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You are Yumigawa Rushorou, one of two surviving competitors in the Holy Grail War. Your remaining enemies' final attack will come tomorrow morning, and the outcome of this battle will decide the War.
After waking up in a parking garage in the midst of a burning city, you escaped the dangers of reanimated skeletons, shadowy warriors, and falling rubble to save two other high school students and escape the city. In the process, you made a contract with the revived spirit of an ancient witch to battle six other survivors in a battle to the death known as the Holy Grail War. During the contract process, your body was remade, and you went from an ordinary high-school student into a "conceptual being," a magical quasi-human entity.

The Holy Grail War, as you later learned, is a battle between seven magi, contracted to the spirits of seven heroes of the past, classified as Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker. Each duo is known as a Master and Servant, and when only one pair remains the two are promised one wish from the omnipotent Holy Grail each. You contracted with Caster initially, and have since seen Saber, Lancer, and Assassin fall in battle. You've also killed the Masters of Saber, Berserker, and Rider, and separated Archer from his Master. Currently you've brought Berserker to your side as well as Caster, while Rider (who's found a new Master in the meantime) and Archer stand against you. You've also been learning magic from Caster, but you're still at the level of a beginner.

Previous thread:
>>3445671

Suptg Archive:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Sweets-Loving%20QM

Status Information:
https://pastebin.com/qsKX4p5b
>>
Where we left off...

With your dinner finished, you stand up from the table, cutting off the conversation. "Thank you, Miss Edelfelt, this has been enormously interesting. Unfortunately, I must be awake quite early tomorrow if I'm to deal with out attackers. I don't have the time to learn anything more about your fascinating organization. And now, good night." So saying, you pick up your dishes and turn toward the kitchen, looking to deposit them before retiring.

"Good night, Yumigawa-kun. I wish you good fortune in tomorrow's battle. But before you go, listen to one more warning from me."

Already halfway to the kitchen, you stop and turn back to Truvietianne. "What's that, Miss Edelfelt?"

The girl pauses a moment to wipe daintily at her lips with a lacy napkin. "Don't go looking for any more information about the Headmaster or the Wandering Sea," she says in a grave tone. "You've done very well for yourself in this War, and you've wound up something more than human. I don't blame you if that makes you confident, but remember that there are things quite beyond you." You've gotten used to taking Truvietianne lightly, seeing her as a flighty and somewhat out-of-touch rich girl. Now, though, the look in her eyes sends a shiver down your spine. She's talking in deadly earnest, and you can't quite bring yourself to write the matter off.

"Thank you again, Miss Edelfelt," you say with a nod. "I will take it to heart." Without waiting for another dire warning or mysterious comment, you turn on your heel and retreat into the kitchen. After dropping your dishes in the sink and taking a moment to get over the bizarre moment of fear, you make your way back up to your room. When you pass through the dining hall again, Truvietianne is gone, and you see no-one else on your way back to your dorm. It's past 10:30, and you're suddenly desperately tired.

Before you can get to bed, however, there's one more obstacle waiting for you. As you close the door to the suite behind you and turn on the light, you're greeted by the sight of Adelheid, in uniform, sitting at your desk. She offers you a friendly smile. "Hello, Rushorou. You took long enough about dinner. Enjoy it?"

"Dinner was fine," you say, dismissing the topic irritably. "I'd like to get to bed soon, what with the attack tomorrow. Is there any way we can make this quick, Adelheid?"

"Of course!" Adelheid puts on an expression of concern. "I understand the importance of sleep, you know. It's about your sleep that I'm here? Caster is indisposed, isn't she?"
>>
"Ah, and you want to guard me overnight, is that it?" Relieved that there isn't some enormous new issue to be dealt with, you cross the room and slump down on your bed. "Alright, I suppose they could attack in the middle of the night. Technically, tomorrow is only two hours away. Stand watch if you like, Adelheid. Thank you for your concern." Looking up at the girl, you return her smile. "Now I really, *Yawn*, must be getting to sleep," you say, already slipping into the darkness of blissful unconsciousness. 'Busting open that command spell really took a toll,' is the last thing that runs through your mind before sleep comes.

End of Day 10
>>
You awaken in a bedroom superior in opulence to your own royal apartment, staring up at the silk hangings over the bed. It's been a long time since you've seen them, but they're not unfamiliar. You've returned to the Isle of the Witch, Aeaea, to the same room where you slept during the year you spent here once before.

But how? You search your mind for the course of events, and you clearly recall dying. You life's blood, flowing into the sea as you lay on the rocky shore, killed by the red-haired foreign warrior.

As you sit up and look around, you discover that your body is not what you remember either; you've become young and strong once more, the same robust adventurer who spent ever-victorious decades at war or at sea. You leap to your feet, looking around for the culprit. You don't know how or why, but now you're certain. The Witch of Aeaea has prevented you from reaching the Elysian Fields and called you back here!

As if answering your mental summons, the door opens and Circe, together with the same warrior who slew you, enters, smiling broadly. "Welcome back, my love," she cries, rushing to you for a clinging embrace. "It's been a lifetime, but now I have you again at last, and we'll never be apart again!"

"Wait," you say, and push the woman back to arm's length. "What have you done to me, Circe? I should be dead; was dead, by his hand!"

"Oh, you're confused, of course," the witch replies indulgently, "I understand, but it was the only way I could have you return to me. You'd grown old away from my island, there in Ithaca, and you would never have made the trip! So I had our son kill you, and returned you to youth and life from a drop of blood, preserved in the sting of a ray."

"Our son?" You look at the red-haired warrior, look hard, and see for the first time how much he resembles you. There are the celestial features of the nymph, the pointed ears, red hair, and sense of elegance, but at the same time there are his eyes, and the shape of his bones; it is the strong, canny face of the royal line of Ithaca that returns your hard gaze. "Gods, it is our son. But no, this is madness!" You round on the witch. "I lived with you once, for a year and a day, here on your island. And when I had fully considered the matter, I made my choice. The choice of mortality, the choice to return! I belong in Ithaca, not here in your palace, kept tame by soporific luxury like your beasts!"

At your outburst, the love and happiness drains from Circe's face, leaving it a cold and emotionless mask. Before you have time to react, she plunges a long golden needle into your chest, piercing your heart. "Another failure," she sighs. "When will he return to me, Telegonus?"

As you double over and breathe your last, you faintly hear your son answer, "Perhaps never, mother. You should abandon this notion before it becomes the death of you." Then you can breathe no longer.
>>
You can breathe no longer. Wait, you can't breathe! Something's covering your mouth and nose! Your eyes snap open and you struggle for an escape, before Adelheid pulls away a diminutive pair of hands. "I knew that would wake you up, Rushorou," she says with a chuckle, and points out the window. "Look, it's dawn. The enemy will be coming soon enough."

You sit up groggily and shoot the girl a dirty look. "That was a hell of a way to wake someone up."

Adelheid just shrugs, giving you a mischievous smile. "Getting up in the morning is always painful," she says, "at any rate, it worked."

You heave a sigh and head for the shower. What a way to begin the last day of the War. As you soap off, you think again about the oncoming attack, and what you first need to do in order to deal with it.

>[ ] Go around to the non-combatants, making sure they all get down to the basement. (Compassion)

>[ ] Head for Caster's workshop and begin scrying to see what the enemy are doing. (Self-Preservation)

>[ ] Gather your Servants and prepare to receive the attack outside. Whenever they come, you'll be ready. (Pride/Duty)

>[ ] Formulate a new plan of action (write in your strategy)
>>
>>3474675

>[ ] Head for Caster's workshop and begin scrying to see what the enemy are doing. (Self-Preservation)
>>
>>3474675
>[ ] Head for Caster's workshop and begin scrying to see what the enemy are doing. (Self-Preservation)
>>
>>3474675
>[ ] Head for Caster's workshop and begin scrying to see what the enemy are doing. (Self-Preservation)
Also, if possible, use Caster's magic to broadcast a message to the wake others and make sure they get to the basement.
>>
>>3474713
Support.

Oh Jesus, I now understand the issue that Circe could possibly represent.
but luckily won't because we won't try and run away from her. Also biological immortality is bitchin, take that Zouken.
I just hope the grail has enough juice to incarnate them both.
>>
>>3474723
>be immortal
>don’t be a traitorous, treacherous bitch-made punk
>be a legit hero
EzPz
>>
>>3474726
We just need to be smart about things.
We really need to talk with Circe after the battle is over.
I'm hoping that by having tied affection points we can get a good end for both our servants.
>>
>>3474742
Or, hypothetically, because we didn’t make a decision we all die horribly. You can never tell with these VNs....
>>
>>3474726
Assuming you're referring to Odysseus here. Two of those points are incompatible. He couldn't have stayed with Circe and been a hero at the same time. He would've been a powerful creature, kept beautifully in his prime, but kept also in a gilded cage. Just like her lions, he would've been denied the chance to make use of either his natural talents or the immortality she gave him. So Odysseus gave up the luxury and immortality of Aeaea to pursue the duty he still bore to his people and his wife.
>>
>>3474747
No, I’m referring to Rushorou. For Odysseus the reasons for leaving are much more compelling and tough to argue against. Rushorou, comparatively, has it “ezpz”.
>>
>>3474751
Oh, yeah. You folks don't have to face the same dilemma as Odysseus.
>>
>>3474745
It's obvious that choosing both will unlock the superboss.
>>3474755Especially since she wouldn't be confined to her prison anymore.
>>
>>3474760
>the superboss
I thought that was Shirou in either a cook-off or a death match.
>>
>>3474767
Why not both? Loser becomes dessert.
>>
>>3474675
>[ ] Gather your Servants and prepare to receive the attack outside. Whenever they come, you'll be ready. (Pride/Duty)
>>
The most important thing, you decide, is information. As you head out of the bathroom, dressed for the new day in a cream suit and black tie that's rather spoiled by the cloak wrapped around your arm, you motion Adelheid to follow. "Come on, let's go see Caster. It's time to find out when we can expect today's guests."

"Very well, Rushorou." Without another word, the girl falls into step by your side as you make your way to Caster's workshop. While you walk, you send a telepathic call to Caster. 'Are you awake in there? I'm on my way to take a look at what Archer and Rider are up to.'

'Yes, Master, I've recovered all the energy I need to. How did you find your cloak, by the way?'

'Its functionality is excellent,' you send back, 'but I had some trouble with the size. It wasn't wide enough to use as a cloak, so I had to wrap it around my arm instead.'

'The size, of course,' Caster sounds as if she's just remembering the matter. 'I had to make it smaller than I'd intended due to the scarcity of material. The entire surface had to be covered with your blood and bone marrow, and even spreading it very thin I couldn't make the thing larger than it is now. I'm glad you can use it despite that.' The thought of her using your blood takes you back to last night's dream for a moment, and an involuntary shudder runs through you. With some effort, you push the matter from your mind; you've almost arrived at Caster's workshop, and the last thing you need is to dwell on some nightmare.

You open the door and walk in, saying, "As I said, it works fine. Still, you can see how I'm wearing it; not what you had in mind, I'm sure."

Caster purses her lips as she examines the black and red wrapping on your arm. "Not quite, no. Nothing for it though; moving on!" It seems Caster had prepared her scrying bowl while you walked, as it's already sitting on a small round table in the center of the room. As you and Adelheid sit down, Caster mutters an indecipherable syllable over the water and the reflection of the ceiling is replaced by an aerial view of Rider's ship, the Queen Anne's revenge. It's currently airborne, sailing over the city as it makes its way towards the university at an impressive speed. The wind, apparently, is in Blackbeard's favor.

"Oh dear," Caster mutters, examining the buildings below the ship. "It looks like they'll be here in less than an hour."

As you watch, the view continues to approach the ship, until it draws in to focus on the three living figures standing on the deck amidst the swarm of rotting sailors. Jack DeLancey, Edward Teach, and the Man With No Name stand side by side at the prow of the ship, looking out toward the university. DeLancey is the first to speak. "Teach," he says, "You sure about this? Just sail over and bomb 'em from above? I can't help thinkin' it seems a bit simple for a plan to take out the kind of man who can end up one of the last two Masters."
>>
Blackbeard turns his infernal grin to the other man, patting him on the shoulder with a massive hand. DeLancey's a big man, several inches over your head, but next to Rider he looks positively diminutive. "Jack," he says, "Ye've never commanded a ship, have ye? Never been in the navy, or fought a marine battle? No, didn't think so. It all comes down to concentrated fire, making sure you're hitting the enemy harder in one place than they're hitting you. They could have double yer numbers, but if they're all spread out and ye're grouped up tight, ye can shred 'em. That's what usin' cannon's all about. We have one ship, my boy, and it's got more firepower and resilience than anything they can throw at us. So what we're gonna do is put that advantage to use."

Then Archer cuts in, taking the cigar out of his mouth to speak. "You remember the Civil War, Jack? Bet you had some family that fought in it."

"Of course I remember the Civil War," Jack exclaims, "Why, with everything we DeLanceys lost I couldn't well forget it! An yes, Charles DeLancey was a cavalry major in the-"

Archer cuts him off. "Specifics aren't the point. Your family lost that war with the rest of Dixie, right? Why do you think?"

"Brutality," Jack shouts, his accent intensifying with his temper, becoming almost a caricature of the educated Southern gentleman. "The North was willing to sink to depths of barbarism we never were! Burning cities, killing civilians, all the worst atrocities an army can inflict on an enemy people during the war, they inflicted on us! The destroyed our ability to wage war by burning the South itself!"

Archer smirks, taking a long drag as Jack decries the Union Army. "No," he says, "you're talking about what made you give up. You'd already lost the war by then, Jack. You lost it to superior firepower. Sure, the South had all the best generals and tactics. What the North had was more. More men, more bullets, more of everything. They could roll over you no matter what you tried."

DeLancey looks aghast. "And that's how you two intend to win this war? Just roll over them, without a thought to strategy?"

"Your Servant's got the firepower to do it," Archer says, still smirking. "I'm just here to help things along."

Interesting as this may be, the Queen Anne's Revenge is approaching fast. You can't stay here in Caster's tower until they arrive! You stand up and...

>[ ] Go out to the grounds with Adelheid and Caster, to meet the enemy from below as they come over the wall. (Duty)

>[ ] Head up to the roof, so you and your Servants are on an even level with the enemy when they attack. (Pride)

>[ ] Prioritize getting the non-combatants into the basement. From the sound of the enemy's plan, there won't be much need for tactical preparation to receive them.

>[ ] Do something else (Write in)
>>
>>3474861
>[ ] Head up to the roof, so you and your Servants are on an even level with the enemy when they attack. (Pride)
>>
>>3474861
>[ ] Go out to the grounds with Adelheid and Caster, to meet the enemy from below as they come over the wall. (Duty)
>>
>>3474861
Oops. The third option is a Compassion choice; I just forgot to add the note.
>>
>>3474861
>[ ] Prioritize getting the non-combatants into the basement. From the sound of the enemy's plan, there won't be much need for tactical preparation to receive them. (Compassion)
>>
>>3474861
>[ ] Prioritize getting the non-combatants into the basement. From the sound of the enemy's plan, there won't be much need for tactical preparation to receive them. (Compassion)
Fuck you, Blackbeard.
>>
>If we lose, the south will rise again
That’s a comforting thought
>>
Teach isn't aware of submarines, is he?
>>
>>3474861
>[ ] Go out to the grounds with Adelheid and Caster, to meet the enemy from below as they come over the wall. (Duty)
Have Caster inform the noncombatants to get into the basement if they haven't already.
>>
Wait, how feasible would it be to have Adelheid break into QAR's hull by using torpedo blasts and then breaking stuff like support beams?
>>
U-Boats should be common knowledge, too, if you've paid attention in your history classes.
>>
>>3474939
His idea of how to win a battle is pretty comically off-base; it's like he's never heard of flanking. On the other hand, Archer, while right about the civil war, is wrong in applying it to this coming battle. Having more stuff overall might be a great benefit to your ability to win in the long run, but in a single engagement it doesn't guarantee victory if you're an idiot and use it as such.

>>3474961
Having Adelheid destroy the QAR is already the plan.

>>3474965
The enemies don't know what we know about Adelheid - they just know she's a pretty little girl who goes boom.
>>
>>3474970
Blackbeard died surrounded and outmaneuvered by a superior naval force. He's no Admiral Nelson. Archer, well, you folks know what a great ally he is.
>>
>>3474970
>Having Adelheid destroy the QAR is already the plan.
Yes, but we can do it from below rather than above.
>The enemies don't know what we know about Adelheid - they just know she's a pretty little girl who goes boom.
I was more saying that so the idea wouldn't seem meta. What we need are shaped-charge explosives anyway.

The question is can Caster warn the others and still be able to attack from above while we crack the shell from below?
>>
>>3474979
Using Berserker's explosions to destroy it from below has been the plan for a while now.
>>
File: 1549483071305.jpg (106 KB, 640x775)
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>>3474985
Huh, so it was.
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>>3474861
>[ ] Prioritize getting the non-combatants into the basement. From the sound of the enemy's plan, there won't be much need for tactical preparation to receive them.
>>
>>3475090
Would we still have time to outflank them if we do this? That is my main concern.
>>
I still say we leave it (corralling the noncombatants) up to Circe while we get into position.
>>
Well, I was going to do an update but now you're tied again.
>>
>>3475116
Could Circe tell the others to get to safety while we get into position or is this an either/or ordeal?
>>
>>3475116
>>3475119
If we could have Caster alert the others remotely rather than have to do it in person, I'll change my vote to getting in position. I just want everybody safe so we can focus on the battle.
>>
>>3475119
You can ask her to tell the others to get into the basement, but she'll be lagging a bit behind you and Adelheid in getting ready for the attack.
To clarify, the compassion option will have you personally going around the university and making sure people get down into the basement. If you have Caster send out an alert, there's no guarantee they'll all hear it...
>>
>>3475123
Then I'll change to Compassion.
>>
>>3475123
I'll keep my vote as Compassion, then.
>>
>>3474861
>[ ] Prioritize getting the non-combatants into the basement. From the sound of the enemy's plan, there won't be much need for tactical preparation to receive them.
>>
You stand up and make a chopping motion with your hand. "Cut off the picture, Caster. We're running short on time."

"Alright," Caster says, and the image fades from the water. Caster and Adelheid rise with you.

"I'm going to make sure everyone's up and heading for the basement," you declare. "Caster, focus on reinforcing our barrier for now. Adelheid, you can come with me."

WIthout waiting for confirmation, you turn and exit the room. You have a lot of ground to cover if you want to get to everyone's rooms, and you have to do it fast. You start with Truvietianne, since she's the one who'll have to set up the barrier in the basement, making for her room with quick strides. When you arrive, you discover that it's as you feared. The girl remains dead asleep. Without pausing for niceties, you barge in and shake her awake.

"Huh?" Truvietianne blinks groggily in the light, "Yu-Yumigawa-kun?" As she recognizes you, her voice jumps and she goes red. "What are you doing in my room? Entering a lady's room wthout permission is-"

You cut her off. "The enemy will be here in less than an hour," you say in a tone that brooks no quarrel. "Get up, and get down to the basement to take shelter." Once again, time pressing down on you, you leave the room without waiting for a proper response. As you head for Kikuko's room, you check your watch and realize that it's already been fifteen minutes since you left Caster's workshop. Not for the first time, you curse the unnecessary size of this university.

Before you arrive, though, an idea strikes. You can entrust Kikuko with getting everyone else into the basement! She may protest, but you know for a fact that Caster's magic makes the girl incapable of resisting your orders. To your surprise, as you knock on her door you hear a responding voice. "Come in," Kikuko calls. "Is that you, Yumigawa-kun?"

"That's right," you say, heading into the room. Kikuko is wearing a nightgown and sitting at a vanity, combing her hair in front of the mirror. "You get up earlier than Edelfelt," you observe. "But I can't have you killing time doing your hair. The enemy is on their way here now, and I need you to get everyone into the basement."

"What?" The girl spins around to look you in the face, furious. "You already know I totally hate the idea of even having to, like, waste today down there! Now I have to, like, get everyone else to as well?"

"There's just no time," you insist. "I can't do it myself." You take the girl by the shoulders and fix your eyes on hers; you don't really know if this will improve the effects of Caster's brainwashing, but it's worth a try. "Munahara, go and round up the other non-combatants. Take them down to the deepest level of the basement, and make sure you all stay safe during the fighting. I need you to do this, understand?"
>>
Kikuko looks down, suddenly wearing the expression of a child told off by her parents. "Alright," she says sullenly. Then she breaks away from you and starts pulling clothes out of her closet. "Just give me a minute to, like, get dressed."

With that, the issue of making sure everyone takes shelter seems solved, and you almost run out of Kikuko's room. You barely have time to make it back to Caster's workshop before you hear the first sounds of cannon fire as Rider's ship begins bombarding the university grounds.

"Master," Caster cries, "There you are! My barrier is holding them outside the property of the university for the moment, but it won't be able to hold out much longer! What should we do?"

>[ ] Go down to ground level to attack the ship from below.

>[ ] Ascend to the roof to attack the Servants on deck.

>[ ] Propose another plan. (Write in)
>>
>>3475196
>[ ] Go down to ground level to attack the ship from below
U-boats > Frigates
>>
>>3475196
>[ ] Go down to ground level to attack the ship from below.
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>>3475196
>[ ] Go down to ground level to attack the ship from below.
>>
>>3475196
>[ ] Go down to ground level to attack the ship from below.
>>
>>3475196
>[ ] Go down to ground level to attack the ship from below.
>>
File: QAR.jpg (146 KB, 666x600)
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You give Caster a ferocious grin, exclaiming in reply, "It seems we haven't a moment to lose! Caster, teleport the three of us outside, to the university grounds! If Rider thinks he can fire on us with impunity, we'll just have to show him how vulnerable a galleon is from below!"

"Very well, Master. Tροψα!" At Caster's command, the space around you shimmers and warps, and in a moment you're standing outside, by one of the university gardens' many ponds. Above and in front of you floats Rider's massive ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge. It hovers just outside the grounds of the university, its cannons thundering a constant succession of fire into the invisible wall that stretches up from the more mundane stone wall at the property's edge. "Master, the barrier can't hold out any longer," Caster says, a strain in her voice. "They're coming!" As if on cue, the air is torn by a great shattering noise, like thousands of windows being broken by a single impact. Hairline cracks seem to spread through the very air above the wall, before the barrier fades away entirely, unable to sustain itself with its cohesion lost. The great ship turns again, sailing majestically forward to advance over the university, and you can distantly hear Rider's voice boom out.

"Master of Caster! Come out soon, or we'll pound yer house into the dirt! This is it for ye!"

The deck of the ship is slightly higher than the roof of the university, making it too high for anyone but Caster to attack the wooden behemoth. In the short time you have before Rider resumes his broadside, your mind races. How can you make your attack?

>[ ] Order Caster to fly up to the ship, carrying Adelheid with her. She can let Adelheid go near the ship's hull and continue her ascent to start flooding the deck with her familiars from above. If Adelheid can't punch through the hull she'll fall back to earth, but it's the most direct plan of attack for your Servants. You'll stay below to avoid facing Rider and Archer.

>[ ] Order Adelheid to try to ascend to the ship's hull under her own power, using Volksgemeinschaft's propulsion. Caster will carry you up and deposit you in a relatively hidden spot on the deck, near the entrance to the ship's interior, and then distract Archer and Rider with her familiars while you look for DeLancey.

>[ ] Order Caster and Berserker to concentrate all of their offensive power in a combined attack on the hull of the Queen Anne's Revenge, hopefully wrecking the ship before it can bombard the university. Once all your enemies have fallen to earth, they'll be much easier to deal with.
>>
Alright folks, I'm back and hoping we can complete the battle with Rider and Archer today. Let's get ready for the climax of this tumultuous Holy Grail War!
>>
>>3476277
>[ ] Order Adelheid to try to ascend to the ship's hull under her own power, using Volksgemeinschaft's propulsion. Caster will carry you up and deposit you in a relatively hidden spot on the deck, near the entrance to the ship's interior, and then distract Archer and Rider with her familiars while you look for DeLancey.
Third option is the worst, by the way.
>>
>>3476277
Oh, and of course you can
>[ ] Come up with another strategy (Write in)
>>
>>3476277
>[ ] Order Caster to fly up to the ship, carrying Adelheid with her. She can let Adelheid go near the ship's hull and continue her ascent to start flooding the deck with her familiars from above. If Adelheid can't punch through the hull she'll fall back to earth, but it's the most direct plan of attack for your Servants. You'll stay below to avoid facing Rider and Archer.
>>
>>3476277
>[ ] Order Caster to fly up to the ship, carrying Adelheid with her. She can let Adelheid go near the ship's hull and continue her ascent to start flooding the deck with her familiars from above. If Adelheid can't punch through the hull she'll fall back to earth, but it's the most direct plan of attack for your Servants. You'll stay below to avoid facing Rider and Archer.
I get the feeling that going onto the ship in the midst of a servant battle will end up much like the last time.
>>
>>3476340
You have a point. Switching >>3476301 to support.
>>
>>3476277
One other thing I wanted to mention, the diagram! I've been rather vague about the layout of the ship up until now, so I thought I'd put up an image to help clarify things. A few location notes:
The first time you saw the ship, when Keiseki was reclining on a deck chair, it was on the poop deck.
The entrance to the ship's interior where Caster would deposit you if you go for option 2 is at the rear wall of the quarterdeck.
When Jack, Blackbeard, and Blondie were standing at towards the prow and having their discussion this morning, they were doing so at the front of the forecastle.
>>
Rolled 3 (1d20)

>[X] Order Caster to fly up to the ship, carrying Adelheid with her. She can let Adelheid go near the ship's hull and continue her ascent to start flooding the deck with her familiars from above. If Adelheid can't punch through the hull she'll fall back to earth, but it's the most direct plan of attack for your Servants. You'll stay below to avoid facing Rider and Archer.

Roll 2d20
>>
Rolled 7, 1 = 8 (2d20)

>>3476439
Well here we fuckin go
check out these worthless rolls.
>>
Rolled 19, 7 = 26 (2d20)

>>3476439
Useless.
>>
>>3476445
Oops.
>>
Rolled 16, 10 = 26 (2d20)

>>3476439
>>
>>3476445
>Inb4 ded Circe
>>
>>3476457
Here's hoping we just manage to die ourselves somehow.
>>
>>3476445
Maybe you, ah... shouldn't call your roles.
>>
Rolled 1, 13 = 14 (2d20)

>>3476461
Hmmm.
lets put that to the test
Check out these absolutely great rolls
>>
>>3476465
what the shit.
>>
>>3476465
>1
Cursed
>>
I figured you folks had this about wrapped up when I rolled that 3 for Rider, but you really can't catch a break. That is rough!
>>
>>3476445
>>3476465
Fuck everything.
>>
Rolled 15, 3 = 18 (2d20)

>>3476484
c-check out this set of mediocre rolls
I'm so sorry guys.
>>
>>3476484
This is the work of the (((((Archer)))))
>>
Rolled 12, 7 = 19 (2d20)

>>3476439
Of all the things...
>>
A 1 shouldn't be THAT bad, compared to a 3, right?
>>
>>3476526
>3 for rider
>1 for one of our servants
>19 for one of our servants
I predict a loss of a servant in either side
>>
>>3476526
A crit fail will fuck you up far more than a crit success could ever help you. If I had to guess, I'd say one of our servants is either dead or unable to continue fighting. Saber managed to survive a 1, but he lost that battle immediately regardless.
>>
>>3476281
>I'm back and hoping we can complete the battle with Rider and Archer today.
...and then life came around. Writing the update now, sorry about the disappearance.
>>
>>3476745
No worries
>>
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>>3476745
>>3476760
One worry.
>>
>>3476763
Ok,
>1
Worry
>>
>>3476771
Here's hoping it's just a dead end.
Way too long since we visited the Dojo
>>
The best way to attack the ship, you decide, is actually the most direct. "Caster," you say, "What I want you to do is carry Adelheid up to the midsection of the ship's hull, flying. Get as close as you can and let her go. Adelheid, you'll use a shaped explosion to break your way in through the hull. Once that's done, Caster, you'll continue your ascent to attack Rider and Archer from above, flooding the deck with your familiars. While you keep them occupied, Adelheid should be able to wreck the ship's interior and kill Rider's Master."

Adelheid gives you a crisp salute, answering "Understood!" Caster's response is more measured. "How will you stay safe if they aren't all still on the ship, Master?"

Your confidence, however, is unshakable. "They will be," you say. "Didn't you listen to their plans? Archer and Rider think they can just fire on us from the air with impunity. They'll all be waiting on that ship, mark my words."

"Alright, Master, I'll trust your judgment." Caster gives you a gentle smile, and an out-of-place chill runs down your spine. Is it the dream again, messing with your head, or something else? While you clear your head, Caster puts her arms around Adelheid and takes flight. "Oh! You're heavier than you look," you hear as they rapidly gain distance, followed by an indistinguishable irate response from the Berserker.

Focusing your eyes, you can make out the entire course of the two Servants' assault on the ship despite being at a range that would require a good set of binoculars for a normal human. Just as planned, Caster closes in on the hull of the ship from below and Adelheid leaps from her arms, surrounded by a conical explosion that tears a large hole in the side of the ship. She alights on the lower deck, quickly fading into the shadows as she makes her way deeper into the huge vessel. By that time, Caster has already resumed her ascent, and she soon begins summoning lions, tigers, and wolves to fill the deck of the Queen Anne's Revenge and tear apart its undead crew. From your low angle, you can't see what's happening onboard, but you soon hear Blackbeard's booming laughter. "That won't work twice, Caster," he roars. "Fire!" Suddenly there's a flash from the deck, and the renewed sound of cannon fire. It can't be... did he move the some of his cannons from the gunports to the deck to react to an aerial assault? As you watch, an impact slams into Caster; you can't make out the detail of what it's done to her, but she drops from the sky to vanish from view in the trees. Blackbeard's laughter echoes through the morning air as he calls to his crew. "Alright, that's one handled! Now, turn about and let's reduce this heap!"

You don't have time to watch the Queen Anne's Revenge turn to face the university with its starboard cannons, though, as a drawling voice calls through the trees. "Look at that, you're not in the university at all! So much for sneaking in under covering fire, eh, Archer?"
>>
You whip around to see Jack DeLancey and Archer, standing in the shadow of a wide oak. But how could they have gotten away from the ship so quickly? Then it comes to you. They must have left the ship at some point during the approach and made their way in while Rider was bombarding the barrier. With everything focused on defending against the ship, Caster couldn't have noticed their presences or stopped their approach.

Archer blows a puff of smoke before answering DeLancey. "Yeah," he says, "Sure looks like we had some luck." He looks you in the eye, daring you to try something.

>[ ] Charge DeLancey! These two won't be expecting an attack, and you're fast enough to take him out before they can respond. (Pride)

>[ ] Dash behind a tree, maybe you can lose them in the glade! At least you'll have cover. (Self-Preservation)

>[ ] Try to use your mystic code to shield yourself. If you can guess his shot right, you can make your escape in the confusion or fake your death. (Duty/Self-Preservation)

>[ ] Use a command spell to call Adelheid to you. With Rider's Master here, there's no point in her being on the ship anyway. (Duty)

>[ ] Try to talk your way out of the situation. (By saying what?)

>[ ] Do something else (Write in)
>>
>>3476798
>[ ] Try to use your mystic code to shield yourself. If you can guess his shot right, you can make your escape in the confusion or fake your death. (Duty/Self-Preservation)
Every cowboy movie's fatal shot was aimed for the center of mass.
>>
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>>3476798
Also please be alive...
>>
>>3476798
>[ ] Try to use your mystic code to shield yourself. If you can guess his shot right, you can make your escape in the confusion or fake your death. (Duty/Self-Preservation)
I hope we die.
>>
>>3476439
>>3476445
In case you folks are curious about how these rolls worked, my 3 was for Rider detecting Adelheid's attack on the hull. One player d20 was for Adelheid's success in that attack, and the other was for Caster's performance against Rider (although that had a pretty high DC anyway, since it was exactly what he was expecting.)
>>
>>3476811
I swear to god she better just be injured.
>>
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>>3476838
... for your sake.
>>
>>3476842
Why don't we just try and die and hope it resets the encounter.
>>
>>3476849
I don't think Sweets will be so merciful as to take us back rather than just putting us at the point before the killing choice.
>>3476798
>[ ] Try to use your mystic code to shield yourself. If you can guess his shot right, you can make your escape in the confusion or fake your death. (Duty/Self-Preservation)
D-does the guy even know what Mystic Codes are?
>>
>>3476849
Did that happen when we got duped and died?
>>
>>3476856
>D-does the guy even know what Mystic Codes are?
Well, there weren't any portable holes in the Dollars trilogy.
>>
>>3476856
I mean.
Until we got a 100 and a 20 the whole getting tricked by Archer thing was supposed to be a dead end route apparently.
>>
>>3476798
>[ ] Try to use your mystic code to shield yourself. If you can guess his shot right, you can make your escape in the confusion or fake your death. (Duty/Self-Preservation)
>>
>>3476798
Fuck. I hope you're okay, Caster.

Time to try turning this around. Thank god Rider's master is here too - if Archer was alone, we'd be done for.

>[ ] Try to talk your way out of the situation. (By saying what?)
> "...Rider did think he'd killed all the spare masters except this one, didn't he? Looks like you win the war, Archer. Lancer's former master is a fine mage. Between the two of you, the starving servants that remain won't pose a problem. Well played."

Jack and Rider don't know we have the stockpile of mages. Hopefully we can spook Jack into summoning Rider once he realizes the folly of coming here without his servant.
>>
>>3476884
Whoops. Not mages, but survivors. Potential masters.
>>
>>3476884
>[ ] Try to talk your way out of the situation. (By saying what?)
> Take a good look at DeLancey. "...Rider did think he'd killed all the spare masters except this one, didn't he? Looks like you win the war, Archer. Lancer's former master is a fine mage. Once you've killed the two of us, the starving servants that remain won't pose a problem. Well played."
Changing this to be a tad more explicit. Just in case.
>>
>>3476838
Masters and servants have a pretty strong connection. If she had died, we'd feel it, all the more so because we'd suddenly get about 50 circuit's worth of Od back. She's not dead, but I don't think she's going to be much help for the rest of this fight.

>>3476849
If there's any choice that will get us out of this mess, we won't get to reset the encounter, and fucking up twice will result in permadeath. I'd rather not actively try to do something stupid since Sweets has stated pretty explicitly in the past that he intends to punish that sort of behavior from players.
>>
>>3476927
>Sweets has stated pretty explicitly in the past that he intends to punish that sort of behavior from players.
Hey, good memory!
>>
>>3476938
Shut up, Sweets, I'm blaming you for the crit fail.
>>
>>3476803
Except for the first time we had the chance to dead end with him, where he would have blown a hole through our neck.

Am I seriously the only guy who doesn't want to commit suicide in the vain hope of preventing Caster from getting hurt? She's a Servant, guys. She can take a hit, even if she is of the more fragile variety. All she has to do is go into spirit form and sit this one out.
>>
>>3476964
I thought the cloak choice was the possum/escape choice?

By the way, can the cloak work on air, or are we not experienced enough with it?
>>
>>3476964
I’m voting my way because I don’t think talking to Archer is going to put us in anywhere near a position to get out of here. He should damn well know at this point not to trust Rushorou’s mouth, so I frankly just think the absurd mystic code option is the most viable rn.

All of the other in-post options can pretty easily be negated with “Rushorou’s not faster than a bullet”, whereas I think there’s more of a chance of him being able to react fast enough to whoosh the bullet and then get something done.
>>
>>3476940
Externalizing your bad luck won't make it go away, anon.
>>
>>3476972
The cloak is only the "escape choice" if we can outsmart Archer when it comes to where to shoot people. The cloak can't protect our entire body. I'm guessing the cloak escape will require a roll and the surefire survival strategy is calling back Adelheid. I'd like to preserve the command spell for our inevitable battle with Cid if possible, and we're down a Servant, so if we can make this into a 3-way free-for-all rather than a 2v1 we'll be in a much better position.

>>3476979
I don't expect Archer to trust Rushorou's mouth. I intend to play on DeLancey's inherent distrust of Archer since Jack doesn't know us very well. The cloak also can't cover our entire body, so Archer could well just cap us in the leg like he did back in thread 3 and we're screwed.
>>
>>3476994
That assumes Archer won’t simply cap Rushorou as soon as he starts talking.
>>
>>3476991
I mean, it is the QM
>>
>>3476994
>DeLancey's inherent distrust of Archer
Who's he going to trust more, a designated ally or an enemy?
>>
>>3477001
Archer has a particular fondness for enjoying the moment when he thinks he's won. That's why he didn't just gun us down the first time we met. I've seen the first movie, it's definitely in character for him to do that. This is our chance to bite him in the ass with it.

>>3477005
An ally, obviously. That's why we won't be trying to convince him. We'll simply be referring to him as a defeated non-element in a conversation with Archer that he happens to be able to overhear.
>>
You had an interesting plan, ID, but the votes just aren't with you. Update coming up.
>>
>>3477036
Shit, that's too bad. Can't say I didn't try.
>>
BGM: https://youtu.be/EujDcc2xEUI

In the deadly moment, several options flash through your mind. You could charge DeLancey. No, that's too risky. Hide behind a tree? You'd be shot before you could make it. Calling Adelheid with a command spell or trying to talk Archer down would both see you shot before you could get a word in, most likely. No, there's only one thing to do. You have to use the cloak Caster made for you! It was designed to protect against projectiles, this is the moment!

You lock eyes with Archer, ready to go for your cloak at any moment. He can see the desperate courage in your gaze, and returns it with cold contempt. His hand floats over the handle of his gun, serene and calm; and ready. Your senses seem to heighten as adrenaline floods your system, the moment stretching out into an age; you can make out every detail of the silver rattlesnakes engraved into the grip of Archer's pistol; every stitch of fabric in his coat and every detail on his hat stands out. But that's all in your peripheral vision. Your eyes are locked on his, red to blue, each probing the other for a sign of weakness. You take a breath and-

>[ ] Cover your chest!

>[ ] Cover your face!

>[ ] Cover your gut!

>[ ] Cover one of your legs! (Which?)
>>
>>3477038
Gut or chest, gut or chest, gut or chest.....
>[ ] Cover your gut!
Fuck this is just like a scene from the movies we’re doomed
>>
>>3477038
>[ ] Cover your gut!
Oh, hell, I have no way of knowing. I'm going to bet on the quickdraw landing on the gut like it does in the movies.
>>
>>3477038
>[ ] Cover your gut!
>>
>>3477055
>Oh, hell, I have no way of knowing.
There are a couple of clues at your disposal, actually.
>>
>>3477064
The music?
>>
>>3477064
>>3477067
Well fuck, I don't want to spoil the last movie in the trilogy when I've only seen one. But if I don't, we get hit and probably have to redo this choice.
Son of a bitch...
>>
>>3477067
>>3477068
No, from the quest! All you'll get from the music is that it's a duel.
>>
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>remembers Lancer
SWITCH TO THE CHEST, NOW!
>>
>>3477070
Okay then, let's review.

Archer shot us in the throat when he was right next to us and had the advantage. That's probably out.
Archer shot us in the leg when he wanted to keep us alive for information. That's out for sure.
When he hit Lancer, which was the only in-battle shot to kill we've seen, he nailed Lancer right in the heart.

With that in mind...
>[ ] Cover your chest!
>>
>>3477080
One last piece of evidence - remember when we walked out of the church that one time?
Archer shot us in the chest.
The chest is where he shoots to kill.
>>
>>3477038
>Cover your chest!
>>
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IF ALL THE GUT VOTES DON'T BECOME CHEST VOTES...
>>
>>3477080
>>3477084
Solid research.

>>3477038
Changing
>>3477044
To
>[ ] Cover your chest!
>>
>>3477038
>[ ] Cover your chest!
>>
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At almost the same moment, you move! Archer's hand leaps up with impossible speed, revolver barrel leveled, and you stretch the fabric of your cload over your chest, protecting your heart as you fill the material with mystic energy.

BANG!

Pain rips through your mind as your throat is torn open by Archer's shot. You were... wrong...

You can't keep your head up strait anymore, the muscles are torn. As it sags, you see the blood pouring down your front; ruining your suit running into the cloth. It must still be open, the blood goes no further; just vanishes into the blackness. In the edge of your vision, the blurry form of Archer walks up to you.

You fall to your knees, and then go down on your side as the power leaves your body. With your head propped up again by the ground, you can see Archer smiling down at you. "Shoot for the heart, Ramon. Was that it? You've got the wrong guy for that trick." Then, in a flash he whirls, draws again, and plants a bullet in DeLancey's chest. "Now him, I knew he wouldn't do anything. You I wasn't so sure about." He drops the butt of his finished cigar into your cloak, chuckling as it vanishes into the darkness. "That thing sure beats an iron plate," he says, but he's not talking to you anymore. Archer's eyes are already fixed on the university.

As you bleed out, Archer steps over you and walks off to meet his remaining opponents.

DEAD END

Tiger Dojo is a strange hint corner
If you would like to beat the game by yourself
or if you would like to keep the characters' images, please be warned.
>>
https://youtu.be/_asNhzXq72w
>>
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>>3477144
>>3477152
Fuck you.
>>
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>>3477144
nani
>>
>>3477144
Damn, the only one I didn’t even give consideration. Oh well.
>>
>>3477155
Hey now, it's not so bad. You knew you had a pretty weak chance of picking the right option anyway, right?
>>
>>3477166
SWEEEEEEEETS
>>
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"Snake! Snake? SNAAAAAAKE!"

"No matter what I do, I can't get through this part! Disciple, come and do something about it!"

As you come to, you hear the familiar sound of a certain videogame's loss screen. You're in the usual training hall, but the instructor is sprawled out on a futon, playing with a Pl*ystation in front of an old CRT TV. Sitting beside her is Illya, the Tiger Dojo's senior disciple. "Look, you just have to," she begins.

"A-hem." You clear your throat theatrically.

"Huh?" The pair turns around slowly, and expressions of shock appear. "Ru-chan, you died again," the instructor exclaims joyously. "Finally! Er, I mean," she gets to her feet, putting on a stern expression.

"Osu! This is the training area that saves you people heading straight to cat hell because you made a trivial mistake, the Tiger Dojo!"

Illya cuts in. "Tiger, didn't you use that introduction already?"

Crack!

"Chesto! Who cares if I used it already? And don't call me Tiger, you failure of a disciple! Why are you wearing a gym uniform in a sacred dojo, anyway?"

"That's a laugh, coming from someone who dragged in a game system and futon," Illya moans, rubbing her head. "Anyway, why did Onii-chan die this time? It seemed like he was doing pretty well."

The instructor prods you in the throat. "Because he failed to guess the right place to guard, of course! Ru-chan should've known from the earlier dead end that Archer would shoot him in the throat!"

Illya gives the instructor a worn-out look. "...really?"

"Ju~st kidding! Tehe!" The instructor sticks her tongue out in a "cute" expression. "Actually it's because of the way you sent your Servants off, Ru-chan! You shouldn't leave yourself alone, or at least don't use the same method of attacking twice in a row. Rider prepared countermeasures after the last time you had Caster attack from above, you know?"

"Huh..." you muse.

"But changing that isn't a possibility now. At this point, the best thing you can do is try to get away from Archer! A duel is a definite mistake. Certain death! Now take this Tiger Stamp, and good luck!"

"Wait, what," you ask, "It's impossible to change, what do you-"

>[ ] Charge DeLancey! These two won't be expecting an attack, and you're fast enough to take him out before they can respond. (Pride)

>[ ] Dash behind a tree, maybe you can lose them in the glade! At least you'll have cover. (Self-Preservation)

>[ ] Use a command spell to call Adelheid to you. With Rider's Master here, there's no point in her being on the ship anyway. (Duty)

>[ ] Try to talk your way out of the situation. (By saying what?)

>[ ] Do something else (Write in)
>>
>>3477244
>[ ] Dash behind a tree, maybe you can lose them in the glade! At least you'll have cover. (Self-Preservation)
Fuggit, I ain't got nothing else.
>>
>>3477244
>[ ] Try to talk your way out of the situation. (By saying what?)
> Take a good look at DeLancey. "...Rider did think he'd killed all the spare masters except this one, didn't he? Looks like you win the war, Archer. Lancer's former master is a fine mage. Once you've killed the two of us, the starving servants that remain won't pose a problem. Well played."
Let's try this again.
>>
>>3477244
Except this >>3477271, I guess.
>>
>>3477244
>[ ] Use a command spell to call Adelheid to get you out of here
Fuck, I guess this is it then.
>>
Could a Command Spell work on an unconscious/incapacitated Servant?
>>
>>3477293
Nevermind, that's probably a stupid idea.
>>
>>3477293
Probably not a safe call, especially since Circe is less agile then either Adelheid or Señor No-Name.
>>
>>3477296
My idea was having her tp us out, but yeah.
>>
>>3477244
>[ ] Dash behind a tree, maybe you can lose them in the glade! At least you'll have cover. (Self-Preservation)
>>
>>3477337
Fuck it, he might actually listen.
>>
Alright, folks, it's been fun but now I'm off to bed. Since you're currently tied, I hope you can work together to come up with an excellent strategy by the time I return!
>>
>>3477244
>[ ] Dash behind a tree, maybe you can lose them in the glade! At least you'll have cover. (Self-Preservation)
Allow me to break this tie.
>>
Question for you folks:
As we all know, dead ends are an essential part of FSN, and I've been doing my best to present them well here. Now that we've had nine deaths for Rushorou, I'd like your opinions. Which was your favorite dead end, and why?
As for the whole set, are they gorey and brutal enough, or do I still need to step up my game to capture the feel of the VN?
>>
>>3477389
Why does your asking that while we're risking another, possibly final, Dead End concern me?
>>
>>3477389
>Which was your favorite dead end
NONE OF THEM
>and why?
Because we failed, failing is bad.
>As for the whole set, are they gorey and brutal enough, or do I still need to step up my game to capture the feel of the VN?
Eh, good enough.
>>
>>3477271
>>3477328
Can we shout while we dash behind a tree?
>>
So what would we have gotten if we guessed correctly?
>>
>>3477389
The very first one still stands out, just as a funny and stupid way to go. It also served really well as a non-controversial and workable way to introduce the mechanic itself.

They’re fine. There’s a certain limit to what paragraphs of text and static images can display due to the inherent holdups of the medium, and I think you’ve got the balance of excessive verbiage and underexpression of the horror down quite well.
>>
>>3477389
I think Archer shooting the throat despite the precedent of chest-shooting is kind of bullshit, but I really liked the tension leading up to that dead end.

>>3477435
In theory, it can be done, but only if you ignore the inevitability of Archer shooting us as soon as we try to run.
>>
>>3477519
>implying it was possible to choose correctly at all.
>>
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>>3477538
Sweets wouldn't lie about >>3477166, let alone on the internet, would he?
>>
>>3477542
>>3477538
He was probably saying it was a weak chance b/c we would have had to write-in the throat.
>>
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>>3477542
>implying Sweets-Loving QM would ever tell the truth, especially on the internet
He's a big guy, you know.
>>
>>3477544
Right so there was absolutely zero chance.
>>
>>3477544
For the record, picking face would have saved you.
>>
>>3477535
>precedent of chest-shooting
But there's also the precedent of throat shooting, particularly in your case, at close range, in the university gardens.
>>
>>3477588
Ah, ok. Still a bummer, but it’s fine.
>>
>>3477590
Sure, but that was when he was literally inches away from us and already had his gun out and trained at the back of our head. At no other point in the quest except that dead end does he even try to shoot someone in the throat. Hell, you even said that Caster would get shot in her back (not her throat) if we had tried to use a command spell to kill Keiseki and Kikuko. There just wasn't any real reason to think the throat would be his go-to.

It's too late to do anything about it now, but it still feels cheap.
>>
So it looks like you're settled on going for the cover of a tree. Everyone alright with that?
>>
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>>3477945
I'm not but I already voted, so... I just hope it's the right choice.
>>
>>3477945
I'm pretty sure the vote is tied 2-2.

Talking
>>3477271
>>3477275

Dash to tree
>>3477328
>>3477359

And one guy who wants to try both.
>>3477435
>>
>>3477969
Oh, you're right. I had thought there was another tree vote. In that case, it looks like you'll have to convince one another.
>>
>>3477244
>[ ] Try to talk your way out of the situation. (By saying what?)
> Take a good look at DeLancey. "...Rider did think he'd killed all the spare masters except this one, didn't he? Looks like you win the war, Archer. Lancer's former master is a fine mage. Once you've killed the two of us, the starving servants that remain won't pose a problem. Well played."
Let's give talking a chance.
>>
As you stand there, momentarily paralyzed by the shock of the enemy's appearance, an idea strikes you. You already know DeLancey doesn't trust Archer. Perhaps it would be possible to play on that insecurity and set them against one another. You give DeLancey a long, searching look before turning your eyes to Archer and smirking. "I suppose Rider did think he'd killed all the master candidates but him, didn't he? It seems you've won the war, Archer. Lancer's former master is a fine magus, and between the two of you the starving servants that remain won't pose a problem. Well played. Really, congratulations are in order."

Archer gives you a hard glare, his usual smirk quite gone. "Some people'll try anything when they're at the end of the line," he hisses, "but this is pathetic. Good bye, kid." Just as he's about to draw, though, DeLancey grabs him by the arm.

"Hold on, Archer," DaLancey says angrily, "just what the hell is he talking about? There are more Master candidates?"

Archer rounds on the other Master. "Calm down! Sure there are other survivors here, what about it? Once you and Rider win, they'll go home with their lives."

"Oh, that changes the whole situation," says Jack, but you don't hang around to find out what he does or says afterwards. As soon as Archer's back is to you, you dart behind a tree and from there into some shrubs. You won't be able to crawl through the underbrush the entire way back to the university; for that you'd have to cross open ground, but you can at least move parallel to it. After a few minutes, the voices of Archer and DeLancey fade completely into the background, and you're alone in the simulated forest of the university gardens. With pursuit not seemingly imminent, you send out a telepathic request for a report to each of your Servants.

From Caster, you get nothing. You can still feel the mystic connection between the two of you, so you know she's alive, but whatever condition she's in leaves her unable to respond. Adelheid, on the other hand, is quick to report. 'I was able to get into the ship and start tearing the crew apart without much trouble, but there's no sign of Rider's Master. The deck went silent a few minutes ago as well; Rushorou, do you have any idea what's going on up there?'

Unfortunately, you don't. Caster was dealt with as far as Rider was concerned, so of course there'd be no fighting going on, but that's not enough reason for the cannons to have stopped firing on the university as well. Unless DeLancey called Rider back to him to protect against Archer, anyway. If that's true, you definitely need Adelheid to head for your position as quickly as she can!

'Adelheid,' you begin, 'I think Rider may have left the ship due to-' but before you get any further, there's a deafening crash in the distance. It's the sound of wood slamming into earth, and it's accompanied by a tremor. 'Adelheid, what was that?'
>>
Several seconds of incoherent rage blast into your mind that would force you to pull the phone away in conventional communication. With no phone, you have to bear it out. Then Adelheid manages to calm down enough to tell you, 'this damnable ship's just crashed into the ground! Rider, that worthless pile of societal refuse, must have left for some reason! I'm going looking for him!'

>[ ] Ask Adelheid where she is, so the two of you can meet up and attack Rider together.

>[ ] Order Adelheid to come to your position instead, while you continue to lie low.

>[ ] Tell her to stop and head for the university. If you meet there, you can take stock of the situation and form a new battle plan.

>[ ] Do something else (Write in)
>>
>>3478877
>>[ ] Ask Adelheid where she is, so the two of you can meet up and attack Rider together.
Isn't destroying your enemies alliances beautiful?
Damn I hope Caster is ok.
>>
>>3478877
>ID Lock right again
ITS JUST NOT FAIR
>[ ] Ask Adelheid where she is, so the two of you can meet up and attack Rider together.
>>
>>3478891
Look, it was a clever idea. Next time Rushorou is in a bind, why don't you try coming up with an inventive write-in solution?
>>
>>3478882
>in this episode Rider crashes his ship into the ground after getting his Master killed due to making a tactically idiotic decision
>again
I'm starting to believe that our opponents may in fact be more stupid than we give them credit for.
>>
>>3478906
Somehow I have a feeling that you're the same guy who was calling Rider an idiot for working with Archer at all. So tell me, what would you do? Put yourself in Rider's shoes after taking out Assassin and recruiting a new Master. What's your plan of action to come out on top?
>>
>>3478900
Oh no, I appreciate the quality of his writeins and overall participation. Issa joku
>>
>>3478877
>[ ] Ask Adelheid where she is, so the two of you can meet up and rescue Caster together.
>>
>>3478908
Maybe not leave my Master with the servant with independent action and no Master who is capable of outlasting you if you lose your master and has shown absolutely no remorse for betraying people or tricking them.
for one.
I'm not saying it's a bad thing mind you. Blackbeard had to find some way to counter Caster's scrying and also make it so his Master wouldn't be killed in the crossfire of the fight.
Basically he was shit out of luck.
>>
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>>3478877
>[ ] Ask Adelheid where she is, so the two of you can meet up and attack Rider together.
OUT
FUCKING
PLAYED

>>3478891
Two words:
H E R O I C
W I L I N E S S
It's a damn shame Caster's probably unconscious. She'd be so fucking wet if she saw that.

>>3478908
Teaming with Archer in general was a good idea. For this particular battle? Literally anything but "let your master go unattended with a known traitor."
>>
>>3478908
Not him obviously, but if I were rider I’d’ve just bombarded Caster’s fortress as soon as able and have my new master shack up in the most hidden compartment in my ship. The acquisition of berserker changes the game, but of course I don’t learn of that until Archer tells me about it. Trusting my master in the hands of anyone else after what happened the first time is a non-starter, so maybe I agree to coordinate an attack with Archer but as two separate forces.

>>3478935
Fuck man, where would this quest be without you? Probably moved onto a new PC....
>>
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>>3478877
>[ ] Tell her to stop and head for the university. If you meet there, you can take stock of the situation and form a new battle plan.
We must not let a repeat of the last time Rider lost his master happen again.
>>3478891
HE CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS
>>
>>3478943
Oh right yeah, actually.
Switching from
>>3478882
to
>[ ] Tell her to stop and head for the university. If you meet there, you can take stock of the situation and form a new battle plan
>>
>>3478943
Yeah, that'd be pretty bad, and we don't know how long Archer is going to last. Changing >>3478935 to
>[ ] Tell her to stop and head for the university. If you meet there, you can take stock of the situation and form a new battle plan.
>>
I think we should personally head to Caster to give her a quick mana transfer; she might be as good as dead otherwise.
>>
>>3478963
I don't think we know where she is. Odds are she's dematerialized and is safe from harm. Horrifically wounded servants have a tendency to go into spirit form for the sake of self-preservation.

>>3478942
Hey, I've made some bad calls too. I didn't do too hot in the "negotiations" with Keiseki. Though I wouldn't have led Rushorou to permadeath (thankfully, sitting down reset the death we had just received), I would have came pretty close if I hadn't been outvoted.
>>
I keep getting sidetracked thinking about where I want to take the story in the long run, and then realizing I'm not doing any work on the update.

Go to Adelheid's location
>>3478891
>>3478926

Rendezvous at the university
>>3478943
>>3478948
>>3478957

Go for Caster yourself
>>3478963
>>
>>3479046
>I keep getting sidetracked thinking about where I want to take the story in the long run
That’s a good thing tho
>>
>>3478877
Find Caster
>>
'Hold on, Adelheid,' you shoot back. 'I need you to go to the university entrance. I'll meet you there. Don't lose your head and run off when we don't know the situation!'

You begin walking toward the university at an even pace, standing again now that you've gotten a good distance between yourself and Archer. As you do so, you hear Adelheid reply, 'Lose my head? We know the situation perfectly well; there are two enemy Servants here ready to attack us, and I'm going to take the fight to one of them instead of letting them roam freely through our land!'

Now she doesn't even want to do as you tell her. This battle really has gone straight to hell. As you walk, you ask, 'Adelheid, are you aware that Rider was able to knock Caster out of the air as soon as she attacked? Or that Archer and DeLancey had separated from the ship before it broke through the barrier and made a stealthy approach through the university gardens?'

There's a long silence before, '...alright, Rushorou, let's meet at the university. We'll figure out what to do from there.'

'Good.' Since the forestry is mostly confined to the more distant areas of the grounds, it isn't long before you're out on open ground again. After ascending a grassy knoll you find a gravel path, which soon leads you through the rose garden. Amusingly, the crater from your first meeting with Archer is still here, along with the shattered pieces of a park bench. Off in the distance you can hear the sound of mingled gunfire; apparently Rider got to DeLancey in time to keep Archer from taking him out.

As you come around to the front of the university, you discover the shocking level of damage Rider was able to inflict with his brief broadside. The central tower containing Caster's workshop has collapsed in on itself, there are numerous craters in the walls and holes in the roof, and all of the windows on this side have been blown in. If he'd been able to keep up the bombardment for a while longer, Rider might really have made good on his intention of leveling your home completely. About fifty feet in front of the university the crashed hulk of the Queen Anne's Revenge stands, leaning halfway between vertical and horizontal. A large section of its hull has been flattened by the impact, giving it the appearance of a partially submerged vessel caught in the motion of overturning.

Adelheid is waiting immediately before the university entrance, watching the horizon with an impatient expression. As soon as you come into view, she shouts, "there you are! Now, since you're so eager to get a better view of the situation, take it in. There's the crashed ship, you can see the university, and by the sound of it Archer and Rider have had a falling out off in that direction." She points at a large grove by a lake, the place where Caster teleported you to earlier. As you watch, an oak collapses, opening a hole in the treeline. "So? What's this about Caster being shot?"
>>
"Blackbeard apparently had some of his cannons on deck," you explain. "When Caster flew up above to attack, he fired on her. I couldn't tell how badly she was hurt, but she dropped out of the sky over the university. I couldn't watch what happened after that, because that's when Archer showed up."

"With Rider's Master?"

"That's right," you say, and point to the area of fighting. "They were under those trees; I would've been shot if I hadn't convinced Rider's Master that Archer planned to kill him. The two of them began to argue, and that's when I made my escape. Based on what happened to you, I suppose that Rider's Master must have summoned him with a command spell."

"I see." Adelheid pauses to think for a moment, before continuing, "If they're fighting now, it's to our benefit. We ought to simply wait here and watch the outcome of the battle, so we can deal with whoever becomes the victor."

It's a shockingly cold plan, even for Adelheid, and you exclaim, "You want to wait it out? What about Caster? She could be off dying somewhere, we need to finish this battle as quickly as possible!"

Adelheid shakes her head with military precision; there's no girlishness in her movements today. "Servants don't die so easily, Rushorou. You put yourself in the line of fire, intentionally or otherwise, and secured an advantage for us. If we go down there now, you'll be throwing that away to have me take on two Servants at once. Is that what you want?" It's a strong point, but it isn't as if fighting the both of them is the only possibility. You could aid one of the enemies to speed up the end of their conflict and then turn on them, or perhaps try to bombard them from range with some of Adelheid's larger explosives. There have to be other options!

Your mind races, looking for the perfect plan, and you decide the thing to do is...

>[ ] Follow Adelheid's plan and observe the battle between Archer and Rider without getting involved. (Duty/Self-Preservation)

>[ ] Wait for both sides to sustain damage, then take out both enemies at once with the strongest explosive in Adelheid's arsenal. (Pride)

>[ ] Attack the enemy by supporting one side against the other, then turning on them. (Which side?) (Duty/Pride)

>[ ] Forget the enemy for the moment, and look for Caster. Whatever Adelheid may think, you need to prioritize her safety right now! (Compassion)
>>
>>3479307
>[ ] Forget the enemy for the moment, and look for Caster. Whatever Adelheid may think, you need to prioritize her safety right now! (Compassion)
RESCUE THE WAIFU IMMEDIATELY
>>
Caster was shot down, outside the campus walls, right?
>>
>>3479322
Dunno how that first comma got there.
>>
>>3479307
>[ ] Forget the enemy for the moment, and look for Caster. Whatever Adelheid may think, you need to prioritize her safety right now! (Compassion)
Not like it will be hard to avoid the pirate being shot at by the cowboy.
I should imagine they are being quite loud.
Besides, the real threat, Rider, has to protect his idiot Master too.
>>
Are they in the way of the only route to her or is there a roundabout path?
>>
>>3479327
They are in the opposite direction of you from her. In order of distance from a point, we have the university, your position, the ship, then the sounds of combat. Caster went down somewhere between the university and the ship.
>>
>>3479357
Okay.
>[ ] Forget the enemy for the moment, and look for Caster. Whatever Adelheid may think, you need to prioritize her safety right now! (Compassion)
inb4 Dead End
>>
>>3479307
Guys, what if we command-spell adelheid to do it for maximum speed? She could probably find her in no time with some super-magic behind her.
>>
>>3479421
We have only one of those now. Best to save it for when there's absolutely no other choice.
>>
>>3479307
>[ ] Forget the enemy for the moment, and look for Caster. Whatever Adelheid may think, you need to prioritize her safety right now! (Compassion)
If Caster and the fighting are in opposite directions, then shouldn't this be complimentary to rather than incompatible with Adelheid's "wait it out" plan? In fact, securing our ally should be the optimal move.
Adelheid, you better not just be hoping Caster dies while unattended...

>>3479421
I don't agree with using a command spell, but if we were to use one it'd be much faster to simply teleport Caster to our location rather than send Adelheid off in search.
>>
>>3479307
>[ ] Forget the enemy for the moment, and look for Caster. Whatever Adelheid may think, you need to prioritize her safety right now! (Compassion)
>>
>>3479719
>If Caster and the fighting are in opposite directions, then shouldn't this be complimentary to rather than incompatible with Adelheid's "wait it out" plan?
The idea is that if you take Adelheid's plan you'll be actively observing what's going on with Archer and Rider, whereas going for Caster necessitates turning around and letting them finish their fight unobserved. Hence "forget the enemy."
>>
>>3479429
You have 2
>>
>>3479919
One for Adelheid, one for Circe is what I meant.
>>
>>3480028
That's not how they work anymore, though. Remember? Either one can be used for either Servant, so you could use both for Adelheid or both for Caster if you wanted.
>>
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>>3480031
That's my personal preference, not an assertion of fact. I also doubt that you could cook up an out-of-place situation where we would need to use both Spells on a single Servant. R-right?
>>
>>3479915
In that case, would it be possible to have Adelheid continue monitoring the battle and keep us updated while we look for Caster?
>>
>>3480136
Sure, you can do that. Is that what you folks want to go with?
>>
>>3480203
It would probanly turn out poorly, but sure.
>>
>[X] Leave Adelheid to monitor the battle going on in the gardens, while you go looking for Caster.

Roll d100
>>
Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>3480457
Hinjaku Hinjaku.
>>
>>3480460
Dioposting does it again!
>>
Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>3480460
>high roll Dioposting
Every time.

>>3480457
Well, gotta get the other two rolls.
>>
Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>3480460
>>
>>3480208
>>3480504
Fuck, my ID changed.
>>
>>3480460
Dioposting is the greatest high
>>
"Alright, Adelheid," you say, "we'll wait out the fighting for the moment. Stay alert, and keep me informed of any changes."

Adelheid raises an eyebrow. "Keep you informed? And just where do you intend to go?"

"To look for Caster, of course," you snap. "Until I know she's in stable condition, I can't simply wait around! You may have convinced me not to hurry the battle, but I have no intention of just sitting here."

"Tch" Adelheid clicks her tongue in annoyance. "Fine then, just stay alert. The enemy could still have something up their sleeves."

"Don't worry," you say, and turn to run back into the university. Caster seemed to drop to earth either above or in front of the building, and since you didn't see her body while meeting Adelheid you have to assume she went in through one of the holes in the roof. Experimentally, you try sending out another mental call for the Servant, but there's no response.

Inside, the university is even more of a mess than the exterior implied. Fragments of shattered art and the shards of the blown-in windows are scattered across the floor, while the walls, ceiling, and floor are riddled with cracks. Evidently the shockwaves from Rider's cannons traveled much further than the projectiles themselves. It's only a mercy that the exterior structure continues to support itself; trying to save Truvietianne and the others from beneath a the rubble of the collapsed university would be nigh-impossible.

Recalling your extensive walks through the building, you quickly decide that a piecemeal search would be both pointless and wasteful. The idea of running across Caster's body by combing the place is laughable. Fortunately, that isn't the only method you have available. Your intensive training in energy control over the past several days has borne fruit in the ability to visualize and detect the entirety of the energy flow between you and your servants, and by focusing on that energy you can roughly determine Caster's location. She's above you, near the center of the university's highest floor, so you make for the stairs with all haste.

As you ascend, Caster's location becomes more clear, and you're shocked to discover that she actually seems to be in your room! Given the bizarre coincidence necessary for her to happen to fall there, she was likely in sufficiently functional condition to direct her fall. At least, that's what you hope as you sprint through the halls to retrace the route you've taken so many times over the past week.

Opening the door to your room, you find it in as chaotic a situation as the rest of the university. The entirety of the ceiling is gone, letting in daylight through a far larger aperture than the window. The floorboards are broken in, forming a sort of crater that sags below a large iron ball in the middle of the room, and the whole place is covered by a scattering of roofing tile. What you don't see, unfortunately, is Caster.
>>
"But... that's impossible! I know she's here!" As you mutter your frustration, you close your eyes and focus even harder on Caster's presence. Sure enough, she's sprawled out on your bed, a mass of your own mystic energy given human shape. Before your eyes, however, she's absent. Then it hits you, what you'd forgotten in your rush; spirit form. Obviously she's returned to a phantom state in order to protect herself, but if she's unconscious in this condition you can't interact with her. How can you wake her, if you can't see or touch the Servant? Telepathy would be the only way, but she's already proven unresponsive.

Fortunately you don't have to worry long. As if your energy is strengthening her by your proximity, Caster gradually fades into material form in front of you and opens her eyes. She attempts to sit up as well, but collapses back to the bed quickly. Now that she's visible, you can see just how bad the damage really is. Her right arm and part of the shoulder are gone, leaving only a bloody mass of gore where they should connect to her torso. Behind that, the wing is in tatters. The rest of her is covered in blood; there don't seem to be any separate injuries, but the brutal impact is enough that it could be fatal on its own. No words come, as you're momentarily at a loss for how to address the situation.

Caster gives you a wan smile, and almost sighs, "I'm sorry, Master. It seems he knew what we'd do, and my Μαρδοξ wasn't enough to stop all three of the shots."

Finally you find your voice. "It wasn't your fault," you cry. "The responsibility is mine, I gave the orders!" You jump over the crater and rush to Caster's side, wanting to take her in your arms, but stop at the last moment. In her condition, an embrace could lead to a new wound. Instead you settle for clasping her remaining hand in yours. "Caster," you whisper, "how bad is it, really? Is this the end for you?"

"Fufufu~" Caster gives you a real smile this time, not forced, and lets out a weak chuckle. "No, Master. Even when I was alive as a nymph I could have recovered from this. As a Servant, I just need..." With surprising strength, she pulls your hand to draw you in closer, wrapping her left wing around your body and bringing your face close enough that your breath mingles. "...some energy. I can't seem to lift my head very well. Can you help me, Master?"

Circe closes her eyes as you kiss her, holding her head upright with both hands. Blood is on her lips and in her mouth, and it becomes the overriding flavor of the kiss. You soon find that at some point she bit deeply enough into her tongue to leave deep cuts. Her injury, however, does not prevent the witch from taking a thoroughly active role in receiving your energy. The drain on you is heavy; even heavier than the first time you gave energy to Adelheid, and when you pull away you feel faint.
>>
A film of gray washes over your vision for a moment, and you shake your head to clear it. As you're returning to clarity, you see the flow of blood from Caster's shoulder stop, and watch as her wing knits itself back together. "Master," she says, calling your attention back to her face. "I don't think I'll be able to help you for a while; I need to stay incorporeal to heal. Good luck..." With that, Caster fades from view once again, presumably returning to unconsciousness in the process.

With Caster's situation resolved, at least partially, your mind turns to the other survivors. Given the damaged state of the university, it may be necessary to find a new hiding place for them. Then again, how long can you leave Adelheid to wait alone?

>[ ] Go down to the basement to check the status of the other survivors. (Compassion)

>[ ] Return to Adelheid and prepare to battle the remaining Servant. (Duty)

>[ ] Do something else (Write in)
>>
>>3480854
>[ ] Return to Adelheid and prepare to battle the remaining Servant. (Duty)
The bombardment likely wasn't sustained enough to break into the basement.
>>
>>3480854
>[ ] Return to Adelheid and prepare to battle the remaining Servant. (Duty)
The university still stands, thankfully. The others almost certainly safe. To keep them that way, it's best we focus on preventing the other servants - or ideally, just the one that wins - from getting close.
>>
>>3480854
>[ ] Return to Adelheid and prepare to battle the remaining Servant. (Duty)
>>
>>3480854
We probably just saved her life. Excellent.
>[ ] Return to Adelheid and prepare to battle the remaining Servant. (Duty)
>>
>>3480854
>[ ] Return to Adelheid and prepare to battle the remaining Servant. (Duty)
I may have gotten Caster horribly injured, but I also rolled high enough to get us a mana kissu to fix her.
>>
The possibility of a structural collapse is concerning, but it's hardly a pressing matter. "No, I'd better get back to Adelheid," you mutter. "I'm sure Archer and Rider are getting close to a resolution by now." Decision made, you turn back the way you came and head out to leave the university.
>>
"Just what are you made of?" The Man with No Name lets out a furious shout as he sinks another bullet into Blackbeard, seemingly with no effect. He may be the world's best gunfighter, but everything in his past trained him for quick battles. You put a round in someone, and they're dead! They might not die straightaway, but nobody just keeps fighting after taking a bullet. Whether you shoot from behind in an ambush, take them out from a hill on the edge of the horizon, or just get the first draw, that simple rule has always applied.

In this forest, though, everything's changed. No matter how many times he nails Rider, the big man keeps coming, not tiring or going down. It's that damn ability, empowering him by his destructive reputation; apparently DeLancey really had put the previous day to use! As Rider answers the shot with his own hail of bullets, Archer realizes that he, on the other hand,
is tiring. He may be faster, but that advantage is slowly wearing away; he's already nearly been hit by two rounds that he should've dodged completely. Even Archer's steely nerves don't completely protect against the apprehension he feels at the sound of the trees behind him being shredded into toothpicks.

"Bwhahahahaha!" Rider's laughter echoes through the forest. "Ye sure talked a good game up on the ship, but now it's come down to yer betrayal it seems ye can't quite carry it off!" He draws yet another pistol from that seemingly endless supply and fires, prompting Archer to duck and roll forward under it. As the round steals the hat from his head, Archer begins to feel the slow dread of a man being led into a trap. Maybe if he can get in closer, though...

Archer comes in low, going around to the side and weaving in and out of the undergrowth, looking to open up a shot at DeLancey. With that kind of power output, Rider can't last long without a Master!
But the gambit doesn't work; Rider is too careful, staying on the defensive and keeping himself between the gunman and his Master. Archer squeezes off two shots, hoping to escape the pirate's reach, but both find their destinations in Rider's wall of muscle. Archer lets out another curse under his breath and kicks off the ground to break off his course into a sharp turn, headed straight for Rider. At this point, his only chance is to take down the pirate at minimum range!

"Seems yer giving up the ghost! Can't say I blame ye!" Rider takes the bait, tossing his pistol in favor of his cutlass. As he chops downward with a triumphant roar to split the gunslinger in two, Archer, with inhuman grace, spins on one foot without losing his forward motion to slide around the strike. As he comes to a stop inside Rider's range, The Man with No Name trains his pistol on the pirate's unbelieving eye.

"Colt .45!"
>>
Exiting the university, you find Adelheid still waiting on the university steps, where you left her. The noise in the distance has died down, and an unnerving silence has settled over the university gardens. "How long has it been since the fighting stopped?"

"Not long," she says, not taking her eyes off of the treeline. "It seems Archer has emerged victorious. Look."

Following Adelheid's finger, you see the Queen Anne's Revenge, dissolving slowly into particles of golden light. "I suppose he has," you say, a bit awed in spite of your enmity. You didn't expect the masterless gunman to be able to defeat Rider given the disparity in their basic abilities. "But what to do now..."

>[ ] Wait here, in front of the university. If Archer intends to take a new Master, he'll have to come through this point eventually; you can intercept him once he's left the safety of the forest. (Duty/Compassion)

>[ ] Advance together with Adelheid into the stand of trees where Archer was last seen. Letting him act on his own for too long would be too much of a risk; you'll take the fight to him now, while he's weak from battling Rider! (Pride/Duty)

>[ ] Order Adelheid to combine her strongest armor and most powerful explosive for a single obliterating strike against the forest. There's no point in fighting Archer personally when you can simply wipe out the entire area, is there? (Pride/Self-Preservation)

>[ ] Invent a different plan (Write in)
>>
>>3481633
>[ ] Wait here, in front of the university. If Archer intends to take a new Master, he'll have to come through this point eventually; you can intercept him once he's left the safety of the forest. (Duty/Compassion)
>>
>>3481633
>[ ] Order Adelheid to combine her strongest armor and most powerful explosive for a single obliterating strike against the forest. There's no point in fighting Archer personally when you can simply wipe out the entire area, is there? (Pride/Self-Preservation)
>waiting for a sniper to make his move.
How about you just die, Archer?
>>
>>3481646
Oh right
There's also the chance he'll go for Rider's former master.
Let's just atomize the punk.
>>
Alright, folks, this is it! The final showdown with your longterm nemesis! I hope you're as excited for this as I am...
>>
>>3481606
>archer defeated rider
>Archer defeated Rider
>ARCHER DEFEATED RIDER

>>3481633
>[ ] Order Adelheid to combine her strongest armor and most powerful explosive for a single obliterating strike against the forest. There's no point in fighting Archer personally when you can simply wipe out the entire area, is there? (Pride/Self-Preservation)
Burn him out
>>
>>3481655
I have absolutely no faith in our ability to finish him off
>>
>>3481653
And I'll say it again
JACK ISN'T DEAD
HE NEEDS TO DIE IMMEDIATELY.
ARCHER DOESN'T NEED TO COME TO US.
>>
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>>3481655
>excited
Sure.
>>
>>3481606
Cockroach though Archer may be, damn if he isn't a badass.

>>3481633
>[ ] Advance together with Adelheid into the stand of trees where Archer was last seen. Letting him act on his own for too long would be too much of a risk; you'll take the fight to him now, while he's weak from battling Rider! (Pride/Duty)
DeLancey didn't die. No reason to let a sniper try to pick us off.

>>3481646
>>3481659
>Betting on a bigger gun killing the Man with No Name
Archer's confirmed that he has the iron plate. No way in hell that plan will kill him.
>>
>>3481659
>Burn him out
[distant acoustic guitar riffs]
>>
>>3481683
>Implying I expect to kill him
I want to clear the area. Cover favors the ambush predator.
>>
>>3481687
Think about the magical energy that attack will expend. Remember how much we just used repairing Caster? We can't afford it or Adelheid will run out of gas.
>>
>>3481683
Not trying to kill Archer with it specifically.
Trying to end Jack.
Also Archer merely referenced it, we have full knowledge on all his parameters and noble phantasm from Kikuko.
No plate.
He has E rank endurance for Christ sakes.
He's as squishy as we are.
And he probably can't Colt an unexpected AOE not targeting him specifically.
>>
>>3481698
I think chasing Archer into a potential ambush is suicide, and I also think letting him act while we wait is effective suicide. Burning magical energy is our major advantage at this point and I intend to use it.
>>
>>3481699
>Trying to end Jack.
Worthless. Thanks to Independent Action and his complete lack of combat readiness, he has no value as a target, only as a hostage.
>Also Archer merely referenced it, we have full knowledge on all his parameters and noble phantasm from Kikuko.
>No plate.
Point taken.
>And he probably can't Colt an unexpected AOE not targeting him specifically.
Medusa's head is what got Lancer killed.

>>3481710
>Burning magical energy is our major advantage at this point
My point is that it's not our advantage right now. We're running low.
>>
>>3481718
I should clarify: Jack specifically is worthless.

Thought with his lack of a plate, the big boom strat might be worth a shot presuming Adelheid can tank a shot of Colt .45 with her strongest armor.

Hell, let's try it. Changing >>3481683 to
>[ ] Order Adelheid to combine her strongest armor and most powerful explosive for a single obliterating strike against the forest. There's no point in fighting Archer personally when you can simply wipe out the entire area, is there? (Pride/Self-Preservation)
>>
>>3481718
And he has no resupply. I don’t care to yield any advantage (cover, deciding the field of battle) when we have him outclassed in every way. If he could only *just* not die against rider, and per our stats Adelheid is his superior in basically every way barring attack range, we just need to make a final push.
>>
>>3481718
I think Archer has to be ready to counter.
If it's like Fragarach it needs a set up of some sort.
Also with E rank magical energy he might not be able to fire off anymore anywaym
Also it might have a limited range.
Every other time he's used it on his own terms and countered the enemy. A sudden, totally unexpected, firebombing can't be good for him.
>>
>>3481732
I'll be honest - another concern I have is the comment Sweets made >>3481655
If this is supposed to be our epic final showdown, I don't think he'll let it end so anticlimactically...

>>3481739
He's probably pacted with Jack by this stage, so magical energy won't be that much of a problem for a couple more shots.
>>
>>3481756
I mean, even if we burn the hell out of him w/o killing him I call that a win. Landing a solid blow on archer is a success I can’t recall occurring at any other point in the quest thus far.
>>
>>3481756
He might be totally out of juice already.
EMIYA had B rank magical energy and tracing is bullshit is why he could last so long.
And EMIYA stayed out of fights that weren't insta wins, mostly.
Final Epic Showdowns are just as satisfying if you're just gloating over your enemies mangled body before ordering their death.
>>
>>3481726
Actually, changing back to
>[ ] Advance together with Adelheid into the stand of trees where Archer was last seen. Letting him act on his own for too long would be too much of a risk; you'll take the fight to him now, while he's weak from battling Rider! (Pride/Duty)

There's a pretty gaping hole in the "send Adelheid flying" plan, and it's that we'll be standing around totally unguarded like a numpty and wide open for Archer to gun down with his rifle.

Of course, we could always try curling into a ball and using our cloak to protect us while Adelheid goes nuts, I suppose...
Thoughts?
>>
>>3481782
Anon.
Archer is in a forest right now.
Aiming at us will be difficult.
Even more so when the forest explodes and an angry loli comes to play.
>>
I should remind you all that Sweets only reveals NPs to us after we learn their names, and there's no particular reason it would be different for Kikuko. Archer could still have a plate, and we don't know about it simply because we didn't learn its name.
>>
>>3481803
If he had the plate he wouldn't have been shitting his pants against Blackbeard like he was.
>>
>>3481797
>Aiming at us will be difficult.
...For an Archer? Really? The guys who can count the number of bolts on a bridge half a city away?
It certainly wasn't difficult for him to snipe us across the river with his revolver that one time (plus the ricochet!) or across the whole goddamn university with his rifle the instant we opened the door.
His gun is probably already trained on us.
Do you think Adelheid moves faster than bullets? I sure don't.
>>
>>3481810
>His gun probably already trained on us
And you contend that charging into the woods is the most effective way of avoiding getting instagibbed?

Regardless of how good a shot he is, when in proper servant combat archer has been proven to be unable to drop masters. And that was with Circe and lancer, not combat-monster Adelheid.
>>
>>3481810
Anon he's literally just won a battle against Rider.
He's got lots of skill at aiming guns but he doesn't have EMIYA tier impossible vision.
A forest is a nightmare for ranged weapons and aiming because trees are everywhere.
Also it's possible that twat CID is quickly doing the master thing between Jack and Archer.
>>
>>3481810
Dropped your trip, ID
>>
>>3481828
Yes, because Adelheid and the cloak can protect us. It's certainly better than forgoing our servant's protection for any span of time when Archer is a concern.
>when in proper servant combat archer has been proven to be unable to drop masters
Then let's get over there and make it proper combat.

>>3481834
He doesn't need EMIYA tier vision when he has a scope on his rifle. And a forest isn't a problem if he's just snooping about at the edge in a bush or something like the slimeball he is.
it's possible that twat CID is quickly doing the master thing between Jack and Archer.
Knowing Cid, it's probably done already if he's doing it.

>>3481841
Whoops.
>>
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>>3481846
>when he has a scope on his rifle
When you've seen Archer use a rifle in the past, it's had no scope. Just sights. Image attached.
That said, he has been effective at great range.
>>
>>3481809
He was shitting his pants because Rider wouldn't go down and he was getting tired.
>>
>>3481809
If the plate works like I theorized, it would be a shield that only works on "bigger guns" - attacks of a higher rank than his pistol can muster or some such thing.
>>
Looks like we've got 2 for long-range bombardment, one for defending the university, and one for taking the fight to Archer. I'l leave the vote open for another hour or so while I get some food.
>>
>>3481906
Looking at that scene, he took multiple shots. It might only work with attacks aimed at the torso.
>>
>>3481906
>>3481954
My question is whether or not it’s effective against AOE attacks. It’s not like an magic barrier or full-body shield.
>>
>>3481954
True, but I'm thinking more in terms of the concept behind the shield. What that plate represents is his point that a bigger gun doesn't guarantee victory. As an NP, it's not a stretch to imagine it taking on a more abstract defensive power.

On a different note, I'd like to point out a contradiction in the arguments supporting launching Adelheid (which I will refer to from here on out as the A-bomb).

>>3481646
This says we shouldn't stand around because Archer will snipe us.
>>3481834
This says we should use the A-bomb because he CAN'T snipe us.

If he can't snipe us, then it's in our best interest to just stand around. If Archer tries to leave and live to fight another day, Caster will eventually heal and he'll be impossibly disadvantaged. Since he can't hit us from range, and we have no reason to come after him, he has to approach, so we should just stay still.
If he can snipe us, however, we can't afford to lose Adelheid's protection. But we are also the ones who need to close the distance. The solution, then, is to approach ourselves so he can't shoot us and kill him at close range.

The A-bomb cannot be the optimal choice.
>>
>>3481968
Probably not, since Archer worried about dodging those shots.
>>3481969
He placed a lot of emphasis on aiming for the heart ("The heart Ramon, don't forget the heart. Aim for the heart or you'll never stop me.")
Although admittedly this doesn't necessarily preclude an abstract protection like you theorize.
>>
>>3481969
Not that anon but

>If

>He’s shot Rushorou from long distance before, giving him time to recover is utter retardation

>Since
Whut

>if he can
Assuming he’s already in position and ready to go right now

>therefore, run into his potential ambush
I just don’t see it man.

It absolutely can be if he isn’t already in position to shoot Rushorou perfectly right now. If he is, then there is no optimal solution and anything is a major risk.
>>
>>3481810
>Do you think Adelheid moves faster than bullets?
For what it's worth, Volksgemeinschaft can replicate the propulsion of any projectile or vehicle she copies with it. Just in case that wasn't clear before.
>>
>>3482086
So have her launch herself like she popped out of Gustav and blow the forest to smithereens?
>>
>>3482064
>Since
That section was written under the assumption stipulated at the beginning ("if he can't snipe us"). The "since" assumes that "he can't snipe us" is true.
It's unfortunate that Adelheid didn't give us a very precise indication of just how much time Archer has had in between Rider's death and this decision. It seems like that's the deciding factor here.

>>3482086
That's quite powerful. Good to know she's capable of blocking bullets.
>>
>>3482086
The following line from the last thread was supposed to convey that she replicates propulsion as well as explosions, but re-reading it I suppose it's a bit vague.
>"Suppose you have a mine and a grenade," Adelheid begins, "they seem fairly different, don't they? One is for an ambush, and the other is for battle. One is placed and hidden, the other is freely tossed. All that difference, however, is in the triggering method. From my perspective, it's simply a pair of very similar explosions. The same is true of most direct-firing weapons. They're only slight variations on the manifestation of forward velocity."
>>
>>3482098
Probably little, since QAR has just begun to dissolve.
>>
"Wait, if he's..." As you consider the situation, the danger of standing out in the open suddenly strikes you. "Adelheid, we need to get inside!"

"What? Wai-" despite Adelheid's flustered response, you grab her by the hand and practically drag the girl back into the university. Once in the entryway, you quickly dodge to the side of the doors, putting a reassuringly thick stone wall between you and Archer. Fortunately, no shots go off during this act.

As you look down, you see that Adelheid is fuming. "What the hell was that, Rushorou," the girl demands. "We need to observe Archer!"

"Not if he's observing us," you say, and then begin to explain. "Adelheid, I know he has a rifle, and it stands to reason that as an Archer he'd be experienced in long-distance shooting. If we remained out in the open for too long after the end of his fight with Rider, we'd be putting ourselves at risk."

"I see," Adelheid says, calming rapidly. "That's good thinking, Rushorou; I hadn't considered he might attempt to shoot us at this range. What do you intend to do at this point, though? We can hardly wait here in cover indefinitely."

You're not so sure about that. The university is self-sufficient and it's highly possible that Archer didn't make a contract with DeLancey. You might be able to simply wait him out, now that you think of it. That isn't your intention, however. "Your noble phantasm," you say, "it can recreate any quality of a weapon invented by Germans, correct?"

"Not exactly." Adelheid's mouth quirks in an odd half-smile. "Any weapon used by the German military while my heroic spirit origin was in power; but you're close enough. What about it?"

You take a deep breath, feeling oddly nervous about coming out with your plan. Everything will depend on whether or not this is possible. "What I want you to do," you say, "is augment yourself with the heaviest armor you can, launch from here to Archer's position with your fastest propulsion, and then set off your largest ordinance. The fact is that Archer is simply too dangerous in a personal fight. I want to take out the entire area."

"Kususu~ Kuhahahahaha~!" Adelheid bursts into laughter at your suggestion; high, sweet laughter that carries the sort of wholehearted glee one would expect to hear on Christmas morning. "I suppose it's impossible, then," you say sheepishly.

"Oh, no," Adelheid replies, wiping the tears from her eyes with a black and silver handkerchief. "It's possible, it's just," she's interrupted by another chuckle, "just not what I expected from you. Or from this war, really; it's been so full of direct personal combat, and here at the end you're finally treating it like real war! I'm very happy, Rushorou." The smile she gives you is positively beaming, utterly at odds with the subject matter of your newfound acceptance of brutal methods. For a moment you have to suppress the overwhelming urge to pull the tiny girl up into an embrace, but you manage to hold back.
>>
"Now, as for this plan of yours, there is one thing I'd like to ask," Adelheid says, getting back to business. "Are you going to come along, or stay here?"

"Come along?" You're stunned. "Would that be possible, with the matter of the explosion and the high speeds involved?"

"Come now, Rushorou," Adelheid chides you indulgently, like a generous teacher. "I wouldn't be much of a Servant if I couldn't at least keep my noble phantasm from harming my Master. I can't control very much about the damage it produces, but I can at least keep you safe."

>[ ] Participate in the attack along with Adelheid. If Archer is going to be defeated, you want to be there to see it happen! (Pride)

>[ ] Remain in the university. To have you along with Adelheid would bring in too many uncertain variables. Alone, you're certain she can defeat him. (Duty/Self-Preservation)

>[ ] Answer differently (write in)
>>
>>3482425
>[ ] Participate in the attack along with Adelheid. If Archer is going to be defeated, you want to be there to see it happen! (Pride)
>>
>>3482425
>[ ] Participate in the attack along with Adelheid. If Archer is going to be defeated, you want to be there to see it happen! (Pride)
Do not stray from your Servant(s).
>>
>>3482425
>[ ] Participate in the attack along with Adelheid. If Archer is going to be defeated, you want to be there to see it happen! (Pride)
Never fight Archer alone.
>>
>>3482425

>[ ] Participate in the attack along with Adelheid. If Archer is going to be defeated, you want to be there to see it happen! (Pride)

No cowardice
>>
>>3482425
>[ ] Participate in the attack along with Adelheid. If Archer is going to be defeated, you want to be there to see it happen! (Pride)
Let's not get separated and killed, yeah?
>>
"Alright then, I'll come along," you say. "I'd hate to miss the spectacle of Archer's final destruction, after all. But, how do you intend to take me? It's not as if you have a vehicle."

"Oh, that's simple," Adelheid says with a smile. "Come on, we'll need to be back outside for the launch." Once you've returned to the university's front steps, Adelheid fixes her gaze on the stand of trees where you expect Archer, and begins the activation of her noble phantasm.

"Volksgemeinschaft Verbindung"

Immediately, it's clear that this is a step up from the ordinary state of Adelheid's abilities. At the first words, you feel a heavy drain on the energy flowing out of you, enough to weaken you physically. Was this a mistake?

"Einsetzen Wunderwaffe," she continues, and the drain intensifies. You can feel your magic circuits burning, and see them visibly standing out on your skin.

"Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus"

Cracks spread in the stone beneath Adelheid's feet, as an intense weight settles on it.

"Me 262 Schwalbe"

Adelheid begins to glow with a faint light as ever more of your energy pours into her to supply the massive power of the noble phantasm.

"Schwerer Gustav!"

Finally finished, Adelheid grabs you by the shoulder and, without another word, launches! It's the only way you can describe the moment, as the ground recedes in the blink of an eye. The pressure on your shoulder is ungodly, and it feels as if it'll tear off at any moment, while the air rushing over your face is blinding you and the energy of the acceleration is sickening you. Then, after a flight no longer than the blink of an eye

CRAAAAAAAAAAAASH!

You struggle to hour feet, looking around. True to Adelheid's word, you were protected from the firestorm of the impact. Nothing else was, however. The carefully constructed garden forest has been utterly wiped away, and as you look around you can see only a massive crater, filled with charred dirt and the occasional flaming bit of wood. The blazing noonday sun of the Eighth City shines down, for once, on a scene that matches it for inhospitable flame.

"Kyahahahahahahaha!" At the center of the destruction, Adelheid lets out an overjoyed gale of triumphant laughter, looking around herself with an expression of utter bliss. "At long last," she shouts, "I've finally had a chance to fight properly! Oh, Rushorou, you have no idea how frustrating this has been. First that other man wanted to hide in his hotel, then there was the waiting for this battle, but this makes it all seem worthwhile! Nothing could have survived that, nothing!" You certainly hope she's right, given how much it took out of you.

Then, out of the corner of your eye, you see the impossible. Movement, in the dirt.
>>
As you whip your head to over to get a better look, you watch as Archer, ghostlike, rises out of a hole in the ground! He had covered himself in earth to hide! "I guess it's a good thing we're not alive, then," he says with a smirk, and draws a cigar out of his pocket. With methodical calm, he bites off the rolled end, takes a match, and lights the cigar by hand. In the absurdity of the situation, you're tempted to ask why he doesn't light it off the fire all around the three of you, but you think better of it.

"How," Adelheid hisses, then raises her voice into a furiously shouted demand! "HOW?"

"It all comes down to preparation," Archer says. "I had a way of getting around that blast of yours, that's all." He lets out a sudden chuckle, interrupting himself. "I wasn't prepared enough, though," he continues, his voice beginning to fade. "Looks like getting through that took everything I had." As you watch, Archer begins to fade, growing transparent as the edges of his body flake off into particles of light. He fixes his eyes on yours, saying finally, "you win, kid. This time, you're the one collecting. Enjoy it." With that, Archer disappears, and you're left alone with Adelheid.

>[ ] Find Cid. The War is over, now it's time to collect this Grail of his and go home. (Duty)

>[ ] Return to the university. After this morning, you just need some sleep. (Self-Preservation)

>[ ] Do something else (write in)
>>
Did you guys go for the loli route yet?
>>
>>3484229
Sort of. Affection points for Caster and Adelheid are tied right now. Why not read the archives to get up to date?
>>
>>3484221
>[ ] Return to the university. After this morning, you just need some sleep. (Self-Preservation)
>>
>>3484236
I was asking it to see if I should keep reading, but alright.
>>
>>3484240
Well then, things are undecided. So, whether you're for or against loli, you still have the chance to make an impact.
>>
>>3484221
>[ ] Return to the university. After this morning, you just need some sleep. (Self-Preservation)
We need to tell our servants not to uh...
Kill each other.
>>
>>3484221
> [ ] Go find the survivors and let them know it's all over.
We should probably have everyone remain in fairly close proximity until Caster is back online. As much as I'd like to take it easy, Cid is still Cid and will not cease to be Cid until he himself has ceased to be.
>>
>>3484333
This is better and it covers the "return to uni" part.
>>
Oh, we're tied. I still think we should check on the others. I'm >>3484346.
>>
Looks like it's all down to the next player to vote. Somebody's gonna have to break this tie...
>>
>>3484221
>>[ ] Return to the university. After this morning, you just need some sleep. (Self-Preservation)
>>
>>3484862
>Giving Cid the opportunity to kidnap one of our charges
You're all going to regret this.
>>
>>3484873
Okay, I have to ask. What do you think Cid's motivation is for kidnapping one of the non-combatants?
Or rather, what is his overarching goal? Where do you think he's going with all this? You clearly have a fear of what he's going to do, so before everything's brought to light and the curtain comes down, I want to know what that's about.
>>
>>3484895
If he's a Magus worth his salt, it would be the Root. Why else would he have an Extra Assassin if he was just an observer?
>>
>>3484925
Other than to steal our wish, of course. Also:
>What do you think Cid's motivation is for kidnapping one of the non-combatants?
He's seen us relent on opposing him when Matsuda was held at knifepoint, he'd be liable to do so again.
>>
>>3484895
What's his ultimate goal? I have no idea. He hasn't exactly been forthcoming with any sort of information besides exactly what we needed to know in order to be a master in the grail war. I don't feel like I know enough about him as a character to understand what he really wants from all this. All I really know is that he's a condescending prick who is also completely original and voiced by Jouji Nakata.

That said, I'm certain he wants the wish from the grail. He wouldn't go through all of this just to give that to someone else. As for the wish itself, my guess is that it has something to do with the Roman Empire, given the coins and his servant (who might well be Tiberius that other anon's theory is right, but he didn't really expand on it). What it could be, I'm not sure. My knowledge of Cid, Rome, and Tiberius aren't particularly strong.

Regardless, Cid has actively aided our enemies and as such has a vested interest in at least forcing us to have our servants kill each other, if not far worse.
>>
But seriously, Cid is probanly going to threaten the noncombatants to make us give up if we don't go to them now.
>>
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Shit, Sweets was probably asking us why Cid would kidnap our allies so we would give him ideas.
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>>3484953
Oh, for sure. We're going right to sleep, and with Caster out of commission Adelheid is sure to watch us and not the others. This is begging for trouble, but it seems like the others are cool with that...

>>3484997
Nah, he's definitely been planning this.
>>
>>3484997
I'm not that lame, anon. Give me a little credit.
>>
>>3485010
I hope somebody changes camps so that DOESN'T happen.
>>
Okay, I have to ask. Where did this nigger come from? I'm asking because this is a crucial decision:
>>3484862
>>
>>3484333
+1. I don't put it past Archer or CID to have done SOMETHING.
>>
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Vote is tied
I have time to write, but can't because tie.
Tie broken
Now I've got shit to do, can't write.
Finally done, get back to writing
Return of the tie!
...
..
.
orz
>>
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>>3485276
>>
Well, in the meantime, why don't you folks take a look at your emotional stats? You've hit an important milestone in one of them...
>>
>>3484221
I was hoping I didn't have to vote. But to break the tie I vote for
> [ ] Go find the survivors and let them know it's all over.
>>
>>3485344
>I was hoping I didn't have to vote
Out of curiosity, why?

At any rate, I just decided to write up a tie option since the two choices are so similar and people are so divided.
>>
>>3485342
>You've hit an important milestone in one of them
>Desire: 30
Should I be concerned that it suddenly overtook Compassion?
>>
>>3485361
COMPASSIONFAGS, TRANSFORM AND ROLL OUT
>>
>>3485347
Was hoping the tie would naturally break. I tend to lurk and only vote on matters when I really want them to go in a certain direction, like when we will eventually end up voting on true waifu.
>>
>>3485379
I'm not THAT concerned about it, just surprised.
>>
>>3485387
>voting on true waifu
>implying I will not vote Circe
>implying anons won't vote Circe to avoid a bad end
>>
>>3485405
Who knows what will happened. There might be other lurkers, but Circe will win or there will be blood.
>>
As Archer fades from view, the nervous tension holding you up seems to fade as well. God, you're tired. Every one of your magic circuits hurts like a pulled muscle, and you're half sure you have a few ordinary sprains as well, after the flight with Adelheid. "Ough. We need to get back to the university, Adelheid," you groan. "I'm dead on my feet."

The statement turns out to be more apt than you'd thought, as your first step sends you stumbling to keep your balance. Having admitted within yourself that you need the rest, you're feeling the full effects of the energy you've sent to your Servants this morning. As you rapidly discover, you've pushed yourself too far. You go down to your knees, managing to say, "On second thought, I'm not sure I can-" before you slip from consciousness, face down in the ashes.

Mercifully, there are no dreams
>>
You snap into wakefulness and sit bolt upright, your heart pounding and a cold sweat on your forehead. Something must have roused you, but now nothing but silence greets your ears. As you look around, you discover that you're back in your room at the university, sitting up in bed. The debris from Rider's bombardment seems to have been cleared away, and even the roof has been repaired. From the window, a low moon shines its cold light through the curtains. It's early evening, and your watch (left on the nightstand) gives just after eight.

As you get to your feet, doing some light stretches to chase the sleep from your body, you find that you feel miles better than after Archer's defeat. For all that you felt burned out before, it seems you did no lasting harm to your circuits. You also find that you've been sleeping in the nude! Whoever put you to bed apparently saw fit to relieve you of your clothing, singed and dirty as it was. After some mild cursing at the immodesty of Servants, you decide not to let it get to you. After all, since the change that's come over you, your body has been quite statuesque. There's no harm in people seeing something so worthy of pride.

Moving on, you shower off and dress, finding your mystic code conveniently folded on your desk. Come to think of it, you still don't have a name for the thing. Calling it "the cloak" or "my mystic code" all the time seems a bit cumbersome, but nothing better comes to mind. It was the same with Adelheid's suggestion that you take a new name yourself. Whatever your virtues, you suppose creativity isn't foremost among them.

For tonight's outfit, you choose a charcoal suit rather than the usual cream, with a white shirt and wine-red tie, matching your eyes. There's no sun to defend against out there, after all, and with this ensemble the wrapping on your arm won't clash so extremely. You even manage to find an amusing silver tie-tack, in the shape of an eagle. It's a touch, you're sure, that each of your Servants can consider to be a personal nod to her alone.

Now ready for the night's outing, it's time for you to get in touch with your Servants. You sink into the chair at your desk and focus inward, on the energy that binds the three of you together. 'Caster, Adelheid,' you send, reaching out your mind to connect the three of you in a sort of telepathic conference call, 'it seems I was out for quite some time, recovering energy. How are the two of you feeling?'

Caster is the first to respond. 'I've just finished healing myself! It seems our timetables are aligned in that regard, Master. Fufufu~' How is she laughing telepathically? Isn't it a physical reaction? Did Caster consciously choose to transmit the impression of her laughing?
>>
These idle questions are put aside as Adelheid gives her own report. 'I've been on the lookout, Rushorou. There was no sign of Ajisartous while you were asleep. Speaking of which, I hope you can keep from collapsing like that in the future; putting an unconscious man to bed is hardly something I'm used to, you know.' The wry tone in her comment belies her facade of irritation, however.

'No sign of Cid, huh?' The lack of word from the war's supposed administrator is worrisome. You'd expect him to have made some kind of contact since the death of DeLancey left you as the only remaining Master. The lack of a method of contacting the enigmatic priest only exacerbates matters, and you say as much to your Servants. 'How are we meant to put an end to the Grail War when the administrator doesn't show his face?'

'Perhaps he was waiting for you to prove you were well, Master,' Caster suggests. 'He wouldn't have been able to give the Holy Grail to an unconscious victor, after all.' The idea sounds reasonable enough, but you know it's no more than a smokescreen. Caster has another idea of why the War hasn't really ended, and it isn't one she wants to share with Adelheid.

'You may be right about that, Caster. It seems all we can do now is wait, regardless. How are the others, by the way? No casualties, I trust?'

It's Adelheid who answers this time, irritably reporting, 'I saw to it they were fine after putting you to bed, Rushorou. They all made it back to their rooms with no trouble, although that Munahara girl is still furious she missed the fun. Not that I blame her.'

One more worry crossed off your list. 'Thank you, Adelheid,' you begin, when you're cut off by the booming sound of knuckles on wood. Someone is knocking at the university's front door, amplified by one of Caster's "convenience enchantments" to resound through the university. 'It seems Ajisartous is here after all,' you send, and get up to make your way down to the entrance hall.

After a lengthy walk through the university's mostly ruined halls, you arrive at the front door. There's no presence outside, though that hardly tells you whether Ajisartous is there. At times like these, the windowless medieval design of the heavy oaken doors seems more troublesome than dignified; the longer you remain in suspense, the more the tension seems to grow, until you're half expecting a sudden attack from Assassin. Still, you can't wait forever; Caster and Adelheid are behind you, and the prize lies ahead. You put aside your apprehension and yank the doors open.
>>
>we still call Circe "Caster"
I know that I've said to address this multiple times throughout the quest. We also haven't a new name for ourselves.
>>
Ajisartous stands there placidly in the center of the doorway, a faint smile on his face as he regards you. "Young man," he says, and it strikes you that his sonorous voice seems more fit for prayer than conversation. "I have come to offer you my congratulations. Together with the prize of this War, of course. I trust you are not otherwise occupied."

>[ ] Invite Ajisartous in and discuss the matter in the dining hall. Caster may not have dinner prepared, but you can at least conduct yourself with appropriate dignity. (Pride)

>[ ] This self-proclaimed administrator is too suspicious. You still don't trust him a bit, and you certainly aren't inviting him in. The two of you can discuss matters in the rose garden, under the moon. (Self-Preservation)

>[ ] Do something else (Write in)
>>
>>3485478
It's just one of those things, you know? I don't think Shirou ever calls Saber Artoria, even at the end of the Fate route.
If enough people want to, you can make the shift at a plot-appropriate (read, romantic) moment, but I've only heard one voice calling for that change so far.
>>
>>3485480
>[ ] This self-proclaimed administrator is too suspicious. You still don't trust him a bit, and you certainly aren't inviting him in. The two of you can discuss matters in the rose garden, under the moon. (Self-Preservation)
I ain't trusting him father than I can throw a tanky Adohaidu.
>>
>>3485480
>[ ] This self-proclaimed administrator is too suspicious. You still don't trust him a bit, and you certainly aren't inviting him in. The two of you can discuss matters in the rose garden, under the moon. (Self-Preservation)
FUCK CID
That is all.
>>3485484
>If enough people want to, you can make the shift at a plot-appropriate (read, romantic) moment
That sounds nice.
>>
>>3485480
>[ ] This self-proclaimed administrator is too suspicious. You still don't trust him a bit, and you certainly aren't inviting him in. The two of you can discuss matters in the rose garden, under the moon. (Self-Preservation)
EXTRA BOSS.
>>
>>3485480
>[ ] Invite Ajisartous in and discuss the matter in the dining hall. Caster may not have dinner prepared, but you can at least conduct yourself with appropriate dignity. (Pride)
>>
>>3485480
>[ ] This self-proclaimed administrator is too suspicious. You still don't trust him a bit, and you certainly aren't inviting him in. The two of you can discuss matters in the rose garden, under the moon. (Self-Preservation)
But telepathically tell Caster to keep tabs on the others and be on the lookout for Assassin (or potentially Cid, since this "Cid" might be Assassin). Letting Cid inside is begging for trouble, but that doesn't change the fact that there are two people to worry about and I don't want to give one the chance to slip in under our noses while we're busy with the other.

Cid's shown up and is proclaiming our victory despite the fact that we clearly haven't fulfilled the conditions he laid out for winning the war. He's up to something.
>>
>>3485480
>>[ ] This self-proclaimed administrator is too suspicious. You still don't trust him a bit, and you certainly aren't inviting him in. The two of you can discuss matters in the rose garden, under the moon. (Self-Preservation)
Honestly, a discussion in the garden just sets a better picture.
>>
>>3485944
Yeah, something's definitely off.
>>
>>3485569
Switch to >>3485944
Gotta warn our servants.
>>
>>3485480
>>[ ] Invite Ajisartous in and discuss the matter in the dining hall. Caster may not have dinner prepared, but you can at least conduct yourself with appropriate dignity. (Pride)
>>
"No, I'm not busy," you say warily. Try as you might, you can't seem to inject any friendliness into your manner when dealing with Ajisartous. You're simply too on-edge. "I'd be happy to discuss the end of the War with you, but my dining room is in a bit of a shambles." You step outside as you speak and make a sweeping gesture, encompassing the damage to the university. "Why don't you follow me, and we can conclude the matter in the rose garden?"

"Certainly," Cid replies, and falls into step behind you as you head around the university. As you walk, Cid remains silent, making no effort to begin the conversation. Similarly, you remain tight-lipped, communicating with your Servants.

'Adelheid, watch Ajisartous closely. Be ready to attack if he makes any dangerous moves.' Then, shifting to Caster you continue, 'Can you keep an eye on the others in the university from here? Assassin may be planning something while Ajisartous distracts us.'

'It's difficult to view them without scrying,' Caster sends hesitantly, 'but I can track their presences and notify you if anything interferes with their energy.'

'That will be fine, I hope.'

It isn't long before you've arrived at the rose garden, as it's one of the closer decorative areas to the university. Fortunately it hasn't been extensively damaged by the fighting, as it's on the opposite side of the university from Blackbeard's attack. In the midst of the profusion of blossoms, you turn to face Cid once more.

"So, you want to offer me your congratulations? My prize? Care to explain that, when the terms you set for the end of the Grail War haven't been fulfilled?" The accusatory tone in your voice almost surprises you, but it is sensible enough. You've had all you can take of Ajisartous' ambiguous vagueness, his alternating aid to one side after another. You're ready to put an end to this whole mad endeavor, and you're more than willing to force the answers out of him.

"The conditions?" Ajisartous actually looks confused for a moment, before understanding dawns on his face. "Of course, you mean the conditions for your Servant's victory that I gave you. That only one Servant must remain, yes?"

"That was what you told me when we met," you confirm. "Now I stand before you, with two surviving Servants, and you tell me that I've won. What's changed, Cid?"

The priest lets out a low, rolling chuckle. "Why, nothing has changed, young man. The matter is really very simple. You have won. The Holy Grail War continues, however, as only one of your Servants can be the victor. Now it falls to you to choose, and it is certainly within your power to do so. Use your command spells, young man. Order one of these two to die and you will receive, together with your final Servant, your heart's desire."
>>
A breeze stirs the roses as you stand, silent and shocked, staring at the priest. This is his decision, as the administrator of the war? That you have to order the death of one of your Servants? It's a cruel, brutal choice to have to make, but perhaps this is a necessary part of the War. You've been told, after all, that this is a ritual to bring the grail forth. As you stand there, pondering, you feel Caster's hand on your shoulder. "I told you it would be this way," she whispers. "Surely you knew you'd have to put an end to Berserker eventually."

You've come this far, killed enough people for the sake of your wish. In the end, if you have to destroy one of these two revived spirits, does it really matter? Can you truly say that their existences, pulled forth from death for the sake of this War, are more important than the lives of the Masters you've killed? You didn't give a thought to morality when you killed the Master of Saber; when you ripped out Keiseki's throat; when you broke Ambrose's neck; or when you ordered the fire that would reduce DeLancey to ash. You harden your resolve, and...

>[ ] ...order Adelheid to kill herself.

>[ ] ...order Caster to kill herself.

>[ ] ...refuse.
>>
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>>Daga
>[ ] kotowaru
>>
>>3487758
>[ ] ...refuse.
C’mon now, can’t we just kill Ajisartous’ servant? It’s not a matter of morality so much as it is a matter of loyalty.
>>
Also note:
>Use your command spells, young man
>spells (plural)
He knows EXACTLY what he's doing.
>>
>>3487783
You do remember that he was the one who gave you the spell for Adelheid, right?
>>
>>3487791
Yes, but he would've said SPELL if that were the case.
>>
>>3487797
But you already had the three spells for Caster at that time. Add a spell for Adelheid, and you have four command spells.
>>
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>>3487758
>[ ] ...refuse.
How about you off Assassin instead? The war's been won. You shouldn't need him anymore... Except you do because you're planning something you smug fuck
>>
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>>3487809
>>
>>3487758
>[ ] ...order Adelheid to kill herself.
Hitler loses again
>>
>>3487830
>t. speedreader
>>
>>3487830
>Sacrificing an advantage we have over Cid because he wants us too
Anon, please.
>>
>>3487758
>[ ] ...refuse.
>>
Considering the image being posted, I guess I know how you're going to refuse, too.
>>
>>3487866
ye
>>
No, you can't do it. No doubt this is all part of some devious plan on Cid's part, making you give up one of your Servants so he can take the Grail for himself. There's only one answer you can give, and a smile forms on your lips as you reach that conclusion. Your uncertainty fades away in the face of the decision that Cid, and no-one else, is the true enemy here. "So," you begin, "the Grail is truly mine for the taking? All I have to do is dispose of one of these Servants, and I'll have any wish granted?"

"That is correct," the priest says, smiling. "Surely, young man, this is a joyous occasion for you. You are no more than a moment away from the fulfillment of all your desires!"

"It seems I have only one thing to do, then," you reply. "I've been fighting and risking my life all this time in pursuit of the Grail. When one considers it in that light, giving up one of my Servants is certainly trivial. I'd be losing nothing, and gaining everything." You're really grinning now, relishing the moment. The tension as Cid waits for you to give him exactly what he wants. What he knows you have no choice but to give. "However," You raise your voice, cutting the moment off from the preceding statements. "I refuse!"

At long last, Cid is wrong-footed, taken aback. The smile falls from his face. "What? Why, in God's name? Do you understand what you're saying, young man?"

You cross your arms, looking at the priest with contempt. This really is too easy. "In this world," you say, "there is one thing that I, Yumigawa Rushorou, enjoy more than any other. Do you know what that might be, Cid? I'm sure you must, given your offer to grant my wish."

"Of course." Cid regains some of his composure, answering, "triumph, is it not? To prove yourself superior to the other party, gratifying your pride as you grind them into the dust. That, young man, is what lies at the heart of your desires."

He really does have a good read on you, you have to admit. Still, you can't let that put you off now. "Indeed," you say. "But there is one particular kind of victory most delightful. What I mean is, the moment when I find someone who thinks they have the situation all tied up; someone totally confident, who thinks 'there's only one answer he could give, and it's just what I want,' and saying no straight to their faces. I don't give a damn about your conditions for the Grail, I just wanted to shoot you down! Now, why don't you go and kill off your own Servant, if you need one more dead? If you're that committed to finishing off the War properly, I mean."

"Fua~ha~ha~ha~ha~ha~!" The Priest's sudden laughter rings out, slowly rolling forth from his throat like the toning of some huge and ancient bell. "So that's the nature of your conviction, is it? Very well then, young man, I'll put an end to this myself! Assassin, kill her!"
>>
Assassin is nowhere to be seen; this time his presence concealment is working just fine, apparently. There's only one way to stop this, the command spells! Without a second thought, you shout...

>[ ] "Adelheid, dodge it!"

>[ ] "Circe, defend yourself!"
>>
Pop Quiz: What is the ONE weakness of Presence Concealment?
>>
>>3487919
>[ ] "Circe, defend yourself!"
IT'S HAPPENING NOW
>>
>>3487928
Pop Quiz: Is there always rule-breaking fuckery going on where Cid is concerned?
>>
>>3487928
Presence Detection? Damn, if only we had Enkidu.
>>
>>3487919
>[ ] "Circe, defend yourself!"
Remember why we learned that Assassin exists?
>>
>>3487933
Fuck you('re right).
>>3487934
I was talking about when an Assassin attacks but okay.
>>
He would expect us to defend Circe, wouldn't he? Then again Casters are always trouble for Assassins.
>>
>>3487941
He would expect the opposite, since Adelheid has better Constitution and Circe has a history of fucking up Assassin.
>>
>>3487947
Alright. I hope you're right.
>>3487919
>[ ] "Circe, defend yourself!"
>>
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Hey, Sweets, do you think we'll ever do this with Cid?
>>
>>3487919
>[ ] "Circe, defend yourself!"
>>
>>3487919
>[ ] "Adelheid, dodge it!"
With all the disinfo Joe had been given
And the fact he only gave us 1 command spell for her...
But I'd really like to just ask Circe to teleport the 3 of us.
>>
>>3487919
>[ ] "Circe, defend yourself!"
>>
Guys!
It's Adelheid.
We only had one command spell for her.
Cid would be thinking that we'd be fucked were we to use it.
But that's not quite true now is it?
>>
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>tfw we have to wait 4-6 more hours before we know if we made the right choice
>>
>>3488243
We only learned of Assassin's existence because he tried to off us in a spur-of-the-moment attack, presumably because Caster spooked him. What's more, he disobeyed Cid to do it. If Assassin has his way, Caster is on the chopping block.

>>3488366
>Inb4 Cid disappearing from the bar that one time is somehow supposed to translate to Adelheid being targeted despite the beginning of thread 2
>Inb4 Assassin actually listens to Cid this time despite the fact that "Assassin and I don't always see... eye-to-eye on such matters"
>Inb4 all of Adelheid's survivability including Mind's Eye (False) is completely useless for this one attack
>Inb4 there's no right answer and this is just a ploy by Sweets to force us to pick a servant to lose
>>
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>>3488442
>spoilers
Sounds like something Nasu would do.
>>
>>3488491
Not enough Nero.
>>
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>>3488497
This must be rectified.
I'm kicking the can down to the next anon
>>
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Umu! This board, too, is certainly a part of my empire!
>>
>>3488731
FUCK OFF NERO
>>
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>>3488731
You're a pussy who couldn't do anything right without his mommy.
>>
>>3488765
Huh. I thought Vlad and Nero were supposed to get along.
>>
>>3488872
>QM posted
Great, I'm anxious again.
>>
"Circe, defend yourself!"

The wing-like mark on your hand flares and fades, but its job is done. As Assassin springs from the shadows, seeming to appear from nowhere, he stops jerks to a halt. Golden light first suffuses the air around him, and then solidifies. The enemy Servant is stuck like a fly in amber, his spearpoint millimeters from Caster's unprotected midriff.

With a delighted smile, the enchantress speaks up. "It seems that's the end of that little plot. Your Assassin won't be moving any time soon, I can promise you. Now, why don't you tell us what's really going on, Ajisartous? Or, should I call you Caster?" Her words strike you like lightning. Ajisartous is a Servant? How can that be? As you look around, you see that Adelheid appears similarly shocked, while Ajisartous has broken into a wide smile.

"Would you care to elaborate on that, Servant Caster?" In a silky baritone with no hint of agitation or surprise, the priest probes for something to back up Caster's accusation.

Caster wags a finger in reproof. "Oh, I'd be happy to," she replies triumphantly. "Just don't feel too disappointed when I don't leave you any room for excuses! Fufufu~" After a moment, she continues. "Ahem. As I was saying, I'm quite certain you're a Servant. When we first arrived, the matter escaped me as I was relatively new to the modern era. When I was alive, you see, many magi could have accomplished something like the simulacrum you have here. My niece Medea, for example, could have made a very lovely artificial world if she'd put in the necessary time. This era's magi, however, are apparently quite different. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that no modern magus could do what you've claimed! Yet you say that this remarkable feat was merely a tool necessary for the more significant ritual of the Holy Grail War. How can that be, if you are truly a modern magus?"

"I've spent twenty years conducting the ritual necessary to create this world," Cid declares, anger suddenly bursting onto his features. "Two decades, just conducting the ritual, and countless years spent on the research necessary to discover the method! This world is my masterpiece, my contribution to the society of magi! I did decide to conduct the Grail War here, it's true, but my dedication to the realization of this mystery long predates that!"

"So you conducted a large-scale ritual to create this artificial realm?" Caster's smile hasn't slipped. There's something she's still holding back, another shoe waiting to drop.

"Of course I did. The necessity should be obvious."
>>
"Why is it, then," Caster says, passing a hand through the air and gathering ambient energy in her hand, "that the Mana of this world, its dominating and underlying energy, is entirely yours? I discovered that when I was investigating why we couldn't detect your presence, you know. Any kind of ritual magic draws in Mana, the greater and external source of energy. That is the purpose of the ritual; to command a volume of energy that human magi lack. And yet it is your Od which suffuses this place; almost as if it is a projection of your own existence. A noble phantasm, Servant Caster. Now, why don't you tell us what's really happening here?"

Ajisartous heaves a sigh, dropping his forehead into his palm. "I knew something like this was bound to happen," he groans, and all of the composure and gravity he's held seem to slip away. "I told that moron Vaisset that things would fall apart in the end, but what did he say? 'It's your world, Caster, of course you'll be able to control whatever happens.' And now this, at the eleventh hour. Well then, fine. You have my Servant in your power, you've guessed at the true nature of the world, I may as well explain."

Straightening up, he turns his eyes to you, rather than Circe, and takes on the character of dignity once more. "Young man, what your Servant has guessed at is correct. I am the Servant Caster, and this world is the product of my noble phantasm. Ask whatever you like; I am at your disposal."

>[ ] Write in your questions
>>
>>3488935
Are you in a grail war in the real world too? Or have you must sustained yourself outside of a grail war?

Who is Vaisset?

What is the true purpose of this grail war?
>>
>>3488935
Get had, you slimy little fuck.
Now, for questions:
> "What's your True Name?"
> "What exactly is your Noble Phantasm?"
> "I suppose your little disappearing act is because this world is yours?"
If this really is his world, he might very well be able to replicate the effect of Presence Concealment EX if he can blend into his Od.
> "What about your servant?"
> "What was the selection process for the people you drew into this world? I find it hard to believe you chose randomly, given that you knew my name."
> "Who's your master?"
> "What's your goal here?"
>>
Folks, I've been waiting for this since the first post of the quest. It's such a load off my mind to finally have reached this moment.
>>
>>3488979
Support.
Guess I was wrong.

Well shit now what?
If there are 6 more servants waiting for us imma be pissed.
>>
>>3489002
Well, when you think about it, there's really no way Assassin would be able to take Adelheid out. She's got B-rank endurance, she can harden her skin to the point of being tank armor, and she has the Mind's Eye (False), reflexes, and strength of Heracles. She's a goddamn monster of a servant and there's pretty much no way that piddly little spear could off her in one hit, so Assassin wouldn't try.

And if there are 6 other servants, we could potentially use our wish to simply delete them all and take their grail...
>>
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>>3489002
>win this mini Grail War
>pop out of the NP, only to find ~6 other Servants
>and "competent" Magi, to boot
>>
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>>3489032
>>
Just wrote up a status screen for Caster.
Pastebin informs me that I can only have 10 unlisted pastes without paying.
Entire document deleted.
Well, fuck you too, pastebin.
>>
>>3489049
Wew.
What the fuck.
>>
>>3489049
Don't make an alt account now, goy.
>>
Status Updated
>>
>>3488979
>>3488935
Support

>There’s an external grail war
>We might be able to get 2 (two) wishes
Fuck yeah boys, we’re about to fucking ruin some bitchbois
>>
>>3489065
>Outer Caster
>Outer
...Oh boy. There really IS another HGW, isn't there?
>>
>>3489000
And it’s been such a great quest so far
>>
>Outer Caster’s Stats match Rushorou’s pretty well
O wait o fuck....
>>
File deleted.
>>3489120
And this time, Alaya WILL be aware of our existence--
>>3489124
>we actually got Alaya'd
>>
So he wanted to harness the energy of a simulated grail to win another grail war?
>>
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>>3489141
Wrong image.
>>
"Alright, then, let's begin with the basic essentials," you say. "What is your True Name? Give me more detail about your Noble Phantasm. While we're at it, I'd like to know just how you've been accomplishing your vanishing. Is it your power over this world?"

"Hold on a moment, young man," the priest interjects. "Don't give me too many questions at once, or we'll never get to the answering. My True Name? Why, it's Cid Ajisartous, as I've told you."

You give him a stony glare. Somehow you're quite certain there's no hero in history named Cid Ajisartous.

"Ahahaha. Just a little joke," the priest continues, seeming oddly chipper given his dire situation. "Now, allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Judas Iscariot, summoned into a Holy Grail War in the class container of Caster. I flatter myself that I needn't familiarize you with my life story." He waves a hand in the direction of Circe's ball of light. "The Assassin over there is Longinus, in case you were wondering. What we are standing in is my Noble Phantasm, the Akeldama. Its purpose is rather simple; with it, I can summon people of my choosing into a world of my creation, over which I have complete power. Upon the deaths of all those summoned, I will receive the energy of their sacrifices and be returned to the ordinary world thus empowered. I'm sure you can imagine how useful this is, given my circumstances."

"Hold on." You cut him off, confused. "If you have absolute power over this world, and you benefit from our deaths, why not simply kill everyone here immediately? Why go through all this rigmarole?"

"Ah, that. I was getting to the restrictions." Judas is unperturbed by being interrupted, simply continuing with his explanation. "You see, I am barred from personally harming anyone summoned to the Akeldama. There is a lengthy and detailed list of what actions are and are not permissible, but I will refrain from going over it in detail. Put simply, I must orchestrate the deaths of my sacrifices in such a way that they can be sacrifices. I have never been the one holding the knife, after all."

"That explains the Grail War, certainly," Circe cuts in. "You had the perfect model to replicate from your own summoning, and it would give you a way to bring in extremely powerful entities and ensure they killed one another."

"Correct." Judas sighs. "When I'd done away with all of you, I could simply have Assassin commit suicide, and that would be the end of things. With all that power, the real Grail War would be decided. Now, though, things are quite ruined. It's impossible for me to kill you as long as you hold Assassin there."

"...and there's no actual Grail here, is that right," you ask, a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. "No wish to be had?"
>>
"Unless your wish is to complete the function of the Akeldama and empower me, I'm afraid not. We're all trapped here until either I die or the rest of you do. Those are the only conditions for the end of Akeldama's effects."

Now it's your turn to sink your head into your hands. After all this work, it turns out to be for nothing. You only have a few moments of despair, though, before rage takes its place. "Damn you!" You shout impulsively, rushing at Judas and grabbing him by the collar, pulling his face close to yours. "Why the hell did you do this, you bastard! Why me? I know you didn't choose us randomly, you knew my name!"

Even with you shouting into his face, the Servant remains unflappable. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but it really was random selection, my boy. After the thousand and fifty of you were summoned, I had a list brought up with all of your names, personal details, and faces. I took special note of those who survived the first cities, of course, but before that you were quite unknown to me."

You let him go, rage fading in its turn to cold indifference. Already the apathy that's gripped most of your life is making its resurgence, driving your mind to put emotion aside and consider the future with clear rationality. "Tell me about the Grail War, then. Who is your Master? Is he this Vaisset person you mentioned? What else do you know?"

Judas takes his time dusting off and smoothing his collar before answering you. "My Master is a magus who makes his home in Tokyo. He goes by the name of Jean-Pierre Vaisset, among others. I can't tell you much more about the circumstances of the Grail War, however; Vaisset was very tight-lipped about things, and we activated my Akeldama almost immediately upon my being summoned." With a chuckle, he finishes, "I haven't even seen the entirety of his home."

That's it. You've had answers to all the questions you can think of, and you've had it. The disappointment, the rage, the frustration, the betrayal of your expectations; it all boils over, and you say...

>[ ] "Caster, hold this worm in place. I'm going to kill him myself, and have done with this." (Pride)

>[ ] "Caster, Adelheid, execute this man. I don't know what will come after, but it's clear there's nothing to be gained from keeping him around." (Duty)

>[ ] Something else. (Write in)
>>
>>3489196
>”Adelheid, destroy the Assassin. Circe, hold Iscariot- I shall take his life myself.”
>>
>>3489196
>[ ] "Caster, Adelheid, execute this man. I don't know what will come after, but it's clear there's nothing to be gained from keeping him around." (Duty)
My expectations have been thoroughly subverted.
But now Cid and his Master have made a blunder.
I sincerely hope we appear at the Master's home.
It's time to crush a bitch.
>>
>>3489208
Have Circe use her NP, so Cid can't pull anything out of his ass.
>>
>>3489196
>[ ] "Caster, hold this worm in place. I'm going to kill him myself, and have done with this." (Pride)
I feel stupid now. That name. Akeldama. Duh.
>>
>>3489217
Grapple Cid first, though. She should be pissed enough to fulfill the second condition.
>>
>>3489196
>>3489217
Fair point. Revising >>3489208 into
>Circe, convert the Assassin into a more suitable form and then subdue Iscariot. I shall take his life myself.
>>
>>3489225
I mean, at the very start of the quest I just figured it was referring to the city of blood and a place of sin and all that. In the NP context it’s perfect.
>>
Also, did any of you pick up on the names?
CIDAJISARTOUS
JUDASISCARIOT
>>
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>>3489244
SWEEEEEEEEEEEETS
>>
>>3489244
You facking wot
>>
>>3489196
>Judas motherfucking Iscariot
You know, I always thought Ajisartous was a strange name, and yet when I thought about an anagram I was just like "nah, that's too obvious," so I didn't bother with an anagram...
>[ ] Have Caster use her Noble Phantasm do what she pleases with these two. Then extend Adelheid the same courtesy.
>>
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You think the energy would go to the one who landed the killing blow on Judas?
>>
>>3489267
>Implying we get any energy
Doubtful
>>
>>3489267
We should ask Circe.
All that energy has to go somewhere.
>>
>>3489196
>[ ] "Caster, hold this worm in place. I'm going to kill him myself, and have done with this." (Pride)
>>
>>3489280
Can we do this before anything else?
>>
>>3489280
I don't feel like we should waste any time. Let's just finish this.
>>
>>3489282
Get the majority vote and you can do whatever you like. That's what the write in option is for.
>>
>>3489229
>>3489296
Voting for this then.
>>
>>3489280
Yeah, into the NP we’re about to blow open. Face it anon, we *only* get to surpass humanity and get two qt3.14 servants. Although that makes me think, of Judas could empower us then...
>>
Status Updated again, by the way.
>>
>>3489212
Switch to supporting
>>3489229
If we don't actually kill Assassin we can give him to Truvi.
Just transform him for now.
Circe can transform him back, right?
Assassin has also been duped.
Then we can fuck up this True Grail War even more.
>>
Caster and Adelheid are to kill Ajisartous
>>3489212

Caster holds Ajisartous while you kill him
>>3489225
>>3489281

Caster does away with Longinus, then holds Ajisartous for you
>>3489229
>>3489322

Caster and Adelheid do whatever they like
>>3489254

Looks like we're tied once again.
>>
>>3489348
...or not. Alright then, looks like we have a choice.
>>
>>3489354
HOLD UP

Guys, I have an idea.

We have a second grail war to win, yes? That means six other servants and six other masters to deal with.
And we're about to kill Judas, so Assassin is probably going to die too (even though he's not part of this next grail war).

But... It'd be a shame to let a perfectly good servant go to waste when we've got a war to win, right?
> [ ] Call Truvietianne out to the yard. You have a gift for her.
>>
>>3489358
Switch to this.
If possible.
Bls.
>>
>>3489358
One less servant means one less competitor in the next war.
>>
>>3489358
Would giving Truvi Assassin really be beneficial to us? It's not like an Edelfelt would be the type to huddle up in their room while their Servant gets all the glory. Longinus also got womanhandled by Circe and is more liable to kill Truvi he doesn't like her.
>>
>>3489405
He's Extra Assassin, not Outer Assassin.

>>3489410
Who said Truvi would be huddled up in her room? We would at the very least reinstate our partnership for a bit in the real war.

It's also worth noting that Longinus clearly doesn't want to die. I doubt he'd kill his master.
>>
Anybody else want to weigh in here? Right now it looks to me like we have a 3-way tie.
>>
>>3489425
I'll vote for this option only if it still ends in Judas' death.
>>
>>3489425
Also I really want to just break the news to her that it was all a fucking lie.
Truth is...
The game was rigged from the start.
Also we might get to actually meet an Einzbern! Or a Tohsaka! Or that other family!
>>
>>3489482
It does. We're just going to have Caster tear off his command spells and give them to Truvi first.
>>
>>3489485
Make sure we have Adelheid or Caster sever his arm/wherever his spells are immediately then.
...
As the false organiser how many does he have?
>>
>>3489485
Alright. I'll adapt my vote to add your conditions as well.
>>
>>3489497
You can see that the red pattern stretches up from his hand to disappear behind his sleeve, but don't know more than that.
>>
>>3489497
I mean, if he has a few extras lying around and Caster can take them, we could use a couple...

>>3489505
Your ID may have changed.
>>
>>3489506
Then his entire arm is going.
I hope.
>>
>>3489514
Shit. I'm >>3489322. Voting to support you.
>>
So how do you want to call Truvietianne? You don't have cell phones, telepathy only connects you to your Servants. Who do you want to send into the university?
>>
>>3489529
>Who do you want to send into the university?
Adelheid. Tell her to drag the lady out if need be.
>>
>>3489529
Can Caster still send auditory messages around the university like what we could have done before Rider and crew attacked?
>>
>>3489529
This is stupid, let's not do it.
>>
>>3489529
...
We can totally just go ourselves.
Make sure Caster takes Judas' arm first though.
And binds him too.
Just in case
>>
>>3489543
I mean, if she can do this, have her do this instead of going personally.
>>
>>3489547
If Caster can't send an auditory message, then this. Adelheid and Caster will be far better at keeping those two in check than we will. Don't want Cid pulling any funny business while we're away.
>>
>>3489543
That was more of an "I enchanted this alarm to go off when X happens in advance" thing. You could have her use spacial transportation magic to bring Truvietianne out, though.
>>
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>tfw you realize that the Master-killing job will now belong to Longinus.
>>
>>3489554
>You could have her use spacial transportation magic to bring Truvietianne out, though.
Would she have enough to use her NP and restrain Judas?
>>
>>3489554
Oooh
Let's do that then.
It's a bit of a rude thing to do.
But...
Speed is of the essence, probably.
>>
>>3489564
Yeah, Caster's very energy-efficient. It's Adelheid who runs through it like crazy.
>>
>>3489558
It's okay. We'll get our chance to thrash

>>3489554
That would be ideal. It'd make things quick. I'm sure she'll be mad about it, but hopefully she'll understand the urgency when we tell her what we brought her for.
>>
>>3489577
Quick little condition: if Caster has to drop Longinus to make that happen (hopefully she won't), have Adelheid restrain Longinus instead.
>>
>>3489577
And this time it's a true alliance.
No need to betray each other to get the grail active.
Of course there still needs to be the decision of who actually gets to make the wish.
But no mechanical incentive to gib each other.
>>
What are the odds of a Ruler coming out to deal with this new, aberrant change to their War?
>>
>>3489601
Now that would be seriously spicy.
I wonder how time flows on the outside world.
It's possible it's only been moments out there.
>>
>>3489624
>Now that would be seriously spicy.
But definitely not something we want.
>It's possible it's only been moments out there.
That's how Akeldama works, yes.
>>
>>3489624
If you read the last status update, you'll know.
>>
>>3489642
Oh I must have skipped over that part.
>>
>>3489594
Not needing to stab each other's backs at any point is going to be a serious boon.
We'll get to the wish when we get there.
Honestly, I'm not completely against giving it to Truvietianne. We can't really agree on a wish for Rushorou, and I'm not even sure what he'd want since all he really wants at this stage is to win.

>>3489601
I don't know if it will, actually. It's not a change to the war. It's a completely separate war that happens to have some servants leftover, not much different from what happened to Gil.
But you know, Longinus is a canonized saint...
>>
>>3489641
>It's possible it's only been moments out there.
>That's how Akeldama works, yes.
To be perfectly clear, it hasn't been moments. Time and space in Akeldama are both completely cut off from those in the real world. You will return to the exact same moment that the Noble Phantasm was activated.
>>
Imagine if Longinus didn't get misclassed...
>>
>>3489743
Him as Lancer or Ruler would fuck some serious shit up.
>>
Your rage turns to anticipation, as a new idea strikes. "Circe, bring Truvietianne out hear for us," you order. "If we're all going to be leaving this place bound for a new Grail War, I have a little gift for her."

"As you wish, Master," Circe replies. "Tροψα!" With a flourish of her staff, Circe calls out the divine word you've come to recognize as the command for spacial transportation, and Truvietianne suddenly fades into existence in front of you. Apparently she was preparing for bed, as she appears with a toothbrush in her hand, wearing a clinging nightgown that renders her curves far more visible than under ordinary circumstances.

You don't have much time to admire the sight, however, before she angrily squeals, "What on earth are you doing?" and slaps you across the face. "Didn't you just finish a deadly battle? I hardly think this is the time for practical jokes, Yumigawa-kun! How dare you?"

After weathering Truvietianne's outburst, you reply, "my apologies, Miss Edelfelt. I suppose I should have given you some notice. However, I am in a rather sticky situation which could lead to tremendous benefits for you, and chose to opt for speed."

Before you can launch into an explanation of your plan to give Truvietianne Longinus, Judas interjects. "Young man, do you understand how Servants are sustained?"

"By the energy of a Master," you answer. "What is your point?"

Understanding dawns on Circe's face first, though, and before Judas can explain she cuts in. "Master, that's not quite right. The Holy Grail amplifies the energy we receive from you. A Servant needs to be incarnated to survive without the Grail."

"That is correct, thank you." Judas picks up his explanation. "Now, what do you think will happen to Longinus, there, when the simulated Holy Grail sustaining this war within the Akeldama vanishes. There will be nothing to support his continued existence, even if you do tie him to Miss Edelfelt."

Your stomach lurches. This has much larger connotations than Longinus' existence. "What about Circe and Adelheid, then? Do you mean to tell me they'll fade as well?" You find yourself grabbing Judas by the collar again; your emotions certainly do run away with you more easily than they once did.

"Not necessarily," Judas answers. "My mechanism for summoning the Servants had already given you a rather unique constitution, and since then you seem to have severed your reliance on the Grail system yourself. You should be able to sustain those two even outside of this world. Miss Edelfelt, I'm afraid, has no such benefits."

"So that's the way it is." You let go of the Servant, looking again at your strangely discolored command spell. Perhaps your brute-force modification to the thing had more benefits than you realized at the time.
>>
Judas doesn't give you much time to think, however, before he's pushing you to a conclusion. "So, what are you going to do, young man? I've answered all of your questions, given you all the information you could need." His eyes bore into yours, demanding an answer with an intensity you haven't seen from the priest up until now. "If you're going to send me back to the Throne of Heroes, I'd like you to make it quick!"

>[ ] "Fine then, damn you! Die!" (Pride)

>[ ] "If you're so eager to put an end to things, we may as well. Adelheid, burn him." (Duty)

>[ ] Say something else.
>>
>>3489873
>[ ] "Fine then, damn you! Die!" (Pride)
>>
>>3489873
It was worth a shot.
>[ ] "If you're so eager to put an end to things, we may as well. Adelheid, burn him." (Duty)
No reason to bloody our hands with this one.
>>
>>3489873
>[ ]"Caster, prevent Judas here from speaking, there are a few things we should consider before ending this fake war. I don't really trust a word this snake is spewing, after all, I'd have to be a fool to take history's greatest traitor at his word."
>>
>>3489920
You might want to write what those few things are, if you want to go with this.
>>
>>3489920
>>3489936
Sure.
For one, we need to figure out what's gonna happen when Judas dies.
Do we appear in our bed? Do we show up at Judas' Master's house?
Two, we need to discuss whether or not Circe can bootleg a way to steal and keep Cid's all purpose command spells or possibly even find a way to do something of use with Assassin before ending the Noble Phantasm, I assume that Judas can't end the thing of his own accord.
Three, we should probably tell Truvi that we've all been had.
Four.
Brainwash Judas?
>>
>>3489920
Supportan
>>
>>3489957
>Two, we need to discuss whether or not Circe can bootleg a way to steal and keep Cid's all purpose command spells
This is important; we only have 1 Command Spell so we would need more.
>find a way to do something of use with Assassin
Like what? We've done everything we could in here.
>Brainwash Judas?
Just kill him after amputating him if we can steal a Command Spell.
>>
>>3489873
>[ ] "Fine then, damn you! Die!" (Pride)
>>
>>3489966
I wonder if you can use a servant as an ingredient to a kickass mystic code.
>>
>>3489957
Supporting, with the exception of brainwashing since we're about to kill him anyway. At the very least, I'd say Truvi is entitled to the cliff notes of what the fuck is happening since we dragged her out here getting ready for bed and all.
>>
>>3489966
Are you voting for >>3489920 as well, or just discussing?

>>3489974
They dissolve into energy after dying, so you can't do anything with a Servant's corpse.
>>
>>3490069
Yeah but what if you were to keep them alive though?
Not turn their corpse into a mystic code per-say.
Or would anything sourced from them disappear?
I'm just wondering.
>>
>>3490069
>you can't do anything with a Servant's corpse
Tell that to Zouken.
>>
>>3490123
Yeah, I still don't get how he made that happen. Chalk it up to serious specialization, I suppose.
>>
So are we just killing him or what? We're kind of beating around the bush here otherwise.
>>
>>3490322
We're planning on what happens when he dies.
It's fucking Judas.
Can't trust the asshole.
>>
You break eye-contact with Judas, spinning on your heel to walk back toward the others. "Circe, prevent Judas here from speaking, there are a few things we should consider before ending this fake war. I don't really trust a word this snake is spewing. After all, only a fool would take history's greatest traitor at his word."

"Whatever you say, Master." Circe snaps her fingers, and a band of light seals itself over Judas' mouth.

"Now, to begin with I think Miss Edelfelt deserves an explanation," you say, sitting down on a bench now that the situation is a bit less tense. "You see, it turns out that 'Ajisartous' here was actually another Servant. Caster, fighting in an outer Grail War beyond this artificial world. This place is his Noble Phantasm, an enclosed world designed for the sacrifice of those he brings here. Having us all die would empower him enough to win the real Grail War, and he manufactured the excuse of a Grail War here in order to get us fighting."

Edelfelt doesn't blink at the revelation, to your surprise. She processes the information quite calmly, in fact. Perhaps her capacity for shock has simply been exhausted in the last ten days, as when you finish your explanation she simply asks for details. "In that case, how are we to return home? I don't suppose you've convinced him to simply dispel his Noble Phantasm, this 'Akeldama'."

"He claims the only exit is for all of us to die, or for him to," you explain. "Obviously we can't necessarily trust him, but it does stand to reason that when a Servant expires their Noble Phantasm will vanish." Then, turning to Circe, you continue, "Is it possible for you to analyze the structure and tell us what will really happen in that case?"

"I've been trying to do that since Judas explained," the enchantress replies. "Noble Phantasms are more difficult to analyze than ordinary magic, however; I'm afraid I don't know."

"In that case, what about his Command Spells?" With only one spell left on your own hand, you do feel a bit worried. "Can you take them from him, the way he was transferring spells between Masters?" As you ask the question, you see motion in the corner of your eye. Turning back to Judas, you see that he's raising his arm, showing you the back of his hand. A winding bramble of red shapes twists and turns from the hand down his forearm, but as you watch in horror, they fade and vanish. At the same time, the two lost wings on your own hand return; you're back to having three command spells, but the wealth of them Judas held has vanished. From behind his transparent gag, he smirks at you. Then, as you watch, he vanishes from sight.

You feel a hand on your shoulder, prompting you jump to your feet and whirl around. Judas stands behind you, mouth unbound. "That really was quite blasé," he says in a genial tone. "Trying to silence me and discuss my fate right there? Not a gentlemanly way to behave, my boy; quite unfitting of would-be royalty."
>>
"So you can still do that," you say, rage bubbling up in you again. Everything this man says seems to set you off! "Then why the helpless act earlier? What was the point?"

"I am helpless, in the greater sense," Judas answers. "My only way out of here is to see you all dead, and with Longinus fading that's now quite impossible." He gestures past you, and as you turn to look you observe that, indeed, Judas' Servant is rapidly disappearing now that their connection is severed. "I have no great desire for the Grail, and I don't particularly mind you sending me back to the Throne of Heroes," the priest continues, "but I will die on my own terms. Standing, not bound and gagged, and not having my arm amputated or my command spells ripped out through spiritual surgery. I restored yours as a gift, out of the hope that we can part on amicable terms. So, young man, will you raise your hand against me? Or are you limited to pontification and indecision? Do you truly have the nerve to end this?"

>[ ] Fight Judas yourself. (Pride)

>[ ] Delegate it to one of your Servants. (Self-Preservation)

>[ ] Do something else (Write in)
>>
>>3490375
>[ ] Fight Judas yourself. (Pride)
Let's fuckin do this already, jesus
>>
>>3490375
>[ ] Fight Judas yourself. (Pride)
>Do you truly have the nerve to end this?"
Too bad Rushorou is a nip who never read the Bible, would love to kiss him on the cheek and then have Adelheid behead him or something
>>
>>3490375
>[ ] Fight Judas yourself. (Pride)
Just fucking die then, asshole.
>>
>>3490375
>[ ] Delegate it to one of your Servants. (Self-Preservation)
Do it indirectly. Just like he does.
Since Adelheid's the Christian, let her do what she pleases with him.
>>
The whole Cid interaction has been fan-fucking tastic.
>Rushorou outplays everyone, even Judas himself
Get fucked.
>>
>>3490375
>[ ] Fight Judas yourself. (Pride)
>>
>>3490428
I'm certainly glad you've been enjoying it! Since this is the moment I've been planning the whole thing up until now around, I'd hate for it to come off poorly.
>>
>>3490441
I just woke up.
SWEEEEETS WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE
>>
>>3490544
>1 post ID
Who were you before, anon?
>>
>>3490550
Probably the guy who’s posted that same image with the same file name several times
>>
>>3490551
Well yes, of course, but I was wondering how many updates he'd slept through.
>>
>>3490544
Looking at the timetable, I'm guessing you probably last read the update where you had to pick who to save. In which case, how did you like the twist?
To answer your question, I've done what I've been planning to do since the quest began.
>>
>>3490551
Do you hate me yet?
>>3490563
It was nice
>>
>>3490544
>SWEEEEETS WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE
>>3490579
>It was nice
Well in that case, what were you so mad about?
>>
>>3490579
Lol no, it’s quest relevant
>>
>>3490582
It was fake anger.

...Sweets, I'm a little concerned to be honest. Not sure if you don't get jokes or if my jokes aren't obvious enough
>>
>>3490441
Sweets, want to say thanks for this quest. I thought we were near the end, but now I'm sure we are mostly through the prologue.


Also you reignited my love of fate and now I am back in fate/go...
>>
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>>3490637
>now I am back in fate/go...
You should be cursing him.
>>
>>3490622
It's a little something called playing along, or carrying the joke. Your post was in jest, and so was mine.
At the same time, even fake anger has a fake source, so I was a bit curious about that. If you missed a bunch of updates, what part in particular were you faking anger about?

>>3490637
This is really touching. I'm glad to have written something worth being thanked for, and I hope you all continue to enjoy the quest going forward. As for getting back into FGO, I'm not sure whether you should be thanking me or not. The grind to clear out the event shop is killing me now, and before that it was the Type X spawn node...
But in all seriousness, if this quest has served to reignite your passion for the series I couldn't be happier. Fate/Stay Night will always be one of my all-time favorite pieces of writing, and I'm doing the best I can to capture as much of the charm as possible in this quest.
>>
>>3490645
>I'm doing the best I can to capture as much of the charm as possible in this quest.
We still need the poorly written sex scene(s).
>>
>>3490651
For that I would need to hire an artist and then delegate writing the sex scenes to him. Anybody got a spare Takeuchi lying around?
>>
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>>3490651
>Implying Circe Sex isn’t Soon
>>
>>3490640
Cure never, but I forgot how bad the grind is.
>>3490645
I will safely say thanks until the grind breaks me again, that or the my 50th summon with no new servants...again.
>>
File deleted.
>>3490651
D E F E N S E L E S S

>>3490655
He gave up drawing years ago, but if you want, my brother is always looking for excuses to write comedic smut inspired by Takeuchi's literary masterpieces.
>>
>>3490683
>He gave up drawing years ago, but if you want, my brother is always looking for excuses to write comedic smut inspired by Takeuchi's literary masterpieces.
Nice. Remind me if/when a fade-to-black moment ends up happening. Provided he's following the quest, of course.

>>3490670
Aside while I'm writing the next update, if you're on NA FGO and need supports, feel free to send a request to 338,091,653. I'm not a mega-whale, but I have a pretty decent lineup.
>>
>>3490702
Thanks, I will always accept more help.
>>
"Alright, Judas," you say, "I'll fight you, fair and square. Man to man. End this-" In mid sentence, you whip your fist up and smash a punch into Judas' face. He may be faster than the humans you've fought up until now, but he's no Adelheid and he doesn't have the wealth of experience that makes Matsuda dangerous. You feel the satisfying crunch of a breaking nose under your knuckles, and while he's reeling from the punch you hop over the park bench between the two of you. Judas gets his fists up, but now you switch to low blows, sinking a punch into his gut and following it with a knee. This really is too easy to be called a fight, but you're riding high on the satisfaction of pounding the hell out of the man responsible for all the trouble you've gone through since coming here. A hook to the face, jab to the neck, a kick to the legs, a knee to the groin, you keep alternating your strikes and demolish Judas without much trouble. This, you suppose, is how Matsuda felt the first time he fought you; this enemy may have the speed and strength necessary to be a Servant, but without any training he's worthless.

Finally you've had enough. Judas' face is a bloody mess, and you've felt a few ribs break as well. You grab the Servant by the throat, throwing out a final taunt to repay him for all the infuriating words he's sent your way. "For someone who wanted to die on his feet, you don't fight very well. Why do this, Judas? Why not take the easy way out and kill yourself when you realized your plan had gone to hell, huh? Why make me put you down, huh?"

"Hehehe..." Judas chokes out a laugh through bloody lips, the sound wet and gurgling. You may have done more internal damage than you'd thought. "This is... what I wanted, young man. To face death... from another, not by my... own hand. Now... finish it, my boy. I can... still... make things worse for you, you know. As long as you're here..." That's an unsettling thought. Even if he can't kill anyone here himself, Judas could still use his power over the Akeldama to put you at a disadvantage. He gave you his command spells at a distance; could he break your ties to Adelheid and Circe, as well?

Indeed, it's better to end things swiftly. It irritates you to give Judas what he wants, even when that desire is for death, but you quash the urge to drag out his suffering. You draw your right hand back, fill the mystic code wrapped around it with power, and in a single smooth motion, gouge out Judas' heart.
>>
>>3490702
Also request sent.
>>
"Ah..." The priest lets out a sigh, and almost inaudibly breathes his final words. "This is the end, at last. Now you'll be taking my place, young man..." With that, Judas fades away. At the same time, all around you, the colors in your vision begin running together. The world loses its form, shapes flowing into one another. You can hear cries of shock and rage from the people around you, but sound too loses its cohesion, its meaning. Even the substance beneath your feet becomes jellylike before sensation vanishes completely.

Then the transition is complete, and you find yourself back in the world of whirling colors, sucked towards the distant central point of light. That same strange place you were in before you awoke in the Seventh City, and quite alone. This time, however, you're not isolated, cut off from the flowing energy. Instead it flows through you, and some remains with you; augmenting and changing you, coalescing into a clear mental image.

The new power forming its image in your mind takes the shape of...

>[ ] An unstoppable point, striking through armor to pierce the heart
>[ ] A long obsidian blade, held aloft in the light of dawn
>[ ] A silent shadow, leaving death in its wake as it moves undetected
>[ ] A crimson needle, tracing a predetermined path to its target as it gleams in the noonday sun
>>
>>3490731
>[ ] A long obsidian blade, held aloft in the light of dawn
>>
>>3490702
I've been trying to get him on board this quest for a while now. Hopefully this job opening will convince him to read the archive already.

>>3490731
>[ ] A long obsidian blade, held aloft in the light of dawn
>>
>>3490731
>[ ] A long obsidian blade, held aloft in the light of dawn
>>
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And you guys initially wanted to have the Servants kill Judas...
>>
>>3490745
>Now you'll be taking my place, young man...
You realize we might be totally FUCKED, right? We might end up as Vaisset's servant because of this.
>>
>>3490737
>>3490741
>>3490743
How is it that every time there's an option that I keep going back and forth on over whether I should delete it or leave it in, that's the one you folks all converge on?
It's incredible! Like you've got some kind of collective "Sweets isn't sure about this one" sense!
>>
>>3490749
Why, it sounds awesome, now we have a Cape and a sword.
>>
>>3490748
And? We're a prideful sonnuvabitch who would need multiple Spells to make us capitulate, with a powerful Berserker and a yandere Caster.
>>
>>3490748
Well then we just have to kill him and take over as master. Shouldn't be any harder then what we have already accomplished.
>>
>>3490748
We're a package deal of Magus' bane, is what I'm saying.
>>
Just an FYI, this choice will be up for a while, as it's a highly important one.
>>
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>>3490755
Yeah, tied to the will of some smarmy douchenozzle who's expecting instant victory the second we get back.

>>3490757
Killing him might cause us to fade out of existence like an actual servant. This choice might be Sweets giving us an NP.

>>3490749
It's my Noble Phantasm.
Naive. Just because you've written the Outer Grail War, did you assume it would be the Outermost Grail War?
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>>3490773
Okay, but Caster.
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>>3490645
>It's a little something called playing along, or carrying the joke. Your post was in jest, and so was mine.
If we were both jesting, then who was autism???
>At the same time, even fake anger has a fake source, so I was a bit curious about that. If you missed a bunch of updates, what part in particular were you faking anger about?
The twist in particular. Really in a "Sweets you son of a bitch sense"
I would've run him as an Avenger and his NP would be derived from the Judas Gospel like From Hell was derived from that one letter Jack the Ripper allegedly wrote (it's in the wiki)
>>3490731
These all sound like pre-existing NPs.

The unstoppable point sounds like Caladbolg, the crimson needle sounds like Gae Bolg, and I've got nothing for the obsidian blade and silent shadow.
>[ ] An unstoppable point, striking through armor to pierce the heart
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>>3490776
Could be class selection, actually, likely with a preexisting NP.

???
Saber
Assassin
Lancer/Archer
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>>3490773
Why would we cease to exist? Doesn't the world still see us as Rushorou?
I know that we are similar to a heroic spirit, but he have no legend attached to us.

Or am I just forgetting something?
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>>3490789
>Doesn't the world still see us as Rushorou?
Alaya? Not really, no. We're a conceptual being that isn't really human in nature any longer. If Judas fucks us into a servant existence, then we're super boned.
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>>3490786
No, what I'm saying is that we have a (very miffed) Caster.
>>3490789
We sort of experienced an identity death but we are just an enhanced human.

Speaking of which, NEW NAME! We should discuss it with Adelheid and Circe.
Yes, I mean together.
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>>3490786
If true then there is only one answer for Rushorou. That is the ruler class.
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>>3490792
Damn him then. We should have had berserker finish him off then.
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>>3490792
>Not really, no.
We don't know that until we pop into the real world.
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>>3490796
Rulers have to be saintly people with no desires, though. That's why so many kings wind up in the knight classes, while the ruler-class Servants are people like Jeanne d'Arc and Saint Martha, who never actually ruled.
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>>3490797
That's what I voted for, but nope! Just had to finish him with our own two hands, didn't we...

Since we've been fucked into servitude, what's the preemptive game plan if Vaisset sucks donkey dick (which he totally does, he summoned Judas fucking Iscariot as a servant)? Try to get Truvi to come to Tokyo and betray Vaisset to be her servant instead?

Also, are we sure Saber is the proper choice for Rushorou? We should probably discuss, since >>3490772
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>>3490780
>>3490786
All I'll say is that these choices have nothing to do with preexisting noble phantasms.
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>>3490809
But there was that one ruler Amakusa Shirō, or is he the exception?
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>>3490815
I don't really know what his deal is. His past is apparently fairly mysterious, but he was another Christian religious leader.
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>>3490810
With how we have fought in the past, I think assassin is a better fit, something close like Li Shuwen.
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>>3490810
The only really fitting one is Assassin but, then again, we'd be an Assassin.
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>>3490812
...Class it is, then, I suppose.

>>3490819
>>3490822
We've certainly been an excellent designated master killer so far, so that could well be optimal, but I think there are benefits elsewhere because Assassin.

Since our master is probably going to suck dick, how do we try to land the Archer class for that sweet, sweet Independent Action?

>>3490815
Don't question Apocrypha. It's a disaster and can't even get its own lore right half the time.
Though it is worth noting that Jeanne d'Arc lead an army, so that doesn't disqualify you.
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Wait, doesn't the Saber vision coincide with how we see our Origin?
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>>3490810
But as >>3490822
pointed out. So a saber is the next best option. Let's us get in almost as close, we can still fight unarmed if we want, and that cloak would be a nice counter to range or unavoidable attacks.
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>>3490824
>..Class it is, then, I suppose.
I'm not saying that. It could be class, or it could be something entirely different. I just don't want you folks to get your hopes up that you can pull Excalibur Morgan or something.
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>>3490824
No I want to question Apocrypha, I need answers no matter what sanity cost I must pay.

And independent action is great, if we are a servant then we would still have to eventually make a pact with a master.
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>>3490838
What? No it isn't. You folks picked a door opening into the void.
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>>3490840
Shhhhhh....
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>>3490809
Technically the restriction is that a Ruler must have no WISH. That's why they're chosen to have so much power over the Grail War, because they can be trusted not to use it to Command Spell the other Servants to death and claim the Grail.
Technically Karna qualifies for Ruler, since he only comes to answer what he sees as a call for aid from a Master, and has no wish of his own.
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>>3490842
Then why the heck does Emperor Qin qualify? The guy wanted to be immortal so badly that he drank mercury and died because he thought it might work, then he comes back and has no wish?
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>>3490828
Well it's important and almost certainly related to our impending servitude, so it's probably either an NP (though not preexisting), or class, or both.

>>3490842
>No wish
>Amakusa Shirou
Fuck Apocrypha. Fuck it. Fuck it all. I hate it so much.

>>3490832
We're probably going to be tied to Vaisset at the beginning.

>>3490843
Well, being on the Throne of Heroes is technically a form of immortality. Maybe he's down with it?
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>>3490843
glue-huffing writers
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>>3490815
>>3490824
>>3490848
Remember, Amakusa shouldn't be a ruler. Einzbern shenanigans allowed him to be in that class.
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>>3490851
Really? That must have been explained after the point where my eyes had glazed over and I was just waiting for the trainwreck to stop burning, but I wouldn't be surprised if Apocrypha didn't explain that at all.

It's worth noting that I only saw the anime for Apocrypha. Didn't bother with the source material due to how massively shit it was.
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>>3490854
Literally just look through the wiki and read all the points that have citations. It means someone else did the reading and watching for you.
You saw Vasavi Shakti at the very least, right? I heard it was good and I was planning to watch just that bit
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By the way, the point is probably the Lancer while the needle is the Archer.
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>>3490858
Oh, right, episode 22. Not gonna lie, that one stands out. If you watch any part of Apocrypha, just watch episode 22 on its own (Vasavi Shakti is in that episode, among some other flashy moments). They traded out some of the key animation staff for just that episode and the uptick in animation quality is remarkable.

That's not to say ep 22 is good in every capacity. It's still rife with Apocrypha nonsense and I will be forever mad about how badly they fucked up Achilles as a character, but it is undeniably a spectacle and visual treat. I 100% recommend episode 22 alone.
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>>3490865
See >>3490828
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>>3490868
Why is it that I'm always retarded after dusk? I don't drink that much nowadays.
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>>3490866
Got it, thanks
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>>3490872
Skill: Numeral of the Sinner
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So what do we have so far?
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>>3490903
1 for unstoppable point.
3 for obsidian blade.
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Alright, I'm going to call this shortly. Is everyone certain of your choice?
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>>3490938
Yeah, I'm still voting for Rushorou's huge, girthy unstoppable point
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>>3490731
>[ ] A long obsidian blade, held aloft in the light of dawn
Damn you Judas.
What the fuck did you do.
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>>3490943
He made the Outer War more fun.

Also, I notice that Extra Assassin's profile hasn't been updated yet, even after Judas told us he was Longinus Was he lying? For what purpose?
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>>3490948
He's FUCKING JUDAS
Kinda purpose enough.
I'm really excited for whatever comes next.
I just hope our servants will be ok.
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>>3490948
Updated.
>>
As you visualize the coalescing power, it takes the form of an obsidian blade. A sword of darkness, held up against the light of dawn like a long, thin crack in the sky. Though the sun's rays should illuminate it, the blade instead appears to cut the light, so that none falls on it. Then the vision fades, and you still remain in the swirling place of shimmering color. And yet something within you has changed, something fundamental. That power, shaped into a blade, has taken up residence in some core part of your being, and when you return to the world you're certain that your body will have changed as well.

After a timeless period of waiting, an eternity or a moment, the scene shifts once again. The color drains away as you surge towards the central point in your vision, that node of sharpest light where all color converges. It burns towards you, searing your eyes, blinding you and scorching your mind, dying your entire being in intolerable brightness, until-

You stand in a small, dimly lit room, with stone floor, stone walls, and a stone ceiling. Put simply, a basement made entirely of large stone blocks. You're in the center of a wide magic circle, perhaps three feet across and seemingly drawn in blood. Candelabra hang on the walls, giving the place what little illumination it has, and between them stand large bookshelves. Idly you consider that storing books next to open flames and hot wax seems inadvisable. On the opposite end of the room is an out-of-place modern-looking stainless steel worktable, clashing with the archaism of the other items. A variety of stones, beakers, gems, and arcane tools are scattered over its surface as well as the racks below, but you can't see the majority of them as they're obscured by the presence of a man.

From what you can see in the candlelight, this man is rather thin, of middling height, with black hair, parted and combed back over his skull, and elegant taste in clothing. He wears black slacks, tailored to fit; a charcoal vest, softly patterned in gray; and a white silk shirt. This, possibly, is Jean-Pierre Vaisset, the magus responsible for your presence. He's hunched over the table, working at something obscured from your view by his back. Unbidden and without thought, a question springs to your lips.

"Magus, you who have summoned me. I ask of you: are you my Master?"

True End

This is the conclusion of Fate/City Akeldama.
It is not, however, the conclusion of Yumigawa Rushorou's tale.
That story will continue on the reverse side of Fate, in Fate/Awakening Mirror.
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>>3490977
Oh shit.
Nice.
Now where did our servants go...?
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>>3490977
Bring out the champagne, boys, we did it. Now, we just have to do it again.
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>>3490977
>we came alone
Well, fucking hell. I wonder if our clothing has changed. Did we died? What about the others?
I'm gonna hate this guy, from the looks of it. Dude's probably a dumb, impulsive coward.
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>>3490977
If this is the true end what were the good ends?
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>>3490984
I want to know this, too.
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>>3490984
I'm guessing:

>Bad End
We make one of our Servants an hero and then 'win' the War, at which point Longinus kills the other and then teams up on us with Judas.
>Good End
??? fucked if I know lol
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Also, I see that Yumi's sheet was pared down to his Emotional Status.

>Emotional Status:
>[Pride~46 (10 from major focus)]
>[Self-Preservation~27 (10 from major focus)]
>[Duty~27]
>[Compassion~28]
>[Desire~33] (Primary: Sadism, Romance, Battle-Lust, Curiosity)
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>>3490989
Sadism? Were we sadistic?
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>>3490990
Glasses Guy.
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>>3490990
But not really, that's just a Primary factor.
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>>3490983
I swear to fuck Cid, if you made us this guys Servant I'm going to be right fucked off with the bible for a while.
If we aren't his servant though let's just kill him.
God damn it why didn't we go for the class with Independent Action.
Though depending on just what happened we might still be alive.
Do we need a Master/mana source?
Are... are we quipping?
I miss Circe and Adelheid.
If we still have our command spells can we LARP as Ruler?
Do we get to fight a Seigi no Mikata?
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>>3490995
Would we even have a True Name? We were considering changing it, after all.
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>>3490984
>>3490986
Honestly? The True End was the only ending I had figured out in advance other than the Dead Ends. If you folks had figured out some way to end things differently, I would've had to wing it. That's why this ending is definitively True, and those ones would only have been pretty Good.
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>>3490991
That was only one instanceand that took maybe a tenth of the thread.
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>>3490995
>Sweets is reading this right now
>his fw
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>>3490999
Well damn fine way to end part one...are we jojoing now? Part two I look foward to what you have planned.
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>>3491004
>are we jojoing now?
>>>>>now
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>>3491004
Do you remember the finale scene in FSN after you get all the Tiger Stamps, when Taiga and Illya refer to the Heaven's Feel route as "the back side of Fate," with the Fate and UBW routes being the front side?
I wanted to play on that, since the quest is divided into two worlds anyway. Plus, I needed a new title once the Akeldama stopped being relevant.
Of course, I might end up with a part 3, in which case I guess we will indeed be JoJoing.
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>we hit literally Judas with a spicy Jojo reference
I still can't get over that.
I refuse to.
Can't wait to see where this goes next.
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>>3490995
>God damn it why didn't we go for the class with Independent Action.
Hey, remember up above when I said that you should think long and hard about that choice, and that the obsidian blade option was the one I wasn't sure about including?
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>>3491012
But sweets, swords are cool. And if bullshit emiya can be an archer with a sword; we can be a better archer with a sword.
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>>3491012
FUCK.
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>>3491013
Hot take: Archer's Emiyachetes are lame, and he'd be cooler if he used his bow more.
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>>3491016
Fair enough, I personally enjoy alter version.
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>turns out Judas just didn't feel like fighting a grail war and made us take his place
Fuckin Judas. We got played.
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>>3491012
But Sabers always win Grail Wars!UNSTOPPABLE POINT CHADS GET IN HERE
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>>3491020
>spoiler
lmao jobberkek
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Fate/Awakening Mirror has begun! I bet you thought there'd be a time delay, but no!

>>3491019
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>>3491026
WHAT
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>>3491026
You mad man, someone stop this crazy man.
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>I missed the class vote because I’m a fag who sleeps
HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TO ME
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>>3491105
MADE MY MISTAKES



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