*creak* The old wooden doors of the Hillsdale church slowly creaked open as Obe entered, having become certain that its owner was present. Despite being the city of tomorrow, the Church had established its presence there, and although small, it was necessary for their duty to investigate any possibility of artifacts that could be dubbed the Holy Grail. Moreover, it was the goal of the Church to spread their message to whomever would listen, even in a city dedicated to science, an antithesis of the idea of religion and faith. Placed in the northern sector of the city, it enjoyed a decent gathering during Sunday service.
Obe performed a cursory sweep of the church, the supposed neutral grounds in the war. Although he doubted the overseer would be capable of stopping a servant themself, he understood the force the collective Church wielded. Even if one of the contestants decided to violate the sanctity of the Church using the strength of their servant, they would face a fierce retaliation from an onslaught of executors, or even a member of the rumored Burial Agency. Although somewhat difficult to quantify, he would not have been surprised if the Church held military might rivaling that of all the countries in the world. Such was the power of the organization with over two billion members. Then again, some servants supposedly can take on the world itself. I doubt that this war could summon any of them though.
Despite the candles in front of the altar, the church was incredibly dim, as Obe's eyes were still adjusting to the pervasive darkness. The stained glass windows surrounding the building cast distorted shadows of biblical figures all around him, like these holy people were watching his every move.
Given that it was midnight, the church was strikingly empty, save for a sole priest who had been reading the Bible in one of the front pews. As his eyes adjusted, he slowly began to make out the details of his bowed head. Even from a distance in the dark Obe could see the age the man carried, his gray hair and bent over demeanor showing as such. Despite this, when the priest stood, he saw none of the frailty that came with his years. Instead, his movements were sturdy and sure, befitting his frame that seemed to remain healthy.
"Ah, young one, have you come to the house of God to seek guidance?" The priest's voice echoed through the empty church with a mixture of strength and compassion, radiating a sense of reassurance.
Although Obe was hardly young, approaching thirty years of age, he disregarded the comment,"Hello, Father. I am here to meet with the supervisor of the war, and the representative of the Church."
"I am the one you seek. Might I inquire who you are, and why you have come to this sanctuary?"
"My name is Obe, Father, and I come bearing a simple request."
"Speak it, and as a representative of the Church I will fulfill it to the best of my abilities. You can refer to me as Father Pastore."
Where have I heard that name before? Obe's mind paused for a second, trying to recall a father Pastore from his memories. In the moment, however, he simply continued with his request. "Please, help to contain the damage of the war." As he spoke, his eyes began to glow blue as his magical circuits activated.
The priest's old face shifted for a moment, showing the slightest hint of surprise, before he smiled, "Of course. That is my duty as the overseer. It is as you said, I am here to oversee and ensure the war does not get out of hand. Though, regretfully these old bones of mine don't quite move as well as they used to." The priest sighed, almost relieved at the request. "Child, there is no need to exert such influence in this house of the Lord. Simply state your requests with your heart, and I am sure God will grant them."
Obe paused. Does he know about my eyes? Shutting down his magical circuits he simply nodded, before taking a seat. "My apologies, not all members of the Church I've run into have been as understanding as you."
The old priest laughed heartily, "Ah, yes, quite a few fanatics or heretics I assume? Have no worry about that here. This old man has every intention of avoiding conflict when possible. The message of the Lord is one of forgiveness, mercy, and love. It is a shame to see it distorted to such an extent by certain zealots."
"Indeed."
"From my understanding, Obe, you are a Master in this war, correct? If that is so, I have yet to see your servant. Surely in the beginning stages of the war it would be wise to consolidate your resources and prepare?"
"He's busy preparing while I talk with you." Obe had sent his servant, Assassin, to perform reconnaissance on the other Masters and their Servants, but he was still cautious about divulging the location of his servant. There could be a master listening in to eliminate him the moment he stepped out of the Church.
"Ah. Well then, I have one final question for you, Obe. Why do you have such a strange request, asking that I aid in containing the collateral damage of this war? I would have imagined you would ask for favors from my supervisory position."
"No. It's just that this war is going to be quite forceful, considering it's attendants, so I hope to do everything I can to avoid civilian casualties."
"Quite unusual for a mage to care for the wellbeing of others, no?"
"I would not call myself a usual mage."
"I see. Your qualities of compassion are appreciated. Such care for the wellbeing of others is sure to put you in God's good graces."
"Hmph…" Although Obe's face remained unchanged, his reply suggested he did not fully agree with the statement. If only God rewarded such faith.
In the forest north of Hillsdale, Catori had just finished summoning her servant Archer. Although it was past midnight, she hardly felt sleepy, being too excited seeing a breathing person from history right in front of her. The opportunity to meet someone so well known was simply unbelievable. The sentiment was shared among the other members in attendance, who had begun eagerly talking amongst themselves until the Archer had requested orders.
"Hm, well I suppose we should set up a headquarters. That's what people do in wars, right?" Catori's mood suddenly seemed to shift, as she turned her attention towards strategy, disregarding her age as she thought of tactics for the incoming battle. "If we set up a base of operations we can be on guard against possible invaders, and use your abilities as an Archer to defeat them from a distance."
"That is a good idea. Unfortunately, I lack a Territory Creation skill, so I'm unable to create anything too elaborate."
"Oh, that's alright. Though I am curious as to the extent of your abilities."
"As a Master, should that not be granted to you?"
"I can see your stats, yeah, but I don't know the effects of your Noble Phantasm or skills."
"Well you'll find out soon enough. I've detected a presence approaching our position about two kilometers away now. They are sneaky and light footed, so perhaps, the Assassin servant."
"Wow, that's pretty good." Catori nodded, impressed, "You have a Presence Detection ability?"
"I am connected with the Earth, and listen to my surroundings through it. Normally, I can detect anything incoming up to four kilometers away, but this servants Presence Concealment is noteworthy at the very least."
"If it's the Assassin servant then our best options would be open combat or taking the initiative and striking preemptively. While I'm unclear why they would be targeting us first, I think we should greet them with equal enthusiasm." As she spoke, Catori began opening her magical circuits, flooding them with mana gathered from leylines, like an engine warming up. "Elder, I'll be heading out now. Everyone else, take care. Continue to observe the rest of the city, and be sure to report any possibilities of the other Masters. I want to know everything there is about those who would invade and trespass our domain. Together, we shall drive out these invaders!"
The crowd that had grown silent roared in unanimous agreement. It was finally time for them to fight back against those that had killed their loved ones and defiled their land.
The elder whom Catori addressed nodded, expressing his approval, "May the spirits guide you."
Archer watched the scene unfold, her face showing her own admiration for the girl's natural charisma and vigor, but a tiny piece of her mind felt a gnawing concern reflecting the bloodlust tinted in the crowd's enthusiastic chant. The earlier enthusiastic demeanor of the thirteen year old child had seemed to vanish into the background when she talked to the crowd.
"Lets go, Archer."
Assassin giggled to himself as he dashed through the forest at the speed of an arrow, nimbly slipping past trees and brushes with ease. The only sounds he made were his body slashing through the air and the light taps of his feet against the Earth. One could have easily mistaken him for the wind in the dim moonlight as he rushed past.
"I suppose I should avoid Berserker at all costs, considering what a monster that was, kehehe. I've seen powerful things but man, he sure is on a whole nother level." Assassin, despite noting the danger the enemy servant presented, appeared amused. "Gahaha, what a fella. That simple raw power is sure to be a sight to see, I really can't wait to see which unfortunate soul has to fight him."
The sound of movement suddenly halted Assassin, as his detection abilities sensed another presence. Shifting his weight, he dug into the ground with his toes, silently dragging against the ground and decelerating his entire body in an instant. Despite going from two hundred kilometers to zero in the span of two seconds, the only sound that could be heard was the rustle of bushes he passed. No, theres something rumbling…
Re aligning his senses, Assassin listened quietly, trying to detect the origin of the presence he had detected. Suddenly, he looked beneath him, before leaping several meters into the air, as the ground exploded. A flurry of roots were clawing at his feet, a gnarly tip managing to snag his foot, before he sliced it off with the tip of a dagger he materialized in his right hand.
Landing softly on a nearby branch, he had a moment to look at the origin of the explosion, seeing a hole that the roots had burst through like so many cables bundled together in a wire. Having cut through the root as he had jumped, he noted that it was much stronger than normal plants, likely reinforced with magic. It would be difficult to escape if they managed to grab more of him.
Before he could finish his analysis, the oak tree's branches he was standing on suddenly twisted around him, trying to bind his waist. Having detected the movement of the branch moments before, he leapt away, the wooden limbs missing his torso by a hair. Retreating into the darkness, he saw two human figures standing in the center of a small clearing in the forest, a girl, and the one he assumed to be the Servant, dressed in ancient Native American attire. The girl was utilizing some form of magic to create a light source, while the Servant was busy looking around.
Hmm… is all this her ability? Interesting. Although he was currently hidden from view in the trees, he continued moving, beginning a circular pattern to maintain his distance. His feet lightly scuffed against the ground as he concealed his presence. Silently, he muttered something indistinguishable, preparing one of his abilities. I'll test her out a bit. Make sure I don't get caught by one of those roots.
"Come on out, Assassin. It's useless to hide from me." The Servant spoke. As she finished, several projectiles suddenly shot out from the treeline, targeting the two of them. Despite the darkness, the Servant easily noticed the attack. Without so much as a gesture, a root suddenly whipped around the two of them, shielding them from the daggers that embedded themselves into the wood. *thunk thunk thunk*
"Hmph, so you would target a child as well in this war, Assassin. With poisoned daggers no less." The Servant muttered, seemingly disappointed.
Catori looked around, unfazed by the attack or her Servant's response, trying to pinpoint his location.
"What? This is a war, kehehe. I'm just a lowly assassin." The voice seemed to emanate all around them, as though they were surrounded by copies of the Servant. After a moment of concentration, Archer's Presence Detection picked up something behind her. Spinning around to look at Catori, she saw Assassin dash forward from the treeline, grasping a dagger that was pointed directly at Catori's throat.
"Found you." Immediately, several wooden limbs extended from the ground, before clustering together, forming a net to catch Assassin. The reinforced roots were strengthened enough to stop a tank in its tracks, and were quickly closing in on Assassin. Despite being a servant with enhanced abilities, Assassin lacked the physical strength to break through the snare. Assassin, however, simply grinned, and in a deft motion, made a pulling motion with his left hand, like he was holding a rope. With his right hand, he threw the dagger he was holding.
Is he trying to make a last ditch attempt? Archer was slightly confused by the gesture, but brushed it off, preparing another limb to shield her master. Looking at her master, however, she suddenly saw her being pulled by an invisible force towards the net and Assassin. What?
Catori felt a tug on her shoulder, as she was suddenly dragged towards Assassin. Is this one of his noble phantasms?
"Master, look out!" Although she immediately began creating another barrier of roots and branches, adjusted for her master's new position, she was now unsure if she would block the attack before the dagger reached her.
Despite the impending danger Catori merely raised her hand, the energy of the leyliens flowing through her, as she erected a barrier in the air between her and the dagger. Without muttering an incantation, she easily manipulated the air, generating a fierce gust that was close to a blade of wind which slammed into the dagger, knocking it off course. As soon as she generated the gust, she also felt the force in her right shoulder fade, as though a string that had been pulling her had been cut.
It was almost impossible to believe that a Master had stopped the attack of a Servant with such ease. Servants were beings that represented the pinnacle of humanity, and were strengthened by their nature as heroic spirits. But now, the dagger that had been thrown with precision and strength that defied logic had been easily knocked aside by the little girl. In defiance of the gulf that existed between modern humans and Servants, Catori glared at her attacker, the vast leylines beneath flooding her with mana that bridged this gulf.
"Strong one, aren't you?" Assassin, witnessing this defiance of the grail war logic merely laughed, amused at her actions. "Good good, I was worried this would be boring for a moment."
"You talk an awful lot for an Assassin." Archer's tone smoldered with rage at the servant that had nearly taken her Master's life, and a deep frustration at her own inability to protect her. "I apologize for my negligence, Catori. I'll finish him off now."
*tsk tsk* Assassin merely tutted Archer's reaction, "It would be so dull if we just fought in silence. Where's the excitement without some verbal sparring?"
Catori whispered to her servant while Assassin continued to speak, "I'll push him into the air; he can't dodge your attacks there, Archer."
"Understood."
This time, instead of Assassin leaping into the air to avoid an attack from below, a section of the earth suddenly rocketed him off the ground, as another gust carried him higher. "Oooh, that's pretty clever." Although he was unharmed by such attacks, he was nonetheless airborne several meters in the air, without anything to push off of to change his momentum. Looking down, he saw several branches shooting up to ensnare him. If he was caught, he was sure he lacked the physical ability to escape.
Archer carefully focused her ensnarement, certain he would be trapped. Although his tactics and agile movements had been tricky to deal with, he would be eliminated soon enough. Even as a supernatural being with power that surpassed human capabilities, the entity still had to deal with the rules of a world without a method to defy them. He would be unable to avoid attacks in the air without a skill or Noble Phantasm. Furthermore, his dagger could only do so much to cut through her reinforced plants. It appeared to be checkmate
In spite of his dire situation, Assassin's grin never broke, as he whipped his right hand in an arc, throwing another dagger into the trees behind him.
What is he up to? Archer was momentarily stunned by his action. The dagger had not even been thrown in their direction as a distraction, but seemingly randomly into the forest. Wait, I didn't feel it impact the ground.
Still smiling, Assassin waved with his left hand, "Well, it's been a nice fight, but I'm afraid it's time for me to take my leave. It would be a shame for the finale to begin so soon. I've seen enough." Bringing his right hand to his chest, he appeared to suddenly pull himself in the direction of the dagger, disappearing into the treeline.
"Wha—" Catori momentarily broke her concentration, unable to understand how Assassin had managed to escape from the air.
So he's managed to anchor himself to the ground. No matter, I'll find him soon enough. Immediately, Archer focused on her Presence Detection, before losing concentration upon hearing the sound of a string vibrating, like that of a bow, and quickly bringing up several more branches to shield her and her Master from the new barrage of daggers that simultaneously launched themselves from the tree line. By the time she re-focused, his presence was no longer in her range, "Tch— He got away".
In the last moments of her Presence Detection, she had realized the Assassin was no longer using the trees or grounds to move. Although she could detect sources of pressure in several branches, they were simultaneous, like someone had been pulling a string between them. So that's how it is. Turning towards Catori, who was still looking around for Assassin, she knelt, inspecting her right shoulder.
Looking at it closely, she noticed a thin strand, floating in the wind, stuck to Catori's shoulder having been cut off. After prodding it, the pieces began to fall in place.
"What is it, Archer? It's so small, but I think it was what pulled me towards him."
"Spider silk. That would explain how he would launch those daggers simultaneously. He was likely setting up a remotely triggered firing mechanism while circling us. It would also explain how he managed to avoid our attack, using it to swing out of the way."
"Really? How do I get this stuff off then?" Catori stopped herself from instinctively gripping the thread and trapping herself.
"It'll fade soon, since it takes mana to sustain such materials for long periods." As she spoke, the thread began to dissipate into mana, having lost their binding force. Snatching a bit, she played with it between her hands before the piece faded away. "Hmm, it's not impossibly strong, but I wouldn't want to be caught in a web of it either. It shouldn't be a problem for my Noble Phantasm though."
"Right. Who was he anyways?" Catori brushed her shoulder, appearing unfazed by the encounter.
"I'm unsure. Though, given his usage of these spider webs, as well as his attire, I think we might begin to have an idea." Archer mused.
Without warning, Catori let out a sigh of relief, putting her hands on her knees, as though she had just finished a sprint. She looked completely different from a few seconds ago. "Pheeeewwww. That was intense." Her brow seemed to break out into a sweat, as though the shock of the battle had just set in.
This really is too much for her. Archer looked on with pity at her young Master. "Don't worry, let it out. I'm here for you." Putting a hand on her shoulder, she tried to comfort her once more.
"Yeah, you did good, Archer. I'm glad I summoned you. That thing you did with the roots and branches was amazing! You were like some sort of nature spirit!" Catori looked at her Servant with enthusiasm, still starry eyed seeing what she had been capable of.
Archer was momentarily caught off guard by how joyful this girl seemed compared to the person who had so calmly blocked a dagger minutes before. She had witnessed her powers before without the slightest inclination, and now was acting like a child in a candy store. She's almost like a different person.
Although the difference was disconcerting, she simply smiled her gentle smile, continuing to comfort her Master. "I guess I'm pretty powerful in this land, huh. Sorry about that earlier, I'll be sure not to hold back next time. I trust you had no problems with supply mana in that battle?" Gripping Catori's hand, she reaffirmed her pact to protect her Master.
"Yeah, go all out! I'll be counting on you!" Although still hunched over, Catori's voice was filled with enthusiasm, a hint of anticipation at the war that was to come.
Archer could only hope to live up to that enthusiasm. Although she was confident she could easily defeat Assassin the next time they met, the fact he had managed to escape was unnerving. Why did he come here just to run away without damaging either of us? What was his goal? His sudden retreat left more questions than answers, as Archer struggled to comprehend the reason behind his intrusion.
Several kilometers away, Assassin was busy making a beeline south, his swift footsteps hardly making a sound as he zoomed through the forest. So, she could detect my presence through the ground up to a certain range. Figures. It's a good thing that I left those threads on my way here then. His ever present grin seemed to shine brightly in the night, like a sliver of white in the dark. Keheh, so that's who you are, Archer. Interesting, this war is going to be quite the story. I should get back to Obe. For now, I'll just tell him I'm on my way back. Behind him, several strands of thread that were wound between trees, like so many clotheslines suspended above the ground, began to disappear into nothingness.
Back at the Church in Hillsdale, Obe finished a brief silent prayer, a gesture of goodwill towards the priest he had just finished conversing with. It was a brief request to the deity to protect those uninvolved, and for victory. Not that he expected God to listen. It was not as though Obe refused to believe in the existence of God. The supernatural occurrences he had witnessed had more than convinced him of the possibility of a higher being, while divine spirits of other religions had hinted at the existence of such a deity. Even so, he hardly thought highly of this deity. If it existed, it was deaf to the cries of those it had forsaken. Such a deity isn't worth worshipping. Obe briefly turned his thoughts towards the priest, who clearly held a profound religious faith. I should discard such notions for now.
"I do hope the Lord answers your prayers. May He be with you in this coming war."
"Are you sure you should be hoping for my victory? Is that not a violation of your neutrality?"
"I wish for the salvation of all who come to this sanctuary, no matter your past sins or intentions. It is not my duty to judge, but to protect all who seek His warmth."
Obe paused for a moment, before smiling, "Thank you, Father Pastore. You are a good person."
The father merely smiled warmly in reply, his old face radiating kindness in the darkness, so much so it made Obe slightly uncomfortable.
"Ah, I see your servant is waiting for you outside. I pray for your safe passage, and may God be with you."
"Goodbye, Father Pastore."
Outside, Assassin was waiting near the gate, leaning against a statue of the virgin Mary in front of the entrance. He seemed busy contemplating something, before spotting his master walking towards him, cracking a smile.
"Hey, Master, I found some pretty interesting things while scouting out the others. I only managed to find Berserker and Archer found me more than I found her, but I think we're off to a good start. That's two heroes we now know the name of. Berserker is a crazy beast; don't mess with him. Our best bet is, quite frankly, hoping his master runs out of mana, but from what I wager, that isn't happening any time soon. Though if we made an alliance that would be a different story. Point is, don't fight him alone. We'll die." Assassin, although delivering a grave warning, was still amused, excited remembering the capabilities Berserker possessed. "Archer, on the other hand, is a bit iffy. If I had clearance, I would have just targeted her master. But, killing little girls isn't my style, so that's gonna be tricky. And you can forget about me beating Archer in a direct fight."
"So, can you take out Archer with a surprise attack?"
"That would be difficult, unless you lure her to fight on our turf. Problem is, you'd be risking your neck in the process."
"Hm… do you have any ideas that don't involve a child casualty or my own demise?"
"Well, I have a few tricks on my sleeve if push comes to shove, but in the meantime, I suggest you make use of your own skills and make some allies. I shine when someone else takes the spotlight, after all."
"Good idea. That was my intention, in the end. The question is which of the Masters?" Obe contemplated for a moment before continuing. "Well, Assassin, I think we are going to need to rely on your scouting abilities again. Let's observe the other Masters from a distance for now. This time, without drawing their ire."
"That's just what I was thinking." Assassin snapped his fingers. "I'll be sure to watch this all unfold, from a safe vantage point. Anyhow, how was the priest?"
"Reliable. I can trust he'll protect civilians."
"That's good, as long as Berserker doesn't come here. If he does, I doubt even the Church will be able to suppress his rampage entirely."
"Then, let's hurry up and make an alliance before that happens. You can finish debriefing me in the dorms." Obe rubbed his eyes, testing their magical circuits briefly to ensure his abilities, before continuing down the road, Assassin disappearing into his spiritual form.