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She slammed her fists against the workshop table in frustration and anger.
She wouldn’t be a laughingstock! She refused! It wasn’t her fault that out of all the members of the Clock Tower, she was one of the seven to be granted the Command Seals by the System. The others were jealous of course, but they were also disdainful that a lowborn Magi had succeeded where they failed. They could try to blame her all they wanted, but they’d all tried to draw the attention of the System to gain this honor. She’d succeeded where they had failed. That should tell the others something! So what, if she wasn’t one of the Barthomeloi, Edelfelt, or El-Melloi? Neither were they!
Yet, they did have one point. She didn’t have the resources the other Masters had. She had no relic to use as a basis for summons. Not any reasonable one at least. She didn't have the connections to acquire one either. The only things she did have were her heritage and a whole lot of stored Mana. Nearly all of the other Masters would be drawing from a similar set of legends, while she had access to something different. Maybe. Hopefully. She had no idea if any of the heroes of her people could be summoned. Yet, she had no other choice but to try.
She drew a deep breath before exiting her workshop, carrying all the equipment and mana gems she’d created in an enchanted pouch. One of the handy things this universe had brought: spatial artifacts. As soon as she stepped out, she could feel the sharp gazes of the other students and teachers of the Clock Tower. "Luthien. Want to buy a relic? Might help you summon a spirit even remotely useful. At least that way you won't be such a burden to the team." One of the richer rejected students called out in a jeering voice.
The offer was an obvious trap. Oh, the relic was probably genuine, but associated with some crappy Servant that would relegate her to a status of uselessness. She’d have better luck allowing the System to decide her Servant for her. She might get lucky. Or she might summon someone just as weak as that relic was no doubt connected with.
She ignored all the calls and jeers, stoically marching towards the gathering point in the front yard. Success was the only remedy available to her.
Despite all her gloom and the jeers, she couldn’t help but be excited. Even as the premier institute associated with the Grail Wars, the Clock Tower extremely rarely got the opportunity to participate in a Grand Grail War. Someone had to have pulled some really big strings to make the event happen. It would be extremely dangerous, especially for a minor participant like her, but the rewards were equally great. That’s why everyone wanted to participate.
She wasn't the first to arrive, though neither was she the last. Lord Barthomeloi was naturally present as the leader of the team and as the one coordinating their strategies. Luviagelita Edelfelt was also already present, most likely because she was a teacher as well. The two women were powerful Magi capable of fighting monsters and perhaps even Servants on their own. They also happened to be immortal, which helped, although that was one advantage Luthien also held. The benefits of belonging to another race beyond Humans.
The last person present was Lord Germaine, the head of the Department of Creation, a wild-looking old man that was famous for his runic thaumaturgy and crafting abilities. He wasn't exactly known as a combat Magi, but his skills would be highly useful to the team. Assuming he could be persuaded to share them. The rumors suggested the old man was a crotchety old drunk that didn't really give a damn about anyone else.
So, she was the first person outside the faculty to arrive. “Luthien. Are you ready?” Barthomeloi asked sternly.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She stated.
That answer seemed to satisfy the woman. “It’s good to know your limits. No one can be completely prepared for something like this.” She nodded, satisfied in her own judgement.
The last three arrived in a couple of minutes. Two were Magi she wasn’t familiar with, not students or faculty but mercenaries of sorts. Mercenaries she knew by reputation. The last one was another student like her. The difference was, he was a member of the Trambelio family, one of the three great families, so his participation was not questioned.
As soon as all seven were present, the light of magic surrounded them, and they suddenly found themselves in a completely different place. This had been achieved by Zelretch, the Wizard Marshal, and they had to just assume they were in the right place. Knowing Zelretch and his penchant for entertainment, that was not a safe bet to make.
The Grand Grail War would take place in a neutral territory only known to scant few people to keep interference to a minimum. A single glance around them let them know that at least the world in question was inhabited because they'd been dropped at the border of a relatively large city. At this distance, the inhabitants looked Human, and the architecture rather modern, matching around 20th century Earth, though appearances could be deceiving.
“We need to establish a base of operations, and then we need information on the battlefield. We can assume the other teams have also been placed somewhere in the vicinity of the city. At first glance, the city does fit the brief description I was given.” Lord Barthomeloi took the lead right away. “Stay close until we’ve located at least a temporary safe haven.”
“I will contact the overseer, just to confirm the timetable.” Luvia declared, pulling out a paper talisman that she placed on her forehead, walking along with the others effectively blinded while she held up the mental communique.
They’d reached the edge of the city proper by the time Luvia's talisman turned to ash. "We are in the right place. The overseer did not tell me how many teams have arrived, but we are not the first or the last. They also let me know that we can start summoning Servants tonight. If any team doesn’t make it by then, then they’ll be disqualified.”
"Wonderful," Barthomeloi said simply. She led them towards a fancy-looking building at the edge of the city, before finding the owner to negotiate with. Luthien wasn't privy to the details, but by the end, they were allowed access to the building, while some money exchanged hands.
“Prepare all your summoning materials. We’ll start summoning the Servants as soon as possible.” Barthomeloi ordered. “Try to keep the property relatively in one piece. Minor damage is tolerable, but total destruction would be a hindrance.”
The others scattered to quickly nab the best rooms to use as their workshops and their summoning areas. Luthien quickly carved the necessary sigil into the stone floor, before filling the grooves with mana-enriched powder. This was her only trump card. Surprisingly, the sigil itself wasn’t that complicated. The circle was roughly five meters across, made of three concentric circles with smaller sigils and runes.
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The Clock Tower still used the old chant. It was long, arduous, pretentious, and at points nonsensical. In the end, most of the chant was pointless. The Masters were pre-chosen, as indicated by their command seals. As a Master, her job was to anchor the Heroic Spirit to this place and time once it appeared. And, of course, to provide enough Mana for it to take physical form. The Grail itself, a fount of almost endless Mana, provided most of the sustenance for the spirit, but the Master’s contribution mattered. It was symbolic.
The chant did have one purpose though. It influenced what Class the Servant would be. Sometimes you had no choice. Sometimes the relic you used made sure you summoned a particular Servant, and that Servant could only be of specific Classes. But when the option was available, the chant could influence it. And in the case of Berserker, controlled the level of the Madness Enchantment placed on the Servant. The deeper the madness, the greater the power granted by the enchantment.
“…My will shall create thy body, and thy sword shall create my fate. Abiding by the summons of the Holy Grail, if thou dost accede to this will and reason, answer me!...” She chanted. They had discussed their choice of Servants beforehand of course. They were working as a team. At least theoretically. Certain Classes were reserved for certain members of their team. The Archer, Berserker, and Lancer were already chosen, and Saber would most likely go to Barthomeloi as it was generally considered the strongest Class in a straight-up fight. That left Rider, Assassin, and Caster. She didn't mind, and they'd been given free reign to attempt to summon any of the three, or four if you dared to compete with Barthomeloi.
A sudden flash of light blinded her, and the sound of a beating heart could be heard for a few seconds before the ritual finished. The light faded and in the circle stood a woman wearing the robes of the greatest hero of her people. The hero who had freed them from the oppression of a malicious god. A hero, who was still venerated to this day, over ten thousand years later. Any true child of her people could recognize the symbol on the figure's robes, even if the woman's face was covered by a smiling Solitaire mask, and the heavy robes and Wraithbone armor obscured her other features. The pair of golden wings above the symbol of the Aeldari Pantheon was forever engraved into the psyche of her people, even if they had forsaken their home.
She also knew something only the non-Human students of the Clock Tower had realized. The Servant rankings maintained by the secret branch of the organization were fallible. Laplace was a great source of information, but it wasn't all-knowing. It had a serious slant in its evaluation criteria, valuing the Human Heroic Spirits way above all the others. Now, she would be able to prove them wrong.
She had succeeded. Suddenly, she wasn’t the least bit worried about the outcome. She had already won this war, and nobody else had realized it yet.
“I ask you. Are you my Master?” The figure asked, the voice distorted by the mask to sound as if a dozen people were speaking at once.
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Luthien led her new servant to the atrium, noting that the other Masters were also arriving with someone in tow. Some of the Servants stood out in a very obvious way, and Luthien could recognize a few of them from her research. The most harmless-looking servant, a young-looking blond girl wearing a chest plate and faulds over a blue dress might have been the most dangerous of them all and was obviously the Saber. This was in fact one of the most famous Servants among the Clock Tower, Arturia Pendragon, the King of Knights. She was considered one of the Top Servants. Of course, Barthomeloi would summon her. The two suited each other.
Another one easy to recognize, was a large man wearing a tattered cloak over his blue full-plate armor and white skull mask. No one would think this was the most infamous Assassin, Yaman no Okina, or Old Man of the Mountain, a man recognized to be perhaps the most dangerous Servant to have ever lived. The Grand Assassin, a fact belied by his appearance. No one, except the people of the Clock Tower, that is. The Trambelio heir looked so smug with his success. Not without reason.
Where Hassan looked imposing with his presence and appearance, the Archer was the opposite. Wearing simple white pants and a sleeveless shirt of the same color, Archer managed to still look diligent and just. His dark hair and skin contrasted well with his simple clothing, managing to make the simple look elegant. This was another Servant well known to everyone, the Grand Archer Arjuna. Luvia looked almost as smug as the Trambelio heir, with equal reason to be pleased with herself.
‘Two Grands, even if not with their full Grand powers, and two top servants, and that’s without counting mine. The other teams are in for a bad time.’ Luthien thought to herself. This was the might of the Clock Tower when they got serious. Even if they hadn’t all been quite as lucky.
The other three were less identifiable, albeit not impossible to at least narrow down to a certain area. The Berserker wore bright red ornate Chinese armor, holding a large halberd, and had two long red plumes of hair coming out of his headband. Not everyone would recognize Lü Bu, but Luthien did. Not quite as magnificent as far as Servants went as the previous three, but nothing to scoff at.
The next Servant only wore a bright red cape, an ancient Greek Hoplite helmet with bright red horse-mane hair, metal vambraces boots, and what looked like a thong made of simple red loincloth. He had bronze skin with bright red painted markings and held a spear and a Hoplite shield. The number of Greek heroes was rather large, so his exact identity was hard to tell. Case in point, the Rider also seemed Greek. Still, the colors and equipment hinted at Sparta.
The Rider had his face bare and wore silver Greek armor and spear, but otherwise was much more moderate in his appearance, making identifying him impossible for now. Luthien would need to see him in action. The fact that Lord Germaine looked so pleased with himself did suggest he'd managed to summon someone special though.
“What sort of Servant is that?” Trambelio jeered, looking at Luthien and her Servant. “Is that supposed to be Caster?”
Luthien felt her blood boil for a fraction of a second. No one would mock the savior of her people! But she didn’t say anything. Let them think what they wanted. Sadly that plan was foiled quickly.
The Assassin leaned forward and whispered something in his Master’s ear.
“What?!” Trambelio asked with a disdainful and confused look. He didn’t get a response though, as the Assassin seemed to disappear into the thin air, using his [Presence Concealment]. However, Luthien wasn’t worried, as she was able to see a faint outline in the air where the Assassin was, provided by her own Servant. “Hey! Come back!” Trambelio called out.
“Care to share with the rest of us what has you so flustered?” Luvia asked with a sarcastic sweet tone, clearly annoyed by the young man’s antics.
Trambelio chewed on his lip for a moment. “No, I don’t think I will.” He finally decided.
Luvia looked towards her Servant. “Master Assassin said that there’s only one being among everyone gathered here he would not want to fight, and that being is Caster.” The dark-skinned man glanced towards Luthien’s Servant. With everyone present, the Classes were easy to guess.
Saber nodded. “I happen to agree. I do not know who she is, but I’d rather fight the rest of you combined than her.”
“Why?” Her Master asked sharply.
"The Skill [Instinct]," Saber explained curtly. The Skill wasn't precognition exactly, but it helped her make the most optimal decision in any situation. And the Skill was rather loudly screaming that fighting the Caster was very much not that.
As if acting on a silent command, the Berserker suddenly leapt across the room and threw a powerful punch at Luthien’s Servant. Luthien watched confidently as Caster stopped the powerful blow with a single finger, not even bothering to fully extend the finger, despite the shockwave from the blow cracking the stone wall behind her.
That left everyone surprised. It wasn't a full-power blow, but it was made by Berserker against Caster. That's not how that was supposed to work. They wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised if the blow had been magically deflected, but stopping it physically with a finger was another matter altogether. All the Servants were experienced enough fighters to draw several conclusions from that brief exchange. Caster had made her point, and nothing else needed to be said.
“Well, now. That is interesting.” Lord Germaine gave voice to what many of them were thinking, also showing his experience by coming to the right conclusions.
“Enough with the shenanigans. We need to get information on the other teams. Caster, Archer, you’re the most likely able to help with that, correct?” Barthomeloi got the team back on topic.
Her Servant looked at Luthien, making it obvious she wasn’t following Barhomeloi’s orders but her instructions instead. Luthien simply nodded, giving permission. Her Servant waved a hand and a handful of the bricks from the just broken stone wall flew up to float above her hand, before they suddenly shattered into fine dust. Then the dust flew out to form a miniature replicate of the city they were in. Then her Servant pulled out a handful of what looked like dice covered in glowing runes and tossed them inside the miniature city. One of the dice settled on their location, while six others rolled out to various locations around the city, although one dice kept slowly moving, just entering the city. The message was rather clear and obvious without any need for words.
Barthomeloi nodded, quite pleased with the information. "Archer, can you get actual eyes on one or two of the opposing teams? You can keep enough distance to not be at risk."
“With their locations already provided, easily.” The Archer replied dutifully, before vanishing. The Class was famed for high Perception and Skills that granted sight at long ranges.
“Good. Now, normally I’d insist that we reveal the details of our Servants to each other, to facilitate teamwork, but I know none of you are actually stupid enough to go with it.” Barthomeloi frowned a bit.
This was a team event, but there would only be a single winner. Once the other teams were eliminated, the remaining members of the last team would turn on each other and duke it out until only one Master/Servant pair remained. Not necessarily an original pair either. Sometimes Masters would get eliminated first, leaving orphaned Servants that could be taken up by a Master that still had Command Seals and had in turn lost their Servant. Some Grail Wars were more gentle in that they forbid the targeting of Masters, but this wasn’t one of those Grail Wars. In this war, the Masters were fair game, and likely the choice targets for at least Assassins. After all, Masterless Servants would only be around for a short time, unless they had high level [Independent Action].
Luthien realized that while she had no doubt her Servant would win, that didn’t necessarily mean it had to be with her…