this place is 'My Room'. It's basically your secret base where you can rest up, relax, and plan your next move." Saber skips over to the throne and lays down on it. "You're gonna need it, because passing the test just means you're now a participant in something wayyyyyyyyyy more dangerous than this was. The Holy Grail War of Atlantis. You're gonna have to duke it out with a whole bunch of other Masters." You notice something odd. Saber seems to be turning transparent. She doesn't look worried about it, but it concerns you.

>Ask Saber what's happening to her.
>Maybe she doesn't have enough magical energy, try and send some her way.
>Grab a hold of her hand just in case.

>>3205488
Bloody hell, forgot my trip.

>>3205488
>>Grab a hold of her hand just in case.

>>3205488
>Grab a hold of her hand just in case.

>>3205497
>>3206079
You clasp Saber's hand in your own and hold on tight. She responds by giving your hand a gentle squeeze. "It was great to go on another adventure, Master... Alice. I lived a life of ups and downs, of highs and lows. It's like I can't have the good without the bad. But it's rather comical that I would be summoned as just a part of this trial program. I got to meet someone with the potential to become a fantastic Master, but I'm not allowed to watch them grow. It's that kind of bittersweet cruelty I'm used to." Saber smiles cynically and giggles, as if she had just heard a rather nice joke. "The Holy Grail is severing our contract, so that you can summon a proper Servant. But it's fine, it makes sense for me to be overshadowed by another. I don't have what it takes to stand on the stage you're heading towards. In the end, I'm a secondary character that got to spend a little time in the limelight for a change." As she speaks, she becomes more transparent, you can see almost clean through her. You feel her grip weaken, as if her very life force is fading away.

"There's a lot you'll have to learn if you want to survive the Holy Grail War, Alice. But from what I've seen, I'm sure you've got what it takes to win. And who knows? If you win and obtain the Holy Grail, maybe we'll see each other again. Fate does work in strange ways, after all." Suddenly the sensation of holding onto Saber's hand ceases, and it feels like there's only air. You can do nothing but watch as she slowly fades from view, giving you a small goodbye wave as she does so. And just like that, the woman known as Saber has vanished.

The red marks on your hand glow, morphing into an unrecognisable shape. You feel a presence behind you that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. You slowly turn around, to see a woman with rabbit ears in a ceremonial dress standing behind you. "I hate to bother you so soon after that heartfelt goodbye, but as you are participating in the Holy Grail War, I shall need to lay down the ground rules. I am the supervisor of the Grail War, and the one who orchestrated this trial to see whether or not you were worthy of being a Master." She waves her hand and a chalkboard appears behind her. "Fourteen Servants will be summoned by Fourteen Masters, including you. Seven Servants of Gold, and Seven Servants of Silver. In each group, there will be one of each of the seven classes, Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker. Atlantis City shall be the battleground upon which the Servants and Masters fight, spaces such as this are exempt. However, you cannot continuously use the My Room for more than nine hours each day. The path to the Holy Grail will be opened when twelve of the summoned Servants are dead. Specifically, six of the Silver Servants, and Six of the Gold. The two remaining Masters that still possess Servants may then claim a wish from the Holy Grail, along with their summoned Heroic Spirits." Images appear on the chalk board to represent what the bunny-eared woman is talking about.

"I'll leave you to it then, all you have to do to summon your proper Servant is to focus your magical energy and wish for them to appear. As the supervisor of this war, I shall remain impartial. However, feel free to come to me at any time should you have questions that need answering. Oh, and non-participation is not an option. Should you fail to summon a Servant, you will be executed. Goodbye, and good luck." She waves her hand once more and the chalk board vanishes, along with her. This day has left you with more questions than answers, and the world has been making less sense the longer it's dragged on. But if what the Bunny-Eared woman said is true, you don't have a choice in the matter. And it sounded like Saber wanted you to win this war. The ability to make any wish you want could be used for nearly anything you desire. All in all, you feel that you have to participate, even if you don't have iron-clad reasons to yet. Knowing this, you focus your mind and wish forth a Servant to fight in the Atlantis Holy Grail War.

File: The Holy Grail War of Atlantis.png (140 KB, 800x800)

140 KB PNG

>>3206220
Forgot my diagram there. Oh well, here it is.

>You may now choose your Servant from Fourteen options. The difficulty of each Servant is not equal, some may be easier to use than others. However, it is possible to win the Holy Grail War with any Servant.

>Saber, Heroic Spirit of the Sword (Male)
>Saber, Heroic Spirit of the Sword (Female)
>Lancer, Heroic Spirit of the Lance (Male)
>Lancer, Heroic Spirit of the Lance (Female)
>Archer, Heroic Spirit of the Bow (Male)
>Archer, Heroic Spirit of the Bow (Female)
>Rider, Heroic Spirit of the Mount (Male)
>Rider, Heroic Spirit of the Mount (Female)
>Caster, Heroic Spirit of Spells and Sorcery (Male)
>Caster, Heroic Spirit of Spells and Sorcery (Female)
>Assassin, Heroic Spirit of Assassination (Male)
>Assassin, Heroic Spirit of Assassination (Female)
>Berserker, Heroic Spirit of Berserk Rage (Male)
>Berserker, Heroic Spirit of Berserk Rage (Female)

>>3206224
>>Archer, Heroic Spirit of the Bow (Female)

>>3206224
>>Caster, Heroic Spirit of Spells and Sorcery (Female)
I was expecting to select a cute foreigner but this will need to do.

>>3206240
I'm afraid I'm not confident enough in my grasp of the lore behind the Foreigner class to include them.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>3206231
>>3206240
Rolling to decide. 1 is Archer F, 2 is Caster F.

>>3206349
Oh, you guys pulled an interesting one.

Once more your hand is aflame as the command seals work their magic. The air pulls itself, reality breaking under the summoning of that which should not exist in this time. From the void, a light shines forth, materialising in the form of a beautiful woman. She is clad in a simple grey and black dress with accents of red and gold, and her hair is as black as a raven's feathers. As she opens her eyes to look at you, you note that they are the colour of milk chocolate. You stand transfixed, her appearance having momentarily distracted you from the searing pain on your palm. Taking another look at your command seals, you note that it is the same pattern as before. However, your third seal, the one you used to free Saber, has now returned. Instead of the previous red, the three seals are now a bright silver colour. You deduce that this means you summoned a Silver Servant.

As if to confirm your suspicions, the Servant in front of you bows respectfully and introduces herself. "I am Archer of Silver. Are you my Master?"

>Nod and introduce yourself.
>Ask Archer what her true name as a Heroic Spirit is.
>She's an Archer, right? Ask her to show you her bow.

>>3206416
>>>Nod and introduce yourself.

>>3206416
>>Nod and introduce yourself.

>>3206425
>>3206433
You nod and introduce yourself. "Ah, so my Master is named Alice... It's a nice name." Archer gives you a brief smile before her face returns to a stoic, attentive expression. "I pledge to fight this war in your name and bring you victory, as your loyal and faithful Servant." She once again bows to you. With the introductions out of the way, you figure there's not much to do try to head home and sort everything out in your head. You gesture to Archer to follow and open the door that Saber pointed out to you earlier. Surprisingly, it leads directly into the main living space of your apartment. You stumble into your bedroom, kick off your shoes, and dive onto your bed.

So much has happened today, it's hard not to be overwhelmed at it all. First you discovered that you could apparently do something called Code Cast, then you saved Rin from a mysterious vortex, woke up in the My Room, met Saber, went through the Cave with her, helped her defeat that knight, said your goodbyes to her, and then was informed you would have to fight in something called the Holy Grail War. Now you've got a different Servant, Archer, who's supposed to help you kill twelve other Heroic Spirits that are probably at least as powerful as her?

This shit is so out of your league it's not funny.

You cover your face with a pillow as if that will make the daunting challenge facing you go away. You can feel Archer's presence through your connection with her, and notice that she's awkwardly hovering in the doorway. "Um, Master... What is our next course of action?"

>Today's been too much, I'm going to sleep.
>Talk battle strategy with Archer. She might know more than you about the Holy Grail War.
>Oh right, Rin! Go check the Matou residence and see if Rin's okay.

>>3206492
Oh and I should stress that at any time you can come up with Write Ins. Maybe I should just include that option in each post.

>>3206492
>>Oh right, Rin! Go check the Matou residence and see if Rin's okay.

>>3206492
>Oh right, Rin! Go check the Matou residence and see if Rin's okay.
You are tired, make her carry you there.

>>3206505
>>3206509
While you lie exhausted in your bed, your mind reeling after the day's events, a memory suddenly jumps to the forefront of your brain. Rin! Of course, you heroically rescued her from the vortex, but what became of her afterwards? You leap out of bed and begin to rush towards your front door when a momentary bout of dizziness makes you stagger. Oh yeah, the whole exhaustion thing. You did give Saber all that magical energy earlier after all, so it makes sense that you're tired. You tell Archer you'd like her to carry you to your destination. She nods. "As you command, Master." She picks you up and carries you in a bridal carry. After the two of you leave the apartment, she picks up speed, following your directions to the nearby Matou household.

The pair of you arrive in no time at all thanks to Archer's speed as a Servant, and she carries you across the threshold. You call out for Rin, and hear a surprised yelp in return. "Alice!? Is that you!?" You hear footsteps and then see Rin peeking over the staircase railing. "Oh my god, it is you. And- Wait, is that a Servant?" You're surprised that Rin knows what a Servant is in the first place. You only found out about them today. You say as much to her, and she sighs. "Come on up, I'll have some tea made and we can talk about this." Rin's head disappears from above the railing. Archer carefully carries you up the stairs, and the two of you meet with Rin in her bedroom. It looks very normal, as if the earlier commotion didn't disturb it at all. Rin must've cleaned up. "Rin, was it? Might my Master have use of your bed? She's rather exhausted and it would be preferable for her to regain her strength by resting." Your Servant very politely asks Rin for use of her furniture. Rin just waves it off. "Sure, go ahead. It's not like I'm sleeping on it at the moment either. And Alice did save me earlier."

Archer places you down on the bed. It's amazingly comfortable, and much softer than your bed.. Rin must be so lucky to sleep on a bed like this every night. Regardless, you didn't come for a social visit. It's good to see that Rin is safe, but you need to discuss the strange goings on.

>Ask Rin what happened after you got sucked into the vortex.
>Ask how Rin knows what a Servant is.
>Ask Rin if anything else weird has happened tonight.
>Write-In.

>>3206593
Gods dammit I forgot this again.

>>3206593
>>Ask Rin what happened after you got sucked into the vortex.

>>3206593
>>Ask how Rin knows what a Servant is.
Don't pass the opportunity to smell Rin's bed.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>3206604
>>3206608
1 for the first post, 2 for the second, Rin's bed is getting sniffed either way.

>>3206618
As you adjust yourself so you can lie comfortably on Rin's bed, you inhale deeply. You can smell Rin's scent on the sheets, and the pillow is thick with the smell of her usual apple shampoo. Suddenly you are flush with embarrassment, smelling a friend's bed like this. Hoping that Rin didn't notice, you ask her the obvious question. Just how did she know that your Servant was, well, a Servant? "Well, you know those command seals on your hand?" Rin points towards the three silver symbols on your palm. "I've got them too, see?" Rin rolls up her sleeve to reveal a different pattern of symbols, gold in colour, etched on her inner forearm. "Only mine are Gold, so despite us both being Masters in the war, we're not really enemies. In fact, we can both win." Rin flashes a sadistic grin, as if her victory in the war was preordained by fate itself. "But man, I was so surprised. When I signed up for the Holy Grail War, I didn't think the Moon Cell would give me a whole bunch of false memories. I guess they're meant to be consistent with our personalities so they don't clash too badly, with our real memories, but it still makes me kinda dizzy."

You're distracted from the reveal of Rin's status as a Master by that puzzling statement she made just know. You ask her what she means by false memories. "Oh, you know, the whole school life deal? Meant to make us think we were citizens here, just like all the NPCs? Any of this ringing a bell?" She looks oddly at you. You're still confused. Is she saying your memories aren't real? What about the two of you growing up together? "What? That's all fake, we probably met for the first time a day or two ago. Wait... Did the system not return your memories!? That's a serious error, no wonder the system tried to reevaluate you! I thought maybe I'd slipped up and my shoddy spirit hacking caused the attack, but it must've been targeted at you all along!" Rin sees that you're not following her rant, and calms down. "Okay, let me start from the top. You and I are Mages, also known as Spirit Hackers. Right now we're not purely flesh and blood, but digital constructs formed by uploading our souls into the Moon Cell. The Moon Cell is a massive supercomputer hidden on the moon by some ancient race, that humanity discovered two years ago. Since all space travel is banned the only way to get here is by spirit hacking. The reason we came here at all is to take control of the Moon Cell, also known as the Holy Grail, and use its power to grant ourselves a wish. It's the same for every Master that arrived here." She pauses to breathe, and to make sure you're still following her speech.

>>3206683
"When I hacked in, the Moon Cell sealed away my memories and created a fake set from childhood up to a few days before high school graduation. That's the Rin Matou you know. Now that the Holy Grail War has started, the Moon Cell gave me back my memories, but for some reason yours must still be sealed away." Rin finishes speaking as if she didn't just say some of the most ludicrous things you've ever heard. Your entire life is a lie? False memories, created by some sort of supercomputer? How are you even supposed to react?

>You're too smart to fall for this nonsense.
>Things have been crazy all day, why couldn't your memories be fake as well?
>You're too tired to care at this point.
>Write-In.

>>3206686
>>You're too tired to care at this point.

>>3206686
>You're too smart to fall for this nonsense.
Simulation theories are very dangerous. If you think that way you could do something really stupid because you think it is not real or to "wake up". Whatever she says, it is safer to operate as if all of this is real.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>3206700
>>3206709
Rolling.

>>3206724
You point out to Rin how stupid it would be for you to believe that this is all a simulation. She nods appreciatively. "Well I suppose that's just a sign that you're not completely brain-dead. If I was in your shoes I probably wouldn't believe something this far-fetched either. But believe me, this is a case of 'you die in the game, you die for real.' If you get killed here, your real body back on earth will get fried. You're putting your life on the line in the Holy Grail War." Rin pensively tents her fingers together, and then just shrugs. "I guess it really doesn't matter just as long as you take this seriously. Archer, where's my GODDAMN TEA!?" She yells at the floorboards. Oh that's right, Rin's bedroom is above the kitchen. She must have sent her Servant down to make the tea she mentioned earlier. Since she called them Archer, she must have summoned the Archer of Gold. As you ponder this, a man bearing a tea tray ascends the staircase and walks over to the bedroom.

"Sorry for the delay, Master. Tea preparation isn't exactly my forte, but I put a lot of care into it. Please enjoy." He flashes a winning smile at the three of you. Rin's servant is a tall, muscled man with a head of short hair, wearing light armour. He holds the tray out to you, and you gratefully take a cup. Sipping it, you are pleased to discover that it tastes very good. Especially for someone who apparently isn't that good at brewing tea. Your Archer looks somewhat suspiciously at her teacup, sniffs it, and then sips it. A small smile flashes across her face, almost too quick to notice. Rin, on the other hand, grabs her teacup and chugs it down in one go, slamming it back down onto the tray. "Now that's what I call some goddamn tea, Archer! Nice job!" Rin's Archer grins at her and leaves the room, presumably to do other menial tasks for the queen of slave-drivers herself. Rin turns to you and points at your beautiful Servant, who is still sipping on her tea. "So? What class did you summon? Something powerful, I hope.

>Tell her you summoned Archer.
>Lie to her about what class Archer is
>Tell her you don't know your Servant's class either.
>Refuse to tell her
>Write-In

>>3206784
>Tell her you don't know your Servant's class either.
Pass it as another irregularity.

>>3206784
>>Tell her you don't know your Servant's class either.

>>3206784
>>Tell her you don't know your Servant's class either.

>>3206797
>>3206801
>>3206816
You tell Rin you don't know the class of your servant either. Probably something linked to your supposed missing memories. She sighs dramatically "Oh, really? Damn, I guess you really are a special case. Oh well, we'll figure it out by process of elimination. You're really lucky, Alice. Without me around to help you, this Holy Grail War would chew you up and spit you out. In the meantime, go get some rest. You really do look dead tired. Have that mysterious Servant of yours take you back home and grab some Zs." Rin gets to her feet. "I'm gonna go patrol, we can do Holy Grail War stuff together tomorrow. Take care of yourself, okay?" Rin smiles at you as Archer picks you back up and carries you out of the house. That tea was great but you think it's making you feel even more drowsy.

Archer returns to your apartment, locks your door, and deposits you on your own bed. "Well then Master, that should be it for tonight. You do need your rest after all. Unless you have any further questions or requests for me, I shall let you rest and remain on watch for the rest of the night."

Do you have any questions or requests for your Archer of Silver?

>Ask a question/request something (Write-In)
>Sleep time is now.

>>3206856
>Ask her for the best way to support her

>>3206856
>>Ask a question/request something (Write-In)
Noble phantasm, real name, wish and how she plans to fight. Also ask how she may differ from the "historically recorded" her.

>>3206859
>>3206870
Archer tosses her hair behind her shoulder. "I am an Archer Class Servant, so I specialised in attacking from a distance and can operate for periods without you supplying me with magical energy. When it comes to support it would simply be helpful if you did not expose yourself to enemy attacks. That way I will not need to focus on your safety, and can obliterate the enemy Servant instead. As for my real name..." She pauses, looking surprisingly downcast for such a typically stoic woman. "I don't remember. I assume it is somehow related to your memory loss. I cannot recall the true name of my Noble Phantasm either, which means I cannot use its full power." She summons her weapon, and your confusion only increases.

Rather than a bow or any handheld armament, she has summoned an ornate cannon. A piece of artillery, suitable for the indiscriminate decimation of both structures and enemies as opposed to the surgical precision of a bow. It is black with gold engravings, and you can feel that it is indeed both her weapon of choice and Noble Phantasm. This cannon contains Archer's legend in the form of some kind of attack. "As I fight with artillery over a bow, I will need an advantageous position to attack the enemy. I cannot fire while repositioning. Thus I recommend ambushes where we aim to take out the enemy Servant with a single strike." She waves her hand and the cannon shimmers out of existence, waiting for Archer to call upon it again.

"So I suppose my wish for the Holy Grail is to know who I am. If you could help identify which Heroic Spirit I am, Master, I would be very grateful." She smiles briefly, and bids you goodnight. As Archer assumes her watch, and you drift off to sleep within the confines of your comfy bed, you can't help but wonder. Just who is she? You'll be at a disadvantage in the future if you don't know who your Servant is, and what skills you can make use of. Oh well, whether you solve the mystery of her identity or not, this Holy Grail War will be quite the challenge. For now, you might as well get as much rest as you can.


1st Day, End.

Welp, I think this is a good place to leave off for now. The sun crept up on me but I should be up for a little bit more if you guys have any questions. If you guys can figure out who your Servant is, she'll get a boost as she'll be able to access her Noble Phantasm. Likewise, figuring out the identity of an enemy Servant prior to them using their Noble Phantasm will give you better odds against them.

The Archer Class really is made up of Archers, isn't it?

She is lying. Servants are "compatible" with masters, unless catalyst is used.
We made Saber fight for us, so we got archer that is independent and can fight without us. We lied to Rin, so I guess Arched lied to us. She said:
>"So I suppose my wish for the Holy Grail is to know who I am.
No way that it is her wish. It is a lie and even if she doesn't remember she could have said so instead of immediately planting a false wish to misdirect.
>If you could help identify which Heroic Spirit I am, Master, I would be very grateful."
Something she said, or the way she looks is misdirection too.

We need to save that last command seal to make her kill herself, no dupt about that. Never trust an Archer.

I'll run again on Saturday starting from 10 AM GMT+8. In the meantime, here's your Archer's stats as far as you've been able to discern them.

Strength: B
Endurance: B
Agility: D
Magic: D
Luck: B
Noble Phantasm: Unknown

>>3217464
Change of plans, I'll run tomorrow at that time instead.

>>3221569
The new thread.