Detection, Deception, Decimation, Declaration

[Mochizuki Chiyome]

If there was a soldier class Servant nearby, I would know it. I have sensed no Servants. Assassin contributed a complicating piece of information to Will’s though process. She kept her attention on the little white-haired girl making her way down the street, listening to what her Master came up with. His conclusion… the girl is a decoy? That would mean Will could very likely be in danger. However… There were some things that simply didn’t make sense here. If the woman that was missing was a Servant… the only explanation why she hadn’t sensed her was impossible, which should mean she wasn’t a Servant. Then where did she disappear to? Assassin was attempting to consider the facts when she got the command. Drop a smoke bomb. … Assassin smirked inwardly. So they were taking action in among normal people. Very well then.

Affirmative. Smoke bomb… away. It barely took any time at all. To make her way to a slightly higher ground, memorize the appearance of the area, materialize crouched for a moment on a small well-placed balcony in order to produce and lob a small smoke-bomb into the active city-streets quite near where the young girl was walking.

Edit: Before throwing the bomb Chiyome planted one of her nodes from her Noble Phantasm on the building, a passive onlooker with Presence Concealment of its own which would watch while Chiyome had to deal with the consequences of a 'preparation for action' action. After throwing, in order to deal with complications arising from throwing a smoke bomb, Chiyome would kindly displace herself into an empty alley on the side in order to regain her complete concealment. She had made sure it was empty ahead of time, of course. There would have been no prana loss which made her detectable by other Servants, but if seen she could be identified, as such she needed to make herself unseen. Fortunately, she could abuse both her own smoke-bomb and her Disengage rank B skill to quickly and efficiently have reached a secluded spot from where she could regain her full Presence Concealment, and from there she would be back to look at Rima before she even came out of it, anything she had possibly missed seen by the node she left behind which she removed with nobody the wiser since it all happened under Presence Concealment.

Assassin came again back to watch the cloud where the surprised tones of people in it were heard. Would this be featured on the news? Well, nothing here proved it was caused by anything unnatural. The Servant quickly moved herself down on the streets in Spirit Form. There was the girl she was to be watching, and had never stopped watching thanks to the node, and… …

… She came stumbling out of the smoke-screen, apparently having been holding her breath until she was just about out and there she began coughing. The tiny female appeared quite pained, but the steadiness she had walked with said something about her determination. She had not panicked. Despite something so unnatural happening right beside her, the young girl had not panicked. … Hm.

No Servant appeared. The girl did not panic, she merely held her breath while walking out the smoke, although she stumbled and coughed upon emerging. The Servant gave the young fragile coughing girl another glance… She’s wearing gloves. Possibility of hiding Command Seals under. Assassin reported, actually unsure if it meant anything but felt relevant enough to mention.

[Katyusha Kohklova]

Katyusha let out a yawn and leaned back in her chair until she heard her back pop.  Much to her disappointment, the previous day's search for other masters had been a complete waste of time.  Determined to find someone today, she had set out much earlier.  Currently she was enjoying a bit of breakfast at a small outdoor cafe.  She was absentmindedly poking at some sort of egg dish while she snuck a healthy amount of vodka into her orange juice.  The food was alright, but the girl would have been much happier if it wasn't so damn hot.  There was no snow on the ground, no icicles hanging from the rooftops, and most people weren't even wearing jackets.  Katyusha's liquor had already started to get warm, and she made a mental note to buy a coozie for it the next chance she got.

Just as she was finishing her meal, a blanket of white engulfed Katyusha.  Her heart skipped a beat-- was it an enemy attack?  She hadn't sensed any magi nearby, and who could possibly know she was a master already?  Archer was posted atop a building far enough away from her that no one should link the two together.  That meant either someone had been watching them since yesterday, or this was all just a big coincidence.  Regardless, it was unthinkable that a magus might start a fight in the middle of the day.  Surely there was something she was missing.  Archer?  What's going on?  I can't sense anybody.  Where the hell did all this smoke come from? Katyusha steeled herself and tried to maintain her composure.  She tried to see as best she could through the thick smoke.  She could hear people screaming and running away from the cloud, but couldn't make anything out more than a foot or so in front of her.  The gas didn't seem to be poisonous, but it was still making it difficult to breathe.  Katyusha took a long pull of her vodka to calm her nerves.  It was warm.  She cursed under her breath and started to inch her way out of the smoke without getting run over by anyone.

[Rostam]

Before his Master went to the café for a late breakfast, Rostam himself had sought a perch high enough where he could observe his tiny Master’s progress, while remaining far enough from her so that nobody observing from the side would gleam any idea of whose Servant he had been. Of course, it would take another Servant to distinguish him while he’d walked there, dematerialized, and they could not tell a Master from the crowd – or so the Grail suggested. It was still best to remain wary: He had very little faith that in this sort of war, rules outlined to him by the Grail and the proper statues of Honor would be obeyed. With a Class like Assassin or Berserker? No. There was no Glory lost in dealing with the honor-less just the same as they deserved, and answering trickery with trickery.

The perch he had chosen was an apartment conveniently tiered apartment complex, the balconies of which he used as stepping stones to ascend to the top. It hadn’t been particularly high: only 14 stories, but it was enough for him to have a clear view of the main street, and, if he moved, the next one over. Content, he’d settled there, in the shadow of a large billboard illustrating an extremely well-built man in a white shirt that looked like it was about to explode due to his muscle mass, his hairstyle, or rather lack of such, immediately earning Rostam’s respect, as he observed, for a second, the man displaying what seemed like a bottle of blue gel to a hardy-looking woman clearly enamored by the man’s superior physical structure and perfect choice of hairstyle for a warrior. He smiled, knowing that at least in this era, some things remained the same, and gave a silent thumbs up to the poster.

It was a good thing his Master followed his instruction and found a nice outdoor café right on the main street instead of going inside, or turning onto one of the side streets: it would have made it… problematic to snipe foes if she had done that. Granted, before the power of his Farr, his eyes, walls were about as useful as a house built out of leaves, but the destruction his shot would cause if he had indeed had to fire… And in broad daylight? No, unacceptable. Day was for rest, relaxation, perhaps scouting, so long as hostile action as not involved. But, it never hurt to be prepared for those who were not of similar mindset. Archer settled upon the edge of the building, scanning the cityscape with his monstrous crimson eyes, taking everything into note thanks to his enhanced tracking.

What happened next had been a bit of a surprise. A small girl, dressed in a long dress and dark shapeless jacket, with an odd headpiece. Her contrast with the crowd was quite stark, and from the information he could gleam from the Grail, her clothes were extremely outdated to the point of being considered ‘vintage’, which caused his large eyebrows to fly up as if birds of prey. This short haired child had simply… appeared on the rooftop near to his Master, and threw what seemed to be a short section of a bamboo stick sealed at both ends, in the rough direction of his Master. At this point, a large bow made of what looked to be wood, affixed with metal rings, had appeared in his hands, and an arrow materialized in his hand, the aim lined up, prepared for the worst. He could not attack in daytime. But if it came down to it, then he would have to discipline those who thought they could.

That wasn’t right. The girl… She had no emanations of power. No mana presence. That meant, she had been a mere mundane. The object thrown…same. No presence. Its effect? A spreading cover of smoke. Not an attack, but a possible setup for one, and while his eyes could easily pierce it, he doubted the same was true for his little Master. He’d watched the mysterious girl leap off the building, altered his sight to monitor through the wall, but just like she had appeared… She was gone. This did not bode well. Unknown assailant with unknown means to fool even Faar? Even if the assault itself was harmless, the mere possibility it presented was alarming. He scanned the area once more, just to be sure, before allowing the gigantic bow in his hands to fade away.

Archer? What's going on? I can't sense anybody. Where the hell did all this smoke come from?

Calm yourself, Master. Rostam’s rumbling ‘voice’ had a slightly metallic ring to it, but it had been quite serene despite the circumstances. He did not see a great cause for such a reaction just yet. Certainly, however… it was alarming. The smoke came from what seemed to be a grenade. It had been thrown by a mundane - seeming female dressed in slightly outdated garments, which I could not detect anything from. She disappeared shortly after. What would you like me to do, Master? I could go forth to your side and stand beside you, or I could remain where I am and defend you from here. I would much prefer if you choice falls upon the first.

Katyusha began to cough from the thick smoke as she fumbled through the haze. Just as she thought she might be reaching the edge, she smacked her forehead hard into one of the cafe's tables. The girl gritted her teeth in anger. "GET ME OUT OF HERE!" she screamed out loud and in her mind, flipping the table onto its side.

Archer's lips widened in a grin that could almost be called maniacal, as he felt the blood of his cursed and blessed lineage begin to boil. True, he had been a Pehliva first and foremost, but a true man who did not enjoy battle was no man at all. Understood! Dematerializing, the giant leapt forward.

[William de Torquemada]

The wonderful sounds of despair and confusion filled the air, yet Torquemada had neither unsheathed his blade nor let slip his Assassin. From the cover of smoke, William de Torquemada felt alive. He could have killed any of these people, many of them, and none would ever see him. They would only feel his blade pierce their hearts before life slipped away. He held their lives in his hands and they would never even know it.

Before entering the smoke bomb, Will had pulled up his new coat and covered his nose and mouth. The air inside was hot and smelled of his own body, but it was better than choking on smoke as he walked through. The smoke stung his eyes despite his precaution, but that could not be avoided.

”No Servant appeared.” Chiyome said more, but Will was not listening. The information was filed away, but at the moment that was the important piece. ”My seals are not on my hands, Assassin. It is possible that she is hiding them elsewhere. In any case—“

His senses had begun to pick up another magus, close enough to him to feel, when his senses were overwhelmed with the feeling of a being of more prana than even Assassin surfaced to his side. ”Another Servant!?” It couldn’t have been the girl’s—that Servant had to be trying to find him. There was no way that he had guessed wrong! It was impossible!

”We withdraw to safety. I am going to use an alleyway to get closer to you. Remain above me; if anyone pursues, we kill them. Let the girl sort out this new Servant.” It was the only logical action. Will couldn’t do anything else if he wanted to keep the greatest advantage Assassin had—secrecy. Withdrawal stank of failure, but the magus told himself that it was a tactical move. They would observe the next actions and he would then make the decision of what he was going to do.

With renewed purpose, Will began to walk for the nearest alleyway, feeling his way by using his sense of the direction that Chiyome waited in.

[Hakugi Rima]

Not even when I’m a corpse lying in the bottom of the river with a spear through my heart? Please, big sis, I’m not worth it. Rima replied a bit later to her big sis’ claim that she would never leave her no matter what happened. Rima herself was way too focused on the situation at hand at the moment to at all wonder what her Servant bigger sister thought of her for the moment. Though if she knew, the reaction would be… mixed. Later, when she was on her knees coughing from smoke outside the smoke-cloud, reminded of how frail her body was, big sis asked about her conclusion of the enemy being an Assassin. It is… the only remaining possibility. Explaining why would take too long… … Then there were those words, to be careful. Rima found herself oddly amused by that, though any semblance of a smile disappeared quickly. Be careful? Here? She’d die any second, and she’s asked to be careful? Why, sure, she’ll do her best! … Hah. OK, now to-

‘…!?’ Right… behind her. Even if she didn’t pick it up herself, her big sis would hopefully tell her. Another Servant…? It wasn’t William’s. Rima already knew that. This meant that this was an unrelated Servant to the case at hand which had been attracted by the smoke-bomb. And it certainly wasn’t an Assassin. Think, Rima, what would be logical for an enemy Assassin and Master to do when…? … Pull… back. Pull back and identify the situation. Because the Servant could be… hers? Or unrelated? Both were possibilities. He was obviously already suspicious of Rima, but if he would believe that… Big sis. Search the surrounding area, quickly. William could be nearby, and I am going to be safe here for a valuable few seconds, thanks to the big presence… Yes. She would be safe. Because William wouldn’t move when that presence was there, and because of her lacking power as a magus neither big Servant or big other Master would be able to detect her Mastership unless they got really, really close to her.

OK. Plan of action from here. Assuming the new Servant didn’t leave immediately, which she really couldn’t guarantee… Approached at that speed… Was it intending on catching someone off-guard? … Actually, at that speed, it could be possible it was only a result of the Servant’s personality, or that he had come down to defend someone… but that would be highly coincidental. Unless… she had been followed by… two Masters? No, William was a coincidence, but was this OTHER Master following her? … No, then the Servant would not have jumped in and ruined their scheme by doing so. … Another stupid coincidence? … Well, if it wasn’t, Rima would be dead in seconds, so that’s that. Currently, William was a MUCH larger threat than this Servant, ironically. This Servant they’d sense wherever it went. Still, neither of them could make a move against it. So if William thought this was Rima’s Servant… as crazy as it sounds, it would make him think twice about following. It was even better than having him be suspicious of her, to get the wrong idea. But… that was near impossible to pull off. Where was the other Servant’s Master?

Rima slowly stood up straight from where she had fallen to her knees, her short stature still not coming close to any respectable height. The white-haired girl looked back through the cloud, gazing in as she looked around on people and sought to see the Servant… except, why would he or she have taken form? There’s no reason to… unless…

[Semiramis]

Ahhh, Little Dove is being gloomy and pessimistic again. While this was cute for the first times she has done that, Assassin thinks the charm on the girl’s lack of self-esteem ran its course. The woman lets out a mental sigh and shrugs to herself. Such a problematic Master, really… It seems that she’s more of a babysitter than a big sister sometimes. She passes near Rima while on spirit form, unconsciously and immaterially patting the girl’s head as she passes near her and gets inside the smoke cloud. “Well, well, no need to bother explaining, I guess? It’s not like the Grail War’s rules are completely set in stone after all.” Unlike the human senses of her Master, she could examine the surroundings with precision and…

Well, look at this. Someone who covered his face with clothes, someone who knew what to do on a situation like a sudden smoke bomb exploding in the middle of a peaceful Italian square, and someone with the faint trace of Prana around him. “Enemy Master located.” She mentally sends to Rima, ready to strike at the unsuspecting William before noticing another sudden presence. That… Is no Assassin, definitely! Damn it, either she was right and William’s Servant is something else, or there is a third Servant on the place… No, they way he looks surprised means that it’s the second option. “Well, well, well, this changes things entirely! I have him in my sights already, Little Dove! Seems like the new Servant made him retreat, will follow him for now!”

He appears to be heading for some kind of alleyway. Assassin grits her teeth while continuing to follow him on Spirit Form. It’s a perfect opportunity to strike and kill him, there appears to be no one nearby to witness it, and he’s distracted by the recent happenings to notice someone sneaking from behind and gently scratching the back of his neck. “Little… No, Rima! What is your plan, escaping or striking. Make your mind already!”

[Mochizuki Chiyome]

... Assassin had no other conclusion to make as the presence of a new Servant dropped in. She calmly reported it to her Master and took a drop back. The Servant was potentially drawn to defend the girl or to investigate my smoke-bomb. Other less likely explanations exist. She considered the matter a bit further, and concluded she had an additional piece of information which she had to share. It is possible that, if this Servant was spying, that he or she may have seen me throw the smoke-bomb. With that, there was nothing else to say but only to follow the command given to her by her Master. Understood. I’ll be right there. A node I placed earlier will be examining the scene in my stead if we move from the location. With that, the cloud of hidden prana she currently was in Spirit Mode speeded upwards up on the buildings and right before her Master, as commanded. It was her role, for this time of the adventure. With “above”, she assumed within range to defend. As such she did.

Meanwhile, Assassin was still getting visual from the node she had set up watching the scene. The smoke-bomb would soon disappear due to the open-air stage in which it had been used, it would be sustained a lot longer if it had been indoors. The white-haired girl had stood up and started looking back into the smoke where that other Servant had just descended. Was she aware of it, or was she just wondering why it had appeared? Currently, it was impossible to make a proper judgment. Assassin stayed, Spirit Form, on top of the building prepared to immediately defend her Master at any time. Let the girl sort out this new Servant, was it? Was the girl really going to? There was nothing hinting for the new Servant that the white-haired girl had anything to do with this. Will. The girl is currently unrelated to the war according to the new Servant. What this meant should be apparent. She could just ignore it, perhaps even retreat. As soon as the Servant took shape or anything like that, Assassin would contribute the information she gathered to her Master along with any information on changes in the field. This was… an interesting flow to follow. Truly, strange things could happen in a battle royal between Servants and Masters like this, random visits and what not.

[Katyusha Kohklova]

Katyusha had given up trying to get herself out of the smoke when Archer had offered to come to her aid.  She plopped down cross-legged right where she was and attempted to get a few pulls of her vodka in before he made it to her.  The entire area had fallen dead silent, most likely due to the smoke damping the ambient sounds as well as the evacuation of most of the normal humans.  Archer didn't seem to think there was any immediate danger, so she wasn't particularly worried.  However, even though she knew it was coming, when Rostam's titanic fist closed around her body like a steel trap the magus couldn't help but feel an immediate pang of anxiety.  She yelped in surprise as her body was yanked unceremoniously into a nearby alley, and nearly dropped her bottle from the sudden acceleration.  Katyusha was grateful when he finally released her and sat her atop his shoulder.  She gripped his horned helmet for balance, her head still reeling from the trauma she had just experienced.  The girl took three gigantic gulps and sputtered at her servant "Can't you be a little more gentle?  I nearly dropped my drink."

Still, the drink wasn't spilled and now she had a nice high view.  Things could be much worse.  "Any sign of the enemy?  They should have noticed your presence by now.  Hopefully they don't run off like cowards."  Katyusha had steadied herself now and was beginning to get her bearings.  The smoke was beginning to clear from the street, but she still couldn't sense a thing.  The anticipation of finding out her attacker's identity was beginning to grow unbearable.  Waiting never was one of her strong points...

[Rostam]

A man of valor always advances forward. His path never, ever stops, nor should it allow anything to stand in its way. All who do, all that does, must be crushed, broken through, shattered. No obstacles left undefeated. No heights unconquered. Never pause. Never hesitate. Never stop, because if you do… You have already lost – your glory and your life. Of course… Glory WAS life, but life was not glory. It was difficult to some to make the distinction. The Champion of Champions had considered the day of his death to be the very same day he had slain Esfandyar, not the day his body, struck with countless spears, had let out the last of its lifeblood. Honor was subjective and was only contextual. A mere concept. Glory… Glory was different. As long as you kept to your Path, as long you did not violate your Haft Khan, you lived even if your very bones had been dust for generations. The memory lived on, the glory lived on. People proudly mentioned your name, praised your deeds. But take one step off the path… and you will be forgotten, and rightfully so, for you did not uphold your own rules: What kind of a Hero were you after that?

It surprised him still that his name survived the ages. Perhaps History decided that Esfandyar had been yet another obstacle, just another chapter in a long, long saga of the old Paladin. He… Felt differently. He violated his duty, and raised his arm upon the one who possessed the Divine Right of Kings. There were other possibilities why he had not been forgotten, he guessed. It might have been his cursed, and blessed, blood. It could have been the fact that their duel and his victory was the result of Fate’s intervention – oh, how he hated that view. Finally… It might have been that his own Divine Right of Kings, his Farr, was equal to or greater than Esfandyar’s and in the eyes of gods and men, a battle between equals was a glorious thing, and even defeat was not a shame. Still… he felt empty, when he kneeled by the young man’s side, watching his life drain out of him, while the man’s son stood by and watched. It is always the young who die, in war… The old survive and tell tales of it. It was always so, and it will always be so.

But not today.

He knew well enough that he should not cause a scene – after all, it had still been daytime, and for him to materialize in his full battle armor… But there was no choice, so he would have to do damage control. He did not hold back his speed, which result in him being at the destination extremely quickly – after all, perceived danger or actual, he could not afford to be lax and permit this kind of attitude to bring harm upon his Master. As Archer, still dematerialized, flew into the cloud of smoke directing his steps by the sense the Contract afforded him, finally stopping in front of a small form upon the ground. In the next second, Rostam materialized. It must have been a formidable sight for those who could still see, or bothered to look – a gigantic figure slowly rising from one knee, drawing itself to its full height, crimson orbs creating a nightmarish spectacle as the smoke dispersed their glow. The cruel outline of the horned, spiked helmet did not help any.

You are safe, Master. The armored fist closed around the childlike figure of Katyusha, and lifted her into the air. Now, he had to get out of here quickly, and into cover. An alleyway… perhaps that would work. Going to a high place was simply asking to be seen. It was much better to stay low. He used another burst of speed to get them both to a nearby dark alley, which seemed to be behind some sort of establishment. Out of sight, he placed his small Master upon his shoulder carefully, so she could have a better view of things. He heard the girl gulping down some of her drink, following it up with "Can't you be a little more gentle? I nearly dropped my drink." Rostam merely smiled behind the demonic visage of his helm:

Apologies, Master. I felt it necessary to quickly retreat from a point where we were plainly visible to Mundanes and … possibly others. I do not yet know.

"Any sign of the enemy? They should have noticed your presence by now. Hopefully they don't run off like cowards."

Hrrrmmm… Nay. I do not yet sense anyone, Master. Still, that mundane child concerns me… They should have indeed noticed my presence - they could have withdrawn, of course. I pray that was their course of action. After all, should they choose to stay and attempt to confront me directly, that would be a violation of this War’s rules. Such an act deserves punishment. I confess their aim, whomever they are, with that smoke grenade is unclear to me. We simply need to wait and see… I shall continue trying to spot them, and report my findings to you. Master: Should I find my target and it IS a Servant… Report anything you can tell me of them by our link. It shall serve me well in battle. For now… Even if the enemy is hidden, nothing can hide from my farr. Not completely. I shall look for those who are oddly calm amidst this sea of chaos.

[Hakugi Rima]

As she stared back into the smoke... Rima did see that outline. The smoke did not completely hide him from her gaze. While she did not get a good look at details, he was everything she would have expected from an enemy Servant. Large in size, she could see the outline of the armor and helmet, something glowing in crimson making his appearance in the smoke all the more ominous. He could kill her before Rima even knew what was going on. The tiny white-haired girl felt a shiver run through her spine, feeling of doubts coursing through her at the relative proximity. She knew she should be difficult to detect as a Master, but… if he knew… then her life was already forfeit. It struck her that perhaps her staring at him was going to reveal her? … Hopefully, she’d only appear as an amazed completely normal girl… He was… picking someone up? Rima couldn’t see clearly, but it appeared so. He had come here to save someone? Unfortunately, that was all she could tell due to the smoke covering everything else.

… Her big sis had found William. He had pulled back upon the entrance of the new Servant. This made sense. It also made sense that he most likely would have called his Assassin to his presence in order to protect him in case something went horribly wrong since neither of them had known about the approach of this new Servant. Big sis could strike, but that attack would simply be blocked and the show of presence would call on the nearby Servant… … … Big sis. Rima called with determination in her voice of the mind. Your attack will be blocked be the enemy Assassin. Your objective is to draw the bigger Servant and allow him to see William for who he is. Do not let him escape. Don’t let the big one detect me, and don’t get killed by either Servant. She took just a moment to gather the mental courage to tell the word. Strike. So the little girl finished her command, taking a few deep breaths due to the apparent danger. OK… so now… what would happen now? She had made her move… now it was simply a matter of staying out of trouble.

Rima gently rubbed away the tears that had come out of her eyes in the midst of the smoke. With all the relative individuals gone, the smoke would be clearing away now leaving a rather confused and thoroughly irritated and complaining bunch of people on the street. There were no apparent reason or change after the smoke had passed. To describe what Rima was currently feeling being “calm” would be an overstatement, she felt kind of emotionally torn by all the excitement. Hopefully, she had done her part in this encounter now, surveying the scene of scrambling mundanes. … But they were quickly giving up and returning to their everyday activities, though some seemed to be picking up their phones to call someone. Police? … Who knows? Rima gave a little sigh to calm herself down, and then started moving in the opposite direction of where she was going, a single white-haired girl moving through the crowd where the smoke cloud once was. She’d want to pick up those clothes she left behind, after all.

[Semiramis]

Assassin lifts her hand as she approaches William, her hand in a stabbing motion. Just a matter of dematerializing and... Little Dove interrupts her. "Are you sure, Little Dove? It could be that he is thinking the same as you did, and that his Servant is lurking around for you or whoever commands the newcomer... But it's not a bad plan. Very well, I shall do as you say." Semiramis answers, with a relieved tone, happy at Rima's newfound resolve and determination. Strike it will be. Yet... Ninus was too quite determined once he turned against her and had her killed. Perhaps keeping her Master more submissive is a better course of action, at least enough to prevent anything of the sort.

Now for the strike... If it's a matter of having it deflected, then why not make a show out of it? The woman materializes herself behind William, leans forward and calmly hugs him from behind, her breasts pressing on his back as she puts her face near his. "Well, hello there~ Looking for someone, Little Boy?" Her left hand caresses the Magus' face, and even if he can't feel it, it's pretty obvious that she's pointing her fingernails at his neck. "Quite a ruckus out there. Wonder if you have something to do with it~." She says on a playful tone, giggling as she starts emanating a quite large Prana quantity, serving as an obvious flare to anyone with detection capabilities nearby.

"Woops, looks like there will be some guests soon, boy." The woman gives another chuckle, looking quite pleased with herself.

[William de Torquemada]

William tensed, but of course he couldn’t feel the claws that raked his cheek. He prepared himself in that instant for death, muttering only a single curse as to the uselessness of it all, but death did not come for him.

“Of course I had something to do with it, harpy.” Associating her with the beautiful man-eating birdwomen of greek lore felt oddly apt. “Do you think there is anything that I do not have power over here?” Perhaps the bluff was out of line, but she wouldn’t taunt if her orders were to kill him, so he had a chance to toe the line and find out what it was that made this enchanting woman tick.

It would have been better if he had her tied to a chair, but Will would have settled for having access to his notes. With her body wrapped around his in what seemed to be a sensual way, there was no way he could get into his pockets.

“Could you do me the favor of releasing me, nymph?” Keeping the trend going, Will wiggled slightly, reaching for his pocket, but of course got nowhere. “Or at least get my notebook for me.” She had mentioned bringing a guest, and she was blazing with power, which gave him an adequate measure for comparison to the other Servant and, later, Chiyome. These were notes that needed to be taken for posterity, or at least his later research. And a sex-crazed wood spirit was probably more flattering than a bird woman.

“I had thought that Sirens bewitched with their voices, not their faces,” he mumbled slowly, dropping the dagger in his sleeve a little power. Pulling it would be meaningless, considering that she was a Servant and he wasn’t even reinforced.

Assassin, kindly grab the white haired girl and put a knife to her throat. If I die, I do not intend to be unaccompanied.

Will smiled his kindliest at the woman pressed against his back, twisting his head in an attempt to see her. “Is binding me really necessary for a woman like you, Aphrodite? I’d much prefer a chance to bask in your glory—and it’s not like I could escape you.”

[Mochizuki Chiyome]

Hm? It appeared the larger Servant was moving. Since he jumped into an alley (which assumingly wasn’t the same one which William was in) her node could no longer follow them as an additional eye. Though, what she saw was plenty enough. She had a positive confirmation on the Master of the additional Servant. What a coincidence that there just happened to be an additional Master at the exact place where she had thrown that smoke-bomb. It was almost unbelievable. Or perhaps she was another follower of the white-haired girl, friend or foe? But of course, no matter how coincidental or unexpected this was the situation which she now had to deal with. Very well. Then the information is to be relayed to Master.

There appears to have been an additional Master near my smoke-bomb. The other Servant has picked her up and has moved to an adjacent alley- … Assassin was taken unawares. She was right above her Master, yet she had not expected another one of her own kind to appear to embrace her Master. If there’d been an attack on her Master, she had expected it to take place with a strike of prana. Yet, the enemy Servant had approached and embraced Will without a sliver of her Presence leaking out. She hugged him, and was so close. Assassin couldn’t counter, if she did while the white-haired woman was hugging Will like that, she’d kill him instantly. The proud ninja had made a fatal mistake of only watching for prana based attacks. Looking back at it now, of course it was a fatal mistake. How sloppy had she become? Her internal pride was wounded as she couldn’t take form due to the danger this involved.

… The Servant released Presence Concealment. … She was definitely an Assassin. Another one like her. This would draw the third Servant towards William, who had no reason not to kill him instantly. … Actually, what reason did the white-haired Servant, “Saika”, have not to kill him instantly? … Her Master’s orders. Grab the white-haired girl and threaten. That would hold “Saika” at bay, but what of the other Servant? I remind that if the third Servant finds you like this, he has no reason not to kill you. Yes, Master. If he’d notice, Assassin had used “Will” in place for “Master” ever since he had asked her to do so in private back directly after she was summoned. Now, her pride wounded, she reverted to calling him Master. That said, she sped off, dematerialized form heading towards where the young girl was walking down the street well in view of the node she placed.

Assassin materialized within a nearby store. Thanks to her First Kunoichi Phantasm she could materialize in the same Italian jacket and somewhat dated outfit that she had worn as disguise. She quickly walked out on the streets after the white-haired girl, not seemingly in a hurry or anything, just acting completely naturally like another one in the crowd. Soon enough, she reached the lonely white-haired girl from behind. Assassin never did release her Presence Concealment, didn’t want to attract the other Servant (though she didn’t change how she looked). Instead, she merely stated to her from just slightly behind… ‘Do not try anything. If you do, you will die.’ She let that sink in for a moment. ‘For your own sake, a certain Master better not perish. For if so, you will be accompanying.’ And so will I, Assassin thought to herself.

[Hakugi Rima]

[ I was asked to write my reaction. So I did. ]

… OK. Now her Servant was off doing that, and Rima shouldn’t have to worry. She was just going to be this tiny white-haired girl walking along, doing nothing special. It had occurred to her to get the civilians around her to take care of her for extra protection, but she thought this was enough until the situation developed. Giving herself up to being a tiny lost girl in such a charade would rid her of any sort of control over herself, after all, and it could become important to be able to move freely. Besides, right now there should be a bit of a battle going on due to her command, strangely enough she didn’t feel anything particular-

That’s when Rima heard the voice behind her. Her mouth fell open a bit as a tight grip of fear attached itself over her heart. Was this a normal human…? … No. That did not make sense. This individual had some use of William. This meant she was either a part of a fourth party seeking to use William for their own means, or his Servant. … The latter option was a lot more sensible, but… That meant that big sis was on her own without Presence Concealment over there? But… why hadn’t the command to strike killed William, then? … Though, that meant… … She couldn’t kill Rima either, or her Master would lose her life. This was the opponent’s Assassin. Her big sis had not killed the Master. And now… both Assassins was within killing-range of the opponent’s Master. And there was a third Servant, which could currently head towards William and big sis. The most likely response from him according to Rima was something alike to “HULK SMASH”. … By killing William, he would kill both teams of Assassins in a single blow. …

Big sis. I’ve been taken captive by William’s Assassin, but she cannot kill me as long as you hold him. Don’t let him die, or I’ll die with him. … Why didn’t you strike? Rima asked while turning around to inspect the woman behind her. Even if Rima looked at her, the Assassin couldn’t do anything against her in this street at this moment. … A woman, seemingly rather young in comparison with what could have been, but her serious expression revealed nothing. Nothing other than that she was not enjoying this and that she definitely could kill Rima in a fraction of a second should she decide to. … And she was dressed in outdated Italian fashion. … Huh. In either case. Any discussion with this individual would likely be a waste of time. ‘I’m going to walk towards your Master.’ Big sis… I’m coming over. Entrance to the alley… over there. Oh, yeah, I just revealed that I really am the Master by saying that… How clumsy of me. Rima started to walk towards the other end of the street… Reach soon enough if allowed to…

[Rostam]

((This post was made by the collaborative efforts of Crim and me. So, we're skipping his turn.))

Rostam scanned the small group of people in the middle of the square, previously host to the cloud of smoke. To the naked eye of a mundane, he remained fairly well hidden: he stood behind a wall positioned in slant that hid his large form from the people who seemed to be complaining about the smoke to each other now. Of course… Who knew how many were mundanes and how many hidden Magi? A smoke grenade… It still left him puzzled why it had been thrown in the first place. To draw him out? But nothing was happening. Coincidence? A possibility. Equally likely that it was bait that he took, and his careful foe retreated when it saw just WHAT its trap drew. A wise hunter would fall back from a pit when the trap he’d dug for a tiger caught a demon, after all. But the nature of the trapper… That was an interesting topic, and one he’d have to think over later. On one hand, it could have been a mundane – and my all signs, was; there were no emanations of mana, after all. A magus… would not normally be as coarse as to throw a grenade, much less a grenade looking like a bamboo stick.

Bamboo stick? Rostam’s brow flew up as if the wing of a massive eagle.

Something wasn’t right. That old Italian garb, coupled with a bamboo stick made no sense… Unless he witnessed some sort of crazy fetishist. As if to confirm his suspicions, a powerful emanation of prana flared quite close to them. Focusing his farr, he scanned the crowd and spotted the source without issue – a pleasantly curvaceous woman, dressed in clothes befitting of this age and country, closely holding what seemed to be a boy of in his late teens. Her hand position seemed rather odd, her nails aimed at his neck as if a blade, her pose entirely opposite of the threat that the gesture breathed – pressing herself against him as if a lover would, as if she meant to seduce him there and then. Had it not been for the intensity of her mana, and the inhuman amount that was flaring, he might have scoffed at the pair and passed them off youngsters who just couldn’t wait. The fact that the woman was visibly older than the boy meant little to Rostam, due to his country’s ancient customs – she was still in her prime, after all.

The next problem was that this woman’s Mana merely ‘appeared’ well within his detection range, and as an Archer, he knew it extended well beyond that. Which meant she hadn’t merely walked or ran into it. Unless this Servant could teleport, he could quite easily narrow down the Class of this particular woman to just one. Assassin. The ONLY Class who could keep their presence concealed to the point where he could not detect them. But even if he had been wrong, he could simply ask his Master – the Grail whispered of a way for a Master to confirm the Class and capabilities of any Servant. He next concerned himself with the woman’s target: This boy whom she was attacking. Attacking? He watched intently for several seconds, observing the pair, and could clearly see the woman’s full lips spreading in a smirk, and then whispering something into the boy’s ear. The boy seemed… composed. Unnaturally so, and replied with a rather even facial expression. His hand reached for his pocket, then stopped, and this small pantomime ended in him looking back and smiling at the witch that held him, continuing to speak. Rostam had very little doubt that the boy was a Master – and judging by the assumed threat the actions of the pair breathed, he doubted even more that he was HER Master. Which meant…

There was another.

Turning his head slightly, his eyes caught sight of something familiar: the flutter of an odd, old-fashioned Italian dress. Sure enough, there she was, the girl that was on the rooftop earlier, throwing that odd bamboo shoot grenade. She stopped just beside a rather strange-looking girl, who seemed to be an albino. Quiet words were exchanged, and the white haired girl altered her walking direction slightly. To Rostam’s eyes, her footsteps seemed rather… wooden. Strange. He checked the direction she walked in, and was no longer surprised. This other pair had seemed to begun making their way directly towards the alley where the Servant stood, threatening the boy. Still, she made no move to kill him, which was odd, unless there was something stopping her. An order? Circumstance? And then throwing this oddly dressed girl into the mix… He focused on her, her manner of walking, her pace, but could discern absolutely nothing. It was truly strange. But considering the pair that also stood across from them, and the direction of the other… It was beginning to make sense why the Servant was not killing the boy and the oddity of the two girls in the middle of the square.

Now certain, Rostam broke his silence:

"Master, there are two pairs you should be concerned with. The girl who threw the grenade is in the middle of the square, dressed in old Italian garb, conversing with an odd-looking mundane girl whose walking pace seems rather... wooden. The Italian-clad one is the one who threw that odd grenade earlier. Across from them is a Servant's aura, and it seems like it is embracing a mundane... But I doubt it is a mundane. A Servant 'embracing' its own Master in an alleyway sounds rather odd as well. The white haired girl is walking towards that place as well. Which means..."

Katyusha folded her arms across her chest, scrunching up her face in frustration. Apparently the other masters had thought it was a good idea to continue fighting in the middle of the day. While the girl wasn’t really much for rules herself, even she knew it was important to keep normal humans from discovering their war. “…This could get ugly.” Katyusha muttered, finishing Rostam’s sentence. They had to stop this now. She decided to give the other masters one last chance to cease hostilities. With one last giant gulp of her vodka, Katyusha slid down Archer’s arm like a fireman’s pole. “Follow my lead, Archer. We’re putting a stop to this.”

The clopping of Katyusha’s tiny boots echoed out of the alleyway as the magus stepped into the open. She had thought of a great plan to threaten the other masters without any normal people getting too worked up. She was already a bit red in the face from drinking, and although she wasn’t quite drunk yet she did a decent job of sounding like someone who thought they were talking a lot softer than they really were. “AH MAN THAT WAS SOOOO SURPRISING. I CAN’T BELIEVE SOMEONE WOULD THROW A SMOKE BOMB LIKE THAT IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. DON’T THEY KNOW PEOPLE LIKE THAT GET PUNISHED VEEEEEEEEEEERY HARSHLY?” As she finished the last bit her eyes went from waxed over to harsh and accusing, and she stared in the direction of the other mages. The comical little girl was serious – refusing this ultimatum meant death.

[Theme of Gamagoori – Kill La Kill OST]

If Katyusha’s boots made light clops as she strolled out of the alleyway, reflecting her small weight, then the sound Rostam’s armored boots, coupled with the mass that came with his giant frame, all the armor he wore, and together with the fact that he was no longer trying to be silent… was more akin to a thunderous drum.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

The noise was evenly paced, almost rhythmic. He made certain he would be heard. He wanted to be heard. Archer stepped out just enough to have the shadow of the wall falling upon him, still half-concealed by the wall. This allowed the spectators to witness a rough half-outline gigantic, eight foot tall figure, both blazing, crimson eyes lit as if lanterns, the only features that could be seen clearly… by a mundane, anyway. The spiked helmet, the scale mail, the leather and steel plate armor, the gauntlets that looked as if a man who wore them could crush a small boulder as an afterthought… It should have been an impressive sight – at least he hoped so. He despised rule-breaking, but what would happen if he did not would be far worse. The thought to let the fools fight it out and then simply kill the one who remained did not so much as occur to him. He was a Champion, after all – such halfhearted, insincere tactics did not belong on the battlefield where the worthy fought: It was simply shameful. He briefly considered displaying his mace, but it would have made him appear as a lesser threat, so he instead choose to go with the bow.

Shughad’s Gift materialized itself readily within his hands, ready to be used, the string practically singing a song of battle that only he could hear. It was a wooden bow, taller than himself, blackened and bound together at certain parts with metal rings. There was nothing ornate or particularly beautiful about the thing: it had been a grim, dark object, fitting the one who had given it to him, and whom was slain by his own weapon… But its power had been all too real. Extending his other hand, Rostam materialized an arrow, nocking it upon the string. The arrow itself had been just as uninteresting as the bow, except for its size and width: the thing may as well have been a short spear for a normal-sized human, and cruel, barbed tip promised excruciating agony to the one whose blood it drew. He did not draw the bow, merely positioned it in such a way that the bottom half of the bow was visible from the street corner, and the arrow tip’s gleam was shadowed by the wall. Slowly, the giant raised his head from the bow, as if just now realizing there had been something other than it in this world, and just as slowly, he looked straight at the pair of girls, keeping his gaze unblinking. Then, with the same speed, or lack thereof, he turned his head just enough to stare directly at the Servant and her prey. As he had done so, for a mere second, he shut his dully glowing eyes…

…and allowed his own Mana to flare wildly.

Opening his eyes, which now resembled twin infernos, he once more looked – first at the Servant and the boy, then at the pair of girls.

This party was over.

[Semiramis]

“Harpy, Nymph or Siren? Will you make your mind what with you call me, cutie? Alas, I can’t really let you do much now, it would break my heart to see my beloved try to get away from so passionate an embrace.” Semiramis says in a playful tone as she keeps a close watch on William’s movements. Hopefully the enemy servant will arrive soon and engage in combat. She planned to bait the newcomer against William, making sure that him would be instantly killed by the Servant… And perhaps not notice that his own Master would be vulnerable to a certain poisonous queen. It was just like in her own epoch, where she would manipulate enemy heads of state against each other and quickly eliminate the surviving ones. This was indeed the perfect plan.

...Were it not that Rima just told her that she was captured by the enemy’s Assassin. Damn it, she expected that the girl would be out safely at that point! Damn it, she should have dropped her disguise when reappearing. It would be a matter of connecting two and two that the sister of Hakugi Saika would be her Master. Now the situation went from optimal to the complete opposite of that. “I wanted to ensure that the other Servant would fight him and that I would finish up whoever won, Little Dove. But it seems that this plan won’t do at all now.” She frowned and looked down at her hostage, her smile still on. Better find a way to make a countermeasure.

Of course, any plans were quickly interrupted as a new damper to her plan came in the form of a yelling young girl with a bottle of liquor. And Rima is there too, possibly being held by the enemy assassin. “Excuse me, what are you talking about, pipsqueak? Can’t you see that we are making out in this alleyway? Have your parents taught you not to interrupt grown ups doing grown up things?” She said in a mocking tone to the girl, a sarcastic smile still on her face… Until the armored giant came forward. His garb and appearance… He looked like one of the many champions of the Medes and Persians she fought when expanding her empire. Brutish oafs, who yet fell after her Assyrian troops.

...This situation is definitely not optimal. The enemies held all cards yet she only had one that could bite her back. There could be something that could be done still. “Ahhh… So you say you want to see my face, boy?” She says as her white hair color quickly turns white. The woman stares deep into William’s eyes as he turns his head to her, and in the Spaniard’s mind, the belief that she is the most beautiful woman on Earth has now been confirmed. She says a few words, yet filled with such loveliness on them that any man who could see and hear her would think that they were absolute orders. Indeed, nothing was too much in order to secure the favor of such a gorgeous woman.

“Let us find a peaceful resolution to this situation? You don’t want to try and hurt us after all.” Maybe she should have done that from the start.

[William de Torquemada]

Will lost his breath for an instant, an instant multiplied by thousands, an instant lost forever as his mind, which had been working so frantically on such a pathetic idea as escape, stopped. There was no question of resist or denial. She spoke with the voice of an angel, with a face to put to shame the most beautifully drawn women in the cathedral of Torquemada manor. There were not words that could adequately capture the experience, nor could his feeble mind retain it well enough to transcribe later. Will desperately clung to the moment like a drowning man to a raft, only to have it severed.

“Let us find a peaceful resolution to this situation? You don’t want to try and hurt us after all.”

Of course he wouldn’t. Too much relied on this. His mind shifted sideways, looking at the problem as an outsider, found a solution, split his mouth into an entirely unfriendly grin. He shifted awkwardly, turning to face the newcomers without disturbing the angel on his back and gave them both a small wave without lifting his arm from her grasp.

“I wasn’t aware that idiots were allowed in our midst. Such a shame that the standards of recruitment have fallen so far, wouldn’t you say, Assassin?”

Will gestured toward the towering man—did they really think that any real magus would be intimidated by the mere suggestion of force? Amateurs—and smirked. “Banish yourself, Servant. Your master is neither executor nor enforcer; you have no power to judge our actions and, even if you did, you did it in the exactly incorrect way.”

William spread his hands, lowering his tone as if speaking to an imbecile—which, he kind of was. “Our disturbance was small and innocuous; no one was hurt and the worst that will happen is the news will take hold of it if nothing more serious happens today. And you stride in here in full gear to attract every mortal eye in the area, just because you lack both the common sense to realize that your master is an idiot and the self-control to resist the impulse to show off. I would pity you for having been chosen by such an obviously inferior master, Servant, but it is known that an inferior Master summons and inferior Servant.”

Will shrugged slightly, as if there was nothing he could do. “Run along now. If this is your idea of subtlety and stealth, I pray you are eliminated quickly so as not to cause trouble for me. If you wish to continue our conversation, perhaps visit a library and read up on etiquette, then meet me here tonight when we can talk in a more private setting.”

Will made sure to lace his tone with enough sarcasm and condescending mockery that there was no doubt that he had already dismissed them, but, for the sake of the stupid ones, he inclined his face to look at the Assassin holding him again, hearing the siren song fill his ears.

“Shall we get lunch?”

[Hakugi Rima]

There was a sequence of things which ran through Rima’s mind the following seconds. One of those were confirming the Mastership of the tiny woman over there who, while Rima was actually smaller, surprised her in her miniature size. Was that the only thing we had in common? … Most likely, but that isn’t the issue at hand. The second thing that occurred to her was the fact that another pair knew her as a Master suddenly. If nothing else, she had felt that stare, and that she was oddly targeted. You know, this was probably the worst thing that could happen to her. Rima had hoped to go through this war without being located by a single enemy, yet now there were two teams way aware and god knows how many watching with familiars. It was set in stone. She was going to die. Her one shot at victory, detectability, just flew out the window. The only thing that could save her now was a huge non-Assassin protector that by some reason did not want her dead…

… Why would they announce themselves in such a manner? Allow us to picture the situation. You have a powerful Servant. There are two teams of two Assassins, an impossibility in itself. One is out in the streets, impossible to target. The other is… in an alley, vulnerable to attack. All he had to do would be destroy a single one of them, and he’d destroy them all. … No, wait. He could have predicted that if he did that, he’d turn all of them against him. If we look at this from a long-term perspective, two teams of Assassins… Getting both their attentions at the same time was dangerous. However, currently, he was demanding them to separate. That way, he could individually hunt down both of them when it fitted him the best afterwards. He held their hands in the palm of his hands, he could just go tell everyone about them. Both Assassins would be killed… … … But why not just have gone on his merry way? Of course, he had been provoked. Dropping Presence Concealment like that… Also, both Assassins already knew of him. Inaction could have been more dangerous.

But if-

[Mochizuki Chiyome]

The white-haired girl Master before her had stopped moving, so Assassin went right past her and grabbed her hand in such a way that it could be seen as an adult simply escorting a child. They were in a bit of a hurry, after all. Sure, the ultimatum which the other tiny Master… Were all their enemies going to be children? They’re even younger than those Assassin used to train, at least by height, what has become of the magi world while she was away? … While the message the third Master had given was clear, she had no way of dealing with the situation on the short notice she potentially was asking for. For now, she had to get back within range of her Master, so that she could defend him at a moment’s notice. The two females went into the alley they were heading for, just a corner short of where they’d encounter William and the other Assassin. Stopping just out of sight of anyone, the older of the two spun around down on bent knees and put a hand on Rima’s shoulder, keeping hold of her and staring into her eyes with a glare that quite clearly delivered the warning she was about to provide.

‘You will not move from this location. If you do, I’ll render you forever unable to walk. I’ll know if you do.’ … While talking, Assassin was creating a node under Presence Concealment on Rima’s shoulder under her hand. This node was still keeping a B-rank Presence Concealment even as it took shape on the jacket Rima was wearing. The process of placing was also hidden under Presence Concealment. From this point, as long as Assassin was within 150 meters or Rima or within range of a chain of nodes 150 meters from one another leading up to this one on Rima, she’d know at once. Having placed the node on the unknowing girl, Assassin stood up and disappeared out of sight for anyone but Rima, going a small distance away from the girl, going into Spirit Form to examine the situation. She was still close enough to kill Rima before anyone would get to her, and the node spying from the girl’s shoulder would warn for any other people coming close to her. Seeing the situation her Master was in… … The possibility of Saika having influenced her William was significant, if anything Assassin had ever learned about body language was at all relevant. Her Master, it would appear, was asking the enemy Servant out for lunch. …

Master. Please inform me of your motive behind this action. She was, of course, ready to defend if the new Servant chose to attack. It was only natural.

[Hakugi Rima]

… She was pulled. The enemy Assassin pulled her along by the same hand which her Command Seals was on. Rima stumbled after a bit at the pace the Servant chose. … An enemy Servant was clutching the hand which Rima’s Command Seals were on… that’s a situation that shouldn’t even be allowed to occur. Yet, she didn’t have the power to stop it… At least she wasn’t tearing it off. Or stabbing her heart. Or anything similar. Rima was still trying to think of an intelligent way to escape this fate when the Assassin spun around after they had reached the insides of the alley, descended to her level, put that warning hand on her shoulder and delivered the warning. … That… was some threat. She couldn’t cripple Rima, if she did the Rima’s Servant was free to rebuke on her own Master. She couldn’t risk it. Yet… Rima also couldn’t risk that she was telling the truth. … The Servant knew that, didn’t she? … Tsk. And as such, Rima was stuck in place as the Servant went into Spirit Mode and went away, but probably never too far. In that case, all Rima could do was… eavesdrop.

… Oh. That’s right. Her big sister was a… … … Maybe… she was able to…? … That could… potentially be useful. However, currently… as it was currently big sis seemed to potentially have control of the situation. Rima knew the third Servant did not desire to slay them outright, and there were multiple reasons for that. What her big sis was doing was likely the most… profitable way. For now, there was no way for her to input on the situation. Certainly not while under William’s Assassin’s supervision. Her big sister was handling herself well enough. For now… Rima would simply stay in place, inside the confines of this remote alley out of sight of the rest of the happening. Yes… that was probably the safest…

[Rostam]

Rostam merely stood, observing the situation and the reactions that his little Master’s words triggered. He was not largely visible to the public, being hidden in shadow and given that half of him had been hidden behind a wall anyway, so the boy child’s mewling fell on deaf ears. Having educated and endured the words of a great many snot-nosed brats, some of which were and some (to category to which, doubtlessly, the boy seemed to belong) were… Not quite bright. Still, if one possessed the Blood of Kings, one hand to live up to it and be patient with those lesser than himself. He did not miss the odd shift in his posture, the relaxation of the muscles, the eyes movements… And of course, he did not miss the words that were painted upon their lips. The boy had even spoken in an indoor voice, to his Master, who clearly would not be able to lip-read. Even further confirmation of how sharp his mind truly was. That had been rather odd though, the relaxation, and the eye movements, and the timing of it corresponding with the Servants’ sudden change in appearance. Dangerous. This was dangerous.

Like all trash, certain nuggets of gold could be gleamed from the pompous drivel spouted by the pair who first seemed to wish to end each other, and now were in some sort of unrequited love. How foolish… To reveal such things. The fact that she’d had to convince him not to hurt ‘us’ meant her Master was, plausibly, before him. The boy was almost certainly a Master, based on his knowledge of his captor’s Class, and her ability (possibly?) to enchant him so quickly and easily simply marked him as one of the most inferior and degenerated magi in this war, with likely barely any prana to feed his Servant… If that was true this one might resort to eating mundane, and leave a trail that way. His words about meeting him – here, and tonight – were quite interesting. If all the opponents were like this, this War wouldn’t even be a War… Rostam grimaced in disgust at the prospect of having to fight fools who had no place on the battle field. Of course, he could have been playing but the body language, at least, said otherwise, or was exceptionally faked.

Regardless, fools and geniuses died all the same.

Meanwhile, the situation in mid-field had been just as interesting. The white haired girl had likely been even more confused now. Based on the message the ‘Italian’ girl had given her… Things were not going particularly well for her. They had walked off rather quickly and were behind walls, but what were ‘walls’ to the farr? What she had done next astounded him: She vanished. Of course, it wasn’t immediate nor was it as simple. She didn’t simply vanish she dematerialized while still being well within his range. The conclusion had been impossible, but it remained the same nevertheless. This, too, is an Assassin. There was no other Class, no other ability, that allowed one to remain undetected while this close to another Servant, to another Master. None that he had known, at least, but he highly doubted there was such a thing. But when she had used her dematerialization just like that, in front of him? Well, that had made it rather apparent.

The question now had been clear: The girl could be going towards her possible Master – the boy-child with serious issues – or she might have been going for a kill on his own Master, and there was no way to detect her, even with the farr. If she instead was going to kill the other Servant OR the other Master... Rostam shrugged mentally: They were out of visual range for anyone, and though he’d have liked to prevent such callous rulebreaking, his own Master’s safety came first, before anything. Moreover, the situation did not exactly permit for great flexibility: he could have shot at the boy-child and his captor – he severely doubted it was anything else – but that would be beginning a fight being a hypocrite, breaking the rules and for what? A possibility that one, even if foulmouthed, child would leave the War? Using his Noble Phantasm was out of the question. Not here, and not now; and with the second Assassin lurking around, a full on engage was simply foolish. He could return by himself, and take his time putting an end to the cowardly rats at night.

Rostam chuckled – a sound that resembled the rumbles of a distant thunder, and turned around, allowing his bow to disappear. We are leaving, Master. If you’ve any complaints, please feel free to voice them, but I will not endanger you further in a situation where I cannot utilize my full potential against these scurrying rodents. Not while there is a Servant completely unaccounted for which may or may not be a SECOND Assassin… And a manipulated fool of a Master who may do just about anything at this point. Rest assured… At night, we will resume the hunt. Picking up Katyusha by the scruff of her neck, he lifted her to his chest, cradling her like a regular child, then simply leaping upward and forward, using the rooftops to get a higher position. He had been confident in his own speed, and if the rats chose to pursue… They would have to contend with the full wrath of the First Champion of Persia.

((Above done with Crim’s permission.))

[Katyusha Kohklova]

Katusha's blood raced through her veins as she waited for a response from the other masters.  She was more than ready to fight -- it was the second day and already she could prove her strength by taking out two masters at once.  She hoped there were plenty of other masters watching with familiars so they would know to fear her and her servant's power.  She was so excited that she barely heard Rostam's warning that they were about to leave.  She didn't even get time to protest as the giant's log-like digits wrapped around her torso and pulled her into his chest.  Thankfully he was much more gentle than last time, and she was able to keep the rest of her breakfast down as they sped off along the rooftops.

When they finally stopped, Katyusha exploded from Rostam's grip, a vein pulsing angrily on her forehead.  She seethed at him for a moment, unable to form any words through her rage.  When she finally exploded, she erupted like a volcano.  "WHAT THE HELL, ARCHER?!  WE HAD THEM RIGHT IN THE PALM OF OUR HAND.  YOU STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"  The girl was crawling all over Rostam, clawing at him and pounding her fists.  Realizing it wasn't doing much of anything she resorted to drastic measures.  Stradling his neck so she was face to face with the giant, she grabbed him by the horns of his helmet, reared back, and slammed her forehead into his.  A trickle of blood flowed down the servant's face, and Katyusha rolled off into his waiting hands.  Tears had begun to well up in the small girl's eyes, and she murmured incoherently while sucking on her bottle like a baby. "We could have taken them..."

[Semiramis]

“I wasn’t aware that idiots were allowed in our midst. Such a shame that the standards of recruitment have fallen so far, wouldn’t you say, Assassin?”

“So crude, so crude… Truly, these intruders are the worst people, aren't they, my beloved?” The ‘Angel’ responds as her embrace on William turns even more tender. By Ishtar, that boy was quite rude when he wanted to. When they first met him he looked so polite and well-meaning, but now the Magus shows a previous unseen side now. Then again, it was not like she was one to talk about people putting fake masks, even if hers were just physical and not mental.

Still, it was quite unexpected what would happen later. Assassin lifts an eyebrow as the enormous Archer picks up his diminute master and leaves the place. “...Well that was easy, I guess.” And quite disappointing, she thinks to herself. Still, beggars can’t be choosers. It could also be some kind of fake retreat, but announcing themselves in first place while the Archer could have just sniped the two of them where they were… The William boy was right, she is dealing with many imbeciles in this War. Although it seems that he is one of them now.

But he is an imbecile whose Servant is still holding Little Dove hostage. If were not for that factor, she would have killed him the second the Archer and his Master left. “Ah, of course, my lover. Please, take me to a special place~.” She says on a bubbly voice. Oh well, at least it will be fun to toy with the boy before she kills him.

[William de Torquemada]

Something was wrong.

No, something was wrong. Something was not right. It was not right that there was something out of place. In that sense, that thing was wrong, and therefore it was not right, and thus it could not be.

Of course, the fault wasn’t within himself. William de Torquemada would have found any such failures within his own mind long ago. He was as close to a perfect specimen as was possible without failing to create a greater human being. No, this fault was stemming from an outside source and infecting him.

Her breath was cloying and she was irritatingly close.

Oh. William had started to cycle prana to react to any attack from the idiot Archer, but it had also forced out the unnatural influence of this Servant. He would have to deal with the repercussions of being tricked by a pretty face. If passing on the Torquemada line was not so important, he would have considered altering his physiology to prevent such embarrassing mistakes in the future.

“Tick tock, tick tock. The Siren’s Song has ended, I’m afraid. Release me or I’ll order your Master’s throat cut. The best you can hope for at that point is to kill us both. If you release me immediately, I swear upon my honor as head of the Torquemada family that no harm will come to your Master before she is returned to you.”

Will took a gamble; the white haired girl that Assassin had captured had to be the only reason he was still alive. This was a terrible position to be in, but he would make the best of it.

[Hakugi Rima]

... The Servant cannot hurt Rima even if she moves. Simple logic dictated that. It was a mutual pact between the Servants, who both could incapacitate the other Master without trouble, even without killing. As long as one Master remained unharmed, so would the other. Should a bone break on one Master… so would one on the other. This was, at least, what Rima pictured in her mind. This was a game with lives on the line, where one could die by the slightest mistake. … How many times had Rima reminded herself of this? The white-haired girl shook her head. This… this was her field. She had to take charge… she had to become the master of her own fate. If she lived or died… it should be the result of her own action. Not her inaction. The other Servant had left. There were only Assassins on the player-field.

‘… You won’t. Magi value their lives too much. Don’t let go, big sis.’ Rima called out, loud enough to be heard in but this alley where they stood, taking a step out into view. If she died now, it was her own fault for failing to predict the tendencies and sanity of enemy magi. Really, this placed her life at stake on the hands of an assumption. Releasing him was out of the question, then he could kill her with no repercussions. The girl held a fixed gaze, trying to withhold any emotions of fear she might be feeling. … Her steps were unsteady. Rima wasn’t used to this… situation. Possibly her first confrontation with a hostile force… ever. She looked at William, not taking a step closer even though she knew she couldn’t be hurt… but she could be withheld, which would be equally bad. So she stopped before that. Then she would attempt to speak, if she dies or is otherwise interrupted this post will be cut short.

‘… This is what we will do, William.’ She doubted it was his real name. Her tone was clear and determined, clearly aimed at someone hostile… but she was unable to contain how tense she felt, how much she feared… … … ‘Your Assassin will materialize here, beside me. I will then command big sis to let you go, but you do not run anywhere or she will grab you again. Afterwards, our Servants will pass by one another, slowly. We cannot bet our Servant is faster than the other, hence if any Servant moves against the other’s Master, the opposing Servant will do the same.’ Please don’t have a Noble Phantasm which kills me that I cannot predict, Rima silently pleaded in her mind. ‘As soon as they reach the length to which they can reach to defend their Master in time if the opposing Servant attacks, they’re free to do so. At that time, they’re even allowed to attempt killing the opposing Master, but it will be blocked by the opposing Servant at that range.’ … Possibly.

‘In case we’re both alive afterwards, we will have a temporary truce.’ Rima said so with quite the disdain in her eyes. ‘We have both been seen by a non-Assassin Master and Servant, we are both at risk here and fighting between us is not the way to go. We will leave in opposite directions… or talk, if you’d prefer.’ She looked up into the empty air, knowing that somewhere in it, probably REALLY close, was the female Assassin which could kill her any moment… … … She looked towards William again. ‘Keep in mind when deciding what to do… I might not be her Master. Killing me might be futile. I might just be… somehow valuable alive. I might not mind dying to kill you if you try something.’ This range… he wouldn’t be able to sense if she was the Master on this range. Rima was too weak. Also, the possibility that he had been that close and not sensed it made it a bluff worthy of trying. Magi are egocentric, but if he’s rational he shouldn’t… take the risk. Unless he sensed her. Or… otherwise. Rima felt her breathing pick up as she stared at the two of them. She had… played this card now. She had to see where it went. Death or momentarily survival. … Hold on. The “don’t mind dying” thing… That was exactly what William was doing, wasn’t it? Did I just copy him, Rima wondered? …

[Semiramis]

This... Was unexpected. It seems that boy has more willpower than Semiramis accounted for. "Ah, you are quite disobedient, little William. That is quite an unwanted trait on a man, you will learn once you start meeting more women." She said on a playful tone, although it was quite a bother him breaking out of her mystical charm with Rima still on his Servant's clutches. It seems that getting her out of that situation is going to be more difficult than she hoped for... Her nail carefully stays a few milliliters away from the Magus' neck. Assassin hoped he would not try any further movements.

"And Master is right. You won't risk yourself, and she won't either." Although her plan was somewhat flawed. Semiramis had only her own spells as a way to fight on long range, and there was no way of knowing what the enemy Servant could do from a distance. And she was not that confident on her own ability to intercept such an attack, even with shield spells. Still, it was a good a plan as any. Rima's attempt to deny being Little Dove's master was a cute ploy, but useless. With the knowledge and cool head that the little girl showed, it was obvious that she was one of the participants on the Grail War, and perhaps Semiramis' own hesitation once the enemy assassin took her hostage helped to confirm that. "My, my, isn't that a thorny situation, William? You better do as the girl says, you know. Despite your stubbornness, there is still some hope for a boy such as you. You claim the song has run out, but there might still be an echo inside your ears."

[William de Torquemada]

"And Master is right. You won't risk yourself, and she won't either." So they thought they had him figured out, did they? What fools. They were severely underestimating him, underestimating what he would be willing to do. What kind of magus was unwilling to risk his own life? They had no idea what kind of game they were playing.

Even with her nails at his neck, William had a miniscule chance of escape. She would almost certainly be faster than he was, but with a sufficient distraction—say, the shattering of her Master’s arm—he would be able to tear free and push her back. Probably. Still, nothing the girl had said was… that different from what he had himself demanded.

In short, William could make the appearance of agreeing without compromising on any of his points. “Then release me, wench. As soon as your clammy, wrinkled hands leave my person, I will order your master released. You think I’m not willing to risk my life?” William smiled without any guile as the knife in his sleeve slid down into his palm.

I will not die alone, Assassin. If she tries anything, I will try to drive my blade through her heart. Regardless of if I succeed or not, murder the girl.

William was tired of being treated like a child by these imbeciles. They should have killed him while he had been foolish enough to be caught in the snare of her enchantment. Now that he was free, William de Torquemada had no intention of falling for their tricks again.

[Mochizuki Chiyome]

Assassin looked on while the scene was taking place, quickly analyzing the situation over and over. This was a situation she would have hoped not to take part in. Seeing how the giant retreated, that was one worry off her chest, but then the reason behind his withdrawal came into question, but that was something that needed to be answered at a later time. For this moment, something else needed to be addressed at an immediate time. Rima had wandered too close to her own Servant, there was something that needed to be done in order to prevent a potentially lethal situation.

(because I heard that it takes a while to materialize and that time is an eternity to Servants I’d rather not have someone yelling at us for Chiyome being in Spirit Form) – Due to being in Spirit Form slowing down her actions from the perspective of a Servant, there was a chance that the other Servant was too fast for Assassin to materialize and counter at the same time, and as such she decided this was for the best. She materialized, right behind Rima. In fact, she materialized crouching, taking off her coat and binding it over her face. She didn’t have the time to change her clothes, so Italian modern (minus a few decades, maybe) clothes it was, which was allowed by her Noble Phantasm, but her facial appearance was hidden behind a makeshift mask of hers. Even if her eyes were hidden, she could see the entire scene through a well-placed node. She had been so silent in her materialization that if you weren’t looking at her, Assassin’s shape would have gone unnoticed. From those who hadn’t seen her materialize, she was still under Presence Concealment. There was no meaning in not materializing, Rima already knew Assassin’s shape in the case the little girl survived.

I will. However, if I see any means with which to save your life, I will do so. Of course. Dying this early had no part in the Holy Grail War. It would be utterly unacceptable. Would her Master actually go through with this, or were more orders going to come in? Assassin had no choice but to wait and see. In the meantime, she herself was considering what situation would allow her to save her Master…

[Hakugi Rima]

There was a deep lingering fear inside Rima in case she had misjudged her opponent. It wasn’t her opponent that she had judged, it was all magi and logical human beings as a whole. However, that would mean she would die against an enemy that did not follow those patterns. As such… it really came to a great relief that she was still alive to speak four seconds later. The presence of the enemy Assassin… Rima couldn’t even feel it, but knowing that it was there it still felt so powerful. What would she do if she got away? For the first thing, there was that other Servant who had seen them… The world was not necessarily safe for them anymore. What would they do if so was the case? Continue hiding in the masses of people inside Lucca? There seemed to be few other options…

… Do so. But keep him in range. Rima nodded to her big sis, hoping to conclude this little deal of theirs. … Rima’s heart beat dreadfully fast. She was frightened, there was no way around it. How many ways did the killer behind her have to kill her? Over a hundred, many of them which could happen before she had even realized what was going on? In comparison, William didn’t look scared at all… Rima felt inferior. Like she had all her life. However, this time, being inferior could mean she would die. It was a pathetic feeling. Her initial plan of staying hidden the whole war had already been foiled. … N-no good… Fear like this could impede her judgment… She had to focus on something else… Something else than fear…

… Why had big sis said aloud that Rima was her Master!? Didn’t she hear the little ploy her little sister had tried to pull!? … Or was it just so pathetic and transparent that she didn’t even try to keep the illusion intact!? Rima clenched her fists just a bit, trying to focus a bit on irritation and anger other than her fear. Right. Anger is better than fear. Why did I end up being this weak magus that I am now? Why am I the one who has to confront the best of the best in a battle royale of magi!? Life is so unfair! And I will prove that I stand a chance…! Thoughts like that were forced around inside Rima, who forced her mind to take a personality that usually wasn’t hers. So she could just focus her fear and anger mixed glare at William and think… Please… Please go along with my hopes, enemy of mine…!

[Semiramis]

‘Clammy, wrinkled hands?’ Such a rebellious mouth that one has, Assassin thought to herself. She had people flayed for less than that, but that was with her own subjects, not with a little thug she is negotiating with. There were exact thirty different ways she could have poisoned him without him even noticing, but the presence of the gods damned enemy Servant around prevented her from doing so. If she felt Rima dying this exact moment, she would instantly pierce his heart with her hand, and considering how the masked girl was positioned, the same would happen if Semiramis tried to attack first.

She carefully slides her arms away from William’s neck, leaning her body away from him, although her presence still looms on the Magi’s back. “I intend to, Little Dove.” She answered Rima, a serpentine smile forming on her mouth. “So. You are free to go now, as long as you keep your promise. Let the girl…” Oh please, it’s not like he didn’t deducted she was his Master as soon as they started negotiating. From that distance it was possible to detect even her small quantity of Prana, and Rima’s cold head during the negotiations betrayed her from the start. “Let Master go now.” Just a quick arm movement and she could quickly pierce his body with her hands. Her nails started to glisten, the ‘polish’ on it now a pure strain of neurotoxins that would stop his heart, lungs and brain in seconds.

Come on, boy, you have shown yourself as a smart one until now. Don't try to do anything stupid, now. Stupid men are useful, but they are too boring and unpleasant to have around.