“I don’t want to leave them alone either, for a number of reasons. Lead the way, Saber!”
She gets up, materializing her armor in the process, the look of which is unlike any you’ve ever seen, but that’s to be expected of a Counter Guardian.
You storm out of the Shanghai, struggling with keeping up the pace.

Saber is in her Guardian mode, no longer the cheerful and carefree girl, but a war machine whose systems are all nominal.
No one is around anymore. It’s just 9 pm, but the recent accidents must have led people to believe that they’d be safer inside their houses at night.

“Master, I have bad news and good news”, Saber calls to you.
“Bad news first!”
“We’re losing them”.
“What’s the good news?”
“I know where they’re going. It’s the uphill road that leads to Yamaku, and we can get there if we take a shortcut”.

“Then let’s do so. I will keep up with you!”, you scream out to her.
In a routine that comes natural to you, you begin recalling the runic alphabet to be ready for the fight
Runic magecraft is not especially potent, but unlike other types of thaumaturgy it is not prone to decline.
It embodies the mystery of communication between people, and while science and semiotics might have unpacked the theory behind why people and talk and the idea of meaning-making, the concept itself of a language with its ancestral origins and prehistoric roots is so entangled that it might never be entirely understood by people.

Saber is ahead of you, turning left and right at an impressive speed, so much that you’re afraid you might lose her.
All of a sudden she freezes in place, long enough that you have time to catch up with her.
“What is it?”, you ask
She raises her index and puts it in front of her lips, telling you to keep quiet.
You can hear the echo of footsteps approaching, little by little, until the source of the noise appears right in front of you.

A tall warrior, not particularly muscular but definitely strong, with long blonde hair and cerulean eyes.
His chest is bare and exposed, and he is wearing no shoes, while ragged pants cover his pale legs.
His expression is a mix of impotent rage and abject terror as he walks towards you.
Saber readies her sword, and although a similar weapon is dangling from the warrior’s belt, he does not do the same.

Berserker, the Heroic Spirit of rage and madness, is inexorably coming closer and closer.
A cry of madness and sadness escapes his lips, as he produces a panpipe from his pants.
He slowly starts playing a delicate and pleasing tune, and you notice that stray cats are coming out of their hiding spots and gathering near the mad hero to listen to his performance.

It lasts a few minutes, then Berserker puts the panpipe back in his pants and starts whispering.
You quickly recognize what’s going on: it’s a high-speed incantation.
The stray cats turn their back on the warrior, staring right into you and Saber instead.
All of a sudden, with a mighty roar, they turn into lions.
Apparently satisfied with this, Berserker continues his stroll, ignoring friends and foes alike. An horrible mixture of rage and fear is still impressed on his face as he leaves.

Saber grabs you and pulls you behind her.
“Stay there, Master. We’ll find a way out”.

INTERLUDE: CANIS CANEM EDIT

The blonde king is barely standing, clinging on his sword not to lose his balance.
His white and gold heraldic armor, decorated with the cross of Jerusalem, is soaked in his own blood.
Kenji, too, seems to be distressed.

Right in front of them stand two enigmatic figures.
A young girl, no older than 18, beautiful and modest looking, and a figure clad in a mantle.
“Ay, Big Shot. Must suck to get shanked by a small fish like myself”, he says tauntingly to the knight.

“Next maybe don’t act all high and mighty before yer done with the deal, you get me?”
“A person like you has no right to speak”, the knight retorts, weak but still prideful. “Fight like a man, not like a mouse!”
“Yeah yeah that kinda talk ain’t worth much if it comes from you, mate. Ye got yer armor, ye fine sword, yer training as a knight… I only have a knife, but it’s more than enough to put wankers like you in their place”, the mysterious Heroic Spirit retorts.

“Now, you know what’s my philosophy? Ye need to eliminate a problem from the roots. So if ye don’t mind, I am gonna kill yer Master first”
“No you wont! I won’t let you!”, Crusader shouts, in one last surge of bravery.

“Ye really wanna suffer, don’t yet? Why not pass away peacefully?”, the cloak-clad figure keeps taunting.
“Because unlike you scum, I don’t take the easy way out!”
Raising his sword once again, Crusader attempts one last cleave, easily intercepted by the enemy’s short knife.

“Ye can’t hit me. Not so slow, not so desperate, not so imprecise”
Just as his sentence finishes, an arrow grazes his face, removing the hood and revealing an horribly disfigured face.
“Oi, Big Shot. You brought friends along?”, he inquires. “that ain’t fair. I’ll have to call my friends too, and I can assure you, I am more than enough to handle you all”.

“I am really curious to see you live up to those words, Assassin”, a voice responds out of nowhere.
“Archer, that’s not the way to go. Two wrongs don’t make a right”, Crusader scolds him.
“Ye hear him? Preachy even in his last moments”

Five more figures appear behind Kenji and the knight. Three Masters and two Servants, to be precise.
“There ye go. Two wankers and six gankers. Master, if ya will”.
The girl nods, before extracting a book from her backpack.
The tome starts glowing, and what looks like a portal opens next to her.

A middle-aged man walks through it, accompanied by an old man in a toga.
“Ah, professor Mutou”, Kenji bitterly comments. “I guess my chances of graduating are gone for this year”.
“I am afraid so”, the man responds unflinchingly.

Two more pairs of Masters and Servant come from the portal: an extravagant old man with a knight in a blue and gold uniform, and a young man preceded by another man in a toga wielding a snake-entwined rod.
“What is going on here? Cease this folly!”, the young man cries, taking a step forward.
“Careful, Master”, says the man with the rod. “their Archer’s got his eyes on you. But don’t worry, I’ll dissolve him in a puddle of acid before he can do anything”.

“You wish, Healer. Unfortunately for you, no poison works on me”
“Enough!”, the man called Mutou screams. “Let’s get away from here”.
“No”, Akira flatly responds.

“Gleipnir!”
Black tentacles envelope the newcomers as well as the girl and her Servant. Akira’s spell has been sudden and unexpected.
Hideaki reaches for a jewel in his pocket and throws it screaming “Zwölf!”

As the precious stone trundles towards the group, the middle-aged man starts reciting a spell.
A few seconds before exploding, the jewel disappears.
“Not bad, professor”, Hideaki admits. “Temurah Kabbalah, and you’re using it with numbers rather than with words. After all, the words of a spell don’t need to make sense for anyone besides the caster, so using numbers isn’t that different”.

“We’re done here. Iwanako, proceed”, the professor orders.
The tome glows once more, and the figures once enveloped in tentacles disappear.
Yuuko, who was holding back until then, runs towards her boyfriend, hugging him.
“Kenji, Kenji! Are you ok?”
“Yeah, I am fine. Crusader’s the one injured here”.
The girl nevertheless puts an hand over Setou’s shoulder, whispering a spell.

Crusader’s wounds heal, and he is once again able to stand.
A mana transfer so quick and massive would surely not be feasible for a regular mage.
“Is Saber’s Master here?”, Crusader asks.
“No, we left him at the Shanghai”
“Next time, consider trusting him. I am confident we would have lost if they didn’t withdraw”

“We must talk with him immediately”, Kenji boldly states. “Next time there might not be a next time”.

INTERLUDE OUT.

You and Saber are walking backwards, with your guard up. A pack of hungry lions is slowly but surely approaching.
“Master, we have two ways out”, Saber explains. ”Number one: I use my sword and you use your runes. Number two: since no one is around, I will reveal my Noble Phantasm. Choose, and choose quickly”.

>Unleash the Noble Phantasm
>Fight with conventional means

==========

Status screen: updating

>>123392
>Iwanako
Oh lord. Now THIS is an interesting turn of events.
I'm very interested in what will happen next
>Fight with conventional means

>>123392
>Fight with conventional means

>>123392
>Fight with conventional means

berserker is actually quite strong, but I doubt we'll need an A rank noble phantasm which saps sabers mana against some lions.

>>123392
>Fight wih conventional means
We're keeping that trump card for something that's not big kitties.

>>123392
>Fight with conventional means

>>123390
It's funny cuz I like Crusader and it seems Crusader likes us or at least trusts us.
Man, I ain't gonna enjoy fighting him.

>>123437
I'm gonna have to go read about the KS characters.
Or maybe not, so I don't find myself going meta unintentionally.

>>123437
>>123445
>>123607
>>123633
>>123649

Called it. I will write the update and I think it will be the last for today

>>123754
Look up the /ksg/ thread on /vg/.
The characters I inserted are mostly wallpaper, they don't appear much in the original game, but maybe talking about them with people on /ksg/ will help you understand them a bit better.

Then again, my canon isn't the original game's canon, so there's also that.

>>123816
It should at least be useful to give them faces; I'll look it up.

“Give it your best shot, Saber! We can’t risk using your Noble Phantasm here!”
You give her the command as quickly as you can, before tracing the Isaz rune mid-air.
The paws of most of the lions freeze on the ground, at least those closer to you, while Saber proceeds to kill them with her sword.

Saber’s killing the lions using the sword as a baton or a staff, having kept her sealed through all your fights. Unsheathing the sword must somehow be linked to her Noble Phantasm, you suppose.
Berserker seems to be aimlessly wandering, paying you no mind whatsoever. Whatever he’s after, it’s not you.

You trace Isaz once again, and all those lions who hadn’t been frozen earlier become frozen now.
You Servant fells the last of them, and they all turn into dust quickly.
“That spell was above and beyond the capability of mages of our time. If he wanted, Berserker could sustain another Servant on his own”, you bitterly remark. “Your Counter Hero skill didn’t work on him, did it?”
Saber shakes her head. Terrifying.

Of all the Servants you’ve seen so far, he is definitely the strongest. Slayer was affected by the rank-down penalty when he turned hostile for a second, but you really see no chance of success against such a monster.
“Could it be that Harway was looking after him, after all? If so, what’s his connection to the sword that killed the unicorn?”

“Master, we have no time to lose! We must join the others”, the Counter Guardian urges you. As if you never stopped, she continues running in their direction, and once again you lag behind.
When you catch up to her, she’s staring at your allies coming back from the fight.
Crusader is nowhere to be seen, Kenji looks bruised but the rest of them look alright.

“My, Ainsworth, aren’t you the considerate one?”, Akira teases you.
“I just sought to bring you relief in case you were injured, that’s all.”
“Sure, of course, or maybe you thought you’d get some information about all your enemies at once. Isn’t it so?”
“Calm down, Master”, Lancer interrupts her. “This boy had some genuine concern for us. I can see it in his eyes”.
“If you say so. Anyway, I think we’ll have to wait for Kenji’s report to know a little bit more about the situation. Ah, if my poor sister was here, her heart would be broken!”, she complains.

“Kenji, I realize this might not be the right moment, but could I ask you something?”
“Of course”, he answers you. “I am not in that much of a bad shape”.
“Did you by any chance fetch my items at the other Motel? I think I never really did tell you where I was staying, did I?”
“No, not exactly. Besides, I spent the night booking your room and sleeping to be ready for school.”
“I understand. Well, if you guys don’t mind, I will go get my stuff and join you at the Shanghai. Is that alright?”

Most of the group nods or otherwise expresses its approval.
Saber’s armor disappears, replaced by her regular clothes, and you start walking towards your old place of stay.
The city is not that big and you reach it quickly. You entrust your Servant with your wallet, while you proceed to retrieve all the important stuff you brought with you, as well as removing the magical lock you put in place.

One object in particular grabs your attention: the music box you bought the day the war begun. You can’t remember why you brought it with you, but nevertheless decide that leaving it here would be a waste.
“I think Saber might even like it”, you think out loud.
As you climb down the stairs, you’re pleased to see that she’s handled all the necessary formalities and that you’re both ready to leave. You wave goodbye to the concierge and head for the Shanghai.

You arrive there as soon as you can, and you quickly read the mood.
Akira and Hideaki are displeased, while Yuuko and Kenji are definitely upset.
“Sorry to be late”, you apologize. “I have some information myself, so but I think it’d be better if Kenji went first”.

He acknowledges your decision bowing his head slightly in your direction, then he begins explaining.
“The school’s Masters have assembled in a team not unlike ours. They’re keeping up appearances and seem to be pacifists. However, something fishy is going on in the Student Council room. There used to be only two girls using that room, and they recently… passed away. That room is now barricaded, but Crusader felt a strong magical energy flowing from there. He supposes the whole room has been filled with Ether Clumps, although we have no idea what kind of spell they intend to magnify”.

He turns to the other Masters, continuing his report. “We all remember Nakai’s funeral, don’t we? There was that black haired girl who was crying her eyes out. Apparently she transferred school and she’s a Master too. Assassin… that bastard…”
“Keep your feuds out of this, Setou. What are they up to?”
“It’s hard to tell. I think it’s somehow connected to Caster’s Noble Phantasm. Professor Mutou was talking with the Nurse about how it will make their wish come true without the use of the Grail, so it must be something substantial. I then tried to leave, but we all know how that ended”.

“Yuuko, if you’ve been working with them for so long, how could you not detect them as magi?”, Hideaki asks.
“Eh, well, the thing is, I…” the shy girl stutters, but Kenji interjects.
“Because they’re not Magi. Those books they’re using are the source of magic. They’re merely keeping the Servants anchored to the world, but those books are the source of the mana”.
“How would you know?”, Hideaki continues. “You’re not a magus either”.
“I am not, but Crusader is a Servant, and as most Servants he can detect a powerful source of magic when he’s close to it”, he replies.
“How ‘powerful’ is powerful?”, Akira inquires, leaning on the table.
“Definitely above our level. Those books seem to never run out of mana”, Kenji responds with a serious face.
“Wait, wait! This is making no sense!”, Yuuko explodes. “We saw Mutou using magic. So what’s going on here?”
The mood turns even sourer. “One step forward, two backwards”, the Satou magus accurately points out.

“Allow me to clarify then”, you seize the opportunity to say. “Ruler is an irregular Servant that wields Command Spells. He told me he used one to seal Caster’s Noble Phantasm. This buys us time, even if we don’t know how much”.
People around you seem to be a bit more relieved, and you already feel guilty for what you’re going to say next.
“I met Berserker. That thing… is probably the strongest Servant in this War. Me and Saber are lucky to be still alive”, you blurt out.
Akira’s eyes widen in shock, while the others just seem rather distressed.
“We’ll take care of him another day”, she promptly dismisses the matter. “Now we need to find a way to keep an eye over the school”.

“I agree, it’s high time. After all they’ve been keeping watch over us”, you claim.
All the eyes in the room are on you, and you meet their gaze as you look for a certain vial in your bag.
Finally, you find it. It’s the substance you used to identify Kenji as a Master.
You pour its content over the sole of your shoe and you watch as it changes color.

“Look at this: the magic around the sole is mostly colorless, but it becomes iridescent with this potion. Here and here you can see smaller, darker spots, probably a result of me walking through the city and meeting other magical phenomena. However this spot, right here, is the darkest. Intense magic occurred here. I squished an insect with this shoe some days ago. I think it was a familiar sent to spy on us. I will return the favor”.

Everyone is astonished as you draw four runes mid air.
You close your eyes and focalize on the path that goes from the Shanghai to school.
When you open them, a Shadow Hound, a familiar associated to the black school of magecraft materializes.
It’s no more than a dog-shaped ghost, with eyes burning like fire. It quickly leaves passing through the wall, running at a physics-defying speed towards the school.

“That’s our Ainsworth!”, Archer, up until that point silent, comments.
Everyone splits up, going to different tables and discussing with their own Servant.
Before calling it a day, you can still:

>Talk with Kenji and Crusader
>Talk with Yuuko and Shielder
>Talk with Akira and Lancer
>Talk with Hideaki and Archer
>Find your own table and talk with Saber.


============

SORRY (yeah, in caps), for the lengthy updates.
I just feel I'd rather give you more content and less but more meaningful choices than a lot of updates with silly and unimportant decisions.

I am also sorry if there are any spelling mistakes, I am kinda tired at this point, I hope you still find my quest enjoyable.

>>124485
I want to
>Find my own table and talk with Saber
To praise her for a job well done, if possible.

>>124485
Talk with seiba

>>124485
>talk with Saber

Sorry to spam guys, just a reminder that we need 5 votes to advance in the story

>>124485
>Talk with saber

Mention the music box.

>>124485
>Find your own table and talk with Saber.

Lets talk to saber

You, too, head towards an empty table and beckon to Saber.
She joins you, sitting opposite to you, smiling widely.
“Well done, Master. You sure showed them!”
“It’s too early to call it a success, but it was definitely an improvement. I’ve also seen your change of attitude, and I must commend you on that too”.

Saber blushes, but her grin widens even more.
“See, Master? I can be reliable too!”
“I didn’t doubt that, and you shouldn’t either. You should believe in yourself more, Saber. After all, hope rides on you and you alone. When the moment to make a critical decision comes, know that I am your Master and I will support you, just like you vowed to be my sword and shield. But you will also need to face the consequences of your actions”.
Saber nods with a determined expression, and you feel like the bond of trust between the two of you has been solidified.

“By the way, Saber, look at this. I bought it before the war started”, you say, as you shove your arm into the bag looking for the music box.
It takes you a while, but you finally grasp the wooden case and pull it out of the bag.
You open it gently and lay it on the table.
The nostalgic yet comforting music plays once again, and everyone in the Shanghai stops to listen.
Akira seems to be particularly impressed.

When the melody stops playing, she walks towards your table.
“Say, Ainsworth, could I borrow that?”, she asks out of the blue.
“Uh, what for?”
“I… I don’t know, I guess I just kinda like the music”

It is not something you were expecting, and even if you’re reluctant to worsen your relations with your allies, something is telling you to hold tight to that box.
“Well, I just got it back from the Motel I was staying in. So, if you don’t mind, I’d like to keep it a little bit longer”.
She shrugs, disappointed. “Suit yourself”, she replies, trying to downplay it.

“Play it once again, Master!”, Saber pleads. You were probably right, she really seems to enjoy this music box a lot.
The melody echoes in the tea shop once again, this time making you aware of how tired you are. After all, you used a considerable amount of mana, and you could definitely use some sleep.

You stand up and put the music box away once the song finishes.
“I am going to bed, Saber. Feel free to join me”.
“M-mind if I show you the way?”, Yuuko proposes stuttering.
You’re about to turn her down, then realize she probably has something important to tell you.
You look at Kenji, but he simply shrugs. Saber, on the other hand, stood up as well and is ready to follow you.

Once you’re in front of your room, Yuuko, up until that moment quiet and fidgety, clears her throat.
“I w-would really appreciate i-if you w-were to lend that box t-to my cousin”. This is the first time she referred to Akira in that way. “I-I mean! Not right now. B-but maybe later?”, she quickly rectifies.
“Well, alright then. I don’t get why it’s so important, but I will try to meet your request”, you decide.

She quickly and deeply bows, thanking you. She’s really going to get injured one day, you think.
After wishing you a good night, she turns around and heads downstairs.
The room hasn’t been cleaned since you were last there, and it’s probably for the best.
Once Saber lets herself in, you seal it with the Berkanan rune.

You take off your clothes and change into the spare casual ones you bought at the shop, which are definitely more comfortable for sleeping.
“Master, I will just take on my spirit form. I don’t think the bed is large enough to fit the both of us”, Saber tells you before disappearing.
You are too tired to articulate a response, and fall asleep as soon as you lay on your bed.

You’re walking down a familiar road, and you feel… tiny.
Yeah, you’re tiny. People are giving you strange looks, as if you were not supposed to go around and walk on your own.
But you don’t care, you’re a man with a purpose. And soon enough you find yourself in front of a huge western-style mansion.
You feel the magic power surrounding it, but you just move to the door and knock.

No one responds, so you open the door and let yourself in.
The hall is empty, but you can hear voices coming from downstairs, and that’s where you head to.
“You see, Zelretch’s disciples usually don’t sign these kind of agreements, but my daughters are both extremely talented. I’ve heard the Ainsworth could arrange to find an heirless family for my Sakura, so…”
The middle-aged man speaking stops as he sees you coming in. His eyes are a piercing blue, and his hair is graying.
In front of him stand two figures: a kid looking somewhat familiar, not much older than you, and…
‘FATHER!’
You want to scream that, but it’s not what you say.
“I will grant your wish”.
Darius Ainsworth, your father, looks at you puzzled.
“What did you say, little one?”
“I’ve heard your pleas. I will grant your wish”, you simply repeat.
Your father kneels in front of you, moving his hand forward to pat you on the head.

And then suddenly you’re awake once again. What was that dream? There’s nothing like that in your past. You have no memory of it.
The rays of sunlight are once again bathing the room. Saber materializes next to you, smiling as usual.
“Slept well, Master?”
You’re still dazzled by the dream, so you simply nod. You push away the confusion and attempt to formulate a coherent plan for the morning

>talk with Ruler
>Talk with your allies.

>>127296
Sweet, S-Link rank up!

>>127301
>Talk with your allies.

>>127301
>Talk with your allies.

>>127301
>>talk with Ruler
Ruler something is up, I summoned you which is very abnormal and i'm having really whacked out dream... Ruler be honest with me here is there some link to me and the grail, minor vessel or major. Tell me, aside form your own actions there is something off in this war right from the go, the moment I summoned you.

>>127296
>I am going to bed, saber. Feel free to join me.
L-lewd

>>127301
Talk with ruler.

>>127301
>talk with Ruler

>>127626
Saber is for headpats and hugs, not for lewd.

>>127647
Finally someone said it.

>>127653
Now give us a scene where we huggle her as if she was our cute imouto.

>>127647
But what if she needs a mana transfer?!

Talking with Ruler should come first.
After all his attempts to stop Caster from launching his Noble Phantasm are going to be foiled if Caster’s Master uses his Command Spells.
You get out of the bed and change into your Mystic Code.
“Saber, we’ll postpone breakfast until we’re back. Come with me, and please stay in spirit from”.

The main hall of the Shanghai is empty as usual. Not even Yuuko is there.
‘It’s better this way’, you suppose. If your allies were to know you’re visiting Ruler, they might think they’re entitled to the information you receive because of your deal. This time, however, you’d like to trade what you’ll learn for what they’ve already seen.

The streets are considerably less crowded than last time. There are no accidents to talk about, and people are just carrying on with their business. The city center’s square has been closed to public access and a construction company has been hired to take care of the reparations.

Yet again you find yourself in front of the abandoned Church. The eerie silence and the poor illumination give a supernatural touch to an already otherworldly location.
“Ruler, we need to talk!”, you demand in a loud voice.
The wizened King rematerializes before your very eyes.
“Welcome back, Frederick. How can I help you?”

This time a little bit of reverse psychology might help. After all, the Ainsworths are masters of manipulation.
“I figured I could return the favor this time, and tell you something you might find interesting”.
Ruler looks at you intrigued. “Go on, I am listening”.
“Well, apparently you were wrong about something. Caster’s Master does intend to unleash his Servant’s Noble Phantasm after all. I hope you have a plan for this”.

Ruler’s expression turns sour and he gnashes his teeth. “That impudent man, I’ve given him more than one way to win! Why does he insist on taking the shortcut?”
“Calm down, Ruler. I am sure me and my allies will figure something out”, you casually remark.
The old man nods, still clearly upset by the situation. “That would help me. That would help us all.”

“If we just knew his true name, we could…”
“Ainsworth!”, Ruler calls out to you, enraged. “Are you trying to fool me again? I am an impartial arbiter in this war, I am not supposed to take sides!’
“I realize I am asking you to divert substantially from the rules. But haven’t you done so already in the past? I agree with you that everyone should have a chance. Caster and his Master clearly gave up on their own when they decided to do something so foolish and dangerous. Innocents should be kept out of the Holy Grail War, but are you sure you can guarantee for that if the Noble Phantasm is activated?”
“I don’t like this, Ainsworth. I don’t like it at all”, he continues, still angry. “But I guess I have to rely on you to solve the problem. Mind you! This is the last time I will disclose this kind of personal information. No other Servant can bring about damage as severe as Caster, so he’s rightfully the only exception”.
You nod understandingly, anxious to know the truth.
“Caster’s true name is… sigh, I see no other way… his true name is Parmenides”.

In that moment, your mind is pierced by intense pain and everything goes black.

INTERLUDE : ARGO

The sun hurts. The sun hurts very much. You’ve tried hiding in every single shadow you’ve found, and eventually ended up in a dark room.
A man was sitting there, wearing some ridiculous pink jacket and colored glasses. He was staring at some abstract painting, probably just trying to think up something smart to label it.
A door creaks open and a ray of light invades the room. You rushed to the corner to avoid being burned alive, and saw a middle-aged man and a young girl coming in.

“What do you want, Mutou?”, the old man rudely asked.
“We have to talk, Nomiya. I talked with the nurse, he said Healer has almost filled all the books. Soon we’ll be able to get our wish granted. Then, the war will be over for us”.
“Bah, it’s your war, your wishes. I was dragged into this”.
“That’s not how the Grail works. Enomoto explained that to us. We’re worried for you, Nomiya. You’ve elected to follow the lead of Caster even if you don’t like me. What do you seek to gain out of this?”

“Some peace of mind, like the rest of you”, the old man responds, dejected. “For me, for us, for those kids. For my pupils. I know this isn’t something you were expecting of me, but…”
“No, that’s not true. We might have disagreed in the past, Shinichi, but I never once doubted that at the bottom of your heart, you were a good person”.
“Thank you, Akio. It means a lot coming from you”.

“Are you listening, Peeping Tom?”, the young girl suddenly calls.
Fear overcomes you. Have you been discovered? How?
The girl takes a few steps towards you. There’s no way she can see you, unless…

Your paw is stabbed by a vicious knife. You whimper in pain as you try to escape, but a cruel, hooded figure appears right before your eyes.
“Hey, old man, look at this. It’s a pet much like yours”, he says, not without an hint of contempt in his voice.
Your eyes widen in fear as he pulls out the knife from your paw and lifts it to strike once again.
“Y’all snitches shoulda just mind yer business”.
The blade pierces your head, and the last thing you see before everything goes black is the young girl smiling.

INTERLUDE OUT

You’re sitting on a bench, wheezing. Your familiars have been killed before, but never so… painfully.
It’s almost like the killer’s life had been dedicated to murder and murder only.

Saber is standing besides you, worried.
“Are you alright, Master?”
“Yes, I will be ok. Sorry about that”, you feebly answer.

Ruler is staring at you as well, definitely puzzled by your behavior.
“What happened, young Magus?”, he asks you

>Tell him what you know
>Lie about the accident.

>>128125
I don't see how it would be counterproductive to let them know, but in case I'm wrong I hope somebody catches whatever I'm missing.
>Tell him what I know

>>128125
>Tell him what you know

>Tell him what you know

>>128125
>Tell him what you know

>>128125
>>Tell him what you know

>>128151
>>128159
>>128246
>>128248
>>128328

I guess we have a winner.
Is the player who wanted some pictures from the characters because he doesn't know them still around?

>>128393
Not him but I want to see them.

File: Katawa.Shoujo.full.1198105.jpg (1.2 MB, 1920x1200)

1.2 MB JPG

>>128403
These are Akira and Hideaki. I will post other characters with the actual updates, so as to avoid spamming.

>>128420
THAT'S HAKAMICHI?!
...why is this allowed?
Akira looks so bro despite her attitude.

>>128125
>Tell him what you know

A poet caster who's sole poem is about how nothing can never be? First magic noble phantasm soon.

“I sent a familiar to spy on Yamaku. They found it and killed it”, you explain, as you slowly get up.
“What are you doing, Master? Don’t push yourself!”, Saber calls out to you.
“We have no time to lose, Saber. They said they’re going to unleash it. We have to stop them” you declare, as you struggle to walk.

“Ainsworth”. The king’s deep voice makes you turn around. “I am sorry for lashing out at you. I feel like an old snappish drunkard. Bear with it, please at least until I recover full strength”, he says.
“No problem. Thank you for you help, as usual. Leave the rest to us.”

The death of that familiar affected you more than you expected. You’re still unstable on your feet, but the enemy made a considerable number of blunders which you plan to use at your advantage.
This time, the path to the Shanghai feels incredibly long, and once you get there you collapse on the closest chair you can find, panting.
Hakamichi is sitting at the usual table, playing his videogames.

“Don’t you have school?”, you ask him.
He stares at you with surprise. “I didn’t hear you coming. I am currently excused from school, my legal guardians are aware of this”
“You mean your father?”
“I mean the magi tutors my mother entrusted me to”.

Of course. There’s no way an influent family of magi like the Hakamichi wouldn’t arrange for a way to continue their heir’s magical training.
“Where are the others?”
“Yuuko is working in the kitchen, Kenji is probably still in his room and Akira’s working. The usual, in short”.
“Can you gather them all? Before you ask, no, it cannot wait”.

Hakamichi gives you another quizzical look.
“You found out something?”
“Yeah, I have. As I said, it’s of the utmost importance. We don’t have a single second to spare”.
He nods at you, puts his game away and produces from his pockets the latest model of cellphone.
He types on it as fast as he can, probably trying to get in touch with Akira.

“Saber, I need to ask you a favor. Bring me my bag from upstair, please. I can’t really get there yet”
Your Servant materializes and quickly heads to your room. Little by little, you make your way to Hideaki’s table.
Yuuko hurriedly rushes from the kitchen, while Kenji follows after her more slowly.
The two sit in front of you, and shortly after Saber joins you, bringing you your suitcase.

You extract from it a vial with ink and paper, and start writing with an old-fashioned pen.
As you keep on drafting your document, you hear the noise of tires screeching and a car’s door opening an quickly closing.
Akira rushes inside, gasping for air.
“You better have something important to say, Freddy boy”, the Satou mage tells you “especially if you deem it appropriate to discuss it in the light of day”.

“I do”. You put away the material and present the geas whose terms you just finished laying down to Kenji.
“Sign it. I will grant you what I’ve learned about the enemy, and you will do the same”.
“Why would we need a geas for that?”, Yuuko asks.
“Just an additional guarantee”, you promptly reply.

Kenji looks at you inquisitively for the first time.
“Very well, I have nothing to hide. If you have something you want to share with us, I will sign” he boldly accepts, grabbing the pen you’ve been offering him.
He writes his name, then it gives you back both the contract and the pen.
“Now, let’s formalize the deal”, you press on, stretching your hand towards him. He grabs it, and at that moment, all the information he has on the enemy on his status screen is transmitted to you, and vice versa.

“Parmenides, the philosopher…? What kind of Heroic Spirit is that?”, he wonders.
“Apparently a Caster. Not even that good, but his Noble Phantasm seems to be devastating”, you explain.
“I don’t like this, Ainsworth. You promised us information”, Akira complains.
“And I did give it to you. Now Kenji will distribute it to you, I need to take care of other business like setting up my workshop”.
“You’re excused”, Kenji responds. “I will talk with the others about what I’ve just learned. In the future, however, please consider making this kind of deals with everyone else too. I don’t want to give the impression that I am in charge here”.

You nod, get up and leave for your room, Saber standing by your side.
Kenji has been quite clever in dealing with you. Even if he’s not a magus, his diplomatic skills would surely let him shine if he were one.
You etch the Berkanan rune in the air, causing the door to open, and then, once Saber is in, you lock it up again.
Assembling a workshop takes more time than you expected, but Saber shows no sign of impatience, unlike last time. She must be in her serious mode once again.

It’s noon when you finish. You have the rest of the day towards you, and decide to head downstairs. Only Yuuko is there, cleaning tables.
“What happened? Did everyone leave?”
“For a reason or another, yeah. I think they all need to make some preparations”, she answers.

You should probably work on those too

>Chat with Yuuko
>Ask her where you could find a library
>Other [write-in]

===========

Sorry for the late update and sorry for the typos. I think this will be the last update for today. I am going to update the status screen too, so keep an eye on it.

Moreover I obtained permission to invite you guys to the discord channel we have at /ksg/.
If any of you is interested I will share the link.

>>129609
Thanks, Storyteller. I think we'll need time to think anyways.
So shit just got real...I think we're gonna be assaulting the school Magi real soon.
I'm currently split between bonding with Yuuko a bit and
>Other
Which I would use to go back to the workshop and ask Saber about what her NP is capable of, at least its general function. I feel we'll need to use it sometime soon.

>>129599
Btw
>"Don’t you have school?”, you ask him.
I have to say I love Fred. He's like some old soul in a young body.

>>129609
Does this quest take place before the internet? If so we should take the library option to read up on caster.

If internet does exist we should just google him.

>>130455
it's 2007, so the answer is probably yes.

I think I mentioned it in the first thread

>>129609
>Other


Search information about Caster on the web.

>>129609
>Other
Servant Research, figure out what we can about Caster but also what we know of the other servants, start by using the net and then old tomes or something.

It's important the enemy dont find out we know their name, not because they can counter but because that implicates Ruler whom we are infact warming up too.

That should have given us some recovery time, spend some of the evening doing Magnus stuff and working spells/enchanting shit that we could use in combat... maybe some kind of stun/lock spell to use on assassin when we get a chance?

>>129609
>>131948
This

>>131064
>>131948
>>133577

That is the library option guys, do you want to repurpose your vote?

Also I remind you you can't prepare spells so far ahead. You can remember the runic alphabet so that at a given time you can cast one runic spell.

Enchanting/reinforcing isn't something the Ainsworths are proficient in.

>>133622
Library is fine then.

>>133622
Lets go to the library

“Say, where could I find a library? I am not very familiar with the town and its surroundings”, you inquire.
“Ah…yes, I think. It’s not very big, but it does have internet. I can give you the address”.
“Inter…net?” that’s a word you’ve never heard before.
“Oh, right. I forgot magi usually aren’t familiar with technology. But you have Saber to help you, right?”
“Don’t worry Master, I will help you, it’s very easy to use!’, she attempts to reassure you cheerfully.
“Very well then. I think I have a map with me, if you could show me how to get there I’d be grateful”

Twenty minutes later you’re sitting in front of a computer, attempting to make it work. This world is entirely alien to you, but your pride prevents you from seeking help from Saber just yet.
There’s a keyboard in front of you, probably the way in which you input what you’re looking for.
Hesitantly, you type ‘Parmenides’, then press enter. Nothing happens however, and you’re left wondering.

You delete it and type it again, shift the input system and try to write it in latin characters, to no avail.
Frustrated, you realize it’s time to give up.
“Saber, could you…” You have no time to finish the sentence: she grabs you by the shoulders and pulls you away, stealing your seat.
Then she begins typing at the speed of light.

“What was I doing wrong?”
“You didn’t log-in with the credentials the librarian gave you. He was giving you dirty looks and I was starting to get nervous too”
“I see. I guess I underestimated the importance of being summoned with a general knowledge of the world”.
In five seconds, Saber has opened a number of different windows, all with different results for the query ‘Parmenides’.

A poet and philosopher from ancient Greece, Parmenides denied the existence of change and stated that existence was timeless and unchangeable. His works survived only in scattered fragments.
“Can you make any sense of this, Master?”
“I suppose. I think people labeled him a philosopher, misunderstanding the nature of his writing. It seems like, as every magus before him, he was speculating of ways to reach the Akasha, or the Swirl of the Root. After all the Root is the place where nothingness is denied, since it is a record of all things that were or will be. It’s a remarkable piece of work, but it fails to take into account the process of becoming”.
“So he might be something more than a magus, that is, a magician?”
You furrow your brow. “It is very unlikely. What I believe is that he could have become one, if his flawed understanding of change hadn’t prevented him from using the First Magic, Denial of Nothingness. He might have even reached some form of connection with the Akasha, although his work is too theoretical to assume he accomplished anything more than that”.

“Do you think he’s trying to replicate that miracle without the help of the Grail?”
“Yes, and replicating True Magic without thorough understanding of it might have terrible consequences. This supports Kenji’s thesis that the Masters in the school are not Magi, otherwise they’d never agree to something like that”.
“Maybe they’re desperate”
“Desperate for a miracle? Many people are. Ruler scolded them for trying to take the easy way out, so I do suppose it has something to do with someone they want to resurrect. Saber, keep looking on the internet, I am going to borrow some old newspapers”.

The librarian, albeit puzzled, obliges, and gives you newspapers from the past few months.
Starting from the oldest, you learn about the ‘streak of blood’, as the media called it, that befell over Yamaku High.
First, a transfer student died in mysterious circumstances in an hospital in a nearby town. The doctors denied that his ailing heart was the cause.
The second victim was a girl ran over by a truck. Once again the circumstances of the accident were ambiguous, with the truck driver saying that the girl was attempting suicide, and the legal advisors of the girl’s family claiming that the driver was drunk.
The final victim was a deaf-mute girl who starved herself to death. Her name immediately draws your attention: Shizune Hakamichi.

The last newspaper just briefly mentioned that mr. Hakamichi had sued the hospital in which his daughter died, claiming that the doctors had been negligent. As you lift your gaze from the article, you see that the sun has already set. It doesn’t surprise you, given how long it took you to examine three months worth of local chronicles.
You dutifully pile all the borrowed material and bring it back to the counter.
Saber is still immersed in her research, and is somewhat reluctant to leave. With the promise that you will come back there together one day, you convince her to give up.

“Found anything, Saber?”
“Oh yes, the internet is amazing, there are a lot of things there, it’s like a library condensed in one tiny spot!”
“Very well, but I mean, anything relevant to our fight with Caster”
“Not really, I think”, she answers saddened. “But I did find out that he was talking with a woman whom he called ‘the Goddess’ in his poem. It’s common for Greek poets to do so, and I presume it has no special significance besides just giving an air of authority to the philosopher’s writings”.
“That could be the case, then again it’s always difficult to differentiate between myths and facts in a legend”

A shiver runs down your spine, making you quiver.
You have a bad feeling, and having a bad feeling often means being not too far away from danger in your experience.
“Saber, do you feel it too?”
“Feel what, Master?”
Not even Saber’s Presence Detection is working. In any case, you decide to prepare a spell.

>Prepare the Gebo rune to empower Saber
>Prepare the Dagaz rune to reveal the presence of magecraft in a nearby area
>Prepare the Thurisaz rune to stun a potential assailant.

>>134383
>Prepare the Dagaz rune to reveal the presence of magecraft in a nearby area

>>134383
>Prepare the Dagaz rune to reveal the presence of magecraft in a nearby area

>>134377
I'm gonna guess and say they're trying to resurrect one of those three victims. Maybe the deaf-mute girl?

>>134730
Could also be all of them, no?

>>134383
>Prepare the Dagaz rune to reveal the presence of magecraft in a nearby area

>>134786
Then they're crazier than I thought.

>>134786
So, Storyteller, shouldn't we also have Flash Air as an Ainsworth? That shit's potentially lethal to people with low Magical Defenses, like non-Magi.
Just btfo their souls into some container.

>>134383
>Prepare the Dagaz rune to reveal the presence of magecraft in a nearby area

>>135104
Vote friend, we need 1 more.

>>135325
Ah right. Thought it was already called.
>Prepare the Dagaz rune.

>>135466
Eh...sorry. I had already voted, pay it no mind.

>>135104
Yeah, you do have it.
Remember however that in 3rei it took a brainwash to transfer souls, while easier trades are... easier to accomplish.

I also have to admit I lost count of the votes, are we at 5 yet?

>>135542
Hmm, true enough. It should still come in handy, tho', seeing how shit is about to hit the fan.

>>Prepare the Gebo rune to empower Saber
too bad we'll get shitty dagaz instead.

>>135542
And I still haven't given up on figuring out sabers identity OP. if it turns out she's some shitty future hero I'm going to be pretty sad.

>>136078
I have a unfounded hunch that she's someone from our own future that has an interest in us not becoming an expy or Kerry. Like, whenever she gets gloomy is because we're going all pragmatic.
But that's probably just me seein' things where there are none.

>>136136
>an expy OF Kerry
Typo there.

>>136078
She's not.

The update is almost over, and I find it funny that Flash Air came up exactly before the first fight I scheduled with it.

>>136237
Well, Flash Air in the hands of an Ainsworth is pretty powerful, even without the Soul Displacement application of it. Someone's gonna end up pretty injured/dead.

You decide to check for yourself: you’ve left the library behind and no one is around.
Rather than tracing the rune in the air and giving your status as a magus away, you trace it in your mind, designing the shape first and then filling it with mana.
The Dagaz rune works like a radar, giving you feedback based on the object it gets in touch with. As soon as something anomalous is perceived by the rune, a cloaked figure jumps you from behind, his jagged knife a few meters away from you.

Saber’s sword intercepts it before it can pose you a real threat, at a speed that transcends human limits.
She’s standing in front of you, clad in her armor, as the figure takes a few steps behind.
“I’ve watched you reading about them. I’ve watched you reading about him. They killed him, so I hate them. I also killed him”.
This familiar voice comes from behind the mysterious assailant.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?”, you ask.
“I’ve heard from Saki that you sneaked in our school. I guess you were the boy who came to the roof. Makes sense, no student does that”.
She emerges from the shadow, and you recognize her haircut. She’s definitely a pretty girl, although there’s a hint of desperation on her face.
“Assassin’s Master, huh? Quite the atypical Servant you’ve got. He can’t hide and he does not obey. I would give up if I were you, you might end up dead”.

“That’s ok. That’s what I deserve. I am a killer, you know? And all murderers should just die, isn’t it so Assassin?”
“Aye, missus. Me included”, he answers.
“You’re lucky”, you taunt her. “If you happen to be so bothered by the pain of living, I can relieve you of that”.
“I am afraid it going to be so”, the hooded man responds

Assassin lunges at you, and Saber once again parries the attack.
You kneel on the ground and write a runic circle. Dark energy flows into you, and you begin giving it a shape and a purpose.
Dark magic is raw and unrefined, and it appeals to the atavistic fear of the dark. As such, it needs both a vessel and a scope to be used.
The vessel in this case is your Mystic Code, and the purpose is to kill. The spell “Tuonela” does indeed separate the soul from the body, causing both to decompose shortly after.

As your concentration reaches its peak, Assassin turns in your direction. He had been fighting up until that moment with Saber, but noticing the threat coming from you to his Master, he quickly ran towards her.
Saber took a step forward and attempted to slash him.
The following events occurred in the span of a few seconds: he threw his knife at you, then grabbed his Master and dodged the hit by jumping and taking a step on Saber’s sheathed sword.

With the young girl still in his arms, he ran in your direction, grabbed his knife and once again attempted to stab you.
The words form in your mouth before you can even think of them, and your Magic Crest activates.
“Flash Air!”
His blade sinks into a pillar of stone, and Saber takes the chance to charge at her enemy once again.
Taking one step back, he quickly pulls his knife out, and dropping his Master on the ground gently, he intercepts Saber’s blow.

The situation is clear: Assassin disposes of a skill that empowers him so long as he focuses on protecting the Master.
Aiming at the young girl, which the status screen reports as ‘Iwanako’, is definitely futile and potentially harmful.
Meanwhile, the duel between the Heroic Spirits goes on.
What Assassin lacks in raw power, he makes up for in technique. At any given time, he’s striking at Saber’s unprotected or open spot.

And yet, Saber parries and counterattacks every time, and it is by virtue of this proficiency that she is the Heroic Spirit of the Sword.
Her weapon intercepts the vicious knife once again, but this time Assassin slides his blade along Saber’s scabbard and aims at you.
Another carefully timed Flash Air saves your life, but this can’t go on for much longer.
The Assassin class specializes in killing the Masters rather than eliminating the Servant, and you need something definitive to come out on top of this.

“If you can guarantee a kill with it, use it, Saber!”, you scream at her.
She nods at you. It’s an extreme measure, but you see no alternative.
For the first time, she removes the scabbard comes off her sword.
The blade is made entirely of a crystalline material, which creates light plays as it shines.

“That yer Noble Phantasm, Saber? How considerate of ye. I will show you mine too!”, the cloaked figure provokes her.
Without further ado, Saber lunges at Assassin. He attempts to dodge to the left, but he finds himself encaged by two more concurrent arching strikes.
Saber’s technique came at an unpredictable speed, so fast that it looked like the rules of the Universe were bent for a second. No, the rules of the Universe were definitely bent: those attacks came from a different, alternate reality.

And yet it is Saber who falls to the ground, while Assassin kneels in pain, his breath ragged.
“Not bad, Saber. Not bad at all. But ye see, war is a sad business. Even if you win, you end up hurt, dontcha agree?”
His cloak has been lacerated, and his horrible visage is now plainly visible. He’s hideous, his visage is covered in scars and his skin is saggy.
“Got all ye need, Master?”, he asks.
“Yes. Let’s leave now”.

Following Iwanako’s command, Assassin returns in spirit form. The girl turns her back on you and leaves.
Saber is wounded on the ground, but you have a chance to strike at the enemy directly.

>Take care of Saber
>Take care of the enemy

>>136462
Even if we wanna attack the enemy, Assassin seems empowered by attacks aimed at his Master. It's useless to do anything but:
>Take care of Saber
Also: what kind of big bro' would we be if we left her injured?

>>136462
>Take care of Saber

>>134383
>Prepare the Thurisaz rune to stun a potential assailant.
Assassin Inc.

>>137492
Uh, friend? That one has been already voted for, but you might wanna help with the current vote!
>>136462

>>136462
>>Take care of Saber
I wanna continue on to chase assassin, but we both just revealed our cards to one another. This also means we can share what we have learnt with our current allies

>>136447
>Take care of Saber

Also, newfriend here, the first thread 404'ed, can I get a quick rundown on the setting, the MC, Saber, ect? Thanks.

>>136462
Take care of Saber

>>136462
>Take care of Saber

>>137907
We have more than filled the quota, so I will get to writing right away.
Have you checked the link I posted on the op, under 'archives'?
The first two threads are there and I guess I will add the third one right away.

If you have other specific questions I am here to help.

You rush to Saber’s side, checking on her.
She seems to be bleeding through her armor, even though the armor itself doesn’t seem to be damaged.
“Saber, can you hear me? Hang in there, I will help you”.

You trace the Gebo rune to empower your Servant, and then help her sit up.
He breath is labored, she’s not able to speak, never mind walk.
You lift her up in your arms, walk to the nearest wall and simply whisper “Flash Air”.
The door to your room instantly materializes, and using the Berkanan rune you open it.
You lay Saber down on the bed, close the portal you opened and then the door.

“Wait for me here, don’t overexert yourself”.
Saber nods, dematerializing her armor to lower the amount of mana she needs to use.
You rush down the stairs to see if Kenji is around. He knows about the other Servants in the school more than anyone else.
“Kenji? Kenji, I need some help!”
But as you arrive in the main hall, you notice he’s not there.

Yuuko is the sole person in the room, sitting by herself at the table furthest away from the entrance. She’s drinking… beer?
No, wait, something’s wrong with that.
She looks a bit older, her hair is longer and her figure as a whole looks more womanly.
“Shielder…?”

The Servant lifts her gaze from her beer and looks at you with a killing intent.
She slowly raises herself up, grumbling with rage.
“Get outta here, magus”, she utters with spite.
You decide to comply with that, turn around and wait outside the main hall.
Was she trying to hide her gender all along? If so, for what purpose? Yuuko and Kenji are probably the only Masters who know about this.

“Could I talk with your Master?”, you scream, to make sure your voice reaches the other room
You hear the noise of a chair being pushed away, and then footsteps in the direction of the kitchen.
The door bursts open, and after Shielder shouts some unintelligible words, you can hear Yuuko rushing to the corridor you’re staying in.
“DON’T TELL ANYONE ABOUT THIS!”, she pleads, as her eyes widen in shock.
“About Shielder? Don’t worry about that. Right now I need to talk with Kenji, do you know where he is?”

“Oh, he is in his room. It’s not far from yours, I can show you where it is”, she answers, as she heads upstairs.
You realize it’s probably a way to keep you away from the main hall long enough for Shielder to conceal herself once again, but go along with it anyway.
The waitress knocks on her boyfriend’s room, and a voice invites you to come in.
Kenji is sitting at a desk, working out something that looks like homework.
Crusader is bedridden, still reading that same Italian book about the crusades.

“Frederick? What happened?”
“Saber and I were ambushed by Assassin, and…”
Kenji springs up, and Crusader throws his book on the ground as he tries to stand up.
“Show her to us, immediately”.
You lead them to your room, where Saber is still painfully breathing.

You let Crusader, who is still limping, sit on the nearest chair, while Kenji and Yuuko move closer to your Servant.
“Do you think she’ll make it, darling?”, the boy asks.
His girlfriend then kneels by the bed, touching Saber’s forehead gently.
“She’s in pain, but if she’s provided enough mana, she will survive. It was a close call”.
“Let me guess: you attacked Assassin with a powerful strike”, the wounded knight postulates.

“That’s right. I couldn’t kill the Master, and Assassin was basically trying to move past Saber and kill me instead. It was a war of attrition we would have lost in the end, so…”
“So you decided to use her Noble Phantasm”, he concludes for you. “I can’t fault you for that, it is the most logical thing to do. But not everything is lost”.
“What do you mean?”
“He means that even if you ended up revealing your Noble Phantasm, he did the same. Now you know who he is, don’t you?” the Setou Master replies.

You try to put all the pieces together. You weren’t able to do so before worried as you were about Saber, but you have time to do so now.
A disfigured Assassin who reflects and magnifies the damage inflicted to him. He lost the power to conceal himself, and he was destined to wander aimlessly through the world. There’s a figure that fits this description.
“The Heroic Spirit of Assassination is… Cain!”
“Exactly”, Crusader nods in assent. “And whoever dares lay a finger on him, will be punished sevenfold”.

That explains the wounds Crusader received. Every blow he dealt was redirected unto him seven times over, crippling the knight and making him unable to fight.
“Give her time”, Yuuko advises you. “She is not in a position to fight right now, so you should also take it easy”.
“Indeed. Let’s just hope the Noble Phantasm wasn’t enough to reveal your Servant’s True Name”, her boyfriend remarks. “Do you wish to join us downstairs? The others will come soon.”

>I’d rather stay besides Saber
>Sure, there’s not much I can do for her right now

>>140132
>I’d rather stay besides Saber

File: 19567_katawa_shoujo.jpg (634 KB, 1366x768)

634 KB JPG

Infopic for the guys who didn't play KS

>>140132
>>I’d rather stay besides Saber
Mana transfer time has finally arrived ;^)

>>140132
>Sure, there’s not much I can do for her right now

File: katawa_shoujo_tribute_2_b(...).jpg (96 KB, 900x309)

96 KB JPG

>>140202
One more.
Hope the player who has requested them finds them useful.

>>140132
>I'd rather stay besides Saber

>>140132
>I'd rather stay beside Saber
Go go, Fate route.

>>140202
Kenji's Harry Potter?
Also that twintail cutie is cute.

>>140256
Yeah, I'm here. Thanks for these.

>>140256
>Dead
Poor Pinkie, we hardly knew ye.

>>140354
She's the girl ran over by a truck. Notice the great care I took in canceling her out from the picture.

>>140361
I noticed that. She's on the girl's pic at least.
Hakamichi's sis is also cute, but the twintails blondie still a best.

>>140379
And thus, a new Emifag is born.

>>140422
What can I say? I'm into twintails.

>>140132
>I’d rather stay besides Saber

>>140498
Everybody loves Seiba.

“You go ahead, I think I will look after Saber and maybe join you later”
“I see”, he responds. “By the way, you were at the library, right? What did you find out about Caster?”
“This is something you might not understand, not being a magus. But in short, Caster might be attempting to replicate True Magic”.
“True… Magic?”, Yuuko stutters.
“Indeed. Without using the Grail, and possibly without proper understanding”.
“Akira and Hideaki must know about this”, she responds, worried.

“Let’s take our leave, guys”, Kenji suggests. “We’ll talk tomorrow. You know where to find me, if you need me”.
One by one everyone but Saber leaves the room, and you once again engrave the protection room on the door.
“You should have gone, Master…”, Saber whispers.
“It’s ok, take care of yourself instead of talking”.
“No, it’s fine. I am feeling better”.

That’s a relief for you: the fight really drained your mana, and using rune after rune didn’t help either.
As soon as she can walk again, you plan to take her near the Leyline again to refill your mana and hers as well.
“I am sorry it didn’t work”, she apologizes.
“Don’t be. There was a chance of failure since the beginning after all. We didn’t know his Noble Phantasm and I didn’t know yours either. I am afraid your identity is compromised, however”.
“Do you think so?”
“Yeah. I mean, I think I figured out who you are, so the enemy might know too”.
“Tell me, then. Who am I?”, she asks, mockingly.
“I’ve studied your technique. Three consecutive blade strikes that encage the enemy, preventing escape. It is said that a famous samurai known as Sasaki Kojiro perfected that technique, called ‘Tsubame Gaeshi’. I didn’t know he was a girl, though”.
Saber laughs, not as loudly or cheerfully as she usually does, yet she’s definitely amused.
“I am afraid you’re wrong, Master. You will have to try again”.

The discussion ends on that note, and you decide not to bother Saber anymore. She needs to rest right now, so you elect to try and take a look at the stars. You’ve always had a soft spot for Astrology, even if neither magi nor common people regard it as anything more than superstition.
No, Astrology is definitely a caprice for alchemists, and in alchemy are rooted the origins of your family.
“Ainsworth, open the door. If I touch it I am afraid I will be blown up”, Akira screams through the door.

You quietly get out by removing the rune and closing the door behind you.
“Saber’s resting. Please do not scream”.
“Ah, sorry ‘bout that. Anyway, the lovey-doveys told me that you met Iwanako”.
“Oh, you mean Assassin’s Master? Yeah. She looked a bit… unhinged to me.”
“The poor girl went through a lot. I guess it’s high time we told you what happened”
“No need, I’ve read it all up on the newspapers.”

“Yeah, that’s like, only half of the story. The official version is not the truth, and the Satou as well as the Hakamichi have contributed to hide the facts”.
“For what purpose?”

“Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? The first death, or more accurately, murder, occurred at the hands of my sister’s best friend. She was rather… mentally unstable at the moment, and Hisao Nakai paid the consequences”. That name rings a bell, it surely was on the newspaper.
“Poor guy”
“Yeah, but there’s more. Nakai had a feeble heart. His first heart attack occurred when the girl he liked confessed to him”.
“Don’t tell me… Iwanako?”
“Bingo. She thinks his death is connected to his heart and is thus her fault. Moving on, we have the girls of the Student Council. Hideaki knows more about this, but it looks like Shiina Mikado, also known as Misha, was severely depressed. Not even her best friend, Shizune Hakamichi, knew why. The former killed herself and the latter followed suit”.
“That’s horrible”
“Word”, Akira answers nodding. “and now the poopyheads at Yamaku think they can bring them back to life. How pathetic, they’ve ignored them all along, and they pretend they can just rewind and solve the problem”.

She lights up a cigarette and starts smoking.
“You’re not using any mercy on your enemies, are you, Ainsworth? Nah, that’s an unfair remark. You’ve not killed anyone so far, and I must commend you for that. I do respect you as a Magus, and even if I am in no place to tell you this, I’d just like to remind you that certain things can’t be done over in life”.
“I didn’t think the Satou valued life that much”.
“I surely don’t, but my sister cares. Remember our first talk?”
“Yeah, you overheard me being a bit… flamboyant”.
The both of you laugh at your bad joke.
“No, seriously. If I knew then what I know now, I would have urged you to demolish that place. That place is extremely dangerous, and if destroying the school is the price to pay to avoid a large catastrophe, then so be it. But don’t tell Kenji or Yuuko, they wouldn’t approve”.
“I feel much the same way, to be honest. I guess it’s just the code of a Magus”.
“Right. Well, I’ll be off, Freddy boy. See ya!”

You bid her farewell and return to your room.
As you lay on the bed, ready to sleep, you hear Saber sobbing.
“Saber, is everything alright?”
She doesn’t respond. She’s dreaming.
“I am sorry… I am sorry… I disappointed you, please forgive me! I am sorry…”
You pat her on the head, trying to calm her down, but to no avail.
You become gradually more and more aware of your tiredness, and finally, no longer able to fight it back, you fall asleep.

You’re looking through the window, and a comet is soaring through the sky.
With an iron resolve, you stand up and head for the door. You’re so tiny, and everything is so big, but you don’t let that scare you.
Walking at a steady pace, you make your way through the roads of Fuyuki.
A huge western-style mansion appears in front of you.
No one seems to hear you knocking, so you just open the door and get in.
The hall is empty, but you can hear voices coming from downstairs, and that’s where you head to.
“You see, Zelretch’s disciples usually don’t sign these kind of agreements, but my daughters are both extremely talented. I’ve heard the Ainsworth could arrange to find an heirless family for my Sakura, so…”
The man speaking is the head of the Tohsaka family. You probably didn’t know that back then, albeit you definitely recognize him now.
And then, in front of him, stands your Father. He gets up from his chair and then kneels in front of you, smiling.
And that’s when you wake up.

Once again you wake up, drenched in sweat. You opt to take a shower, since Saber is nowhere to be seen.
And yet, as you get off the bed, you notice something’s amiss: the music box.

>Look for the music box first
>Look for Saber first.

[Note: Although looking for Saber will improve your relationship with her, looking for the music box might turn out to be crucial later during the quest. I am all for free choice, but since this seemingly trivial one might turn out to be important, I felt I had to tell you guys. In any case, nothing will be lost definitively, so pick what you prefer. Also, status screen updating.]

>>140710
Wait, fuck, I misread. Sonofabitch, someone took the box. Yeah, if it's possible I'm changing my vote to
>Look for the music box first.

>>140703
Ugh, that's mean.
>Look for the music box first
But promise to give Saber another round of headpats before that.

>>140703
>Look for Saber first.

>>140718
She needs a huggle sometime later, yeah. ...
...wait, there's only one bed in the room, does that mean we slept by her side?

>>140727
And it's not even the first time

>>140703
>Look for the music box first

>>140734
I thought she tended to go into aether form whenever we went to bed? Just this time she just conked out.
I'm now imagining Seiba resting her head on our outstretched arm and its cute.
Unless the others are sexing up their servant, ours is probably the closest Master-Servant relationship. Not counting Yuuko who seems to be her own Servant or something.

>>140746
You definitely slept with her the first night, and she gets offended the second night because you said it'd be improper of an Ainsworth to sleep with a maiden on the same bed.
It's literally canon, as far as canon matters in a game hosted on a chinese cartoons imageboard.

>>140749
Welp, then my cute mental image is canon now.

>>140749
Also, Fred confirmed for masterful self-control. I would've tried to cop a feel at least if I was that young with a beautiful girl on my bed.
Then again I'm not a noble scion, I suppose.

>>Look for Saber first

Akira probably took the music box anyway.

>>140814
Well, then we would have words with her...

Music box won 3-2, right?

>>140840
Yessir. It was a close vote.

>>140841
>Newfriend still never voted

It didn't have to end this way.

File: 1a610b9e0ee683ad1af246703(...).gif (22 KB, 200x200)

22 KB GIF

>>140856
I tried to guide him. You can take a Seiba to the dessert, but you can't make her eat it.

>>140699
Hmmm, methinks the only way we'll be able to defuse Iwanako is somehow convincing her she wasn't to blame for Hisao's death. Otherwise we need to slay her before Cain can even make a move and that seems difficult.

I am writing the update but it won't be ready before the autosage.
So I will post it in a new thread.

Saber a cute! a cute!

>>141062
Spinoff where we feed Seiba assorted sweets and desserts, and give her plenty headpats WHEN?!

People, please don't forget that we are in a war.

>music box
Never know what it could be

File: tumblr_m8uuiiuuGc1qfac5a.png (65 KB, 378x275)

65 KB PNG

>>141084
>Mfw I have two more quests connected to this setting, albeit to different degrees

>>141093
A war.
OF CUTENESS.
--------------------------------------
Well, yeah, that's why I voted for music box. But also remember the Yamaku Magi are apparently doing plenty hax, if we mean to reach the root and achieve the 4th Magic we need to stop those dumbasses and we can't do it alone.

>>141100
Will we get to chat with the twintail cutie that apparently sometimes gives you bedroom eyes?

File: 1463371883312.png (250 KB, 395x469)

250 KB PNG

>>141100

>>141223
>double dubs
I always get GETs during my quests.
Anyway, new thread >>141390