>>50867
I can only watch as they clash, the gun firing a spear of metal. Rider dodges as it strikes the earth and a line of electricity blasts the area... at the same time as lightning above does as well. Incredible.

She closes in, pulling out the small blade in time for Archer to draw one of his own, the blades clanging against one another. Then Rider's blade slices right through his.

>"Last time, I was unprepared."

The blade cuts a line in his armor.

>"Last time, you got the drop on me."

He barely dodges as it cuts the strap on his goggles, snapping them and sending them flying onto the grass.

>"Last time I lost it all!"

A kick from her strong legs sends the armored giant to the earth, and she stand above him.

>"This time is different!" she roars, raising the knife high.

>>50879
>"You're right, Khyaos." Archer replies, grinning. "This time things are different."

Suddenly, as if from nowhere, lightning blasts down from the sky, blasting into Rider's knife, her arms, her head, torso, legs and then the ground. Smouldering, the knife drops from her hands and slides into the ground to the hilt, and she falls to the ground.

>"For instance, there's a lightning storm and this armor is a faraday cage." he said with a smile, picking up the knife and tossing it lazily at her neck.
Rider fades to nothing.
>"Let's get out of here Dan. Before trouble shows."
>"Right."

>>50886
As they leave, I see the spark of a dying Mark... and then a bloodcurdling scream of rage.

It's often said that you summon Servants like oneself. Rider seemed vindictive, revenge happy, angry, on the brim of sanity.

>"I'LL FUCKING CUT YOU TO PEICES!" she screams, charging at the policeman, who turns and pulls out a stungun, firing.
The prongs strike her shield, bouncing off.

I know Dan would be on my side if I asked for his help against Caster. What should I do?

>>50917
Allow the useless girl to perish.

>>50997
Agreed. We were only allies in the loosest sense of the word. Archer turns and fires, the iron rod slamming in between her breasts and knocking her to the earth.

And then the lightning strikes. Blood spatters on my cheek, and her arm flies by.
Blown to peices. That lightning isn't normal.

>>51012
I step past the body and approach the officer.
"Dan?" I ask. "It's me, Marcus."

Dan turns to me and sighs.
>"God damnit."

And then he pulls back the hammer on the gun. He doesn't look pleased.

>>51534
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

Dive for cover and shout: "I thought we were friends, Dan!"

>>51544
I manage to barely pull the sword out over my heart as the gun fires, and I dive behind Beardbeard. The bullet flies off the sword, but the impact of it knocks it from my hands.

"I thought we were friends, Dan!"

>"We are. That's why I'm going to make this nice and quick..." he pulls back the hammer again. "Unlike what that bitch did at the school to those poor kids."
He sighs.
>"You weren't called when it started. You didna see the flesh just... slough right offa their bones, their bones fall apart like sugah cubes in hot water. So before she gets you... I'm going to give you the favor of a quick death."

But Archer cuts in.

>"He might be able to stop her." he mutters. "He survived her, after all. We also still have Lancer and Assassin to worry about as well."

Dan pauses.

>"No. Even if we team up now, we'll have to off one another eventually."

Shit. I don't want to fight Dan. He's a good guy. But what he saw at the school... It must have broken something.

ASSASSIN?! What the christ. "Other six Servants" wasn't an error then? It must be the guy in charge who's in control of the Assassin.

Anyway, according to the rules, one can win the contest without killing the Master, only the Servant. Even better, you can force the Master to give up his/her Marks. Nobody has to actually die.

Clearly, Archer knows something I don't.

>>51600
I hold up my hands.

"No one's gotta die right now, Danny." I say slowly. "If you just hand me your marks, then you can go to the Church and get protection. I'm even sure I can supply enough mana to keep Archer in the game for you. Hell, I'll even escort you to the Church myself."

Danny shakes his head.

>"No, no, no! You don't get it! This is all a lie! The Holy Grail, the contest, all of it is a lie!"
he shakes his head harshly.
>"Look, There's been dozens of these contests, right? And that means there's dozens of winners! Why is there still war or disease, or, conversely, why is the planet still around?! What did the other winners wish for?! Are they even around!?"

My mind draws a blank. Holy shit, he's right!

>"So I looked into it." he goes on, hands open. "I investigated the old wars! And guess where the last one was held?"

"Where?"

>"Cherno-"

He's cut off, a knife suddenly in the back of his neck. He gasps a few times, then falls over.

A red mask, I can see it in the distance. And then it disappears.

>>51669
...
Oh fucknuggets.

>>51669
Huh. That's inconvenient.

Magus logic: Archer will stay alive due to his class abilities, we need to negotiate him joining us. Assassin just did us a favor.

Human(e) logic: Someone we know personally just died in front of us. We're going to "repay" Assassin for this favor.

>>51758
Marcus logic: Negotiate with Archer, beat the shit out of Assassin with both my new servants, find out what the hell is going on.

"Archer." I say simply. "I have enough mana to power you and Beardbeard. Will you be my Servant?"

There's a pause from the large fellow.

"I promise, we will find the Servant who killed Danny."

>"Very well."

With that, A new mark is inscribed on my other hand!

"We need to get out of here, now. Beardbeard, take Dan's body. We're leaving."

Beardbeard does as I say and the three of us leave, Archer immediatly turning into a ghost as we rush home.

How do I shot trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2009/09/26(Sat)13:58 No. 51766 ID: 6faa8c
File 125399872922.png - (2.84KB , 300x300 , Archermark.png )

>>51760
<<dorp, need image there>>

>>51766
...saddest Command Spell ever.

How do I shot trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2009/09/26(Sat)14:28 No. 51788 ID: 6faa8c
File 125400048981.png - (3.32KB , 300x300 , Archermark.png )

>>51782
Oh, man I didn't even notice

>>51788
Oh yeah, penetrate that hole, Command Spell. Uhh.

>>51790
Top rune does not approve.
B-I

How do I shot trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2009/09/26(Sat)20:37 No. 52121 ID: 6faa8c
File 125402265640.png - (3.06KB , 300x300 , lifesong.png )

...
Odd looking command spells aside, we reach my home without much issue, though the red mask never leaves my mind's eye. I take Dan down to my magical lab, setting him inside the strongest magical circle I own.

I have to save him.
If not for the fact of his death being untimely, then for the information he holds!
Once, I charge the circle with power.
Twice.
Three times.
Four times.

Drained of energy, unable to risk more, I sit on the floor. My magic has failed me. All I know is that the Holy Grail war is a folly. I know not how to stop it, who is behind it, All I have is this knife, and the place of the last war: Chernobyl.

How do I shot trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2009/09/26(Sat)21:47 No. 52152 ID: 6faa8c
File 125402683953.png - (2.70KB , 300x300 , lifesong.png )

>>52121
Now I understand why Dan felt the way he did...

How do I shot trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2009/09/27(Sun)10:43 No. 52332 ID: 6faa8c
File 125407339932.png - (340.23KB , 800x531 , landingzone.png )

>>52152
Some time has passed.

Two days, to be precise.

Since the incident at the college, the Magic Association decided to relocate the War to a place more suitable. We were taken aboard a special, seperate aircraft, landed in different areas. We were not told where we are, even I am unsure.

As we step off the plane, there is a foreboding feel about us, as if there is no one for hundreds of miles. The land looks grim, stricken.

A sick feeling washes over me. This land has been utterly saturated with foul magic. With hate. Anger.

Something very wrong happened here in the past. Something that could have easily been prevented but was not.

>>52332
Trees, growing out of asphalt. This place has been abandoned for a long time. You don't think they actually relocated it THERE, did they?

(ps, if you don't want us to know for sure where this is, you should probably erase that URL in the bottom left of the photo)

How do I shot trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2009/09/27(Sun)10:58 No. 52350 ID: 6faa8c
File 125407429339.png - (262.68KB , 800x531 , buildings.png )

>>52332
Me, Archer, and Beardbeard wander for a while, until we come across a series of buildings.

>"This place makes me shudder." Archer murmurs, lifting his second pair of goggles. "It's like it shouldn't exist, but does."

Beardbeard is silent, watching the buildings and windows.

<<IGNORE THOSE URLS DO NOT ZOOM IN DAMNDAMNDAMN>>

>>52347
I... Hurm. I've always heard that a large magical explosion happened at the same time as the meltdown... and that would certainly explain the feelings of anger and regret that have the place awash like a layer of black mucus.

What should I do? Inspect the buildings? Enchant something into a weapon in preperation? I still have my gun, but only 24 bullets.

Inspect the buildings. Whats the worse that can happen?

How do I shot trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2009/09/27(Sun)15:08 No. 52648 ID: 6faa8c
File 125408929622.jpg - (56.97KB , 341x512 , interior.jpg )

>>52633
R-right! What's the worst that could... happen...

Argh, now my imagination is running. Thanks a lot. I load up my pistol with one of each type of round. Sword-enchanted rounds are almost the best at simple damage, so that stays loaded as I wander inside. There's three entrances I can look into in here, the rest are inaccsesable due to rubble. The one directly ahead, and two on the left.
Archer says he senses a Servant.

>>52648
Inside a building, I would guess Lancer. It's about time for him to show up, I think.

Requesting character card for Archer.

How do I shot trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2009/09/27(Sun)15:46 No. 52696 ID: 6faa8c
File 12540915632.png - (138.18KB , 1165x544 , Archercard.png )

>>52674
>Archer character card

Lancer sounds right. Also, most Servants cannot 'sense' Assassin. It's his class ability. I stay between Archer and Bearbeard, the latter in front of me. I can hear movement in the farthest left room.

>>52696
>Bearbeard

Doesn't the male gender symbol point northeast?

>>52801
<<It does?>>

<<Huh.>>

>>52696
And then something emerges. A shadow outlined by the light behind it. Feminine and sleek, a spear in her hand. Her hair is blonde, I can see her long ears poking through her hair. And then...

She's gone!

I duck and the spear blade glances off of Archers armor. I fire my pistol, it passes through a blur and strikes the ceiling. Beardbeard slashes at her as she passes, and misses. Archer fires, hits a wall, and blows a hole in it.

This all happens in one second, and she's crouching on the ground, looking right at me. Into my eyes.

>>52853
Hmm, I guess that's some kind of a different version of Freya, like how Tav is tall now?

Ask her to yield, as she is outnumbered and the Assassin is still alive. There's no point in fighting each other when there's someone out there whose entire purpose is to prevent *anyone* from winning.

I would theorize that Chernobyl was a site where the Caster was the last Servant alive. All this hatred is left over from her final attack upon learning the truth. Either it didn't work, or the Assassin was just summoned again in the next War.

>>52872
"Lancer, we don't have to fi-"

A blast of lightning lances towards me and Archer pulls me back and around, as it flies into his armor and dissipates. He turns and fires again, but misses. She vanishes again, and I barely bring out my blade fast enough to block it. It's knocked from my hands. driven into the wall to the hilt.

Beardbeard run up Archer's armor and leaps from the top, coming down at Lancer with the two-handed axe. She looks him in the eyes and butts the handle into him, knocking him back but not seriously damaging him.

I know she can't really harm Archer, due to his armor, but otherwise, she's unstoppable by virtue of her speed.

Beardbeard rises again, shaking his head. Tav looks uncertain. Is this where we lose?

Is this where I die?!

>>52877
Yeap.

Collect your thoughts and make peace with yourself.

>>52914
I look to the roof and sigh, collecting my thoughts. I'm going to die here. In this building. This old, dil...pita...ted... building...

And idea strikes me. "Berserker! destroy this floor!" I yell. "Destroy the building!"

Oh, she can dodge bullets. She can dodge Archer's shots.

But let's see her dodge a whole damn building! I see her move to attack Beardbeard, a twitch in her eyes, and motion for Archer to block her. She rams headlong into strong steel, reeling back.

I pull the sword from the wall.

I'm not going to die. Not alone!

>>52917

Suddenly realize how pointless fighting is and drop your weapon.

Embrace the sweet release of death and your exit from the contest.

>>52930

What? You are no pussy Marcus! Nobody is going to kill you without dying himself!

>>52962
Sure they are. All he needs to do is let it happen.

Death is probably the single best option at this point, as an escape from this game he never especially wanted to be a part of anyways.

>>52973
And cheese off Beardbeard?
He's got a reason for doing this too, you know.
...Granted, we don't know what it is, but if we act like a sucker and cop out now, what do you want to bet we're going to have a semi-enjoyable afterlife?

I'd prefer not to skip out on Tav, either.

Actually, we have a better chance of freeing them too if we cop out now, and we can all cop out together.

Or would you guys rather rig Tav's weapon to explode and take us all out? That could work.

Hah, yeah, let's kill ourselves and see what happens.

>You are no pussy Marcus!
He's a mage, dude. A mage who fights by summoning other people (actually, person) to do all his fighting for him.

>>53028

Hmmm, how do I put it so you can understand? Ah, yes.
He is a human. A human that summons Space Marines and still fights alongside them instead of sitting somewhere and send them out to do his bidding. I would say that requires balls.
BIG balls.

>>53080
It also takes some balls to man up and take your life into your own hands.

Make Red proud. Don't let them catch you, Marcus.

4 want suicide, 1 wants suicide and kill someone else too, and two more just discuss the merits of such.

If Marcus doesn't kill himself I'm going to call railroading.

How do I shot trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2009/09/28(Mon)17:32 No. 53270 ID: 6faa8c
File 125418432549.png - (8.93KB , 300x300 , youguysaskedforit.png )

They say that when you summon a Servant, you get one similar to yourself. That you have similar abilities, similar personalities to the one you recieve, to better allow you to communicate and command.

I am not going to allow some elf to kill me! I will go on my own terms!

COMMAND SPELL ACTIVATED: BERSERKER

"WIPE OUT THIS FLOOR, BERSERKER!" I scream, diving to the ground. Archer is not fast enough to see what is coming: A sword so huge it dwarfs him, me, and Lancer all together. It slashes through the building, destroying supports, causing the whole mess to fall upon me, Archer, and Lancer.

She cannot dodge, and before the blackness takes me, I hear a sound like a watermelon falling on pavement.

"Got you, you bitch." I mutter, as a heavy weight knocks me to the ground, my blue command spell shorting out.

The last thing I see is Beardbeard's hands... and then the blackness swallows me.

Wake up.

Well done; you killed your Archer. Hopefully you got Lancer too.

Get up, get your gun, call for Berserker, and take the nearest cover you can. Odds are someone will come to look over the rubble, at which point you can sneak attack them.

Eyes open for Assassin, for what it's worth.

Shot Trip said the thread's done, locking until it can be archived.