Evening sunlight pours in behind him, casting a shadow over his front, but you can tell that he’s about your height, with black hair, dark priestly clothes, and a similar dark cassock, though he lacks a Roman collar. You guess that this is Agrippa Brigante. He’s looking at the package in your arm. Hopefully, he’ll understand why you didn’t obey his instructions once you explain. First, though, you should introduce yourself.

“Hello,” you begin. “Might you be-”

You’re cut off as his eyes meet yours and he reaches into his cassock, drawing out a familiar red hilt - a Black Key!

You begin to panic. You’ve barely gotten a word out of your mouth and he’s actually trying to kill you!? Magical energy flows out of the red hilt, materializing the long blade of the throwing sword. With no time to think, you defend yourself by…

>>...blocking with your own Black Keys!
>>...dodging with Reinforced limbs!
>>...using the box as a shield!

>>3678095
>>>...blocking with your own Black Keys!
Oh shit, another Fate quest?
Nice.

>>3678095
>>...blocking with your own Black Keys!

>>3678095
>>...using the box as a shield!

>>3678095
>>...using the box as a shield!

Oooooh, I hope we pull a Waver on this guy's catalyst.

>>3678095
>...blocking with your own Black Keys!

>Another Fate quest
Tough shoes to fill, but one can believe. Time to EXECUTE

>>3678095
>>...blocking with your own Black Keys!

With one hand still occupied, you thrust the other into your unzipped hoodie and withdraw three of your own Black Keys. You fan them out like claws, not waiting to unleash their blades. Agrippa steps forward out of the light and launches his sword. Armed, you swing and deflect the projectile with your blades, just like your mother taught you. The missile clatters down the stairs. Agrippa looks shocked and impressed at your move for a moment before his face hardens into a conviction. Your prowess with Black Keys seems to have solidified you as a threat in his mind.

Agrippa draws two more keys, one for each hand. Unsure if you can block two separately aimed projectiles with just one claw, you begin retreating down the stairs backwards. Agrippa isn’t far behind, following you down the flight of stairs into the stone lower floor.

Though they are awkwardly weighted, Agrippa clearly has experience wielding Black Keys as close-quarter weapons. He slashes at you repeatedly, thankfully hindered by the wall on one side and the ceiling of the stairwell in the other. You’re skilled enough to fend off the strikes as they come. But this is unsustainable - he’ll kill you as soon as you reach the bottom and there are no longer nearby walls. You throw the package off the side of the stairs, partly to free your other hand and partly as a distraction.

The ploy works - seeing the cardboard box fly through the air, Agrippa throws one of his swords to skewer it against a wall and spare it from impact. Down one sword and momentarily overextended, you get a chance to slash his arm with your makeshift claw. Grunting in pain, Agrippa quickly redoubles his assault, now including thrusts. It’s a struggle to stop his pokes with your blades as a fan. You hear a thud somewhere else in the basement, but you can’t investigate now.

Your footing steadies upon reaching the bottom. A well-timed slash forces you away from the stairs, allowing Agrippa down too. You reach your free hand into your hoodie to grab more Black Keys, but Brigante strikes from above. You parry, but with your attention focused up, he kicks you from the side. Hard.

You sail halfway across the room and hit the floor sideways, your swords slipping from your hand. The pain is such that you think your ribs might be broken, but you didn’t hear anything crack. As you try to stand, you realize that you’re in the beginnings of a magic workshop. Of most immediate note, someone already set up a summoning circle for Agrippa.

Suddenly, you move wrong, and you falter in your attempt to stand. You drop to your knees, one hand on your wounded side and the other on the cold floor. Brigante is halfway over to you, but stops dead in his tracks, his eyes on your grounded hand. You look down and notice that the box from earlier has fallen apart on the wall, and its contents rest under your fingers. It’s…

>>...a red cloth.
>>...a chunk of iron with one smooth, concave face, inscribed with a rune.
>>...a damaged human vertebra.
>>...a piece of faded leather.
>>...a blade from an axe.
>>...a carbuncle.

>>3678459
>>...a damaged human vertebra.

>>3678459
>>...a damaged human vertebra.

>>3678154
It's not my intention to compete, but I get that City Akeldama/Awakening Mirror has set the bar pretty high. I'm hoping that I can provide an enjoyable experience despite the standard it sets, and if I live up to it, all the better.

>>3678459
>>...a chunk of iron with one smooth, concave face, inscribed with a rune.

>>3678459
>...a chunk of iron with one smooth, concave face, inscribed with a rune.

>>3678513
Well, I'm excited for the quest either way.

>>3678459
>>>...a damaged human vertebra

>>3678459
>>>...a chunk of iron with one smooth, concave face, inscribed with a rune.

>>3678459
>...a damaged human vertebra.
>>3678513
I hold a healthy amount of contempt for anything related to Fate, so my opinion can only go up

>>3678459
>>...a damaged human vertebra.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

Oh shit nigger a new Fate quest!

>>3678459

Hmmm, choices to be had. Not sure what to exactly make from each so I'll leave it up to the dice gods for these two

1.>>...a piece of faded leather.
2.>>...a chunk of iron with one smooth, concave face, inscribed with a rune.

>>3678566

Wrong thing for the first option mean't

>>...a damaged human vertebra.

Not sure what to make of this one really. Should try to work out an idea for each of these but may be pressed for time

>>3678554
Welcome! I hope you like what I have to offer. It's my own special spin on Autism Bait: The Franchise.

>>3678575
It looks like the vote is pretty much decided, but I'm going to leave it open for 20-30 minutes more if you guys would like to discuss. If not, just say so and I'll call it.
Each of these items is a piece of something (or someone, in the case of the vertebra) that appears in the legend of the Servant they summon.

>>3678459
I'd also like to amend the description of the leather to better reflect its age.
>>...a piece of ancient leather.

>>3678647
I don't anyone's got much to say and I just went with the spookiest option so you're probably good to go

>>3678647
Lets call it.

>>3678647

Let's get going Int, so are these all original Servants or is there a few from actual canon Fate proper?

>>3678459
>>...a damaged human vertebra.

A cracked piece of bone rests under the tips of your fingers - a human vertebra. This must be the catalyst Brigante intended to use to summon a Servant. Agrippa, shaking off his hesitation, begins to move toward you again. He may outclass you in strength and skill, but if you had a Servant at your side, then he couldn’t murder you like this-

At that thought, something pulses inside of you. An instant later, a rush of magical energy crashes over you like a tidal wave, and you feel your own being drained. Agrippa stops dead in his tracks, his eyes staring past you in fear. From behind you, the clanking of armor advances and stops at your side. You look up to lay eyes on a member of the strongest class of familiars.

Above you stands a beautiful young woman in full Japanese armor, like a samurai. Her long hair is black as night, and her eyes are a blood red. Curiously, you sense the presence of magical energy swirling about her head and hair, but don't think much about it at the moment. In her hands is a massive blade with a length of at least a meter. She glances down briefly at the bone under your left hand and the bright red mark that now branded on your skin. Wordlessly, the woman looks back to Brigante.

Your would-be killer, terrified, steadies his stance and raises his blade to protect himself. With his injured arm, he draws another Key, adding it to his defense before suddenly throwing the blade in his good arm at you-

-except before he can complete the motion, the woman catapults from your side directly to her opponent, delivering a clean, vertical bisection. The result is a grisly scene. His halves collapse to the floor as blood begins rapidly pooling between them, and organs spill out accordingly. Your Servant flicks the blood from her blade and sheathes it, calmly stepping back from the mess as it spreads.

>>You’ve seen some deaths, but nothing on this level. You’re perturbed, but you manage to recover.
>>Death is new to you. It takes everything you have to avoid vomiting.

>>3678874
>>You’ve seen some deaths, but nothing on this level. You’re perturbed, but you manage to recover

>>3678874
>>You’ve seen some deaths, but nothing on this level. You’re perturbed, but you manage to recover.

I mean if we have training in the Keys its not like were a virgin to all this.

>>3678874
>Death is new to you. It takes everything you have to avoid vomiting.
Lets say we're a trainee

>>3678765
Almost all of the Servants are original. There's one that has appeared in another Fate property, but I've made a few alterations.

>>3678874

>>You’ve seen some deaths, but nothing on this level. You’re perturbed, but you manage to recover

I only wish to REJOICE

>>3678874
>>You’ve seen some deaths, but nothing on this level. You’re perturbed, but you manage to recover.
I wish there was a "COOOOOL" choice.

>>3678926
Me too. Why can't we play a gleeful psychopath.

>>3678900
...Can we?

>>3678874
>>Death is new to you. It takes everything you have to avoid vomiting.

>>3678874
>Death is new to you. It takes everything you have to avoid vomiting.

>>3678950

>Why can't we play a gleeful psychopath.

Since there will always be someone to complain about it far more than those who'll enjoy it

>>3678886
>>3678954
>>3678961

And just to make sure, what reasons do you all have for going in this option? We have training in the Black Keys so it stands to reason that seeing death isn't something that's new to us, so why go for this one?

>>3678950
>Why can't we play a gleeful psychopath.
Because Mom raised you better than that.
>...Can we?
Sorry, but no.

>>3678926
It won't come from you, but play your cards right and you might get to see some.

>>3678874
>You’ve seen some deaths, but nothing on this level. You’re perturbed, but you manage to recover.
Oh? A new Fate quest? Looking good so far, Integer.

>>3678979
>so it stands to reason that seeing death isn't something that's new to us,
Is it?
Overprotective Mom for one

>>3678874
>Death is new to you. It takes everything you have to avoid vomiting
>>3678979
I just like being green

It’s a horrid sight. Though you’ve seen brutal killings, never before have you seen the entire contents of a human body put on full display. You do your best not to think about the visible cross-section of the brain as you force down the nausea. Agrippa is hardly the first death you’ve seen. You bring to mind the magus who tried to set up a magic circle around the academy. Mom nearly took his head off before he died. Then there was the woman who tried to ritually sacrifice you. You were lucky to only see the aftermath of Mom carving up her womb in retaliation. If you held it in those other times, you can hold it in now.

Though you’ve managed to suppress your reaction, it’s still hard to stand up. Brigante really did a number on your flank. The Servant turns, noticing your discomfort, and hurries over to you.

“Oh! Master, my deepest apologies.” She bends down to take your hand and help you rise. Her voice is poised yet earnest; it’s surprisingly comforting, though her manner of speaking is abnormally stiff. “To ignore you when you’re in pain is unforgivable, but please understand it was to strike down your enemy. I fear the environment is now unworthy of your presence. Let us leave this place.”

You have no objections to making your exit, and even if you did you’re still too overwhelmed to speak at the moment. She leads you by the hand around Agrippa’s remains, barely skirting the crimson puddle, and out of the basement. Once you’re upstairs again, a little bit of tension leaves you. The smell of blood has yet to waft up here. Oblivious to your emotional state, the Servant stops you and stands a few feet in front of you.

“This will do. I believe introductions are in order. I am your Servant, Saber. Please allow me to fight at your side.” As she finishes, she bows to you in spite of her armor. It finally sinks in that you’ve been contracted to a Servant.

And that’s when the anxiety starts to settle in as well. Agrippa's violent death and the lingering pain had distracted you up until now, but now you understand clearly that you've just been forced into a worst-case scenario. Mom explicitly forbid you from entering the Holy Grail War, and now you’ve disobeyed her, even if it was an accident! She might kill you before anyone in the War gets a chance!

If you had actually intended to become a Master, you would probably be able to accept your position with pride. But since you didn’t...

>>”No need to bow like that. My name's Edgar. Nice to meet you.”
>>Bow to her in kind. “I am Edgar. Thank you for saving my life.”
>>”Oh man, Mom is gonna kill me for this.”

>>3679086
>>Bow to her in kind. “I am Edgar. Thank you for saving my life.”

>>3679086

Hate to nag Int but the vote was 5 Seen death before, 4 Green

>>”No need to bow like that. My name's Edgar. Nice to meet you.”

>>3679086
>Bow to her in kind. “I am Edgar. Thank you for saving my life.”

>>3679086
>>Bow to her in kind. “I am Edgar. Thank you for saving my life.”

>>3679093
It's very likely that last vote came in as he was writing looking at the times

>>3679086
>Bow to her in kind. “I am Edgar. Thank you for saving my life.”

>>3679085

I get the appeal, but I think that it's honestly boring for a while to just be some rookie. I want to have experience under our belt so there wouldn't have to be the whole '''moral quandary''' of killing people when we're in the middle of the Grail War

>>3679093
>Agrippa is hardly the first death you’ve seen.

>>3679086
>Bow to her in kind. “I am Edgar. Thank you for saving my life.”
Edgar must be one heck of a prodigy, summoning a Servant without the ritual like that. Or he's got an artifact in him like Shirou, anyway. Fun, regardless!

>>3679109

The way it appears it seemed more like the later option of the vote had won

That's all for tonight, folks! I won't be up this late in the future, and my schedule will probably be inconsistent while I try to figure things out, but I'll try to regularize it as soon as possible.

>>3679093
Don't worry about it. You have seen death before, though. That first paragraph is all about what you've witnessed. If the other option had won out, you wouldn't have made it out of the basement on your own two feet, and you wouldn't be thinking about facing Mom yet. You've seen people die, but you haven't seen the inside of a human brain, and you definitely didn't know what the spinal cord looked like before just now.

>>3679010
Thanks! I'll try to keep it up.

>>3679086
>”Oh man, Mom is gonna kill me for this.”
We just have to win before she realizes we were even involved

>>3679115
Thanks for running, Ill keep an eye out

>>3679086
>>Bow to her in kind. “I am Edgar. Thank you for saving my life.”
>>”Oh man, Mom is gonna kill me for this.”

>>3679115
Its seems like we get overprotective mom anyway so that makes me happy. So far so good QM I'm off to sleep.
Thanks for running

>>3679102
Adding
>”Oh man, Mom is gonna kill me for this.”
It's just too cute not to

>>3679115
Thanks for running!

>>3679086
>>Bow to her in kind. “I am Edgar. Thank you for saving my life.”
Momserker is gonna freak.

>>3679086
>>Bow to her in kind. “I am Edgar. Thank you for saving my life.”
Hell yeah, we got a Saber!
I assume the other Catalysts would have resulted in different classes?

>>3679816
Yes. Each catalyst would have summoned a different Servant of a different class.

File: FateGOArcherNobunaga.png (351 KB, 512x724)

351 KB PNG

>>3678874
>Japanese Armour
>Long Black Hair
>Red Eyes
Saber Nobu?

>>3681445
Saber is too respectful to be Nobu. It'll be someone with a legend related to their hair, or to being decapitated, given "the presence of magical energy swirling about her head and hair."

File: Demon_King_Nobunaga4.png (298 KB, 350x495)

298 KB PNG

>>3681462
Don't forget that different classes or aspects of a hero can act radically different to different aspects of the same hero.
Take a look at Gil.
Unsure on the swirling magical energy though.
Other than full Demon Nobunaga getting red hair I don't have anything.

>>3681482
Arrogance is a defining aspect of every part of Nobunaga's life, though. When he was young and weak his arrogance earned him the nickname "Fool of Owari," and once he gained power it partly led to his being known as the "Demon King of the Sixth Heaven" and his betrayal by Akechi. I can't imagine any version of Oda Nobunaga behaving as humbly as Saber does.

You would be dead if not for Saber. It’s only fair that you return her formality. You bow to her as she does to you, mimicking her posture.

“I am Edgar. Thank you for saving my life.”

Saber’s head jerks up at your movement. “P-Please, Master, do not humble yourself so! I am but your lowly Servant!” Her reaction is surprisingly fast. Flustered, she thrusts herself into a deeper bow than before. “My sincerest apologies for bringing such shame upon you!”

She appears very dedicated to her role as your subordinate. Her conceptions about your respective positions and how they relate to each other are obviously foreign and antiquated. You’ve never been revered like this, causing you to hesitate for a moment and think about how to proceed with your conversation. You hope the awkwardness of your exchanges will sort itself out in time.

Your left side abruptly throbs, the wound aggravated by the posture you’re holding. A grunt of pain escapes your mouth as you put your hand back over the injury. Your Servant reacts immediately. Breaking from her lowered stance, she strides over to you, her countenance now stern and the blush rapidly fading from her face. Your many vocalizations of surprise and embarrassment during what follows are completely ignored.

Saber effortlessly picks you up by your armpits and deposits you like a mother might her child on the only desk in the room. Her colorful red gauntlets vanish as she begins to probe your torso with lithe, pale fingers. As you sit, your hoodie is pushed aside and your shirt pulled up so she can examine the area directly.

After a few seconds of inspection, she calmly states, “This needs to be treated.”

>>Mom taught you healing magecraft to supplement your combat spells. You can fix this on your own.
>>As far as magecraft goes, Mom focused mostly on your combat abilities. You’ll need her to take care of this.

>>3681685
>Mom taught you healing magecraft to supplement your combat spells. You can fix this on your own.
The most essential ability for a Master is staying alive. Healing magecraft is very useful, even if it is highly inefficient in terms of magical energy.

>>3681685
>>As far as magecraft goes, Mom focused mostly on your combat abilities. You’ll need her to take care of this.

>>3681685
>As far as magecraft goes, Mom focused mostly on your combat abilities. You’ll need her to take care of this.

>>3681685
>As far as magecraft goes, Mom focused mostly on your combat abilities. You’ll need her to take care of this.
Look, I'm all for being a psuedo part of the church. But we aren't going FULL Kotomine Kirei.

>>3681685
>Mom taught you healing magecraft to supplement your combat spells. You can fix this on your own

>>3681685
>>Mom taught you healing magecraft to supplement your combat spells. You can fix this on your own.

>>3681685
>>As far as magecraft goes, Mom focused mostly on your combat abilities. You’ll need her to take care of this.

>>3681685
>>As far as magecraft goes, Mom focused mostly on your combat abilities. You’ll need her to take care of this.
MOMMY

>>3681916
No. Bad mommyfag.

>Fate/Awakening Mirror
Lolicon quest
>Fate/Overgrowth
Oedipus quest

Nice contrast. Really setting up the "rival Fate QMs" feel.

>>3681685
>Mom taught you healing magecraft to supplement your combat spells. You can fix this on your own.

>>3681956
Now all we need is a faggot Fate quest to complete the trinity.

>>3682048
I don't feel like want a quest where you summon Astolfo.

File: 1562515098349.png (73 KB, 184x184)

73 KB PNG

>>3682058
>thinking astolfo is a decent trap

File: Kumagawa12.jpg (435 KB, 1209x1200)

435 KB JPG

>>3682067
>thinking there's such a thing as a "decent trap"

>>3682058
They could summon D'Eon or Clayboi instead.

>>3682088
>D'eon
no
>Enkidu
too fucking overpowered.

>>3682100

>Too fucking overpowered.

So the perfect and rational choice

>>3681685

>>Mom taught you healing magecraft to supplement your combat spells. You can fix this on your own.

>>3682289
>So the perfect and rational choice
Enkidu would probably kill us the moment we summoned him just from mana drain

Your training has been so combat-focused up to this point in your life that you don’t know any healing magecraft - at least, not yet, but you might in a few years. Modern medicine could heal your wound, but it would take too long. You’re going to need to ask Mom to fix it for you. Naturally, she’s going to discover that you’re a Master the next time you meet. The impending encounter worries you, but you’d need to tell her sooner or later anyway.

“I know someone who can help,” you say, pushing your Servant away from you. Saber appears to snap to a different state of mind, as though just realizing her actions were embarrassing. She stiffens and lowers her head, face turning red again. You gently lower yourself from the desk. Before you leave, you close the basement door and lock it. Can’t have anyone walking in on the mess before the Church has the chance to cover up what happened. You should also avoid walking around in broad daylight with a Servant. She’d draw attention from men just by being as pretty as she is - the white and red samurai armor she wears will arouse too much suspicion for comfort.

“Saber, we’re going out. Please dematerialize,” you ask of your Servant.

“At once,” she replies, and vanishes before you can finish your breath.

Exiting the small building and locking its door too, you begin your painful trek across the grounds of Saint Longinus Academy. The sunset washes over the campus, which encompasses the better part of a large hill and is surrounded by a high stone wall. Thankfully, the clerical residences on campus are all on top of the hill with the academic buildings, so you won’t have to climb to your destination. Student dormitories and athletic fields are at the foot of the great earthen mound, though oddly enough the gymnasium remains up here.

You walk with a slight limp to the church on campus - yes, a full church, to accommodate the many students at Sunday mass - and make your way inside. The interior is that of a typical church. Rows upon rows of brown wooden pews, white walls, and stained glass windows altering what they can of the sun’s dying rays. The lights haven’t been turned on within the church, and in the muddled darkness you spot your mother. She paces to and fro in front of the altar, as though mulling over a frustrating decision.

Noticing your pained movement as you enter, she hurries down the aisle to meet you. You only make it about a third of the way to the front before slumping down in the nearest pew.

“Where are you hurt?” her authoritative voice more like a command than a question. You expose your injury and she wastes no time placing her hand on it and casting her magic. “Just relax. This will be over in a jiffy.” You can only respond with a grunt. Light emanates from the point of contact as your discomfort fades, the glow revealing her green eyes and long brown hair.

“How’d it happen?” she asks concernedly as you slump back and exhale in relief.

“I was attacked at Mr. Brigante’s residence,” you begin. You put your hands on your knees to stand up, but at that moment Mom’s hand shoots forward like a viper and clamps around your left wrist.

“Edgar, what the hell is this?!” your mother demands, yanking your command spell to her face. She turns to you in a rare, sudden outburst. “You know I don’t want you involved in this war! I’m already the overseer! Our family is deep enough into this shit without you putting yourself at risk, too! Did that lout Brigante put you up to this?!”

Your mother quickly arrives on the verge of tears. As her eyes water, yours catch movement behind her. The darkness shimmers as Saber reappears. Her sword isn’t drawn yet, but she seems concerned for your safety nonetheless.

>>Explain to your mother that you became a Master in self-defense.
>>Apologize and explain that the whole thing was an accident.
>>Tell Saber to stand down. You don’t want to risk her acting rashly and hurting your mother.

>>3682415
>Tell Saber to stand down. You don’t want to risk her acting rashly and hurting your mother.
Please don't bisect my ma seibah-san

>>3682415
>Tell Saber to stand down. You don’t want to risk her acting rashly and hurting your mother.

>>3682415
>Explain to your mother that you became a Master in self-defense.
Clear up misunderstandings first and foremost; Saber should have sufficient restraint without Edgar micromanaging.

>>3682415
>>Tell Saber to stand down. You don’t want to risk her acting rashly and hurting your mother.

>>3682415
>>Explain to your mother that you became a Master in self-defense.

>>3682415
>Tell Saber to stand down. You don’t want to risk her acting rashly and hurting your mother.

>Apologize and explain that the whole thing was an accident.

>>3682415

>>Tell Saber to stand down. You don’t want to risk her acting rashly and hurting your mother.
>>Explain to your mother that you became a Master in self-defense.

>>3682415
>>>Explain to your mother that you became a Master in self-defense.
Apologize as well.

“Saber, stand down!” You call out to your Servant. Your mother gasps and wheels around, unaware that she had been snuck up on. Saber bows silently and disappears at your command. Mom lets go of your wrist and leans on the pew in front of you, one hand on the wood and the other on her face. She stands in shock; her guard failed her and she could have been killed. Knowing her, she’s already thinking about how to avoid repeating that scenario in the future. You take a deep breath to recover from Mom’s shouting and Saber’s threat to your mother’s life.

“It was because of the marked box,” you offer after gathering your thoughts, bringing your mother’s attention back to you. “Mr. Brigante arrived while I was delivering it and attacked me before I could get a word in. He’s the one who dealt me the blow you healed. The package contained his catalyst, and I somehow summoned Saber to defend myself.”

“So you didn’t mean to be a Master, then.” Your mother sighs, relieved. Her usual cheer begins to return to her. “Brigante probably thought you wanted to swipe his Servant and pounced you!” She laughs a little. “He tends to jump to conclusions. That’ll be the death of him one day. I’ve gotta teach that bastard a lesson for trying to hurt my son. After that, we’ll give him his Servant back and everything will be hunky-dory. Where is he?”

The image of Agrippa’s halves returns to your mind.

“Dead,” you say. “He tried to kill me, but Saber was faster.” Mom’s mirth instantly evaporates.

“Kill you…?” After a moment, she kicks the pew you’re sitting on twice in frustration. “That damnable rat!” Another kick. “Now I wish I could have killed him myself! Whatever. Let’s get those command spells off of you already and find a replacement Master.”

As she reaches for your left hand, you feel a pulse within you akin to the one you felt just before Saber was summoned. A will to fight appears where there wasn’t one before, as if something is spurring you on. You...

>>...refuse to withdraw. You don't need it, but you can’t trust anyone else with the power of the Grail.
>>...refuse to withdraw. Surely the power of the Grail can be used to help others somehow?
>>...refuse to withdraw. You need the power of a Servant to bring down the reckless magi who now threaten the city before they can cause any harm.
>>...refuse to withdraw. You may not have explicitly granted Saber's request to fight by your side, but you did so tacitly, and you're a man of your word.
>>...suppress the urge and assent to the removal of your command spell. You really have no dog in this fight.

I'm going to need to leave it here. This vote is pretty important, so it's a good one to leave open overnight. I'll be back again tomorrow, so stay tuned!

>>3682657
>...refuse to withdraw. You may not have explicitly granted Saber's request to fight by your side, but you did so tacitly, and you're a man of your word.

>>3682657
>>...refuse to withdraw. You may not have explicitly granted Saber's request to fight by your side, but you did so tacitly, and you're a man of your word.

>>3682657
>...refuse to withdraw. You may not have explicitly granted Saber's request to fight by your side, but you did so tacitly, and you're a man of your word.
No option for an actual wish?

>>3682657
>...refuse to withdraw. You need the power of a Servant to bring down the reckless magi who now threaten the city before they can cause any harm.
Time to kill sem feckin' magi scum

>>3682657
>...refuse to withdraw. Even a chance to obtain the power of the Holy Grail would be something worth fighting for. Now that you've been given that chance, there's no other choice but to take it all the way and win the Grail itself. If you gave up the opportunity for that power, youd regret it until your dying day.
Hope you take write-ins, QM.

>>3682693
Gay.
We're a member of the church.
And that's
Fucking
Heresy.

>>3682657
>...refuse to withdraw. You may not have explicitly granted Saber's request to fight by your side, but you did so tacitly, and you're a man of your word.

>>3682705
>Seeking the Holy Grail is heresy as a member of the church
What? Fucking what?
I mean, my first reaction has to do with the normal concept of the Holy Grail. It would be the duty of any priest to pursue that if they learned of it. But of course the item in Fate isn't the actual cup that received the blood of Christ.
Even so, we know that the Church canonically condones the ritual. The administrate it for that very reason. Logically, if they condone the ritual and oversee it peaceably, it cannot be a heretical ritual; if so, the Church would condemn it and executors would have been working to stop it from the beginning.
We also know from the actions of Kotomine Risei that it is not against church doctrine for a member of the church to pursue the Grail itself, as he publically enrolls his son in the War.

>>3682670
Edgar's mother, as the overseer and someone who doesn't want him to get hurt, has biased him against the Grail, so he's not inclined to seek it out. The option
>>...refuse to withdraw. Surely the power of the Grail can be used to help others somehow?
is the one that sets Edgar up with the intent to use the Grail's power in some way. Since Edgar has been raised by a member of the Church, he has a stronger sense of morality than most, and would feel a responsibility to use the Grail for the benefit of others if given the chance. Thus, I gave no option to use the Grail selfishly. Now, that's not to say Edgar can't discover a wish as the war progresses - no option here will lock Edgar out of developing such that he wants to use the Grail, selfishly or otherwise. But this choice sets Edgar's motivation at the beginning of the War, and with his background in mind, I came up with five possibilities for Edgar's starting position.

Essentially, Edgar, at the beginning of this quest, is driven not by desire, but by principle. The choices I've provided are intended to reflect that.

>>3682693
I'm willing to take write-ins for this, but keep the above in mind. Edgar isn't out for himself. Not yet, at least.

Now, I'm going to sleep for real this time. I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys decide!

>>3682724
Interesting. I would've liked to have more of that backstory and characterization frontloaded, but now you've explained it, I can see where you're coming from more. In that case, I'll switch my vote.

>>3682657
>...refuse to withdraw. Surely the power of the Grail can be used to help others somehow?

I see two possible Seigi no Mikata seeds.

>>3682657
>>>...refuse to withdraw. You may not have explicitly granted Saber's request to fight by your side, but you did so tacitly, and you're a man of your word.

>>3682657
>>...refuse to withdraw. You may not have explicitly granted Saber's request to fight by your side, but you did so tacitly, and you're a man of your word.

>>3682719
Furthermore, the Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament, charged with collecting and managing holy relics, is allowed to involve itself with heretical methods if needed. One of their duties is to investigate any artifacts claimed to be the Holy Grail, so it supervises Grail Wars.
Ergo, we can use the Grail if we're a member.

>>3682657
>>>...refuse to withdraw. Surely the power of the Grail can be used to help others somehow?

>>3682657
>>...refuse to withdraw. Surely the power of the Grail can be used to help others somehow?

>>3682657
No one wants to see the bad end caused by opting out?

No one wants to see the most brutal death the OP can come up with? Oh well.

>>...refuse to withdraw. You may not have explicitly granted Saber's request to fight by your side, but you did so tacitly, and you're a man of your word.

>>3682657
>>...refuse to withdraw. You may not have explicitly granted Saber's request to fight by your side, but you did so tacitly, and you're a man of your word.

The colour scheme is probably enough to ID the saber for someone that knows Jap history
Anyone fells up to it?

>>3683196
I'd like to see how far I could get without a single Tiger Dojo.

>>3683224
>Tiger Dojo
Nah m8, we are (nearly) part of the church
We would be getting school lessons from our mom

>>3682657
>...suppress the urge and assent to the removal of your command spell. You really have no dog in this fight.

>>3682719
Seeking the Holy Grail is fine.
Seeking the Holy Grail to actually use it is less fine.

>>3683324
That would be a tricky question, wouldn't it?
After all, the Church supervises the Grail War to make sure nobody makes dangerous wishes like "teach everybody magecraft", "make Jesus never exist" or "wake up ORT", so they like magi who want a path to the Root because the Church isn't interested in the Root.
Now, if someone were to wish, hypothetically, for everyone to be a faithful Christian forever...

>>3683398
Even if the church might want to support it, they still would likely try to shut that wish down. The church doesn't want to start a conflict with the Magi, and the finding the root has been a neutral ground that has been negotiated between the two groups. Look at Fate/Zero, where they worked with a Magi to fully support him even when they had an Executor in the war who could have pushed whatever wish the church wanted.

>>3683200
Red and white is a really common color scheme, though. Taira, Ashikaga, and Takeda all spring to mind immediately as clans who used it, and I'm sure there were plenty of others.

>>3683515
Point.

“I can’t,” you declare, yanking your hand away before your mother can touch it. “Saber asked to fight by my side, and I didn’t reject her since she saved my life. I can’t go back on my word.” You know it’s probably silly, but to you, honesty is paramount. You’d take a painful truth over a pleasant falsehood any day of the week. Truth is the one thing you prize above all else, and you can’t stand dispensing lies, even lies of omission. Your failure to decline Saber’s request has bound you to fulfill it, or even your silence will become untrustworthy. You expect a sharp rebuke from your mother for standing your ground on something others would find trivial. Instead, she looks utterly heartbroken. Her arms fall limply to her sides.

“You’d risk your life for something so stupid…?” Her voice is weak and countenance crestfallen, but her eyes contain a desperate plea. Though you expected her to fight you on this, she remains silent, holding teary eye contact with you. It’s hard for you to subject your mother to this anguish. Sadness and guilt enter your chest, like a knife slowly piercing your heart, but you just can’t allow yourself to become a liar. After a few seconds, she manages to choke out a few words.

“Please win. I’m begging you.”

Before you can speak up, she turns and starts running to the front of the church. You stand and follow, wanting to reassure or comfort her, but you freeze just before the chancel, unsure what you would say. You can’t even make the promise that you’ll emerge victorious. After all, you might not be able to keep it. Faint sobs fade from your ears as your mother vanishes into the sacristy.

There isn’t much sunlight left, but you can see the altar clearly at this distance. You blankly stare at it as your mind returns to the previous conversation. Mom resigned herself to your decision with surprising ease, as though she knew it was pointless to argue. Has she dealt with something like this before?

As you ponder, Saber reappears in front of the altar. She’s kneeling this time, and sports a smile that warms your heart almost enough to soothe its sharp ache.

“I see now just how much you are sacrificing for my sake. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I swear to bring you victory in return for your kindness.” She places her hands in front of her and lowers her head to just a few inches from the floor, hair spilling around her. This is her deepest bow yet. Your face flushes, still not used to being held in such high esteem, and you fail to formulate a response.

After a few moments pass without you speaking, Saber rises to her full height in one motion, crimson eyes meeting yours. “How will we proceed tonight, Master?”

You assume she’s seeking orders regarding action in the War. With Saber now yours, there are two Servants left to be summoned until the war officially begins. However, Mom warned you that Masters, being primarily magi, tend not to wait for the gun if they can gain the upper hand. Saber, it would appear, is eager to fulfill her role as your Servant, and doesn’t care that there’s a formal beginning. Focusing on the war might also help you get over upsetting Mom like you just did.

Though you lack information about the War, an idea springs to your mind for how to spend your first night as a Master.

>>Remain on school grounds tonight. Technically, the war hasn’t started yet. You should spend tonight taking stock of your arsenal.
>>Try the state park to the east of the city. Woods may surround town, but the park has trails and some sizable clearings within the trees. If you wanted to have a secret battle in the night, it would be the perfect location.
>>Head to the suburbs west of town. Magi tend to be an affluent lot. Wandering around such homes may draw one out.

>>3684609
>Try the state park to the east of the city. Woods may surround town, but the park has trails and some sizable clearings within the trees. If you wanted to have a secret battle in the night, it would be the perfect location.

>>3684609
>Remain on school grounds tonight. Technically, the war hasn’t started yet. You should spend tonight taking stock of your arsenal.
Lets figure out what Saber can do IC and what we can do OOC

>>3684609
>Remain on school grounds tonight. Technically, the war hasn’t started yet. You should spend tonight taking stock of your arsenal.

>>3684609
>Head to the suburbs west of town. Magi tend to be an affluent lot. Wandering around such homes may draw one out.

>>3684609
>>Remain on school grounds tonight. Technically, the war hasn’t started yet. You should spend tonight taking stock of your arsenal.

We need to make a plan, doing this by feel is not an option. Think like a magus.

>>3684609
>>Head to the suburbs west of town. Magi tend to be an affluent lot. Wandering around such homes may draw one out.

>>3684609
>>Head to the suburbs west of town. Magi tend to be an affluent lot. Wandering around such homes may draw one out.
Warriors, come out to play

>essentially going off half-cocked
ishygddt

>>3684609
>>Remain on school grounds tonight. Technically, the war hasn’t started yet. You should spend tonight taking stock of your arsenal.

>>3684609
>>>Remain on school grounds tonight. Technically, the war hasn’t started yet. You should spend tonight taking stock of your arsenal.
Taking stock seems important.

>>3684609
>>>Try the state park to the east of the city
Park bench?

File: 1557499553413.jpg (310 KB, 998x622)

310 KB JPG

>>3684980
>wanting to bench this early
Jesus Christ, anon.

>>3684982
Is there anything more Fate-esque than getting in way too far over one's head on the first night?

>>3684609
>Remain on school grounds tonight. Technically, the war hasn’t started yet. You should spend tonight taking stock of your arsenal.

>>3684609
>>Remain on school grounds tonight. Technically, the war hasn’t started yet. You should spend tonight taking stock of your arsenal.

>>3684609
>>Head to the suburbs west of town. Magi tend to be an affluent lot. Wandering around such homes may draw one out.

My apologies, everyone. I was hoping to settle Edgar's loadout tonight, but unfortunately inclement weather has rendered my internet unreliable. I'll have to postpone this until tomorrow. I'll post the next update as soon as I get the chance. In the meantime, the vote is closed - next agenda item is taking inventory.

>>3685185
Appreciate the update

Marching into battle unprepared won’t help you. If anything, you’d probably just get yourself killed. Sun Tzu's Art of War - required reading for a kid like you - states that if you know neither yourself nor the enemy, you're cooked. You decide to spend the night reviewing what you have at your disposal.

“Tonight, we’re staying put,” you relay to Saber. “I want to take stock of our armory before trying to bring anyone down.”

“Very well, Master. I will accompany you to our stronghold.” Saber bows yet again as she dematerializes. She does that an awful lot, doesn’t she?

There’s a back door in the sacristy for those who live in the building behind the church like you, but you decide against using it. Instead, you exit the church the way you came. Conveniently, though right next door, your residence is undeniably in another building, so it’s not against the rules to have your Servant there. Its proximity to the protected church is likely to give your foes some pause. Even better, several experienced members of the Church share your place of residence, as do some civilians. That provides you with both a quality Bounded Field to alert you of intruders, plus two other deterrents to Masters who might try to hunt you down.

The residence hall is oriented perpendicular with the south-facing church. You circle around its front to enter. It’s a habit of yours to lock the door behind you, even though it’s been enchanted to do so automatically should someone forget. The hallway is simplistic and wooden. Locating any given room is never difficult, since they’re all arranged side-by-side in a straight line on any given floor. Yours is on the second level, so you waste no time ascending the stairs.

Once inside your room with the door locked, Saber appears and begins to poke around. It’s a rather austere arrangement, much like a college dormitory. A thin entrance hall provides access to a tiny but fully-equipped bathroom and a closet. The slim space opens into a larger square one. Saber looks over the none-too-flashy wooden desk, the wooden dresser of a clashing brown shade, and the bookshelf of a third color. A lone window is on the far wall, allowing the sun to serve as your alarm clock. Wedged beneath the window, twin-size with plain white sheets, sits the bed. Though Saber seems unimpressed with the room, she appears to have a particular disappointment with this last article.

Letting her investigate the surroundings, you open your closet, pushing your regular clothes all the way to one side. In the back corner is a box containing...

>>...a black frock and pants, covered in the Church’s protection spells. A gift from Father McManus that provides some physical protection.
>>...an enchanted compass. Its needle points to sources of hostile intent directed towards its holder. A gift from Father McManus to protect against less visible threats.
>>...an anti-magic amulet. A gift from Sister Gloria to guard against magi.

>>3687689

>>...a black frock and pants, covered in the Church’s protection spells. A gift from Father McManus that provides some physical protection

>>3687689
>>...a black frock and pants, covered in the Church’s protection spells. A gift from Father McManus that provides some physical protection.

>>3687689
>>...an anti-magic amulet. A gift from Sister Gloria to guard against magi.
An executor-in-training shouldn't have problems on the physical side, so it's mental interference and curse craft we'll have to worry about.

>>3687689
>>...an enchanted compass. Its needle points to sources of hostile intent directed towards its holder. A gift from Father McManus to protect against less visible threats.

>>3687689
>...an anti-magic amulet. A gift from Sister Gloria to guard against magi.
Definitely this one. It might not guard against a Caster but it'll be something

>>3687689
>...a black frock and pants, covered in the Church’s protection spells. A gift from Father McManus that provides some physical protection.

>>3687689
>...an anti-magic amulet. A gift from Sister Gloria to guard against magi.

>>3687689
>>>...an enchanted compass. Its needle points to sources of hostile intent directed towards its holder. A gift from Father McManus to protect against less visible threats.

>>3687689
>>>...an anti-magic amulet. A gift from Sister Gloria to guard against magi.

>Magic Resistance D: Cancels Single-Action spells. Magic Resistance of the same degree of an amulet that rejects magical energy.
We've obviously got to pick this. Magic Resistance D as a human would be HUGE

>>3687689
>...a black frock and pants, covered in the Church’s protection spells. A gift from Father McManus that provides some physical protection.
If we allow ourself to get magick'd we're cooked anyways

>>3687822
The compass is leagues worse. The compass gives you a cardinal direction only, and no active protection. Plus you need to be looking at a compass for it to do any good. It's the equivalent of "oh, shit, there's bad news that way!" Then you get sniped by a Gandr from 100 yards. Compare to the amulet, where the Gandr just doesn't affect you, and you now know that there's someone gunning for you.

>>3687884
Alright.

>>3687884
I will clarify that "hostile intention" refers to those who are currently trying to directly harm you with their actions. For example, if someone is trying to lure you into a trap, they're actively trying to harm you and will trigger the compass. It's not a lie detector, but if the purpose of the lie is to convince you to walk into a pit of spikes, the compass will react. It can warn you about much more than the other two options at the expense of being completely useless once it comes time to defend yourself.

Frock and pants
>>3687706
>>3687714
>>3687750
>>3687863

Compass
>>3687740
>>3687792

Amulet
>>3687720
>>3687747
>>3687758
>>3687814

We're currently tied 4-4 between the clothes and the amulet. I'll give it a few more minutes for the tie to break before I just flip a coin.

>>3687931
Switch from compass to amulet.

>>3687689
>>>...an enchanted compass. Its needle points to sources of hostile intent directed towards its holder. A gift from Father McManus to protect against less visible threats.

You take the lid off the box, revealing the anti-magic amulet given to you by Sister Gloria. Since your mother is an Executor, Sister Gloria was worried about “sly vermin” trying to use you as leverage, a target for vengeance, or otherwise act out their nefarious intentions. It’s not too impressive to look at; to the untrained eye, it appears to be no more than a cross hanging from a necklace. Its power is undeniable, though, and has spared you from more than one Gandr shot in the past. You place it around your neck and tuck it into your shirt to prevent it from bouncing around too much.

Next, you move over to your desk. The top drawer contains various office supplies which you push aside to reach the false bottom. Inside is a single notebook on elemental magic. Your element is...

>>Fire.
>>Water.
>>Earth.
>>Wind.

>>3688077
Earth

>>3688077
>Earth

>>3688077
>Earth

>>3688077
>Earth

>>3688090
>>3688091
>>3688097
>>3688104
Earthmind

>>3688077

>Water.

>>3688077
>>Wind.

>>3688077
>water
Earthfags go home

>>3688077
>Wind

>>3688077
>Water.

>>3688077
>more than one Gandr shot
I wonder what's brought Edgar into conflict with the Edelfelt family.

>>3688130
/ourguy/ is our here executing my man

>>3688077
>water

>>3688130
In the lore nowadays Gandr has basically been turned into magic missile

Fuckin modern type moon.

>>3688143
That makes no sense;' it's canonically known only by the Edelfelts and Tohsakas.

>>3688077
>>>Earth.

>>3688077
>all these dirtfags
Gross.
>>Wind

Remember that Water is the best elemental affinity for anything relating to the human body; if we want to Reinforce ourselves, Water is the best for that; and that's not considering what it can do to the enemy.

File: x07-Olga-magic-768x432.jpg (40 KB, 768x432)

40 KB JPG

>>3688150
*laughs in gacha*

>>3688164
Isn't that OVA non-canon? She didn't use gandr in the game IIRC, and that OVA also has a bunch of totally off-model altered Servants, including a version of EMIYA that was directly contradicted later.
Otherwise, what the fuck? The Animuspheres are focused on astrological techniques, why would they know a curse of illness?

>>3688170
I mean, the Chaldea Combat Uniform mystic code in the game comes with a built in Gandr.
I wasn't joking when I said it's become magic missile.

>>3688170
Also EMIYA (alter) wouldn't look the same as EMIYA alter.
One is EMIYA that got dunked in grail mud.
The other is EMIYA after having a really bad day because he killed a cult and somehow is even edgier.
And uses guns (???)

3 for Wind, 4 for Water, 5 for Earth. If we pool our votes, we can make sure Earth doesn't get it!
>>3688192
>And uses guns
I hate Demiya

>>3688200
Switching from >>3688161 to Water.

>>3688122
Switching to water

> disgusting vote trading already

Never change /qst/

>>3688220
Begone, dirtfag.

>>3688220
It's a lovely feature of /qst/

>>3688240
It's a feature of any system with votes. Coalitions in parliamentary government spring to mind.

>>3688240
>earthfags salty
Apt. Given the mineral.

>>Wind

>>3688077
>>Wind.

>>3688077
>Water

>>3688077
>Water

>>3688077
>Earth

>>3688077
>>>Earth.
I wanted to say fire, but no one here seems to like that.

>>3688077
>Water.

>>3688840
Same here. I will change to fire if people vote for it.

>>3688077
>>>Water.
Sure

You flip through the notebook. Your element is Water. Pure elemental magic, as your Earth-aligned mother’s specialty, has been the focus of much of your training. At first, that was a concern, since in its material form water lacks obvious martial applications like Fire or Wind. For a reason you have yet to uncover, however, you’ve never been able to materialize water as such. Confusingly, any attempt to do so instead results in ice. As a weapon, ice is far more directly useful than water, and can be applied in some similar ways to Earth, so your mother decided to roll with it. The ruled paper details some of the tricks you’ve developed. Alteration of the environment gets a lot of attention, such as creating a mound or wall for cover or coating patches of ground in ice to render terrain hazardous. If you run out of Black Keys, you can start throwing shaped icicles instead.

You feel that something is lacking, though. Various other forms of magecraft exist, but you have yet to branch out since you still don’t quite understand your own. Your elemental magic can only make ice, which isn’t even an element, and you've not a clue as to why. This strange condition has shaken your faith in magecraft, and you’re hesitant to try other forms. What if their results are just as confusing, or they backfire? If you could solve the wintry puzzle, you might be able to better realize your magical potential in a variety of areas, but you doubt that you’ll figure it out by yourself.

You close the notebook and return the drawer to its original state, realizing the sun disappeared from view long ago. Checking your watch, you see that it’s ten o’clock at night. Most students should be in their rooms by now. Two hours remains until you yourself should go to sleep. Though you've been granted special exception to stay in a faculty building with no curfew or lights out, you'll still need to be ready for school in the morning. But what to do in the meantime?

>>Ask Saber about her combat abilities.
>>Check Brigante’s belongings for info on other Masters.
>>Just go to sleep. The rest can wait until morning.
>>Something else? (Write-in)

>>3690309
>Ask Saber about her combat abilities.

>>3690309
>>Ask Saber about her combat abilities.

Time for the guessing game.

>>3690309
>Ask Saber about her combat abilities.
And hopefully after this conversation,
>Check Brigante’s belongings for info on other Masters.

>>3690309
>>Ask Saber about her combat abilities.
Inb4 she's Chinese

>>3690309
>>>Ask Saber about her combat abilities.
Tell us your secrets, Samurai Waifu.

I suppose I may as well provide a disclaimer for the future:
I don’t have access to all the Fate-related side material. It’s entirely possible that something in this quest will be inconsistent with established Nasuverse lore as set forth in the material I lack. Should I make an error, then by all means, correct me; I don't want to be wrong if I can help it. However, I won’t necessarily retcon the discrepancy if I deem that it would be too disruptive.

That said, I'm quite confident there is no issue with the presence of the Gandr shots. Take that how you will.

>>3690375
Lmao, it's just your own timeline senpai. Retcon bull as you see fit.

>>3690375
Writing magic in the system is tough because there's a lot of information Nasu hasn't given us, while the information he has given us is pretty vague. Since you're doing your own timeline instead of FSN's future, I'd recommend keeping CM3 open for reference and filling in the rest of the details as you please.

>>3690375
The only things I really have seen so far is our mother dealing with magecraft and us already being capable of materializing black keys from only hilts
First can easily be explained by her not being orthodox which is already implied and second being that even Nasu probably forgot that it's not a thing everyone can do
In other words nothing wrong so far

So who wants to bet we will be able to combine whatever causes our ice with black keys by end of the war?

>>3690381
Timeline memes sure do come in handy sometimes.

>>3690386
That's just the kind of freedom I'm looking for. Thanks for the tip!

>>3690309
>>>Ask Saber about her combat abilities.
>>>Check Brigante’s belongings for info on other Masters.

>>3690309
>>>Ask Saber about her combat abilities.
I want to know more about my qt3.14 Laotian mana receptacle.

>>Ask Saber about her combat abilities.

Now that you’ve reminded yourself of what you can do, it’s time to learn the capabilities of your partner. Right now, she’s investigating your collection of books, leaning over with both hands behind her back. She appears particularly intrigued with some of your more practical texts, such as The Art of War and The Book of Five Rings. It feels like a bit of a waste to alter the curious expression on her face, but you can’t see it too well from this angle anyway. Her pose is cute, but the best parts of her body are covered by armor, so it could be better too. You withdraw the rolling office chair, the height of your room’s luxury, from your desk and sit in it facing your Servant.

“Saber, do you mind if we talk?” Upon hearing your voice, Saber immediately tears herself away from your library. Once she sees that you’re sitting, she kneels without hesitation in the same formal position as when she was in the church earlier. You were going to offer to let her take a seat on your bed, but if she’s more comfortable this way then you won’t question it. It does feel awkward to have her head only reach your stomach while you’re sitting, though.

“Of course, Master. What do you need?”

“I need to know about your abilities as a Heroic Spirit,” you say, “and I need to tell you about mine as a human. We’ll be able to coordinate most effectively that way.” Don’t know yourself and get toasted, and all that. You begin by explaining your arsenal to Saber; your physical prowess, your training with Black Keys, your anti-magic amulet, and your strange experience and ability with magecraft. Your Servant holds eye contact and listens intensely, not once moving and hardly even blinking while you address her. Now it’s Saber’s turn to enlighten you.

“I… would prefer not to go into too much detail about my identity,” she begins, suddenly bashful. “But I will gladly describe my abilities. I am sure you have already guessed that I am a competent swordswoman. As a Saber, my Magic Resistance is fairly high, as is my Riding skill. Though my raw power is likely lower than many Servants, I am sure that I could outclass them in-”

Saber’s speech is interrupted by a harsh knock at the door, causing you to whip your head around. The familiar voice of a middle-aged Irishman roars through the door.

“Oi, Eddy! Is that a fekkin’ girl I hear?! Open up!”

SHIT. Your voice drops to a harsh whisper.

“Saber, dematerialize! Now!” Saber lowers her head and vanishes without a trace. Now that he’s suspicious, your uninvited guest won’t leave you alone until he’s been allowed into investigate. You hurry to the door, and as soon as it’s open, Father McManus bursts through.

“Father, there’s no girl-”

“Horseshite! I know the mating cry of a fox when I hear it!” The exorcist wastes no time poking his head into every nook and cranny in your room. He checks the bathroom, the closet, under the bed...

It wouldn’t be so bad if his inquisition weren’t accompanied by a rant. He prattles on about how one in four teenage girls has an STD, and how having sex with too many partners gives you the mentality of a “pizza conneiseur”. After he’s triple-checked each of the very few locations you could hide a girl, he stops hunting for foxes, but he doesn’t stop talking to you. No, talking at you is a more appropriate phrase.

“The problem with daemons is ye can’t fekkin’ see ‘em. The problem with women is that ye can’t help but see ‘em!”

Thus your precious time is eaten away, and once his breath is exhausted, he pats you on the shoulder and exits the room. You lock the door and wait a few extra minutes as Father McManus stands outside the door, waiting to hear if he missed something. When you finally hear his footsteps leading away, you sit down again, order Saber to reappear, and resume where you left off.

“Yes, Master. As I was saying, my stats may not be as high as other Servants, but I have no doubt that I could outclass the best of them so long as the battle does not draw out. My Noble Phantasm is powerful and yet weak. It takes the form of a tornado of flame that twists and burns my opponent, but its power will not be enough to vanquish an enemy Servant unless you, Master, are watching me intently.”

In short, she has solid class abilities and is a powerful fighter in short bursts. The fact that her Noble Phantasm requires your attention could be a problem based on the enemy you’re fighting, but it’s good to know of the limitation. You thank Saber for her explanation and check the time again. The exorcist’s interruption took long enough that you can no longer dig through Agrippa Brigante’s still-packed belongings in time to go to sleep. That’s okay - you’ll have another chance after school tomorrow.

You elect to turn in for the night, and just as you’re about to take off your clothes, you remember that Saber is with you now. Servants don’t need sleep, and she doesn’t have a room of her own. You’re going to need to make a decision about where she should be at night.

>>Have her stay in the room to guard you.
>>Have her guard you from the hall.
>>Have her stand guard on the roof.
>>Let her do what she wants.
>>Ask her what she wants to do, and make a decision based on that.

>>3691233
>>Ask her what she wants to do, and make a decision based on that.

>>3691233
>Ask her what she wants to do, and make a decision based on that.
The decision should be "go with whatever she suggests." Let's not disagree with the professional soldier.

>>3691233
>Ask her what she wants to do, and make a decision based on that.

>>3691246
This is better wording for the fifth choice.

>>3691233
I'm amending the fifth choice to read as follows:
>>Ask her for her suggestion, and follow her advice.
I also forgot to add a write-in option, so I'll add that here too.
>>(Write-in)

>>3691233
>>Have her stay in the room to guard you.

>>3691233
>>Ask her what she wants to do, and make a decision based on that

>>3691233
>Ask her what she wants to do, and make a decision based on that.

>>3691233
>>Ask her for her suggestion, and follow her advice.

>>3691233
>too many partners gives you the mentality of a “pizza conneiseur"
Holy kek what a legend. Fr. McManus #1 character.
>Ask her what she wants to do, and make a decision based on that.

>>3691897
>"conneiseur"
I misspelled "connoisseur" that badly? That hurts.

>>3691233
>>>Ask her what she wants to do, and make a decision based on that.

Incidentally, given Edgar's inability to break his word and the fact that his elemental magic remains solid at all times, I'm guessing his origin is "Rigidity".
The ice thing smacks of the way an origin alters one's magic, and the situation lines up rather nicely. Not sure what else we could do with that, though.

>>3692560
If it is Rigidity then we could be pretty great at binding spells and the like, maybe even a way to make yet another flavor of exploding black keys
Assuming it is case of origin and not of Crimson Red Vermillion, being from one of demon hunting clans or even just being a really cool dude

>>3691233
So was Saber some sort of famous Retainer/Servant/Vassal in life? She already acts very subservient to us, but now it turns out her Noble Phantasm is only at it's most powerful when it's observed by her Master.

On second thought, Saber probably has the best idea for how to handle her nights. It would be best to ask for her guidance on the matter. She’s resumed exploration of your small dwelling after your conversation ended. You’re surprised she’s not finished yet. It’s like she’s trying to memorize every detail.

“Saber.” your Servant snaps back to attention as soon as her name leaves your mouth. “How would you like to spend the night?” She hesitates for a moment before responding.

“Master, will…” Saber’s voice is meek, contrasting with her posture. “Will the man from earlier be returning tonight?” She showed no signs of it earlier, but Father McManus’ visit earlier appears to have affected her. Did she take his tirade personally, or is she just embarrassed about causing trouble for you?

“No, he shouldn’t,” you reply. “Does that make a difference?”

“In that case, there will be no problem. Ordinarily, I would respect the privacy of your quarters, but given the potential of an Assassin or Caster to strike while you are unattended I must ask your permission to remain by your side while you slumber.”

You’re a bit nervous about having someone watch you while you sleep, but she’s right that sneakier Servants might be able to take advantage of Saber being even one room away.

“Alright. I trust your judgement, Saber. I’m counting on you to keep me safe.” At your words, Saber’s face lights up.

“Fear not, Master.” Saber bows, her voice upbeat. “You may sleep soundly. No harm will come to you. Good night.” With that, Saber vanishes.

You hesitate before undressing. Though Saber is no longer visible, she’s still in the room, and now you can’t tell if she’s looking at you. She did mention respecting your privacy earlier, though, so hopefully she’s turned away at the moment. You disrobe, turn out the lights, and drift off to sleep under the moonlight.

You withdraw your sword from one opponent’s chest just in time to parry the blade of the next. A battle rages around you, mud, blood, and bodies underfoot. Every combatant is moving, making friend nigh indistinguishable from foe. As you fend off your new attacker, another enemy charges from the horde. But you stand your ground; you’re faster and stronger than these men. A war cry roars from your throat, and you strike.

With your mind focused on the Grail War, your morning routine goes swiftly, as does the first half of the school day. You’ve covered the command spells on your left hand with a bandage, claiming you injured it moving boxes the other day. Saber quietly monitors you in spirit form, and nothing really catches your attention until your friend Damien Griffith updates you on the latest rumor.

“I hear there was a landslide in the state park last night. It was pretty localized, so not many people are talking about it, but it’s blocked a path that some people in town like to use for their morning jogs.”

Normally, information like that wouldn’t transfer into a place as isolated as a walled-in boarding school by lunchtime, but Damien is strikingly well-connected. It’s quite impressive, and often quite useful. While a small-scale landslide probably looks like a simple accident to the masses, you figure it’s probably connected to the Holy Grail War. But now you have something else to investigate after school. What will you spend your afternoon on?

>>Go through Brigante’s belongings to find intel on the other Masters.
>>Investigate the landslide at the state park while it’s still light out.
>>(Write-in)

>>3694200
>>Go through Brigante’s belongings to find intel on the other Masters.
...Now that he's dead, I don't think he'll mind.

>>3694200
>>>Go through Brigante’s belongings to find intel on the other Masters.

>>3694200
>Go through Brigante’s belongings to find intel on the other Masters.
Knowledge is power, lads.

>>3694200
>Damien Griffith
Oh, shit! The antichrist!
>Go through Brigante’s belongings to find intel on the other Masters.

>>3694200
>>>Go through Brigante’s belongings to find intel on the other Masters.
I wouldn't be surprised if there were other masters scouting out that place
Let's at least try avoiding trouble until the war starts

While the landslide is a promising lead, there’s no guarantee that Brigante’s belongings will remain as they are since the overseer needs to cover up his disappearance. You should dig into Agrippa’s materials as soon as you get the chance. Once school is over, you make your way to the deceased Executor’s would-be residence. With the door locked and blinds closed, you’re able to enlist Saber’s help in the search.

Many of his belongings are surprisingly useless to you. There are a large number of spare clothes, presumably because he expected that many of his outfits would sustain too much damage to wear a second time. One of the boxes, which you remember being particularly heavy, contains a large number of Black Keys and a typewriter. Black Keys are nice, but all of them will probably be placed with the rest in storage. You know where you’ll find them.

“Master!” Saber calls to you excitedly. “I believe I have found dossiers on your enemies!” She places three folders on the room’s desk.

You open the first folder, revealing Brigante’s file on a man named Leon Marshall. He’s the Second Owner in this neck of the woods, and the family is rich enough to own an estate towards the edge of the suburbs. Unsurprisingly, they’re rather tight-lipped about their magecraft, but Brigante was able to uncover that it is somehow related to growth.

The second concerns Sebastian Blackburn. He’s a spellcaster who makes his living assassinating magi for their rivals and selling the spoils on top of the proceeds. Reinforcement and runes are his magical specialties, and while he doesn't seem particularly strong in either, he's a frightfully intelligent man who can . The notes claim that Blackburn likely possesses a dangerous Mystic Code, but it does not contain details on the weapon.

The third file is nearly empty, pertaining to an unnamed Einzbern. There’s very little except for some standard information on the family as a whole - German recluse family, homunculi production, silver hair and red eyes - and that the Master is staying in an unidentified downtown hotel.

Your work now finished, you bring the folders with you back to your room before you head down the hill to the dining hall for dinner.

Golden evening light spills through the windows of the refectory. The beautiful glow is a stark contrast to the scene playing out at your table. You eat an unimpressive hamburger across from Damien, who has promised you a “big scoop” in the hopes that you’ll help him find out more on the subject. You refused to make any commitments since it might just be a distraction from the Grail War you’ve already promised to fight in.

“This is going to sound crazy,” Damien says between bites of his own burger, “but a guy I know says he saw the most beautiful woman he’s ever laid eyes on just last night. Long silver hair, silver dress, and not much older than you or me!”

“Silver hair?” you reply, intrigued by a possible lead on the Einzbern master. “Tell me more. Can you trust your source?”

“Oooh, now I have your attention!” Damien chuckles. “I’ll keep your preferences in mind from here on.” You sincerely hope he’s not plotting to try setting you up with yet another girl. “Yeah, I can trust this one. He’s not the type to make this stuff up. Lives towards the outskirts of the suburbs, says he looked out the window and saw the gorgeous creature wandering around.”

“Is that all?” you ask, disappointed but not surprised that the location of one sighting is all he can give you.

“For now, yes. But that’s where you come in. You’ve got a lot more freedom than the rest of us here at school, so I want you to hunt her down and check her out. If she’s a catch, try to get her number and maybe introduce me down the line.”

You doubt you’ll be introducing Damien to a homunculus any time soon, let alone one who’s an enemy Master. But he has given you another lead to pursue. Tonight, your plan is to...

>>Visit the state park to investigate the landslide, or perhaps battle any Masters who had the same idea.
>>Go into the east side of the city proper - downtown. It will likely be too populated to fight, but you might be able to find the hotel the Einzbern is staying in.
>>Try the west side of the city proper. It’s mostly businesses and no hotels, so it should be quiet enough for a Servant battle if any other Masters are in the area.
>>Head to the suburbs to investigate the supposed Einzbern sighting.
>>Even if other Masters have mobilized, it’s still too early to act. Remain on school grounds again tonight.
>>(Write-in)

>>3694632
>Head to the suburbs to investigate the supposed Einzbern sighting.

>>3694632
>>Try the west side of the city proper. It’s mostly businesses and no hotels, so it should be quiet enough for a Servant battle if any other Masters are in the area.
Let's not fight the Einzbern until we've seen her Servant.

>>3694632
>>>Go into the east side of the city proper - downtown. It will likely be too populated to fight, but you might be able to find the hotel the Einzbern is staying in.
Maybe we should ask mom if any other servants got summoned

>>3694632
>Go into the east side of the city proper - downtown. It will likely be too populated to fight, but you might be able to find the hotel the Einzbern is staying in.
It's a good idea to find out where our enemy is living. Even knowing where they can run to in times of crisis is a great tool to ambush in case they screw up against someone else.

>>3694954
>>3695094
Recall that the Einzberns always try to cheat by summoning top-ranking Servants or outright impermissible entities.
Recall that Saber told us her stats aren't so high, and she's best in short clashes.
Now consider what might happen if the Einzberns summoned another Heracles-tier Servant.

>>3695103
While this is true, the Einzberns also tend to follow the rules with regards to interactions between Masters, so the Einzbern girl won't send Herc (or whatever busted shit they have this time) out into public. Staying in a populated area is the best choice for now, since Saber's told us that she's not the top physically.

>>3694632
>>Go into the east side of the city proper - downtown. It will likely be too populated to fight, but you might be able to find the hotel the Einzbern is staying in.

>>3694632
>Go into the east side of the city proper - downtown. It will likely be too populated to fight, but you might be able to find the hotel the Einzbern is staying in.

>>3694632
>Go into the east side of the city proper - downtown. It will likely be too populated to fight, but you might be able to find the hotel the Einzbern is staying in.

>>3694632
>>Go into the east side of the city proper - downtown. It will likely be too populated to fight, but you might be able to find the hotel the Einzbern is staying in.

Once out of your school uniform and into your preferred outfit - hiking boots, blue jeans, a gray undershirt and a black zipped hoodie - you leave campus. Courtesy of your mother’s profession, you have special permission to leave campus any day of the week and come back at any time of night. That will be very useful tonight, because you’re going to be combing downtown. You head south of the school to the city, taking care to avoid the western part of town.

Searching for the Einzbern hideout proves to be a long and tiring task. The moderate chill of the spring night doesn’t bother you as much as the zig-zagging path you need to follow. Several hotels are built in this part of the city, but they’re spread out among the office towers and other commercial buildings in the area. There’s no simple route you can take that will allow you to reach each one. Worse is that you have no method to locate the Einzbern save Saber’s inherent ability to sense the presence of other Servants. Unfortunately for you, it seems that the Einzbern is somewhere else tonight - at no point does Saber notify you of a Servant’s presence.

Just as you’re about to give up, an idea strikes you. The Einzberns tend to sequester themselves, and they have a large amount of money at their disposal. It’s possible, if not likely, that they spared no expense in arranging their Master’s accommodations. With that in mind, you decide to investigate the tallest, most expensive hotel in town.

You hurry across several blocks to the Wayside, easily the most luxurious lodging in the city. Saber still doesn’t alert you of a Servant, but they might just be out right now. You circle the entire building to look for clues. Your sweep reveals a curious phenomenon - no lights are on in any of the rooms on the second floor from the top, and only one is illuminated on the highest level. Mom told you once that it isn’t unusual for magi to buy an entire house to set up defenses while on a visit away from home. Maybe in the same vein, the Einzberns rented out multiple floors of a hotel? Unfortunately, that doesn’t explain why the light is on while the occupant is out.

The only other option you have would be to wait in the hotel lobby in the hopes of seeing the Master return, but that would be too time-consuming. You begin the long walk home, scratching your head with your left hand as you ponder ways to confirm your suspicions.

Shortly after your departure, you notice a girl on the sidewalk. She’s about your age, maybe a year or two younger, who’s stunning enough to make even you stop in your tracks. Pale blue eyes and a great face are framed by perfectly cut bangs on the longest golden hair you’ve ever seen. It reaches all the way down to her hips behind her, and down past her shoulders in front. Her outfit is simple, consisting of only a bright red hoodie, yoga pants, and sneakers that match her eyes. Said eyes, you now notice, are looking directly at your hand.

Your left hand.

Your bandaged left hand, which is on full display and clearly uninjured because of your head-scratching.

A devilish grin creeps across the girl’s face.

She trots over to your side while you stand immobilized and quickly wraps herself around your free arm, pressing herself against you to maximize contact in every conceivable area.

“Your eyes are really pretty,” she flatters. “They’re like emeralds! Your hair is black as a raven’s too. It’s a lovely combination.” Flustered and unprepared, you try to pull away, but her grip is firm and her strength unexpected. You’re not going anywhere now that she’s clinging to you.

“Let go…!” you say in between grunts as you struggle, “Who are you, anyway!?”

“Don’t be so cold! Guys would kill to be in your position right now, you know~!” she says, the mischievous smirk still painting her features. She’s clearly enjoying this. You try to leverage your arm to make her fingers slip, but to no avail. “I’m Charlotte, since you asked. Say, maybe you can help me with something. See, my friend and I would really like to go to the suburbs tonight, but that pesky Archer is camped out in the western part of the city!”

At the mention of a Servant, your embarrassment vanishes, and you stop trying to wrench your arm away. You fall silent as your whole body tenses. You’re dealing with another party in the Holy Grail War now. Charlotte seems quite pleased with your reaction, giggling as she feels your muscles shift under your hoodie.

Master! Saber’s voice pops into your mind via the telepathic link between Master and Servant. I can’t sense another Servant! There's no way Charlotte’s Servant isn’t nearby if she’s concerned about a possible attack. That would make her the Master of Assassin.

“I’m in danger! If he gets a chance, he’ll just blow me away! My partner can’t do much about arrows, so I have no protection. Do you think you could distract Archer for me for, say, half an hour? If you do, I’ll owe you a biiiiiig favor~! What do you think?”

>>Agree to distract Archer for Charlotte.
>>Decline to act as a decoy. It’s too dangerous.
>>Offer to escort her to the suburbs instead.
>>(Write-in)

>>3697229
>Offer to escort her to the suburbs instead.
Helping without playing along directly. It's the most fun option.

>>3697229
>Offer to escort her to the suburbs instead
If she's trying to dupe us I'd like to be in range to do her in

>>3697229
>>Offer to escort her to the suburbs instead.

>>3697229
>>Offer to escort her to the suburbs instead.

>>3697229
>Offer to escort her to the suburbs instead.

>>3697229
>Offer to escort her to the suburbs instead.

>>3697229
>>Offer to escort her to the suburbs instead.

>>3697229
>>>Offer to escort her to the suburbs instead.

You weigh your options. Taking on a Servant at the behest of a Master you’ve only just met is insane. How can you possibly trust her? But on the other hand, indebting another Master to you could come in very handy down the line, though you have no guarantee she’s the type to honor her commitments. Then, an idea strikes you - perhaps you can acquire the favor while throwing a wrench into her plans. It’s not like her plan is very safe, anyway.

“Distraction won’t be enough,” you begin, your voice composed. “If Archer stops looking at me for even a second, you’ll be at risk. But if we’re together, then my Servant can protect us both. How about I escort you instead?”

For a moment, Charlotte looks genuinely surprised, and her grip relaxes. Was she taken aback by your calm reply, anticipating that you would be flustered? Or perhaps she didn’t expect you to consider her safety so thoroughly, let alone offer to shield her directly.

Master, you cannot be serious! Saber calls into your mind, astonished. You would let this harlot beguile you?

It’s fine, you reply. If she tries to screw us, we kill her.

That man was right to fear for your chastity! Saber does not comment again, perhaps assuaged by the chance to kill the girl on your arm if the plan goes awry. As Saber begins to appreciate Father McManus’ concern for you, Charlotte’s composure returns, and the grin reforms.

“Oh my~!” She coils back around your arm. “You’re such a gentleman! That sounds wonderful. Let’s get going!”

The two of you begin your walk to the suburbs through the empty western part of town, and you try to keep an eye out for any sign of Archer. Charlotte refuses to decouple from your limb as she chats with you. The girl is far more used to making conversation than you are, and as you focus on not getting sniped, she takes the lead in your dialogue.

In the moment, you don’t realize that you’re so guarded against Archer’s impending physical assault that you’ve forgotten to be wary of Charlotte. The girl extracts a good deal of information from you, including your knowledge of town and the surrounding area, where you live, where you go to school, your religious upbringing, your hobby of reading, and your lack of a girlfriend. She even gets you to spill your full name, Edgar Tristan Rood. You don’t learn nearly as much about her, although she does reveal some of the problems men give her.

“I get hit on all the time!” she complains as you cross an intersection. “Normally, I’d have my dog take care of it. But right now, I have you to ward them off!” She squeezes your arm into her chest as she finishes her sentence, pale eyes probing yours for a reaction.

Your attention is held long enough that it surprises you when Saber materializes on the other side of Charlotte. She executes a swift uppercut to deflect a silver streak from down the road, accompanied by a thunderous clang. Two more arrows follow - Saber sends one careening into a storefront and the other into the road just behind you. The ground shakes from the impact, prompting you to shift your footing to maintain balance. Charlotte’s grip on you tightens as she steadies herself.

A fourth projectile strikes a block behind you and one street over. You can’t even see Archer - just how far away is he shooting from? It’s clear you can’t stay here. The small shop the second arrow hit is in shambles, and part of the road has collapsed into the sewer from the third. These shots are more like artillery than simple bow fire.

>>Attack Archer with Saber! If you work your way to his position, he won’t stand a chance in a close-range battle.
>>Take cover! Wait out the barrage until Archer thinks you’re dead, then start moving again.
>>Pick up Charlotte and run! Between Saber defending you and your elemental magic, you can make it to the suburbs
>>(Write-in)

>>3699829
>Pick up Charlotte and run! Between Saber defending you and your elemental magic, you can make it to the suburbs
If we're going to act gallant, let's max it out.

>>3699829
>Pick up Charlotte and go into sewers
With some luck he won't just collapse the whole street before we leave
Also I am sure Charlotte will appreciate change of scenery
Also the Archer is possibly hers but that's detail

>>3699829
>>>Pick up Charlotte and run! Between Saber defending you and your elemental magic, you can make it to the suburbs
>>3699868
He probably is, but that's grail wars for ya.

>>3699829
Cover and Attack are the Dead Ends, so...
>Pick up Charlotte and run! Between Saber defending you and your elemental magic, you can make it to the suburbs

I just hope Saber doesn't have any romantic fantasies or she might get jealous.

>>3699829
>Pick up Charlotte and run! Between Saber defending you and your elemental magic, you can make it to the suburbs

>>3699868
Supporting

>>3697229
>Offer to escort her to the suburbs instead.

>>3699829
>Pick up Charlotte and run! Between Saber defending you and your elemental magic, you can make it to the suburbs

There’s no time to think. You reach down and bring your free arm behind Charlotte’s legs and twist your arm in her grasp to wrap around her back. A squeal somewhere between confusion and excitement escapes her as you lift her and begin your mad dash west.

Saber! We’re running to the suburbs! Cover us!

Saber does not reply, instead cutting down bolt after bolt from the north at every intersection. You may lack Reinforcement magic, but you’re strong and well conditioned. You can make a decent pace even with your arms full, and thankfully Charlotte isn’t very heavy. She even eases the burden on your arms by wrapping her arms around your neck to support herself somewhat.

Thankfully, Archer doesn’t seem interested in levelling block after block to take down a mobile enemy. Unless you’re crossing an intersection, he doesn’t fire at you. However, it seems Archer is the type to experiment when he struggles to eliminate his enemies. Saber may be protecting you, but with your movement direct and predictable, the sniper can easily obstruct your progress. A corner building is obliterated during a crossing, and large chunks of rubble scatter across your path. Charlotte squeaks in surprise. But changes in the environment are your area of expertise. It’s not hard for you to see where the rubble has fallen and adjust accordingly.

You’ve made it past the first obstacle, but there’s no doubt that Archer will manufacture a second. There’s not much time to think, and you have to predict it if you want to escape. You’re in his position, trying to catch a fleeing enemy by shooting their escape route from afar. You can only strike at intersections. Halting them at the intersection with rubble didn’t work. Your next choice… to cave in the road.

Now, to counter that possibility, you’ll need to build something in the road’s place. This will be a somewhat large spell, but you’ve cast larger. The dam in your mind bursts, your circuits flooding with magical energy. You begin the incantation, and form in your mind the image of your escape device.

“And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea.”

Charlotte’s hold around your neck tightens, bracing for the spell.

“The Lord caused the sea to go back,”

You approach the intersection.

“And made the sea dry land.”

Just as your foot enters the intersection, four streaks hammer into the street, leaving a gaping hole. But you were ready for this. There’s no need to slow down!

“Circle Nine!”

The spell cast, your foot crosses over the asphalt void, and ice appears beneath it in a downwards angle. You step confidently down and let yourself slide, both feet now planted. The ramp materializes as you ride it down, gently sloping back up as you progress. Your kinetic energy carries you back to what’s left of the road, and you get back to running as fast as you can.

You rack your brain to think of what will come next. Will he try the same trick twice? Will he destroy the building again? What other options does he have?

Nothing comes to mind. Unable to counter but unable to stop, you run into the next intersection… and pass uninhibited. Instead, the singing of missiles overhead meets your ears and thunderous booms echo to your left. Archer has begun pummeling a different target. Has Assassin finally decided to materialize? Grateful for the interference, you continue running. No more arrows make you their target as you proceed to the suburbs.

~~~

Sweat drenches your clothes. You’re completely exhausted. You lean up against a tree in the small grove that you, Charlotte, and Saber have taken refuge in for the moment. The suburbs are very close by - you’ve succeeded in your task of escorting Charlotte. Now you’re just waiting for Assassin to return before you go your separate ways for tonight. In the meantime, however, Charlotte seems quite impressed with your display.

“You’re handsome, you’re fit, and you can use strange magic? You’re such a catch! How do you not have a girlfriend?” The golden-haired girl sits on a stump facing you, her elbows on her knees and her hands framing her face as she leans forward.

“Master has chosen to focus on more noble pursuits than squandering his time with hussies,” your Servant states venomously, standing guard between the two of you and slightly off to the side. Charlotte remains unfazed.

“Aren’t there girls crawling all over you? Oh, maybe that’s it! You don’t have a girlfriend, but instead you have a ton of hookups!”

You’re breathing so hard that you can’t speak at the moment, so you have no choice but to watch this strange verbal joust. Charlotte talks to you, and, as you are unable to reply, Saber speaks up in your stead. However, Charlotte summarily ignores her and continues her one-sided conversation with you, enjoying the rise she gets out of Saber with each implication made. Saber, apparently concerned only about your honor, takes the bait every single time.

“R-Ridiculous! There is no way Master would..!” Saber’s attentive stance breaks, and her voice trails off as something occurs to her. She turns to you, saying, “It can’t be… Master, is that why that man…?”

“So how much experience do you have?” Charlotte, quite pleased with Saber’s reaction, presses on. “Could you make me feel good if I gave you the chance?”

Saber gasps, appalled by the overtness of Charlotte’s suggestion. Before she can retort, a man steps out of the shadows behind the blonde. He looks as though he’s walked straight off the set of a film noir, wearing a fedora, three-piece suit and trench coat, all of which are black. His eyes are hidden by the shadow of his hat’s brim. Perhaps unsure if he can trust you, he pushes the right side of his coat back and places his hand on his weapon. Holstered there is the biggest revolver you’ve ever seen.

“It’s time to go,” he says flatly.

“Alright, alright,” Charlotte says, standing up from the stump. “But first, let me say a proper thank-you to our most wonderful escort.”

You’ve managed to recover somewhat by now, though you’re still breathing through your mouth. The golden girl walks over to you, Saber returning to your side, eyeing Charlotte suspiciously.

“Thank you, Edgar. Really,” Charlotte says simply, not two feet away from you. It seems to you that her smirk has started to look like a real smile for the first time tonight. Then, her hands cup your face and she thrusts her tongue through your open lips. The kiss is sloppy and passionate, her tongue greedily curling around yours. After no more than a second, Charlotte retreats from you at lightning speed. In between you now is Saber’s blade, drawn and struck in an instant. You didn’t even see the slash.

Charlotte’s letting her tongue hang out like a wolf’s for a moment, letting you see it covered in your mixed saliva. Then, she withdraws it and makes a big show of swallowing everything, your mystic energy included.

“See you around, hot stuff!”

With those parting words, Charlotte turns on her heel and makes her exit. She didn’t take much of your energy, but after your performance tonight, it’s enough to push you over the edge. You slump down against the tree your consciousness fading. Saber’s worried face as she tries to rouse you is the last thing you see before you pass out.

~~~

You wake up groggy in a hospital bed, surrounded by a curtain. If you had any dreams, you don’t remember them. You fish through your memories of last night - the search for the Einzbern, Charlotte, Archer’s hail of arrows, and finally collapsing at the end of it all. But where are you now? And how did you get here?

You pull the curtain back and are blinded by midday sunlight. Once your eyes adjust, you can see the grounds of Saint Longinus Academy out the window.

This is the school’s infirmary. Between faculty, staff, and the students, there’s need for an entire building dedicated to medical purposes on campus. Saber probably carried you all the way here once you collapsed. While you’re grateful that she did, worry pops into your mind about potential witnesses, both civilian and combatant. Footsteps in your room bring your focus back to the present.

“Yo, look who’s up!” Damien calls as he rounds the corner of the curtain. Without asking if he’s bothering you or giving you a chance to even greet him, he pulls up a stool and sits next to your bed. He continues talking without letting you get a word in. “Normally, I would ask why you showed up at the infirmary so exhausted that you fell unconscious at the door, but right now there are more pressing matters.”

Damien pulls out his phone and starts looking for something. At the very least, if he doesn’t know that Saber carried you here, then odds are nobody else around here does either. You remain silent and wait for Damien to identify this urgent issue he’s mentioned. It must be serious if it’s more important than your gravely endangered physical health. Did someone get a picture of the Grail War? Worse yet, is it you fighting alongside Saber?

“What’s the deal, man? You should have told me about this.” He turns his phone around to reveal a photo of you downtown last night, with the gorgeous Charlotte lovingly clinging to your arm.

Fuck.

>>”I swear, it’s not what it looks like.” Tell him that he’s misunderstanding. Not that you dislike her, necessarily, but she’s the one who stuck to you, not the other way around.
>>”What’s there to tell?” Last night didn't matter. You thought nothing of Charlotte.
>>”It was a stroke of luck, if you can believe it.” Take pride in your encounter. At least, the parts you can tell him about. Dangerous as the night was, you really enjoyed Charlotte's company.
>>”It’s not your business what I do in my free time.” You don't need to explain yourself. You can fraternize with whoever you damn well please.