Some context. This will mostly be battles and more battles, with only a few dialogue focused chapters. This will mainly be done on and will then later be brought to AO3. It will also be based on a previous full story idea I had, but since I'm trying to put that kind of focus on a book I'm *trying* to write, this is a compromise.
This story takes place in the current age of man, with a Holy Grail War taking place across Europe, hosting numerous masters who have summoned pairs of servants from a single class. (Lancer and Lancer vs. Rider and Rider for example.) Each battle takes place in a different place in Europe (this is the *idea* and possibly not execution). The plan is for most masters to have a story to them and that will mostly play out in the background as this is a test for me to write dialogue in actions.
And as I love readers doing something, I do love engagement. Please, if you have something to say, say it because life is too short to hesitate doing stuff.
1st Bout
Riders VS Berserkers
Home: Rider of Beasts, Rider of Heroes and Master of Riders
Attackers: Berserker of Rust, Berserker of Vainglory and Master of Berserkers
Athens, the capital and largest city of Greece, the land of ancient heroes. It is a home to calamity and legends, hosting centuries of battle and will now be the opening to a battle ranging all over an ancient battleground. The sun shines brightly as an old man sits, drinking from a cheap cup with a clear dislike for the flavour. He watches as a blond man brings shame to a grand temple of an ancient time by flirting with tourists. With the tired man there stands a behemoth of a man, standing almost twice his size and sporting dark hair. All of them wear clothes provided by the master,
"Is he always like this", the man speaks plainly.
The man guarding his master groans, "sadly, yes."
"I pity you", the master responds. He pinches his slender nose-bridge and lets out a sad chuckle.
"I apologise, I hope I can repay this."
"You will, soon-enough. Jefferson says the master of Berserker has made landfall, so this should heat-up."
"Shall we return to the ship", the giant turns to his master with the question and turns downward. "We could tighten the security of your workshop mas-" He was halted by the old man, who raised his scarred hand.
"No.. We still have time", the elder looks fondly at the flirtatious youngster. It is as if years pass by in a second for him, "... all the time in the world." He stands up, wiping his face. "Please throw the cup away, I will stay with Georgios. Keep a look out, be a bait."
"As you wish."
"Thank you...", the old man said as he went towards the 'boy' who is talking with a pair of women.
"- and if youwanna, I can show you something real big-", the blonde was smacked with a palm on the head. It clearly didn't cause damage, but "WHAT THE HELL!?"
"Keep your voice down or I'll wash your mouth with soap myself", the old man yelled before turning to the two women. "I apologise for him, I try to teach him manners, but I guess when you get MARRIED, you stop caring."
The two women react to the statement harshly. "You're married? What the hell is wrong with you!"
"Hey, hey, it's alright, it's not like she's here now-", he is interruped by a slap to the back of the head and face. The women leave the man and youngster after the old man apologises. "What's that about..."
The two spent a while bickering.
"I know you don't care about what you're actions cause others", the old man's voice trembles. "But those you care for a to be cherished and not waved away when it suits your needs."
"Aristo", the boy speaks harshly. "It's not like we really loved each-other."
"Not like she cheated on you."
"Are we really making this a competition?" The young one looked on as the man looked towards the temple layout. "Are you even listening? Hey, answer me."
"Let's just get going, I'm tired."
'George' sighed as he watched the man walk away lazily. "You're such a hardass, fine." A distant sound of scraping metal. "And I'm guessing we're changing plans", he says while turning to look back as he walks.
"Ten out of ten", Aristo took a breath and his whole body glowed. "Let's do this thing", he said with fire in his voice, though it was fading.
...
Somewhere else in Athens, in the shadow of the temple. The tall bodyguard talks with locals, lifting kids on his shoulders and feeding strays. He sighs as he senses a distant doom, "well I guess I need to get back to master. They're probably planning on ambushing him instead, odd."
"Not quite right", a voice rings in his mind. "You can hear us, can't you?" A cackle filled with poison rings in his mind. "Better get ready for some blood", a voice like a horde of beasts rummages in the man's mind, but he pays them no mind.
"But we're in the middle of a city, wouldn't they avoid something like this, in Athens of all places."
"The one hunting you doesn't seem to care for such rules, at least not one of them."
The man looks upward on instinct, summoning out a club of archaic wood and swings up. The sound of cracking and bursting is followed by a wide sound of scraping metal and the howl of a madman. At the spot where the man stood now remains a deep pit, at the bottom lays in a pile of gore a man in a loincloth with wild eyes. "HELL YES! THIS IS WHAT I WAS MISSING FROM THIS AGE, A BLOOD BATH." The butcher swings away at his surroundings with a sword while three spears hover around his neck. He stabs his hand in to the pile of blood and guts. "NOW GET THE HELL BACK UP, I CAN SMELL THE GODDAMN HEROISM FROM YOU HERE. YOU'RE NOT JUST GOING TO LET ME RIP YOU APART IN THE CAPITAL OF YOUR HOMELAND YOU SHIT EATING CUCK FUCKER!"
In a mere fraction of an instant,a flash of light fills the pit and sends the madman flying. "So it's a bloodbath you want? Fine", a shadow stretches to take an un-armed strike at their 'killer' and sends them flying off towards the beach, away from people. "Wings...", the man mutters clotheless while a light strethes out from his back to form wings. "Go, 'Stymph'!" He flies after the man who leaves a crater in the sand with steel wings. As he closes in, he takes a hard brake in the air, sending steel feathers down at his opponent before raising his hand. A bolt of flash flare transforms into a bow and arrow that he then fires at the wounded man, who begins a charge. The arrows do nothing but pass through him.
"THAT BEST YOU GOT?" He drunkenly laughs. "What a piece of shit hero you turned out to be...", he takes one spear forcefully and begins to swing it as arrows continue to fly towards him. "THE GUY I FOUGHT WAS TEN TIMES TOUGHER THAN THIS!"
The servant in the air takes off towards everywhere before making a blitz towards the spear-man. In an instant, "Boar" a giant beast smashes the man who takes it to the face. In another fraction of a second, he is crippled by three arrows piercing him and causing boiling rashes to appear all over his body. "So not immortality, good. Maybe you're just really good at healing or maybe it's the concept of an unseen attack."
"WHAT A SMART COOKIE", the man steams as his leg flies at the giant, sending him back after closing the distance between them. He kept up the speed and rid one of the spears from bellow to chase Rider. "ONE-", the man tried to plunge the spear into the targeted hero, but was caught mid air with a single arm. The Berserker was met with a deathly stare. "WHAT A BOTHERSOME FOOL YOU ARE", he wrapped around the spear and sent a fury of blows at Rider.
Rider may have not taken any serious damage, but he noted that neither had Berserker retained any damage. He lacked high-ranking attacks, but made up for it with incredible speed and strength. "I'm guessing you're noble phantasm needs to actually hit me...", he cracked his neck. "And going by how it keeps pointing at targets precisely, it must be some kind of sure-kill move. "
Cackling fills the area as Rider feels a wave of mana wash over him. The berserker points his spear at him, causing a similar feeling to when Rider first sensed danger before Berserker's attack. "Right on the money, dumbass", the madman's voice was calmed as he then took a breath. "Oh great hero, fall now or strike me down, Clochafarmore." Rider found himself stuck to a stone in an instant. "Say goodbye to your noble phantasms now", Berserker threw one of the spears he grabbed, sending it as a flash of demonic light.
'Fear' is what some may call it, but now Rider was only certain. "Fine...", he smirked as his face was pierced by the spear, sending a spread of blood flying all over the city.
"FUCKING HELL, YOU'RE STILL NOT DONE", Berserker began to ramble. "GODDAMNIT!" He watched as 'Clochafarmore' faded away in a bolt of light that pierced him without leaving any visible damage. "MOST HEROES GET TO LIVE ONCE, ONCE. SO WHY ARE YOU STILL STANDING", Berserker took another spear up as the smoke cleared to show Rider in perfect condition, thought now with no clothes. He took a runing start stance, before getting up and screaming to the heavens. "NO! WHY?! JUST GIMME ONE MORE CHANCE! I SWEAR I WILL KILL HIM-", in a flash of light, the Berserker was gone.
Rider took a breath, taking a look at where his weapons once were. The bow and wings were gone, clearly forcefully as the giant sighed. "Returning to base, this is not over."
...
At boat in the sea looked over by the city blessed by Athena, the ship was of clear fine quality. Aristo walked out to the deck, "this is absurd", he takes out a metal flask and drinks as he watches the fully manned ship shuffling with life. "My ass is going to be burned for this, so why isn't the church doing their damn job.."
"Last I checked, they don't have that kind of firepower in this region", the blonde faded in as if a ghost. "They probably know my baby can't be matched", he knelt down to kiss the ship.
"I still own it..."
"Yeah, well I practically own it!"
"Hmph..."
"What now."
"'Rook' says that the enemy isn't done attacking."
"That wasn't it? I swear I could hear the bastard laughing his guts out, what else do they have..."
"I don't know, just get ready."
'George' smirked. "You heard him! Get to it!"
"Ay-Ay, captain", the crew began to get in position as the ship roared to life with a series of engines powered by magecraft. Guns manned by them and powered by magic popped out from beneath the deck to begin monitoring the surrounding area. Familiars armed to the teeth with tiny weapons began scouting and feeding information into the ship's scanners.
'George' sniffed. "She's so damn beautiful."
"You mean cool", Aristo remarked.
"How old are you."
"Older than you, so shut it."
The blond turned away with scowl and chuckle. "Go take your damn 'meds' already."
The old man turned away with a scoff and smile. "Go fuck a carpet, but thanks."
The sound of loud beeping blares out, an alarm. "Later", 'George' says as he runs to the front of the bridge. "Brace!" The men get ready as the ship charges forwards with a massive blast of water erupting from behind them. 'Rook' appears at the deck of the ship with a tree in his arms. "YES! Now we're going to win."
'Rook' looked over at 'George' with a disappointed look. "Have some faith, dude..."
"Later, when we aren't being chased by a damn leviathan. Speaking of which", he looks at the radar and sonar. "That thing is an actual phantasmal..."
"Could be someone from Asia...", 'Rook' responded. "Maybe they even made that thunder god into a servant..."
"Not funny!"
The ship was then flung in the air with a giant tail from below, sending it flying beyond the clouds. The systems on board kept anyone from dying, though it still forced many of them down. 'Rook' simply climbed his way to the would-be underwater side of the ship to look at his hunting target. "I'll be back", he said before leaping down.
"Alright", 'George' sighed as he pressed a button. All over the ship, a giant compass shaped light pointed downwards and the ship was swung around to point towards that direction. "Fire all the guns!"
"Ay-Ay, captain." The men who were positioned in the guns aimed towards the beast now 'above' them and fired to give cover for the falling Rider. "Update our payment request after this", one of them responded, clearly a high-ranked individual among them.
The shots of magecraft powered rounds flew past Rider as he gripped the tree tightly. "Grow, Hesperides." The tree blew to enormous length and weight, making the two plummet faster towards the beast.
While the beast beneath the waves took the hits from the rounds, it was filled the fear of death at the sight of the hero. It sensed the weight of the world upon the tree as it grew larger and larger, though it was sure it was nearly a mere conceptual effect. As a beast of the sea, it would not be affected much, it thought so even as it was slammed down into the seafloor.
As people panicked from the destruction of a wave formed from the noble phantasm, the two riders led a rescue effort. The battle was over, so now Aristo sat at the ships deck. His hand trembling, "my dear... I hope you understand..."
The day would end with Aristo being questioned by a group cross ordained men and women. The incident would be reported as a terrorist attack on Athens, with a metal shell being found near the impact of the initial attack.
Results: The death of a nine-hundred and eight people along with the injury of countless people, numbers rising as rescue efforts continue.
Author's Notes:
That is the end of the first practical day of the Second Grand Holy Grail War of Europe. With the destruction of Athens, some of you may already know who these servants are. I am particularly proud of the "leviathan", it's kind of a author favorite with how much effort I put into the profile.
So far I would like to ask you all to say if you would like a more in-depth profile sneak-peak of these servants or masters. for now I'm just going to make something clear: 'Rook' has a strength of A+ and the first Berserker has a strength of B+.
Have a good rest of your day or night.