The Holy Grail Clusterfuck

"Whatever corruption the Grail has is not the issue. The backup system is to ensure that one party could not abuse the system of the Grail before it is ready to grant a wish. The War can only be decided through elimination of the other Servants. Thus, another team of seven was summoned to oppose your team." He smirked again. "If you are worthy of the Grail, you can prove it by eliminating the other team."

"Hey, fuckwad, we don't want the Grail. It's corrupted." Mari pulled open a bag of chips. "Why would we want to be worthy of something that's all fucked up? At this point we're just trying to make sure nobody stupid or evil enough gets to it before it's fixed."

Scathach smiled, and supressed a chuckle. Avalon gave Mari a low five and helped herself to a chip.

Ruler chuckled. "Well, if you're trying to fix it, then you do want the Grail. I'm not going to stop you there."

She raised a finger, mouth open. Her mouth closed and she wagged her finger and nodded, admitting the point. Her finger then lowered, and a different one raised.

Ruler chuckled. "Well, my job here is done then. I'll be off." He bowed again and dematerialized.

It wasn't long after Ruler's departure that they felt the presence of yet another Servant. This time, Saber recognized it distinctly. She stayed at a safe distance to the northwest, waiting patiently for Saber to come to her.

Mari held up her phone. "Whatever the fuck is happening, we need to hustle. One of the other guys told me that a Servant is gonna go apeshit on this place and soon. I'd like to not die today."

Saber turned to Avalon. "Please take care of each other, or... You may come with me, if you wish. It's time for my meeting." They pointed the way to the meeting point before dematerializing.

"You met one of them?" Yui took a deep breath. There was too much going on all of a sudden. There was no time to think. What should they do?

She turned to address the whole team. "This is everyone's lives at stake. What do you all think we should do? Stay and try to use the Grail as leverage, or flee?"

"Both," Lazarus suggested. "A few of us should stay and reveal the fact that we have the lesser grail. A caster should go with the other group and head towards the greater grail. They can scry along the way to catch any large trouble that may befall us. We will see if we can't reason with this man..." he was quiet for a moment as he thought. " I know Yui will want to stay, so I will as well. If I had my choice of servants, I would definitely wish to have Medea, Scathach, and Atalanta. Obviously whether to stay or go is everyone's choice. We could be vulnerable either way."

"I could teleport a group elsewhere," Medea piped up, "and I believe Scathach would be a good counter-measure, since you can conceal yourself. Atalanta's Noble Phantasm would be an ideal defense as well, and Astolfo's size and agility would make for a good distraction. Between my and Rider Red's armies, it would make sufficient cannon fodder if necessary."

"Good idea," Yui said. "I'd like to have Fran with us, too, with her ability to absorb energy attacks. Medea, you can teleport out anyone who doesn't want to stay, and later hopefully teleport us out as well if things get too dicey. I don't want to give them a target to follow."

Medea raised a hand. "Right then, all those who wish to depart, join me. I'll be departing for the temple soon." Mari gave Hachi a confident nod before standing next to Medea, and Phillipus stepped forward.

"I may not have your offensive prowess, but I'd like to stay to provide barriers and healing." Astolfo hugged Phillipus's waist cheerfully.

"It'll be like old times again!!" The Caster chuckled and gently ruffled Astolfo's hair.

"I agree about keeping Astolfo , but I didn't want to keep every good servant with us. If we have Astolfo, Fran should go with the others. She and Phillipus combined could make up for the nullification with absorption and shields."

"I wanna stay with Sella," Illya put in. "Asterion can help protect us too!"

"Alright, so it'll be me, Illya, Lazarus. Atalanta, Astolfo, Lancer, Asterion and Medea. Everyone else is retreating to the temple. That sound alright to everyone?"

Astolfo waved a hand for attention. "Someone should tell Saber what's happening though! We can't leave them behind!"

Yui thought about it. "Atalanta, you can probably get there and back the fastest. You alright letting Saber know what's going on?"

The huntress nodded, "I'd be happy to." she immediately leaped to the pair of Sabers as fast as she could.

When Atalanta returned, Medea had already transported the other portion of the group away. She met those staying on the roof, though she couldn't see Scathach anywhere.

Medea gave both Archer and Saber an assured smile. "So glad you could make it." She raised the crooked dagger into the air: "Argos!"

A dome erupted around them, hardly visible except for a shining gold film when the sun caught it just so. She reached into her robes and pulled out what looked like stones, long and jagged and sharp, and threw them into the ground like stakes. Once everything was in place, she shimmered out of view.

Atalanta smiled, and readied her bow. Scathach was keeping her presence concealed on the roof of another building, ready to attack from behind.

Mesektet - Ozymandias' giant golden ship stopped in front of the mansion, hovering several hundred feet in the air and leering down on them threateningly.

On the roof of the mansion below, everyone was in position. Asterion stood over the humans - Yui, Lazarus, Illya, and Sella. Astolfo and Mordred flanked them to each side, and Atalanta took position behind them. Medea had dematerialized.

Ozymandias appeared on the prow of the ship, the blue team's Archer hanging behind him.

"I am Ozymandias, King of Kings!" he declared loudly.

"Behold, ye mighty, and despair!"

There was an audible groan from many of the team below.

Ozy laughed. "So nice of you to all come out and line up for me so conveniently! This makes this so much easier for both of us!"

Lazarus grumbled and stepped out forward. "If I may, I would suggest not exploding us." He gestured to Sella. "We have the vessel of the Grail! If you destroy us, you destroy the Grail, and then no one wins!"

Five massive, golden cannons on the underside of Ozy's ship all centered their aim on Lazarus. The mage tried not to release his bowels.

"You didn't really think that would work, did you?" Ozy laughed. "I can understand your fear, seeing this mighty vessel hovering above you--"

Ozy never got to finish his monologue as Medea suddenly appeared in the air, level with the nose of the ship. Her cape spread wide, and ten large magic circles appeared in the air before her.

"I've heard enough already!" she screamed. "Machia Hecatia Graea!"

Ten massive beams of light fired, converging on Ozymandias' figure. The Servant merely scoffed and stepped backward, letting Archer step in front of him.

[[Skill: Magic Resistance Rank A]]

The magical beams blasted into Archer's form, but rolled off like water, leaving the two of them unharmed.

Down below, Atalanta shrugged. If the conversation was over, she might as well...

"Phoebus Catastrophe!"

Atalanta strung two arrows and fired them into the sky. A moment later, a rain of magical arrows, all concentrated on Ozymandias. He stumbled back as many of them pierced his form.

"Rrgh!" Ozy grunted, before the ship under him suddenly lurched. "You made a mistake!"

Mesektet banked sharply and circled around to the west of the mansion, two of the cannons on its left side refocusing on the mansion and firing.

All the mages' hearts leaped into their throats as two massive golden beams of energy beared down on the Tohsaka Mansion. Mordred and Atalanta quickly leaped clear of the building. Asterion gathered up the humans in his arms and turned to jump away, but was a moment too late. Medea's shield shattered as the beams blasted into the mansion, burning Asterion's back as he jumped away, shielding the vulnerable Masters. Astolfo also was too slow to move, one of the golden beams sweeping over him and burning him badly.

Coughing, Astolfo tumbled through the air, his clothes burning and tattered. "H-Hippogriff!" The feathered beast appeared beneath him, sweeping him up in its saddle and spiriting him away to safety.

Yui looked back in horror at what remained of her estate. The mansion had been reduced to rubble in an instant, and fire and debris spread out over the courtyard, toppling the sculpture in the center of the yard and razing the bushes.

She knew this could have happened one day, but she still wasn't prepared for the sight. Her family's home, gone.

Mordred landed safely atop an adjacent building, trembling with rage. With one hand, she reached up and grabbed the horn of her helmet and tore it away. Her eyes glinted red and her blonde hair danced as mana swelled up around her.

She raised her sword high. The space around her and Clarent became stained with red energy, transforming the once noble and pristine blade into something terrifying and demonic. Red lightning crackled around her as her rage poured into the sword.

Clarent Blood Arthur

Rebellion Against My Beautiful Father

"Clarent... Blood... ARTHUUUR!"

As Mordred swung her sword, a searing beam of pure red energy blasted from the tip of her sword. It sliced through the sky toward Mesektet.

"Sh-shit...!" Ozymandias couldn't move out of the way; he barely managed to bank his ship away, and put more of its mass between him and the beam of energy. It still wouldn't be enough.

The beam blasted through Mesektet; in a deafening explosion, Clarent Blood Arthur cleaved off the nose of the craft and continued through to shear off a wing.

The ship crumbled under Ozy and Archer's feet, and the red energy enveloped them completely. Archer screamed in agony as it washed over him, not strong enough to resist its power--he was evaporated instantly.

[[BLUE ARCHER has been eliminated.]]

Ozymandias hurtled out of the smoke with most of his body burned and blackened, barely alive. Atalanta caught sight of him as he fell, redirecting her shower of arrows to follow him to the ground. He hit the roof of a house moments before Phoebus Catastrophe slammed into him again.

[[Skill: Imperial Privelege Rank A]]
[[GAINED Battle Continuation Rank A]]

"D... Damn it!" Ozymandias stumbled out of the shower of arrows, caked in rubble and blood. Still barely clinging to life, he returned to spiritual form a moment later.

Yui breathed a small sigh of relief. One enemy down, the other crippled. At the very least, they were still alive. The mansion was a small price to pay, however much it hurt to see it destroyed.