An Enforcer's Duty

[Tyonis Reybrant]

Day 1 – Late Night

Tyonis sat, watching Marian’s silhouette pale against the dim lights of the world below. Since they arrived atop one of the highest skyscrapers in the city, he had stayed silent, aware of his place. He stood next to her for the first few moments, but she had soon dismissed him as irrelevant, focusing her gaze on the city below. For all that Tyonis boasted, Marian was the true combatant in this War. Rather than bog her down with idle talk, he professionally stepped behind her and let her absorb city’s layout. He did not bother questioning her eyesight – the intense gaze she projected erased such doubt. It told him that his Servant could track count the raindrops of a hurricane, if she wanted to. Once more, Tyonis could not help to be impressed. He almost regretted not taking Siyr Arend up on her duel. Surely, Marian would lose against Saber in that café’s close quarters, but he was just as equally confident that Marian would make Saber work for that victory. And there was no question of Marian’s abilities at range. How convenient would it be if she could simply snipe at any Servant or Master from their vantage point – Tyonis made a note to get used to this place and to research other viable high-rises.

Tyonis had shut his eyes to give his mind and body a short rest before Marian’s voice stirred him awake.

“…”

At first, Tyonis could not believe what his Servant was saying. A pack of deformed, grotesque lion-like monsters were in the process of stalking a young man and girl out on what appeared to be a midnight stroll through Lucca’s residential district. A pack of monsters? Was there no better way to explain what she saw? Futilely, Tyonis peered over the landscape in the direction Marian indicated. Impossible, even with his eyes reinforced to the best of his ability, he could not see across the city. Yet, Marian’s illustrations were fluid and detailed. If they did not act now, a romantic date would turn into a bloody tragedy.

Tyonis fought such events for a living. He confronted these threats and neutralized the source. As an Enforcer, one of his most important duties was the preserving the Masquerade. If a Magus dared use such blatant methods, it was his job to deliver punishment. What made him uneasy was the lingering question of: why? Why would a Magus go so far as to murder in the open streets? Marian had mentioned the creatures looked nothing like any natural animal. Perhaps they were Demonic Beasts – a group of Chimeras attracted by the Holy Grail’s activity? Or maybe it was worse: Tyonis had heard of the demise of The Dead Apostle Ancestor’s #10, but there was no real confirmation, just rumors and hearsay. Add in that it didn’t make sense for any Dead Apostle to set foot in Lucca – with several Enforcers and three members of the Burial Agency assigned to mediate and observe the Holy Grail War - it was practical suicide for a vampire.

Tyonis shook his head. For now, he had nothing else to go on but speculation. The details could wait. But those kids could not. Without another thought, Tyonis dives off the skyscraper. There was no hesitation in his action; the Master had complete faith in his Servant. In a flash, Marian is next to him, easily holding him up within the crook of her arm and taking to the air like a gliding bird. Tyonis cannot help but smirk as they pass mile after mile, with Marian gently alighting on rooftop after rooftop before leaping stories into the air. Gradually, the high towers of Lucca City gave way to the more humble rooftops of homeowners.

Within seconds, they clear the distance between the business district and the residential. Just as they bound over the pack of Astem, Tyonis signals for Marian to drop him, already chanting his Aria for Full-Body Reinforcement. His Magic Circuits hum to life as over a dozen units of Prana run through them like an open floodgate. Within his mind, he hears the bracing sound of a sword being drawn, the echoing ring as the metal vibrates exuberant and free from its sheathe.

“I am a Knight without a King,
Destined for glory, I found only ruin.
Effort for naught. The seeds were sown, but nothing came to reap.
Still, you ask me to lift my broken sword and shattered shield?
So be it. Let his body be sacrificed for what little good it is worth.”

Just as the Astem make their move on the couple, Tyonis crashes through the air, bringing his sword down in a vertical strike, cleanly slicing the attacking Astem in twine and slamming the ground with enough force to send its' would-be victims flying back. The other monsters take notice of the unexpected arrival, with Archer landing shortly after. Unlike his Servant, Tyonis hits the floor harshly. Even under Reinforcement, he feels great strain in his legs, but shows no outward sign, dismissing the pain with a grunt. In a swift and practiced motion, Tyonis cleans his sword of blood and holds it at the ready.

He stands between the remainder of the pack and their prey, his back to the two humans.

“Run.”

One word, sternly spoken. The couple scrambles to their feet. Their minds do not understand, but their instincts do.

“Archer, follow them. You said there was another, larger one of these things. Make sure they don’t get killed.”

He would have no argument. As soon as his Servant left, the pack surrounds him, cutting off any avenue for escape. The Astem growl menacingly, opting only to move on him the moment Marian’s presence disappeared. Unphased, Tyonis lifts his blade up and smiles darkly.

“I’m going to enjoy carving you hellspawn into pieces.”

[Marian Fitzrobert]

The cold night air gently tugged at her, the gentle breezes of ground level having grown into much stronger gusts once they had arrived at the top of the towering structure. Taller than any castle she had ever seen, it was still hard for her to imagine that mere mortals had built such a thing.

Part of her couldn’t help but grin at that word, even it id didn’t show on her face. Mortal – something she no longer qualified as. Even as she studied the buildings below, she couldn’t help but be reminded of what she had become. Strangely, it didn’t bother her as much as she thought. She wasn’t sure how she should feel about that.

Her silent musings were interrupted by a movement out of the corner of her eye. To the normal person, it would have never registered. But, as she had just mused, she was no longer normal. Even clear across this expansive city, she could make out the finer details of the targets – a young couple, running for dear life from a pack of grotesque beasts. They were bizarre, lion-like things, walking masses of bones and knives with gaping maws bristling with teeth. At least a half-dozen seemed to be following the couple, the young maidens tears clearly visible to her as the streaked down her face while he valiant guardian – the grail suggested the word ‘boyfriend’ as a classification for him, for some reason, tried his best to escape certain death. Such actions were futile, she realized, as she saw another, larger beast awaiting them down the road. Such clarity of vision, she realized, was quite disconcerting.

She relayed this information to her master, pointing out the direction of the chase. After a moment’s thought, he simply leapt into the night air, gravity soon taking charge. Marian couldn’t help but roll her eyes before diving after him. While it was reassuring to know he had such trust in her, such theatrics were unnecessary. After all, there was nobody around to impress.

As they neared the target, her master began to chant something – most likely a spell, she realized. As he did so, he signaled her to drop him. After a moment’s hesitation, she released him, watching as he seemingly summoned his own sword before throwing it earthward ahead of himself. Marian herself completed her own trajectory, landing on a nearby building ledge as her Master landed.

“Archer, follow them. You said there was another, larger one of these things. Make sure they don’t get killed.”

“Of course, Master.” She agreed, leaping off ahead of the pair as the creatures surrounded her master. He might have been a fool, but he was a capable fool. She had no doubts about his survival.

Having put herself on top of another building comfortably ahead of the couple, she did another scan of the area. To her dismay, another half-dozen of the creatures – Astem is what she believed her master had called them – had emerged from the surrounding alleys, and were now converging on the couple, funneling towards the waiting large one.

Well, that won’t due at all.

Marian held out her hand and, almost instantly, her bow gained form. Unlike the more traditional longbow, hers was a recurve bow, the curving weapon made of laminates of wood and bone. Pulling an arrow from her quiver, she notched the arrow and line up her shot. Even outside of its true form, it was more than enough to dispatch these nuisances. “Goodbye” With a crack that reverberated through the air, the arrow launched towards the first beast at a speed that shouldn’t be possible from even the greatest of longbows. It the struck the rampaging beast in the side of its head, the force of the strike enough to slam the creature into the neighboring wall.

Even as the first beast fell, Marian was notching another arrow, lining up her next shot. With each arrow, another beast fell. The beasts, however, had already done their job. The only route open was to the largest of the beasts, and likely death. And something told Marian that there was more to the beast then its size.

[Tyonis Reybrant]

Tyonis backpedaled, clearing almost twenty-five meters, moments before the maw of another beast rent the air where his head had been. Tyonis had to give the monsters some credit. They were powerful and somewhat organized, but they acted like starving animals. Neither did they bleed or possess flesh, composed of only millions and millions of bone shards, topped off with a mane made of bronze knives. If his sword were unable to slice through such defensives, this battle would have been much more difficult. But the most outstanding thing about these creatures was their use of Magecraft. Tyonis had never heard of a familiar capable of using Mystic Eyes of Bind. Against Tyonis’ own spiritual defenses, any attempt at mind-control was met with failure, but it did not change the fact that these creatures were powerful enough to possess Mystic Eyes. To create a single familiar with special abilities was a difficult process. To create seven was extraordinary. He had slain four so far – despite their vile appearance, these monsters were nothing but over-sized lions.

As he was admiring the creature’s construction, the remaining trio lunged forward. Tyonis forgoes caution and answers with his own charge, closing the distance before the beasts could adjust their attack. He thrusts his sword straight into the open maw of the foremost Astem, his blade bursts through the monster’s skull, killing it instantly. As he forces his sword through the its head, the monster’s fangs scratch Tyonis’ Reinforced flesh – he clicks his tongue in surprise and retracts the blade, ducking, spinning, and slashing to his right, catching the second Astem’s front legs, shaving them cleanly off, just as it was about to pounce. Flipping his sword grip, he does a blind, backwards thrust, stabbing the third Astem square in the face, stepsiding the beast’s charging momentum and continuing his follow-through, driving his sword across the monster’s exposed flank as it hurtled past him. The carcass crashes straight into the final Astem, which had been struggling to upright itself despite losing both forelegs. Unceremoniously, Tyonis finishes the disabled monster with a simple downward thrust into its skull. For good measure, he twists his blade, making the entire body jerk clockwise before cleansing his sword with a wide swing, painting the street with a streak of black blood.

He nestles his blade in his left armpit, eying his right wrist ominously. It was difficult for even a First-Class Magus to scratch Tyonis even without Reinforcement. To do so while his body could withstand the impact of falling several stories was no small feat. Whoever these creatures served needed to be eliminated. Upon inspection of the blood residue left on his sleeves, his Magic Circuits hummed in instinctive defense. He had not noticed it before thanks to his natural resistance, but the monsters’ very blood was made up of a manifested curse. Did that mean the Edelfelt owned these creatures? No, it did not match their family’s branch of Magecraft. Moreover, they were animate. They were not only a manifested curse; they were a living, manifested curse. What kind of Magus could give life to something that originally had no concept of living? Even the most powerful familiars were created from memories and corpses. To give a manifested curse a living body was not within the realm of Magecraft – not in any Magecraft he had ever heard of, anyway.

This new revelation made Tyonis’ skin crawl.

He bent over to get a closer look at the corpses when they began to dissolve, much to his annoyance. Despite having a living body, their corpses dispersed like unused Prana. Whoever or whatever was behind these monsters was thorough enough not to leave any trace. He could do nothing but watch as the bodies disappeared into the air. Even the dried blood on his clothes evaporated. From an Enforcer’s standpoint, these familiars were effective, as much as Tyonis hated to admit. If their goal was to collect energy by consuming humans, they were probably more efficient than The Dead, because they left no evidence. It just didn’t make sense for a vampire to come to Lucca with The Church so heavily stationed.

Although he swore not to approach The Church since it could compromise his anonymity, he had no choice but to report the incident to the only people he knew that were capable of exterminating vampires without fail. Tyonis shuddered at the thought, but he had no one else to rely on: he did not summon Marian to slay vampires. He had no right to ask her for that service. Theirs was a partnership for the Holy Grail, not heretic hunting.

No, it was not something for a Servant to do. There was a specific organization built to perform such grizzly tasks: The Burial Agency.

The very thought of meeting them set Tyonis’ on edge. There were three things one avoided if you wanted to live longer than a year as an Enforcer:

1) The Burial Agency
2) Other Enforcers
3) The Aozaki Sisters

Even veteran agents like Tyonis steered clear of those three when he could help it. Still, someone had to inform those in charge of a vampire’s presence. No matter how vague or unsure he was of a Dead Apostle’s involvement, the fact of the matter was: powerful monsters, bordering on demonic beasts, were roaming the streets. Rather than banish his blade, Tyonis held it at his side, sensing his Servant and moving towards her aura. If he made it in time, he might catch Archer in action. It would be a slight comfort to learn more of Marian’s abilities.

Perhaps she could convince him that meeting the Burial Agency wouldn't end in a one-sided slaughter.

[Marian Fitzrobert]

Marian could not help but curse as more monster poured out of the alleys. It was no longer a master of directing a prey. Now, they were just making sure their prey didn’t back petal. Ten of the beasts had already fallen by her bow, but more kept coming as their brethren simply vanished into dust. More worryingly, the hunting pack had moved behind one of the larger structures. She considered a moment if she should bring out her bow’s true form, but such an action was blatant overkill. Biting back another curse, she once again began to transverse over the rooftops as she reached out to her master. She couldn’t help but grin when she sensed he was still alive. He had lived up to his promise so far, but this little battle was far from over. At the very least, the strain of sustaining her didn’t seem to be an issue just yet.

“Sir, the strange beasts continue to spawn. I can’t seem to tell where they are coming from. They seem focused on corralling their prey towards the large one.” She paused as she arrived at a new perch, now able to gaze down across the beast’s most likely path. “At least a half-dozen of the creatures continue to follow the couple. The largest one…worries me.” Once again, she brought forth her bow and began to pummel the creatures from her vantage point. Arrows arced through the air, each one flying true and piercing its target. She worried though that it would not be enough. The enemy seemed to care little for losses and, while she was a servant, she was but one archer.

[Tyonis Reybrant]

Tyonis watched Marian unleash arrow after arrow. The action was simple but the result was unequally devastating. In what took all of Tyonis’ strength, dexterity, and skill, Marian did with a simple flick of the wrist, dispatching monster after monster with mocking ease. It was as if she swatted flies: no, not even a fly could dodge Marian’s strikes. As Astem after Astem continue to fall, Tyonis pondered their next move. Marian could kill thousands upon thousands of these beasts, but killing them wasn’t going to be enough to save the beast’s quarry. Tyonis was sure that killing the largest beast would not be a problem for his Servant, the problem was Tyonis could not kill the Astem nearly as fast as Marian. If she chose to target the beast’s leader, then the pack would maul the couple. If she continued to takedown the Astem, then the largest monster would kill them. Tyonis needed to turn the tables somehow, and the only way for him to do so would be to participate in the battle.

“I thought I abandoned my empathy,” he mutters, turning his gaze back to Marian. “Continue killing the smaller ones, I’ll fight the leader. After you secure the couple, come and assist me.”

Without another word, Tyonis draws his sword and leaps off the rooftop, dashing through the alleyways under Marian’s coverfire. Placing his life in her hands once more, Tyonis forgoes any personal defense, opting to charge straight through. His eyes catch the couple just as they confront the largest of the monsters, a towering beast made of pure evil. Tyonis almost skids to a halt in wake of seeing the monster up close. His mind prevails over the fear, years of knighthood telling him that he has already committed to protecting these people. Overpowering his instinctive need to survive, Tyonis lunges past the pair, intercepting Barghest’s own attack. His sword drives deep into the beast’s forepaw and it howls in agony and surprise, leaping back with powerful grace despite the grievous wound. Tyonis raises his sword in defense. He had the element of surprise that time: the Barghest would be ready now. Unlike the Astem, Tyonis felt that this monster could kill even an Enforcer of his caliber if he were to let his guard down.

“Who are yo-“

“GET LOST!” Tyonis barks, sending the couple scuttling back towards Marian. If they stayed within her firing range, they would be safe. Of that, he had no doubt.

Throwing away any unnecessary thoughts, Tyonis stares down his adversary, dedicating every inch of his body and mind to surviving this fight.

[Marian Fitzrobert]

The monsters were weak enemies, but the numbers they came in were staggering. She was beginning to think that whatever dark force was spawning these creatures was simply respawning them as fast as she could kill them. Perhaps there was connection between how weak they were and the numbers they appeared in. That, however, was a question for another time.

“Continue killing the smaller ones, I’ll fight the leader. After you secure the couple, come and assist me.” Her master’s order echoed in her head. Covering they’re escape from her vantage would have been simple. The only problem was that the couple was not moving. After backing away from her Master, they simply stood, rooted in place. Picking off a final two of the Astem before leaping down from her vantage point, she landed in a crouch before the couple. “Quickly, you must come with me.” The couple simply stared at her for a moment. She bit back a curse as another of the beasts approached. In a fluid motion, she drew her sword and sent the beast reeling with a single blow. It didn’t stay down though, as it quickly leapt at her. A quick thrust to the head quickly ended it, and then turned back to the couple. “Move. Now.” Still in shock, the couple acquiesced, and began to follow her as she made her way through the alleys. A somewhat disconcerting ability she noticed was that, no matter what angle they creatures came from, she ‘saw’ them coming – even behind.

After a few intersections, the beasts began to fall back, and by the time they reached the now bustling shopping district, they had left them well behind. “Go.” She ordered the couple. “Do not turn back. Stay somewhere crowded.” Before they could ask her any questions, she leapt back onto the rooftops.

Where another of the beasts was waiting for her. She wasn’t sure if it had staged itself, or simply gotten lucky. Whatever the case was, as soon as she cleared the rooftop the beast pounced and managed to pin her to the rooftop. An ordinary person would have been dead from the impact alone. She, however, was not a normal person. Holding back its snapping maw with her sword, she swiftly kicked it off herself before finishing it off.

She turned back towards where she had left her master, relieved to see that he was still in one piece. She sped of towards him, intent on keeping him that way.

[Cu Chulainn]

He’s no stranger when it comes to fighting beasts; he’s just surprised to find one in this modern age.

Cu Chulainn watches as the pack of shadowy dog advances towards his position. He had left his master back in the warehouse, acting as an advance scouting party in order to keep the other pairings guessing who his master is. The role seems familiar to him somehow, though he can’t place on why it is so. For his part, this is his own initiative; his master’s just a boy after all. He hadn’t even asked who the boy’s name is before he sleeps; he understandably can’t handle the strain of the summoning, but the summoning itself is impressive for a boy his age. The bounded field he left behind around the warehouse will warn him if unexpected thing should happen.

But the truth, if you have to ask why, is because Cu Chulainn is eager to dive into a battle. He’s not the type to just stand idly and plan, nope; he’ll seek the enemy first and learn of any quirks or fighting styles that they have. Luckily for him, not even half an hour to his scouting and he’s approached by these beasts, which is obviously not your garden variety domestic dogs. If these shadow dogs exist maybe his master’s safety is jeopardized, but the warehouse is not that far and the field’s existence ensures him that his master’s safe for now, so there’s no harm in playing a bit more.

For the shadow dog pack’s credit, they immediately try to swarm the lone man wearing the bright blue armor in order to overwhelm him with sheer number. The five of them descends upon Cu Chulainn in one swift motion, but in what appears to be a streak of red light, the pack is thrown away and dissolves again into shadows. From the shadows near the nearby building comes another swarm to replace the fallen ones, though they keep coming from the shadows, and soon Cu Chulainn is surrounded by the shadow beasts. Cu Chulainn however, remains laid back with a grin on his face, even when the packs are descending towards him. In a quick movement, he brings his cursed spear to meet the first hound that leaps towards him, impaling it. With another movement, he twirls the spear in a circular motion above his head, repelling the swarm of shadow beasts closing towards him. Another streak of red light, actually an arcing slash with the spear done in high speed, brings down the packs of dogs.

What a disappointment.

As the shadow beasts dissolves into the shadows, something else emerges from the shadow of the nearby building. It’s a lion, though apparently its skin and meat have been stripped off and only leaving the bones. It’s an abomination of nature, though by all rights it won’t be up above and moving, it’s there facing Cu Chulainn, poised to attack.

“It’s been a while since I wrestled one of that kind; let’s have some fun then.” He impales the spear in a 45 degree angle on the ground besides him before taking a wrestling-esque stand, daring the creature to meet him in hand to hand.

With a mighty leap, the creature makes its way towards Cu Chulainn, fangs and sharp teeth bared. Standing his ground, Cu Chulainn catches the bone lion by the jaws. The creature’s stopped dead in its track as it can’t advance and can’t retreat. Cu Chulainn’s grip is too strong and the creature’s base of the jaw started cracking and breaking without any visible effort from him. With another cracking sound, the creature’s jaws are separated too far for the joint to support it, and Cu Chulainn finally let go of the grip, letting the creature slumping limply to the ground before dissolving.

Almost wasting no time, he stomps on the spear’s base, bringing the spear’s tip to slash on another incoming bone lion’s head, almost splitting the head clean in the middle. Before the spear hit the ground, Cu Chulainn turns sideways and kicks the back of the spear on yet another pouncing bone lion, impaling it right through the mouth and between the back of its throat. Immediately after it impales the lion, he grabs the base of the spear again, swinging the creature like a flag stuck in the end of a pike. After a brief swing, he immediately brings the creature’s head to the ground with a swing, crushing it as it meets the ground with a loud cracking sound.

The commotion remarkably dies down after the last bone lion dissolves into the ground. It’s also quite remarkable that no one noticed the commotion earlier, though it is quite late and the area’s quite deserted at this hour. However, Cu Chulainn notices another presence on the road ahead, something akin to himself.

A servant.

With a grin, Cu Chulainn dashes towards the source of the presence. After a short time, he encounters another pack of shadow beasts. They’re as easy to kill as the earlier shadows, but their numbers are much greater than the earlier hunting packs. After dispatching the first pack, he noticed another figure running towards the opposite direction. He felt the presence coming from the figure which identifies the unknown as a servant. The figure doesn’t seem to notice him yet, which means that it must be on an urgent affair or an especially handicapped servant, though the last option’s quite unlikely. Impaling the last shadow beast, Cu Chulainn walks towards the direction of the other servant, almost casually so. He’s content to let the other servant notice his presence.

[Marian Fitzrobert]

Marian sped down the narrow alleyway at almost inhuman speed, her sword in hand. Another of the lion’s lunging at her. Without missing a step, she side-stepped the attack and brought her blade up, her own momentum combining with the beasts own to splice it in half from head to tail before its own form dissipated.

Continuing on her way toward her master, Marian sensed a presence behind her. She leapt upward and, in an unnaturally long arc, landed atop a building before turning to survey the route she had come down. To most, it would be a dark and seemingly empty. To the Archer, it was an active battlefield. She watched a swarm of a half-dozen of the lions converge on a single target, obscuring it before she could make any real identification. That, however, did not last.

In a flurry of action and carnage, the figure ripped through the beasts, at some points with his bare hands. He took a moment to survey his work before continuing on his way. Even before he had done so, Marian was back at street level, continuing toward her master as she contacted him. ‘Master, another servant has appeared. Unless you have a better idea, I will try and learn more.” Marian skidded to a stop, her hand briefly touching the chain that hung around her neck before she summoned her bow. Notching an arrow, she aimed down the alley. What she saw caused eve her to pause for a moment.

The figure was clad in blue armor, a red lance in hand. He walked at a casual pace, as if he was simply enjoying a night-time stroll. Something about the figure simply felt…off.

Focusing on the task at hand, she steadied her bow. “Halt!” She announced herself. She would draw him into a fight, gauge his strength, and then break off. No need to get into a drawn-out fight just yet. “That’s as far as you’ll come, Lancer” He was, maybe, 50 meters away.

So why couldn’t she shape that feeling that something was very, very wrong?

[Tyonis Reybrant]

Tyonis’ battle was far more intense than his Servant's: while Marian could slay scores of these monstrosities with her eyes closed, her Master was still human – one of the 30 elite Enforcers, an extraordinary existence in his own right – but a human nonetheless. The shadow monster, reminiscent of a lion with knives for a mane and bone for skin, proved to be quite capable of matching a combatant of Tyonis’ level and the battle was equally vehement, resembling those from heroic epics. Fortunately, the fight favored the much smaller human: Tyonis’ initial blow severely wounded the beast’s paw, greatly hindering its speed and flexibility. As the battle dragged on, Tyonis inflicted wound upon wound against it, his sword sliced through the creature’s tough exterior, its cutting power enhanced by a combination of Rune and Reinforcement Magecraft.

On the ground, the shadow monster was fast – Tyonis’ reinforced sight could barely keep up with its inane, unpractical movements. It lunged at him from every angle, appearing as a blur, with Tyonis utilizing instinct more than skill to dodge. The beast would latch itself to the alleyway walls and catapult itself from the horizontal position, assaulting Tyonis in ways no natural animal could. Had he been trained purely in fighting humanoid opponents, he would have been dead one-hundred times over. But the profession of Enforcer instilled a myriad of experiences no regular swordsman could dream of; Tyonis fought the perverted constructs of Designated Magi and after recalling his expertise, this monster, for all its uncanny power and unnaturality, was no different.

After the Enforcer memorized the monster’s telegraphs, he responded with an appropriate counter-attack. For every one of the shadow monster’s bizarre attempts to rend his body asunder, Tyonis dodged, deflected, and struck back with equal fury. The paw he damaged with his surprise attack flew over his head, severed at the knee with Tyonis tilting his head ever so slightly to avoid the black mass as it hurtled above and crashed behind him. Its recovery was swift, but it panted and roared in what sounded like anger and fear. With one of its legs cut off, there was no chance for it to escape.

“Arm of the Hurricane Gale,” he chants.

Like a cornered animal, it leapt through the air intending to crush its prey with pure weight. Tyonis recognized the tactic as an act of desperation: a death throw. Rather than avoid the blow, Tyonis brought his hand to his chest, making a knife hand and channeling prana to cage a small atmospheric distortion around his hand, creating a sharp vacuum held together by threads of magical energy. “STRIKE!” Tyonis finishes his incantation and swings his arm in an arc, throwing the bladed wind like a dagger. It struck the beast head on, slicing deep into is open maw and splitting its tongue before dissimilating into harmless air particles.

The damage was minor, but effective: in that moment of intense pain, while the monster flinched as Tyonis’ spell cleaved through unprotected flesh, its quarry disappeared from sight. The beast falls to the earth, cratering it with the force of its descent. Without all four legs, landing properly was impossible and the impact distributed unevenly throughout its limbs, breaking its remaining front leg as it tumbles across the ground from the momentum of its body slam. Wounds and exhaustion slow its rise and just as the monster manages to feebly regain its balance, four feet of steel impale it through the skull, bringing it back down to the ground. Tyonis lands atop the creature’s back and drives his sword hilt deep into the area were its brain should be, pinning it to the concrete. Not yet satisfied, he grips the sword’s crossguard and twists with all his might as he wrenches the blade free of the beast’s flesh. The monster’s entire body lurches with the vicious motion but makes no other movement.

Exhausted, Tyonis rolls off the carcass, his sword and half his both covered in black, coagulated blood. As he lays prone on the cement, his eyes trace up the unmoving body until it dissolves into harmless prana.

“Well… that was close…” he gasps, somewhat mirthfully, the elation of survival influencing his attitude.

“Master, another servant has appeared. Unless you have a better idea, I will try and learn more.”

“Terrible timing…” Tyonis complains out loud, to the empty air. His muscles, strained to their breaking point, refuse to follow him now in absence of the adrenaline pumping through his blood. Unable to move or argue, Tyonis closes his eyes, replying to Marian:

“Just don’t die on the first night, Marian.”

[Cu Chulainn]

“Halt! That’s as far as you’ll come, Lancer!”

Cu Chulainn stopped abruptly after the last word came out the young woman’s mouth. Something about the name seems familiar somehow. He wasn’t summoned into this war as a Lancer, indeed the name Berserker should be the one that he’ll answer to in the duration of this war. Yet the name triggered something inside Cu Chulainn, some kind of a stimulus that he had heard a thousand times before. Perhaps lingering faint memory of a past war or something similar; he didn’t particularly care about that mystery, right now his attention is now currently focused on the young woman Servant in front of him.

“Close enough, girl, though you’ll have to guess again if you want the truth.” The tone is playful and casual, almost out of place in the battlefield.

He observes the young woman in front of him in a better detail. Her posture’s firm and vigilant, befitting of a hunter that’s wary about the savage beast in front of her. Though that particular comparison paints none too flattering picture of Cu Chulainn, he’s used to the opponent in combat being cautious about his prowess. Sometimes it has worked against his favor, but most of the time the intimidation worked flawlessly. The young woman’s expression seems shows the look of a determined guard, content in protecting whatever’s behind her to the best of her ability, and at the same time never taking her eyes off the current thread, that being Berserker himself. Thought it’s probably fun teasing her, he thought, it’ll be best if he don’t aggravate the young girl in a verging battle scenario. Perhaps it’s not a good idea when the shadow beasts are still around.

He caught a glance of the figure behind her, most likely her beloved master. The figure, throwing around with what can be described as wind blades, seems to be quite busy himself with his own monster groupie. It’s most likely a man, judging by the way his body structure looked like from the distance. So the two of them are besieged by two fronts, and there are still survivors of the shadow beast packs that the young woman took out providing distractions. How very troublesome.

The straggler beasts’ tries to attack the man clad in the blue armor with one last futile attempt. Unfazed Cu Chulainn dispatches the beasts with just a swipe of the cursed red spear without even paying much attention and without even moving an inch, content to just match the gaze of the young woman with his own.

“Tch, I hate interruptions.” He mouths the sentence while another beast tastes his elbow. “I’m content with postponing the duel until these nuisances are dealt with.” He said to the pair across the street from him.

[Marian Fitzrobert]

“Tch, I hate interruptions. I’m content with postponing the duel until these nuisances are dealt with.” The man continued to match her gaze, his stance not even shifting as he continued to dispatch the beasts. Marian considered the man for a moment. The man was surprisingly relaxed for being in a war. Despite his relaxed posture, he dispatched any oncoming beasts with the same casual ease that one might dismiss an insect.

Marian nodded tersely. “Very well then.” Without another word, she spun around and launched an arrow into the head of the nearest beast. Before its body had even dissipated, she was notching her next arrow, the lancer now behind her. The sounds of death, however, told her that he was busy enough. It was more than that though. That he wanted to get rid of the distractions before they fought was telling. The man was here for a fight as much for his entertainment as it might have been for the grail.

Marian back-stepped as one of the beasts formerly accosting her Master changed targets and leapt at her. No time to notch another arrow, she pulled out her blade again, dispatching the black monstrosity as another one peeled off. Another few steps back, and it two tasted steel before dying a much deserved death.

When another creature did not immediately attack, she took a quick look around. Her master was at the far end of the alley, collapsed but apparently unharmed. Closer, the Blue-armored figure leaned on his lance, the last of the carcasses at his feet dissolving into thin air. No other monsters emerged from the shadows, and the alley fell into an eerie silence.

“The nuisances are dealt with.” Marian turned to the Lancer – no, not lancer. He had said as much. She raised her bow. “Now then, if you are not a Lancer, what are you?”

[Cu Chulainn]

As soon as the Lady Archer spoke her response, she immediately turns around and dispatches the shadow beasts closest to her without any hesitation. Cu Chulainn smiles briefly, acknowledging the trust that the Archer gave him that she’s able to open her back like that to him. If he’s a different sort of opponent, the move could be a disastrous one. Fortunately for her, he’s a man of his words, and he turns half of his attention towards the remaining critters that came out of the woodwork after the brief conversation is over. He casually backhands a leaping shadow hound away while observing the way the Lady Archer fights. The way she dispatches the critters with arrows on close range reminds him of his peers in the Red Branch, and that hood of hers reminds him of those who traverse forests for a living.

As he observes the way the Archer dispatches the beasts with multiple arrows, he begin to work on his side of the bargain. It isn’t nearly as pretty as the Archer’s graceful movements on the other side, but it gets the job done all the same. He wrestled, kicked, stabbed, and manhandled all of the shadow beasts until there are no other beasts in the vicinity willing to attack him. When the commotion settles, he looked around to see that there’s no other trace of the shadowy beasts from the nearby alley anymore. The walkway now feels empty, and the awkward and eerie silence fills the immediate area before the Archer once again starts the conversation.

“Lancer, eh? It’s an easy mistake to make, sure,” He said it while playfully waving his cursed red spear. “That’s not the name I go by these days, though because you’re nice enough to cooperate with my suggestion earlier, I’ll tell you what it is.” Twirling the spear and settling in a ready stance, he lowered his body enough in order to dash as soon as he can towards the other Servant. “The name’s Berserker, nice to meet you~.” With that, he dashes towards the Archer, content to bring the fight into close combat.

[Marian Fitzrobert]

“Berserker!?” Marian barely had time to finish the thought before her opponent launched into his assault. She barely managed to dodge his first strike as he closed the distance in the blink of an eye. The rapid assault left her with no time to try and counter attack as she soon found herself backpedaling.

She bit back a curse as she dodged another thrust from the lance, a grin still plastered across her opponents face. It was as if he was just toying with her, like this was a game. The thought of what this man – if that was what he truly was – was capable of in truly dire straits sent a chill down her spine. She had set out to collect information, and she had found it. This Berserker, whoever he was, was not somebody she could take without preparation.

But she could not back down now. Her Master was passed out behind her, and was in no position to escape at the moment. She had to hold him back. Her bow still in hand, she back stepped a few extra feet, sacrificing ground in order to put some distance between herself and her opponent. With a single fluid motion, she let loose the already notched arrow – she would not have the chance to notch another. She had aimed for the man torso, but she doubted it would hit after what she had seen him do. But she just needed to distract him. She switched over to her sword as she desperately tried to contact her Master.

‘I fear this Berserker is too much for me, Master. You must get away from here!’ No answer. ‘Master! You must escape from this place!’ Still no reply. Biting back another curse as her beast-like opponent launched another attack, she turned to her master.

“Run!”

[Tyonis Reybrant]

After only a few moments of recovery, Tyonis comes to a firm stand, his stamina returning. He quickly scanned his surroundings, checking for any traces of the black monsters before eying Marian’s battle. The blonde archer dodged left, right, above, and below the red bar of light, her body a blur of movement that paled anything Tyonis had ever seen. Even the fastest of human beings would be hard pressed to match Marian. It was phenomenal to watch her bob and weave – her hasted but elegant movements left delicate after images as Tyonis’ mind and sight struggled to keep up with her insane speed. And yet she was pushed back by Berserker’s attacks.

Her opponent, more beast than man, unleashes a volley of thrusts and slashes so rapidly that his weapon appears to multiply dozens of times over. Within that red hell of deadly lunges and thrusts, Marian manages to find an infinitesimal opening and leaps back several feet, firing an arrow she notched during the chaos. It was an obvious tactic: a ploy meant to buy time for her retreat. Still, the Berserker charged forward to Archer’s dismay, as she turned around to shout her warning at Tyonis. Time slowed as Berserker closed into Archer’s exposed backside, intending to skewer her through the chest…

“DISAPPEAR, ARCHER!”

The Command Seals on Tyonis’ wrist burn bright as they reinforce his order – and one of them vanishes in an explosion of red light. Marian’s body instantly turns immaterial milliseconds before Berserker’s lance would pierce her back, striking nothing but air. Suddenly, the entire alleyway is silent, save for Tyonis’ labored breathing.

“Sorry for interrupting your fun, Berserker,”Tyonis teases, an unreadable grin on his face. The swordsman’s eyes, however, belay knowledge of his impending death. Without Archer’s protection, Tyonis stands no chance against a Servant. The Enforcer cannot help but smile at his own foolishness. Still, he raises his longsword at Berserker, watching it catch the moonlight. Running away would be futile; at the very least, he would die facing his final adversary.

[Calamity Jane]

“Oh come on, it hasn’t been all that bad today!”

Using Percival’s money, she had bought a few sets of clothing, more cigarettes, alcohol Which getting was more difficult than it used to be! They asked for identification, and only Percival had that.

Ah well, they had loaded up on all the necessary supplies, and purchased bullets. One of the people at the shop had been interested in the quality of her guns, calling them ‘antiques’. She should have broken his fingers at that, but they had many, many interesting weapons, although she couldn’t buy them, and Percival refused to do it himself.

Well maybe soon she could convince him of that.

Now it was late at night, and she was wandering, Percival tagging along to ‘protect’ her or something like that. She really shouldn’t have told him that crazy story, but it was too late now. She was ‘scouting’ now, which was technically true, but not for the reasons she had told him. There was no need to go along the rooftops now, she could just see around anything in her path. See through anything.

With her eyes open she breathed the life of a large section of the city. It was almost overwhelming, everything she saw. People, everywhere, even at this time of night. Everywhere within her vision. Sleeping, not sleeping, shopping, driving, wandering, drinking, and a million other things. It was quite… populated. She had not realized that until now, but this was no wild land, no frontier.

And most of all, she saw fights. People against nightmarish beasts, a man wrestling with shadows, and another group of people fleeing from nightmares with one man and woman standing against them. And there wasn’t much she could do with Percival right there. Firing a shot off blankly would do nothing good, even if it would strike a beast down.

Thankfully the pair was more than a match for the creatures, fighting them off fairly well as she changed her walking to their direction with a “Hey can we go this way~!” They still weren’t in range of her guns yet, even if she could see them.

A Magus with a sword, and what was most likely an… Archer? Judging by the bow, at least. But she was the Archer! The only one worth being called Archer! “Grrrrr.” She growled, turning Percy’s head towards her. Well then, they would have to fight, and she would make the other one relinquish her title! Well… actually she could have been Berserker. Yes, Calamity, she is a Berserker. She totally looks like, and bears all the hallmarks of a Berserker. Are you stupid?

[/color]

More walking. She wanted to run, but that would give it away to Percival that she was going somewhere, that she saw something. Then again, it was late at night maybe… maybe she could.

And then a Lance wielding bluenette joined them. Well that made two Servants; they could most likely handle it. Since they were working together. She could go home, whatever, it was beginning to get late. Really, she didn’t need to fight two Servants at once.

“Well, I guess-“ Wait what just happened!? The Archer was gone, and only the Lancer remained, fighting… the Master!? He had already killed the Archer, and now was going for the Master? The Lancer had already won… what was the man doing. Percival or no Percival this had to stop! She would not let an innocent life be taken, especially a man out of the match.

Well… they were in range now. She gently put her hand on the holster, calculating every angle, every need, and distance.

Two shots, one delayed, it should take a longer route. The first aimed to deflect the spear tip, the second to warn and strike the ground between them. Seperation. Bullets will strike from parallel directions, in case he can track the projectiles. If it doesn’t make the Lancer hesitant, it also gives time for the Magus to escape. If he does hesitate, he should be after me, and I’m out of any visual distance unless he possesses similar eyes. In the case he continues attacking, heedless, a third shot right at the point where his spinal column meets his brain. Death.

Her other hand dropped to the second holster. And through them she squeezed both triggers. While the shots would leave at the same time, they would not arrive close together, and coming from two opposing directions it should be impossible to trace the place she initially fired from.

A loud bang echoed through the empty street she had swiftly moved into, a pair of them echoed. She would still move towards the Lancer, just in case.

Percival quickly rounded the corner she had dashed down, and she looked at him with a smile on her face and rubbed her head questioningly in feigned embarrassment.

“Ummmm, accidental discharge?”
[/justify]

[Cu Chulainn]

As expected, the Archer dodged his first attack. It was unfortunate really; it seems that the Lady Archer was too busy being surprised at that revelation that she forgot that she was only standing a bit less than a 100 meter from him, not a good distance. Now it seems that the Archer has no choice but to dedicate herself to dodging the thrusts at a range that most Archers would find it uncomfortable.

It was straight text book spear play, rapid thrusts into the midsection, followed by feints that would only catch amateurs off guard. The Archer had done well on dodging the strikes, though even with the seemingly frantic pace that the battle is fought, Berserker noticed that the Archer’s only been paying half of her attention to him, with side glances often paid to the collapsed figure of her master’s.

Did she really think that he’s just going to strike a defenseless man like that?

“Pay attention to your surroundings!” The red streak grazes the side of her cloak, just barely missing the side of her head. Startled, the girl snapped her attention back to Berserker, wearing a grin just as wide as his first realization of the existence of the other servant. The patterns of the attacks changes, now faster, with fewer moments of weakness and unnecessary motion. Yet the grin on his face refuses to leave. He knows that the sooner the girl attacks that this fight would reach the climax. Will it be the lucky of shot of the Lady Archer that manages to pierce him, or will it be his spear instead that will find its place in her body?

So girl, which one will you choose?

The grin on his face grew even wider when the Archer notched an arrow into her bow, preparing to counterattack. Berserker knew that Archer knew that arrows would be less than effective at this range, but he also knows that Archer won’t attempt to fire one at this range if she hadn’t fired one before at the same situation. The instant the arrow was launched upon the bow, Berserker let his many; many experiences with arrows guide him, listening to where the sound of the arrow told him. Almost on cue with the arrow’s whistling sound, Berserker sidestepped handily, catching the arrow right between his teeth.

Almost on cue with the distraction her arrow provides her, the girl switched to her short sword, once again foolishly calling to her master to snap right out of his trance-like state. Undaunted, with the arrow still lodged horizontally between his teeth, Berserker darted again in order to continue the assault. This time, the Archer made a foolish mistake, and her back’s foolishly exposed to the attacker closing in to her. She spent too much time calling for her master, and now she’s going to pay the price. Berserker’s face quickly displays a neutral expression, almost stern, as his spear’s getting closer and closer to the Archer’s exposed backside with each millisecond.

“DISAPPEAR, ARCHER!” [/i][/u]

With the command from the voice of her master, Archer’s body instantly disappears into thin air, with nary a trace that the girl was here just a moment ago. Berserker’s red spear meets the empty sensation of thin air as the hallway once again filled with silence, but only for a moment as Archer’s master’s heavy breathing now fills the alleyway.

“Sorry for interrupting your fun, Berserker,” the man said half-jokingly, uncertain fear readable from his tone. He knows that he stands no chance against the servant now standing before him, yet Berserker recognizes the attitude that the man displays, it was that of a man willing to die with his sword in hand, fighting all the while.

Even with the obvious irritation on his facial expression, Berserker manages a smile.

“None taken,” he joked as soon as the spear’s resting on his right hand. “Your servant will most likely kill you herself if you survived, we can’t have that right?” taking another stance after the little joke, he briefly glance to the sword wielding magus at his opposite. He was already worn out from fighting the beasts, and will most likely fall in one stroke. A part of Berserker didn’t want to take advantage of the haggard state the man is in, but another part of him reminds him of the fact that this is a war, and in a war casualties are unavoidable. He’s just glad that his master’s not here to see this, the kid would be traumatized.

At least that was his plan; the presence of a projectile deflects the balance of his red spear momentarily, while another lands between the magus and Berserker, obviously a warning from somewhere else.

He glanced at the magus, now sporting a confused expression, suggesting that he didn’t have a hand at this sudden interruption. Berserker glanced at the angle in which the second shot was coming…different from the first shot that interrupted his spear earlier. Different possibilities now start appearing on Berserker’s head, but there’s only one clear thing; that this so called ‘helper’ can hit him now that he’s out in the open, but the ‘helper’ chose not to, perhaps as a warning.

Hesitantly lowering his weapon, Berserker once again taking one eye off the sword-magus and examines the projectile currently lying on the asphalt road. It’s certainly no arrow, and seem to be made from metal…a bullet? he ponders as the grail’s information abruptly supplies him with the correct terminology.

A mortal helper then?...No this isn’t an ordinary projectile, not after it disrupted Gae Bolg’s balance like that. After a brief realization, he immediately reeled back with the revelation, confusion evident in his face. Another servant...another Archer? His still keeps an eye towards the sword-magus, watching him as the relief on his face becomes evident after he realized that something must’ve made the Berserker hesitate.

Suddenly a familiar sensation nudged on Berserker’s head repeatedly, like a realization had suddenly dawned on him. He subconsciously glanced at the direction of the warehouse, and where the bounded field he had set earlier caught something unfamiliar and unnatural intruding on the premises. He had several theories of whom or what had caused such a sensation, but perhaps there’s not much time left.

Darting with a blinding speed, Berserker quickly escapes the vicinity, careful so that the mysterious Servant or even the Lady Archer earlier doesn’t trace the obvious trail he’s leaving. Sticking to the shadows and purposefully wandering aimlessly to conceal his eventual destination, Berserker still keeps his attention firmly towards the warehouse and by extension his master.

Damn it kid, be safe.

[Marian Fitzrobert]

Marian froze as her vision shifted. One moment she was glancing at her Master. The next, she was not so much looking at him as feeling his presence. Her mind took a sliver of a moment to realize what he had done. That stupid bastard!. Marian leapt up to a better vantage point as her master started to talk to the Lancer. There was little she could do at the moment, forced into her spirit form by her masters command spell. While the action had given her a chance to gain some distance from her target, she doubted the man who had summoned her had such a plan in mind when he gave the order.

She arrived atop the building in a matter of seconds, but the Lancer was already preparing his final blow. Cursing, she focused on regaining a corporeal form as quickly as she could, hoping that she could call forth her bow fast enough to save the fool standing below with a sword in hand….

But she froze like the others as something stopped Lancers attack. Some sort of projectile. Impossible… Marian quickly scanned the surrounding buildings for a several block radius, trying to find the shooter. Another Archer? Inconceivable – one servant to a class, that is the rule. Before she could finish her search, the Lancer made his leave, heading off across the rooftops. Archer contemplated giving chase, but she had a master below that was in dire shape. Dropping off the roof, she landed in the alley and turned to her master. “I don’t know what you were planning, but remember this. If you die, I will more than likely cease to be shortly after. This I cannot allow. Until I succeed or die, you will live – I will guarantee it.” She took a step towards her master. “There seems to be another servant nearby capable of using projectiles.” She would not refer to this mystery servant as an Archer yet – not until she was sure. “You are in need of rest. We should make our leave.”