/jp/ - Otaku Culture

Name five things which Shiki cannot kill.

>>18497507
Choose any 5 Types.

>>18497503
Tsukihime Remake when?

>>18497507
Servants

>>18497507
God, ORT, a broken phone, Fate's popularity and Nasu.

>>18497507
Archetype Earth

>>18497507
This chair.

>>18497507
Aoko.

>>18495231
>this is the kind of newfag who spams "redman" and "smug redman"
Fucking hell.

>>18497530
>a broken phone
???

>>18498115
If you don't care about anime it is kinda valid.
Though even those who haven't watched would still know where the reference is from due to not being a newfag.

>>18498119
Can't kill what's already dead, that was the example Nasu used.

Who is the best wife for EMIYA?

>>18498341
Me.

List of h-scenes that should be in Tsukihime R, in an alternate universe where TM still does h-scenes:

>Sandwich tittyfuck with Arc and Ciel rivalry
>Akiha being dom outside of her dream
>Evil vampire Sacchin S&M
>Normal Sacchin doggystyle, using her handlebars
>outdoors /ss/ with Sensei
>Shiki showing Sensei how much he's grown up in Eclipse
>Threesome with Arc and Len
>Flower of Thanatos 2.0, now with rimjobs

Anything else?

>>18498542
>Len
No

>>18498595
Why?
The story's different, no reason for her not go be in.

>>18498542
Your taste in H-scenes is garbage

When will Nefertari be added to the gacha? Doesn't Ozzy deserve to be happy?

>>18497503
Between seeing this and the Arc thread, it just makes me miss Tsukihime, downloading doujins from gakugaku animal land, and playing through all those Melty Blood versions as they were released so much

CIEL IS CUTE

CUTE

>>18498731
Not vanilla enough for you, anon?

>>18498920
I want to kiss her thighs!

>>18498873
>Arc thread
Where?

>>18498935
Look for funny vamp in catalog

>>18498943
Oooh, thanks.

>>18498935
Tell me about Ciel, why does she have the tramp stamps

>>18498946
The Church doesn't care about social constructs of what is or isn't raunchy/trashy.
It gives her cool executor powers, or something like that.

>>18498966
Is that why TM priests are allowed to have families and Caren is allowed to be the biggest slut on Earth

>>18498983
I guess so.
They were OK with monstrous experiments on this totally innocent french girl for the sake of SCIENCE.
And with that one spanish priest turning himself into an inhuman cyborg.

>>18498983
>Caren is allowed to be the biggest slut on Earth
How should Kotomine feel about his daughter summoning, meeting, and then fucking Angra Mainyu?

>>18498983
>Caren is allowed to be the biggest slut on Earth
Not even close

>remake Ciel has disgusting hair all over her forehead

Eat more ice cream.

>>18498983
>allowed to have families
Maybe it's related to following the Eighth Sacrament?

>>18499009
Kiara doesn't count since she is a beast

>>18499366
She's still the biggest slut even before becoming a beast.

>>18499577
No she wasn't

>>18499596
AFAIK she wasn't a beast during CCC but that didn't stop her from swallowing the whole world in her heaven's hole.

Kiritsugu survives to the 5th HGW, and meets EMIYA, Illya, and Arturia. What happens?

>>18499789
A lot of crying and explaining is done

>>18499789
Depends on what he's up to at that point
If he's just chill like normal post-Zero Kerry, Artoria will tolerate his existence and EMIYA will avoid him, Illya will try to murder the shit out of him and will take a lot of work to calm her down.
If he's up to his usual bullshit, he gets fucked by all three at once.

>>18499789
>Illya
Herc explodes him into giblets.

>>18499819
If he's like long-term Kerry, seeing EMIYA would utterly destroy him. The thought that he had saved Shirou was all that stopped him from suicide, and the knowledge of how his ideal would cause Shirou to damn himself would be unbearable.

>>18499833
Illya would calm down after she sees what AM's curse did to him.

>>18498542
>Len
Yes

>>18499810
>Kiritsugu
>explaining anything
In what universe

>>18499910
One in which he lives till the 5th war

>>18499918
"Shirou, I was training you as a magus wrong on purpose, as a joke. Also, Artoria, the Grail is corrupted which is why I ordered you to blow it up, sorry but your dream is a lie."

>>18499925
Also my ideals are worthless Shirou, please give up on them and lead a normal life. It's for the best.

As for you Archer, I'm sorry your life ended this way.

>>18499949
There is nothing wrong with wanting to save everyone.

>>18499983
You can't save everyone

>>18500018
That doesn't make it wrong to try

>>18499875
Good taste.

>>18499609
'Beast' isn't even a thing that appears in CCC.

>>18500122
Exactly.

>>18498542
Not for lewd.

>>18500580
Do you think she had an h-scene in the original Mahoyo where she masturbates while thinking of Soujuuro's abs?

>>18500688
No.

>>18500704
And before you use the KnK excuse, know that both settings have very different tones.

the tsukihime manga and melty blood links are dead in the OP

How long would it take to complete tsukihime? (i've already read Arc's route)

>>18501692
Multiply the time you've spent so far by 4, it depends on how fast a reader you are

>>18501692
The whole VN is like 30 hours, considerably shorter than FSN.

It's funny how Mordred is more suitable with Proto-Arthur while Proto-Morded is more suitable with Arturia.

>>18501892
Arturia is for EMIYA

>>18501962
I was talking about which parent is more suitable with which child.
Also servant EMIYA isn't for anyone.

>>18501993
Servant EMIYA was a Saberfag, and he's got nothing to do all day in Chaldea but hit on her

>>18502129
He actually spends time on Chaldea watching over Illya and Taiga, and sometimes he cooks shit for other servants.

>>18501993
Servant EMIYA is for the noose and/or the nuclear reactor meltdown.

>>18502184
Is Emiya the best mom?

How am I supposed to play HA? I've read there are missable scenes, do I need a walkthrough to not miss them, or is there a general strategy to follow?

>>18502247
Servant EMIYA is for pampering and comforting

>>18502426
Just do the "NEW" selections first and do "!" selections after you've done everything else available.

How would you feel if Perseus was demoted to a Pseudo-servant using Shinji's body?

>>18502592
It'd suck like every other pseudo-Servant. Cheap excuse for fanservice.
Then again I'm rarely ever excited for any new Servant nowadays.

>>18502592
I'd feel like becoming a murder hobo to get him back.

>>18502592
Perseus was a cool guy who got roped into a fight he had no stake in to perform a public service. Jason is the Greek Shinji.

What kind of catalyst would you need to summon Neil Armstrong?

>>18502638
Pretty much anything related to him, astronauts, Apollo stuff, NASA, and stuff from the Moon?

>>18502670
Even though he's from the modern era, would Neil be a top-tier servant? After all, his name is basically guaranteed to live forever as one of the kings of all explorers

>>18502625
Medusa compared him to Shinji, so there's that.

>>18502767
A successful Shinji, so Shinji but without the inferiority complex rotting his soul aka a run-of-the-mill Chad, and also Medusa isn't exactly an unbiased reference when talking about Perseus

>>18502781
Yeah, but that means nothing. The comparison was made, we haven't seen many direct ones like that so the chances that it happens are non-zero.

Could Archer beat Gilgamesh within UBW?

>>18503001
Gil would actually take him seriously so no.

>>18502767
And then there's Proto Perseus, who goes on a murder spree after watching a kid die hoping for everyone's happiness.

This is now a TATARI thread.
Trust no one.

>>18502625
Please, Shinji wishes he had even a scrap of Jason's charisma.

>>18503149
>Jason
>charisma
Medea was literally brainwashed into loving him

So every magus wants to reach the Root, but what are they supposed to do in the event that they actually get there? You cant touch it, it kills you.

>>18503184
You reach God or something.

>>18503198
But that's a one way trip

>>18503171
Jason has tons of charisma. That's basically his only real specialty. You don't unite and lead the Argonauts, a ragtag group of misfits, if you don't have charisma.

>>18502479
What do when all options are "!"?

Who wins in a fight between Karna, Arjuna, and Rama?

>>18503404
Us.

>>18503404
Rama just sits there and watches while the other two kill each other.

>>18503425
*while Arjuna impotently tries to kill Karna before getting btfo

>>18503404
Karna is fated to die from a dishonourable attack vs Arjuna so Rama BTFOs him midway through their fateful duel.

We always talk about the shitty servants in FGO, but which one has been your favorite so far, or ones that you'd like to see on a full HGW spin-off?

>>18503504
All of my favorite servants were imported from SN or spinoffs in the first place, so I'm already kind of set. I would much rather see cool servants like Moses get added for Gil and Enkidu Reunion 2: Egypt Edition.

Aside from that, New World HGW with exclusively new world servants like Billy, Geronimo, Edison, Quetz, Jaguarman, Tesla, Neil Armstrong.

>>18503567
>All of my favorite servants were imported from SN or spinoffs in the first place
I kind of feel the same, but I think that's because they get the time to shine, whereas FGO doesn't treat anyone very well, not even the most popular servants.

Personally I want more focus on the Japanese HS. It's kind of weird that there's like 100 of them, but something like 3 in all main works, without counting EMIYA.

>>18503504
>you'd like to see on a full HGW spin-off
I think a lot of the new Riders and Casters would be fun to see in a Grail War.

Mata Hari just to see how long she could survive.

Who is the 2nd weakest servant, after AM?

>>18503700
Pretty useless if he doesn't finish his story or have someone to use it on. Other than that all he can do is shit talk.

>>18503731
At least Angra Mainyu is theoretically useful in a singularity where you have to wipe out large forces of enemy human combatants or dickass mages for whatever reason, he's the best at killing humans

>>18503377
That's means they are all needed to name the plot continue, so none of them are missable.

>human psychics were bestowed power by the counter force and can probably be summoned as servants
caster akira when

>>18504550
It's just dumb fanservice anon, don't think deeply about it. Any Tsukihime girl could become a Servant if they felt like it, the whole concept is watered down.

>>18497507
My dick

>>18503184
Thats the beauty of it, none of them have have actually planned on what the fuck to do if they ever won the war, the HGW is just a shitshow of retarded mages

>>18503504
Tesla, I love how much of a dick he is

>>18503245
Yeah, but it's probably better to be an ascended existence with God than live as a normal magus on Earth. Of course, if you reach the Root and then manage to turn back, you get some sick True Magic as a compensation prize.

>>18503700
Mata Hari is probably worse than AM

>>18505692
What true magics can possibly be discovered? We've already got violating equivalent exchange in both directions (something from nothing and nothing from something), dimension hopping, manifesting the soul, and something to do with camoflauging yourself from the whole universe. What's even left after all that?

>>18505755
Being omniscient, or recreating the Tohno Gland or something.

>>18505730
I don't know, AM said himself he was the weakest servant, and I feel he'd know that.

>>18505795
But doesn't Kaleidsocope give you omniescence?

>>18505730
Unlike AM, Mata Hari is cute and perfect. So she can't be worse than AM, who is neither cute nor perfect.

>>18506128
No? That's not what omniscience means.

>>18505795
Wouldn't Watcher from FSF be using True Magic in that case?

>>18505755
>What's even left after all that?
Are you serious? There is a fuckton of powerful concepts.

>>18506165
Name (1)

>>18506158
No.

>>18506228
Related to Nasuverse might be something like Gaia or Alaya manipulation of some sort. Something creative definitely can be found if you give it more thorough thought.

>>18505601
It's not really that dumb when KT mentions psychics being part of Alaya's counter force.

>>18506228
Za warudo.

>>18507181
We have multiple variants of timestop already

>>18507196
I guess you're right if we consider emiya assassin and dantes, but aren't those about time slowdown instead of true stoppage?

>>18507236
Dantes isn't slowing time, he's moving at the speed of his thoughts. It ends up being a timestop in practice.
There was also that Sakuraface from Foxtail, I think.

>>18507247
Violet freezes space, if I recall.

>>18506228
Mystery manipulation was the most popular theory about the Fourth, I think.

I remember we used to think Merlin would be the Fourth Magician. Good times.

>>18507319
>Mystery manipulation was the most popular theory about the Fourth
What does that even mean

Why can't EMIYA be summoned as a Saber? Wouldn't his origin make it his best class?

>>18507103
Agents of the counter force does not mean Servants.

>>18507373
Mystery. Manipulating how powerful ancient magic is, and stuff like that. You could technically make all magic completely powerless.

>>18507319
That would've been much cooler than Grand Servant shit.>>18507373

>>18507398
You need high stats to be Saber, EMIYA has shit tier stats.
Ironically, Muramasa spergs out over being summoned as Saber since he considers himself just a blacksmith.

>>18507470
>You need high stats to be Saber, EMIYA has shit tier stats.
High stats or a cheat code like Imperial Privilege.

>>18507470
Gilles has pretty shit stats.

>>18507447
But how would that definition of the 4th be self-concealing? The 4th hides its usage when it gets used so absolutely nobody, not even guys like Zelretch, are any wiser about it.

>>18507956
>how would a magic revolving around mystery hide itself
golly that's a real puzzler

>>18508049
>the only effect of using your true magic is making itself useless
Wow I'm so glad I saw the Root to see that, too stronk

>>18508535
Are you pretending to be retarded, or do you really not understand how overpowering mystery is in the Nasuverse?

>>18507512
His average is slightly better than Emiya's. The only area he's definitively outclassed in is mana.

Don't sabers also need to have a legendary sword of some sort or something like that?

>>18507470
Okita has average to bad stats across the board aside from Agility. Even her Magic Resistance is rock-bottom.

>>18508618
Her being Saber is a joke though
>>18508615
We already have many without one

>>18508618
>>18508628
Under other circumstances Okita would have great skills

And Oda would be a man and 5*

>>18508640
>Oda would be a man
no, Nobu was and always is a girl, read GUDAGUDA 2

>>18508646
>Under other circumstances

>>18508640
Her skills are great. Shukuchi basically allows her to teleport at will, and she has Eye of the Mind. Weak Constitution is the only one that's shit. It's her parameters that are trash.
>>18508628
There's no other class that fits her. Maybe Assassin if you stretch it, but her legend would most likely override it.

>>18508668
Also, Sandanzuki is technically a skill as well, much like Tsubame Gaeshi.

>>18508668
Meant stats, not skills my bad

>>18507470
>>18507512
Stats and a legend as a swordfighter, Emiya has shit stats and no legend so the class is blocked for him while Giles is known to have fought so he gets in.

>>18508690
I don't think Gilles was particularly renowned as a swordsman. Neither was Caesar, but he at least acknowledges it.

>>18508714
But he has a legend that says he swung a sword at least once.

>>18508726
Shirou also swung a sword once, what's your point? CGs aren't subject to the same restrictions as Heroic Spirits.

>>18508737
Legend is something Emiya rather fundamentally does not have.

>>18508748
That's my point, I doubt that CGs can only qualify for some of the classes.

>>18508760
He could maybe squeeze by if he had decent stats but since he fails both of the requirements to be a Saber he isn't qualified.

>>18508714
>Neither was Caesar, but he at least acknowledges it.
This is why we got fat Caesar, he shouldn't be a Saber.

RIDER CAESAR FUCKING WHEN?

>>18508785
He'd still be stuck in a shitty mobage.

does anyone have a working download to ReAct?

>>18508918
But it's a good game

>>18508942
FGO is irredeemable garbage and I say that as a person who actively plays it and has spent money on it.

>>18508980
FGO is good and I say that as a person who actively plays it and has spent money on it.

New art from Sasaki for the release of another chapter of the Tsukihime manga on line.

>>18509024
That's fine too, everyone has their own tastes. I just can't like stories without a proper main character.

>>18509043
Too bad then, I guess you don't like SF either

>>18509055
"Proper main character" as in "not a self-insert without personality or even proper dialogue"
I don't have a problem with ensemble casts, as long as they're done well.

Could Heracles have beat Gil if he didn't have to worry about Illya?

>>18509105
Berserker Herc doesn't stand a chance. Archer Herc could definitely keep up with Gil though.

>>18509039
He's doing one a week, right? Love them all so far.

>>18509055
For the record, you're not talking with the person who originally replied to you. I hate FGO for a multitude of reasons that aren't just the garbage MC, and I'd never spend any money to support that trash.

>>18509156
The one before today's was a week ago but the others aren't released at one week each.

>>18509156
>I hate FGO for a multitude of reasons
I see. Do you perhaps have a tendency of engaging in 17k-word autistic screeds about how F/GO is the worst thing to ever happen to any franchise ever concocted?

>>18509205
>muh strawman

>>18509205
Nope.

>>18509205
That shit was so much autism, even within 17k words it was still concentrated

What's the big deal of Merlin being stuck in his tower if he can magic rules lawyer out of it anytime he wants?

How does /tmg/ feel about Marie Antoinnette

>>18510253
She is good for a F/GO original.

>>18510253
Cute, but a bit bland.

>>18510253
Do we have enough French servants to have an all-france grail war?

If a no-name shitter pharaoh like Nito can get in, why can't Ozzy's wife?

>>18510350
There's numbers, but no Lancer, Archer or Berserker. Even if you added Ruler and Avenger to replace them, there's only 6 classes.

Was Berserker Hercules a good dad to Illya?

Fate/go is best type moon

Sita when?

>>18510456
lol

>>18510613
>takes his little girl to the doctors office for her annual check-in
Not seeing the problem here

>>18510613
Why did Gilgamesh kill her in such a sadistic fashion? He had nothing to gain by doing that.

>>18510764
Angra Mainyu touching him and gifting him with a body made him more angry and sadistic than usual. Also
>enemy has mystic eyes
>not neutralizing them

>>18510613
Is there any route where she lives?

>>18510869
Fate but she's going to die a year or so later.

>>18510869
Prisma.

>>18510950
Does it have any relation other than similar artwork?

>>18511022
Not really, it was a meme reply.

>>18507410
No, but I find it hard to believe Alaya isn't bookmarking the most powerful psychics in the world for use as counter guardians later on instead of just letting them topple into the void.

Maybe not Akira Seo or the fake Shiki since their powers are impractical for combat, but I can't buy the likes of Kiri Nanaya just entering the cycle of reincarnation without getting shelved for use later. Alaya provides psychic powers, that's the theory anyway, then 99% of the psychics get wrecked in combat, the one in a million exceptions that can enter musou-style fights with nonhumans or boldly present themselves to halfbloods and still win anyway seem like they'd be worth salvaging after death. The only investments that actually turned out a profit. Maybe it takes a global holocaust before they start scraping the bottom of the barrel for any extant noncombatant modern psychics but the ones who've proven themselves seem like shoe-ins for the draft

>>18500112
When will Tsukihime remake happen?

There was a flash, then a gust of wind, making Kiritsugu throw his arm up to shield his eyes from the flash of whiteness. Irisviel took a step back, clutching Avalon to her chest, as the newly summoned Hero stepped forward.

"...Arthur Pendragon?" Irisviel said. The man smiled, thinly.

"No," the Hero said. His eyes slid upwards, meeting Kiritsugu's.

The swords appeared before Kiritsugu was ready, and the man lunged, slamming into the barrel of a gun Kiritsugu managed to use to block. Irisviel screamed but the man charged again, lunging forward and raising his sword.

"Stop!" Kiritsugu said, and the command spell bound him. The man's eyes widened as he staggered onto the ground.

"My love!" Irisviel ran toward him. Kiritsugu breathed.

"Iri, stay back! That man is not King Arthur!"

"What?" Irisviel whirled around to the man still bound in one position. Kiritsugu coughed and stood, clutching his arm.

"Iri," Kiritsugu said, and he pushed himself upwards.

"I think that man is my son."

When a Master and Servant are truly compatible, they know things about each other without even speaking. Circuits aligned. Shared memories become common knowledge, and Kiritsugu understood that the man standing in front of him would be future family.

"You understand quickly," Archer said. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching Kiritsugu warily. "You must also understand why you need to die."

"You blame me for your fate," Kiritsugu said. It wasn't a question. Archer spread his hands.

"I place the blame squarely on myself. However, killing you would be the most expedient way to fix things."

"If the fire you speak of comes to pass, I promise I will not help you," Kiritsugu said. Archer smiled, thinly.

"You'll forgive me if I have my doubts," Archer said.

Irisviel held her hands to her chest, worried. The two men regarded each other - a father and son, ostensibly, though she couldn't quite wrap her mind around it. Please don't hurt him, she prayed, silently. She could see the man's fingers twitch, as if about to conjure another sword out from thin air.

"I've decided not to kill you," Archer said, finally, and the tension in the room relaxed considerably. "You were going to waste another command spell anyway, and doing so would leave us at a considerable disadvantage. It would be best if we were the ones to win the Grail, after all."

"Thank you for your consideration," Kiritsugu said, dryly.

"Well. If you win, the world would have no reason to keep around a Guardian like me, now would it?"

"I suppose not," Kiritsugu said. His fingers were itching toward the holster of his gun.

"You are my Saber-class Servant?" Kiritsugu said.

"It would seem so," Archer said.

"But you seem more like an Archer," Kiritsugu said.

"Well. I suppose I could technically count as an Archer, among other things."

"You've fought in a Grail War before?" Kiritsugu said. Archer sighed.

"As a mage, yes. Not as a Servant."

"I see." Kiritsugu didn't take his eyes off him.

"You know," Kiritsugu said. "With the white hair, I would have thought you'd be Iri's."

"I can see how that would be misleading."

Iri doesn't survive, does she? Kiritsugu thought. He let the words remain unspoken. Irisviel tugged on his arm.

"My love," Irisviel said. She glanced at Archer, frowning. "That man makes me uneasy."

"I know, Iri. But we'll just have to deal with it."

"Is he going to hurt you?"

"He promised me he won't."

"But after the war-" Irisviel started, but Kiritsugu pressed a hand on her shoulder.

"We will deal with it when the time comes."

Daybreak came, and Kiritsugu took Ilya out for a walk. Irisviel looked out the window and rubbed her arms, glancing back at Archer, who was sitting heavily on the couch.

"So...Saber...?"

Archer glanced up.

"It seems that Kiritsugu wants me to pretend to be your master. Are you okay with that?"

"It is an excellent strategy," Archer said. "By working separately, our enemies will not know where to attack. But I'm sure he's already explained as much."

"Yes." Irisviel rubbed her arms.

He frightened her, the heft of his body large and ominous, taking up entirely too much space in the delicate confines of the room. Her eyes traced an invisible path from the broadness of his shoulders to the severe angles of his face, and she shivered, despite herself. Archer glanced up and met her eyes.

"What is it?" Archer said. Irisviel yelped and the door opened, Ilya bounding into the room.

"Mama! Mama!" Ilya said.

"Ilya! You shouldn't be here!" Irisviel said, but Ilya jumped into her arms.

"I beat Kiritsugu counting walnuts!" Ilya said, and she glanced over Irisviel's shoulder.

"Hello," Ilya said. Archer smiled.

"Ilya, don't bother him," Irisviel said, but Ilya was already sliding out of Irisviel's lap, making her way cautiously to Archer.

"Are you Saber?" Ilya said.

"I am," Archer said. Ilya's eyes were wide and she leaned forward on her little arms.

"How come your coat doesn't cover your back?" She was looking at Archer's red coat, which stopped halfway down his chest.

"It wasn't made that way," Archer said.

"Don't you get cold?" Ilya said.

"Not particularly," Archer said.

"Mama," Ilya said. "Can't we get Mr. Saber a better coat?"

Irisviel glanced back at Archer again, and was surprised to see a small smile on his lips. "I suppose we'll have to," Irisviel said. Ilya clapped her hands.

Strangely, Archer did not seem to mind playing with Ilya. Irisviel watched as he squatted his large body over the child-sized tea set, waiting patiently as Ilya poured him make-believe tea and showed him the rest of her stuffed dolls.

"Here," Ilya said, and she tied a ribbon around Archer's wrist. "I made you a bracelet."

"Oh? This is very pretty."

"You like it?"

"Very much so."

"You're very good with children," Irisviel said, after they tucked Ilya into bed. Archer stood, glancing back at her.

"That surprises you?" Archer said.

"You seemed so harsh. I wasn't expecting it."

He fell silent. Irisviel wondered if maybe she offended him, but Archer just shrugged nonchalantly.

"Well," he said, after a long moment, "she is my sister, after all."

Kiritsugu left for Japan a day ahead of them. Irisviel understood: it was to maintain the ruse that she was Saber's master. She still couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment, however.

"It will be fine," Kiritsugu said. He kissed Irisviel on the cheek and offered her a weak smile. "I will see you soon," Kiritsugu said. "I know you will be in good hands."

Behind her, Archer nodded, and Kiritsugu hefted his bag, heading out the door.

The plane ride to Japan was long and uncomfortable, and though Irisviel had always looked forward to flying, the fact that she was seated next to Archer instead of her husband somewhat dampened her enthusiasm. "Do you like riding on planes?" she asked once, in an earnest attempt at starting conversation, but Archer just shrugged and replied with a curt, "I don't dislike it," and effectively shut down any notions Irisviel had at having an amiable travel companion.

They arrived in Fuyuki airport without fuss or fanfare, Irisviel craning her neck at the throng of people walking around her.

"Miss Einzbern?"

Archer was frowning at her. Irisviel smiled.

"I'm sorry, Saber! I've just never been in an airport, before. And please call me Irisviel or Iri, Miss Einzbern is much too formal!"

Archer didn't say anything, just turned and walked in front of her.

He walked fast. His strides were long and Irisviel struggled to keep up beside him, practically jogging as she looked around for the baggage carousel.

"There it is!" Irisviel said, but as she reached for her bag Archer intercepted it, deftly.

Irisviel glanced up. Archer took their luggage without a word, glancing back once, and slowing his pace to let her catch up beside him.
"I've never been in the city before," Irisviel said.

They were driving in a car, Irisviel looking out the window while Archer sat beside her, not saying anything. Irisviel pressed her face up against the angled glass and watched the buildings whiz by, delighted. "I hope we can at least walk around before the fighting starts," Irisviel said. "We've come all this way, it would be a shame not to."

"That would be unwise," Archer said. He crossed his arms. "We are in the middle of a war. Walking around the city would only make you a target."

"I suppose you're right." Irisviel sagged into her chair. "It's just I've never been outside the castle. I suppose I got a little excited - I was looking forward to going outside."

He looked at her with quiet interest. Irisviel smiled.

"I was born to be a tool for the Holy War," Irisviel said. She folded her hands in her lap, shyly. "Kiritsugu told me about the outside world. He showed me pictures and videos. I was never allowed outside until now, I guess I just got a little excited...but please don't trouble yourself over me! I understand the risks."

Archer sighed and rapped his knuckles on the back of the partition, signalling the driver.

"Stop the car," Archer said. Irisviel glanced up.

"Saber?"

"If it's a choice between sitting through more stories about your hard upbringing or going outside, we may as well go for a walk. I'm not in the mood to listen to more sob stories."

"Really?" Irisviel's face split into a grin.

"You are lucky I feel sorry for you," Archer said, and he stepped outside and opened her door.

The sea was beautiful at night, and Archer watched silently as Irisviel laughed and tore off her shoes, running barefoot onto the damp sand and splashing in the water. Like a little kid, he thought, and she squealed and twirled a little in the moonlight.

"This is wonderful!" Irisviel said, and her hair whipped around her face, catching moonlight with each silver strand. "It's so much fun to walk around town and see the sites with other people. I've had so much fun today, Saber!"

"Hm."

"Saber. Do you like the sea?"

"I don't have particularly strong feelings about it," Archer said. Irisviel twirled.

"That's too bad. I suppose it's because you're a man, you wouldn't have any romantic feelings about it."

"Perhaps you can take your husband and ask how he feels, as well."

"I couldn't do that," Irisviel said. "It would only hurt him," and Archer looked up, surprised.

"Kiritsugu is someone who finds happiness painful." Irisviel smiled, gently. "I've tried to help him as best I can. But maybe I've been too sheltered."

Archer looked up, suddenly.

"Irisviel," he said.

"An enemy servant?"

"It would seem so."

They looked out past the cliffside, tracing the signal.

(They met Lancer at an abandoned warehouse. They were about to fight when to everyone' surprise, Archer leapt up onto a storage unit and sent a barrage of arrows flying toward Lancer. It surprised him and he could barely keep up; he used both spears to block the throng of arrows shooting at him until he was finally forced into a retreat, Iskander laughing heartily at the sight while Gilgamesh - the real Archer - crossed his arms and looked visibly annoyed.

"What kind of Saber shoots arrows?!" Kayneth raged, and Kiritsugu and Maiya shared a surprised and puzzled glance, Maiya setting down her gun and Kiritsugu cautiously lowering his scope.)

>>18511517

He had been ordered to keep watch on the roof. Silently, Archer squinted his eyes and looked out into the inky darkness, almost certain he could see traces of Caster's mana bleeding out from the horizon. He really doesn't care, does he? Archer thought, and while Irisviel objected to Kiritsugu's decision to leave Caster and that serial killer boy unchecked, Archer privately agreed with his Master's decision. "Let someone else deal the blow," Archer had said, and Kiritsugu nodded, quietly.

Strange: Archer had never thought he and Kiritsugu would be so similar.

There was a sound, and Archer turned to see Kiritsugu stepping onto the balcony. Assuming his Master had something to say to him, Archer started to move from his position, stopping only after he had realized Kiritsugu was staring heavily out into the darkness. Evidently he had forgotten Archer was there.

"If I decided to abandon everything and run away right now," Kiritsugu said. "Iri, would you come with me?"

He was talking to Irisviel. Sensing a private moment between husband and wife, Archer shifted from his perch; he was about to leave when he heard Irisviel speak.

"You could never run away. You would never forgive yourself for abandoning the Grail. You would kill yourself," Irisviel said, and Archer wondered if that were true. "I won't let you fight alone, I'll protect you. Saber will protect you. And Maiya...she'll protect you, too."

Later that night, Archer watched as Kiritsugu crept through the hallway, feeling his way through the dark and finding himself in front of the door to Hisau Maiya's room. Kiritsugu knocked. Maiya opened the door.

"Maiya."

"Yes?"

"I need you," he said, and he pushed against her, kissing her hard and pressing her body against the wall.

Archer turned away, slipping into spirit form and keeping a respectful distance. It wasn't any of his business, after all.

He found himself drifting toward Irisviel's quarters, where she sat hunched on the edge of the bed. She saw Archer approach and lifted her eyes.

"Oh, Saber." Irisviel smiled. "Just when I was starting to feel lonely. Come in."

Archer nodded and stepped inside.

The ambient light in Irisviel's room was a warm orange; unlike the rest of the castle, which was cold and harsh, Irisviel's room had a decidedly more feminine touch. He looked around and saw embroidered pillows and soft blankets, and a basket of knitting sitting inconspicuously in the corner.

"Is everything all right?" Archer said. Irisviel nodded.

"I'm fine," Irisviel said. "Although I think the strain of the war is starting to take its toll."

She smiled weakly at him. There were dark circles under her eyes and her hair hung limply over her shoulders, and Archer frowned, despite himself.

"You should try to sleep," Archer said, but Irisviel shook her head.

"I don't think I can," Irisviel said. She smiled. "Perhaps you can keep me company?"

"I was under the impression that I was not a very good companion," Archer said.

"I think I can make do," Irisviel said. She patted the spot beside her on the bed, scooting over.

Neither of them had mentioned Archer's identity. Ever since Archer's assassination attempt at the summoning, neither Irisviel nor Kiritsugu openly acknowledged Archer's past. "A life without Iri," Kiritsugu had said, "I would rather not think about it." He thought of Kiritsugu and Maiya and tried to push it out of his mind.

"Kiritsugu told me he found a new base of operations," Irisviel said. "I heard we're going to move there soon."

"It seems unwise to leave the stronghold of the castle," Archer said. "From what I understand, the new base lies in the middle of a battlefield. I'm not sure it is the safest place to keep you."

"The Tohsakas and the Matous have long kept their strongholds fortified in the middle of the city. It is only the Einzberns who keep their castle far away."

"Fair enough," Archer said. Irisviel smiled. Archer watched as she pushed back a loose strand of silver hair, tucking it behind her ear.

"You know, it's funny," Irisviel said, and he could see the simple line of her neck where her fingers lingered, the curve of her shoulder from beneath her nightdress. "I feel so at ease with you, Saber. In a lot of ways you remind me of my husband."

"How so?" Archer asked. Irisviel smiled.

"You're both stern, taciturn men. But you're both very kind." Her smile waned. He could see her eyes start to dim a little.

"Where is your husband?" Archer asked, quietly. Irisviel lifted her eyes.

"He's doing important things right now."

"He hasn't been staying with you?"

"I told you," Irisviel said. "When things get too close, Kiritsugu finds them painful."

She was sitting close to him, and in the warm orange light he could see the softness of her body beneath her nightgown. Her eyes were gentle. There wasn't a trace of self-pity in her voice.

"Do you have a wish, Saber?" Irisviel asked. Archer hesitated, searching for his words.

"I only wish to help your husband," Archer said. "If the Grail is indeed omnipotent and can grant any wish, it will be no problem for it to save the world. If that's the case, the world will have no need for a guardian such as myself."

"So by saving the world, you'd be saving yourself."

"That is a way to put it," Archer said. Irisviel looked up at him with worried eyes.

"You've suffered, haven't you?" Irisviel said. Archer shook his head.

"No more than necessary," Archer said. "I did what I thought was for the greater good. Unfortunately I was mistaken."

"That sounds lonely," Irisviel said, and she reached forward to touch his hand.

The brush of her fingertips startled him. He hesitated a moment before pulling back his hand.

She fell asleep on the edge of the bed, her head pressed up against the pillow by the headboard. Quietly Archer draped a blanket over her and switched off the light. He could hear her breathing softly as she slept. For a long moment, he stood over her and watched the tidal movement of her breath, the slow rise and fall of her belly underneath the blanket, thinking about how her fingers brushed against his knuckles and wondering when it was the last time anyone had touched him like that. It bothered him that he couldn't remember.

The next day, Archer drove her to their new stronghold, and Maiya showed them the house - an old and battered mansion, sinking in at the middle and falling into disrepair.

"Madam," Maiya said, and she handed Irisviel the keys.

"Maiya," Irisviel said. "Can you give the keys to Saber?"

And Archer's frowned deepened when he saw Irisviel fumble a little with her hand.

The bar they went to was quiet; only a handful of patrons and the sound of clinking glass and the ambient noise of the television in the background.

"It seems I wasn't a good father to you. It's hard to apologize for things you haven't done yet, but I probably wanted to protect you. I should have told you more," Kiritsugu said.

They were talking about Archer's past. It's the first time either man has truly acknowledged it - the strange quirk of the Grail that brought together Father and Son and stuck them on the same side. "You are not to blame," Archer said. "As I've said before, it was the stupidity of my youth that got me in this position. I can see that you and I share a similar mindset."

"I think I would have enjoyed working with you on the battlefield," Kiritsugu said.

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Master, but I was under the impression that this was a battlefield."

"Of a kind," Kiritsugu said, and he nursed his drink. Behind him, there was a couple playing pool. Archer watched quietly as the man hovered over the woman, wrapping his arms around her waist and guiding her hand. "This is where you aim," the man said, and he knocked the ball effortlessly. The girl squealed, delighted with the effort.

"I never told you about Shirley, have I?" Kiritsugu said. Archer tilted his head.

"Shirley?" Archer said. Kiritsugu smiled.

"My start of darkness," Kiritsugu said, and he gave a bitter laugh. "The Hero's origin story."

Archer set down his drink. "I should like to hear it," Archer said. Kiritsugu smiled.

The hours passed as Kiritsugu talked. Around them, the bar crowd grew thin, the general din of people quieting to a lull. Archer listened as Kiritsugu told him about Shirley and his father, the mercenary Natalia. "I loved her like a mother," Kiritsugu said, and he stared at the ice in his drink, clinking in his glass. "I killed her for the greater good."

"I would have made the same decision," Archer said, and he could imagine it, the weight of the Stinger, the explosion of the airplane cracking the sky.

"Master," Archer said, and he hesitated. "There is something I've been meaning to ask you."

"What is it?" Kiritsugu asked. Archer frowned.

"What were you doing with Hisau Maiya?"

Kiritsugu made a sharp sort of sound, something like a laugh, but more harsh. Bitter.

"So you saw," Kiritsugu said, and he tossed back another shot. "And here I thought I was being careful. I take it you don't approve?"

"It isn't any of my business what you do, but you and I both know Irisviel isn't long for this world. Wouldn't it be prudent to wait just a little longer?"

Kiritsugu slammed down his glass and looked at him sharply.

"Do not speak about Iri that way again, Saber."

Archer held up his hands. "I meant no disrespect. I only endeavor to understand," Archer said. "We are in the middle of a war and you're using the opportunity to have a fling with a subordinate. It doesn't seem like you."

"No," Kiritsugu sighed. "I suppose it does not."

Archer watched as Kiritsugu swirled his glass, silently. There were dark circles under Kiritsugu's eyes and his face suddenly looked more gaunt. Pale.

"She is a distraction," Kiritsugu said, finally. "Maiya, I mean. She keeps me from feeling the things I shouldn't."

"And what would that be?" Archer said. Kiritsugu smiled.

"Misery and regret," Kiritsugu said. He swirled his drink, thoughtfully. "Someday, I'll have to betray Iri and let her become the Grail. I can't let my personal feelings for her get in the way of that. Every time I sleep with Maiya, it helps me prepare, a little bit." He took another drink.

"It helps me get used to hurting her."

Archer sighed and shook his head, crossing his arms.

"With all due respect, Master, that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard."

Kiritsugu grinned, then tossed back a shot. "My Servant calls me out," Kiritsugu said. He swirled the glass in his hand, thoughtfully. "I suppose I need that, every once in a while."

"Hm."

"Thank you for being with her," Kiritsugu said. "Iri, I mean. I know she depends on you."

"Of course."

"Should she need anything else..." and Kiritsugu hesitated.

"It would not bother me in the least if you slept with her."

Archer's eyes widened. "I am not going to sleep with your wife!" Archer said.

"I am only saying, if she is in need of comfort-"

"Then I'll go find her husband," Archer said. And then, to drive home the point, "Father."

Kiritsugu winced a little at that word.

"How are we doing?" the bartender said. Archer and Kiritsugu looked up.

"I think we need another drink," Kiritsugu said.

>come back to walls of text

The battles raged. Archer kept confusing the other Servants and Masters.

"What kind of Saber uses a bow and arrow?"

"Why is he using magecraft? He isn't a Caster!"

"He uses everything else but swords!"

Iskander found it funny. "A man of many talents!" Iskander said. "I should have liked to have you at my side on the battlefield. You are an exceptional bowman, young Saber!"

"He's supposed to be a swordsman," Waver hissed. Iskander laughed, clapping his shoulder hard and making Waver stumble.

"You are deliberately confusing the enemy," Kiritsugu said. Archer nodded.

"A common strategy. I take it you approve?" Archer said.

"Of course. Although I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested in seeing you actually use a sword."

"Would you, now?" Archer said, and two swords manifested in his hands as he whirled and blocked the on-coming blow from Berserker, leaping and jumping into the fray.

"A dual wielder," Kiritsugu said, and Archer grinned, letting his swords dissipate. "Impressive."

"I aim to please, Master."

Irisviel was lying on a summoning circle. It was only just enough to augment her mana, which was growing dangerously thin. Archer watched darkly as Kiritsugu stood over her, his face a perfect mask, as he asked his dying wife to give him Avalon before he left.

"I'm so glad you came to see me," Irisviel said, and Avalon rose in a golden haze out from her chest, which Kiritsugu took from her, silently. "Thank you," Irisviel said. "You've shown me all the happiness the world has to offer."

Archer leaned against the wall, eyes trained on the floor as Kiritsugu rose and stood to his full height, tucking Avalon under his arm.

"You should give her a proper goodbye," Archer said, as Kiritsugu walked past him. "You will regret it afterwards."

"We're close to our goal, I can't let myself waver now."

"You will not forgive yourself," Archer said.

Kiritsugu hesitated, then glanced back at the shed.

Irisviel was lying with her hands resting on her chest. Her eyes were closed. Silver strands of hair glinted in the soft glow of mana surrounding her.

Archer saw the bob of Kiritsugu's adam's apple swallow, thickly.

The thread of Kiritsugu's self-control snapped, and he went back inside, hoisting Irisviel up into his arms and holding her, tight. He pressed his cheek to her forehead and murmured a thousand apologies as Archer quietly and discreetly stepped outside. "I've sacrificed everything," he could hear Kiritsugu saying. "My wife. My daughter. My family..." He thought of the battle to come and looked out into the sky above him, the pale streaks of sun and soft white clouds.

"Are you ready?" Kiritsugu said, when he was finally finished. Archer nodded and uncrossed his arms.

"Always," Archer said. Kiritsugu nodded, tucking Avalon under his coat.

The final battle started quickly.

"Faker," Gilgamesh said, and he stepped forward, the plates of his armor clanking as he moved. "What right have you to step on my planet? Your continued existence offends my eyes."

Behind him, the Gates of Babylon opened, the tips of all his weapons slipping through pools of golden mana. Archer smirked, crossing his arms.

"Did you know, King of Heroes, that I was better suited to be an Archer?"

And a thousand blades appeared behind him, matching Gilgamesh's weapons like reflections in a mirror.

Kiritsugu was winning the fight; Archer's reality marble distracted him.

"Wha-"

Kirei's blade drove deep into the muscle of Kiritsugu's back. Kiritsugu staggered, but not before he shot three bullets into the tangle of Kirei's magic circuits, incapacitating him. Archer ran toward him and finished the blow.

"S-Saber."

"Quiet," Archer said. He shoved his hand into the wound. Kiritsugu sighed, contentedly.

"It seems that we have won, Saber," Kiritsugu said, and he closed his eyes.

xXx

.

This is what Archer saw.

A vision of fire. A little boy screaming. A city engulfed in flames.

You have done well, Guardian. What is your wish?

He saw a thousand lives snuffed out like the light of a dying star, a little girl shot to death.

The wet cave of a scream, Kiritsugu's hands choking Irisviel.

You have amused me, Guardian. Tell me your wish. I shall grant it, just this once.

He still had the ribbon Ilya had tied around his hand.

xXx

.

Kiritsugu's eyes cracked open. Above him, a thick rectangle of yellow light fell on his eyes, and Kiritsugu raised a hand, shielding his face from the sunlight and pushing himself upright. The Grail was corrupt. A billion lives versus two lives of his own family - the choice, he knew, was very clear.

"Forgive me, Master," Archer said, and Kiritsugu looked up. "I already made your wish for you."

He was carrying Irisviel. Quietly he set her down beside Kiritsugu; she stirred against him, breathing softly.

"As it turns out, there is no way to save the world," Archer said. "In the field of battle, justice is decided by whoever is the victor. The world can't be saved by self-sacrifice and useless martyrdom. But I suppose I learned that the hard way."

"What did you do?" Kiritsugu said. Archer smiled.

"I found a way to end myself," Archer said, and Kiritsugu could see the outline of his body starting to fade, torrents of mana rising through the air.

"If you stayed with your family, you will never raise me. And that stupid idea of a Hero of Justice will never be born."

xXx

.

10.

They moved to Fuyuki City in the aftermath of the Grail, staying in the old mansion that had served as their base of operations. The mansion was surprisingly habitable, Archer having fixed the majority of it before the end of the war.

Irisviel and Kiritsugu don't talk about him much. The man who would become a guardian, unable to save anyone in life or in death, but who somehow managed to save three lives in the ruins of the war. "Do you think Mr. Saber will come back to visit me?" Ilya will ask sometimes, and Irisviel will offer her a small smile and tell her, who knows?

Now Ilya was running through the hallway, sliding open the rice paper door and kicking off her shoes. "We're working on a project!" she yelled, because she was young and excitable and everything she said needed to be projected at topmost volume. "Kiritsugu, I'm bringing over my friend!"

"Who is your friend?" Kiritsugu asked, and he stopped in the doorway, surprised.

Shock of red hair and bright hazel eyes, Kiritsugu stared at Emiya Shirou long and hard in the face.

"This is Tomoe," Ilya said.

"Hello," the boy said. And the little boy blinked as Ilya ran past him, laughing and smacking him on the arm.

someone give me a tl;dr that's only slightly longer than "Kiritsugu meets EMIYA and they fuck Gil's shit up"

>>18511602
someone was really proud of their fanfiction

>origin worthlessness, Enjou, Tomoe is Shirou
>except it changes in a certain amount of timelines when he's given Avalon after a fire where he destroys his ego to survive

No fuck off and die, holy shit

tl;dr:
Only post walls of text if i can fap to it.

>>18511631
>he can't fap to bad fanfic

>>18511621
It does makes a certain amount of sense if you think about it

>>18511640
hey, I thought it was alright

>>18511602
EMIYA and Kiritsugu meet in a bar. Kerry tries to get his son to screw iri. EMIYA is understandably appalled.

>>18511708
Wtf kerrytugu?

>>18512168
Learn how to pronounce words, Shirley.

So how do you feel about the Extella babby spinoff?

>>18513392
You mean Extella, or Extella's spin-off, Link?

>>18513450
Not quite.

>>18513494
Kek, what fetishist is writing/drawing this?
Honestly seems fun, the babies are super cute. Is it a manga?
I do actually hope it inspires some fetish doujins/fanart too.

>>18513519
>Kek, what fetishist is writing/drawing this?
Same guy who drew everything for the Dantes audio drama. I'm pretty sure he's the artist, I dunno if he's the writer.

>>18513549
Ooh, no wonder. Their art is fantastic.
Makes me wish they were the main artist in a big "serious" project, rather than more SoL and a mobage's drama CD. But at least the possibility is open in the future.

Koha

When is Emiya cooking out?

>>18515140
Isn't it already out?

>>18515166
Shit, you're right.
Didn't see anyone talking about it.

>>18515166
Eri raws doesn't sound like it has subs tho

>>18515219
>needing subs

>>18515231
>m-muh EOP's get out r-reee

>>18515679
it was a joke anon calm down, I don't know japanese either

>>18515686
I was testing the waters.

Today has been a particularly dead day, huh.

All things end.

This is not in dispute; it is an unassailable fact of our existence. You, everyone you know, the world beneath your feet, all of it will one day pass from existence. You will die, and no matter what you have done it will eventually be forgotten. Nothing lasts forever, except nothingness itself. In the end, all we can look forward to is the void.

So why bother?

It is the nature of all living things to spread. To propagate. To create works of great beauty and great evil. To fight with all their power to survive and cling to life for as long as possible, to leave behind a legacy. But why do we bother, then, if there is no hope of success? Why does life struggle in futility, when all are bound for the same ultimate end?

Because even if you cannot win, surrender is the act of a coward?

Because if you battle with all your heart, perhaps some small spot of hope will emerge?

Because it's just more fun that way?

Such questions are the purview of philosophers, though I tend towards the third answer in my own personal life. I merely know that it is the nature of all living things to struggle without end. Against entropy. Against fate.

Against one another. All too often, against one another. Sometimes, the only way for the species to survive, to continue the struggle, is to hurl another into the void just a little bit early.

And we'll all do it. Because we know that if we do not, the other will. And even if the fight is ultimately futile... nobody wants to be a victim.

Not even me.

-An Excerpt from the Memoirs of Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg

>>18516821
Fanfic?

Europe, the German Countryside, 1175 A.D.

It was obviously a presence that did not belong.

Beautiful, ethereal, and cold, the man in white could not have been more obviously out of place. Even on this bloody field, with the bodies of men and horses scattered around him and great gouges torn in the earth, he was immaculate. Not a hair was misplaced, his bare feet seemed to not even disturb the dust, and not a single drop of blood stained him. He was clad in purest white robes that swirled around him even in the absence of wind, the overall effect more like a cloud of translucent tendrils than clothing. And while his basic form was relatively humanlike, his features were decidedly odd: eyes the shade of fresh blood, impossibly golden, skin that was not merely pale but actually luminescent. He was masculine, but not truly 'male', and the appearance was more beautiful than handsome in truth. But...

But for all the grandeur of his appearance, and he was grand... he merely felt wrong. As if the world itself struggled to pretend he did not exist. He stuck out like a beacon, and yet the eye struggled to avoid him, every instinct of any mortal creature screaming not to look, to turn, to run. Beautiful, yes.

But a monster, nonetheless.

He spoke, and even his words sounded musical, gentle, and yet somehow hollow, as if the ear did not register the full range of what was being said. "Gransurg. Attend me."

The creature appeared in a flapping of wings; blacker than the night, feathered and deformed. Like the creature in white, it was obviously not human, there was no question which of the two was the greater; the black monster immediately fell to one knee in supplication. "Your wish, milord?"

"This man." The white monster said, pointing towards a fallen soldier, wounded but still alive. As far as could be told, the only living man on the battlefield, if barely; his wounds were grave, and clearly not improved by the terror that clearly filled his being. "I saw him as I was preparing to leave, and grew curious. His eyes are strange to me. Wider than they should be. Somewhat manic."

"I believe that to be fear, milord." Gransurg said. He was not terribly surprised... his Master had dwelt on this world for uncounted centuries, experimenting, learning, creating life and destroying it, and could indeed be counted a transcendent genius in most respects. Despite this, he often asked these simple, obvious questions regarding human nature. He could create many wonders from a man's body, turn him into any number of miraculous forms, but he still had difficulty comprehending the most basic aspects of the human mind. Most likely he simply wasn't capable of putting himself in a position he could empathize with something like a human. Gransurg considered this to be right and proper, as humans were indeed so far beneath the Master as to be less than insects.

But as much as he couldn't understand the answers, he never stopped asking the questions...

"He fears me, then? Why?"

"If I had to hazard a guess, milord, I would say it is likely because you slew his comrades."

"I do not understand. They were not him. Their deaths do not diminish him. If it is a case of resources, there is more to be had now that fewer draw from the total. I have done him a great service. Why fear me?"

"Most likely, milord, he has seen your power and considers it to be terrifying, as it is a common human failing to fear that which is beyond one's comprehension. Likely, he also feels you plan to destroy him as well, and fears the end of his existence." The black monster said.

"I see. Do you feel I plan to do this?"

"I... apologize for my ignorance, milord, but..."

"I had no real interest in... this..." the white monster said, gesturing vaguely amongst the corpses. "I was thirsty, and sought only a few small sacrifices. The rest attacked me when I devoured one or two among them. They pierced my body with swords and arrows, struck me with clubs and staves." The white monster's nose wrinkled, as if he were a child who had smelled something unpleasant. "I found it to be rude, and punished them."

"Then horrible death was the least they deserved, milord. The lightest offense against you should be met with a thousand years of torment. But even so, if you slaughtered every one of this young man's companions, mere pattern recognition would suggest to him that he will share their fate." Gransurg said calmly.

"Ah, yes. Patterns." The white monster said. "I sometimes forget to look for them. Tell me, young man. Do you think I am going to kill you?"

The young soldier, pale and bloodied, his armor torn and his sword split in two, could not even muster the energy to reply through his terror. He merely stared, wide-eyed, whimpering softly. Several long seconds passed.

Crimson eyes narrowed. A perfect, pale hand shifted slightly. The scream of the fallen soldier pierced the cold night as what blood remained in his body was ripped from it in a fine mist, which then vanished as it was drawn into the palm of the creature in white.

"He should have answered me promptly. I dislike that sort of thing, Gransurg."

The black-feathered monster, Gransurg of the Dead Apostles, Attendant of the Crimson Moon, shivered in fear and awe at the judgment of his god. Even in so tiny a thing as this, his perfection shone through. "Your will be done, my lord Brunestud."

"I believe I am done traveling. The day will begin soon, and I wish to rest. I think I should like to sleep in a castle, Gransurg. Arrange such." Brunestud said.

"I think that will not be a problem, milord. I know of no territorial disputes in this region, so I suspect this force to be scouting from a local lord. I will locate his home and clear it for you at once."

Brunestud shrugged. "I suppose. It was really just a whim, so if you can't find it, it won't be a real problem."

"Your whims are absolute law, milord. It shall be done."

Brunestud did not quite smile. "I suppose that should be true. Oh, and tell the young ones they can feed, if they wish. I have already taken my fill."

Gransurg threw his head back and let out a cry; no human sound, but the shriek of a bird of prey. Like wraiths, they began to appear on the edges of the massacre... the Dead, come to collect the blood of the fallen for their own, lesser masters. Even some of the vampires themselves chose to appear, secure in the knowledge there was no threat here, in the shadow of their master. Here and there, screams were heard as one of them found a soldier who had not quite finished dying yet, and remedied the situation.

The dead feasted. Brunestud watched for a moment, not displaying any particular emotion, and without another word, chose a direction at random and began to walk, aware that Gransurg would find him when his living arrangements had been secured and purged of vermin.

The moon shone down coldly, as red as blood.

Kishcur Zelretch Schweinorg sighed.

A man in (apparently) the beginning of middle age, he was nonetheless well muscled, with sharp, appealing features. He wore simple but well-made black robes, and a short sword was sheathed at his hip. He could have passed easily enough for forty, thirty, maybe even a bit younger if one was being generous. The only concrete sign as to his age was in the hair; largely jet-black on both his head and neatly trimmed beard, but just beginning to show a few hints of grey. He liked the graying, personally... gave him an air of dignified wisdom.

Looking over the battle... no, the massacre... however, the Sorcerer began to wonder if his supposed 'wisdom' was indeed nothing more than appearance.

It wasn't that unusual anymore, at least not the general idea behind it. Vampires were unfortunately common lately; the True Ancestors were set in their numbers, but over the last few centuries, their demented 'children' the Dead Apostles had been increasing in both numbers and activity. Zelretch had to admit that while he had found the pattern worrisome, he had not truly looked at it as 'his problem', which he could admit, now, was likely a failure of judgment. It was rapidly becoming apparent that this was everyone's problem.

It's not like this was even done for food... there are tracks for a small horde of the undead, but the battlefield carnage is all centered around a single point. One creature did this, and the others arrived to feed after the battle was already ended. There don't appear to be any signs that bodies were removed for research, either. This was just a pointless slaughter, for fun. Probable hypothesis... the vampire responsible is extremely powerful, holds significant influence in their hierarchy, and also appears to be somewhat utterly insane. A poor combination. He thought. Given the power involved, it would most likely be a Demon Lord, or Dead Apostle Ancestor. Worrisome, but not unheard of. I'll pass on the news to that agency young Valdamjong is putting together in the church, and...

Something moved behind him.

"Hee, hee, hee, hee..." The cackling was soft, high-pitched, the laugh of a woman. A woman with a screechy, discordant, obnoxious voice, yes, but a woman. "I knew it. The others went on, but I knew. There's always someone who can't resist coming to look. Do you like the Master's work, little man? You're about to join it."

"Oh?" Zelretch said, without turning around. "Then the artist of this unusual piece has a name? It would make things a little easier on me if you told me that. And since you chose to chat, rather than leaping on my neck, I assume you to be the talkative sort. Willing to share?"

"Ooooooooooh, I just like to let the food know when it's been caught, not to make friends with it. No sense speaking overmuch to the dead. Now then, won't you be a good little meal for me?"

"Not as willing to speak as I'd hoped. Shame." Zelretch still did not face her, but he could sense the vampire's smirk. Their kind always smirked. Not even clever enough to realize that maybe, possibly, the fact that he was not remotely afraid of her was a sign that she was not as in-control of the situation as she thought. Really, she attacked while the sun was in the sky, and hadn't even sent the Dead to test him. Sloppy, just sloppy. "You're sure we can't settle this in a civilized fashion? It's just these are my favorite robes, and getting them dirty would be so unpleasant. And I really am curious."

"I say again, cattle... speaking to the dead is pointless indeed. Now, then, I am very, very hungry... and you are such a fine, strong man. I do prefer to break the strong ones, so forgive me if I play with my food. "

Zelretch tried not to laugh in her face; it would have ruined the moment.

He heard her pounce, the pebbles beneath her feet rattled by her charge. She was fast; of course, they all were. Following the moment of the charge, he had less than a second to react.

Slightly more than required.

He had tensed his muscles to spin before she ever charged, not requiring a tremendous amount of foresight to assume the classical 'taunting evil vampire monster' would be attempting to hurt him in short order. He whirled on her, slashing his flattened hand across her path. A fairly meaningless gesture, were it not for the razor-thin beam of purest white light that flashed from his fingers, tearing through not only the vampire's path, but the vampire herself. Zelretch tried not to laugh once again (It was tacky) as her feral hissing was replaced by a wet, strangled screech as the light sliced through her like a dagger through cobweb, cutting her completely in half.

The archmage walked over to the fallen creature and lifted her upper body by the hair. He saw that she had actually been rather pretty, when she was in one piece. Deep brown hair, lily-white skin, rather striking red eyes... and her legs might have been shapely, but it was hard to judge when they were not attached to anything. "Well then! Now do you feel more talkative?"

"Y-you... the incantation, magi need a..."

"Ah, let's not go into that. It's really not an interesting topic. There's magic and then there's Magic, and leave it at that." He really was not terribly interested in explaining the nuances of sorcery to a being that would not be alive terribly much longer. As unpleasant as she had been, she did have one good point: enlightening the dead was wasted time. "What is interesting, however, would be your input on the events of this intriguing massacre."

"Rot, magus. You will learn nothing from-" The creature began, black blood flowing freely from her mouth

Zelretch made a small gesture with one hand. There was a flash, and the already bisected creature was now missing a finger, the digit reduced to ash. She screamed, cursed, threatened bloody death. Zelretch let her vent for a moment, before stating, "The name, please? Which Dead Apostle Ancestor?"

"You will suffer for this indigni-"

Another flash. Another digit reduced to fine powder. This time, the creature released nothing but wracking sobs.

"It had to have been an Ancestor. Which. Ancestor. Is. Your. Master?"

"G... G... G..." The creature stuttered, stopping briefly to cough up blood yet again. "G-Gransurg... of the Black Wing..."

Zelretch dropped the dying thing, his eyes wide with more genuine shock than he had felt in years.

He knew the name, of course. He studied nearly anything worth knowing, and most of the more powerful Dead Apostles were known to him. Gransurg was a powerful vampire indeed; not born one or turned, but a Magus who had undertaken complex research and ritual to transform his body into a blood-drinking avian monstrosity of his own free will. But he was most notable for his utter lack of any history in such events as this massacre. In fact, he rarely killed so much as a single human being, due to his... unique psychological quirk.

Gransurg of the Black Wing was well-known less for his power, and more for his refusal to take even the tiniest of actions unless ordered to by the subject of his worship, the Crimson Moon itself.

"The Crimson Moon... Brunestud did this? It was here?" Zelretch said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The creature cackled, a wet, gurgling sound. "M-magus... the master will know what you did to me... he will..."

A final gesture, and one final screech as the vampire's head joined the severed fingers as lifeless ash. Final death came upon the thing, and with it an end to the constant whining. He needed to think, and the noise had not been helping.

Who should I main in Melty Blood?

>>18516859
Hisui

>>18516821
>>18516835
Haven't seen Lunatique in quite a long while.

Crimson Moon. The Father of All Vampires, the Night King, the Purest Chaos...

The creature had been active on Earth for centuries of course, since before even Zelretch was born, and Zelretch was far older than he looked. And certainly, it had never been a completely perfect houseguest. While offering the template for the vampire species commonly known as the True Ancestors, it had wandered the earth, gathering followers, experimenting on various forms of life, and creating many powerful Dead Apostles. It had not, however, been active beyond that. Impossibly powerful, of course, and extremely dangerous if you had the bad fortune to run into it and get on its bad side. But beyond the occasional scuffle, it had been mostly passive. It kept to itself almost always, and was acceptably subtle when it did not.

This was anything but subtle. And it had not been the first such scene to have emerged recently, in remote spots throughout Europe, Asia, Africa. If they had all been Crimson Moon's doing, then the creature was quite suddenly and quite violently become a great deal more active. And given its immense power, and the number of followers it had gained over the millennia since it had landed...

Building an empire?

Zelretch did not care to think about the results of the vampire population building a kingdom and challenging humanity openly. It sounded far too much like an extinction event waiting to happen. And the Church, even the Magus Association, would hesitate to challenge Crimson Moon openly. And, well, hesitating to confront it was what had let it build up a power base to begin with.

Zelretch himself was greater, far beyond anything like a Magus... his research had tapped a power that could be qualified a 'miracle'. He could play reality like an instrument, tap entire alternate universes as a power source, granting him powers vastly beyond even the greatest of the magi. And even before he had found the Sorcery that made him a legend, he had been a veteran of combat against many monsters... it was not for nothing the youngsters called him 'The Wizard Marshall'. He would test his abilities against any Dead Apostle with confidence, even against the True Ancestors.

But this is Crimson Moon.

Zelretch sighed again. "But then, I can't just leave this one alone, can I? My word, but I am an idiot. Ah, well. I guess I never did want to live forever..."

>>18516859
Sensei

"You chose a rather ugly castle, this time." Merem Solomon said, sitting in the windowsill and glancing out at the setting sun. "I won't miss it when nightfall comes and we move on."

Gransurg fought down the urge to tear the other vampire's head from his shoulders. For all his considerable power, Merem had been a child when Lord Brunestud had found him, tortured by villagers exploiting his unique innate ability to manifest the wishes of others as physical beings. Even following his death and resurrection as one of the lord's Dead Apostles, he still maintained a somewhat irreverent personality; he was ancient and yet still acted the child more often than not. Gransurg found his attitude, both in general and towards the Master, extremely scathing. However, Lord Brunestud had not ordered him to rip the brat to pieces, and, Gransurg understood above all else the simple truth that it was not a servant's place to take any action without his master's command.

Someday, though. The master wouldn't always want both of them around, and then...

Without turning to face the whelp or making any sort of gesture. "The lord approved of it. You know full well any human edifice will pale before the Millennium Castle, yet he chose to accept this as his keep for the daylight hours. You should do as much," Gransurg said. "Though I agree that we should leave as soon as the sun sets. One of my lesser servitors was destroyed today, hunting in the daylight. She was young and weak, but I still dislike staying here while whatever ended her is unknown."

Merem shrugged. "If Lord Crimson likes it, it's fine. Just thought that maybe you didn't put enough effort into your search? A crow will roost anywhere, I guess. Ah, well... I think I'm going to go see if he's awake yet. If he's hungry, he'll be wanting someone to eat, and the sooner we know the less likely he is to wander off on his own." The apparently young man hopped down from the window and ran off, all but skipping.

Gods, how much I would like to kill this one. He is so fortunate the lord thinks him of value... Gransurg thought. Well, in point of fact, Brunestud likely didn't. He did not truly 'value' anything; the vampires who followed in his retinue were more like decorations than anything he truly cared for. On some level, Gransurg believed the Lord could only truly place any value on his own existence and things that might prolong it; his experimental attempts to create more perfect True Ancestors, hybrids, increased breeding, anything that might lead to a body pure enough for him to possess. Again, Gransurg wasn't really upset by that, as one could not expect the thought processes of God to be similar to those of lower beings. Still, his peculiar mind made it occasionally problematic to serve him. He was difficult to predict. He was...

"Gone." Merem said, ducking his head back into the room. "He left without us. Again."

Gransurg tried his very hardest not to sigh.

It smelled like blood and power, so he had gone to find it. It was a great distance away, but he could move very quickly and it was not attempting to flee him, so it didn't take long.

It really was that simple. Brunestud knew that this planet rejected him, and he would eventually die here that was why he supported the True Ancestors and bred the Dead Apostles, in the hopes that one of the two paths would result in a being pure enough to hold his essence. Altrouge had been close, but unstable. The True Ancestors had been close, but impure. Perhaps one of them would manage it sometime after he died? He wouldn't exactly 'die' even if he was killed; thanks to his unique nature, he wouldn't be permanently destroyed unless he was killed on his own world, by a being fromhis own world. He had all the time he could possibly need.

But even if his eventual death had the threat of permanence about it, he did not think it would be tonight. The power he felt was tinged with the scent of humanity, and there was nothing to fear from them.

And so he walked through the across the plains of France, seeming even more insubstantial than before while bathed in the fading light of the sun. There were no sounds; animals could sense his presence, and fled from him. Even the wind seemed to prefer silence where Crimson Moon walked. But there was one thing that wasn't fleeing... the power he sensed stood its ground, beckoning him closer. He grew more amused; it had been awhile since such a bold challenge had been given. It might be diverting, if nothing else.

He came upon the clearing, and stopped, even his own unusual thought processes caught somewhat off-guard.

Zelretch sat on a stool in front of a small, but good quality wooden table. Two simple wooden plates, each set with a roasted pheasant, a ceramic bottle of wine, and two stoneware goblets were set on it. "Good evening." He said pleasantly. "It took me longer than I would have liked to find you, and then to find a place isolated enough for us to have a private conversation. So much work, I found I was positively famished when I finally managed it. So I thought, why not settle this in a civilized fashion over dinner? Simple fare, but filling. I loathe standing on ceremony."

Brunestud blinked several times without a word. If it was possible for such a creature to be 'confused', that was what he appeared to be. Finally, he spoke a single word. "... acceptable."

The Crimson Moon sat across from the Wizard Marshall, and stared into his eyes intently.

"You're not eating." Zelretch said merrily.

"I will eat after you have spoken." Brunestud said meaningfully.

"Aaaaaaaaah, yes, you have a liquid diet. My, I feel silly." Zelretch chuckled. "Well, I assume you already know I am, of course, possibly here to kill you."

"... Bold, for a mortal. I approve," Brunestud said. "But... possibly?"

"Well, I need to ask you something first. Depending on your answer, that's when the killing starts." Yours, or mine, we'll work that out as we go. "Lately, there has been an increase in activity of a vampiric nature, all over this continent. Now, by itself this wouldn't be quite enough to make me step in personally, but a rather charmless young lady dropped the name of one of your retinue before I burned her alive."

Brunestud shrugged. "Replaceable."

"... charming. In any event, the conversation left me a bit concerned. You see... you, at least, had never really been all the interested in the more vicious tendencies of your 'children' and 'grandchildren'. You helped them out occasionally, played around with them more often, and were generally on the benign side overall. You were never the 'bloody murderous' sort of monster. Didn't seem terribly interested in the world as a whole. So... what has changed?" Zelretch asked.

Brunestud considered this. It wasn't something he put a lot of thought into, really. "Well... I might have started wanting things. I came here because the earth asked it of me. And I saw the struggle. The lust for power among the lesser creatures. And I didn't really understand it, because they are so small and meaningless, but it appealed to me somehow. I thought that if they could find satisfaction in ruling such meager holdings, perhaps I would do the same. I began to travel with others, and had power over them. It didn't truly please me, but it was still somehow compelling. I crushed those who opposed me, and it was almost amusing. So I've begun experimenting with it on a larger scale. It isn't like I go out planning to do such things... I'm just less cautious, less willing to hide myself. It doesn't really make me happy, but I don't hate it either."

"I... see." Zelretch said, a tight feeling in his stomach. This was not promising.

"I feel the sensation deserves further study, so I've begun other experiments. I am gathering the dead to me as a court, putting on the trappings of the human royalty. But it isn't enough. I need to think on a grander scale." The creature said. The white tendrils around him were moving more quickly, excitedly. "I think I could master this entire world, if I wanted to. Turn the humans into cattle, make it a world for my creations. Devour Gaia and make her a part of me. The moon will shine forever. I think I can do this, don't you?

"I confess, it isn't quite as amazing as the little tyrants make it look... sometimes, I don't even remember that I'm doing it, and I just wander like I always did. Yet I keep coming back to it, like an itch I can't quite reach, a meaningless game I nonetheless feel somehow compelled to finish. Perhaps I have caught some human disease?" Brunestud asked.

"You have. I believe it is called... well, humanity." Zelretch said. Fantastic, the Horror from Beyond the Stars has gazed upon our species, and decided the worst parts are worth emulating. I suppose we should be proud.

"Ah. Well, whatever the cause, you have the knowledge you sought. Is that the answer that makes you want to kill me?" Brunestud asked. And God, he really did sound nothing but curious.

"I regret to say that yes, it is."

"Ah-ha. And why would that be?" Again, Zelretch wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at how the only genuine emotion in the thing's voice was curiosity.

Zelretch smiled, casting his gaze across the plains. The rolling hills really were lovely in the sunset. He hoped this wouldn't be the last time he saw them. "I don't know, really. I could make some grand speech about justice and slaying monsters. But that isn't me. Oh, I don't like the way you operate, but it's not really about do-gooding. I mean, it's evil, certainly, but people are a renewable resource. I guess... yes, I guess you could call it ego. I look at the world you're building, and I don't see myself on the top of the food chain. You are ending my world, and I am offended by this. I don't like to be prey, Lord Brunestud, not even yours.

"And I really, really don't like you."

The creature on the other side of the table closed his eyes, lifting a goblet to his lips and drinking deeply. "I don't care for solid food, but the wine is good. Well chosen." It said.

Then he opened his eyes and the world shattered.

>>18509593
He slips away when he wants, but sees it as penance for fucking Artoria's life. Plus he's a NEET.

Gone were the red irises, replaced by eyes that spun in a thousand otherworldly colors. They would have been beautiful if they hadn't also been so very utterly wrong, seeming to burn into the minds of any who saw them, see into their souls and find them so, so utterly devoid of worth. Eyes that said, 'You are nothing. You have no value. Your life is meaningless, and your death will be equally so. And that death is now.'

And more than that, the space where his eyes focused...

The air around the Magus distorted and warp inward, as if reality itself were shifting solely to crush him. The gravity in the space he was sitting increased ten, a hundred, a thousand times in the space of an instant, the insolent worm to be crushed into a smear on the grass...

If he had actually been there.

Brunestud's eyes widened as the man sitting across the now-flattened table from him did not only not collapse in a puddle of gore and shattered bones, but simply vanished. He heard the gravelly voice in the air around him, emanating from nowhere and everywhere:

"You probably should have noticed that I wasn't eating anything either. Not very observant."

The bolt of light slammed into Brunestud from behind, from an origin point nowhere in the range of human vision; not a razor line as he had used on the lesser vampire, but a blast of blinding incandescent white nearly as wide as the vampire was tall. The whipping white tendrils were shredded, the creature slammed forward as if by a giant fist. The Crimson Moon was pushed along nearly a mile, thrashing wildly as the bolt of raw magic ate away at its body. But the vampire's reaction was, if anything, more impressive.

Silence. Utter silence.

As the beam finally faded, Brunestud rolled with the impact, and rose smoothly to his feet. One moment, his body was smoking, his back nothing more than smoldering charred tissue... the next, he looked as though he had never been wounded at all, his body simply 'reset'. He smiled, slightly. "Interesting. I shall have Gransurg examine your corpse, later, to determine how it was done."

Gravity meant nothing to him, and he was fast to the point that normal vampires seemed to be moving in slow motion. He covered the distance he had been hurled in a heartbeat, and was halfway to the source of the blast in the same time. More bolts of energy flashed at him from the horizon, but Crimson Moon lightly side-stepped each one with a dancer's grace, even as he moved faster than the eye could follow. He didn't bother seeking with his eyes... the scent of the energy was easier to follow, the path of least resistance for his will to look down.

There is no hiding from me.

The Magus was on the other side of a small hill, out of direct sight, weaving his spells over the top of it. Brunestud extended one arm, a blade appearing his outstretched hand. It was thinner than a razor, thinner than the eye could see, visible only by the sparks of angry blue running along the length of the weapon where the blade sliced apart individual air molecules as they touched it.

Crimson Moon looked upon the hill, swung his blade, and the world screamed.

Earth's reality wavered, stretched, and split, becoming a cold black void along the path of the blade's swing, reduced to absolute nothingness by the Knight Arm of the Crimson Moon, Real of the World. A blade that could sever the universe, take all things back past the point of beginning, beyond even their true origin, to a world where time, space, and matter did not yet exist. The black wave consumed everything it touched; grass, rocks, the hill itself and everything behind it, leaving a trench in the earth as smooth as glass. Even when the strike itself had faded, the very space it had passed through was grey and distorted, a wound in reality that might never fully heal.

Crimson Moon gazed up on the scene in satisfaction... until another bolt of pure white light slammed into its left side, shredding that half of its body.

As Brunestud sat motionlessly in the ditch, its left arm and leg growing back, it heard the voice of the magus in the air again, "You have two weak points. The first is obvious... you drank the wine. If you were smart, you would have considered that magi don't play fair."

"... a potion." Brunestud ventured.

"An elixir of True Sight. I know exactly where you are, at all times, and my magic can follow you wherever you go, from whatever angle I wish. There is nowhere you can hide from me."

"... hide...?" Crimson Moon said. In an unnaturally fluid motion, he rose to his feet, once more fully healed, and swung the blade again in the direction of this new attack. The wave of oblivion as reality shattered was many times wider than before, the power channeled through the sword nearly a dozen times greater than before. Brunestud was no longer playing; the darkness consumed a vast swathe of the countryside, extending for miles. If the magus was in that direction, he was dead. No question.

A bolt of light struck the Crimson Moon in the back, burning a hole completely through his chest.

Twenty miles away, in the center of a ritual circle, glowing with projected magic, Zelretch smiled as he saw the Lord of Vampires torn apart for the third time in his mind's eye.

And that, milord, is your second weakness, he thought.

Ultimate One. The most powerful of all beings on his home world, the apex predator. He had never once faced something that could challenge him, never had to adapt, never faced anything that had forced him to evolve. He doesn't know how. So I can keep pulling the same trick on him over and over again.

He reached his mind out into a world that touched his own, drawing on the mana and manifesting it in a solid point, adjusting, directing...

Burn, you abomination. He thought, as the piercing light lashed out yet again from a point that was, in fact, nowhere near Zelretch. Attacks of this level wouldn't kill the Crimson Moon outright, but they cost it power, and cost Zelretch nothing. This would be a battle won by his mind, more than his magic.

Unless, of course, Crimson Moon was smarter than he imagined.

The skies went jet black, and the sorcerer began to wonder if perhaps he had underestimated the Ultimate One's adaptability...
...............................
Brunestud cast his will into the sky, and made it roar for him.

The clouds gathered, the wind howled, the natural weather patterns of the world were distorted beyond recognition. The skies for miles around went black as they were filled in the space of seconds by a storm that made a hurricane appear as gentle as a summer breeze in comparison.

If the Magus sought to hide, then Crimson Moon would simple have to leave him nowhere safe.

"Alt Nagl."

With Crimson Moon at the eye, the storm descended, a pillar of wind that covered the entire region, as far as the eye could see. The storm was visible from the next country over and if the human was actually caught within it, he would soon be very, very uncomfortable...

What is he saying here?

https://twitter.com/szrer1/status/968372045267587072

The future is here.
https://twitter.com/klemotnahp/status/969157621037985792

Zelretch was very, very uncomfortable.

He had once, on a trip to the Indian Peninsula, seen a typhoon. This was far, far worse. The winds threatened to shred his body simply by blowing, and that was to say nothing of the vast quantities of rock and dust being hurled against his defensive shields like a hail of hypersonic arrows. The sorcerer was hurled about like a dust mote, buffeted, bruised...

Torn from his protective magical circle, and open for the world to see.

He could see it, even through the black wind: the shining white speck flying at him totally untouched by the storm. The wind didn't even ruffle the Crimson Moon's hair as it flew towards him, those eyes still utterly emotionless despite the rapidly deepening killing intent that swirled around it even more viciously than the wind.

The creature flung out one hand in a clawed grip, and the cloud of tendrils that surrounded it lashed out like whips, wrapping around the flailing magus and hurling him to the ground. Hard. Zelretch was no amateur; he had entered the battle wreathed in enough defensive enchantments to stop an army. He felt the impact rattle his teeth through each and every one of them, the force of it blasting a crater into the already shattered earth beneath him. A rib snapped; he ignored it. It wouldn't kill him. The Crimson Moon gazed down upon him, its Mystic Eyes already turning the Rainbow they took on when about to shatter reality.

As the air around him warped, Zelretch clapped his palms together, brought them apart, and vanished.

Brunestud's rainbow eyes widened in shock. He'd had the Magus in his grip, the real, solid man himself, no illusion. Teleportation? A mortal cannot...

His train of thought was cut off, then, by the mortal in question reappearing behind him from the alternate reality he had temporarily jumped too, and once more tearing his body to shreds. Beams of light scythed from his fingertips, slashing the Ultimate One apart; both arms, both legs, and head all sliced cleanly from his body.

Brunestud seemed not to notice. The severed pieces simply... drifted back together, and the cloak of tendrils lashed out again, this time not so much whips as spears. Most of them skittered harmlessly off Zelretch's shields, but one lone blade pierce through, stabbing deep into his shoulder. The magus hissed in pain and gestured sharply, burning the offending tendril out by force before it could lop off his arm. He drew the same arm back and slammed his open palm at Brunestud, releasing not a concentrated beam, but a wall of force that slammed into the creature and hurled it away into the howling winds. Brunestud slammed into the ground with enough force to crumple plate steel like paper.

He, again, seemed not to notice. That inhuman sword appeared in his hand, and even as he lay in the shattered earth, he swung it and released the wave of oblivion without the slightest change of expression.

"Does nothing kill you?" Zelretch snarled, despite knowing he would be unheard over the wind. With an effort of will, he stepped into another world even as the void devoured the space he had once been, the creature's own storm dissipating as Real of the World tore the heart out of it.

He stepped onto the soil of an alien Earth, barely taking time to breathe the air, but long enough to gather the prana of it in the palm of his hand. With another minor effort of will, his native world blurred into existence before his eyes...

And four sharp, white spears slammed into his wrists and ankles, pinning him to the ground, as Crimson Moon struck him without even turning to look.

Yes, definitely underestimated his adaptability. Zelretch thought. It was vexing to think that, because for some reason other thoughts were not quite getting through the haze of agony. The otherworldly white blades stretching from the cloak shifted, stirring fresh pains in the mage as they pinned him.

Crimson Moon stood over him, and smiled very slightly. "What is your name, Magus?"

"Y-you... want to... know... now?" Zelretch snarled.

"Before, it didn't matter. You were mortal, flawed, meaningless. But now..." Brunestud said, gesturing at his cloak. And then, something very disturbing began to happen. The white tendrils embedded in Zelretch's body began to change color, turning from luminescent white to a very pale pink.

As if a bright red liquid were flowing up the inside of them.

"But now... you are soon to be family."

Zelretch fought the urge to scream. It wasn't easy, because at the moment his entire being was suffused with terror and an awful sense of violation as this... this thing trespassed in the territory of his soul. He wanted to scream, he just knew it wouldn't do any good. He still had a vast deposit of mana stored; he needed to do something with it. Anything. Anything to get this abomination off him for even a few moments.

A plan formed. The urge to scream became the urge to smirk. The pain and humiliation was worth it for a moment this good.

He internalized the power, drew it into his own magic circuits and ignored the burning. This was not his own mana, and under normal circumstances it would never enter his body in such a way; the only energy that actually came from him in his Sorcery was the tiny spark needed to open the path to the alternate worlds. The mana he stole from them never touched his circuits... until now.

He could not send the power out, could not focus enough to weave it into a spell. So he drew it inwards, pouring the magic harvested from another world indiscriminately and wildly into his own magic circuits, and from them, into his blood. The siphons drawing the blood from his body lit up brilliantly as raw energy ran up them and into the creature's body, striking directly at the core of Crimson Moon's essence as it fed.

This got an interesting reaction.

The Ultimate One screamed, truly screamed. While tearing his body apart had been utterly worthless, striking him through the blood he fed upon gave Zelretch a channel directly at the beast's true self, bypassing his alien 'Concept of Death' and limitless regeneration. He poured power down it, not merely that stolen from the other world, but his own, emptying his Circuits to strike at it again and again, burn the vile thing from the inside out, incinerate its soul...

The living cloak burst into white flame and burned black, the luminescent white skin went dull and gray. The inhuman eyes went from rainbow, to red, to a dead, lifeless brown, and still the creature thrashed and screamed as the Wizard Marshall threw every last erg of his power directly into the essence of its being.

Zelretch fell back, exhausted and anguished. He had taken worse than wounds, though, he could feel that much in his blood already. In the absence of the burning magic, something cold and dark was spreading through him. Something empty, alien, and twisted writhing under the skin. And he was so, so thirsty.

I wonder what blood tastes like...

Still, at least he could say that he was better off than Crimson Moon. The living cloak was lifeless ash. His skin had gone beyond merely appearing dull to actually turning gray and cracking in places, sickly white light shimmering from within. The golden hair hung limp and dead. But more than anything... the sense of intangible, 'unreal' power it had once possessed was simply no longer present.

It felt so much smaller.

Crimson Moon gazed upon its darkened, cracking limbs, as if willing them to knit themselves together. When they didn't oblige, the creature did possibly the one thing Zelretch had not expected.

"Ha... hahahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Brunestud threw his head back and laughed, a distinct edge of madness to the sound. "This... this... this! I knew... I knew this world would... but to think it was a human! To think it was you! Some... some mindless insect without even a name! To wound me! To break this body! I don't... I hate you, but... to think the only thing on this world that I could respect would be the mortal who took my life! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Kischur... Zelretch... Schweinorg..." The magus said. "My name. You should... know that."

"... Zelretch." Crimson Moon said. "I shall remember that, when I am reborn. I may even make a grave for you, in the new world."

Zelretch's eyes widened. "What... what do you...?"

"I cannot die forever, Kischur Zelretch. My essence will live on in my children, even if this body is destroyed. The Earth births them to purify and heal it, and one of them will eventually be strong enough to be my new body." Brunestud said. "... Particularly once the source of my own existence is part of Gaia, corrupting her, injecting my purity into every atom of her. The True Ancestors born after that should be far better constructed, once she has a more accurate template. Don't you think that makes sense?"

It was then, Zelretch noted, that although it was not yet full night and the sun had not yet fully descended below the horizon, the moon was already very brightly shining down over them.

It was much, much larger than it should have been. And rapidly growing larger still...

"Of course, humanity and the Dead Apostles will likely not survive to see the new world, but the True Ancestors react poorly to their blood in any event. This was not my first choice of plans, but in the end... yes, it's probably for the best." Brunestud said. "Come, die with me now, Kischur Zelretch, be burned in the pyre of this broken body as I abandon it and prepare to claim a better one. You have earned this honor, for forcing me to use my plan of absolute last resort. For a mortal to so inconvenience a god... die proudly, in the grandest display this world will ever see."

The moon was ten times larger than it should have been, and getting larger. Zelretch could see it turning from silver, to red, beginning to burn as it touched the atmosphere, the shattered landscape beginning to flow upwards as gravity drew it in... the moon was falling. More than falling, it was actually going to land directly on him.

Ha, ha, ha... I was a fool, wasn't I? To think I could stop him. This is... this is how a mortal who faces a god fares, I suppose... I will be crushed under the hammer of divinity. I suppose... if I have to die, this is... this is...

Die. Here and now. And let this thing get everything it wants.

No.

NO.

"NO." Zelretch said. Slowly, painfully, he stood. His legs shook, but after some time, they held his weight.

"You say that as though you have a choice, Kischur Zelretch. You only defeated me by fortune, and it cost you all you had. You think you can turn aside a world? This is the end of days... accept it, and end."

Zelretch smirked, blood flowing from his mouth. "You obviously haven't been paying much attention to this world while you've been here. I'm a sorcerer, a wielder of the True Magic."

The magus drew the blade at his hip. The hilt was wrapped in plain black leather, but the blade was transparent, crystalline... and it burst into magical light as soon as it touched the air.

"Doing the impossible and spitting in the face of God is part of the job."

Zelretch raised his Mystic Code, and the Jewel Sword's light became impossibly brilliant, so bright that even Brunestud felt discomfort looking upon it. And yet, he could not look away, even as the glare got brighter, brighter than the falling moon itself, as Zelretch used the Sword as a crutch, replacing his own exhausted magic circuits, to draw in mana from a hundred other worlds, a thousand, a million. So much power his body felt as though it would shatter just from being near it...

He raised the blade and released enough power to crack the firmament directly up at the falling moon.

The white light slammed into the falling celestial body, and Zelretch felt his mind would explode. The power he channeled now was more than he had ever used at once, more, he knew, than he could safely draw on. He could feel his body changing... his muscles burning down, his hair graying, wrinkles forming in his skin. His body was wasting away even as he worked.

And he couldn't even tell if it was working. The moon was... was impossibly huge, and it didn't seem to be getting closer, but it also didn't seem to be getting any further away, and...

More. I need more. He touched his mind to other worlds, new and untapped worlds brimming with power, and drew it into the sword. More. More. A million became tens of millions, hundreds of millions, billions, an endless line of worlds, more power than he could have dreamed of wielding in a thousand lifetimes. He could see each and every one of them flashing through his mind's eye as he took power from each, an endless parade of images, people and places that he knew he would never remember, his mind simply unable to hold and process the sheer data pouring through it, the images whirling like some impossible kaleidoscope...

The falling moon, pressing against this wall of power and will...

Slowly... so painfully slowly...

Was pushed back.

The light faded, leaving the scene bathed in nothing more than the normal, quiet light of the moon, hanging in the sky.

Crimson Moon looked upon the Magus, his body worn and ravaged by magic and the already-encroaching vampirism. Years of his life torn away by the power he had channeled, his eyes already turning the blood-red of a Dead Apostle...

Brunestud saw this broken man, and for the first time in his existence, felt something that might have been fear.

The magus turned his gaze upon the Ultimate One, and there was nothing in his eyes but utter, impossible cold.

Crimson Moon smiled. "I think... yes, I think I finally begin to understand you, human. Only now, at the end."

In a movement too fast to be human, the old mage clamped a vampirically strong hand around Crimson Moon's neck. "I understand you too. Watch."

The Jewel Sword glimmered one last time. The world blurred around the Ultimate One, and when it stopped, he found himself in Hell.

The world was desolate, and dead. He could no longer feel Gaia at all, could not feel his children, could not feel any life at all. And in the sky above him... his own home. The moon. It was dead as well, he could not hear it singing to him, and...

And it was falling...

"I saw this in my mind, just a few moments ago. I couldn't wait to show it to you." Zelretch's smile was terrible to see. "A whole world for you to conquer, just like you always wanted. Enjoy it."

And then the magus was gone, and Brunestud was alone.

And the moon fell.

>>18517099
Did Zelretch just drop the moon on Type Moon?

This is pretty great
https://twitter.com/ufotable/status/969143529120219136

No forced Servants front and center.
Focus on the main characters.
Cool symbolism with the weapons in the snow.
Shinji.

>>18517122
Meh it's rather bland

>>18517105
Yep, and also pushed back the moon with a giant ethercannon

>>18517099
Based Zelretch

>>18517333
Fucking hell that's amazing fanart.

Her hidden maturity is what makes Illya so great.

See, Prisma Illya would never say something like this.

>>18517629
Illya-san is very cute

Where can I purchase one?

Reminder that Asagami Fujino is a servant

>>18517875
Illya is only second cutest

>>18517917
A cat is fine too

I have to agree with Illya here tho, get that cat away from her

>>18517917
TM loli crossovers

>>18517936
>tfw no Len or Arc in Prisma

>>18517906
Chaldea servants are not the same as Fuyuki HGW servants
It's a highly modified system to begin with and Alaya is working overtime finding cannon fodder to throw against the end of history.

>>18517906
She's a counter guardian first and a servant only in chaldea's system

>>18517950
Neither of the Tsuki mahou shojo being in Prisma is a crime.

>>18517962
Maybe in 4ier?

>>18517962
How do those 3 sluts get to be mahou shoujo?

>>18517936

>>18517979
Caren is blessed by God (Mushroom).

when

>>18518697
Never

>>18518697
Why do you want another generic edgy clone with a generic sword beam?

>>18517952
>someone posts Fujino servant
>/fgog/ instantly goes on damage control

>say anything not about F/GO on /fgog/ must mean you are a /tmg/ shitter shitting up the thread
This is what shitposters believe.

>>18519066
>caring about shitposters on /fgog/
>going to a shithole at all
You should just stay there if you love it so much, GOfag.

>>18503504
I want Helena to teach some Flat or Waver-like punk Magus her tricks. Tituria feels more noble and regal than regular Saber, so I'd like to see her too. I want Kuro in so we can finally make Sword Dancers canon in a sense. I am grateful for GO saving Golden from the cutting room floor of Apo. I also would like Tesla, Billy, Tamamo Cat, a not-garbage Geronimo, the Celtic Super Bitch, Touta, both Foreigners, Papa Bones and Void nee-san

>>18519144
I browse all 3 since I care too much.
I do it even though I'm one of the more vocal GO critics.

>>18519161
Good on you, but you shouldn't be surprised when /fgog/fags give you asinine responses. Or come here to complain about it.

>>18519179
Eh, anything to start conversation.
We are soon going to hit 300, so yeah.

>>18519808
Would you do it, anons?

I really wonder where FSF is going. I can't think of what the climatic final battle could be, unless Narita goes for the obvious choice of a repeat of Gil vs Enkidu, only this time until the end. Maybe Enkidu gets corrupted or something.

>>18520871
Ayaka will be the final boss or some shit. It's gonna be totally unexpected, there are too many factors to take a good guess at this point.

>>18520883
Her being Kischur's pawn makes her suspicious, and there's also Karture's intentions in waking ORT. But I don't think the final battle should be something unexpected, so far pretty much all HGW's have ended up with a match up logical since pretty early on. Ishtar's involvement and summoning of Gugalanna is more build up for an eventual rematch. Of course, there's really no reason this should be the end, as Gil could end up dying early, but I want Narita to do a great story before an unpredictable one.

>>18520925
>Gil could end up dying early
It's Narita. I very much doubt anyone will die at all.

>>18521091
To be fair, this is quite different from his usual series. The tone and atmosphere is much darker than usual, and no matter what he'll have to end the war at some point. At worst I could see him keep everyone alive until the end game of it all, but even then servants will have to start dying.

So functionally, what is the difference between Instinct and Eye of the Mind?

>>18498245
he killed roa and vampires

>>18516993
>>18517078
>>18517084
>>18517093
>>18517099
>fanfics
>4chan
What the fuck is this /tmg/?

>>18523491
What is that cutie's power?

>>18523847
Being in a dead series.

>>18517099
That was really great. Quality writing, would read again - though posting fanfics should definitely not be standard practice in these threads, there’s nothing wrong with the occasional exception.

Oh shit, I completely forgot LE was airing today.
Trippy Alice in Wonderland visuals soon, maybe.

Well, it was visually impressive at the very least. Whole episode in a Madoka Labyrinth.

/fgog/ went full retard, let's discuss this shit here
What was Amari's deal?

>>18528208
>/fgog/ went full retard
They always are, you can go back there.
No clue what Amari was up to, she interacted with Rin in a previous cycle. Will wait for subs to figure out what the hell she said to Hakuno.

>>18528219
I've got nowhere else to go during streams, /a/ is dead

>>18528233
>I need a twitch chat experience in an image board
Faggot.

Oh yeah, so apparently the Extella babby spin-off will indeed be a manga.
What does "Ikustella" mean anyway?

>>18528302
育 means to raise.

This cooking show is almost too much for my heart

>>18533491
She's almost too cute

>>18534169
Almost? She's too cute

>>18534186
That's a smile to protect

>>18534233

>>18527155
Lunatique is probably the best tm fanfic on the web

I checked the wiki and it mentions some servants would be able to grant pseudoimmortality
Was it ever specified if they meant it in a stop aging way or in a heal wounds one?

>tfw no good release to archive for Prisma Shirou: the movie

What are the parts of Character Materials that are not translated? I started to work on bits for ORT and Lorelei, only to find that they had translations seemingly arbitrarily placed, without source, on the Type Moon wiki - of all possible sites. And, the only site which is listed on Tsukikan as hosting some translated parts of Character Materials is long dead, as was its backup.

If I'm going to do anyone any good, I should like to translate the bits that haven't ever been translated. So, again: does anyone know what's missing, if anything?

Ultimately, I'd like to consolidate all of the fucking bits and pieces into a proper single document.

>>18537647
I would say that all relevant information has already been translated and integrated into wiki articles. But that claim is not supported by anything other than trust in oldfag translators (though I have no idea who translated it, maybe Arai?)

>>18537848
do the oldfags even translate anymore

>>18520871
I've noticed they keep referencing the 'masquerade (to borrow a word from VTM) being potentially broken, like how the hell do you hide gugalaganna.

>>18537848
>that claim is not supported by anything other than trust in oldfag translators
Which is my point. I exist to create a formally complete translated version of Character Material. Things need to have readily available proof, support.

>all relevant information has already been translated
But what about the rest of the information; the irrelevant information? That is my question.

>>18538032
I'm not expecting any revelations from full translation but more power to you.

>>18538062
I'm trying to say that I don't want to sit down to write out a full translation. I'd like to know that which has already been covered specifically so that I don't have to do that.

>>18538076
>saver
nani

>>18538105
Exactly.

>>18537647
>What are the parts of Character Materials that are not translated?
I would, but it's pointless now. All pre FGO and Extella materials got retconned out continuity according to Nasu in Strange Fake afterword. He can recycle some shit from there but it's not guaranteed to work the same.

Make new thread please