“I would like to find Archer and finish him off,” you say.

“Alone?” Ivonnesviel asks, surprised.

“No, not alone. There’s someone I’m going to ask for help.”

“I see,” she replies. “In that case, I look forward to watching your battle.”

So she intends to spectate. Well, at least she’s up front about it. Dinner is finished now, and the maid returns to clean your places. There’s no dessert, and it won’t be long before night arrives, so you prepare to take your leave. Ivonnesviel walks you to the door.

“Gisela, drive Edgar back to his school,” the lady orders. Gisela bows obediently. Ivonnesviel addresses you next. “Thank you for your company this evening, Edgar. I found it most enjoyable.”

“Thank you for having me.”

~~~

“You didn’t call for a whole week! What are you thinking, making a girl sweat like that?!” Charlotte’s angry voice pierces your eardrum, causing you to hold the phone some distance away when she speaks. If she were in your room with you right now, she’d surely be disturbing the neighbors.

“I’m really sorry,” you try your best to placate your intended partner. “I’ve been busy this week.”

“GETTING busy, I bet!” Thankfully, she’s not here to see your face flush. She's just screwing with you; you doubt she knows she's right on the money. “You really shouldn’t be neglecting me, you know? I can actually help you survive this mess.”

“Again, I’m sorry,” you say. “I didn’t mean to leave you hanging.”

“Oh, whatever,” she sighs, irritation draining from her tone. “I doubt you’re calling to take me on a date, so what do you need?”

“I intend to kill Archer tonight, but he’s powerful and I don’t know where he is. I need help to find him and bring him down.”

“...Fine. But you owe me one, alright?”

“Fair enough.” It seems Charlotte isn’t in the mood to help you out of the goodness of her heart.

“He’s back in his usual spot in the state park. You know where that is, right? I need you to keep him distracted for me. Do that until I reach him, and I can take him out.”

“That’s a really-”

“Hey now, slowpoke, my partner and I rely on stealth. If you want my help, that’s the plan. Got it?”

It’s frustrating to have her unilaterally thrusting a battle plan onto you, but you need assistance, and it’s clear she’s not going to budge. Maybe you’d have more leeway if she wasn’t pissed at you for staying out of contact. You don’t have much choice but to assent.

“...Alright.”

~~~

‘Don’t be afraid you use your full power, okay?’

‘As you command,’ comes Saber's mental reply.

You’re back in the state park’s deciduous underbrush. According to Charlotte, Archer is watching the area from the same hill as before. If so, this distance should be close enough; you hunker down behind a suitably thick trunk. Saber materializes and begins visibly darting through the trees towards the hill. Archer will have no choice but to respond to the threat, you can’t be seen, and your Servant will have cover to keep her safe. You don’t know how long Charlotte needs, but you should be able to last for a while like this. In an unlikely but ideal scenario, Saber will be able to kill Archer herself without aid. In the meantime, you should decide what to do about Archer's Master. Even without a Servant, your personal experience suggests that she's a force to be reckoned with.

Then, you hear an explosive gust of wind, followed by a deep roar. Before the guttural sound concludes, crunching noises echo through the forest as a wave of Archer’s arrows annihilate bark. After no more than an instant, the tearing wood is no longer audible, replaced by the clashing of steel and familiar groans. There’s no mistake: Berserker is here, and Saber is fighting him!

Order Saber to...
>>Press forward! Keep the pressure on Archer!
>>Focus on killing Berserker!
>>Pull back and play it safe!
>>(Write-in)
Meanwhile, you will…
>>Move up! With the clamor of the battle at hand, noise shouldn’t be a concern; just stay out of sight.
>>Move, but take it easy! Some noise should be okay, but avoid making too much.
>>Hang back! Going anywhere right now would be too dangerous.
>>(Write-in)

>>3888781
>Order Saber to...
>>Keep Berserker between her and Archer. You don't want to risk letting Archer use whatever ability let him capture her once again.
>Meanwhile, you will…
>>Hang back! Going anywhere right now would be too dangerous.
With luck, Archer will be too distracted with the chance of taking out Saber or Berserker to notice Assassin coming after him.

>>3888781
>>Order Saber to...
>>Keep Berserker between her and Archer. You don't want to risk letting Archer use whatever ability let him capture her once again.
>>Meanwhile, you will…
>>Hang back! Going anywhere right now would be too dangerous.

>>3888786
>>3888848
The problem that I see with keeping Berserker between Saber and Archer is that then fulfills the conditions he needs for a power boost (assuming we're right about him/his abilities), which is bad because Saber has drawn aggro. With that in mind,
>>3888781
>>>Press forward! Keep the pressure on Archer!
>>>(Write-in)
>>>Shout: challenge Archer's Master to single combat!
Maybe she'll be dumb enough to fall for it since she suggested it before. I think we can beat her head-to-head, between Ice and swords.

>>3888937
Giving away our position is what led to Archer blowing our ass up last time.

>>3888964
Trying to sneak attack like a bitch is what led to Archery blowing our ass up last time.

>>3888781
>>>Press forward! Keep the pressure on Archer!
>>Move, but take it easy! Some noise should be okay, but avoid making too much.
Let's have her pull Sheilder's trick and drag Berserker to where ever Archer or his Master are.

>>3889115
>Let's have her pull Sheilder's trick and drag Berserker to where ever Archer or his Master are

I think this could be a good idea. I wonder, if we order Saber to lure Berserker towards Archer, but not necessarily *fight* Berserker herself, would that avoid triggering his buff against multiple opponents?

>>3888781
>>Saber, lure Berserker towards Archer
>>Hang back! Going anywhere right now would be too dangerous.
While you don't need to use a bow to be an Archer you do need good perception, Saber's drawing Berserker's aggro so Archer doesn't need to focus as hard on stopping them so any moves we make might still be noticed.

‘Don’t get distracted, Saber!’ you telepathically command your Servant. ‘Push on towards Archer! Berserker doesn’t know any better. Lure him along with you!’

You get no reply, but you know she received the order. It’d be too dangerous to move, you decide, so you stay put. From your position, though, you can’t see anything. Hearing is the only sense you can use to track the battle, save the occasional vibration carried through the ground. Blades cease clashing, and a frustrated roar rattles the air around you. Rustling and snapping fill the air Berserker as he plows through the vegetation in pursuit of Saber. Archer renews his assault, crunches and cracks resounding with each trunk destroyed. The raucous slaughter of plant life grows more distant by the second.

Suddenly, the noises stop getting further away. Archer’s hail does not let up. Berserker’s groans grow louder. Saber must be pinned! Think fast and get her out of there! With a command spell, you can-

A bloodcurdling caterwaul rips through the night. The bleeding of your Od, which you’d become numb to as it fed your Servant for days on end, surges into a painful waterfall. The sensation is sharp, almost like your life is being sucked dry by vampiric fangs sunk deep into your neck. That shriek undoubtedly belonged to your Servant; Saber is, for the first time, unleashing her full power. What you’re feeling now is merely her energy consumption.

The forest is obliterated at an even faster rate than before, and the sounds begin to fade again. Tonight’s battle recedes further and further into the woods. At this rate, you’ll be left behind. If you don’t follow, you won’t be able to observe the battle or witness Saber’s true capabilities. However, moving now would put you at risk unnecessarily. You can just wait for Charlotte to kill Archer while Saber’s new strength keeps him occupied.

>>Move up quickly and stay involved in the battle. There’s no point hiding here anymore.
>>Remain in place and let this sort itself out. Saber is putting too severe a drain on you.
>>(Write-in)

>>3892133
>>>Remain in place and let this sort itself out. Saber is putting too severe a drain on you.
Let's put our faith in Saber and Charlotte. If we run into Iris or Archer's master like this it'll be bad. Hopefully Iris doesn't keep Assassin from finishing this quick.

>our girl giving us the long distance succ

>>3892133
>>Remain in place and let this sort itself out. Saber is putting too severe a drain on you.

>>3892133
>>Move up quickly and stay involved in the battle. There’s no point hiding here anymore.

She wants us to see this.

>>3892133
>>>Move up quickly and stay involved in the battle. There’s no point hiding here anymore.

>>3892133
>Move up quickly and stay involved in the battle. There’s no point hiding here anymore.
>>3892609 is right. It may lead to a dead end but we promised to see her true self.

>>3892133
>Move up quickly and stay involved in the battle. There’s no point hiding here anymore.

>>3892133
I feel like it's too late but yeah I'll die to see our girl going all out.
Switching>>3892331
To
>>>Move up quickly and stay involved in the battle. There’s no point hiding here anymore.

>>3892133
>>Move up quickly and stay involved in the battle. There’s no point hiding here anymore.
A promise is a promise, we said we would see this through to the end.
Also i was reading back through the archives and the sheer thought of Edgar being the son of a DAA is kinda horrifying but it makes a fuckton of sense actually, especially with the Forest DAA confirming he and Edgar are the same kind I.E. Vampire people

You force yourself to rise. There’s no point hiding here anymore. Ultimately, you’ll be best served by witnessing the battle at hand. Saber would want you to watch, anyway. Her increased drain makes movement a struggle, especially uphill, but that’s okay. You can handle a little p̷a̴i̸n̵.̸

Thankfully, the combatants have been kind enough to serve as trailblazers. With battle scars now carved into the foliage, you can take a relatively straightforward path to catch up. It’s not perfect - a crater to avoid here, a trunk to leap over there, and plenty of trees remain standing to keep between you and the hilltop - but you can keep a decent running pace as you follow the chaos that lies ahead.

Berserker swings wildly at an enemy he can’t seem to keep up with. Each time he brings down his axe, he slashes only air. Archer’s luck isn’t much better. Most arrows fly wide, soaring uselessly into bark or dirt. A few strays nearly hit Berserker, but all are repelled by the madman. The few that would strike home in their intended target are dodged with a nimble twist, agile roll, or even a cartwheel by the star of this show.

In the darkness of the woodland, a shining whiteness darts to and fro, closing in on its prey. Unlike the moonlight woman, this light isn’t reflected; no, it’s generated. Saber’s mane itself glows white-hot as she zigzags through the underbrush. A heat haze distorts her form, but during her more extreme maneuvers, you can catch glimpses of two large, curved horns protruding from her forehead.

A sharp rush of air suddenly bursts off to your left. Instinctively, you drop, roll, and slide into a prone position facing the source of the noise. A blade-like gust slices through the underbrush above you, levelling the tops of the ferns you dropped among. Not keen to remain immobile, you quickly pop back to your feet. You grimace; you have yet to acclimate to your Od’s accelerated depletion, and sharp maneuvers intensify the ache. It’s not clear how long you’ll be able to strain yourself.

Before you, about twenty meters away, stands the Master of Archer, fixing you with a stern sapphire glare over the greenery’s newly lowered ceiling.

“No tricks this time, Master of Saber,” she declares. “Show me the strength with which you’ve struggled for your life these past two weeks!”

Looks like you have no choice but to fight!

>>Get up close and personal! Though you’re in pain, your body is still stronger than hers!
>>Stay at a distance! Pen her in with magecraft, and strike her down with Black Keys!
>>Remain defensive! Focus on evasion and stall for backup!
>>N̷o̷ ̶p̶a̴i̶n̵,̶ ̸n̷o̵ ̵g̷a̵i̸n̷,̷ ̴r̷i̴g̴h̴t̵?̸
>>(Write-in)

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>>3893922
>N̷o̷ ̶p̶a̴i̶n̵,̶ ̸n̷o̵ ̵g̷a̵i̸n̷,̷ ̴r̷i̴g̴h̴t̵?̸
Uhh...

>>3893922
>>N̷o̷ ̶p̶a̴i̶n̵,̶ ̸n̷o̵ ̵g̷a̵i̸n̷,̷ ̴r̷i̴g̴h̴t̵?̸

>>3893922
>>>Remain defensive! Focus on evasion and stall for backup!

>>3893938
We just need to buy a bit more time for Charlotte to do her job. I'm guessing Assassin will put a bullet in Archer'aster so long as we can keep her occupied

>>3893935
Fuck off, I do what I want.

>>3893922
>you have yet to acclimate to your Od’s accelerated depletion, and sharp maneuvers intensify the ache. It’s not clear how long you’ll be able to strain yourself
We should keep this in mind when making our choice.

I doubt that the p̶a̴i̶n̵ option Dead End us, but I'm afraid of the cost. There's always a cost.

>>3893922
>>Remain defensive! Focus on evasion and stall for backup!

>>3893945
Can't use magic that's for damn sure. Also might want to point out that your first reply wasn't a vote, just for the QMs sanity.

>>3893922
>>Remain defensive! Focus on evasion and stall for backup!

I want that other option. That shiny, candy red option, it calls to me. But I've been too much of a jerk about people making obvious bad choices to go for it.

C'mon Char.

It's like trying to ignore an itch.

>>3893922
>>N̷o̷ ̶p̶a̴i̶n̵,̶ ̸n̷o̵ ̵g̷a̵i̸n̷,̷ ̴r̷i̴g̴h̴t̵?̸
Honestly guys, being a Crimson Red Vermilion is fucking great experience
Their banters are also fucking great even if a little blood foused

>>3893922
>>Remain defensive! Focus on evasion and stall for backup!
PainAnons please forgive me, I must resist the urge, even if it means we miss out on Edgar turning into Dead Apostle Groot.

>>3893922
>no pain no gain, right?
Halloween edition Edgar get.

>>3893922
>>>N̷o̷ ̶p̶a̴i̶n̵,̶ ̸n̷o̵ ̵g̷a̵i̸n̷,̷ ̴r̷i̴g̴h̴t̵?̸
We Return to the Spring, boys.

>>3893922
>>>N̷o̷ ̶p̶a̴i̶n̵,̶ ̸n̷o̵ ̵g̷a̵i̸n̷,̷ ̴r̷i̴g̴h̴t̵?̸

>not picking the battlebound option since even full powered i'm not convinced saibah can beat archer.

>>3894054
If Shirou turned into swords we can turn into roots damn it.

I can't help feel that going full March of the Ents is going to send us straight to Marshall's shit list, and since Berserker is here his masters and maybe Caster again aren't to far behind. Also worried how Charlotte and Assassin might react o it and if Charlotte is a DA as some anons suspect if she isn't anticipating it. She was rather quick to recruit us, wasn't she?

It will be some time before the next update to the quest, but in the meantime, the status menu has been updated.
https://pastebin.com/BRiG8Dkw

>>3895028
So technically each of her strikes is roughly equal to her NP
She's going to kick asses of that shitty D-class Berserker and Archer's ghost
Caster doesn't even need to be considered

>>3895078
>So technically each of her strikes is roughly equal to her NP
Keep in mind that the rank of a Noble Phantasm doesn't necessarily have a correlation with its damage output. Zabaniya and Gáe Bolg are both instant kills, but their ranks are C and B respectively. Knight of Owner, which technically has no damage output of its own, is A++.

>>3895078
It also leaves us incredibly vulnerable.

>>3895078
>So technically each of her strikes is roughly equal to her NP
The more I read this, the less I think I understand it. Do you mean to say you've interpreted Onda no Hachiro Moroshige as a brief flash of a power that's always active when the seal is removed? Because that's not how it works, and if that's the impression that I've given, please tell me what description or wording suggests that so I can correct it.

N̸o̷ ̶p̶a̷i̴n̵,̸ ̸n̷o̴ ̴g̴a̸i̸n̶,̸ ̵r̴i̸g̶h̶t̸?̵ ̴G̶o̴ ̴o̵n̸.̵ ̴B̷r̷e̵a̴k̷ ̵o̷n̷e̸.̶ ̶I̶t̸'̵s̶ ̶j̶u̸s̷t̷ ̸o̵n̸e̸.̵ ̵O̸n̸e̶ ̴i̶s̷n̷'̵t̴ ̶a̵ ̶b̸i̷g̸ ̷d̷e̴a̵l̴,̷ ̶i̴s̵ ̴i̸t̸?̷

Snap.

That’s an odd request she just made. All your strength from the past two weeks? Does she not know you cornered two Servants with your own hand? She should. One of them was hers. You’ve done a number on non-Servant opponents, too. Well, she’s bold, you’ll give her that. And hey, no reason to hold back with your life on the line.

To the left, you’re off like a shot. She gasps at your speed. Your whole body hurts, but you ignore the sting. Moving slow won’t do you any good. Closing the distance to Howell without cover would be suicide. She moves to the right, and a green glow under her long sleeve betrays her coming attacks. Two blasts of razor wind rip through the leaves towards you, cutting into the bark of trees you place between you and the magus. A blade of your own rockets through the darkness, but she sees it coming and dodges with a woosh and a long bound. She’s pretty agile for a magus. Is it her magecraft?

Your foe stops behind a trunk for protection. That’s good. She’ll have to come out to attack you eventually, and you know where she is. You change course to charge her directly. One second. Two. Your gut tells you it’s coming, and you take a chance. Black Keys already fill your hands. In a daring maneuver, you hurl all six of your weapons, a trio around each side of the obstacle. Her body begins to appear around the right of the tree. You were a bit too early with your throw - by the time she gets hit, she hasn’t totally removed herself from cover, so she doesn’t get skewered the way you’d hoped. Her thigh, arm, and face take substantial horizontal cuts, drawing a sharp grunt from the victim. Wounds turn red with the nectar of her life. Your spine tingles. Maybe you should play with this one. She’s cute when she bleeds.

Flinching, but refusing to go down, Archer’s Master spins about and raises her arm again. Her spells are no different than other projectiles. She’ll be aiming where you’re going. To avoid them, go somewhere else instead. You zig to the right, and the next wind sails past. A zag to the left, and you slide safely parallel to another. Her fingers prepare to snap, and you zip behind a tree, ducking for cover. You hear a rising gust, then a release; a chunk of the tree before you explodes into splinters, but you’re too low to be hit.

Moving back around your damaged cover, Howell sees that you’re unharmed. You’re quite close now, perhaps five meters apart. The woman is feisty - she’ll jump away from you given the chance. You’ll just have to catch her with everything you’ve got. Corner her and don’t let go. Entrapment is second nature to you, so your chant this time will be short. Magic circuits roar to life as you touch the ground.

“Encircle mine.”

Frozen energy tears across the ground, faster than the enemy can react. Large, icy claws form a curved mesh behind your prey, like she’s been cupped by two great hands. Her retreat is cut off. The woman takes a brief glance at the formation to her rear, giving you a nice opening. Those spells of hers are getting pretty dangerous. It’d be great if she couldn’t use them. You throw a single sword, which slashes clean through her shoulder and glances off the ice past her. She screams. Tendons cut, her crested arm hangs limp at her side. Your opponent faces you with a frustrated glare, holding up her good arm to reveal the Command Spells that adorn its wrist. Her mouth opens, but before she can speak, she freezes in horror. You watch the red marks dissolve in plain view, leaving only her pale skin behind. Despair coats your foe’s face. Yet more Black Keys dangle from your fingers. The magic crest can no longer be aimed at you, and if she tries to chant, you can simply pierce her throat. It’s clear that she’s lost. Elizabeth Howell crumples to her knees. Suddenly, she breaks eye contact... and begins to cry.

“Andrew, I’m sorry,” she chokes out as a mutter. Her voice is incredibly low; most people wouldn’t be able to hear it at this range. You shouldn’t either, but you can. Huh. “I couldn’t save you.”

Andrew? Andrew, Andrew... Eh, he doesn’t matter right now. There’s something more important directly in front of you. This woman’s crying face is touching. Covered in blood and tears, there’s something enchanting about how utterly defeated she is, especially in spite of the power she wields. You’re glad you decided not to kill her immediately, but should you keep her that way?

>>Finish her off. She may be at your mercy now, but that might change in the future. May as well end it while she’s this lovely.
>>Why waste a pretty face? She should be at the church. You could use a competent magus, anyway.
>>(Write-in)

>>3895759
>Edward
It's clear that I need to sleep. So, we gonna jog tomorrow night?

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>>3895750
She's no fun anymore, but she could be again. Menace her a bit and tell her to run and let her go. She could come back for us and she still has her master's rights.

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>>3895750
>>Why waste a pretty face? She should be at the church. You could use a competent magus, anyway.
Here's to hoping that we can turn back from this dark path before it's too late.

>>3895750
>Why waste a pretty face? She should be at the church. You could use a competent magus, anyway.
Hopefully going full edgelord is a temporary affliction.

>>3895750
>>Finish her off. She may be at your mercy now, but that might change in the future. May as well end it while she’s this lovely.
FINISH HER

>>3895750
>>Finish her off. She may be at your mercy now, but that might change in the future. May as well end it while she’s this lovely.

No more mercy in this war. End the weak. Revel in the blood! Feed the roots.

>>3895750
>>Why waste a pretty face? She should be at the church. You could use a competent magus, anyway.

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>Edgar becomes the blue oni to Saber's red oni

>>3895750
>>>Why waste a pretty face? She should be at the church. You could use a competent magus, anyway.
Eh, we won and she's boring now
We should tell Saber to avoid killing servants before we kill their masters if they all turn out to be this meek after their servant dies

>>3895750
>>Why waste a pretty face? She should be at the church. You could use a competent magus, anyway.

>We're fucking Dead Apostle Tree Kirei
Jesus fucking Christ, I think Ivonnesviel was right about us being a weapon.

>>3895750
>>>Why waste a pretty face? She should be at the church. You could use a competent magus, anyway.
Eddie Bear doesn't kill defeated opponents if they don't deserve it. She asked for a fair fight, we gave it to her, all's well. Let's get her patched up and added to the harem.

>>3895750
>“Encircle mine.”
We probably all saw it and it's similarity to our usual chant
But since we used it quite literally on multiple male servants would it mean that we are gay?

>>3895750
>Entrapment is second nature to you
Interesting.
Does this mean the ice was because of "entrapment" rather than "rigidity"?

>>3896000
If it's our origin it does explain our growing harem pretty well
Less nice than something like true love but they are pretty similar at certain point anyway
The real question is what's trapped inside of that canister, maybe our own immortal vampire loli or some nice dog collars?

>>3895750
>Why waste a pretty face? She should be at the church. You could use a competent magus, anyway.

>>3896020
>The real question is what's trapped inside of that canister, maybe our own immortal vampire loli or some nice dog collars?
The real Edgar.
That, or Andrew.

>>3896020
Probably going to be something Third Magic related.

>>3895746
>>Why waste a pretty face? She should be at the church. You could use a competent magus, anyway.

>Maybe you should play with this one. She’s >This woman’s crying face is touching. Covered in blood and tears, there’s something enchanting about how utterly defeated she is, especially in spite of the power she wields. cute when she bleeds.

Jesus fucking Christ, Edgar.

>>3896129
I know, right? What the hell is this turbo-sadist bullshit? I just want to see a bunch of happy, cute girls.

>>3896212
This will make Saber very happy and she's plenty cute.

>>3896212
No pain, no gain, right?

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>>3895994
We're not gay we're just violence-sexual.

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>>3896355
"Naive! Just because it's 'no pain, no gain,' did you expect the pain had to be yours?" - Tite Kubo/Integer, 2019
>>3896403
Pic related.

So what are the chances that Edgar's like Shiki from KnK and he's got EDGAR living in head without him realising it?

>>3896294
Glad someone here has taste.

>>3896667
I'm not surprised Saberfags and Treefags are one and the same.

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What you just made Edgar do is but a symptom of what our mother warned against.

>>3896739
Saberfag but Anti-treefag here. No true saberfag would heed the words of a plant that told him it was wrong to bone his oni waifu.

>>3896739
I'm not a treefag, we need to get rid of that weed as soon as we take from it the power to join Saber in eternal battle.

>>3896800
I just like blood man, sue me.

>>3896755
Well she did a pretty poor job at it, does Edgar getting a power boost drain his lifespan? Make him more permanently violent? Cripple him physically? We haven't been told anything about what this thing is or what it does, which would be handy in situations exactly like this when we could weigh up the pros and cons of using it.

>>3896562
Nah, seems more like Tsuki Shiki to me
But like seriously, why the hell are people surprised Edgar has full edge mode, they never touched any TYPE-MOON stuff or what?

>>3896915
They're all forgetting the "bring me his head" moment.

>>3896919
Edgar didn't do that out of a sadistic desire to see someone in pain just for shits and giggles though.

>>3896961
Obviously, headless people usually don't feel pain
I don't really see the point you are trying to make

>>3896973
Just that, at least before the influence of the tree or whatever it is that brought this out of him in the latest update, he wasn't the kind of person take pleasure in the suffering of others.

>>3896961
It was over the top violence meant to satisfy us, not the same thing but in the same ballpark and we aren't quite a giggling psychopath yet.

Also something I noticed about the Master's in this war is that everyone has a sibling:
Ilonasviel and Ivonnesviel
Iris and Juniper
Howell and Andrew
Charlotte and whoever was on that file

So what are the chances that we're completely human but the Forest is actually piloting the predator who is actually related to us and we've got a Shiki/SHIKI dynamic were it's bleeding into our personality?

...Yeah, you should keep her. A dull ache seeps into your now-relaxed muscles. If you kill her, you’ll never get to see her like this again. She can’t fight you anymore, so she should be at the church. Oh, now that you think about it, it will be nice to have a competent magus at your disposal. Maybe someone can finally tell you why your magic is ice.

Howell’s good arm clutches the bad, and her gaze snaps back to you, tears still streaming down a now-indignant countenance. In the distance, you can hear smashing and bellowing grow steadily closer. Saber and Berserker must still be in combat, and their battle is taking them on a return trip downhill.

“Well? Get on with it and kill me already! Or do you intend to humiliate me further?” She fixes you with a watery glare, determined to meet her end with some form of dignity.

“Don’t want to,” you state. “I beat you, so you belong at the church. Mom will heal you.”

The prisoner is dumbfounded. Why, exactly, you can’t say - this situation makes perfect sense to you. But you don’t have time to wonder about her thought process. Your gut is warning you. Danger is coming; not Berserker, but something else, something quieter. It’s after Howell. She’s defenseless. Can’t have her getting killed if you’re going to take her home.

“Encircle mine.”

The frozen fence expands into a protective dome, enveloping your new magus. She’ll be safe in there, and the volume contains ample oxygen. You acted not a moment too soon. Just after the shield is finished, a gunshot zips through the leaves, ricocheting off the ice and back into the darkness. Out of the forest steps that gorgeous blonde girl, Charlotte, whose body is covered tonight by a large red cloak. With her, clad in three-piece suit and fedora, pushing the cylinder back into his revolver after reloading, comes-

You make eye contact.

-a gray-eyed f̷r̴e̷a̸k̷.

Your nerves start sparking. That thing isn’t human. You don’t know how you know, but you know. And you know that he knows that you know. Berserker’s groans are quite close now. Your hair stands on end, hands firm their grip around Black Keys, and stance shifts to become tense and ready to bolt, totally ignorant of the pain that still plagues you. Pressure steadily rises in your unwitting staring contest. Breaking eye contact will serve as the starter pistol to a life-or-death confrontation. In your peripheral vision, the darling creature at the monster’s side eyes you with concern.

“Edgar? What’s wrong? You… don’t look so good,” she says, trying to sound as diplomatic as possible. Whatever’s written on your face, it has her terribly worried. Her companion, comparatively expressionless, speaks in a flat voice. Though nearly imperceptible, you spot a flash of scarlet light under his collar.

“Kill him, Assassin.”

“Wai- aaaaAAArrgh!” The girl clutches at her head and doubles over in pain, doing what little a Servant can to resist the power of a Command Spell. “Big… Bad… Wolf!”

From under her cloak somehow bursts a massive gray canine, at least as tall as you, sporting blood-red eyes. Slavering, snarling, the savage beast charges you. It’s fast. Lightning fast. Servant fast. Its absurdly toothy jaws are wide open; you can look straight down its long, wet tongue and gaping maw into an endless stomach. Too close and too quick. You have no time to react before-

The oversized dog yelps as it’s knocked off course. With a mighty roar, Berserker delivers a brutal impact with his shoulder, careening downhill alongside the animal. For a reason you may never understand, the mad warrior elected to intercept your attacker while taking part in another battle. Is he just that crazy?

Still compelled by domineering magecraft, Assassin flings herself at you now that her first attack has failed. She, too, is incomprehensibly fast, but Berserker didn’t come alone. In an instant, Saber appears and swings at your assailant, glowing like lava. Since she can’t complete her order if she’s dead, Assassin is free to deftly evade your Servant’s attacks.

While the superhuman familiars form an impromptu wall between you and your would-be murderer, you dash to a tree. You must duel one more Master tonight, and you don't intend to stand around and get shot!

“Gandr!”

A curse-charged slug whizzes right past your head. If you were just a little slower, you’d have been killed. You grind to a halt behind the trunk, mind racing at a million miles an hour. Charlotte is a Servant! It’s near impossible to believe. Your oldest ally in this ritual has been deceiving you from the start! As much as you'd like to, you can't focus on that with her Master bearing down on you. To survive this, you can’t afford to stay passive! But how the hell are you supposed to beat a magic gun?

>>Bait out his next few shots, then get so close that the gun won’t help!
>>You don’t know what his close-quarters attacks are like! Stay at range!
>>Push your magecraft to its limit and ice the whole battlefield over!
>>A̵ ̵h̴o̴l̸y̷ ̶m̷a̴n̸ ̸c̷a̷n̵ ̶h̸a̶n̵d̵l̸e̷ ̸a̵ ̸c̷u̶r̶s̵e̶ ̸o̷r̸ ̵t̷w̵o̴.̵
>>(Write-in)

>>3897397
>Charlotte was the Servant
>man in the coat isn't human
>man in the coat is the Predator
Sunovabitch

>>Bait out his next few shots, then get so close that the gun won’t help!

>>3897407
This is for>>3897399

>>3897399
>>A̵ ̵h̴o̴l̸y̷ ̶m̷a̴n̸ ̸c̷a̷n̵ ̶h̸a̶n̵d̵l̸e̷ ̸a̵ ̸c̷u̶r̶s̵e̶ ̸o̷r̸ ̵t̷w̵o̴.̵

The traitorous bitch and her master will pay in delicious blood.

>>3897399
>>A̵ ̵h̴o̴l̸y̷ ̶m̷a̴n̸ ̸c̷a̷n̵ ̶h̸a̶n̵d̵l̸e̷ ̸a̵ ̸c̷u̶r̶s̵e̶ ̸o̷r̸ ̵t̷w̵o̴.̵

>>3897399
>Bait out his next few shots, then get so close that the gun won’t help!
I can't believe MacManus was right all along.

>>3897432
>The traitorous bitch
She hasn't actually lied to us or mislead us.
Also, we have a master in our possession and if we free her of her current contract she could be ours as well.

>>3897443
Yeah but where is the blood in your plan?

To summarize:
>Charlotte is actually Assassin, Red Riding Hood
>Her Master was pretending to be the Servant while she pretended to be the Master
>Her Master is inhuman (is he the predator?) and he's trying to kill us right now
Yeah, that's pretty fucked.

>>3897444
The blood is in those we can use our weapons against.
(people can be weapon, after all)

>>3897448
On the bright side, we can now fulfill our holy mission as an Executor (in-training) and rid the world of a danger to humankind. Hopefully without becoming one ourselves.

>>3897448

I suspect Berserker's reaction to Big Bad Wolf might have significance. The Woodsman is the obvious one, but I think its likely another hero with a connection to Wolves. Or Werewolves.

>>3897399
So is she a general Fairy Tale servant or what?
Wait, Nursery Rhyme - Assassin Edition?

>>A̵ ̵h̴o̴l̸y̷ ̶m̷a̴n̸ ̸c̷a̷n̵ ̶h̸a̶n̵d̵l̸e̷ ̸a̵ ̸c̷u̶r̶s̵e̶ ̸o̷r̸ ̵t̷w̵o̴.̵
We can take a few piddly flu curses with our amulet

>>3897457
A quick look brought up some lesser demigod sons of Odin who had beef with Fenrir and his sons and Sigmund, father of Sigurd, who lost a family member during a brief time they were both werewolves.

>>3897399
>>Bait out his next few shots, then get so close that the gun won’t help!
So wait, why did Charlotte freak out about the file? Did it show her Master wasn't human?

>>3897570
Or that she's the Servant. Probably both.

>>3897399
>>>Push your magecraft to its limit and ice the whole battlefield over!
Oh gee, thanks for this cHARLOTte.
You'll be much prettier when you're dead.

>>3897399
>>>Bait out his next few shots, then get so close that the gun won’t help!

If we can take down the Predator without killing Charlotte, we might be able to use her. She had to be Command Spelled into killing us, so it's not like she personally wants us dead

>>3897745
Maybe, maybe.
There are additional servants in this war, so she might be possible to let live.
As beautiful as her bloody crying face might look as she succumbs to her injuries.

>>3897745
Eh, we're not really in a position to let Servants just walk, all the extra Servants already have Masters so letting Charlotte and Howell form a contract just means we'd need to kill them again. Better to end Charlotte as painlessly as possible and make sure Howell can't get involved again so at least 1 person lives.

>>3897785
We don't necessarily need to use Howell. Ilona doesn't have a Servant anymore, and she's probably significantly less likely to stab us in the back than Howell

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>>3897694
>>3897774
Calm yourself, anon. Mother would not approve.

>>3897854
Bitch just tried to have her Noble Phantasm fucking eat us.
She deserves everything she's going to get.

>>3897858
>You'll be much prettier when you're dead.
>As beautiful as her bloody crying face might look as she succumbs to her injuries.
That's what I was addressing. Also, she had to be command spelled into attacking us and was clearly struggling against it, so keep it in your pants for now.

>>3897399
>Push your magecraft to its limit and ice the whole battlefield over!

>>3897863
She lied to us from the start.
That alone is enough to warrant her death.
She was always going to betray us like this anyway.

>>3897867
If she was always going to betray us, why bother with the command spell at all?

>>3897878
It's a grail war, anon.

>>3897880
That's not an answer. And coming to blows over the grail isn't a betrayal, that's the whole point.

>>3897887
>everyone betraying each other in a grail war isn't a point
Even if the alliance would've naturally ended when we were the last remaining two masters, It's STILL a betrayal as the alliance was created under false pretenses.

She kept her identity as Assassin concealed from us and her master is likely the predator.
Or she's the predator and whatever it is she's been doing powers up Big Bad Wolf.

It's a pretty fucking big betrayal, regardless.

She's either as dense as a rock or she was planning on killing us as soon as it was convenient to her.

>>3897890
>She's either as dense as a rock
And now I'm reminded that this IS Red Riding Hood, so she probably is.

>>3897901
I'm gonna go real out on a limb here and say that she likes Edgar because he's basically a modern day monster hunter which reminds her of the huntsman from her tale(s if she's not just red riding hood and is a fairy tale servant).

And to go even more galaxy brain, she may have been hoping for Edgar to deal with her master, who's obviously inhuman and reminiscent of a fairy tale monster.

Probably talking out of my ass.

>>3897858
Bitch's master just forced her to make her Noble Phantasm eat us against her will, there's a difference.

So guys, I think I figured out what we missed. We were given hints from the very start, and we just moved right on past them. In the first thread we got told about "Sebastian Blackburn" who
>makes his living assassinating magi.... Reinforcement and runes are his magical specialties
In the same thread, we also see that Charlotte dodges an attack by Saber, and that she
>[lets] her tongue hang out like a wolf’s for a moment
Which seemed kind of like some weird fetish bait but was actually this. Furthermore, the mysterious man is the one who ordered Charlotte (Little Red Riding Hood?) to leave.
Then, in Lucroy's mansion, she is unaffected by the bounded field, and she confiscates a dossier labelled "SB." To top it all off, we had no indication that there would be a girl named Charlotte in the war, despite multiple sources, and we never heard anything about Blackburn. The best(worst?) part is, I think we could've figured it out if we'd read a little more closely or gone back through once or twice.
>>3897399
>>>A̵ ̵h̴o̴l̸y̷ ̶m̷a̴n̸ ̸c̷a̷n̵ ̶h̸a̶n̵d̵l̸e̷ ̸a̵ ̸c̷u̶r̶s̵e̶ ̸o̷r̸ ̵t̷w̵o̴.̵
Corrupted text already beat Liz, corrupted text can add Charlotte to our harem.

>>3897909
She should always have known that this was a possible (and the most likely) outcome from the very start.

>>3897916
To be fair, she didn't know that we were gonna become a Treeman. Blackburn probably planned to just kill us the regular way until this happened.

>>3897916
We should have known as well. Or did we think after everyone else was beaten we would have a fair final duel? A Saber vs an Assassin?

>>3897399
>A̵ ̵h̴o̴l̸y̷ ̶m̷a̴n̸ ̸c̷a̷n̵ ̶h̸a̶n̵d̵l̸e̷ ̸a̵ ̸c̷u̶r̶s̵e̶ ̸o̷r̸ ̵t̷w̵o̴.̵
End them

>>3897399
>Bait out his next few shots, then get so close that the gun won’t help!

>>3897399
>A̵ ̵h̴o̴l̸y̷ ̶m̷a̴n̸ ̸c̷a̷n̵ ̶h̸a̶n̵d̵l̸e̷ ̸a̵ ̸c̷u̶r̶s̵e̶ ̸o̷r̸ ̵t̷w̵o̴.̵

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>going for the worst option
>twice
I would very much prefer a Dead End to this.

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>>3898195
>worst option
I think it's the one that takes Edgar in the most interesting direction from a character development direction. And it also opens up the possibility for Edgar to consciously try to improve himself.

>>3898210
I dunno if becoming similar to oni could be called the most interesting way Edgar could Overgrow but it's probably one of the more fun ones
Honestly speaking I am pretty sure that this is more of battle mode thing anyway, possibly triggered by close proximity of whatever Assasin's master is anyway

>>3898260
Tohno time?

>>3898264
Well... Nanaya time, but you got my meaning.

>fight is effectively Assassin vs Berserker and Saber at the same time
Fucking RIP Charlotte/Red Riding Hood/Nursery Rhyme though.
This isn't the sort of shit you really want your Assassin to be engaging in.

>>3898274
Honestly, Predator fucked up here. He didn't even need to come into contact with us once Archer was put down, he could've just let Charlotte do the talking and we still would have been none the wiser. Unless the only reason we even found him out was because of Treefriend, which he had no way of predicting

>>3898274
It's odd he's going right for us instead of trying to bail. He is either really confident or desperate.

>>3898452
He might be able to go toe to toe with a Servant for all we know.

>>3898466
A low tier one maybe. Still would be more than enough to deal with us. I meant that he needs both himself and Char to survive Berserker as well after this. The command seal binding Char here until we're dead is forcing his hand is my guess.

It's been too long since we last saw Kirei, honestly.

C̴o̴m̷e̷ ̴n̴o̸w̵.̶ ̶S̷u̶r̵e̵l̴y̸ ̵y̶o̶u̶'̵r̵e̵ ̶n̵o̵t̶ ̸s̵c̸a̵r̵e̴d̶ ̷o̷f̷ ̷s̴o̵m̴e̷ ̵r̶u̵n̵e̸s̵?̴ ̸A̴ ̶h̶o̶l̴y̵ ̶m̷a̷n̷ ̸c̴a̶n̸ ̸h̴a̶n̸d̶l̷e̸ ̷a̶ ̶c̷u̵r̶s̷e̴ ̷o̵r̵ ̸t̸w̵o̴.̴.̸.̴ ̶e̷v̵e̷n̵ ̷i̸f̵ ̷y̶o̵u̵'̴r̴e̴ ̶s̸t̴r̸u̶g̷g̵l̸i̸n̸g̵ ̵t̸o̷ ̶q̴u̸a̴l̴i̶f̵y̸.̴

Crack.

A̷h̴a̵!̷ ̷T̸h̵a̴t̸ ̶m̸a̸k̶e̸s̴ ̶t̴w̴o̵!̵

You’re on borrowed time. Swift victory isn’t just ideal; it’s imperative. Sure, in terms of Servants, Assassin is at a disadvantage, but you’ve been ignoring your limits for a bit too long. Although the anguish is manageable for now, it’s starting to feel like your body could fall apart any minute.

“Algiz-Ehwaz! Berkana!”

Judging by the sound of that thing’s voice, he’s already moved from his initial position. Bullets are incredibly fast. Reaction is hopeless. All evasion must be preemptive. There’s no line of sight, but if he’s firing, then he intends to hit you. To defend yourself, you need a shield.

“Encircle mine.”

Two walls of ice form on either side of your body. Two successive gunshots ring out in the night. The first soars past your tree to the left, completely missing you. However, it leaves behind a rune, suspended in the air. Less than a second later, another projectile bounces off the sigil and loudly embeds itself into the ice. This attack, too, was meant for your head.

He’ll correct both his aim and his magecraft for the next shot. Cover isn’t safe. You burst out from behind the bark’s protection, visually tracing the path of the bullets to locate the monster. A dark shape blacks out some of the underbrush. Glinting metal betrays the barrel of the revolver. He doesn’t need to circumvent anything now. You could use your magecraft for defense again, but if he’s anything like Shielder, he’ll use a fire rune to counter it. Instead, predicting another attempted headshot, you somersault across the ground.

“Ansuz!”

Just as you thought, the heated missile zips above you. Rolling back to your feet, you put force on your stinging right leg and burst to the left, shifting course to evade the next bullet. Your assailant has already adjusted his aim, and this time doesn’t even bother with a spell; the fifth shot since his last reloading tears through the air where your torso had just been. It seems he’s discarded his focus on your cranium.

Ideas for evasion are running out. Think. You only need to survive one more bullet before you get your chance. Outside of shelter and unable to rely on your magecraft, the only way to reliably block the leaden strike is to control where he aims. You lunge, as low as you possibly can, directly at your opponent. His gun points at your face. Just before he fires, you stretch out your left arm protectively in front of your head to absorb the damage.

“Gandr.”

That’s not what you expected. An explosion of gunpowder, a chime of your amulet, and it’s torture.

The Black Keys fall from your injured hand. You feel the slug pulp skin, muscle, tendon, nerve, and bone as it bores lengthwise through your forearm. Sheer agony as it rips an exit wound out of your elbow. A scream rises in your throat as you tumble across the forest floor, one limb bloodied and useless.

O̵h̵,̵ ̷p̴l̷e̷a̸s̸e̷.̵ ̴Y̶o̸u̵ ̵k̶n̴e̵w̷ ̶e̷x̵a̸c̵t̷l̶y̷ ̸w̴h̸a̶t̴ ̴w̴a̷s̸ ̷g̶o̷i̷n̸g̶ ̶t̵o̵ ̶h̴a̵p̸p̵e̸n̵ ̵t̴h̴e̷ ̷i̶n̸s̷t̷a̶n̷t̵ ̸y̵o̴u̵ ̵c̷h̶o̵s̶e̷ ̷t̸o̸ ̵r̷a̷i̷s̷e̷ ̶y̵o̶u̵r̵ ̸a̵r̵m̸.̷ ̵N̷o̸w̷ ̵f̴o̶r̷g̵e̷t̴ ̷t̷h̵e̵ ̷p̵a̶i̴n̷ ̴a̸n̵d̵ ̷t̸a̴k̷e̴ ̴a̶d̶v̴a̷n̵t̴a̴g̸e̵ ̴o̶f̵ ̶t̶h̸e̶ ̸o̴p̷e̴n̶i̵n̴g̶ ̴y̷o̴u̵'̸v̸e̵ ̵m̷a̵d̷e̶.̶

Somehow, you hold back a tormented cry. Six shots. The revolver is empty. You force yourself into a kneeling position and skid to a halt, weapons at the ready in your functioning appendage. Assassin’s Master bolts behind a tree at incredible speed, no doubt to reload his pistol. If you come around his cover, he’ll simply avoid you. This is likely your only chance to win, so you need to hit him anyway. But how? Twirling Black Keys make noise enough that he’ll be aware of their approach and dodge them. Then, bizarrely, almost instinctively, an idea comes to you.

“Set.”

Your magical energy floods one of the swords, and you launch it. You don’t know how to apply a spell to a Black Key, and yet you just did it. How? Eh, not worth dwelling on at the moment. The weapon buries itself hilt-deep into the oak. Wood audibly splits within the tree as the large icicle extends from the blade and pierces through. A loud grunt of pain and surprise can be heard from behind the massive plant. Ice wraps around both sides of the trunk, securing the skewered freak firmly to an arboreal anchor. With two measured flicks of the wrist, your remaining projectiles soar in opposing arcs, aimed at two possible positions of your victim’s neck; one if he’s upright, the other if he’s hunched over in pain.

Everything hurts. Everything hurts, and your energy is spent. Unable to control your muscles, you collapse to the ground, the long wound through your left arm bleeding profusely. A decapitated head rolls sideways into your vision from behind the wooden pillar. You’ve won. That’s the only thing you can confirm before your consciousness disappears.

~~~

You can’t seem to get away from this forest recently. Tonight, it’s… different, somehow. You don’t know if it’s really changed, or if your perception of the dream world has simply become sharper. The forest floor is inclined slightly, and the air is thin. Its mist has taken on an orange glow, as if refracting twilight. Through the fog, you can now see a vague figure. The extent of the information you can gather is that it’s humanoid. You try to approach, but you can’t seem to get any closer to it.

“We don’t have long, so answer quickly,” the forest speaks with an unusual urgency. “You’ve finally, finally taken a life. How did it feel? Tell me!”

>>”Good.”
>>”Awful.”
>>”Necessary.”
>>Refuse to answer.
>>(Write-in)

>>3898999
>>”Good.”
I won.

>>3898999
>>>”Necessary.”

>>3898999
>>>Refuse to answer.
Lie to yourself, friend. If you don't answer, then no one can hold you accountable for how you feel.

>>3898999
In addition to >>3899006
>Are you responsible for this power that's awoken within me?

>>3898999
>Refuse to answer.

Also, looks like we’re Roa?

>>3898999
>>>Refuse to answer.
"Fuck you"

>>3898999
>>”Good.”

Now that was some tasty fighting.

Kirei would be proud of the bullet redirect.

>>3898999
>Refuse to answer.
Remove tree.

>>3898999
>>Refuse to answer.
Huh.
Also supporting >>3899018

>>3898999
>>"I was meant to feel something?"

>>3898999
>>”Necessary.”

>>3898999
>>3899188
Actually you know what switching to:

>>Good
Got to be honest with something about our darker impulses

I wonder what happened to Charlotte and our new pet magus.

>>3898999
>>”Good.”
"By the way Edgar, there's this lovely little village in Persia..."

>>3899208
Charlotte and her Master are toast unless Integer pulls the ole Nasu switcheroo and reveals Red Riding Hood and The Huntsman were actually the same person giving Charlotte the combat prowess to escape.

>>3899216
If she has Independent Action or something, she could survive.
She's faster than Seibah.
I don't really want Red dead.
>>3898999
>>”Necessary.”

>>3898999
>>”Necessary.”
It was life or death and everything hurt; there was no pleasure to be gained from it.

>>3898999
>The forest floor is inclined slightly, and the air is thin. Its mist has taken on an orange glow, as if refracting twilight.
Weird.
>Through the fog, you can now see a vague figure. The extent of the information you can gather is that it’s humanoid.
ofuq we were slenderman the whole time

>>3899221
It's like it's a mountain of evil, and we're nearing the peak.

The dream world getting "sharper" could mean that the boundary between Edgar and the trees has thinned or gotten weaker, and the forest being in a hurry might imply in conjunction with this that if it stays too long Edgar's head will get fucked.

>>3899226
But listening to it was the thing that got our father killed.

>>3899233
>These fuckin dreams told him about that fukin vampire out in a forest so the cunt has gone and kicked his ass, he got his arse kicked as well though so fuck the trees
-Mom

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I'm sorry that this is so sudden, but I can't keep this up. I'll be honest, I fully expected for a while that Overgrowth would be finished by now, but things didn't pan out that way. Running this quest is cutting too deeply into time needed for other things in my life. However, I don't intend to drop the quest entirely. For now, Fate/Overgrowth is going on hiatus. I may get a short post out in the next couple of days to resolve the current choice and provide some kind of closure until the next thread, but that's not a promise. I hope to resume the adventure in mid or late December, when I'll have much more free time, and we can push through to the end.

One way or another, I do need to ask: how would you guys like to be informed when the time comes? Should I make a twitter? Announcement on /qtg/? Or will you all just watch the catalog?

In any case, we'll have a very different OP image when we return. Pic related. Stay on the lookout.

>>3900207
Darn.

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>>3900207
>For now, Fate/Overgrowth is going on hiatus.
Fuck.
>Should I make a twitter?
Yes.

>>3900207
Take care of yourself first.

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>>3900207
>Fate/Overgrowth is going on hiatus
Rats. Do what's best for your mental health, dude. We'll be here, waiting to be summoned again.

>>3900207
Well shit, that sucks to hear Integer, but there's no point in forcing yourself to continue just now if it's not fun.

Making a twitter would be helpful especially if there's delays after a thread dies, just means you'd still have a way to give us a heads up if there's any changes.

>>3900207
Make a twitter, Ill watch the catalog anyway

Just made a Twitter for those of you who are interested. If I have any updates for you guys in the interim between now and the next thread, they'll be posted here.
https://twitter.com/QmInteger

>>3900207
Do what you gotta do, no worries here.
Dangit now I need to find some other form of entertainment to invest myself in.
Sorry for filling up half your threads with my inane bullshit.

>>3901143
Your inanity and my thirst for blood were a source of amusement, I am sure.

>>3901313
50+ posts of homunculus hate. I don't regret it but the threads seemed to slow down a bit after it.

>>3901524
Fight me bitch, Ilonasviel till the end.
We haven't lost yet.

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>>3901525
I will until the bitter end. Saber is best girl. Char is better than Ilonaholesville as a second.

>>3901528
At least we know where we stand with Ilonasviel, Charlotte is a bitch that deceived us.

Bitch was Assassin, she proceeded to use us to escape from Archer without using any of her own energy.
Then instead of killing us she took the last bit of energy we had because she took some sort of liking to us.
She was probably originally planning on just killing us then and there with Big Bad Wolf or something.

and Saber is just a demon thot.

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>>3901535
Her... nature I'll call it, seems dual, both predator and prey. She behaves innocently but has some naughty aspects, see her teasing us and letting us have our own choice of spoils no matter what even if it was to protect her identity. Her wolf side is likely an inverse.

Her worry when we just met and that her master knew he needed a command seal to get her to go against us means she definitely considered us a friend if not more.

Illonahole was an enemy and a domineering bitch, little else. She has honour I'll give her that but she'll put her own family and reason for seeking the grail before us.

>>3901554
>her nature
Her nature is that of Servant Assassin, deceptive to her core. A beautiful face hiding the ferocity of a starved wolf. Her mask slips a few times.

While she didn't want to kill us just then, who can say what she wanted with us, or with the grail?

Ilona was an enemy because that's just how grail wars work.
Our relationship with her is far less disingenuous than that of Assassin
You don't just go up to your enemies and offer to work with them, not unless you plan to stab them in the back.
She's Assassin for the love of God.


...
Inb4 we're the grail vessel.

>>3901562
Assassins aren't about deception. They are non-heroic consummate killers yes but deception is only part of their toolbox. She didn't want to fight us and if she survived likely still doesn't outside of some slight tit for tat retribution. Red Riding Hood wouldn't have much to wish for given the varying nature of her fairy tale, Grandma usually survives. A will to live her life and to hunt may be all and that fits decently into what we've got set out.

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>>3901572
>Assassins aren't about deception.
Ok retard.

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>>3901576
Look up various Fate Assassins, barely half of them involve straight up deception.

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While the thread is still alive, here's a character portrait for Charlotte. I've had it for a while, but withheld it until now for obvious reasons.

>>3901143
>Sorry for filling up half your threads with my inane bullshit.
Don't worry about it. More discussion about any aspect of the quest is always a good thing.

>>3901554
>She has honour I'll give her that
Ferdiad certainly didn't think so, but he had a rather particular conception of honor that probably differs from yours. Those first two Dead Ends are worth considering when making this claim, though.
Speaking of Ferdiad, I'm quite surprised you guys didn't try to make contact with Ilonasviel earlier than you did. Had you played your cards right, he could have been a great friend.

>>3901572
>Assassins aren't about deception.
This depends on the Assassin, really. Kojiro doesn't even hide despite his Assassin class.

>>3901630
>Had you played your cards right, he could have been a great friend.
restart this quest immediately I need the gay bulge route

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>>3901630
>>Assassins aren't about deception.
>This depends on the Assassin, really. Kojiro doesn't even hide despite his Assassin class.
That's more or less what I'm saying. It isn't fundamental to the class but it does pop up often.

If Char's story regarding the Wolf in bed and "what (blank) (blank) you have" holds the more sway than I think than it would be a big part of her character but then every part of her character is false as it is all meant t be appealing and oh my god Edgar loves her type of girl.

Shit.

As for Ilonahole's honour even if she isn't up to Ferdichad's standards honouring your word and caring about family or those who serve/are honestly employed by you is how I was raised to believe honour worked so she at least meets my criteria for it.

Char is cute! CUTE!
Even the wolf part.

You lost yourself. Your thought process altered in a way it never has before. Elizabeth Howell felt like a toy to be played with, a prize to be won. And whatever Charlotte had been attached to… the galvanic reaction of your nervous system has been burned into your memory. No. No, you won’t be telling the forest anything tonight. It’s not possible to prove anything of the sort, but if there’s even a chance that these woods are what caused you to go haywire, then you should heed your mother’s advice.

“You won’t…? But we’ve come so far! You can’t stop now!” the wind howls through the treetops. Trunks begin to sway with the force as the voice’s frustration rises. Conifer leaves are torn from their branches, filling the air around you with a stormy shower of needles. “Don’t go silent! Speak! Why, why, why, why? Why won’t you answer me?!”

Suddenly, you feel a wet pulse through your senses, and the dream cuts out.

~~~

“Good person or no, he’s still our enemy!” Juniper insists.

“Maybe he doesn’t have to be,” Caster’s suggestion is oblique, leaving her listeners in suspense. Before Juniper can ask for clarification, Iris interjects.

“Oh, I see!” the blue-eyed face lights up. “If we just kill the fakes, he won’t worry about them anymore! Then we can introduce him to Angie, and he’ll help us instead!”

“That’s not quite what I had in mind,” the witch replies. “Attacking those dolls directly may cause us to come to blows with the boy, and that would defeat the purpose. We need a more... elegant solution.”

“It’ll never work,” Juniper objects to the whole idea. “Even if the fakes go down, Mr. Marshall won’t allow an outsider to meet Angie.”

“Under normal circumstances, certainly,” Caster explains, “but if we create some special ones, he might not have a choice.”

“...Well,” Juniper asks hesitantly, “what do you have in mind?”

~~~

A lone spearman stands atop the hill, surveying the suburbs below. Rage boils within him. Ludicrous is probably the best word the English language has to describe what he sees.

“Guess they’ve been busy.” Teeth clench so hard they would crack if they were a modern human’s. Knuckles go white from the strength of his grip on the lance, contrasting more harshly than normal with his black garments. His gaze turns upward, glaring hatefully into nothing. No matter what he tries, he can never seem to get it quite right. This time around, he was simply too late to do anything. Why does it always end so terribly?

“Are you watching this, you piece of shit!?” he screams furiously into the night, raising his weapon as if to stab the stars themselves. “I’ll kill you, you hear me!? I’ll kill you and everyone you’ve ever thought fondly of!”

There’s nothing left. Not even a crater. Little more than a hundred meters away, at the base of the hill, an entire suburban block has melted.

~~~

“Are you sure about this?” Sister Gloria asks. “It’s a violation of a direct order.”

“This has been our task for, what, twenty years now?” her best friend replies. “We won’t get in trouble for doing our job. At least, no more trouble than necessary to keep up appearances.”

The two women dig through a mound of books in a dingy stone basement. It’s a magic workshop, littered with various weapons and materials. A summoning circle lies etched into the ground behind the Executors. What they’re looking for has been locked away and buried beneath this mess. Wouldn’t want someone to stumble across it, after all.

“I agree that we need to do something, but doesn’t this seem like a bit much, Em?”

“Of course not,” says Emilia. “This ritual is getting too far out of hand. As the overseer, I have the authority to make judgements about this sort of thing. I’ll explain my reasoning and deal with the reprimand when it comes.”

“...I already know the answer, but I feel like I have to ask anyway. You realize that we’re about to trample on the wishes of the Burial Agency, right?”

~~~

TO BE CONTINUED

>>3908256
>mind forest is dying/dead
I suppose it's better than becoming a hedonistic sadist, sad to see it go, though.

>Caster being allowed to plot
[worry intensifies]

>The Predator is still loose
oh fug

>Mom's getting involved
OH FUG

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQG38Qqu4bs

That's officially it for Thread 7! As a parting gift, here's a portrait for Elizabeth Howell!

I'll see you all in December!

>>3908256
>an entire suburban block has melted
Shit.
>Mom's gonna piss off the Burial Agency
CONCERN

>>3908282
Rock on.

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>>3908256
>The trees are mad
oh no
>The girls want to kill the other girls
Oh no
>Lancerbro is mad
OH no
>Mom stepping in
OH NO
>>3908282
>those collarbones
OH YEAH

>>3908282
> we could have ripped this to shreds

What a fucking missed opportunity.

>>3909415
Stop being edgy, she belongs to us now,

>>3909415
She is our property now. She can be ripped to shreds at any time she no longer serves a purpose i.e. keeping Char around.

>>3909652
We already beat Howell and seeing as her wish seems to be to save her brother why would we give her another Servant that she could use to kill us and Saber to get that wish? The other Servants have got to go, which unfortunately includes Lancerbro, the Master's can live as long as they don't try to backstab us like Lucroy did when we turned down the team up.

>>3909652
If we do try to keep Charlotte around, giving her to Howell is an absolutely terrible idea, she will absolutely try to backstab us immediately.

>>3910106
I think keeping Elizabeth around, and even possibly giving her additional power, is a good thing.
First, we have no wish for the Grail ourselves, so there's no current conflict of interest relating to it. We just want to win so that we don't die and make Mom sad.
Second, from the out of game perspective, the numbers are such that we can afford a little leeway. What I mean is, we have seen nine Servants (Saber [Tomoe], Shielder [Fer Diad], Assassin [LRRH], Archer [Odysseus], Lancer [??], Rider [??], Caster [??], Berserker [Stamford Bridge?], Moonlight [??]), as counted by >>3884986. As this is an Einzbern-designed Grail War, the Grail only needs seven sacrifices. Hence we can save both Tomoe and Charlotte. Furthermore, we know from F/SN that you don't need to kill the Masters in order to complete the war. Thus we are able to preserve the two Servants that we really want to (sorry Lancerbro) and we can also save all the Masters that join up with us.
Additionally, Elizabeth has some great qualities that I think we're neglecting. The most obvious is that she's got really powerful magic. Her wind magic is a great asset, as it's powerful in itself and also it combines well with our ranged weapon capabilities. Furthermore, she's honorable. Her challenge to us was absolutely unnecessary and she could (and did) kick the crap out of us without needing to fight fair, and yet she offered anyway. Not just once, but twice. Next, she cares deeply about her little brother, and has obviously cared for a long time. When she lost, she cared more about her brother than she did about herself, and that's a kind of dedication that we can utilize. Plus, it points positively to her character again. All of these are good characteristics for a partner that we can use constructively.

>>3910106
>>3910143
No see all we have to do is tie her up and gag her and she can't order Charlotte to do anything, just be a mana battery. Also if she's imprisoned it means we're keeping her safe from being targeted as a Servantless Master.