[X] Try to engage her in conversation. She doesn't seem to want to kill you right now, or she would have attacked already.
Fate/Constellation
- Thread starter Hierophant
- Start date
Chapter Seven - The Daughter of Winter
Hierophant
Unyielding Truth
- Location
- ?
Chapter Seven - The Daughter of Winter
Your tongue seems to have twisted itself into a knot, but you force the alarm down and finally manage to convince your brain to let you speak.
"Ah... h-hello there."
"Hi!" she says brightly. When she laughs, it's surprisingly childish, long strands of white hair blowing over her lips and being pushed away with a flick of a pink tongue. "I almost mistook you for one of those gossiping housewives."
Do I need to fight her? You clench your fists, and hope the answer is no. Those glowing white birds can swoop way faster than you can run, and charging at the girl would be suicide; she's clearly a gifted magus, to be able to casually perform a feat that would have taken you hours with a, ruler, carving knife and book of rituals.
"I, uh, almost mistook you too. You look a bit like a snow fairy."
"A snow fairy?" her red eyes widen. They're not blood-red, but pinkish, as if diluted. "That's... pretty. But childish. I didn't expect onii-san to be so weird. Maybe our ages should be reversed."
Oh, shit. Did you piss her off? "Uhm, no, I was just commenting that you look like that in the sunlight."
"Oh? Then thank you for the compliment!" she flashes a wide grin, then dances closer to you and sweeps the edges of her skirt wide in a perfect curtsy. "My name is Illyasviel, by the way. Illyasviel von Einzbern."
Einzbern, huh? You remember that name from a long discussion you and Rin had about the origins about the Holy Grail War. It had gone on well past midnight, and ran on until she finally ran out of things to explain. According to her, the Einzberns were one of the three major magic families in Fuyuki, and with Rin the only descendent of the Tohsakas and the Matou line dead(a certain blue-haired boy aside), the Einzberns would be the most powerful magi around.
You aren't sure how to react, so you settle for introducing yourself in turn. "I'm Shirou. Emiya Shirou."
"Shirou, huh?" she puts a finger to her lips and stares up as if deep in thought. "I like that name. Sounds very aloof." Suddenly, she changes the subject.
"Have you seen Caster roosting in the mountain temple? There was apparently a big fight there, but I didn't go. I think she wants to kill my Berserker."
Hearing that, you relax a little bit. That comment told you two important bits of information about her. Firstly, she wasn't briefed on the details of the fight, or she'd surely have realized that you were there. Secondly, her Servant is Berserker-class. Kotomine and Rin both agree that Berserker-class Servants are usually weak, sacrificing sanity for a chance to shore up their lack of strength. If Illyasviel's Servant really is that weak, he or she should stand no chance against Madoka's Noble Phantasm.
"Yeah. She's the one hurting all the people around the city, right? I'll deal with her soon." It's technically true. You neglect to mention that you've already been once, and that Rin will be going with you.
Illyasviel merely hops around on one foot and skips two steps away from you. "I don't think you'll have a chance to do that."
"Huh? Why?" The unexpected statement catches you off-guard.
But she answers your question with a question. "When I woke up today, I had a nice hot bath. Do you know what I was thinking when I got out of the bath?"
"...What?"
"I was thinking about how today was the day I'd exterminate the last of the Emiyas. And it came true! Degen!"
The birds swoop high overhead and shift into daggers of glowing light. Illyasviel's expression never changes, but she gestures subtly at you and they stab down in a diagonal X pattern centered on your heart. Something about Illyasviel's tone must have tipped you off, because you leap backwards without thinking, and the daggers miss, lodging themselves in the ground instead.
...You never expected the girl to turn from chatty to violent that vast. The strength of her magic is absolutely unparalleled; Rin on her best day couldn't hope to match Illyasviel as she is right now. Even a tiny spell like that, sent to finish off an unarmed amateur, struck with so much magical energy behind it that it left fissures spreading in four directions from where the daggers struck the ground. The spots themselves were scorched and burnt, chunks of concrete blasted away.
"Good reflexes," compliments the girl. "Again. Degen." You expect the daggers to turn into birds and fly up again for another pass, but they melt away instead, and two more appear floating beside her. You're ready for her now, however. Even as she starts to speak, you're already whispering "trace on" into thin air, so quickly it's a mumble. You hug the sleeves of your motorcycle jacket close to yourself, and feel it stretch and toughen.
It definitely isn't a good enough barrier to protect against the daggers. Strengthening increases the capability of an object to do its job, rather than just making it stronger or harder like most people expect. Since a motorcycle jacket is meant to protect riders against wind and cold, using reinforcement on it will just make it thicker and warmer. Any protection it grants will merely be a side effect of that.
But it definitely doesn't need to be that strong. Just thick and tough enough to catch the daggers instead of getting pierced straight through. As Illyasviel gestures for the second time, you turn your lame arm away from her, using your good hand to rip off your jacket and fling it as hard as you can at the onrush of the twin daggers.
The daggers stab through the leather of the jacket like paper, but as you'd hoped, their hilts don't. The daggers catch on, their momentum carrying them straight to you. For an absurd moment, you're reminded of an invisible charging bull, the blades poking through the jacket as horns through a matador's cape.
As the jacket is flung back at you once more, you reach out and snatch it out of the air, using your firmly implanted stance to weather the force of the daggers, the jacket billowing out to lighten the slam as it hits you. A particularly strong gust of wind, no stronger. The daggers dissolve, and you have your jacket again, with two ugly gashes through it.
You can feel the effects of the reinforcement start to fade. It was a rushed spell, and you were surprised it even worked in the first place. Still, you can't help but feel inordinately proud of yourself. You've survived an attack by an enemy Master without a friendly Servant around to save you. If Kiritsugu was right and being a magus entails living a life of war, then coming out of this alive would be your first step towards becoming one.
A jangle in your pocket reminds you that you still have Rin's jewels stashed away, but the albino girl seems to have stopped, so you decide not to use your ace in the hole just yet. Illyasviel stares at you, her fine features birdlike in the noon chill. Did she summon constructs in accordance with the way she felt? Birds when she was dancing about freely, daggers when she developed an intent to kill?
"Onii-san, you really are weird," she laughs. "I thought you were an amateur from the moment I first saw you. Your magical power is close to none, and you only had one arm with which to cast spells." Her gaze briefly jumps to your bandaged arm, before moving back up to meet your wary look.
"But you survived four of my spells. So now I'm really curious about you. "
"Illyasviel, I –"
"Call me Illya," she says. "You're my onii-san, after all."
Um. Right. It couldn't hurt. "Illya, why are you fighting?" It's a stupid question, an awkward question, one that will more than likely earn you a dagger in the gut. But you can't help asking, not after seeing how happily she skipped along the middle of the road. In that moment, she reminded you of Madoka.
Illya frowns at you. "It's what I was raised to do, after all. My grandfather told me to be a Master, so I did."
It was the answer you were afraid of. Talking about killing you with such a cheerful expression, fighting just because she was told... she doesn't understand the consequences of the Holy Grail War at all. To her, it's just a game. And even worse, it's not a game she entered by choice, but one she was told to enter.
"Have you ever – have you ever thought of quitting the War? Giving up your Servant?"
You expected her to react with incredulity, but she looks contemplative instead. "Give up Berserker? No way. But… well, I don't really like my grandfather, so I guess I can quit the War if you'll agree to be my second Servant. That's okay, right onii-san?"
...It's an insane idea. You'll never be able to agree to that. If you sacrifice your life, your place in the Holy Grail War, you'll have no chance of seeing your wish come true, of being a hero of justice.
Regretfully, you shake your head. "No, Illya. I'm sorry, but I can't do that."
She scowls. "Fine. If you won't help me, I'll just have to kill you. Zelle! Degen!" Before you can even react to this abrupt change of attitude, two of the flapping birds and a dagger appear in front of her.
You don't know what the birds do, but Illya probably isn't going to fall for the same trick a second time. She'll most likely have some means of destroying or circumventing the same trick of using a reinforced jacket to halt an attack. You shove a hand in your pocket, clutch a jewel tightly, and glance down at your Command Seals. Three in all, which means you won't be in too much trouble if you use one here. In fact, it might turn the tide of battle, since Illya doesn't seem to have a Servant with her, relying solely on her magic to attack you.
Then there's a whooshing sound and the blaring shriek of a car horn. Illya jumps, looks over her shoulder to see a souped-up yellow sports car zooming straight at her. Acting solely on instinct, you grab her as you leap out of the way, crashing to the pavement and very barely missing the screeching tires as the car goes past. A tattooed guy with spiky hair leans out and yells something incoherent as he drives past, probably asking you what the hell you two were doing in the middle of the road.
Illya stands up, then pats your head as if you were a pet dog. Slim hands brush dust off her dress. "Thank you. I guess I'll have to go now, since someone already noticed us."
The birds and dagger dissolve into specks of light. "Goodbye, onii-san. I'll see you again." Her furious look is gone, replaced by a cheerful smile. "Berserker, take me home."
As you watch, the largest creature you've ever seen materializes from the air. A giant figure with lead-colored skin and muscles that threaten to rip right out of his body. He casually hefts a sword bigger than your entire body, made solely from jagged rock, and lifts Illya with his free hand. Without even glancing at you, he takes off running, his footsteps cracking the pavement with each impact. They move frighteningly fast, disappearing to blurs in moments.
When both Berserker and Illya are long out of sight, the adrenaline in your body finally falters. You drop to your knees, sweltering with the exertion, glad you took of your jacket. Rin will not be pleased when she hears about this.
-
Rin was not pleased when she heard about it. "An Einzbern? You mean one of their homonucli?"
You gulp down shrimp dumplings, savoring the spicy taste. Food always tastes better when you make it yourself. "I'm not sure what you mean, but she looked about six or seven years old, and wore a purple outfit."
"Six or seven... yeah. The Einzbern homonucli never age. She must be their chosen Master for this war. You said she used daggers and birds?"
You swear Saber's lips twitch slightly as Rin says that last line. The normally ravenous Servant has had little appetite since you started talking about your encounter with Illya.
"Yeah, those two. Saber, is there something wrong with the food?"
The blonde Servant looks surprised. "No. There is nothing wrong, Shirou." She dutifully resumes eating, though at a much slower pace than usual. Maybe you used too much lettuce in the dumpling.
"Can I ask something?" Madoka doesn't talk that often during meals, especially during strategy discussion, but when she does it's usually something worth hearing. "If this new Master summoned her Servant to bring her home, why didn't she just order Berserker to attack you? I mean... you aren't weak or anything, Shirou, but you'd definitely die against a Servant without me around."
Amazingly, the pink-haired girl seems to have regenerated her entire lower body already. According to her, the magical gem at her throat and her status as a heroic spirit made it easier. She didn't have to regrow her liver or kidneys, for example, since she didn't need those at all.
"Well, I noticed that too. I was thinking that maybe she held back for some reason. Maybe she didn't want to see me dead."
Madoka smiles. "I bet she didn't really want to kill you, Shirou. She's just a little girl, so she must be scared to fight for real. We might even be able to convince her to work with us if we visit her."
"The Einzbern Master?" asks Rin. "I don't think that will work. If she's a little girl, they'll definitely keep her under their thumb. Besides, I was hoping to go back to Ryuudou Temple now that Archer's healed. I have some scores to settle."
Beside her, Saber nods firmly, Master and Servant both in harmony. You feel a sense of deja vu. The four of you arguing over where to go after dinner, Saber and Rin in favor of attacking Ryuudou and Madoka disagreeing. The last time, you'd grudgingly agreed to go to scout the place out, and look where that got you.
Still, Rin's suggestion has some merit. Illyasviel von Einzbern is a virtual unknown. A mysterious albino with incredibly powerful magic. You have no idea what her satellite birds do, or what her Servant's Noble Phantasm might be. Besides, you don't know where to find her. At least with Caster and Assassin, you have a rough idea of their capabilities. You've experienced Caster first-hand, and Saber managed to discover Assassin's identity.
You stall for time by gulping down another dumpling, but you'll have to make a decision sooner or later.
[ ] Visit Ryuudou Temple again. Saber claims she can handle Assassin, and you can always have Madoka blast Caster again if the witch shows up.
[ ] Try to locate and talk to Illyasviel von Einzbern. She's a little girl with no part in the War, and if anyone can convince her to work with you four, it's Madoka, the girl who inspires hope just by being near others. Besides, her Servant is supposed to be a subpar one boosted by class abilities.
[ ] Write-in.
Your tongue seems to have twisted itself into a knot, but you force the alarm down and finally manage to convince your brain to let you speak.
"Ah... h-hello there."
"Hi!" she says brightly. When she laughs, it's surprisingly childish, long strands of white hair blowing over her lips and being pushed away with a flick of a pink tongue. "I almost mistook you for one of those gossiping housewives."
Do I need to fight her? You clench your fists, and hope the answer is no. Those glowing white birds can swoop way faster than you can run, and charging at the girl would be suicide; she's clearly a gifted magus, to be able to casually perform a feat that would have taken you hours with a, ruler, carving knife and book of rituals.
"I, uh, almost mistook you too. You look a bit like a snow fairy."
"A snow fairy?" her red eyes widen. They're not blood-red, but pinkish, as if diluted. "That's... pretty. But childish. I didn't expect onii-san to be so weird. Maybe our ages should be reversed."
Oh, shit. Did you piss her off? "Uhm, no, I was just commenting that you look like that in the sunlight."
"Oh? Then thank you for the compliment!" she flashes a wide grin, then dances closer to you and sweeps the edges of her skirt wide in a perfect curtsy. "My name is Illyasviel, by the way. Illyasviel von Einzbern."
Einzbern, huh? You remember that name from a long discussion you and Rin had about the origins about the Holy Grail War. It had gone on well past midnight, and ran on until she finally ran out of things to explain. According to her, the Einzberns were one of the three major magic families in Fuyuki, and with Rin the only descendent of the Tohsakas and the Matou line dead(a certain blue-haired boy aside), the Einzberns would be the most powerful magi around.
You aren't sure how to react, so you settle for introducing yourself in turn. "I'm Shirou. Emiya Shirou."
"Shirou, huh?" she puts a finger to her lips and stares up as if deep in thought. "I like that name. Sounds very aloof." Suddenly, she changes the subject.
"Have you seen Caster roosting in the mountain temple? There was apparently a big fight there, but I didn't go. I think she wants to kill my Berserker."
Hearing that, you relax a little bit. That comment told you two important bits of information about her. Firstly, she wasn't briefed on the details of the fight, or she'd surely have realized that you were there. Secondly, her Servant is Berserker-class. Kotomine and Rin both agree that Berserker-class Servants are usually weak, sacrificing sanity for a chance to shore up their lack of strength. If Illyasviel's Servant really is that weak, he or she should stand no chance against Madoka's Noble Phantasm.
"Yeah. She's the one hurting all the people around the city, right? I'll deal with her soon." It's technically true. You neglect to mention that you've already been once, and that Rin will be going with you.
Illyasviel merely hops around on one foot and skips two steps away from you. "I don't think you'll have a chance to do that."
"Huh? Why?" The unexpected statement catches you off-guard.
But she answers your question with a question. "When I woke up today, I had a nice hot bath. Do you know what I was thinking when I got out of the bath?"
"...What?"
"I was thinking about how today was the day I'd exterminate the last of the Emiyas. And it came true! Degen!"
The birds swoop high overhead and shift into daggers of glowing light. Illyasviel's expression never changes, but she gestures subtly at you and they stab down in a diagonal X pattern centered on your heart. Something about Illyasviel's tone must have tipped you off, because you leap backwards without thinking, and the daggers miss, lodging themselves in the ground instead.
...You never expected the girl to turn from chatty to violent that vast. The strength of her magic is absolutely unparalleled; Rin on her best day couldn't hope to match Illyasviel as she is right now. Even a tiny spell like that, sent to finish off an unarmed amateur, struck with so much magical energy behind it that it left fissures spreading in four directions from where the daggers struck the ground. The spots themselves were scorched and burnt, chunks of concrete blasted away.
"Good reflexes," compliments the girl. "Again. Degen." You expect the daggers to turn into birds and fly up again for another pass, but they melt away instead, and two more appear floating beside her. You're ready for her now, however. Even as she starts to speak, you're already whispering "trace on" into thin air, so quickly it's a mumble. You hug the sleeves of your motorcycle jacket close to yourself, and feel it stretch and toughen.
It definitely isn't a good enough barrier to protect against the daggers. Strengthening increases the capability of an object to do its job, rather than just making it stronger or harder like most people expect. Since a motorcycle jacket is meant to protect riders against wind and cold, using reinforcement on it will just make it thicker and warmer. Any protection it grants will merely be a side effect of that.
But it definitely doesn't need to be that strong. Just thick and tough enough to catch the daggers instead of getting pierced straight through. As Illyasviel gestures for the second time, you turn your lame arm away from her, using your good hand to rip off your jacket and fling it as hard as you can at the onrush of the twin daggers.
The daggers stab through the leather of the jacket like paper, but as you'd hoped, their hilts don't. The daggers catch on, their momentum carrying them straight to you. For an absurd moment, you're reminded of an invisible charging bull, the blades poking through the jacket as horns through a matador's cape.
As the jacket is flung back at you once more, you reach out and snatch it out of the air, using your firmly implanted stance to weather the force of the daggers, the jacket billowing out to lighten the slam as it hits you. A particularly strong gust of wind, no stronger. The daggers dissolve, and you have your jacket again, with two ugly gashes through it.
You can feel the effects of the reinforcement start to fade. It was a rushed spell, and you were surprised it even worked in the first place. Still, you can't help but feel inordinately proud of yourself. You've survived an attack by an enemy Master without a friendly Servant around to save you. If Kiritsugu was right and being a magus entails living a life of war, then coming out of this alive would be your first step towards becoming one.
A jangle in your pocket reminds you that you still have Rin's jewels stashed away, but the albino girl seems to have stopped, so you decide not to use your ace in the hole just yet. Illyasviel stares at you, her fine features birdlike in the noon chill. Did she summon constructs in accordance with the way she felt? Birds when she was dancing about freely, daggers when she developed an intent to kill?
"Onii-san, you really are weird," she laughs. "I thought you were an amateur from the moment I first saw you. Your magical power is close to none, and you only had one arm with which to cast spells." Her gaze briefly jumps to your bandaged arm, before moving back up to meet your wary look.
"But you survived four of my spells. So now I'm really curious about you. "
"Illyasviel, I –"
"Call me Illya," she says. "You're my onii-san, after all."
Um. Right. It couldn't hurt. "Illya, why are you fighting?" It's a stupid question, an awkward question, one that will more than likely earn you a dagger in the gut. But you can't help asking, not after seeing how happily she skipped along the middle of the road. In that moment, she reminded you of Madoka.
Illya frowns at you. "It's what I was raised to do, after all. My grandfather told me to be a Master, so I did."
It was the answer you were afraid of. Talking about killing you with such a cheerful expression, fighting just because she was told... she doesn't understand the consequences of the Holy Grail War at all. To her, it's just a game. And even worse, it's not a game she entered by choice, but one she was told to enter.
"Have you ever – have you ever thought of quitting the War? Giving up your Servant?"
You expected her to react with incredulity, but she looks contemplative instead. "Give up Berserker? No way. But… well, I don't really like my grandfather, so I guess I can quit the War if you'll agree to be my second Servant. That's okay, right onii-san?"
...It's an insane idea. You'll never be able to agree to that. If you sacrifice your life, your place in the Holy Grail War, you'll have no chance of seeing your wish come true, of being a hero of justice.
Regretfully, you shake your head. "No, Illya. I'm sorry, but I can't do that."
She scowls. "Fine. If you won't help me, I'll just have to kill you. Zelle! Degen!" Before you can even react to this abrupt change of attitude, two of the flapping birds and a dagger appear in front of her.
You don't know what the birds do, but Illya probably isn't going to fall for the same trick a second time. She'll most likely have some means of destroying or circumventing the same trick of using a reinforced jacket to halt an attack. You shove a hand in your pocket, clutch a jewel tightly, and glance down at your Command Seals. Three in all, which means you won't be in too much trouble if you use one here. In fact, it might turn the tide of battle, since Illya doesn't seem to have a Servant with her, relying solely on her magic to attack you.
Then there's a whooshing sound and the blaring shriek of a car horn. Illya jumps, looks over her shoulder to see a souped-up yellow sports car zooming straight at her. Acting solely on instinct, you grab her as you leap out of the way, crashing to the pavement and very barely missing the screeching tires as the car goes past. A tattooed guy with spiky hair leans out and yells something incoherent as he drives past, probably asking you what the hell you two were doing in the middle of the road.
Illya stands up, then pats your head as if you were a pet dog. Slim hands brush dust off her dress. "Thank you. I guess I'll have to go now, since someone already noticed us."
The birds and dagger dissolve into specks of light. "Goodbye, onii-san. I'll see you again." Her furious look is gone, replaced by a cheerful smile. "Berserker, take me home."
As you watch, the largest creature you've ever seen materializes from the air. A giant figure with lead-colored skin and muscles that threaten to rip right out of his body. He casually hefts a sword bigger than your entire body, made solely from jagged rock, and lifts Illya with his free hand. Without even glancing at you, he takes off running, his footsteps cracking the pavement with each impact. They move frighteningly fast, disappearing to blurs in moments.
When both Berserker and Illya are long out of sight, the adrenaline in your body finally falters. You drop to your knees, sweltering with the exertion, glad you took of your jacket. Rin will not be pleased when she hears about this.
-
Rin was not pleased when she heard about it. "An Einzbern? You mean one of their homonucli?"
You gulp down shrimp dumplings, savoring the spicy taste. Food always tastes better when you make it yourself. "I'm not sure what you mean, but she looked about six or seven years old, and wore a purple outfit."
"Six or seven... yeah. The Einzbern homonucli never age. She must be their chosen Master for this war. You said she used daggers and birds?"
You swear Saber's lips twitch slightly as Rin says that last line. The normally ravenous Servant has had little appetite since you started talking about your encounter with Illya.
"Yeah, those two. Saber, is there something wrong with the food?"
The blonde Servant looks surprised. "No. There is nothing wrong, Shirou." She dutifully resumes eating, though at a much slower pace than usual. Maybe you used too much lettuce in the dumpling.
"Can I ask something?" Madoka doesn't talk that often during meals, especially during strategy discussion, but when she does it's usually something worth hearing. "If this new Master summoned her Servant to bring her home, why didn't she just order Berserker to attack you? I mean... you aren't weak or anything, Shirou, but you'd definitely die against a Servant without me around."
Amazingly, the pink-haired girl seems to have regenerated her entire lower body already. According to her, the magical gem at her throat and her status as a heroic spirit made it easier. She didn't have to regrow her liver or kidneys, for example, since she didn't need those at all.
"Well, I noticed that too. I was thinking that maybe she held back for some reason. Maybe she didn't want to see me dead."
Madoka smiles. "I bet she didn't really want to kill you, Shirou. She's just a little girl, so she must be scared to fight for real. We might even be able to convince her to work with us if we visit her."
"The Einzbern Master?" asks Rin. "I don't think that will work. If she's a little girl, they'll definitely keep her under their thumb. Besides, I was hoping to go back to Ryuudou Temple now that Archer's healed. I have some scores to settle."
Beside her, Saber nods firmly, Master and Servant both in harmony. You feel a sense of deja vu. The four of you arguing over where to go after dinner, Saber and Rin in favor of attacking Ryuudou and Madoka disagreeing. The last time, you'd grudgingly agreed to go to scout the place out, and look where that got you.
Still, Rin's suggestion has some merit. Illyasviel von Einzbern is a virtual unknown. A mysterious albino with incredibly powerful magic. You have no idea what her satellite birds do, or what her Servant's Noble Phantasm might be. Besides, you don't know where to find her. At least with Caster and Assassin, you have a rough idea of their capabilities. You've experienced Caster first-hand, and Saber managed to discover Assassin's identity.
You stall for time by gulping down another dumpling, but you'll have to make a decision sooner or later.
[ ] Visit Ryuudou Temple again. Saber claims she can handle Assassin, and you can always have Madoka blast Caster again if the witch shows up.
[ ] Try to locate and talk to Illyasviel von Einzbern. She's a little girl with no part in the War, and if anyone can convince her to work with you four, it's Madoka, the girl who inspires hope just by being near others. Besides, her Servant is supposed to be a subpar one boosted by class abilities.
[ ] Write-in.
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- Location
- England, unfortunately.
- Pronouns
- She/They
Eheheheheh... Yeah... Subpar...
[X] Try to locate and talk to Illyasviel von Einzbern. She's a little girl with no part in the War, and if anyone can convince her to work with you four, it's Madoka, the girl who inspires hope just by being near others. Besides, her Servant is supposed to be a subpar one boosted by class abilities.
Better to face Berserker when we expect him than when we don't.
Better to face Berserker when we expect him than when we don't.
On one hand we have a choice of going to Ryuudou temple who has Assassin and Caster and we can prevent them from becoming a force since if we delay, Caster will most likely have lots of minions for us to deal with and they may be still weakened from our previous assault. On the other hand there is Illya who has Berserker and it's most likely Hercules who has God Hand and will be a pain if we do come to blows. So on further review let's assault the temple.
[X] Try to locate and talk to Illyasviel von Einzbern. She's a little girl with no part in the War, and if anyone can convince her to work with you four, it's Madoka, the girl who inspires hope just by being near others. Besides, her Servant is supposed to be a subpar one boosted by class abilities.
Edited upon further review.
[X] Try to locate and talk to Illyasviel von Einzbern. She's a little girl with no part in the War, and if anyone can convince her to work with you four, it's Madoka, the girl who inspires hope just by being near others. Besides, her Servant is supposed to be a subpar one boosted by class abilities.
Edited upon further review.
Last edited:
- Location
- Ukraine
Seiba will want an honorable duel with Assassin, and that will most likely kill her. In UBW, she only wins their final fight because Assassin is impatient and gets (his sword) bent out of shape; he is not so desperate yet, not on the verge of disappearing.
On the other hand, while Illya is likely to see our approach as an intended attack since we have Servants, unlike when Shirou and Rin go to her in UBW, she may also be overconfident because, duh, Heracles. Unless she gets bored with us, talking is possible. We may get a feast of the kings-ish scene, just with less wine and more tea party, less Seiba bullying and moreShirou bullying* mingling between Masters.
* It's Rin and Illya. Both of them teasing Shirou is much preferable to them sniping at each other.
[X] Try to locate and talk to Illyasviel von Einzbern. She's a little girl with no part in the War, and if anyone can convince her to work with you four, it's Madoka, the girl who inspires hope just by being near others. Besides, her Servant is supposed to be a subpar one boosted by class abilities.
On the other hand, while Illya is likely to see our approach as an intended attack since we have Servants, unlike when Shirou and Rin go to her in UBW, she may also be overconfident because, duh, Heracles. Unless she gets bored with us, talking is possible. We may get a feast of the kings-ish scene, just with less wine and more tea party, less Seiba bullying and more
* It's Rin and Illya. Both of them teasing Shirou is much preferable to them sniping at each other.
[X] Try to locate and talk to Illyasviel von Einzbern. She's a little girl with no part in the War, and if anyone can convince her to work with you four, it's Madoka, the girl who inspires hope just by being near others. Besides, her Servant is supposed to be a subpar one boosted by class abilities.
Yuri Vampire
Kirameku Hōseki! Cure Coral!
- Location
- US
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Poking the Berserker screams 'bad idea'...but meh, 'bad idea' is just another ordinary day on SV.
[X] Try to locate and talk to Illyasviel von Einzbern. She's a little girl with no part in the War, and if anyone can convince her to work with you four, it's Madoka, the girl who inspires hope just by being near others. Besides, her Servant is supposed to be a subpar one boosted by class abilities.
[X] Try to locate and talk to Illyasviel von Einzbern. She's a little girl with no part in the War, and if anyone can convince her to work with you four, it's Madoka, the girl who inspires hope just by being near others. Besides, her Servant is supposed to be a subpar one boosted by class abilities.
- Location
- Brazil
[X] Visit Ryuudou Temple again. Saber claims she can handle Assassin, and you can always have Madoka blast Caster again if the witch shows up.
EvilPorygon
Cookie Monster
- Location
- a phone
[X] Try to locate and talk to Illyasviel von Einzbern. She's a little girl with no part in the War, and if anyone can convince her to work with you four, it's Madoka, the girl who inspires hope just by being near others. Besides, her Servant is supposed to be a subpar one boosted by class abilities.
[X] Try to locate and talk to Illyasviel von Einzbern. She's a little girl with no part in the War, and if anyone can convince her to work with you four, it's Madoka, the girl who inspires hope just by being near others. Besides, her Servant is supposed to be a subpar one boosted by class abilities.
I'm a little doubtful about this but I can't think of anything original and I definitely don't think going to Ryuudou Temple again is going to work out well. What are we expecting to gain out of doing that?
I'm a little doubtful about this but I can't think of anything original and I definitely don't think going to Ryuudou Temple again is going to work out well. What are we expecting to gain out of doing that?
Hierophant
Unyielding Truth
- Location
- ?
The next chapter will be up within 48 hours.
Chapter Eight - Contractual Obligations
Hierophant
Unyielding Truth
- Location
- ?
[This chapter was not easy to write. I drafted and re-drafted, talked with my editor about the direction the story was going in and panicked when I realized it was 3 hours to deadline. I hope the chapter's quality hasn't suffered from it, especially since it's deviated significantly from how I originally imagined the chapter.]
Chapter Seven - Contractual Obligations
You stumble dejectedly through the forest, feeling almost claustrophobic, the trees closing in around you. Your dead arm throbs, and your ears are ringing with faint nausea, but you ignore them. Madoka runs ahead of you, making use of her natural ability to move independently of her Master. Occassionally, she stops and unlooses a trio of arrows from her bow to strike the ground, triggering plumes of orange fire exploding from below.
It's been like that for the past three hours. Skeletal trees, trying to catch up with Rin(who's using a magical spell to enhance her legs, which is totally unfair) and Saber, watching geysers of dirt fountain up. You've passed by the little craters they left behind hundreds of times by now, almost a part of the scenery. You can't tell if the mines or magical, or if Ilya has some arms dealer's number.
Rin turns back to glance at you, scowling. "Hurry up, slowpoke! Or do you want us to fight Berserker by ourselves?"
You picture the three young girls taking on that charcoal-skinned giant by themselves, Ilya smirking from behind and tossing daggers at them. You wince at the thought, and speed up, putting one foot in front of the other. You can't help but think that Rin wouldn't be making jokes like that if she'd seen Berserker for herself. Rin had assured you that size meant nothing, that the very fact that he was a Berserker would mean he was weak, but you can't help being a little nervous at the thought of facing him down.
You trip on an exposed root, but before you fall, Saber's hard gauntlet catches you, and tips you back straight. In a flash, she speeds back up to where Rin is with a couple of bounds, without even bothering to ask if you were okay or giving you anything except a stern squeeze.
The blonde Servant's probably just mad that you argued Rin into coming here instead of Ryuudou. At least, that's what you tell yourself. She's sufficiently scary that you don't want to think about the possibility of her turning on you in the not-so-distant future, once all the other Masters have been eliminated.
A gentle voice jars you out of your thoughts. "Are you okay, Shirou? You look a bit tired. Do you want to rest before we fight?" You don't even bother looking to know that it's Madoka. The warm reassurance of victory that pumps through your body, the way Rin smiles slightly and lets her lids droop half-close, tells you enough.
"No, I'm okay. It's... it's better if we don't stop for anything. If she's watching us like Rin said we might, she might decide to ambush us while I'm resting."
"Shirou is right," says Saber. She sounds much better-tempered than she was at dinner. "We have the initiative, so it is our obligation to attack immediately."
Madoka still looks worried, but doesn't say anything more as she guides you through the path she cleared of mines. She'd offered to carry you at the start of the journey, but you were too embarassed to accept, and there's no way you're going to succumb to temptation now just because you're tired.
At last, you make it to the main entrance of Einzbern castle, the ache of fatigue spreading throughout your body. Despite your exhaustion, you can tell that it's still a beautiful structure, built to last throughout the years. It boasts of large, towering spires and walls that would have made Berserker look tiny. Huge slabs of concrete frame a massive set of double doors.
Taken as a whole, you can't help but feel this castle compares to, or even exceeds, the old ruins that Kiritsugu told you about from when he went to Germany. Actually, maybe it wasn't such a coincidence. "von Einzbern" is a German name, so they might be a family that immigrated to Japan, using magic to build their own castles here. Although you can't imagine why they would choose to live on such a high and lonely mountain.
As Saber forces the double doors open, the four of you fall into step. It's a natural formation, so intuitive that there wasn't even a need to plan or rehearse it. Saber strides in front, as elegant and graceful as she was the first night you saw her, oozing confidence and strength, her sword gripped in both hands. Behind her, Madoka, in a frilly white dress, her bow raised and waiting. And behind her, you and Rin, walking side by side.
You don't like the formation. You'd much rather be with Saber, in front of Madoka, but Rin has lectured you often enough on the subjects of Servants acting as shields to their Masters that you've reluctantly agreed to letting Saber and Madoka go in front.
The inside of the Einzbern castle is just as expansive as you would anticipate. A carpeted marble staircase with fancy golden railings, busts of people you don't recognize lining the walls, and beautiful lamps hanging from the ceilings, illuminating the foyer with a soft yellow glow. At the very top of the steps, in front of a shiny black statue, stands Illyasviel von Einzbern. She tilts her head to one side and smiles.
"Archer. Saber. Tohsaka Rin. And onii-san. Hello, everyone."
A confident step forward, then another. You can't help but imagine what would happen if Madoka put an arrow through her eye right now, even though you know that Madoka wouldn't ever do such a thing.
"I'm assuming you've come to challenge my Berserker?"
Saber starts to say something, but you hurriedly cut her off. "Uh, no, Ilya, we just – we just want to talk."
Ilya lifts an eyebrow and leans forward as though peering at you with her red eyes. "Talk? Oh! You mean you've finally changed your mind about becoming my Servant?"
You hesitate for a moment, not sure if shaking your head would set her off, but Madoka swoops in to save you. "Illyasviel, can I ask you a question?"
The red eyes flick towards her. "What is it?"
Madoka takes a deep breath. Two children, far more powerful than they look, in old-fashioned dresses. There's a similarity between them there, even if their personalities are completely different. "What's your wish?"
Ilya's eyes widen. "My wish for the Holy Grail? What... why does that matter?"
Your Servant steps forward, practically blazing with hope that spreads through the castle like wildfire, lightening the mood of everyone in the foyer. "Because it means you don't have to fight any more. If this wish, whatever it is, is something I can deliver, I promise to give it to you."
Ilya sets her hands on her hips. "I don't believe you. You can't make it come true."
"Yes, I can." Madoka's words are so sincere that there's no doubt that she's speaking the truth. "I have before. Please join us. Nobody has to die here."
Ilya stares at Madoka for a long time, her lips pressed together. Saber is tense, fighting off the soothing effects of Madoka's aura. Her Master is the opposite. The last member of the Tohsaka family seems to be daydreaming, grinning childishly while staring at Madoka with adoration. Not that you'd blame her. If you haven't had so much exposure with Madoka's aura, your brain would probably have turned to mush as well.
Clack. Clack. Clack. Those are the sounds that Ilya's shoes make as she descends the wide staircase. Madoka extends a hand draped in ribbon and lace, her pinkie extended, and Ilya entwines her own pinkie with Madoka's. They shake, a solemnly childish gesture, then Madoka grins and hugs Ilya tightly, causing the second girl to squeal in protest.
Madoka whispers something to Ilya; they're too far away for you to catch the words. Ilya looks pensive, then whispers something back. Madoka laughs and tugs at her hand, leading her back to your little group.
As Madoka falls back in formation, Ilya stops in front of the four of you and does a little curtsy. "I suppose since I've agreed to be allied with you, I should introduce myself properly. I am Illyasviel von Einzbern, the Master of the Einzbern family." She scans your group back and forth, her gaze lingering on you especially.
Then she waves her hand, and Berserker appears out of thin air, spirit given shape. The raw shock of that giant appearing in front of her seems to have snapped Rin out of her Madoka-induced reverie; she instead recoils a little from Berserker, while Saber looks as though she's expecting the other shoe to drop.
"Berserker, bow." At that instruction from his Master, the lead-skinned Servant dips onto one knee awkwardly, the other hand still holding the hilt of his jagged rock of a greatsword.
Ilya nods, as if satisfied. "I'll be counting on you to fulfil the promise you made to me, Archer. If I find out you lied, I'll have Berserker snap you in two. He's the strongest Servant ever, so you'd better watch out."
That was more the Ilya you know. Moving from friendship to threats in the space of a second, and vice-versa. She turns around as if to leave, then catches herself and spins back to face you. "Oh, and onii-san, your magic is terrible. I'll have to teach you proper magic someday."
With that, she walks back up the staircase. Maybe it's optimistic of you, but you think you detect a spring in her step as she climbs back up. Madoka looks over the moon that she managed to convince Ilya not to fight, but both Rin and Saber are frowning.
"Who does that stuck-up Einzbern girl think she is, anyway?" grumbles Rin. "Calling Shirou's magic bad like that. Well, it is bad, but that's for me to say." She doesn't seem to be aware of how hypocritical she is.
Saber doesn't say anything, but merely shakes her head and starts to lead the way back out of the Einzbern castle. She seems dissatisfied, having prepared herself for a fight but the night only ending in an anticlimatic alliance. Or maybe she feels uncomfortable with so many Masters in one alliance, wondering if you're all going to stab each other in the back by the time this is done.
Saber really is inscrutable. It's a sharp contrast to Madoka, standing beside you, who wears her heart on her sleeve. Oh, that reminds you.
"Hey, Madoka, if it's not too private... can I ask what you were whispering to Ilya?"
The pink-garbed girl looks back at you amusedly. "I was asking what her wish for, of course! I promised to fulfil it, remember?"
"So what's her wish?" The question came out pretty blunt, but you can't think of a more tactful way to phrase it.
Madoka smiles happily, brushing her wind-tousled hair into neatness again. "She said she wanted to have you as a big brother again."
You don't respond to that weird wish, instead following Madoka out of Einzbern castle. As you begin the long trek back to Fuyuki City under the watchful moon, you walk slowly, lost in thought.
-
[Select your choices for the next day's activities. Submit two choices: an activity in the morning, and an activity in the afternoon.]
[ ] Now that you've got Ilya on your side, the only major known threat is the Caster-Assassin duo. Pay a surrepititious visit to Ryuudou Temple, trusting in the fact that there will be people there in daylight to deter an attack.
[ ] Go to school. (Takes up both time slots)
[ ] Pay a visit to the Matou estate.
- [ ] Bring a Servant along for protection against an ambush by Rider.
- [ ] Saber
- [ ] Madoka
[ ] Go to the spot where you first met Ilya, in the hopes that she'll be there and you can talk to her again.
[ ] Saber seemed quite put-out after the events at Einzbern Castle. Maybe a shopping trip with Madoka and Rin would cheer her up.
[ ] Practice using your jacket, archery set and baton, both mundanely and magically.
Chapter Seven - Contractual Obligations
You stumble dejectedly through the forest, feeling almost claustrophobic, the trees closing in around you. Your dead arm throbs, and your ears are ringing with faint nausea, but you ignore them. Madoka runs ahead of you, making use of her natural ability to move independently of her Master. Occassionally, she stops and unlooses a trio of arrows from her bow to strike the ground, triggering plumes of orange fire exploding from below.
It's been like that for the past three hours. Skeletal trees, trying to catch up with Rin(who's using a magical spell to enhance her legs, which is totally unfair) and Saber, watching geysers of dirt fountain up. You've passed by the little craters they left behind hundreds of times by now, almost a part of the scenery. You can't tell if the mines or magical, or if Ilya has some arms dealer's number.
Rin turns back to glance at you, scowling. "Hurry up, slowpoke! Or do you want us to fight Berserker by ourselves?"
You picture the three young girls taking on that charcoal-skinned giant by themselves, Ilya smirking from behind and tossing daggers at them. You wince at the thought, and speed up, putting one foot in front of the other. You can't help but think that Rin wouldn't be making jokes like that if she'd seen Berserker for herself. Rin had assured you that size meant nothing, that the very fact that he was a Berserker would mean he was weak, but you can't help being a little nervous at the thought of facing him down.
You trip on an exposed root, but before you fall, Saber's hard gauntlet catches you, and tips you back straight. In a flash, she speeds back up to where Rin is with a couple of bounds, without even bothering to ask if you were okay or giving you anything except a stern squeeze.
The blonde Servant's probably just mad that you argued Rin into coming here instead of Ryuudou. At least, that's what you tell yourself. She's sufficiently scary that you don't want to think about the possibility of her turning on you in the not-so-distant future, once all the other Masters have been eliminated.
A gentle voice jars you out of your thoughts. "Are you okay, Shirou? You look a bit tired. Do you want to rest before we fight?" You don't even bother looking to know that it's Madoka. The warm reassurance of victory that pumps through your body, the way Rin smiles slightly and lets her lids droop half-close, tells you enough.
"No, I'm okay. It's... it's better if we don't stop for anything. If she's watching us like Rin said we might, she might decide to ambush us while I'm resting."
"Shirou is right," says Saber. She sounds much better-tempered than she was at dinner. "We have the initiative, so it is our obligation to attack immediately."
Madoka still looks worried, but doesn't say anything more as she guides you through the path she cleared of mines. She'd offered to carry you at the start of the journey, but you were too embarassed to accept, and there's no way you're going to succumb to temptation now just because you're tired.
At last, you make it to the main entrance of Einzbern castle, the ache of fatigue spreading throughout your body. Despite your exhaustion, you can tell that it's still a beautiful structure, built to last throughout the years. It boasts of large, towering spires and walls that would have made Berserker look tiny. Huge slabs of concrete frame a massive set of double doors.
Taken as a whole, you can't help but feel this castle compares to, or even exceeds, the old ruins that Kiritsugu told you about from when he went to Germany. Actually, maybe it wasn't such a coincidence. "von Einzbern" is a German name, so they might be a family that immigrated to Japan, using magic to build their own castles here. Although you can't imagine why they would choose to live on such a high and lonely mountain.
As Saber forces the double doors open, the four of you fall into step. It's a natural formation, so intuitive that there wasn't even a need to plan or rehearse it. Saber strides in front, as elegant and graceful as she was the first night you saw her, oozing confidence and strength, her sword gripped in both hands. Behind her, Madoka, in a frilly white dress, her bow raised and waiting. And behind her, you and Rin, walking side by side.
You don't like the formation. You'd much rather be with Saber, in front of Madoka, but Rin has lectured you often enough on the subjects of Servants acting as shields to their Masters that you've reluctantly agreed to letting Saber and Madoka go in front.
The inside of the Einzbern castle is just as expansive as you would anticipate. A carpeted marble staircase with fancy golden railings, busts of people you don't recognize lining the walls, and beautiful lamps hanging from the ceilings, illuminating the foyer with a soft yellow glow. At the very top of the steps, in front of a shiny black statue, stands Illyasviel von Einzbern. She tilts her head to one side and smiles.
"Archer. Saber. Tohsaka Rin. And onii-san. Hello, everyone."
A confident step forward, then another. You can't help but imagine what would happen if Madoka put an arrow through her eye right now, even though you know that Madoka wouldn't ever do such a thing.
"I'm assuming you've come to challenge my Berserker?"
Saber starts to say something, but you hurriedly cut her off. "Uh, no, Ilya, we just – we just want to talk."
Ilya lifts an eyebrow and leans forward as though peering at you with her red eyes. "Talk? Oh! You mean you've finally changed your mind about becoming my Servant?"
You hesitate for a moment, not sure if shaking your head would set her off, but Madoka swoops in to save you. "Illyasviel, can I ask you a question?"
The red eyes flick towards her. "What is it?"
Madoka takes a deep breath. Two children, far more powerful than they look, in old-fashioned dresses. There's a similarity between them there, even if their personalities are completely different. "What's your wish?"
Ilya's eyes widen. "My wish for the Holy Grail? What... why does that matter?"
Your Servant steps forward, practically blazing with hope that spreads through the castle like wildfire, lightening the mood of everyone in the foyer. "Because it means you don't have to fight any more. If this wish, whatever it is, is something I can deliver, I promise to give it to you."
Ilya sets her hands on her hips. "I don't believe you. You can't make it come true."
"Yes, I can." Madoka's words are so sincere that there's no doubt that she's speaking the truth. "I have before. Please join us. Nobody has to die here."
Ilya stares at Madoka for a long time, her lips pressed together. Saber is tense, fighting off the soothing effects of Madoka's aura. Her Master is the opposite. The last member of the Tohsaka family seems to be daydreaming, grinning childishly while staring at Madoka with adoration. Not that you'd blame her. If you haven't had so much exposure with Madoka's aura, your brain would probably have turned to mush as well.
Clack. Clack. Clack. Those are the sounds that Ilya's shoes make as she descends the wide staircase. Madoka extends a hand draped in ribbon and lace, her pinkie extended, and Ilya entwines her own pinkie with Madoka's. They shake, a solemnly childish gesture, then Madoka grins and hugs Ilya tightly, causing the second girl to squeal in protest.
Madoka whispers something to Ilya; they're too far away for you to catch the words. Ilya looks pensive, then whispers something back. Madoka laughs and tugs at her hand, leading her back to your little group.
As Madoka falls back in formation, Ilya stops in front of the four of you and does a little curtsy. "I suppose since I've agreed to be allied with you, I should introduce myself properly. I am Illyasviel von Einzbern, the Master of the Einzbern family." She scans your group back and forth, her gaze lingering on you especially.
Then she waves her hand, and Berserker appears out of thin air, spirit given shape. The raw shock of that giant appearing in front of her seems to have snapped Rin out of her Madoka-induced reverie; she instead recoils a little from Berserker, while Saber looks as though she's expecting the other shoe to drop.
"Berserker, bow." At that instruction from his Master, the lead-skinned Servant dips onto one knee awkwardly, the other hand still holding the hilt of his jagged rock of a greatsword.
Ilya nods, as if satisfied. "I'll be counting on you to fulfil the promise you made to me, Archer. If I find out you lied, I'll have Berserker snap you in two. He's the strongest Servant ever, so you'd better watch out."
That was more the Ilya you know. Moving from friendship to threats in the space of a second, and vice-versa. She turns around as if to leave, then catches herself and spins back to face you. "Oh, and onii-san, your magic is terrible. I'll have to teach you proper magic someday."
With that, she walks back up the staircase. Maybe it's optimistic of you, but you think you detect a spring in her step as she climbs back up. Madoka looks over the moon that she managed to convince Ilya not to fight, but both Rin and Saber are frowning.
"Who does that stuck-up Einzbern girl think she is, anyway?" grumbles Rin. "Calling Shirou's magic bad like that. Well, it is bad, but that's for me to say." She doesn't seem to be aware of how hypocritical she is.
Saber doesn't say anything, but merely shakes her head and starts to lead the way back out of the Einzbern castle. She seems dissatisfied, having prepared herself for a fight but the night only ending in an anticlimatic alliance. Or maybe she feels uncomfortable with so many Masters in one alliance, wondering if you're all going to stab each other in the back by the time this is done.
Saber really is inscrutable. It's a sharp contrast to Madoka, standing beside you, who wears her heart on her sleeve. Oh, that reminds you.
"Hey, Madoka, if it's not too private... can I ask what you were whispering to Ilya?"
The pink-garbed girl looks back at you amusedly. "I was asking what her wish for, of course! I promised to fulfil it, remember?"
"So what's her wish?" The question came out pretty blunt, but you can't think of a more tactful way to phrase it.
Madoka smiles happily, brushing her wind-tousled hair into neatness again. "She said she wanted to have you as a big brother again."
You don't respond to that weird wish, instead following Madoka out of Einzbern castle. As you begin the long trek back to Fuyuki City under the watchful moon, you walk slowly, lost in thought.
-
[Select your choices for the next day's activities. Submit two choices: an activity in the morning, and an activity in the afternoon.]
[ ] Now that you've got Ilya on your side, the only major known threat is the Caster-Assassin duo. Pay a surrepititious visit to Ryuudou Temple, trusting in the fact that there will be people there in daylight to deter an attack.
[ ] Go to school. (Takes up both time slots)
[ ] Pay a visit to the Matou estate.
- [ ] Bring a Servant along for protection against an ambush by Rider.
- [ ] Saber
- [ ] Madoka
[ ] Go to the spot where you first met Ilya, in the hopes that she'll be there and you can talk to her again.
[ ] Saber seemed quite put-out after the events at Einzbern Castle. Maybe a shopping trip with Madoka and Rin would cheer her up.
[ ] Practice using your jacket, archery set and baton, both mundanely and magically.
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EvilPorygon
Cookie Monster
- Location
- a phone
[X] veekie
More loli please
More loli please
[X] Saber seemed quite put-out after the events at Einzbern Castle. Maybe a shopping trip with Madoka and Rin would cheer her up.
[X] Go to the spot where you first met Ilya, in the hopes that she'll be there and you can talk to her again.
[X] Go to the spot where you first met Ilya, in the hopes that she'll be there and you can talk to her again.
Khona Moshr
Pink Flamingo Cabal Healer(they/them)
- Location
- Alabama
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Saber seemed quite put-out after the events at Einzbern Castle. Maybe a shopping trip with Madoka and Rin would cheer her up.
[X] Go to the spot where you first met Ilya, in the hopes that she'll be there and you can talk to her again.
[X] Go to the spot where you first met Ilya, in the hopes that she'll be there and you can talk to her again.
- Location
- Ukraine
I really, really hope that is just a typing mistake.
Other than that mind-blowing little bit, this was a great chapter for me. Things went more smoothly than I had expected due to Madoka taking control of the situation, pre-empting any dialogue between Rin and Illya. ...And also pre-empting Seibaplomancy, which, in hindsight, may have been the bigger issue. Thank you for the heart-warming, d'aww-inducing scene, Hierophant. I especially liked the smiling Rin part, totally because it rounded off the picture nicely and not because smiling Rin is adorable.
[X] Saber seemed quite put-out after the events at Einzbern Castle. Maybe a shopping trip with Madoka and Rin would cheer her up.
[X] Go to the spot where you first met Ilya, in the hopes that she'll be there and you can talk to her again.
Seiba would probably be more happy with assault on Ryuudou temple but the current mood does not fit that course of action.
Skarmory
Girl from the Black Lizard Planet
- Location
- Case Western Reserve University
[X] Saber seemed quite put-out after the events at Einzbern Castle. Maybe a shopping trip with Madoka and Rin would cheer her up.
[X] Go to the spot where you first met Ilya, in the hopes that she'll be there and you can talk to her again.
There are at least two other servants we can potentially deal with before returning to Ryuudo Temple. Delaying our return as long as possible will force Caster to leave her territory if she wants to take us on, and will give us a better chance at overcoming her.
[X] Go to the spot where you first met Ilya, in the hopes that she'll be there and you can talk to her again.
There are at least two other servants we can potentially deal with before returning to Ryuudo Temple. Delaying our return as long as possible will force Caster to leave her territory if she wants to take us on, and will give us a better chance at overcoming her.
- Location
- Ukraine
This means that we will be fighting on her terms, when she decides she is ready. Under those conditions, we won't have a chance of overcoming her. Recall how Caster leaving Ryuudou temple to deal with the protagonists ends in UBW.
Skarmory
Girl from the Black Lizard Planet
- Location
- Case Western Reserve University
Yes, but this time Saber is under the control who can provide her with enough mana to reach her full potential, and we also have Madoka whose Noble Phantasm (which, admittedly, is kind of a one shot deal) has demonstrated that it could potentially overwhelm Caster. It looks like Madoka's powers will also grant us an alliance with Berserker as well, which is nothing shabby considering that Berserker can rival Gilgamesh himself in strength.
While it's true that avoiding Caster will allow her to choose when to engage us, attacking her at Ryuudou guarantees that she will have home field advantage, and we won't get the element of surprise due to familiars. Recall that most mages in the Fate universe significantly benefit from having the opportunity to prepare a battle ground beforehand, and not only does she have a vast array of defenses at Ryuudou, she also has another entire Servant to defend her. If we force her to fight us away from Ryuudou, we take away her territory preparation, her Servant, AND her mana (since she'll have to rely on her own stores + whatever her muggle Master can give her when away from Ryuudou).
If we end up going to Ryuudou, I'd argue we should use the combined might of our three servants to obliterate Assassin and then come back another time; by the time she's mobilized against us she'll already be out her servant and we'll be gone. But I still think that's an inferior strategy to drawing her out of hiding and fighting her on neutral ground (and getting rid of Assassin by eliminating his master).
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- Location
- Ukraine
So... you are weighing fighting Caster at her Temple, using 3 Servants, one of which is Heracles and another is full-powered Arturia against fighting her on neutral ground most likely alone, with her having hostages in the form of Taiga or even just random bystanders... and you still consider that her temple gives her a greater advantage? Sorry, I don't buy it. Our greatest enemy when facing Caster is Shirou's and Madoka's own easily exploitable personalities. With Rin and Illya around, that factor can at least be mitigated; without them, we are sitting ducks for Caster's manipulations.
Skarmory
Girl from the Black Lizard Planet
- Location
- Case Western Reserve University
Given that Caster nearly one shotted Madoka with a single one of her spray of attacks and could have easily killed you as well, I'd say our greatest problem with facing Caster is Caster.
There's no reason we can't fight her together on neutral ground. If we ally ourselves with Rin and Illya and travel in a group, she won't be able to engage us alone. Even if Caster takes hostages, Shirou and Madoka can focus on rescuing them while Saber and Berserker engage Caster. Sure, we could engage her in her stronghold and fight 3 on 1, but Archer would be a support at best and a dangerous liability at worst. I'd argue that the value lost by having Madoka rescue hypothetical hostages rather than fight directly isn't really that large.
Hierophant
Unyielding Truth
- Location
- ?