He was neither the strongest, the fastest, nor the smartest. In a fight, he was low level at best, with his wits and allies saving him time and again. Anybody else of considerable skill would be able to handle dangerous situations much better than him, he supposed.
But he was here, and that was final.
"Gah!" As he fell to the side, the soldier could only grunt and look up from the dirt he lay upon. Walking slowly to him, tauntingly, he saw the creature smile. Complete confidence that the bug before him would be killed with a single attack. Not a surprise there, many things could kill him easily. It's just that they would be quicker about it.
This monster however would do no such thing, wanting to give him a slow, painful and humiliating death. To physiologically crush his sanity, destroy his spirit and then break his body. An arrogant monster he was, making his opponent suffer simply for the crime of stumbling upon his territory and looking at him.
What a cruel and ridiculous situation the Marauding Captain found himself in. Creatures like this were truly the most disgusting things to ever exist.
"Well," With the golden-skinned bastard finally reaching the soldier and smirking. "Is that all?" He may have posed it as a question, but the soldier knew better.
"Y-Yo-Ahh!" His back was stomped on with enough force that he felt his ribs being pressed into the ground and slowly cracking.
"Nothing to say then?" A cruel joke that wasn't humorous to anybody but the creature. No. Correction. Creature meant unintelligent, which this beast wasn't, much as it pained the soldier to admit it. As such, he deserved (barely)to be called by his title; Invader of Darkness.
What his real name was, the soldier neither knew or cared. All he knew was that this was likely it for him. But what did he expect in the first place?
After falling into that rift, the soldier had ended up landing in a place that is commonly known as the D.D. Short for Different Dimension, a place where only chaos and catastrophe resided in this world. It wasn't even a real dimension. More like a maelstrom of countless people and beings trapped with one another with no real exit unless you got lucky.
Worse. Not everyone in here was so nice.
"Ugh!" The Invader of Darkness proved that by kicking him across the ground, chuckling.
He did no wrong to the monster. Nothing at all. It was clear that such feelings weren't recuperated. With nothing but a sword at his side and little else, against someone who proclaimed himself an enemy of those who use mystics with immense strength, the winner is obvious by now.
Unable to even lift his head, the soldier thought of everyone back home, theMarauding Captain accepting that this was it, and considered that maybe it was alright to stop struggling and simply accept the inevitable.
"...hah." Not that his nature would ever allow him to. It was difficult, his legs threatening to give out on him while his sword felt so heavy. He stood regardless though. If he were to die, it wouldn't be by this monster's terms, weeping and defeated. No. It'd be with him standing tall and looking this beast in the eye.
"Oh." Invader of Darkness' eyes narrowed just a bit. The smallest bits of annoyance flashing in his expression. The Marauding Captain gave his own smirk back at him.
"Die." Lifting his arm, the Invader of Darkness decided to just end it now. All he had to do was grab Marauding Captain's head and squish it into a bloody pulp. Unable to really move, not without falling onto the ground pathetically, the young boy turned soldier simply accepted what was to come.
"RUAGH!" Only for a flash of fire to appear and slam into the Invader of Darkness, palm inches from the Marauding Captain's head. Blinking, it only took a second for the soldier to realize it wasn't a flash of fire that hit the Invader of Darkness at all. It was-
"Inpachi!" That guy again.
That shouldn't even be possible though…unless. 'That roar.'
Turning, Marauding Captain looked to his left and saw… "Aha."
A friend.
With a mighty stomp, with a wild grin of his own, a towering warrior came by the captain, a few inches taller than him. Just seeing him gave Marauding Captain new strength to stand tall.
"You're late, Gagagigo ." Better late than never though.
"Insolence." With Invader of Darkness and the slowly standing Inpachi not looking pleased whatsoever by this interruption.
"Really?" Marauding Captain and Gagagigo both gave mocking smiles. The former raised his two swords while the latter stood defiantly. Invader of Darkness facing the good captain and Inpachi facing Gagagigo.
This united front would be a good stand for them.
"Oh. So you saw that?" It was early morning, and while normally Waver would want to sleep much longer, especially after yesterday, his stomach demanded food.
"Yep." Eating a sandwich, enjoying the calm mood the little cafe gave and offered, Waver took another bite and swallowed. "I have to say, it was… Interesting."
"Interesting?" Wearing normal clothes, on Waver's demand, Saber chuckled. "I'd figured you'd be scared or something. Because I certainly was. That situation wasn't exactly what I call interesting to me."
"O-Oh. I wasn'-I didn't mean-"
"It's okay. I kid." Saber smiled. "If anything, I assume you were referring to the place I landed?"
"Yeah." Waver nodded. "That place. It was…weird."
"I'd call that an understatement." If anything, Saber was glad to be gone from there. "Still, I feel like you know something that I don't."
Waver chuckled lightly. Putting his sandwich down, he excitedly said, "I actually did a report once on Imaginary Number Space."
"Imaginary…Number Space?"
"It's a place where the laws of physics don't work. Similar to a void yet not the void. A place where all possibilities are real yet not real." He got a good grade on it. "And from what I saw in your memory, it feels like that place had similarities to it. In some ways."
"Hmph. Well, I can't really tell you much about the Different Dimension as the local residents call it. But I can tell you this much," Grabbing his own drinking and sipping it, Saber continued. "A good ally I met there, an okay woman, told me that the Different Dimension isn't really a genuine dimension. More like a place that just resides parallel with the real world. Until, well…it became unstable and started sucking things in."
"Interesting." From the sounds of it, this Different Dimension was somehow taking in objects and lifeforms, from people to landmasses, into itself and creating a chaotic land with no rhyme or reason. Waver read that certain people, those who could utilize Imaginary Numbers as a magecraft, could use the Imaginary Number Space as a place to store things inside it. A small pocket-dimension. Perhaps this Different Dimension was Sabers version of Imaginary Number Space but changed.
Maybe the Imaginary Number Space in Saber's world ended up 'breaking down' or something along those lines and caused the creation of this 'Different Dimension' to be formed. Or he could be totally wrong and this was something else entirely. 'My report was only about the basics. Not like I'm an expert.'
"Still, the place is definitely something."
"I suppose I can't deny that." If it wasn't for the fact he was constantly being targeted by others to be killed or robbed, Saber felt he might have enjoyed the sights more. "There are actually a lot of nice people there. Ha!" Thinking back on it made Saber snort. "Guess I got the short straw and met the bad ones."
"Yeah. That Invader guy looked terrifying."
"Oh, he is." That topic Saber agreed on. "Truthfully, those who use magic, or magecraft as you put it, are helpless against him. He could apparently negate or prevent such spells from being used."
"Sounds like a real problem."
"Uh-hu." Another snort. "Oddly, only my genuine lack of magical powers made it tougher for him to kill me. Plus, tough as he was, it took him a while for that louse to realize I wasn't some squishy wizard who goes down in one hit." He was a soldier. One who trained to endure beating by both his superiors and later on his enemies during his time on the front lines. Meaning he could keep going even after a few good hitsto the chin.
"Still, if it wasn't for Gagagigo, I would have died."
"He seemed like a good…person?" Tough to tell if Waver should call Saber's friend a person despite being a non-human, yet felt hesitant to call him a monster all the same. Monster usually meant, well, monster.
"Hehe. He indeed was. Is." Giving a small dour face, Saber's expression became a bit ruminative.
Taking in such an impression, Waver decided to take this chance to ask. "You mentioned he tried to kill you before?"
Saber remained silent for a bit, worrying Waver if maybe he asked something that shouldn't have been asked. Only for Saber to sigh with a small smile, saying, "He did." His eyes dulled just a bit. "We became good friends. He was someone I could depend on." Saber's grip on the cup tightened. "I don't really know the full story, even to this day. He never talked about it. All I know is that we became separated and eventually, when we met again…my friend was gone."
That didn't sound good. It reminded Waver of some books he read whenever he felt bored. Of how the protagonist's friend would then turn into a nasty rival. Where nothing positive came with those meetings.
"Thankfully," Saber's mood went up. Beaming just a bit. "He got better. Much better. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it all the same." Seeing that declaration, now Waver somewhat wished he could have seen that memory instead of the one in the Different Dimension. Seemed the story behind those words was quite interesting.
Still, nice as this talk was, Waver knew that like all good things, it had to come to an end. Feeling refreshed and energized, Waver decided it was time for business. "So," He began. "About the other Servants."
"Right. That." Sitting straight, Saber lifted his hand and clenched it into a fist. "I'm not sure why, but my strength for some reason managed to return during that fight with Assassin." His mind went to Lancer, with the book she held. "...I can't say why it happened, all I know is that it did. But it's not permanent."
"Damn." That sucked. "How long?"
"About maybe a day or two." Which sounded great at first. Except for one little thing. "I'm quite certain we may or may not die by that point."
"Don't say it like that!" No matter how true that statement was of course. It was early morning, the sun not close to reaching its zenith for at least another four hours, but Ruler's declaration is now over. The time for attacking was allowed once more.
"If it helps," Trying to calm Waver down, not wanting the boy to be stressed again, Saber soothly said, "I don't think we'll get any more attacks in the open. You saw the news, right?" Waver was certain everyone did.
On the TV, inside the cafe, one only needed to look to see many people gathered around it. The news once more speaks of another terrorist attack. Man, Waver thought enforcers to wipe memories were fast, but it seems the news was much faster. From what he figured out, Church members managed to get Father Risei out just in time…just before a group of helicopters and police cars to come in.
Granted, they escaped in the end, and it wouldn't surprise Waver if the members of the church altered reports by describing the runaways as terrorists who got away. The end result was the church had been blown up by these terrorists just like every other part of the city that had been hit and made a mess of by the Servants.
"You know, I guess I can understand Ruler being so adamant against us." Speaking to himself, Waver felt bad now for the people of this city. If this was happening in his hometown, he wouldn't be pleased at all this chaos.
"I'm glad you understand that." Then squealed with Saber nearly falling off his chair. "Hi." With innocent radiating off of her, along with a bit of coyness, Ruler stood in front of the two men in clear amusement.
She was wearing a simple white shirt, a black leather jacket, and a dark brown skirt with black tights. The young Servant looked more like a normal teenage girl than the powerful Servant Ruler. But as Saber and Waver knew otherwise, the two felt a great need to run.
"R-Ruler." Such a thing would probably get them targeted though. So, with reluctance, Waver stood his ground and continued to sit, no matter how much his mind screamed at him to get going. "What are…what are you doing here?!"
"I came here because I sensed a Servant." Answering honestly, Ruler looks at Saber who flinched under her eyes. "For a moment, I was wondering if maybe, just maybe, someone was about to attack in the open again."
When she says it like that, it was actually normal for her to ponder such an ordeal.
"But it seems I was wrong." She gave a small critical glance at Waver. "I am wrong, no?"
"Y-You are!" Waver has no intention of fighting in the open. He had no intention of causing any form of problems actually. "I'm just here to eat." Saber nodded vigorously with him. Also not wanting any troubles.
"Good." Ruler grinned. Where only now Waver and Saber realized she actually had a tray in her hands. Food lying on it. "I came here to eat as well. Man these modern day cafes have good stuff." She then sat down-on their table no less, happily.
Opening her mouth, she then took a big bite of her sandwich and gave a happy moan. Taking another bite soon after in glee. "So good."
"..." Without question, Waver became a bit lost on what to do next. He took a look at Saber who seemed just as baffled as him on what their next step should even be. Granted, looking at her like some starstruck fools wasn't going to get them anywhere, soooo…
"You seem…happy." It was an awkward start, but Waver figured this may as well be a way to break the awkward tension around him. Thankfully, Ruler didn't seem to care as she took another swallow before answering.
"What's not to be happy about?" She chuckled. "Now that you and the other Masters and Servants aren't causing any problems, I can use this chance to look around. Enjoy the sights." With a loving sigh, Ruler looked out the window. "This is a great chance for me to witness places outside of my old home. Ahh. If only Alblaz or Kitt were here with me. They'd have enjoyed it too."
"Friends, I presume." This time Saber spoke up, a bit interested now that his worries were being pushed away. Ruler nods as she giggles at the thought of those she knew.
"Best friends. People who were with me from start to end. The time we spent together was…ahhh. Great." If her words didn't convince them, the radiant joy escaping her face did. "Still," Ruler lifted her hand and clenched it into a fist. "Maybe it's best they didn't. I don't want them to deal with the…problems, here."
Wasn't hard to guess what these 'problems' are.
"Yeahhhh." Waver awkwardly spread the word out. Rubbing the back of his head out of a sense of guilt. "Guess Fuyuki has become more…problematic as of late." That got him a slight glare, making Waver gulp. "Okay, really problematic. T-To be fair, I don't think anybody expected Assassin to just do that." Attacking out in the open.
"True. Even if he was a human, the history I gleaned from him showed he never would have obeyed such rules in the first place." Ruler sighed, looking a tad annoyed. "If only the Grail summoned me sooner. But there was some kind of lag and I was unable to be summoned after his first attack in the city."
'Lag?' What did that mean?
Before Waver could ask, Saber beat him to the punch and asked, "Gleamed his history? Can you explain, Miss Ruler."
"Please don't call me Miss." Pouting a bit, Ruler crossed her arms. "I'm not that old."
"Ah. Sorry."
"It's okay." Chucking, Ruler remained calm. She then pointed at herself, her face exactly, telling them both, "As a Ruler, I have been granted many things. Beyond just the power to end this Holy Grail War if I chose to. But also the power to see a person's name."
"Name? As in, True Name?" If so, then Waver could see why Ruler is so powerful.
"Yep. Their name means I see their history." Ruler clarified. "As you know, we Servants are given information by the Throne. So once we know someone's name, we immediately get to see their history." Ruler's eyes narrowed. "Or at least, we should." The two men realized Ruler is taking a direct look at Saber.
"I assume you don't know my history?" Ruler questioned the Saber Class Servant who froze. "After all, I did give my name directly. Yet…None of you seemed to react to it."
Waver's eyes widened. "S-She's right." Turning to Saber, Waver quickly asked, "Do you know her history now?" Waver expected an immediate response from his Servant. To see what he knew.
"..." What he got instead is silence. Saber staying quiet as he appeared to be concentrating, yet appeared lost all the same.
Ruler didn't seem surprised by this. Leaning back on her chair, the young girl sighed. "Yeah. I expected as much." Crossing her arms, Ruler grabbed her her own drink and took a long sip before putting it back down. "From what I could tell, you and all the other Servants are unable to actually register a True Name properly."
"Seriously!?' Such a bombshell caused Waver to question Saber if such a response is true. Ruler answered on Saber's behalf before he could answer.
"Correct." A troublesome answer. "My assumption is that my summon and abilities as a Ruler gives me this information freely. For the rest of you Servants, however, you have trouble being given information by the Grail."
"...That is true." The Grail gave Saber much information, but at times, it felt difficult to understand certain concepts and structures. Like the information given to him had certain bits missing here and there.
Waver, after taking a bit to process this, had a suggestion. "Is it because of the whole 'different world' thing you mentioned?" Sure, Waver could be wrong about his idea. Ruler didn't seem to discredit it though, actually looking as if she agreed entirely.
"Most likely, yes." For Servants in Proper Human History, it was easy for the Grail to give them information. After all, they were all part of the same world. "The Servants you all met don't really belong in the exact same world, if I'm frank." For the ones summoned here, it was the opposite.
Some came from the same world. Others didn't. Ruler had seen the remaining Servants history, and came to an understanding that some of them didn't come from the same place as themselves. Even she herself didn't belong in their normal histories.
"It's why the Grail is having trouble giving them information. It's unable to ascertain if it should give them priority over this world's history, or another world's history. And there are multiple ones at that." Only she is the exception, as she was summoned as a Ruler in a direct response by the Grail noticing the danger of the Holy Grail War being revealed.
"Man. That sounds tough." Even stranger, Waver had no idea that a wish-making artifact could actually have such trouble. Although, now he was becoming curious about something amiss.
Taking a few seconds to think it over while Ruler began eating her food, Waver put it together and snapped his fingers. "Hey, Ruler."
"Yeah."
"I was just wondering if you could answer me on a question I had."
"A question?"
"What kind, Master." Saber asked, interested.
"Simple." One Waver's been considering for a while now, since Ruler's reveal yesterday. "If all the Servants here, including yourself, are from different worlds, then why are you all here?"
A question worth asking, especially when one realized the importance of it all. Involving the Servants that have been summoned since the ritual first began. Servants that each weren't a part of PHH. Coming from different histories instead of the one known. Servants with names unrecognizable from any figure known in any records.
It was absurd to consider real. Yet so far, there was evidence that seemed to claim it is real. Assassin and Caster, who lacked any verification they were human to begin with, Ruler's own words, the way certain Servants acted towards the modern world or even how they dressed like Rider. A girl who looked as if she came from the future itself.
But assuming that it was all true, that the Servants did come from other worlds…Then why? How?
For what reason would the Holy Grail choose Servants outside of PHH instead of their own history? It made no sense.
"...that…I do not know." Ruler tentatively spoke, a small grimace showing on her face. "Frankly, I haven't figured that part out, which is strange."
"Suspicious more likely." Saber put his thoughts in, frowning. "If anything, how would the Holy Grail even know about us? Me?" If this is all true, that this world isn't his own history's future…then how would the Grail even be capable of summoning him if he wasn't part of its own history.
"Well, I haven't the slightest idea." With a shrug, Ruler gave her reply. A bit shameful, but nothing more she could do about it.
"I guess…" Waver was a bit dissatisfied with that kind of answer. Not that he could blame her. It wasn't as if he had any proposals of his own. All he had were similar questions like Saber, with no clues or information to answer them.
Standing up, Waver decided that as informative as this all was, it was enough. "Thanks for answering, Ruler. Appreciate it."
"And I appreciate that you two aren't going out causing trouble." Ruler gave her regard to the two men. "So long as you abide by the rules, then you'll see no problem coming from me."
"Got it." Waving good-bye, Waver is ready to leave.
"Ah. hold on a second." On the other hand, Saber wished to stay. "I have one last question."
"And that is?" Did Saber have something else to say on the topic at hand? If so, then Ruler expectantly readied herself.
"Where did you get those clothes?" Just not for that question, the young Servant nearly fell on her tray of food. Thankfully, she caught herself. Not wanting to make a mess and still wanting to eat what remained before getting seconds and thirds.
Granted, she then gave a slight blush and said, "You know…somewhere…"
For some reason, Waver decided to just ask, "And the money for the food?"
"..." When Ruler said nothing, her only action being to avert her eyes, at that moment Waver found the television switch to another news story.
Coincidentally saying, "And in recent news, this morning a gang of criminals have been found in an alley beaten up. One of the women of the group was found with their clothes missing however along with their wallet."
"..."
"..."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Waver just walked off with Saber in tow. The two still looking at Ruler incredulously as they left the cafe. Even when they were gone, a tint of red was on Ruler's cheeks while she looked just about ready to cry in embarrassment.
"Miss. Would you like a refill?" A woman asked with Ruler snapping out of it and quickly agreeing. If only to forget that last conversation she had with the two boys. A Servant who proclaimed Servants shouldn't fight in the open, yet she, even if secretly in some alley, attacked people for her own gain. Her own hypocrisy isn't lost to herself.
"Haaah." She was certain her 'fearsome' reputation took a hit. Dang it! She wasn't meant to be fearsome anyway. That was Fleurdelis job.
'Hm. Fleurdelis.' The memory of her sister, her teacher, came to mind. That long hair. That protective back. Her heart ached just a bit when she thought of the one she looked up to. The one who…fell… when they had acted against them.
Realizing her thoughts were turning sour, Ruler shook them off. Last thing she wanted was to be sad for the rest of the ritual. Thankfully, it'll end very soon. Only five Servants were left after all. Lancer, Rider, Saber, Archer, and Berserker, even if they were a Saber at the moment.
It won't be long before they fought and killed one another. Or that's how it should go anyway. While she would like to be proven wrong, there is a chance Ruler would just have to have them kill them all herself if they once again struck outside where people could be at. The Grail has informed her of Assassin's actions including El Melloi and Caster, followed by Berserker and Archer.
If such events occurred once more, then Ruler would be given no choice but to utilize the Command Seals she was given and use them on those who broke the sanctity of the ritual. Granted, the idea of using the Command Seals to more or less take away the Servant's free will wasn't exactly appealing to Ruler, but it had to be done depending on how events played out.
Hopefully it didn't come to that.
'Although,' Ruler thought as she began finishing her food. 'That Master, he and Saber made a good point.' There shouldn't have been a reason for her and the other Servants to be here in this world. As mentioned before, the Grail, even if supposedly omnipotent, doesn't translate to omniscience. Especially when it involves other worlds.
'In which case… Did something cause it to register other dimensions?'
As the city once more dealt with another 'terrorist attack', the true cause of them have already begun to move out once more. Admittingly, the appearance of Ruler ensured that they had to be more cautious in their approach to deal with the other masters and servants. Even if none of them meant to cause harm in the public eye, a single mistake and Ruler would be upon them.
That's why Kariya made himself seem as inconspicuous as possible while his servant, in spirit form, gave him directions.
With every step he took, nothing but the end-goal could be seen for him.
His time is limited. His body continued to protest. He carried on regardless, knowing he couldn't give in now. Or everything he did would be a waste. Something he could never allow, never.
"Are you sure they're here?"
Speaking to his Servant telepathically, who could be unseen on the rooftops, Berserker responded back. "I'm better at tracking down dragons, but yes, I can sense another Servant here."
As someone who sought dragons for their horns, 'Berserker' had trained herself to spot dragons. Of course, sometimes she didn't just hunt dragons, but creatures that dragons hunted themselves. Boars. Wolves. People. If 'Berserker' hunted for the dragon's prey, then she could find the dragon themself.
So, while this was a huge leap of logic that might not even be valid, Kariya and 'Berserker' decided to see if hunting down a Servant could be done simply because Archer and her dragon would eventually do so themselves.
It seemed to be working, if only through dumb luck alone.
Which led them into an alley leading towards an apartment complex. "Alright." Kariya muttered, wincing a bit as he felt his leg flash in pain. "Seems we found our target."
"And what target would that be?" 'Berserker' made herself known, materializing beside Kariya and raising her own sword. The blade pointed right toward Kirei who seemed…less burdened than usual.
With a small uncharacteristic smile, Kirei showed no fear for his life. Instead, he merely seemed amused while directing his vision to Kariya. "I assume you're not here simply to confess simple sins."
"...No. I'm not." Nudging his head, 'Berserker' put down her blade and Kariya resumed. "Look, I just want an answer. Here and now."
"I doubt you're here to just fight, so…I'm listening."
"Good." If this goes well, then Kariya will be able to move on towards the next step. If not, he'd just leave. While tempting to kill someone who isn't cooperative, he didn't want to risk Ruler coming down with that hammer of hers. That looked painful to get hit by, and they are out in the open, even if they're behind some old dirty buildings from the street.
"I want to ask if you and Lancer wanted to team up."
Kirei stayed quiet. Kariya decided to resume the conversation, hoping he could snag him. "Rider and Saber's Masters seem to be in cahoots. And you already saw just what Archer can do."
"Not really. But Lancer did inform me of what happened."
"Huh. Really." So that bitch really had been watching. "You look pretty well. I thought the guy who was captured and needed his Servant to call for help would be more-"
"Injured." Kirei finished Kariya's sentence. Not denying it. "I can assure you, my body had been roughed a little, but was healed by my own power." That and Assassin mainly focused his ire on Tokiomi.
"Whatever." Kariya didn't care. "Look, you know the odds. And while this is a thing where only one winner comes out on top, I think a team-up wouldn't be half-bad."
"And why me specifically?" Kirei asked the obvious. "Even if you are unwilling to work with Archer and Tokiomi for the grail," Kariya nearly snarled at Tokiomi's name, giving Kirei a clue on their relationship. "Could you not work with the Einzbern and her little friend, Waver Velvet? They seem rather amiable."
"Yeah, and already together. They might not accept more help. But you, you have nobody last I checked." Kariya was half-right. Kirei was…is, working with Tokiomi. With the church. Not that Kariya would know this, as the alliance Kirei had with his teacher is of course hidden from prying eyes.
"True." May as well go with Kariya's presumption. "I have no current alliance. And I cannot deny that for the most part, I am alone. Correct, Lancer."
Materializing beside Kirei is Lancer this time, looking as she did as Kariya last saw her. Innocent with a mass douse of suspicion. "You still have me." She playfully told him.
"Of course. My apologies." Kirei focused back on Kariya. "And after hearing your words, I suppose… an alliance, temporary though it may be, is needed."
"Sure." Kariya agreed to it. "Get the others first, then we come for each other. For now," Kariya's eyes gleamed dangerously. "I think we should meet Tokiomi."
"True. Your Servant is a Dragon Slayer." It would be smart, having them face Tokiomi with a Servant that held quite a conceptual advantage. "Or," His eyes briefly met Lancer, who made no movement beyond her lips spreading just a bit. "We get someone else to distract him. Aim for the back."
"Oh." While Kariya wanted Tokiomi dead, he wasn't averse to another method if it still meant killing him. 'Berserker' stayed quiet, keeping her eyes on Lancer. "What did you have in mind?"
"First, we eat." Kirei said to Kariya. "After a long talk with Lancer, I hadn't yet had the chance to eat dinner. And from your appearance, you haven't had much either."
"...I guess." Kariya really didn't want delays, but his body was already giving out on him. Last thing he needed was to fall down from hunger itself. "And then?"
"Then," Kirei gave a shadow of a grin. "We find Rider."
I wonder what Kirei and Lancer talked about? Well, either way he and Kariya make an alliance. I'm sure it'll end (tragically) well for Kariya. After all, he has a neat partner who's strong, a Servant that can cast debuffs, while he has a dragon slayer. I smell a winner.
Questionable if it's Kariya.
All while Waver and Saber meet Ruler in the early morning. All while asking a very good question. How can the Holy Grail magically just summon other Servants from other worlds? Most fanfics have Angra Mainyu do that, but rarely answering HOW since he shouldn't even be capable of peering into such worlds other than the world he's in. Well, I already gave you the answer; another Servant occupies the Grail. Not Avenger, but…Pretender. Another hint to the Duel Servant's identity.
In the meantime, here's Ruler's character sheet:
Name: Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous
Master: None
Servant Class: Ruler
Alignment: Lawful Good
Strength: B
Endurance: B
Agility: C
Mana: B
Luck: C-
Noble Phantasm: B
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: D+
True Name Discernment: C-
Independent Action: EX
Normally a skill for the Archer Class, Ruler gains it as she was summoned by the Holy Grail itself with no Master needed to tie her down.
Personal Skills:
Interdimensional Protection (EX): Fusion. Synchro. Xyz. Link. There are different dimensions outside the world of man, full of strange and awe-inspiring beings. Fueled by exotic energy unknown to humanity.
Against these beings, Ruler cannot be killed by them in any battle. Though this is restricted to a simple physical fight. Unique powers they invoke is a different story entirely. This skill may also apply to PHH Servants if their power is also interdimensional in nature or similar to it.
Interdimensional Summon (A): When a being using power apart from the normal dimension is used, Ruler will be there to quell it before it causes harm. She will instantly teleport to the source to deal with it.
Noble Phantasm:
Dogmatika Call (D+): Before she was exiled, Ruler had been known as a Saint far and wide by the masses. Her personality and bravery earned her the respect of many in Dogmatika. As such, she can request a member of the Dogmatika Order to come if they wish to help her.
This skill would normally be ranked at C, however, aside from those closest to her, Ruler refuses to call upon the members who brought deceit and lies to the people they were supposed to care for. She will only call upon them in the most desperate of situations if truly demanded.