Chapter 69
Ruler stood in front of Saber and Shirou at the Ryuudou temple gate.
"You can stay here until Caster's Master recovers. After that, you will have to leave the temple and go elsewhere."
While normally Masters would fight until only one was left, to obtain the wish, there were those who would directly interfere with the Greater Grail and "cheat", manipulating the system to obtain the energy stored within to grant their wishes. There were also others who would love to analyse the system in detail and attempt to replicate it, and there was no telling what they'd do to the Greater Grail in the pursuit of knowledge.
As such, it was a safety precaution to set up a boundary around the Greater Grail. It was simply to ensure that no other Masters could tamper with it during the War, so she could carry out her investigation in peace, and to prevent the system from being tampered with without her knowledge while she was here.
Saber looked at her Master as he lowered his head in thoughts, stroking his chin as he did so. Relocating elsewhere wouldn't be too difficult, since he and Kuzuki could just go to his house. Explaining to the monks why he was suddenly moving out could be a hassle, but in the end it was probably doable.
Caster appeared behind them, walking out from the sides of the main building facing the entry courtyard.
"You're inspecting the Holy Grail for any faults, right?"
"Yes, that is correct."
The bunny ears twitched slightly, her right hand flipping a card between her fingers as she replied to Caster.
"I see. In that case, would you allow us to stay here if we assisted you in your investigation?"
Their base on Mount Enzou was extremely strong due to the leylines she could tap into running through the temple, but if they had to leave then she would be hard pressed to set up a place with similar defenses. The only place she could detect was somewhere in the far west of the city, but she could already tell someone was using the land there. The presence of multiple Bounded Fields linked to the leylines, complete with intricate defenses against outside interference was enough to tip her off. If she had to guess, it was probably one of the three founding families bases there. Two smaller nexuses of ley lines also existed, but they were similarly occupied, with one at the chapel and one located somewhere in the foreigner's district of Miyama Town.
"I am a Caster after all, so something like analyzing the system of the Greater Grail would be possible for me."
Well, she didn't really specialize in that type of magecraft, but she could try.
Staring at her, the card continued to pass between her fingers, slipping through the gaps between them as Ruler considered her offer.
"I suppose having the assistance of a Caster class Servant in analyzing the Greater Grail would be invaluable. However, how are you going to guarantee that you won't betray me?"
She was really just asking for the sake of it. She knew they were all Artorias, and that it was highly unlikely to happen given their personality and beliefs. Still, it wasn't completely impossible, so she had to confirm it. After all, if a gambler incurred a debt, having a guarantor willing to cover for it was invaluable when they couldn't pay for the debt themselves.
Something to secure her trust...what could she use? Caster thought about it, sifting through the catalysts (swords) in her mind. Marmyadose? Carnwennan? Spumador? No, they were all vital to her combat ability, and more importantly they didn't seem to be enough to guarantee her trust…
"We can give you Avalon."
Shirou's reply made Ruler whip her head around so fast the bunny ears bent parallel to the ground before snapping upright again. Her hand stopped flipping the card.
"Avalon? The scabbard?"
"Yes."
Faced with her sharp focus, he couldn't help but feel sweat roll down his back. Her green eyes seemed to penetrate his face, picking apart the details in his brain and reading his heart like an open book.
After another moment of looking at him, during which his face started to flush from being stared at so intensely, she nodded.
"Very well then. I will accept this act of cooperation. But in order to show no favouritism, I shall invite another alliance to cooperate in the investigation."
"That's fine."
As long as they could retain the advantage of home ground at Mount Enzou, it would be worth it.
"Very well. I will inform the other candidates for the joint investigation."
Without further ado, she leapt into the air with the great force, the ground once again cracking under her feet. Her figure as she rose into the sky was truly that of a royal bunny, with her ears fluttering in the wind as her rigid pose cut an elegant figure, the white bodysuit contrasting against the darkness of the night sky.
"Master, are you sure about this?"
Caster also looked at him. While Avalon wasn't hers to give, she also wondered if it was fine to give it away just like that.
"Well, she did say she needed a token of trust, so I thought that Avalon was perfect. It is precious, isn't it?"
Saber stared at him for a moment longer, before closing her eyes in acceptance.
"I suppose so."
High in the air, Ruler went over the information she had been able to obtain up til now.
Class: Saber
Master: Emiya Shirou
True Name: Artoria Pendragon
Sex: Female
Height/Weight: 154cm 42kg
Alignment: Lawful Good
Strength: B
Mana: A (B)
Endurance: B (C)
Luck: A+ (B)
Agility: B (C)
Noble Phantasm: A++ (C)
Class Abilities:
Magic Resistance A
Riding B
Abilities:
Charisma B
Mana Burst A
Instinct A
Noble Phantasm:
Excalibur, Sword of Promised Victory
Class: Caster
Master: Souichirou Kuzuki
True Name: Artoria Pendragon
Sex: Female
Height/Weight: 154cm 42kg
Alignment: Neutral Good
Strength: B
Mana: A
Endurance: D
Luck: B
Agility: B
Noble Phantasm: A++
Class Abilities:
Magic Resistance A
Territory Creation EX
Independent Magic B
Abilities:
Charisma of Hope B
Protection of Vivian A
Caliburn: Sword of Selection EX
Noble Phantasm:
Around Caliburn: Hope's Radiant Embrace
The Master of Saber was in an alliance with the Master of Caster, and they were most likely only spellcasters at best. She could feel something off about the Saint Graph of Saber as well, and they had Avalon as well. In addition, Caster had already utilized the leylines of Mount Enzo for her own uses, so she would be a formidable opponent if she had to fight there. It was even more dangerous since Saber was their ally, so she would have to contend with a heavily enchanted Saber, along with a Caster in her own Workshop. The best way to fight them would probably be to separate Saber first, deal with her in a separate location, then defeat with Caster by incapacitating her Master.
Class: Berserker
Master: Illyasviel von Einzbern
True Name: Fallen Knight Sir Pendragon
Sex: Female
Height/Weight: 154cm 42kg
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Strength: A
Mana: A+
Endurance: B
Luck: C
Agility: B
Noble Phantasm: A++
Class Abilities:
Mad Enhancement C
Altreactor A
Abilities:
∞ Black Bean Paste EX
Instinct C
Sovereign's Invisible Hand C
Noble Phantasm:
Cross-Calibur, Black Dragon Twinblade of Victory
Class: Assassin
Master: Gray Pendragon
True Name: A-X
Sex: Female
Height/Weight: 154cm 42kg
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Strength: B
Mana: B
Endurance: C
Luck: D
Agility: A+
Noble Phantasm: A++
Class Abilities:
Riding EX
Cosmo Reactor A
Presence Concealment EX
Abilities:
Fire Support XEX EX
Star of Saber C++
Galaxy Meteor Sword XEX A
Noble Phantasm:
Secret-Calibur, Sword of Unsigned Victory
The Master of Berserker was also a credible threat. She could feel how strong Berserker just by being near her, and her privileges as Ruler gave her information regarding her abilities. To say she was a strong Servant was an understatement. Her Master was also a monster of a magus, with massive mana reserves. However, she could also tell that Assassin was likely to be able to kill her with her unique skill set. She had managed to sneak a peek at Assassin before they left for Ryuudou temple, and the Conceptual Weapon she was would prove to be an immense advantage for her in this particular war. She even had an EX rank Presence Concealment, but for some reason it was sealed.
However, aside from these two strengths, she didn't seem to have much else, so it was likely that Ruler would be able to defeat them with her own Noble Phantasm. She would say the same for Berserker, but with such a monstrous Master supplying her mana, she was more uncertain about her. She was unsure if her Noble Phantasm would be able to defeat her, but there was another way. Luring Berserker into conflict with the other Masters would most likely weaken her enough for Ruler to defeat her.
Class: Archer
Master: Tohsaka Rin
True Name: EMIYA
Sex: Male
Height/Weight: 187cm 78kg
Alignment: Neutral
Strength: D
Mana: B
Endurance: C
Luck: E
Agility: C
Noble Phantasm: ?
Class Abilities:
Magic Resistance D
Independent Action B
Abilities:
Eye of the Mind (True) B
Clairvoyance C
Trace On: Circuit Connection EX
Noble Phantasm:
?
As for the Archer, there wasn't much to say about him. His physical parameters were quite weak, but his Noble Phantasm was somehow hidden from her eyes. Still, she doubted it would be much of a problem, judging from how easily he had been crushed by Berserker. But she also couldn't underestimate potential opponents as well. Making a note to observe his capabilities later, she moved on the next Servant.
Class: Rider
Master: Matou Sakura
True Name: Artoria Pendragon
Sex: Female
Height/Weight: 154cm 42kg
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Strength: B
Mana: A
Endurance: C
Luck: B
Agility: B
Noble Phantasm: A
Class Abilities:
Riding B
Magic Resistance B
Independent Action EX
Abilities:
Summer Sweeper A
Coaching A+
Reloaded C
Noble Phantasm:
Secace Morgan, Sword of Tenacious Burning Victory
Rider was somewhat difficult to face. Her sniper rifle provided a long-range advantage at the level of what an Archer-class Servant could do, making Ruler doubt whether she really was a Rider or not. Still, her skills and physical parameters were quite good as well, and she had no doubt that she would be difficult to fight if she brought out her mount as well. Her priority would be to disable her sniper rifle, then engage her from long range. Fortunately, her endurance wasn't that high, so she could likely defeat her if she could land a solid kick.
Class: Lancer
Master: ?
True Name: Artoria Pendragon
Sex: Female
Height/Weight: 171cm 57(?)kg
Alignment: Lawful Good(?)
Strength: B(?)
Mana: A(?)
Endurance: A(?)
Luck: C(?)
Agility: A(?)
Noble Phantasm: A++(?)
Class Abilities:
Riding A(?)
Magic Resistance B(?)
Abilities:
Mana Burst A(?)
Blessings from the End of the World EX(?)
Charisma B(?)
Noble Phantasm:
Rhongomyniad, the Spear that Shines to the End of the Earth
While she hadn't seen Lancer, she had no doubt she was a formidable enemy. After all, she was the closest existence in the Grail War to herself. Only the Lancer class Artoria had the qualifications for the Ruler class, so she was deeply familiar with the abilities of Lancer. She could also feel something off about the Lancer Saint Graph as well, so she would have to meet the Servant to confirm her worries about it. If it came down to it though, she was sure her Noble Phantasm could probably overwhelm her.
She started preparing for the various scenarios that could occur, all while heading towards the rough location of Assassin and Archer.