Chapter 1: Into the new World
Light filled the cavern in a brilliant fashion. As the summoning ritual gradually reached its climax, the Wizard's chanting filled the air and prana danced around him with more and more energy.
"Thou, clad with the Great Trinity, come forth from the circle of constraint.
Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!"
Finishing the chant, Zelretch slightly winced as the light brightened even further, to an almost blinding level. Suddenly, smoke and lightening burst forth from the summoning circle. The Wizard looked through the smoke with his vampire-enhanced sight.
In it, he saw the powerful form of a Servant emerge from the circle. As the smoke cleared, he took notice of the feature of the newly summoned Heroic Spirit. The handsome man had an above-average height and clad in dark teal armor. His long hair was combed back roughly and gave off a wild look. Zelretch noticed that the most remarkable feature about the Servant was his cursed beauty spot, a tear-shaped mole below the right eye, which radiated an unnatural power that added to his handsome visage. Spotting the Wizard, the Servant immediately kneeled.
"I, Servant Lancer, have answered thy summoning; art thou my Master?" he asked quietly.
"I am. Rise, Lancer," the Wizard answered.
Quickly bowing his head, he rose. "Your orders, my Lord?"
Zelretch chuckled quietly to himself.
"Quick to business, eh? Very well. As your newly appointed Master, I request your true identity." Even though he knew who the Heroic Spirit was, the old vampire had some lingering doubts that something might have gone wrong with the summoning ritual due to the fact that the Fourth Holy Grail War had finished and thus the Greater Grail would not work properly as it should.
"I am Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, the first knight of Fianna; son of Donn and fathered by Aengus Og."
"I see." He turned away, eyeing the huge cavern where the Greater Grail was contained. "As you can tell, the Fourth Holy Grail War has been completed but without a victor to claim the prize, the ritual shall repeat its 60-year cycle once more. However, I must ask for your help to accomplish a nigh-impossible task."
Zelretch glanced at Lancer, who had his head bowed in respect. The Servant had a stoic mask over his face. He continued.
"I am not your average practitioner of magecraft, as you can sense from our bond as Master and Servant. I am what you call, a Wizard; a true-user of Magic."
He slowly walked away from him. 'Still no reaction, eh?' he mused to himself.
"I wield the powers of the Second Magic, in which I am able to utilize the Operations of Parallel Worlds. In laymen's term, I can use this power to see, interact and travel through multiple parallel worlds."
Lancer slightly raised his eyebrows but he let his Master continue.
"I have seen things that are ordinary, and things that are extraordinary. In one particular world, monsters of old and humans exists side-by-side. This world, however, is on the brink of either peace or war. An evil being, with immense power, threatens to bring push the world towards war by toying with the conflicts that arose between the two species."
The Wizard turned around to face Lancer. "Will you help me, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, to rid that troubled world of a great evil?"
Lancer bowed his head in acknowledgment. "If my Lord request it, than I shall do so with all of my might."
Zelretch tilted his head in thanks and a small grin flashed on his face. "Good. Then we must make haste. Every minute we spend lollygagging around here, we lose a minute to save that world."
With Servant in tow, both of them left the cavern below Mt. Enzou.
O]================================[
The duo walked up the steps towards Ryuudou Temple in silence. As they passed the gate, the Wizard strode to the courtyard inside. Nodding to himself, he quickly handed Lancer three items.
Lancer gratefully accepted the gifts. One was a thrice folded cloak, a magical amulet on silver necklace and a leather bag. His Master quickly explained what the items were.
"These three things will help you along your journey. This cloak will be able to neutralize your prana signature thus hiding the fact that you are a Heroic Spirit; please wear it at all times. The amulet here can suppress your cursed mark to a degree; I highly, highly recommend you have this on your body as well. Last of all, this bag can contain a high amount of items with almost no additional cost to its overall weight; please take good care of it."
As Lancer wore amulet around his neck and put on the cloak, Zelretch prepared to jump across to that particular parallel world. Motioning to put a hand on his shoulder, the Wizard began the familiar spell that he used often. With a sweep of his cape, they were gone.
Lancer slightly grimaced as space and time itself separated and folded around them. Just as quickly as they entered, they exited as fast. Landing in the middle of a forest, the Wizard dusted himself off.
"Well. Here we are. I believe we are near the outskirts of small village east of here." He announced to his Servant. He turned and nodded gravely. "Ah, please do not reveal that you are a Heroic Spirit to anyone. If the various factions of this world know what you truly are, then they will capture you to either use you or study you. Also, you may freely use your Noble Phantasms as you wish, should a situation arise where you'll need it. Anything else will be left at your own discretion. Even though we may be dimensions apart, our bond as Master and Servant should hold, though it may be weakened to an extent. Should you have any other questions, you'll be able to contact me. Well then…"
Lancer's Master strode a meter away from him and readied himself for the journey back.
"Good luck, Knight of Fianna." And with that, he disappeared, leaving Lancer to complete the task. The spearman glanced at the sun above his head, shining brightly, and quickly made his way through the trees, towards the town.
O]================================[
Over the next two days, Lancer acclimated quickly to the new world. He learned the brutal history of the place and the people and creatures that resided there. He also found out that the humans in this world worshipped a singular deity, Ilias, while the monsters were united under the rule of the Monster Lord. When the Servant heard that the monsters of this strange world apparently preyed upon male humans (for their semen, he darkly noted), he suppressed the urge to sigh in disgust.
'Truly, this world is strange.' he thought. He walked towards the abandoned ruins that he currently was residing in. He rekindled the fire that had gone out earlier that morning. The townspeople of Ilias Village were wary of outsiders, but they weren't hostile to him either. Lancer decided that he needed to investigate both Ilias and the Monster Lord. In order to do so, he would be travelling quite soon and thus stayed at temporary lodgings.
With the fire crackling, the Servant sat down beside the fire pit and opened the parcel he bought from a merchant in the nearby village with some gold coins he found inside the leather bag. Inside was a rather old map of the world and a leather-bound encyclopedia of this world's monsterly inhabitants. Flipping through it, he quickly read the contents inside.
Before he could advance to the next chapter, a blood-curling scream ripped through the air. The spearman rose to feet at once and both Gae Buidhe and Gae Dearg appeared in his hands. Lancer turned his head toward where he thought the sound originated from. Without a moment's hesitation, he dashed off into the forest to investigate the scream.
As soon as Lancer got close to the source, he slowed down immediately. Thanks to his supernatural hearing ability that came from being a Servant, the spearman was able to pick out other voices as well.
"Fucking bitch! That's what you get for talking to our beloved Lancia with your filthy mouth!" A husky female voice rang out in satisfaction.
"Hmmmm…What should we do with her? It's kinda obvious that the group doesn't want her anymore." Another female voice, this time more nasally.
A pause. "I think we should fucking kill her, that's what. Leave her alive, then she'll come back one day to bite us in the ass," the husky voice answered back with venomous words.
Lancer's jaw clenched in anger. Though he did not like the idea that monsters of this world feeding upon human males, the act of cold-blooded murder sickened him. Gripping both spears tightly, he emerged from the shadows of the forest. His eyes scanned the area and he saw three figures, two standing above one. The spearman also noted that all three were monster girls, of the elven kind.
The elven woman on his right was clad in a rather revealing set of leather armour, emphasizing on showing skin than protecting it. She lazily held a simple sword in one hand.
On his left, a younger elven girl was wearing a simple green and gold tunic shirt and light brown trousers. She was armed with a bow and quiver full of arrows. Both of them had silvery flowing hair and bodies covered in a light-brown tan.
As the older elf raised her sword to strike at the fallen form below, Lancer crouched slightly and sprang forward to block the killing blow. The dark elf recoiled in surprise. Both her and her companion jumped back a meter or two at the arrival of the newcomer.
"Cease your vile acts at once, elf," his voice rang out. The elven woman turned to her companion and grinned. Not only would they be able get rid of that pesky bitch of an elf, they'd also snag a wonderful mid-afternoon meal.
She shifted her eyes all over his body like a piece of meat. Tall, muscular yet lithe, and clad in some nice form-fitting armor that hugged his body in the right places, the spearman was perfect.
He glared back, face covered by the cloak's hood. His golden-orange eyes meet her brown ones. She smiled mischievously at him.
"Awww~! So sweet, saving a damsel in distress! Aren't you a Knight in shining armor?" she giggled out. "If you're thinking that she'll 'reward' you, you've made a mistake there, handsome~."
She winked seductively at him and pushed her breasts together to emphasize her cleavage.
"But we'll 'forget' about her, if you have some fun with us~!"
"I will not give myself up to become your plaything, elf. Desist or I will force you to," the spearman sternly replied back.
The elven woman pouted cutely and a flash of frustration marred her beautiful face. She quickly nodded to her companion and prepare to force the man into submission.
"Hoh~. Playing hard to get, I see. Then it looks like we'll have to take you by force~!"
A heartbeat later, the younger elf quickly fired her bow at the spearman while the older elf rushed in after the volley.
Lancer quickly deflected the volley of arrows with the short, golden spear. The younger elf watched with horror as the spearman twirled his long, red spear with blindingly fast speed to block the swing of the older elf's sword. He then swung the golden spear's shaft into her stomach. The elven woman was flung from her feet instantly and she only stopped when her back collided violently against a tree. The tree groaned and cracked at the sudden impact but stood.
Something inside of her snapped. Her mind blanked and her eyes grew wide at the spearman's overpowering display of sheer strength. The little bout had lasted less than 10 seconds; a devastating defeat. She fell to her knees, trying to process the event that had taken place.
Lancer shook his head, dark locks of hair swaying. He knew that monster girls had enormous raw power, enough to overwhelm a full-grown warrior, but he did not realize that his own strength as a Servant still dwarfed theirs, even though he'd already was holding back quite a bit.
'I must restrain myself further in the future. If I do not, I may end up murdering everyone I fight,' he vowed to himself.
He walked to the young elf he accidentally smashed into a tree. With great care, he identified the injuries that he had caused and quickly saw to the more serious ones to the best of his abilities. After the elven woman was done, he turned to the younger elf.
'It seems this one is still in shock,' he thought. Leaving her be, he walked to their victim, whom had still not yet woken. The victim was another elf with long, flowing blonde hair that came to her shoulders. Her skin was a healthy peach colour as opposed to the other two. She was clad in a simple light blue dress that was modest, at the same time quite sensual.
He frowned slightly and checked for any possible injuries. Seeing none present, he gently placed the elf on his shoulder while he held both spears in one hand. Without glancing back, he carefully made his way back through the forest.
O]================================[
The elf dreamed the same nightmare once more. She saw her mother, beautiful and kind, fighting a losing battle against an endless amount of faceless enemies. Next to her mother was her father, powerful and handsome, in the same predicament. And she could do nothing as her parents were slaughtered in front of her eyes. Even though she watched the same scene time and time again, it still broke her heart to see it happen.
She knew what came next. After they were finished off, the unknown enemies would turn to her. As they got near, she prepared herself once more to 'die' and wake up from the dream. However the end never came.
Like a hurricane of crimson and golden light, a mysterious warrior came and repelled them all. Holding twin spears, he stood defiantly against the myriad of foes, his entire form like castle walls themselves. Even though the warrior faced the other direction, she could tell he was handsome, just from the aura he gave off.
Bright sunlight broke through dark clouds that had formed above the battlefield. Bathed in the golden light that seemed to envelop around him, her savior rushed into the enemies once more. Light filled her eyes and thus her nightmare this time became a pleasant dream.
O]================================[
She slowly stirred. Her body ached and the back of her head pulsed in dull pain. Opening her weary eyes slowly, she found herself in an unfamiliar place, a ruined building of some sort. Night had fallen and the moon and stars twinkled above her. Warm heat from a nearby fire wrapped around her body like a blanket. Orange and red light danced with the shadows of the abandoned ruins. As the best she could, she slowly sat up on the pile hay that she laid on.
"It seems like you're awake. That's good news."
Panicking, she turned herself to the voice while she drew her arms around her body defensively.
A figure entered the room. A man, in teal armour and cloak, strode to the fire pit and dumped the corpse of a rabbit and a leather bag of some sorts on the ground nearby. He turned and slowly approached her.
"S-stay back! I-I mean it!" she squeaked out. The man stopped. His eyes were filled with concern.
"Very well," he sighed. Deciding to leave the venerable elf alone for now, he prepared the rabbit.
As he did, the elf silently watched him and taking in his features. Dark hair adorned the top of his head, while his golden eyes and nose were positioned that gave off a brave but sad aura. To complement his handsome visage, his mouth and jaw were angled in a masculine fashion. As her eyes moved downward, she noticed that his strange armour clung to his muscular body.
The handsome man stabbed the cleaned rabbit corpse with a stick and positioned it near the fire to cook slowly. Next, he pulled out a small stone pot and other various food items from the leather bag.
Countless questions formed in her head. 'Who are you?', 'Where am I?', 'Where are they others?', 'Am I safe?' etc. Her mind ran too fast for her mouth to form words. Then, she finally mustered out a single question that was more important than the others.
"Why?"
He paused briefly before resuming to make a stew of some sort.
"You were about to be killed. I stopped them from doing the terrible deed."
She let out a little sigh of relief.
"…Thank you."
He smiled softly at the reply.
"It's only natural. After all, someone of my calibre would not let harm befall on a beautiful lady such as yourself," he quietly joked, his eyes twinkling in amusement.
The elf felt her face flush with heat. Once again, a comfortable silence washed over them.
Putting the finishing touches on the stew, Lancer let the fire do its job. Sitting back, he gazed into the fire with a calm and gentle look on his face.
Abruptly she quickly mumbled "…Ayla."
Both of their gazes met and she said again, in a slightly louder voice, "My name. It's Ayla von Steinhelm."
He smiled once again and inclined his head in thanks.
"A fine name. As you have graciously gave your name, I shall do so in response. My name is…"
The Servant paused slightly. Even though the rational part of him warned to never reveal his true identity to potential enemies, the humane side told him that this world was not Earth, therefore not under the confines of the Holy Grail War; there wouldn't be any harm giving out his real name to this poor lady. He continued.
"…My name is Diarmuid Ua Duibhne."
Her face flashed with confusion at the odd sounding name.
"May I call you…Diarmuid, then?"
"Of course. And may I have the privilege to call you Miss Ayla?"
Ayla nodded once. They both smiled at each other. Suddenly, the smell of stew and meat entered her nose and her stomach growled in protest. The elf's face blushed at the noise.
Diarmuid chuckled and got up to check on the food. Glancing at the stew and the cooked rabbit, he pulled both away from the fire's searing heat. He dug once more into the leather bag and pulled out two wooden bowls and a small metal ladle.
The man filled both bowls and offered one to her. She stared at the stew-filled bowl and then at him. Gingerly, she reached out and accepted the hot meal with both hands.
The bowl quickly warmed her hands as she sniffed at the mouth-watering smell coming off of the stew. Ayla wisely sipped, as doing otherwise would burn her tongue. Heat filled her body as the stew entered her.
"This…It's delicious!"
Diarmuid's mouth quirked upwards into a small grin. "It seems I haven't lost my touch."
Tucking into his own meal as well, they both drank the stew without further conversations. Midway through, he put down the bowl and reached for the cooked meat.
"Would you like some?" he politely asked her, offering a portion. She shook her head and instead eyed the stew pot.
"I…don't eat meat. Could…could I have some more stew?" she timidly asked. Taking the bowl from her, Diarmuid refilled her bowl again. She gracefully took it from him and hungrily drank it.
Finishing their meals, they piled the dirty bowls in a corner and rested by the fire. Shifting her feet, she began to question her savior.
"Um…the others. Are they…?"
Lancer shook his head, face neutral. "No. I have not killed them."
Ayla let out a little sigh of relief. He gave her a questioning look at the reaction.
"You…were worried about their well-being? Even though they tried to murder you?"
"No! I-I mean, yes, but…," she quickly replied, waving both hands in front of her wildly. Taking a deep breath, she continued.
"Those people, their Clan picked me up after I had been alone and starving for so long. They fed me, kept me safe, gave me companionship that I longed for…"
"…but they treated you terribly, am I right?" he questioned.
The elf stared at her feet. Sighing, he thought, 'Truly, Fate brings misfortune to the most kind-hearted ones.' She suddenly looked up and, with a questioning look on her face, she asked, "What will you do with me now?"
Lancer stared back at her. He did not know what he would do her. Letting her go or returning her back to this 'Clan' of hers was not an option. Leaving her here, at the ruins, or bringing her along on his journey was acceptable. But he wanted her feelings, what she wanted.
"What do you wish?"
Ayla's face flushed as she stared back down on her feet. Gathering her thoughts, she looked back up and said confidently, "I wish to come along with you."
Lancer hummed his consent and poked at the fire. Somewhat horrified at his lack of response, she snapped back, "Hey! What's with that reaction!?"
"You are not my servant. You may do what you wish," he retorted back with a hint of a smug grin on his face.
"You-you! You did that on purpose to get a rise out of me," she huffed out, her cheeks puffed out cutely.
He chuckled at her reaction. Ayla stared thoughtfully at the man.
"You know what I am, right?"
His eyes quickly went to her long, elegant ears. He titled his head as reply.
"Then…you obviously know what we monsters do to men such as yourself. What we need from them," she continued.
Another tilt of a head.
"Do you not care? One day, I may have the urge and will prey on the nearest male near me…you," the elf bitterly said.
"…Indeed it is a…quirk that is unique among your species. But how is it different from the base desires of humans? Humans are made to mate, and have offspring. But do they not have intercourse for the sake of the pleasure itself?" he questioned back.
She had no response. Yet again, a silence fell over the duo. Lancer glanced at the moon and got up.
"The night will soon be over. Miss Ayla, I recommend you get some rest."
Realizing her sudden sleepiness, she yawned, and laid back on the comfortable make-shift bed.
"Good night, Diarmuid."
"May you dream well, Miss Ayla."
And that she did.
O]================================[
The next few days were a blur to Ayla. It was long time since she had this much freedom to do whatever she wanted without being scolded and punished by others. She spent a lot of time doing menial task to help Diarmuid, such as cleaning or (to his horror) cooking. He'd decided, that unless she was planning to unintentionally planning poison both of them, he would at least teach her how to cook properly if she really wanted to.
On a particular morning, Lancer and the elf cooked and ate a light breakfast that consisted of honey-covered bread and some fresh fruits. Needing provisions for the rest of the day, he went off to Ilias Village to resupply. Because the village contained the Church of Ilias, both of them decided that she would stay back.
Slightly bored, she decided to wash the dishes that had piled up from the morning's meal. With pot and bowls in hand, she went off to the nearby creek.
As she scrubbed at the dishes, her mind lingered to her savior and, now companion, Diarmuid.
'That man…he is a kind man. Almost like a knight from a fairy-tale. But, there is a certain aura around him. One that isn't human, but is human at the same time.'
Putting the cleaned pot down, she moved onto the bowls next.
'And he fought off two dark elves, too. He must either be a very, very, powerful individual or…he has some monster blood inside of him.'
Ayla was perplexed by Diarmuid, to say the least. As her eyes lingered on the sparkling clear water of the creek, her mind wandered even more.
'I wonder what kind of man is he. Does he have family here? Is he some knight from a faraway kingdom?'
Suddenly, an ear-bursting crash snapped the elf out of her thoughts. She stood up quickly, the dishes now forgotten at her feet. Looking around with a worried yet determined look, she briskly walked to see if anyone was hurt.
O]================================[
She came to a small clearing. Rubble laid around a small, newly created crater. Cautiously she slowly lip of the hole. As she approached, a huge wave pressure washed over her body. Eyes narrowing at the increase of power, the elf quickly began to gather will inside of her. Ready to use magic that was taught to her by her mother, she approached the crater.
As she got through the dust that got kicked by the crash, Ayla came upon the form of a monster that laid inside.
'Ah…a lamia,' she thought as she let some of her will dissipate. Blue skin comprised her human half and red scales covered her bottom half. White hair framed her beautiful face and an eye-like marking appeared on top of her hair that draped over her forehead. A pair of horns curled elegantly from the back of her head and a lovely flower sat underneath the left one. Covered only by strange tattoos on the left side of her human body and an outfit that just barely covered her well-endowed chest, the monster was sprawled unto the floor in a ridiculous manner.
'She…seems familiar. But I can't figure out who she is…'
Ayla crouched near the fallen lamia and gently roused her.
"Excuse me. Are you alright?"
Thankfully, the lamia groaned and flickered her eyes open. The elf smiled gently as the monster's eyes shifted to her.
Sluggishly, she pushed herself from her prone position. The elven woman panicked a bit at the lamia's discomfort.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"
The snake-like monster eyed the elven one with a curious glare. Quickly glancing around the clearing with a sudden alertness, the lamia glared the trees around her, as if waiting for devils to emerge from beyond.
As if answering her calls, a whirlwind of crimson and gold rushed into the clearing. She regarded the man coolly. His face softened a bit as he saw the elven girl but quickly hardened as his gaze shifted to her.
"Please step away from her, miss," he announced. She eyed the twin lances of crimson and gold in the palms of the warrior.
"…Who are you?" she questioned, her tone cautious. If she were to fight now, in her condition, she would clearly win, but the way the man held the pole-arms with such familiarity made her extremely cautious.
The elf perked up. "Ah! I'm Ayla and this is…"
"…Lancer. That is what you may call me. And yourself?"
"…Alice."
Tensions rose between Alice and Lancer. Both knew that they'd given each other an alias; they couldn't trust each other wholeheartedly yet. Ayla turned to Lancer and tried to defuse the situation before the two fought.
"She could be hurt and that landing would've brought more attention than needed. I think we should take her back to our place for now," she half-pleaded, half-announced.
At her reasoning, his expression softened a tiny bit. Shifting both lances into one hand, he offered a hand. She stared at the hand nonchalantly and said "You are willing to help me, even though I'm a monster and you're a human? I may intend to kill you afterwards."
Lancer shrugged. "If you can kill me that is," he stated. Alice narrowed her eyes at him. Even though it sound almost idiotic, the conviction behind the statement made her believe that he would put up a decent fight.
With a sigh, she took the offered hand and he pulled her up. The man nodded to both of them, and all three of them disappeared back into the forest.
O]================================[
'Uwa…this is awkward,' thought Ayla as munched on the salad that Diarmuid whipped up for lunch for the all three of them. Diarmuid himself was eating some beef he cooked up as well while Alice was eating both. Though the relationship between human and the lamia was better than the initial meeting ('I think the food that Diarmuid made has improved Alice's mood a bit,' she assumed), it was nowhere near as friendly as hers and his.
After arriving back at the ruins, Lancer had suggested that they hide in the small wine cellar underneath the ruined building for the time being. After moving some essential things below, they barred themselves in, in case some curious people decided to poke around.
As she poked at the grilled beef, Alice spoke up.
"What's your relationship with this man?"
The elf looked up from her salad and sheepishly said "He…Lancer saved me."
The lamia turned and gave a questioning glare to the spearman. The man continued to eat and, without looking, answered for her.
"Miss Ayla was in danger. I saved her."
Humming, she chewed at the beef and swallowed. "So you two have…?"
The elf quickly blushed at the implication and with a rigorous shake of her head, she choked out, "N-no! We haven't done that at all!"
"I see. Then what are your intentions, Lancer? Surely you aren't here just to save a few monsters-in-distress to gain nothing in return," Alice questioned.
Already finished with his meal, Lancer stared back at her.
"…I cannot say," he replied curtly, with a shake of his head.
Unsatisfied, Alice continued to play with last piece of beef left in her bowl. She could understand that Lancer was holding back information about him (she was kind of mysterious, after all). She just couldn't understand why he was doing so.
"What are you going to do now, Alice?" Ayla asked her. Shoving the last piece inside of her mouth, the monster in question said, "I should ask you the same question."
The elf moved her gaze to Lancer and back at her before answering, "I will accompany Lancer along his journey, wherever it may go."
The lamia's tail thumped against the hard floor of the cellar. 'These people. They trust each other this much? Interesting,' she thought to herself.
"Before I answer your question, Ayla, I have one more question for Lancer," she stared at the spearman curiously.
"The way you carry yourself…and the way you interact with the elf and me…you're no Hero from Ilia's Church, are you?"
He returned her gaze, eyes blazing full of conviction. "That is correct. I will not bow down to any other person, not even Ilias herself. My blades are my Lord's and no one else's."
Her tail thumped the ground again. 'Hmmm. This one also has a fierce loyalty to his 'Lord' as well. Most intriguing.'
Folding her arms beneath her chest, she regarded them both before nodding. "Curious. Very well, I shall come along with you as well."
Both Lancer and Ayla blinked at her decision. The elf was the first to recover, "You mean you'll come and help Lancer?"
The lamia flicked a few strands of her hair over her shoulders. "Don't be a fool. I said I will only come along. I'm not an ally; just a bystander. Thus, I shall merely observe you as complete this…hidden agenda of yours. If, at any moment, should your defeat be assured, I will leave you be."
With a shrug of his shoulders, Lancer leaned back on the wall. "I see no problem with this arrangement…However, do not assume that I shall be easily defeated. With my Lord's blessings and my pride as a Knight, I will certainly complete my mission."
The tension in the air thickened. The elf groaned inwardly, thinking, 'Uwaaa…the awkward atmosphere has returned.'
And so, as the heroes begin the journey that will reshape the world, the tranquil days of yesterday disappear…
O]================================[
Servant Stats:
Spirit: Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
Master: Zelretch
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Strength: B Mana: C+
Endurance: C+ Luck: D
Agility: A+ Noble Phantasm: B
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: B++
Cancels spells with a chant below three verses, thus allowing him to survive High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals. With Zelretch as a Master, he cancels most spells that are below two verses and increases his odds at surviving A-Rank spells and rituals.
Eye of Mind (True): B
Capable of calm analysis of battle conditions even when in danger. With this, Lancer can determine an appropriate course of action after considering all possibilities to escape from a predicament. So long as there is even a 1% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of winning.
Mystic Face: D (C)
A spell (curse) on Lancer's face which ensnares a woman to fall in love with him, just from a single glance. Individuals with a high M.G. are able to overcome the effects. Zelretch gives him a magical amulet that suppress the curse by one rank; women (human and monster) now find him very, very handsome.
Noble Phantasms:
Gae Buidhe: Golden Rose of Mortality – Anti-Unit: B
One of Lancer's precious lances. At 1.4 meters, this cursed spear inflicts wounds that cannot be healed naturally or with magecraft/magic. It's usually wrapped in a magical cloth to seal its abilities.
Gae Dearg: Crimson Rose of Exorcism – Anti-Unit: B
One of Lancer's precious lances. This 2 meter spear renders all magical enhancements and projections useless by severing all ties with prana. Like his other spear, it's usually wrapped in a magical cloth to seal its abilities.