The Grail Games IC

Maou: Edmond [Church]

She huffed and smirked, following along. Her hands reached down, taking the knife belts around her thighs off and toss aside the weapons. In another swift motion, she once more took something off and flung it at Marauder. "Keep it safe, will you? I like to keep my panties dry." She haughtily hopped forwards, looking forward to releasing some of the built up duress. Never mind that most of it had been from herself breaking down. "Oh... and I don't mind if you try another surprise attack. Ha." With her raised in farewell, she strode down the hallway and followed Edmond.

A beast... A berserker... a nymphomaniac... none of these terms quite defined her actions. She was ravenous, but not domineering. Movements were driven by lust, yet every sway and embrace was intentional and meaningful. Her pace was unforgiving, but she wasn't trying to lead. The grin on her face was not one of carnal pleasure, but one with clenched teeth from vehement delight. She didn't enjoy the sensations, but rather the act itself. Even in intimacy, her origin drove her. Everything he gave, she would take. And more. Her hands were never still. None of her body was. She was rushing it. She was overdoing it. These things might come to mind. One of them had to crack soon enough. But...

Even after, she carried on. Careless and enticing. Despite their deal being finished, she would continue pushing the act. Reaching deeper and deeper to drag the act on and take everything. To reap everything. Whatever her body felt, Maou's mind would not be satisfied until it was impossible to go on. The word 'climax' only meant a bump in her carnivorous desire. She would rip everything away that he as a man had to offer, or break down herself. The woman never slowed down or even considered stopping. That body of hers was as resilient as her mind in that regard.

That was her determination. She would never back down, and take everything that she could reach. This was her raw existence without the world's love, a greedy creature that couldn't desire stopping or even think of it. Either she would run out of things to take, or she would simply be unable to take anymore. Until then, everything she had would be put forth. Neither pity nor ecstasy mattered, whether it be from herself or others.

Illya, Noin - Streets

"I'm glad you see things that way." Logan rasped from behind Calisa as she finished her softly spoken words. "I've very much wanted to have a one on one chat with you." He threw a grateful glance in Lancer's direction, and she faded into spirit form. Logan didn't miss the frown on her face right before she disappeared though.

"Walk with me?" Logan phrased it as a question, and he gestured down the street. There was a park a few blocks down, where they could converse without being overheard by the general public. He would save the real questions until then, but walking in silence didn't feel right. "How are you holding up?" Logan asked as they started moving.

Payne, Noin - Streets

Perhaps it was a testament to how far she'd come that Calisa did not jump from the abrupt speech behind her, though it seemed unlikely she would ever get used to that rasping voice of Logan's.

Rather than answering, Calisa simply nodded before following after Logan, the sight of the park up in the distance bringing her back memories of when they'd first encountered one another. It seemed as though they'd come full circle... though she was certainly not the same girl she had been then.

"Well, under the circumstances," Calisa answered, shrugging. "Just taking things in the present. If I start thinking too much about what comes next, it'll overwhelm me."

The imminent slaughter as the final three sought the Grail... the inevitable global hunt for her if she managed to survive it... No future prospects seemed particularly cheerful. But she was determined to follow through with her path.

"I'd be willing to take the pain of making mistakes if I had the freedom to make my own choices," she'd once to told Raphael. Her view on the matter hadn't changed.

Raphael... she wondered where he was and how he was doing. Did he still believe she had made the wrong choice to eschew her chosen path? Maybe she would never know.

Refocusing on the present, Calisa sat down on the empty bench and gave a light sigh before turning to face Logan.

"So, what is that you wanted to talk about?" she prompted.

Illya, Noin - Park

Logan nodded along with Calisa's assessment of her current situation. Although she hadn't seemed aware of the consequences when she'd started down this path, it was clear that she now thought about them frequently. Good. He didn't wish such a heavy burden upon anyone, but if they had already chosen to carry it, keeping the consequences in mind was their responsibility.

As she settled herself on a bench, Logan leaned against a light pole beside it. Clearly, she wanted to get to the heart of the discussion right away, and he couldn't exactly fault her for it. No doubt the presence of another Master would make her uncomfortable, especially since Raphael had put a hit out on her.

"I wanted to make you an offer actually." Logan rasped, looking at her thoughtfully. "I have ties to certain individuals that are very good at making people disappear. With a couple calls, I could get you a whole new identity, almost anywhere you want to go, with almost any type of lifestyle you'd like. The only condition would be that you'd need to avoid using your magecraft as much as possible wherever you go. Magi society tends to toss around information about unknown magi just showing up in odd corners of the world."

"I'll pay for everything of course, since I doubt you have access to any of your family's funds. In exchange, I want your help in making this Grail War end as a failure."

His eyes locked with her own as he waited for an answer, and nothing about his features was anything other than serious. This was the best offer he could make her. Now, it was just up to Calisa herself to decide.

Payne, Noin - Park

An offer? Calisa supposed it wasn't so surprising. With only three Servants left, Logan was obviously angling to get the best chances of victory for himself and his Servant. The easiest way would be an alliance to take out the biggest threat.

But as he spoke, Calisa realized this wasn't his intention at all. In fact, it couldn't be further from the truth.

"I want you to help me in making this Grail War end in a failure."

It was a few moments of wide-eyed staring before Calisa could shake off her shock.

"W-what are you saying?" she asked, perplexed. "Sabotage the Games? Why would you want to do that?"

It didn't make any sense. He had entered these Games for the Grail, and surely Lancer had her own wish. Why would they give that up?

And Caster... Caster had her own wish.

"You're asking a lot of me," she said weakly, turning away from him. "You know it's not just my future I have to consider."

Calisa had promised to help keep the Servant in the present. After all she had done to help, Calisa couldn't turn her back on Caster.

--------------------

Gedo - Church

It wasn't supposed to be that way. The rites of the church of Infernity were ones of fiery, consuming bliss, its power like a being caught up in the swell of a hurricane.

But this had been different. He had not felt gain, but only loss, as though everything were being take from him - power, pleasure, sense... everything.

Even when she had finally relented, sprawled unabashed across the bed, Edmond still felt a crawl beneath his skin, as though he'd come too close an edge and nearly been pulled off of it.

"Abaddon will be returning," he said brusquely, reaching with shaking hands for his robes. He tried to convince himself that it was eagerness for his master's return... not the terror of brushing against something too terrible for him to comprehend.

Maou [Chapel]

The woman stirred, replying simply. "Ah, is that so?" Between the twisted sheets and cascade of her hair, little could be seen of her. Her voice lacked any venom. She had taken everything she could, and there was little left but his life and loyalty torwards Abbadon. Neither were possible to take. And without inquiring about the man, nothing else would be brought up. Maou was simply done with him, her urges sated in a thoughtless and relentless passion. Her body moved in a slow fluid motion, neither exhaused nor invigorated. "I'll clean up first." She bent and picked up her discarded clothes, steadily stumbling out the door and rearing her back up to stretch. Cracking her neck and rolling her shoulders, uncaring of the filthy state of her bare body, she sought out the shower. Her personal desire to kill time had been sated. After this, Maou would report in to Abbadon, then roam the streets before returning to her lonely castle.

Illya, Noin - Park

Logan frowned at Calisa's hesitation. He should have anticipated it. She might have her freedom, but considering the cost it had come at, she was still hesitant to make more sacrifices. In some ways that made her seem even more noble to him.

"I have my reasons." He responded slowly, calculating his next move. "One of which is the fact that the homunculus that was supposed to house the Grail seems to have decided not to play by the rules. Given its disregard for how the system is supposed to work so far, I find myself doubting that anyone will be able to actually obtain the Grail in this war. Instead, it's quite likely that the homunculus itself will try to eliminate all the participants and use the Grail for something else entirely. Even if you weren't formally trained as a magus, you should be aware of the can of worms that could open."

He paused for a moment, allowing a hint of amusement to show in his eyes. "I suppose you could call it preemptive revenge, in a way. If the victor of this war has already been determined, I'm willing to side with the other losers in taking that victor down before he can enjoy the spoils."

Logan gave his words a few moments to sink in before he pushed himself away from the light pole to stand up straight once more. "Unfortunately, this is the only offer I'm at liberty to make. You can take your time and consider it, if you like. However, if either you or your Servant tries to prevent me from ending this war in failure, I'll assume your answer is already determined."

Payne, Noin - Park

Calisa studied Logan long and hard. If what he was saying were true, she could understand his point of view. If there were no way to keep Caster anyway...

But no, she had to try until she could be certain. In any case, Logan was not forcing an answer right now.

"I understand," Calisa said slowly, standing up. "If it were just me..."

She let the thought trail off. It was meaningless anyway.

Sighing, she turned and made to leave, but paused after a few steps to turn her head back toward him.

"What would you have wished for anyway?"

To know what he was sacrificing... it would have put things in perspective for her. But such a thing was deeply personal, no doubt. Blushing, she shook her head and turned back away.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I'm sure we'll see each other again."

Whether that was as allies or enemies, she couldn't say. Whichever the case would be though, it wouldn't be long now.

Illya, Noin - Park

Logan shrugged and took a step away from her, but he drew up short when she asked her question. How strange... He'd never actually taken the time to consider it. This entire ordeal had simply been another of his duties. The possibility of losing hadn't really crossed his mind, but neither had the reward for winning. Could one really even call it that though? What reward was worth the bloodbath that these games had been?

Calisa seemed unfazed by his hesitation though, and she apologized hastily, as if trying to escape his answer. "No. It says a lot about your character that you did ask." Logan responded, but he didn't turn around to look at her. "And it says just as much about mine that I'm unwilling to answer..." He took another step away, followed by a second and a third.

"Safe journey." The words were the last evidence of his presence before he disappeared from sight.

------------------------------------------------

Logan walked in silence for a few moments before Lancer appeared beside him, still frowning. "You're planning to end the war in failure?" Her voice didn't carry any accusation, but it was there in her eyes. "Why hadn't I heard about this?"

"Because it wasn't my first option. It still isn't, but I thought if I could convince her to step back, Caster might give us some room to figure out what to do with the homunculus."

She studied him thoughtfully, the frown still evident. "So, you lied to her?"

Logan smiled ruefully, and it didn't touch his eyes. "No, I told her a possible outcome of our current situation. It just has yet to be determined if that is the only outcome."

"Not telling the whole truth is just as bad as lying outright..." Lancer quipped back, but she did look a little less angry.

"So, where do we go from here?"

This time, Logan's smile did make it to his eyes, which glowed with a predatory light. "Now that we know where both of the other competitors stand, I think it's time to go see what the Grail has to say for itself..."

Transition - Night XIII

Gedo - Church

Edmond fidgeted slightly with his robes as Abaddon continued to gaze out through the ruined walls into the night sky. The homunculus had been brooding like that for some time now, but the cultist felt little inclination to disturb it.

"Well, we'll just have to nip that in the bud..." Abaddon muttered softly. Edmond gave a start at the words, wondering what the homunculus could mean.

"My lord?"

Abaddon seemed to notice him for the first time, staring resolutely at his henchman before giving a snap of his fingers. Instantly, Marauder materialized before him, silent and waiting.

"Both of you go and take out Lancer and her Master tonight," Abaddon ordered. "Make sure you do it right."

Edmond gave a swift bow and backed away. He knew the homunculus would not be so forgiving after Vivienne's blunders. Marauder slipped into spirit form once more, its presence heavy beside him as they set out for their targets. With any luck, Edmond would never even have to see them.

--------------------

Abaddon watched Edmond and Marauder leave before turning its gaze to Maou.

"The priest is still out there hiding out. He's more of a nuisance than I anticipated," it grimaced. "Go tie up that loose end. I have other business to deal with."

Standing up, Abaddon turned once more toward the night sky, its eyes narrowed malevolently.

"After all, we can't have them uniting against me..." it whispered. "So, we'll just have to turn them against each other."

--------------------

Jorg - Kaiserpfalz

The night air was stiff and silent outside Kaiserpfalz. Annabelle was usually silent, but there was something different about this. She seemed to be focusing on the air around them, her eyes narrowed.

"It's repulsive," she said abruptly, fixing on the enormous tree towering over the ruins. Even beauty in excess could be distasteful; to Annabelle, this was far beyond excess. Caster was a madwoman for bringing this here.

"It doesn't matter," Saber growled, stirring beside her. "She'll fall all the same."

Annabelle had no answer for that. In any case, her attention was too focused on the almost fleeting image of something standing astride the wall. She had never seen it before, and yet there was little doubt in her mind as to what it was.

The homunculus.

To any normal human, it would have been impossible to detect, but for that brief moment she caught a wicked smile on its face as it departed.

That carried some interesting implications. Potentially catastrophic ones, to say the least.

"Let's go," Annabelle said at last, as though nothing had happened. Whether Caster had allied with the homunculus or not, she would not be deterred.

Entering the ruins, Annabelle paused to gaze around at the desolate space, taking in the layout of the battlefield and logging away the details. But Saber immediately stepped forward, his sword in his hand.

"Well, Caster?" he called out, swinging his sword with arrogant bravado. "Let's finish what we started."

Illya - Kaiserpfalz

Caster was in a terrible mood, she was still upset about the homunculus comparison with her, and now him of all people show up. No she was looking at it the wrong angle, since he showed up, she should be happy, she gets to let go some of her frustrations.

"Really Saber... I never expected you to simply face me head on... Is what I would say to a normal person, but you aren't really normal are you? Mister Lionheart..."

Caster states in a monotonous voice as she descends from her tree. Unlike in other situations Caster wasn't graceful or prideful, there was a clear message from her body, anger.

"I've been waiting for this... The moment I get to tear that arrogance bit by bit!"

Caster's gaze suddenly chances to the girl besides Saber.

"The girl over there, I won't be holding back so unless you want to die I would move to the sides."

Caster once again said in a monotonous voice, as if it was a chore to ignore Saber, there was something in the air that was off. Caster normally is a relaxed person, too relaxed showing to many openings to her opponents, but in this case, there was none, even as Caster talked with the girl she was always paying attention to Saber, making sure she had a spell ready to blast at him.

The girl soon moved away, and that was the sign.

"Malkira"

The air around Caster grew thick and started to gain a green color. There was a sense to dread from it as if death itself danced around her. Several magical circles appear around caster, five, one above her and two on each side, they didn't even charge, just has they showed up five beams of pure magical energy are shot, but all of them were strange they were covered by the green aura that also covered Caster.

But Caster wouldnt wait to see the results, she knew that wouldn't be enough, but knowing Saber he would take them all on thinking his Magic Resistance would protect him, and in normal conditions he would be right, but on these? He'll suffer considerable amount of damage, but his Noble Phantasm will keep him alive. And so she prepares, a much larger magical circle appears behind her, charging in energy.

Maou
Crunch crunch crunch.

Maou was chewing away. Honestly, the sound only made Abbadon's silence more intimidating. And when the homunculus finally broke it, Maou was glad. She had been waiting for some time. "Well I suppose that was my job from the beginning, even if that woman took it from me... I guess I'll go hunt him down instead of luring him in. ... You sure you don't want any?" Her hand held up the bag of Fruit Pebbles she had brought as a gift. "You sure you don't want any? You're supposed to put them in milk, but I find the fanfruity-fabufucking tastic as they are. .... Ok. Well I'll just leave them here. " Leaving the bag, she stood and waved at Abbadon before leaving. In the end, although it would be great to see Edmond's reaction, she never bothered to Abadon about her escapade with the man.

As for the priest... Well, she could spare some time simply looking for him. After that, she'd have to call him out by burning a church and leaving a trail. Or better yet, an orphanage. No one would be in a church at this time of night. Well really, any building would do. It was a pity she just couldn't set the whole town up in flames. Not yet.

Illya, Noin - Streets

Logan was brought up short as Lancer's arm swiped in front of him to halt his forward movement. "There's a Servant here." Her eyes narrowed, searching the street ahead, and Logan frowned, doing the same.

Nothing could have prepared him for what his eyes came to rest upon a few seconds later though. "Brother Edmond..." Logan rasped, his crimson eyes narrowing in on the other man. "What a pleasant surprise. I thought that you were among the chosen who perished during the trial." He'd kept up with the internal communications of what remained of the cult, but Edmond's name hadn't been mentioned as a survivor. Then again, considering how scattered the remnants were, the information that Logan was still able to gather was negligable.

Everything aside, it was strange to see Edmond here. Why would he be in the city where the Grail Games were being held? No. A few more pieces of the puzzle shifted into place. The cult was trying to use the Grail for something. It was the only logical conclusion. With the homunculus acting up, achieving their goals would be impossible though... Unless... Before, they had tried to summon a greater daemon, which had a very similar level of power to the homunculus itself with all of the fallen Servants as a mana source. Perhaps they hadn't actually meant to summon the daemon as a weapon. What if, instead, they'd needed it as a sort of battery? But for what?

[OOC: Edmond would know Logan as "Nail".]

Jorg - Kaiserpfalz

Lionheart.

The word made Saber's eyes narrow dangerously. Where that had once been arrogant confidence was now cold malice.

A Servant's true name was a secret above all other secrets. To know that was to know all aspects of the hero... particularly his weaknesses.

But then, Saber had none.

No, to him this was a deliberate challenge. Caster was not facing him as merely another Servant in the Games; she was calling him out as an  individual and all he represented. That made this battle all the more personal.

There was no need to speak. Unlike her, Saber did not see his opponent as a person, merely an obstacle to overcome. Words were meaningless.

"Malkira."

Like the firing of a starter pistol, Caster's spell signaled the start of the battle. Saber instantly burst forward, sword trailing behind him as he lunged in for a kill. Caster's magic was powerful and fast, but Saber rushed through it, the spells brushing past his armor, leaving him unaffected.

Or, at least, they should have.

Saber halted suddenly, wincing more from surprise than pain as he felt the magic seeping and pervading through his armor like acid. It wasn't possible though. His magic resistance should negate all but the strongest of magics. How could these penetrate his defenses?

The damage was not severe; already, his Noble Phantasm was seeping life from the surrounding vegetation to heal the damage. But it was the realization that he was not as invulnerable as he'd thought that stung far worse.

Annabelle's assessment had been correct. They had underestimated Caster.

"All right. Now you have my interest," Saber said slowly, turning his gaze to stare icily at Caster. "It seems I'll have to fight for real."

With a sudden burst of prana,  Saber leapt up onto the walls of the ruins, sprinting along its length before kicking off and leaping at Caster, swinging his blade to  bisect her.

--------------------

Annabelle's frown deepened as  she watched Saber confront Saber. Evidently, she'd been correct in thinking that Caster had been a problem the others had been foolish for overlooking.

"Well, that's unfortunate," she said flatly, turning to face her opponent. "I suppose killing you won't make her fade right away, but it's a start."

Calisa gave no response, focusing on the feeling of her magic circuits opening as  Annabelle stepped forward, the shadows around her warbling unnaturally.

"You can go ahead and die then," Annabelle muttered, waving her hand as the shadows shot forward along the ground like saws, ready to mangle anyone in their path.

--------------------

Payne, Noin - Streets

It didn't seem possible. Ghosts weren't real.

And yeah, it was impossible to deny what he was seeing. Like a malevolent specter rising from the past, this man moved out of the shadows to stare at him with those hateful crimson eyes.

"You..." he muttered, eyes wide. Through the paralyzing shock, he barely noted Marauder's presence slipping away from his side to fade into the night.

"Nail!" Edmond spat, his rage and indignation suddenly snapping him from his stupor. "You dare show your face to me after what you did!"

His face had gone white with anger, his hands trembling at his sides in tight fists. The mere memory of this man was an insult, but the implications of being here...

--------------------

Raphael leaned back against the cold wall behind him, staring numbly into the darkness and silence of the school building. He'd needed somewhere to hide and recover, and it had been easy  to cloud the minds of the people in the school that managed to notice him.

But now, he could take the time to relax and deal with the swirling storm of thoughts in his mind.

How far did fate and destiny extend, and where did free will fit into play? Cracks were beginning to show in his previous philosophy that he couldn't ignore any longer.

You couldn't fit your destiny... that was what he had always believed. Did that mean someone like Calisa had been destined for a life of repression and abuse? It was nearly impossible to believe such a thing. He could not accept depravity as preordained.

But then, it would follow that her choice to break free from the path chosen for her was right. And that clashed with his own experience.

He'd always assumed that his future had been a path chosen for him, and that he'd diverted from it due to the weakness of the flesh... due to allowing things to come between him and his faith. But hadn't it been his own choice and his own desire to join the church from a young age? Where did the two line up and where did the two separate?  He couldn't be sure.

Free will... it was supposed to be a gift to mankind. And yet it was the source of nothing but disaster since the dawn of time.

"Help me," Raphael groaned, resting his head between his knees. "Help me to understand."

Illya - Kaiserpfalz

Caster only glared at Saber, even when realizing that his magic resistance was no good, he still charged end on, for it didn't matter that he attacked from the side, in the end, to reach her he would have to get in her path.

Saber's swing strike with precision, a full swing and Caster was cut in half, a look of shock, as both half fall off.

Or so it should, for Saber was now directly in front of the giant circle behind Caster, both half fade into mana and the circle shines in power as a massive beam of destruction was fired at point black at Saber.

"You see Saber, the difference between you and me is that I plan ahead."

Caster was now on the other side of the broken room, her hand elevated to her head, shining in light as more mana gathered in her hand. Saber took immense damage, a normal Servant would have been evaporated right there, but Saber was not normal, his noble phantasm would make him quite resilient, but healing that would take time.

"In the end, you lost the moment you didn't hunt me down."

Caster closes her hand and a magical circle on the ground erupts and with it, the world collapsed, Saber attacked from all ends, gravity crushing him to the ground, pinning his movements and burning him alive as the acid kept on attacking Saber. Even if Saber escapes this prison of gravity, which caster expected, his movements would be so slow that Caster could easily react to them.

"Hahahaha! Look at your face Saber! How does it feel to kneel to a witch?!"

Maou

Soft. For the past few days, all she had been doing was barking. It was truly distasteful to be at the edge of a game. But at least she was still in it. But... she had felt like no goals were accomplished. She was in the same position as ever. Although her castles had gathered immense power, she was no longer a target one would bother attacking. So now she was forced to obey orders and hunt down some priest. As much as she tried to get along with Abbadon, the homunculus was completely boring.

In the end, she had decided to be nice and burn down part of a school. It wasn't that she had grown a senes of morals. No, rather she was simply unpleased by inpersonal acts. She had discovered her true nature. Maou no longer obssessed over being 'evil.' That said, she knew for sure there was not a shred of goodness in herself. As a result, she had chosen this place. Although she was rather irked that not even a security guard was here, she supposed it fit into her plans well enough. She had already provoked more crimes out of the youths, and that number would only raise when the school was closed due to arson. Soon the entire city would burst in flames as well, and anarchy would be the only thing left.

So while Maou was not pleased with her own decision, she did not regret it. It would be useful enough. The slow slosh of several containers of gasoline. For now, she was just scouting to find the oppurtune place to start a fire. And then a familiar voice rang out. One she was looking for, but didn't expect to find here of all places. The novelty of it made her speak. "The hell? So priests come to school to confess? ... Ah." The containers of gasoline were tossed aside as she freed her hands. This man was fast. The fact that she revealed her prescence without attacking was a mistake. She couldn't help it.

She couldn't help the smile. Maou was intrigued. This man in front of her was not the man she knew. She didn't want to kill him. Not yet. She wanted to know him more. To help him understand whatever it is he sought. To clarify what he wanted. What he lived and fought for.

And then, and only then, would she really want to kill the man. To take it all the way. Without that, it would just be a chore.

Illya, Noin - Streets

Logan's face was a mask of serenity, and he raised a questioning eyebrow at Edmon's hateful tone. "What I did?" He responded sarcastically. "Please, tell me how what went wrong was my fault. I told them to wait for another day or two, to make sure that everything was right. Obviously when you're working with magic that old, there are bound to be glitches in the seals." His words were dry, uncompassionate, without a hint of pity or malice.

"And I was right! Had they given me more time to make sure the inner ring of seals was definitely correct, things would have gone very differently. As it was, they told me if I didn't have faith in the spell, I could just not be present for the summoning. So, how is any of it my fault?"

Jorg - Kaiserpfalz

For a moment Saber thought it was all over, that Caster really had been all talk in the end.
But the witch's treachery showed through. In an instant, Saber's victory had been turned on its head, and he found himself imprisoned in a crushing field of gravity, the effects of Malkira continuing to burn past his defenses and into his body.

Any normal hero might have been finished here, but Saber was no ordinary hero.

Defeat was not an option. It was no longer a conscious decision. His body would simply not accept it. Whether or not he had the strength to do it, his legs would force his body up. Whether or not his hands had the strength to do it, they would grip his sword tightly, Whether or not his arms had the strength to do it, they would swing that blade and end the life of any who stood in his way.

"CASTEEEER!" Saber roared, his limbs shaking as they fought the weight of the spell. His Noble Phantasm began to drain more rapidly life from the area as his bones and armor were crushed and renewed every moment.

But not of that mattered. All that did was victory. Victory above all.

Raising his demonic sword, Saber's mouth split into a maniacal grin, all the light in the area consumed by the voracious blade.

"Poitou: Authority of the Warrior King!" he bellowed, swinging the sword forward to unleash a devastating torrent of black light toward Caster. Even with her power, she would surely be torn asunder by its might. This battle would be his.

--------------------

"Hmph," Annabelle sniffed in a bored tone, sidestepping the Sparks Liner that Calisa sent her way with casual grace. Her mind was only half on the battle with the other magus, too concerned with Saber's grim chances against Caster to allow herself to fully submerge into the battle. It didn't seem necessary, anyway. Calisa couldn't match up to her level.

With a cry, Calisa sent a Starbow bolt sizzling through the air, scorching strands of Annabelle's hair as it passed. The blonde girl blinked in surprise, switching her gaze back to her opponent when she was suddenly blasted off of her feet by an powerful note of music, both strangely beautiful but terribly loud and fierce.

Landing hard on the ground, Annabelle grunted as she righted herself, staring coldly at Calisa as she lowered her hands from her mouth, ending the Crescendo spell.

"So you do have a few tricks," Annabelle mused, standing up. "My apologies. I'll take you seriously now."

Saber had just used his Noble Phantasm, pulling noticeably on her mana. But with any luck, that would be enough to remove Caster from the board. Her remaining mana should be more than enough to deal with Caster's Master.

With a sweeping motion of her hand, she sent another wave of shadows slicing along the ground toward Calisa, resuming the battle once more.

--------------------

Gedo - School

"The hell? So priests come to school to confess?"

Raphael sprang up from the floor at the sound of the voice, his finely honed Executor instincts already kicking in before his mind could catch up. The Black Keys were gripped tightly between his fingers, poised to strike, before he had fully focused on the person in front of him.

"You..." he muttered, glaring at Maou. "Come to clean up after the homunculus?"

He wasn't surprised, really. Abaddon wouldn't take too well to having one of his High Servants slaughtered, nor his minions. And with Archer no longer around, he would take the full blame for that.

Still, the question remained...

"Why are you working with the homunculus?" he asked, brows furrowed. "What did it offer you?"

Surely, it wouldn't allow itself to be used as the Grail. What other motivation could it possible offer?

--------------------

Payne, Noin - Streets

Edmond's eyes narrowed with malice at Logan's callous tone with which he discussed - dared to discuss - the failed ritual.

"You don't fool me," he hissed through clenched teeth. "Your arrival and disappearance was far too convenient to be a coincidence. And don't think she didn't notice."

Edmond smiled at the look of recognition in Logan's face.

"Oh yes, she's alive. We've regrouped, and rebuilt. Not just our forces, but our vision. This will be our ground zero for the new world. And it's going to start here - by killing you!"

With a snarl, he slashed two fingers through the air, sending the Malus II spell slicing at his foe. At the same time, a flash of killing intent lit up on the roof of a building some distance away as Marauder sent an arrow flying at his foe with blinding speed, ready to pierce him only a moment after it had left the string.

Illya - Kaiserpfalz


And so Saber finally did it, he could no longer wait anymore, with a single moment the Noble Phantasm began to drain life and light as if a sponge and all it's might was released towards Caster.

"Foolish."

But it was futile, saber would soon realize how much of an error it was to leave Caster alone for so long. Caster raises her hand and a field of mana raises, Caster overloads it with her mana reserves, it sparks in power and almost cracks on it's own.

The noble phantasm collapses on the barrier.

"Tch."

It cracks, but holds firm, the noble phantasm was not strong enough, it could not destroy the barrier, a noble phantasm stopped by a barrier. But Caster was not unharmed, her arm was heavily bleeding and wounded, almost as if it had been cut open, and her mana reserves was also heavily wasted, Calisa would be feeling the effects of mana drain if Caster continued.

But even so.

"Hahahahahaha! Look! Look Saber! Your Noble Phantasm can't even break a barrier I make! Hahahahaha!"

Caster laughs and laughs, the win was hers, she had utterly humiliated Saber.

"Look Saber!"

Caster points at the giant tree, her tree.

"That is my ultimate Noble Phantasm, The Tree of Creation! Can you feel it? The life of this earth? Of course you can't, it's been long gone!"

Saber's defeat was fighting in this battlefield. For a Noble Phantasm fuelled by life cannot win in a battlefield without life. And the tree? Saber's Noble Phantasm could not even dream of stealing it's life, the authority of Caster's Noble Phantasm far surpassed Saber's.

"Do you get it Saber? You never had a chance."

That said, Caster was in no position to kill him, she could play with him a little more, but stopping a Noble Phantasm even if weak still needed to much of her mana, so she just needed to bluff for now.

Illya, Noin - Streets

Logan apparently couldn't call back the frown that crossed his face quickly enough, because Edmond's smile clearly said that he'd seen it. Now here was a wrinkle... His last job should have already been over, but it seemed that his targets were more resilient than expected.

"Convenience does make an excellent ruse if you can properly pull it off." Logan rasped in response, letting the corners of his mouth rise in a smirk. His vision of Edmond was suddenly cut off by Lancer stepping in front of him though. Somewhere in the course of the conversation, she'd donned her battle gear, and her lance hooked under his arm, raising it up so that the cross of her lance and the chains that bound his forearm intercepted the incoming arrow, which snapped in half from the force, spinning off on either side of them.

She barely flinched as the Malus II spell hit her in the chest, but Logan winced at the force the arrow put into his arm. The chains prevented it from penetrating him, but there would definitely be a bruise where it had impacted.

"Was that necessary?" He muttered, giving his arm an experimental shake.

"Well, I wasn't sure I could redirect it with force alone. So, I blocked it with something it couldn't break instead." Lancer responded crisply.

"Point taken." Logan rasped. "Deal with the Servant. I have business with brother Edmond here."

Lancer nodded her head ever so slightly before turning past him and darting off in the direction the arrow had come from. That arrow had been fast enough to be one of Archer's, but he wouldn't have fired it at them. That probably meant another freak Servant was around. She came to a sudden halt on a rooftop about a block away from where Logan was still on the street, her eyes scanning the nearby area. "I know you're here... Why not introduce yourself so we can get started?"

-----------------------------------------

Logan waited a few moments after Lancer had disappeared before he took a step towards Edmond. "Well then. I suppose I'll have to do this properly this time." His voice was darker now, more cracked than raspy.

Fire licked over Logan's fingers, and he twisted them to form a ring, which he hung over his head in a familiar gesture. The flaming halo gave his features a more shadowed look as Logan held both of his hands outward, calling flames into them, which extended into flaming swords as he muttered the incantation to summon them.

"Do you know what the best method of dealing with garbage is brother Edmond?" Logan asked, the smirk never leaving his face.

Without waiting for a response, Logan twisted his right arm towards the man, lashing out at him with the whip that his sword extended into. "It's simple really... You burn it."

Jorg - Kaiserpfalz

Laughter... laughter echoing like hammers raining blows on metal, crushing it with unrelenting force.

Saber gritted his teeth, eyes bulging widely with rage and indignation. His Noble Phantasm, his greatest weapon... even that had been countered. The humiliation stung greater than any wound, any insult, any torture...

"I am the Lionheart," he snarled, more to himself than her. "I do NOT lose."

Attempting to use his Noble Phantasm again was risky business; its toll on his Master could be considerable. It might not even have any effect on his foe again.

But it didn't matter. He would try again and again and again, never stopping, never ceasing, till he won.

He shook off her warnings. He shook off her words. He shook off concerns. All that mattered was raising his sword and swinging it.

"No, Saber. We're going."

A flash of light and the sound of shattered glass rent the air, stilling the night.

--------------------

Another bolt from the Starbow burst into the ground, sending dirt and debris scattering through the air as Annabelle leaped back, sending a wave of her Guillotine spell shooting across the ground toward Calisa.

A rain from heaven.
A wrath of thunder.
Strike down the unworthy.

Bolts of dazzling blue lightning struck all around Calisa like a cage, destroying the tangible shadows with ease and sending ripples of static electricity toward Annabelle.

"Tch..." Annabelle murmured, narrowing her eyes at Caster as she dispersed the electricity that reached her. They'd been set up from the start. In this place, where Caster's true Noble Phantasm had already sapped so much life from the surroundings, Saber's Noble Phantasm would be crippled with nothing to drain.

But even now, the fool king would not stop. Not while he drew breath. Unfortunate.

Annabelle had no emotional ties to concepts such as failure or success. You simply avoided one where you could and sought the other. And when a temporary failure could mean eventual success, there was little reason not to take it.

The dark black eyes focused on Calisa, who was conveniently staring straight back at her. Suddenly, Calisa flinched as the black pupils seemed to widen unnaturally until they had eclipsed all of her eyes.

It was like something out of a nightmare. But the expanse of blackness did not stop there. It consumed Annabelle entirely, then the ground and surroundings, and then the sky until everything had been eclipsed by darkness.

"What's going on?" Calisa whispered, trying to move forward.

Strange... she couldn't seem to do so. With a loud, clanking noise, she realized her wrists and ankles were bound to heavy lengths of chain. Panic started to seize her mind, and she began to wrestle frantically against them. But the more she pulled and fought and struggled, the more they seemed to tighten and restrict her until she was forced to the ground, unable to move.

"Stupid, stupid little girl," Jamie whispered in her ear, his breath hot and sticky on her neck. "Did you really think you could escape?"

"The more you struggle, the more you'll realize how powerless you are," Raphael said coldly, standing over her with disapproving eyes.

"No, no," she groaned, shaking her head.

"You can't escape. This is what you were made to be," Jamie laughed. "A weak, helpless, grovelling little bit of garbage."

With each word, the darkness seemed to close in on her - not shapeless emptiness, but black walls like a box, pressing in to crush her.

"Raphael" she cried out, trying to reach for him. But the priest turned his back on her, fading through the encroaching walls like a ghost.

"Logan? Logan!" Calisa called, searching for him. But the hooded figure gave her one, contemptuous look with his red eyes before turning and leaving her.

"Caster! Caster, please! Someone!" she said, beginning to sob helplessly as the walls crushed in on her.

--------------------

Annabelle gave Calisa one glance as she fell to her knees, satisfied that the Horrification spell had succeeded. Having no use for watching the girl slowly lose her mind, Annabelle moved over toward the Servants as Saber readied his Noble Phantasm once more.

"No, Saber. We're going."

The Command Spell activated, forcing the Servant to stop and obey. His body strained, as though fighting to go through with the movement regardless.

"It's done. We can't win. Not here."

Saber flinched, as though struck a physical blow. But Annabelle wasn't focused on him.

"I suggest you tend to your Master," Annabelle said to Caster, gesturing toward Calisa. "Her mind won't stay intact for much longer."

It would buy them enough time to escape, at least. But Caster's animosity would be rekindled a dozen times over. Next time would have to be the last time.

--------------------

Payne, Noin - Streets

The Servant must be there, as the arrow had surely come from that direction. And yet, no presence could be felt. It was as if the attacker had simply vanished back into the night.

Suddenly, killing intent flared up as an arrow hurled through the air at the back of Lancer's head.

"Pointless," Marauder murmured into the night with a shrug, standing aloft the balcony of a hotel nearly a mile away.

--------------------

Arrogance. The fiend was covered in it. But that was good. Arrogance blinded and befuddled even the best of fighters. That was why he would expect his opponent to be caught off guard.

Edmond's lips twitched between a smirk and a snarl as he extended his hand, the skin on his forearm darkening into a sickly grey. With ease, he caught the flaming whip out of the air, clenching it firmly in his grasp.

"Only a fool forgets to learn new tricks," he laughed. "Maledicto Maleficus - a curse inflicted on oneself to protect against magical harm. Your petty spells can't trump such a powerful curse!"

Swinging his hand, he unleashed another Malus II spell at Logan before rushing in, his cursed arm extended to ward off any spells.

Maou: Raphael [School]
She just huffed at him, a bit cheerful at his ridiculous words. "You're as much my enemy as you are his, you know. You thought of me dead until a few days ago, and I didn't exactly see any sign of relief when we met again." Why couldn't this just be solved with words? She knew how strong an enemy he was. And without a sustainable source of mana, Maou wasn't exactly capable. Technique could only make up for so much... But. "As for who's working for who, that won't be decided until I succeed or fail. Whatever level of sentience it has, Abbadon is still nothing more than a collection of mana. " Resigning herself, her blade became unsheathed.

"Meanwhile, I have a question for you. What do you work towards? What do you live for? What would you die for? Will you really lose that much if Abbadon reaches their goal?" Her arm outstretched with her palm on, she rested the dull of her Katana along it, pointing the blade at Raphael. "What is your purpose here, Priest? If you have no cherished goal, and no one cherishes you, then you can't even be considered alive." She wouldn't be the first to attack. Breaking this man's mentality before that would lend her a significant advantage.

Gedo - School

Unnecessary words. Raphael knew exactly where he and this woman stood. Her attack on the chapel had made it quite clear.

And yet, he didn't feel the animosity that he felt toward the homunculus, the same desperation to defeat her.

"What do I..." Raphael murmured, surprised by her question. It was true... if he were really just fulfilling the motions, performing a duty out of obligation... was that really in service to God?

Perhaps... that was why he felt no real antagonism toward this woman. That was part of his duties, his requirements as the Moderator. Shouldn't the homunculus have been the same way? But no, he felt an intensity there that was almost unfamiliar to him.

The homunculus, and those cultists... they were dangerous. He had... no, he wanted to defeat them. This was not merely a duty. It was something fervent and ingrained.

Something buried deep down... the knowledge that he would always have ended up serving in the church. Not because he was destined to do so, but because that had been his heart's desire.

"To save others," he said, his voice steady and clear as he looked up. "That is my purpose."

Now, more than ever, he was needed. He wouldn't allow the tragedies of the past to be repeated. He wouldn't allow others to suffer like that town, like that woman, like himself...

His arms rose up, the muscles in his bare arms tensing as he poised the Black Keys to fly.

"If the homunculus wins, it means untold deaths. I won't let that happen," Raphael declared, eyes narrowed. "And if you stand with it, then you're on my list too."

Illya - Kaiserpfalz

Caster flinched, Saber would still not give up or retreat, no that was the plan, make him go on and on until he burns out his Master without care. For Lionheart does not lose. Caster would just have to dodge it, he was tired and would need to restore his mana back to active his noble phantasm again, Caster could just react in time.

Or so she thought. Saber's new Master proved to be smart, calling him out.

"I suggest you tend to your Master, her mind won't stay intact for much longer."

Caster's eyes drift to Calisa, she was on the ground panicking. She was trapped in some spell. The air ran cold as Caster's eyes shot back at Annabelle, a glare that spoke for itself.

Caster understood what happened, has Calisa been killed, it would have resulted in a double kill for each side as Caster would have killed Annabelle in return while keeping Saber wounded. So instead she put her a condition. Save Calisa or kill Annabelle. And Caster hated it, but conceded to it.

Caster warped to Calisa, ignoring both Saber and his Master left. Holding onto her, she was flinching, sweating and panicking, as if she was having a nightmare. It was a spell, a curse of sorts, but nothing special for Caster.

Crack, the spell disperses and Calisa is released from her nightmare. When she opened her eyes, she would see Caster holding onto her worried sick.

Maou: Raphael [School]

"Such soft words, especially when that homunculus is one who wishes to be saved." And it seemed time for such words was over. With their methods so different, it would be impossible to come to an understanding. Her stance strengthened, body ready to lunge. "You face your true enemy, here and now. Be appeased by that. I will bring ruin to civilization and hope. I will unite those in the world and break them apart. Again and again. Until there is a clear distinction between good and evil. I will repeat this until an undeniable saint with unfathomable strength arises. A True Hero. That is why I am here. That is why I fight. That is why I live. And that is why I will die."

Her road had been set from the beginning. It wasn't a matter of questioning or believing it. She would either move forward or die.  And so she did with a calm rush. A pace where she wasn't going to overwhelm him with speed, nor was he going to be overwhelmed by his projectiles. They met in a clash of blades. Testing the waters and gauging each other. An ever-present stream of metallic water against a steel foundation of stone. Sparks flew in the moonlight, illuminating dancing silhouettes of light and darkness.