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Crimson Beauty of The Crescent Moon (Fate/Grand Order)

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Voting has died down for six hours in total so vote is closed. "Tell the Truth" won. Update will be up in the next day or two, barring unforeseen circumstances.
Adhoc vote count started by Vocalend on Dec 3, 2018 at 4:46 AM, finished with 129 posts and 24 votes.
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Due to the release of Hinako into FGO proper and with it, new informations, update will be postponed for at least another two days, hopefully sooner if translated materials are available.
 
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Prologue V
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Tell the truth.

    ...Would it matter? No. Maybe not. The end result would be the same. Regardless, Olga Marie Animusphere will die. There's no saving her.

    'This is stupid.' Hinako thought to herself. Why entertain this line of thought in the first place? What good would it do?

    Well, it would cause less headache down the line. But that's not enough, isn't it? She doesn't nor should care about humanity, those that had hunted her for being different, those that torn away the sanctuaries of nature, those that destroyed her shot at peace.

    But for all that, she can't bring herself to hate them, can she?

    Not ever since those times so long ago under a peach tree, when a masked prince approached her even with her fangs bared. Not since those blissful days, standing alongside a creation of man who wanted nothing more than to make peace to a fractious lands.

    ...Not when she heard the heartfelt words of a man, mere years ago, when he spoke of a peaceful sanctuary, at the frozen tips of the world. When he gave her his open arm, uncaring that he faced an Elemental millennia old directly.

    So yes, she may not give a damn about humanity, the oft cancerous pustules of excesses and unruly noises that it can be.

    But she does give her respect and more for a select few of them and their goals.

    ... Which means that to give respect, she must break their hearts.

    "Hinako, are you okay?" The human Master asked her, unsure how to take her sudden silence.

    "No. I feel terrible." That one is true. She didn't voice or felt it before but the bomb that hit her seems to cause... some difficulties to her processes. It's negligible for the time being, but her magical output are lower, even guised in this manner. "Moreover, Director..." She pointed straight at the Animusphere. "... How are you still alive?"

    "Eh?" Olga Marie blinked, unsure how to take those words. "I managed to Rayshift while unconscious, Hinako. It seemed that the bomb didn't managed to hit me direc-." Her head throbbed and her heart burned harder now. "G-gh. I-I wasn't, wha-"

    "Director?" Ristuka firmed her grasp, trying to prop up the falling Magus who is trying hard to stay standing, even with the help of one Demi-Servant and one normal Master. "A-Are-" She gasped, "Director, you're bleeding!"

    "W-Wha-" Olga Marie put her palm at the side of her head and felt a warm wet feeling on her palm. When she looked, her entire palm is coated with her own crimson blood. All the while, her other hand clutched her heart which continued to burn, "What is happening?"

    Hinako stood impassively. "You... are dead, Director. I'm sorry to say this." She watches as a dark red stain appear on Olga Marie's chest, her Spirit Origin beginning to mirror her condition at the time of death.

    "T-This..." Her last words were cut short, as her body slumped, unconsciousness and the cessation of thought overtaking her.

    "Director!" The human Master tries to shook her back to consciousness, but to no avail. She looked at the Elemental, "What do you mean she's dead, Hinako? W-Why? Why did you say that?" Ritsuka looked at her with a shocked expression. Something akin to the feeling of betrayal and shock mixing together.

    "I merely reminded her that she is... dead. Her original body is no longer 'alive', she is a dead woman walking. Do you believe withholding the truth from her would not become a critical mista-"

    Unexpectedly, the Shielder Servant yelled. "BUT YOU COULD HAVE PICKED A BETTER TI-"

    That was when the honed instinct of a True Ancestor and the borrowed instinct of a Demi-Servant flared, warning them of the impending danger.

    In one swift move, Mash Kyrielight intercepted the arrows heading for the prone Master while Hinako dodged, well within the bounds of human reflex, the arrows heading her way. The pattering impacts of the arrows reverberated throughout the shield.

    The Servant gritted her teeth, "This...is what I meant, Miss Hinako. Senpai? Are you okay?"

    The Master nodded, body shaking from the near-death experience. "I-I'll manage." She tried, struggling to do so, to lift the unconscious body of Olga Marie. "Hinako, what now?" It is clear that Ritsuka did not trust Hinako much, but for now, it seemed that she is willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, strained as it is from this.

    The True Ancestor looked at the horizon. The enemy is a Servant. Archer, most likely. At least two kilometres away and taking potshots from one of the still standing skyscrapers. No outwardly weird characteristic from the Servant in question...other than the fact his aura seemed 'off'. The same sort of feeling exuded from the 'normal' skeletal remains.

    On their side, they have a Demi-Servant covering for a vulnerable Master and a critically injured combatant. Hinako briefly conceded that she could have picked a better time and not have to deal with this.

    ...Worst comes the worst, she can take to the field. But for now...

    [] ...They should try to lose the Archer in the buildings. They'll be much harder to track and easier to evade, but if any of the Servant's arsenal includes anything particularly powerful, they run the risk of being trapped in collapsing building.
    [] ...They need to bait the Archer around. The Demi-Servant can weather the assault of the Archer well while the non-Servants flee on their own, but like before, without knowing what capability said Servant can bring to bear, such a gamble would be risky.
    [] ...Simply running would suffice. Any ruse or tactics would fall flat against one of the versatile Servant Class. They'd best run away and have Shielder weather the blows.

    Of course, regardless of the plan of what to do, the question then is where to go. Thankfully, before the connection to Chaldea was cut, the Doctor managed to send a map:

    [] The Bridge. There's a magical signature of sorts located on the Bridge. There is no data to reveal whether it is the same signature and aura exuded by the Servants and the normal skeletal remains or not but regardless of what the signature is, the capability to cross from one end of the city to the other would be greatly appreciated.
    [] The Church. Though it pains her to having to find sanctuary in an institution that hunted her through the ages, such a place would have a Leyline, allowing them to reestablish contact with Chaldea.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • [] ...They should try to lose the Archer in the buildings. They'll be much harder to track and easier to evade, but if any of the Servant's arsenal includes anything particularly powerful, they run the risk of being trapped in collapsing building.
    [] ...They need to bait the Archer around. The Demi-Servant can weather the assault of the Archer well while the non-Servants flee on their own, but like before, without knowing what capability said Servant can bring to bear, such a gamble would be risky.

    Not a variants with this Archer.

    [] The Bridge. There's a magical signature of sorts located on the Bridge. There is no data to reveal whether it is the same signature and aura exuded by the Servants and the normal skeletal remains or not but regardless of what the signature is, the capability to cross from one end of the city to the other would be greatly appreciated.

    We definitely will need to cross bridge, but later, when we didn't have literaly dead weight with us and hopefully have more Servants.
    [X] ...Simply running would suffice. Any ruse or tactics would fall flat against one of the versatile Servant Class. They'd best run away and have Shielder weather the blows.
    [X] The Church. Though it pains her to having to find sanctuary in an institution that hunted her through the ages, such a place would have a Leyline, allowing them to reestablish contact with Chaldea.

    Yess, come to me.:evil:

    P.S. As i thought, saying the truth was a very bad idea.
     
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    [X] ...Simply running would suffice. Any ruse or tactics would fall flat against one of the versatile Servant Class. They'd best run away and have Shielder weather the blows.
    [X] The Church. Though it pains her to having to find sanctuary in an institution that hunted her through the ages, such a place would have a Leyline, allowing them to reestablish contact with Chaldea.
     
    Nice, I was afraid that this died.

    [X] ...Simply running would suffice. Any ruse or tactics would fall flat against one of the versatile Servant Class. They'd best run away and have Shielder weather the blows.
    [X] The Church. Though it pains her to having to find sanctuary in an institution that hunted her through the ages, such a place would have a Leyline, allowing them to reestablish contact with Chaldea.
     
    [X] ...Simply running would suffice. Any ruse or tactics would fall flat against one of the versatile Servant Class. They'd best run away and have Shielder weather the blows.
    [X] The Church. Though it pains her to having to find sanctuary in an institution that hunted her through the ages, such a place would have a Leyline, allowing them to reestablish contact with Chaldea
     
    [X] ...Simply running would suffice. Any ruse or tactics would fall flat against one of the versatile Servant Class. They'd best run away and have Shielder weather the blows.
    [X] The Church. Though it pains her to having to find sanctuary in an institution that hunted her through the ages, such a place would have a Leyline, allowing them to reestablish contact with Chaldea.
     
    [X] ...Simply running would suffice. Any ruse or tactics would fall flat against one of the versatile Servant Class. They'd best run away and have Shielder weather the blows.
    [X] The Bridge. There's a magical signature of sorts located on the Bridge. There is no data to reveal whether it is the same signature and aura exuded by the Servants and the normal skeletal remains or not but regardless of what the signature is, the capability to cross from one end of the city to the other would be greatly appreciated.
     
    [X] ...Simply running would suffice. Any ruse or tactics would fall flat against one of the versatile Servant Class. They'd best run away and have Shielder weather the blows.
    [X] The Church. Though it pains her to having to find sanctuary in an institution that hunted her through the ages, such a place would have a Leyline, allowing them to reestablish contact with Chaldea.
     
    [X] ...Simply running would suffice. Any ruse or tactics would fall flat against one of the versatile Servant Class. They'd best run away and have Shielder weather the blows.

    [X] The Church. Though it pains her to having to find sanctuary in an institution that hunted her through the ages, such a place would have a Leyline, allowing them to reestablish contact with Chaldea.
     
    [X] ...Simply running would suffice. Any ruse or tactics would fall flat against one of the versatile Servant Class. They'd best run away and have Shielder weather the blows.
    [X] The Church. Though it pains her to having to find sanctuary in an institution that hunted her through the ages, such a place would have a Leyline, allowing them to reestablish contact with Chaldea
     
    [X] ...Simply running would suffice. Any ruse or tactics would fall flat against one of the versatile Servant Class. They'd best run away and have Shielder weather the blows.
    [X] The Bridge. There's a magical signature of sorts located on the Bridge. There is no data to reveal whether it is the same signature and aura exuded by the Servants and the normal skeletal remains or not but regardless of what the signature is, the capability to cross from one end of the city to the other would be greatly appreciated.
     
    [X] ...Simply running would suffice. Any ruse or tactics would fall flat against one of the versatile Servant Class. They'd best run away and have Shielder weather the blows.
    [X] The Bridge. There's a magical signature of sorts located on the Bridge. There is no data to reveal whether it is the same signature and aura exuded by the Servants and the normal skeletal remains or not but regardless of what the signature is, the capability to cross from one end of the city to the other would be greatly appreciated.
     
    After one literal month of no update, I am back. Holiday took a toll on my motivation (and still is), but I am going to strive to post at least twice a week for the updates, barring unforseen circumstances.

    And vote is closed. Full-On Retreat to the Fuyuki Church is the winning plan.
     
    Prologue VI
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] ...Simply running would suffice. Any ruse or tactics would fall flat against one of the versatile Servant Class. They'd best run away and have Shielder weather the blows.
    [X] The Church. Though it pains her to having to find sanctuary in an institution that hunted her through the ages, such a place would have a Leyline, allowing them to reestablish contact with Chaldea.

    The decision is quick, and the command short. "We run." HInako picked up two pieces of rebar jutting from the ground. A good enough substitute for swords. Another shot of the Archer's arrows landed square on the shield, eliciting a slight grunt from the Demi-Servant. "The Church, we need the leyline."

    "Wait, how do you know there will be a leyline?" Ritsuka asked, already standing up after lifting the unconscious body of the Director. Either she is stronger than she looks or Olga Marie is lighter.

    "There will be one." Hinako looked at the Shielder. "Cover our backs. If Archer is content to merely barrage us with arrows of that caliber, your shield will hold. I will cover our front."

    Shielder nodded, "All right, Miss Hinako."

    "Then let's go." Without another word, Hinako led the way through.

    For Mashu Kyrielight, the most surreal part of her current predicament is the feeling of her senses being there and not there at the same time. Her stint as a Demi-Servant started not an hour ago and perhaps the first thing that startles her the most is that very fact.

    She shifted the grip of her shield — rebound the incoming arrow by angling it to the side — and moved to the flow sung by her instinct. They are — a trio of arrows, C Ranked, will try to puncture your Master, protect her — sudden, not unwelcome but tiring nevertheless. Even with the virtues of her new conditions, exhaustion is settling in. Slowly so, but it doesn't take her borrowed instinct to figure that out.

    In contrast, the Master of A-Team moved with grace and skill outstripping her own.

    The ruckus made by their movements across the burnt out cityscape has drawn the attention of many of the skeletal beings, armed with makeshift weapons like before. And like before, they are drawn to the Chaldeans living signatures, rushing headlong into the group.

    Or rather — Mashu thought as she watches a shattered skull fly off into the distance — the point-woman of the group. There's no other way to describe what Hinako is doing, aside from how she is dancing through the battlement as she cleared the waves upon waves of skeletal soldiers. A smashed skull here, a flying arm — bash the incoming two arrows to the side, the bright flare masks a hidden yet more powerful third arrow, fully block that — there, and more display of her deadly dance is shown.

    A pang of bitterness surfaced inside the Shielder, something unfamiliar to her as she looked on the still limp form of Olga Marie, — carried aloft by your Master, who did not voice her discomfort of strained muscles because everyone else are working harder than she is — who is still unconscious now. She felt irritated at the sweeping brashness Hinako put — to your saviour, the one who cared for you aside from Romani — and yet after seeing this...

    ...Was it truly the right call to make, telling Director like that? Even if it ends like this?

    Perhaps she will never know.

    Archer is not dumb. Not anymore, for what its worth. The Mud has its perks. One of which is the complete acceptance to just let that worry of his fade away to ceaseless nothingness, to have it completely erased from within him.

    He felt like a new man now, and he is not sure what to make of it. He do know several things, however. The Mud controlled him and several others like him. He looked to the distance, rote memory guiding his hands to do his ordered work, to a faraway temple and its single sword-wielding guardian. They locked eyes for a moment. Well, eyes to headpiece.

    His eyebrows quirked up while his gaze remained on the guardian's sword.

    The shake of her head confirmed it. She is unwilling to use it. Even now, she still has her monarch's pride. That the Sword would not be used without the gravitas it required.

    That's fine. The Mud cannot change that aspect of hers. The resolute king that does not know of human heart.

    The Mud, however, has him and it.

    Something is about to go horribly wrong. Hinako came to that conclusion shortly after disposing the amalgamate of skeletons, shaped curiously like a dragon, by pulverizing its skull. Archer has a few tricks on their sleeves, but none appeared to be able to pierce the Demi-Servant's shield.

    Of course, that wasn't the intent from the beginning. Her experience and senses told her as much now.

    Three more clangs resounded as rapid arrows struck the shield. The Shielder is clearly unused to such exertion, and is quickly becoming exhausted. Not the effect that the Archer was looking for, but a secondary effect to the intent.

    Three more clangs struck, the reverb echoing oddly to the distance in the burning city-husk.

    ...It wasn't an attack on the Demi-Servant. It was a signal meant to be tracked.

    Her senses of time slowed just that bit and she looked around, giving Hinako the split-second she needed to assess the state of her Chaldean allies.

    Mashu Kyrielight, tired but battle-ready.

    Ritsuka Fujimaru, exceedingly exhausted, a single sloppy hit would fell her.

    Olga Marie Animusphere, still unconscious, even if the bleeding stopped. Her breathing is faint, but there.

    The Church is close, they just have to cross the cemetery between it and them now.

    ....But she know the moment that they do, whatever it is that is currently making their way, will strike at that moment.

    So:
    [] Plunge head-on. Risk herself against whatever may come her way. She's a True Ancestor, surely her adversary couldn't be that bad.
    -[] An additional thing to do might be asking Ritsuka to order Shielder with a Command Seal, enabling her to carry both the exhausted Master as well as the unconscious Director out of harm's way and into the church.
    -[] That command might be too risky instead. No guarantee that whatever comes might not target them instead as they boost through the cemetery.

    [] Have the Shielder to switch position. The shield proved itself impervious to attacks so far. Whoever the new adversary is would find that their attacks to be blocked.
    -[] An additional thing to do might be asking Ritsuka to order Shielder with a Command Seal, dispelling her tiredness and boosting her Servant parameters to an extra notch.
    -[] That command might be too wasteful. If the attacker is too weak, then it's a wasted Seal... and if the attacker is too strong regardless, it might spell doom for the Demi-Servant.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Things get a little interesting.

    [X] Have the Shielder to switch position. The shield proved itself impervious to attacks so far. Whoever the new adversary is would find that their attacks to be blocked.
    -[X] Do your best to protect the exhausted master as you all make your way to the Church.

    This is the best I got.
     
    [X] Have the Shielder to switch position. The shield proved itself impervious to attacks so far. Whoever the new adversary is would find that their attacks to be blocked.
    -[X] Do your best to protect the exhausted master as you all make your way to the Church.

    " You're my kohai. You're not allowed to die until your graduation, Ritsuka. "
     
    [X] Have the Shielder to switch position. The shield proved itself impervious to attacks so far. Whoever the new adversary is would find that their attacks to be blocked.
    -[X] Do your best to protect the exhausted master as you all make your way to the Church.
     
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