The Battle for the Holy Grail

Archer arrived at the mansion in the cover of night. She had made sure most of the other inhabitants of this place were gone or asleep. She took position high on a neighboring tree. She had decided the gems she had previously seen needed to be dealt with first. She took aim and fired at each of the gems in turn, saving the one in the middle for last. It would announce their presence, but it would surely be impossible not to no matter how they decided to go in.

Rider swished his sword in the air, loosening up his shoulder. This was the final day, the do or die. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to keep his knees from shaking.

There was fear in the unknown, but no adventure in safety! Just another glorious battle for a paladin of Charlemagne! He moved into a staggered stance and rested both hands on the hilt of his sword, ready to start running. Onward, to glory!

The gems shattered with little effort, disabling each of the traps Yui had set in. As she fired an arrow at the last gem in the courtyard, though, her arrow hit something invisible hovering in front of the sculpture. For a moment, the impact revealed the large, magical geometric shape rotating around it, before it faded back into invisibility.

Kirei, observing this reaction, nodded to his second Servant. "Rider."

Even before the traps were destroyed, Yui felt the presence of the two Servants. "They're here." She let mana flow through her Magic Circuits, starting up an A-rank spell. "Ein Fluss fließt durch mich..."

"Haaa!!" Rider ran fast and hard at the gem, sword clutched to his side before thrusting it at the stone.

Caster looked up at where the courtyard would be, ten stones rising around him like a shield. He looked at at Berserker and gave her a confident nod.

Lazarus also began to prepare a spell, drawing on power from the leyline. He was readying a Rank A magma fissure, ready to detonate it if anyone approached. He had already placed several Firebind and Exploding circles around not only himself, but the other homunculi that were their mimics. Those traps would go off first, and the homunculi would run as if they had been 'discovered'. He hoped that he would not have to use the spell he had prepared.

As Rider ran into the courtyard, he ran face first into several of the rotating, geometric shapes guarding the courtyard, but they crackled and dissipated as he ran through them, leaving no scratches. When he finally reached and drove his sword through the gem, it flashed, as did the rest of the shapes floating around the mansion grounds, then they all disappeared.

With every defense taken down, Kirei followed his Servants confidently into the building itself.

Empty. Cleared of all furniture and valuables. He was expecting more fortifications...

He looked around carefully, sensing the mana around them, then finally dropped his gaze to the floor.

"They're underneath us." He nodded to Rider. "I will leave it to you. Archer and I will follow behind."

Archer nodded, but waited a bit of a distance back, bow at the ready for whatever waited beneath.

Rider nodded and pointed his sword downward, raising it high over his head. With a yell, he drove it down into the wooden floor, making the planks crack, bend, then burst into splinters. He jumped down into the hole, then gasped, blinking rapidly.

A group of women looked over to him and turned back to themselves, giggling delicately. The wind gently ruffled his hair, the scent of flowers dancing on the gust. A man carrying lumber with a bright smile was walking in his direction.

Yui couldn't help but jump slightly when she heard the distant blast. Only a matter of time now.

Kirei gazed down into the hole, seeing the town setting Caster had set up beneath. "Interesting." He waited to see how the "people" reacted to Rider's presence.

Archer stayed out of the town, though she could see it below. She took the angle with the best view and waited until someone attacked.

Lazarus' gaze flicked to the disturbance, but he kept going about his 'work' making pottery. Not only did it give him something to look normal, but he was also able to be surrounded by several oil filled orbs.

Rider pointed his sword at the lumberman. "What's going on here!!" The lumberman seemed to gasp, and as his mouth began to make shapes to speak, he seemed to swell in size, his features contorting and widening grotesquely as if an invisible hand was pushing and pulling at his face and belly, fingertips digging into spongey flesh.

When the man's torso had reached the size of a barrel, there was a loud BANG and a flash as he exploded, light and sinew spraying across the road. The other villagers screamed, the women dropping their shopping baskets, and ran away. Pigeons and sparrows took flight, the beating of wings mingling with shrieks and footsteps.

Though the presence of a trap didn't startle Kirei, the form it took certainly did. With a grumble of concern, he slid the hilts of six Black Keys into his hands, waiting for Rider to clear the area.

Rider gasped with horror but remained unscathed. What he thought was flesh and blood crumbled into dirt and dust, and he watched with confusion. He brushed off his arms and ran a few steps forward, rings of light slowly glowing then fizzling out under his feet.

"Ha!" He crowed, holding the Casa aloft. "I can beat your magic anyday!" He ran into the maze, his happy humming slowly quieting. Somewhere to the slightest southeast came an unhappy wail. "Where am I??"

Caster looked to Berserker. "Please, you should intercept. I can't beat him in a fight, but you're strong enough. I'll do what I can to help."

As the area cleared of both traps and homonculi, Kirei readied his Keys and jumped down into the hole after Rider. As soon as he touched the ground, he felt his strength being sapped. A Bounded Field. No matter; he had strength to spare.

He followed close behind Rider so as not to lose sight of his Servant. As long as he stayed close, he should stay clear of any traps.

Berserker nodded confidently, gripping her hammer tight. She bent her knees, and then shot off into the maze, following Caster's directions toward the enemy intruders.

((5 rounds until she intercepts.))

Atalanta followed her master, looking around at the complicated village before her. She knew that covering more ground by splitting up was best, but the magic was far too strong here. She followed closely behind Kirei. She did not like this place at all.

A frantic woman rounds a corner after them! fuyumin carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

Kirei stayed close enough behind Rider to be caught by surprise when the woman rounded the corner. She immediately began to swell up, and Kirei bent down to his knees, holding his Black Keys before him like a shield and trying to jump out of the way.

Damascus carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

Kirei couldn't move out of the way fast enough. With a thought, a Command Spell on his hand flashed; the mana surged up his arm and into the Black Keys, expanding them to twice their normal size in an instant.

The Keys carried the bulk of the blast, and as they shattered, he staggered back, much of the front of his body burned.

He tossed the spent Keys aside. "Rider!" he called before his Servant was out of sight. "Eliminate any homunculi before they come into my range."

CURRENT RANKS

Berserker----- STR: B↑ MAN: D END: A↑ LCK: B AGI: C↑

Caster---------- STR: C↑ MAN: A END: D↑ LCK: B AGI: B↑

Archer------- STR: E↓ MAN: B END: E LCK: C AGI: B↓

Rider----- STR: D MAN: C END: D LCK: A AGI: B

-

Yui------------- STR: C↑ MAN: B END: C↑ LCK: C AGI: A↑ ALE: A

Lazarus-------- STR: B↑ MAN: A END: B↑ LCK: D AGI: C↑ ALE: A

Kirei---------- STR: A↓ MAN: D END: A LCK: C AGI: B↓ ALE: A

Irisviel----- STR: E--↓↓ MAN: A END: B LCK: B AGI: C ALE: A

CURRENT STATS

Berserker-------------------- HP: 500/500 MP: 200/200

Caster HP: 200/200 MP: 500/500

-

Archer----------------------- HP: 100/100 MP: 400/400

Rider HP: 200/200 MP: 300/300

-

Yui--------------------------- HP: 30/30 MP: 400/400 Command Spells: 2

Lazarus HP: 40/40 MP: 500/500 Command Spells: 3

-

Kirei-------------------------- HP: 25/50 MP: 200/200 Command Spells: 13

Irisviel HP: 40/40 MP: 500/500

Caster rubbed his chin as he watched Rider take the brunt of the blasts from the homunculi they ran into. He should've expected no less from a paladin of Charlemagne, someone whose stories he'd been delighted by as a young boy. If only they'd met under better circumstances, he could tell Astolpho how much he admired him.

After Rider took care of a couple more homonculi, they were making good progress through the maze. Then, just as they turned a corner, Berserker appeared, already in melee range with Rider running up front.

"Haaaaaahh!"

Turn order
Archer <--
Rider
Berserker
Kirei

Archer immediately shot a fully drawn arrow at the enemy servant.

Kittenboxxing carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

Berserker howled and lowered her mace to swat the arrow aside.

Damascus carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

The arrow deflected to the side.

Turn order
Archer
Rider <--
Berserker
Kirei