Fate/Blackened Sugar

[] Order Assassin to use the opening this new Servant made to get inside the facility. Her priority is securing the Grail first and foremost.

"Don't kill him. Go past him. No doubt his aim must be the Grail too but Caster will be distracted by his presence. You have an opening," you said as you limped towards the hospital, "I'm going towards you, we can rendezvous once you have the Grail. Try not to be seen."

"I understand. I will see you soon, my Lord," Assassin echoed through your connection as you looked ahead.

So the others have come. It seems that you were a little too slow this time. But hopefully, Manaka will have impeccable timing and contribute to the chaos. There was no need to hide anymore and you doubted that Caster will sic her pets towards you. She had more pressing issues to deal with.

You walked out to the streets and immediately every single person looked at you. You walked casually with your cane and smiled at them. Every man, woman and child stared at you as you tapped your cane. Lifting your hand up, you wagged your finger and shook your head.

BOOM

You weren't the one she was supposed to be worried about. The shades of humans vanished as the tales they were born from were weaved to be drawn to the hospital. This battle was just beginning...

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The unknown Servant had gone through the doors. Assassin moved quickly to follow him and jumped to ascend to the air. She grabbed on to the upper portion of the doors and used her Shinobi techniques to move along the walls.

Somehow, the new Servant had already vanished from her detection range. That man was quick in his feet...

Not only that, Assassin looked about the interior of the hospital. It seemed that space was drastically distorted to accommodate the larger interior of the facility compared to its outside appearance. She kicked off the wall and landed upon a golden chandelier, keeping to the darker shadows it cast while looking down.

Bodies of guardsmen and monsters laid strewn on the floor. This Servant was having a better time than Berserker was, surprisingly enough. Even when she noticed how he seemed to have hesitated fighting the Djinn at the park.

She jumped down and landed at the ground floor. He seemed to be making his way elsewhere. Caster will be preoccupied in guarding the Grail and defending against the intruder. Assassin decided that it was high time she got to exercise.

She dashed through the halls that had been twisted and turned from its outward appearance of a hospital. This place was a mesh between a hospital and a castle, no doubt an effect of Caster's territory creation.

Normally an Assassin like her would find it difficult to infiltrate this place but with the chaos, she was able to sneak by. The Grail's presence burned in Assassin's mind, she should be at the upper levels.

Assassin detected the magical energy of some constructs and moved to hide. A gargantuan bird spread its wings upon noticing her presence. It flapped once and created a gust powerful enough to tear into the stone walls.

The second floor seemed to have been large enough to accompany the size of this great beast as it looked with its keen eye for any sign of the Servant. Assassin hid in the shadows and held her blade and kunai.

According to the Grail, that Beast was named the Roc.

A Phantasmal Beast of great size and strength, capable of lifting elephants from the ground and carrying them to the mountains. It was one of Caster's fierce pets and seemed to be a guardian of this floor.

The great bird soared in the air, maneuvering with excellent grace and control before getting a better view of the area below.

However Assassin had already climbed a nearby pillar and came level to the monster. She jumped and the Roc turned to blow her away. Violent winds rushed towards the Servant and sliced her apart.

In a split second the Servant's body turned into a snake skin just as she fell from the ceiling. Spinning down, her blades danced and she cut the monster right on its eye before throwing a bomb towards it, sending it flying back and smashing into the ceiling.

"Come," Assassin murmured as she held her hand before her body.

From beneath her, an invisible snake rushed and allowed her to stand on it. It ascended to the monster and was caught by the Roc's claws.

The Roc had caught the Giant Snake, its invisibility wearing off and revealing its dark scales. However Assassin used this opening to charge straight for the Roc's throat and cut.

The monster choked and she ripped her blade from its body. She spun in the air before landing on the ground and sheathing her sword. Her Giant Snake crashed alongside the mighty bird with the former constricting and swallowing the latter whole.

"Enough games..." Assassin breathed as she walked ahead. She moved and blended with the darkness, silently searching and killing.

As a snake would...

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You stopped before the hospital and observed it. It was covered in a multi-layer defensive barrier, all to keep mages out. It was quite possible that these were remnants from when they were erected during daytime to drive away Mages.

Other than that, it's pretty bare. No traps of any kind...

You were starting to think that while that Master was smart, he may not be a normal Magus. Just a troublesome man for you to deal with.

However as you were thinking that, you perked up.

"Master. I've found her," Assassin reported back to you, followed by an explosion.

You narrowed your gaze as it came from within the Hospital. This was followed by Assassin jumping out a window.

"Fuck," you cursed as you moved.

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Moments ago

The Armored man fell to his knee as he looked at his hand. He turned to look at his foe, the woman sitting at the far end of this hall. Her dark skinned reflected the light of the lamps surrounding her and her eyes gave him a look of pity.

He understood... For he too was a King and so she was the best counter to him. This was problematic...

"Shall I weave you another Tale, your Majesty?" Caster offered as she swept her staff through the air.

"And what Tale can you weave for me that will let me grasp victory?" The Servant questioned in a low tone.

"One that would give you greater insight in what you should be doing. Striking me down is not what you should be doing... But cutting down the Servants that seek the Grail as well," Caster spoke as she slowly stood up, "Servant Rider, you yourself are masked in a tale... It only takes but a small nudge to unravel your story."

"As expected of a storyteller," Rider mused as he tried standing up, "In a Grail War of Kings, you would be a force to be reckoned with."

"I have no desire for the Grail save for my own continued existence. And even if I were to have it, I would only wish to live peacefully without fear of death," Caster replied in her calming voice, "But if you were to protect me... Then you may just have it."

Rider stared at her from behind his helmet. He was silent for a moment before sighing.

"I don't think so. Ophelia," Rider spoke with a low chuckle.

Caster's eyes widened as from the shadows emerged a woman dressed in a suit. Her brown hair flowed as she took off a piece of a mantle which rendered her invisible.

She took off the cloth which his her right eye.

Caster was frozen as she didn't detect the presence of the enemy Master. This close to her chamber? But how?

"Servant Caster, I do not observe thy Brilliance," she declared as her Mystic Eye activated.

Almost immediately, the effects which slowed down Rider were muted. Caster's ability to sway the whims of a King to ensure her survival had been blocked and she stepped back in panic as Rider stood up.

The piece of his mantle returned to him.

"You're... Not Odysseus?" Caster whispered in shock as the Armored man took the form of a masked Wraith.

"No. I am a King though," Rider declared as a wicked sickle formed in his grasp.

However just before he could swing, Caster was taken away by a flash of red. She was gone...

Rider cut through the bed with his sickle and grimaced behind his mask, "Darn it."

"'I am a King though' he says," the woman quietly murmured with a small smile, "Enjoying yourself?"

"Sorry. I made all your hard work futile... Scouting this place ahead of me," Rider replied as he faced his Master.

"She's not too far. Rider, hunt her down," the woman ordered and the Servant nodded.

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Assassin stood by the door leading to the Grail's room. What she saw was but a small girl, no older than 8 years old. She looked of Japanese descent and had long black hair, the same as Assassin's... But her eyes were strange.

They were golden and gave off an otherworldly feeling about them.

There was no doubt, this was the Holy Grail she had found nights ago.

The girl raised her head from her storybook and looked at Assassin.

"You are... A Servant?" The girl asked with a calm tone.

Assassin was left speechless before she turned and drew her sword.

"Miyu!" A young man called and he froze upon setting his sight on Assassin.

Behind the Magus was a woman, her eyes widening as she pulled him back.

"Lady Miyu, get down!" Caster barked as light erupted before her.

Assassin moved and grabbed the girl, protecting her from the explosion. Assassin survived as she knelt down to keep the Grail protected.

"Caster!" The Magus exclaimed in alarm.

Djinns appeared and reached out towards Assassin, only for her to jump back and shatter the window. The Djinns managed to grab her by the leg as she threw the girl from her arms.

"MASTER!" Assassin screamed as she was dragged back inside.

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Reinforcing your legs, you etched a rune on the air and decreased the falling girl's descent. You tossed aside your cane and used your body to catch her, holding her close as you took the brunt of her fall.

Assassin was dragged back in while you kept the girl safe.

"Why... Mr. Luke... Caster..?" The golden eyes girl whispered as she looked past you and toward the hospital.


[] Put her to sleep. Tuck her away for now, you need to help your Servant.
[] "Can you stand? Good. There's trouble but I'll need you to come with me for now."
[] "Are you okay? Does anything hurt? I... I won't harm you. Tell me what happened up there."
[] Write in...

[] Put her to sleep. Tuck her away for now, you need to help your Servant.

This was really all bad timing. You gently set her down just as she was about to rise, however with a simple charm, you were able to coax her to sleep. Her eyelids grew heavy and a great drowsiness filled her small body. You eventually watched her fall asleep as you called for your cane.

It flew back to your grasp and you etched the ground with protective runes both to conceal and defend her. You didn't have much time but you can't just let Assassin be left behind.

"Of all times," you breathed as you finished casting the last charm and concealing the little girl.

Standing up, you turned to the hospital to chase after Assassin... Wherever she could be.

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Berserker stood before a large swirl of magical energy and marveled at the sight. He and his Master stood at a chamber deep underground and had traveled through a secret entrance to behold this swirl.

"Berserker, it's time to destroy it," Manaka ordered with a smile, "This is a pretty vital anchor point."

"I hear ya. But you never mentioned we'd be getting here," Berserker said as he cracked an amused look.

"Isn't it fun to be surprised?" Manaka asked as she held her hands behind her back.

"Right. Let's start breaking shit," he said as he mustered all his strength and swung at the Anchor.

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Assassin flew through the wall and smashed straight into another. Coughing blood, she grit her teeth before she dodged a punch from a Djinn and flipped to evade a backhand. Drawing her sword, she parried a blow once before moving in and slicing the construct apart.

Caster stepped back and slammed her staff into the ground, summoning thieves with razor sharp scimitars.

"I won't let you escape!" Caster declared as Assassin narrowed her gaze.

"Caster! What about Miyu?" Luke asked as he looked to his Servant.

"My familiars will find her. For now, we have to disable this Servant," Caster said as Assassin blocked a falling blade, deflecting it and cutting the head of the thief.

She jumped over a horizontal swing, kicking the thief right in the face before flipping back. Her movements grew sharp as she cut and sliced through her opponents with ease.

Assassin's eyes darted to either Caster or her Master before she stopped. A large flaming hand came from above and nearly grabbed her. The walls turned and the ground shifted, the world distorted a bit before Assassin found herself at the ground floor of the hospital, in a wide open space and not in a cramped hall.

There's no getting out of this one then?

She held her kunai and sword as she eyed her foe.

"Wait," the youth asked as he held his hand up, "In this world, we're invincible. You don't have to fight-"

Assassin didn't let him finish as she threw a kunai his way, only for a silver automaton to catch the blade. Caster had called upon more familiars as Assassin readied her blade.

Light dimmed in the surrounding area as Assassin primed herself to attack. A straight up fight, she could do this! A large soldier slammed his hammer down but Assassin cut his head off as she jumped over him. Throwing a kunai, it landed on the face of a man before she stabbed him straight into the neck, pulling her sword out to drive it into the heart of another.

She ripped it through the man's torso and darted towards Assassin.

Water gathered above Caster as two mermaids swam in the air, blasting a pillar of water towards the Servant. Sliding down, Assassin evaded the attack and threw paper bombs which covered the area in thick smoke.

Caster's Master raised his hand and dispelled the smoke with a gust of wind. Caster looked up to see a snake dive down towards her, calling upon her familiars to skewer it on all sides.

She felt a chill behind her back, forcing her to turn in place as Assassin slashed. The blade sang and blood danced in the air.

Luke Myers, Master of Caster put himself between the sword and his servant. The cut was shallow as Caster showered Assassin with a ray of pure sunlight, forcing the Servant back.

The Master bled but the cut wasn't deep enough to kill. Assassin found it odd she hadn't sustained any damage but...

A rune glowed on her bicep.

She smiled. That man just did whatever he wanted, didn't he?

It was now the kill!

However just before she reached Caster, a shadow appeared. A man with a black mantle and a white mask appeared, his sickle being vaguely familiar.

Assassin jumped to catch his blade, stopping him fro cutting her and the Servant Master duo beneath her. He was trying to kill them all at once!

"Oh? Sharp reflexes," the Servant mused before he swung Assassin in the air and sent her flying.

She turned in mid air and landed on the ground.

"Where have you been hiding all this time?" The masked man asked as he held his scythe. Assassin kept silent as she narrowed her gaze.

This was... A New Servant? She took out a kunai and threw it at him before charging straight at him. The Servant swatted aside the projectile and engaged Assassin in melee.

Sparks and violent swings tore through the air, she blocked and weave through every attack, taking care not to get nicked even once. Assassin sidestepped an overhead and stepped on it, thrusting her blade towards the Servant and tensing upon her sword being caught.

She was pulled close to that haunting mask.

A rune appeared between the two of them and pushed them apart, applying gravity to their bodies and splitting them up. Assassin flipped back and landed on her feet while the Servant slid as he held his weapon.

Caster used this chance to escape alongside her injured Master, slipping away on a flying carpet. The Servant moved to catch them but Assassin three out a kunai to intercept him.

He swatted it aside and turned towards Assassin.

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You hid behind a corner by the Hospital's entrance and watched Caster escape. Assassin had scored a hit then but was stopped by this new Servant. Judging from every single one you've seen, this one could only be Rider but his appearance differed from the armored description you were given before.

Shape shifting? Or just a magical disguise? Which one was the real one?

"I'm right here. Sorry for the wait," you told her as you leaned against the wall.

"And the Grail?" Assassin asked in alarm.

"I left her outside. She should be safe for now," you replied as you tried thinking fast, "Assassin, this guy..."

"Yes. Give me your orders," Assassin declared as she held up her sword.

[] Order Assassin to move past this Servant and chase down Caster. If you go get her now, there will be one less Servant to worry about.
[] It was time to retreat. Have Assassin come up with a stall tactic as the two of you withdraw with the Grail, you can't have this Servant chase the two of you so you need to deter him.
[] Step out and use your Command Seal, have Assassin use her Noble Phantasm to slay this Servant here and now. Even if his appearance changed, an enemy Servant needed to go.