Where we left off...

"Tomorrow morning," Archer declares. "The longer we wait, the more time Caster and Berserker have to work on their coordination."

"No can do," says DeLancey. "We'll need more time. Let's do it the next day."

"Have to work on that legend, huh? Alright," Archer says, "we'll attack first thing tomorrow." Archer tosses his finished cigar, letting a few moments of silence stretch out before he says, "I... don't suppose you'd be open to giving me a spare cabin. It's been quite some time since I had a rest."

Caster dispels the image, her face grim, waiting for you to comment.

"It's a shame we missed the details of their plan of attack," you say. "Still, we at least now know when they'll be making it, and that Rider and Archer are cooperating again."

"Well, yes," Caster replies. "But how do you want to respond, Master?"

>[ ] "There's nothing for it but to receive their attack. We'll prepare as much as we can tomorrow and defeat them here, at the university." (Duty)

>[ ] "I'm not going to let them determine the terms of the battle. Tomorrow we'll go on the offensive and defeat them before they can finish preparing for their plan." (Pride)

>[ ] Say something else (Write in)

>>3445673
>[ ] "There's nothing for it but to receive their attack. We'll prepare as much as we can tomorrow and defeat them here, at the university." (Duty)
Again? Huh

>>3445673
>[ ] "There's nothing for it but to receive their attack. We'll prepare as much as we can tomorrow and defeat them here, at the university." (Duty)
Also can we ask Caster about that "legend" line?
ALSO, Archer seems to have just joined BBs crew, so he might be unkillable till we take out Rider.
We should mention that IC.

>>3445673
>[ ] "I'm not going to let them determine the terms of the battle. Tomorrow we'll go on the offensive and defeat them before they can finish preparing for their plan." (Pride)
BUT
>The time is now to powwow with both Berserker and Caster and discuss their abilities to the fullest extent

I maintain. Definitely inquire about the “Legend” line with Circe-chan

>>3445729
Actually, scratch this.

>>3445673
>Circe, what in your opinion would be the most wise path forward?
If there’s any problem with the DIO route it’s that we rarely make use of that most useful Advisory skill of Circe’s.

>>3445684
See >>3445675
We'd hit a tie, and I wanted to start a new thread anyway due to having dropped to page 8. So I figured I'd just start the vote over on the new thread.

>>3445673
>>3445737
Deferring to Circe along with asking about their NPs would be a good idea.

>>3445729
Supporting again.

>>3445729
>Definitely inquire about the “Legend” line with Circe-chan
Do you suppose Jack is trying to become a Heroic Spirit?

>>3445809
More likely, Blackbeard has some additional monstrosity of an NP that they need another day to complete. He's easily the most busted Servant in this entire war.

>>3445809
>Legend
Tbh it makes me think of a map, perhaps of the nautical sort. But what kind of powers it might have is worrisome.

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Oh hey, the vote is tied up again.

I keep coming back to write, and the vote is still tied.

>>3445673
I support >>3445714

>>3445964
Meh, just give it to the dutyfags. If we lose a few “allies” in the battle, it’s just tiddlywinks.

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>>3445994
I like your style m8

So I'm writing the update and I just realized Caster has never properly explained noble phantasms to Rushorou. This is an interesting conversation.

"There's nothing for it but to receive their attack," you declare. "We're unprepared to fight as it is, with the division of my energy between the two of you being deficient. We'll just have to use what time we have to prepare as much as we can; and when they strike, defeat them here at the university."

"Well done, Master," Caster says with a smile. "That's the course I'd have advised you to take. It's irritating to let Archer and Rider plan their attack however they like, but the best thing we can do now is delay the battle as long as possible."

"There was one detail in particular in their conversation which bothered me, though," you say. "Archer mentioned Rider and his Master working on a legend. What do you think that could have meant?"

"That was odd, wasn't it," Caster agrees. "My best guess is that it has something to do with the relationship between his existence as a Servant and as a heroic spirit. We all derive power from the legends that established us in the Throne of Heroes, after all. Maybe Blackbeard has to make some kind of special preparations to access an aspect of his legend, like a second noble phantasm or something."

"That's right!" you exclaim. "You just reminded me, Caster. I've been meaning to ask about these noble phantasms, and with our final struggle against Archer and Rider drawing near it's more important now than ever before for me to know. Just what exactly is a noble phantasm, Caster? I gather that it's some kind of ultimate technique or item unique to a Servant, but you've never told me the specifics."

"Oh come now, Master," Circe says, smiling indulgently. "You're forgetting when... wait..." the expression fades as she tries to remember. "No," she mutters, "I didn't really... did I?" Finally she returns her gaze to your eyes and admits, "I suppose you're right. I really never did bother to explain the matter! Sorry about that."

"You've had a lot to teach me in the last week, I don't blame you," you say. "But please do explain now. What are noble phantasms, exactly?"

"Well," Caster begins, "as you said, they're something like a Servant's ultimate ability. They're a physical manifestation of either a defining aspect of the Servant's legend or a particularly potent item that the Servant possessed in life. What makes noble phantasms particularly dangerous is that they generally have incredibly powerful abilities, as most legends revolve around powerful weapons or armor given to the heroes. However, using a noble phantasm requires calling its name aloud. This means that it's easy to identify a Servant's true name when they use it, making the use of a noble phantasm something of a last resort."

"I see," you say. "That certainly explains what I've seen from the other Servants so far. Thank you, Caster. In that case, my next question should be clear. What is your noble phantasm?"

"Take a look," she says, and draws out of the air a golden wand, just less than a foot in length. "This is my noble phantasm, the Metaschimatistikí Velóna. It enables me to work any kind of transformation on a target, provided they're living, restrained, and my enemy."

Status Updated

"That seems incredibly powerful," you exclaim. "Why hadn't you brought it to my attention up until now?"

Caster shakes her head. "It's not as useful as you might think. In most cases, my own magic enables me to transform my enemies quite satisfactorily, for one thing. For another, when you have an enemy restrained well enough for this wand to work, it's usually simpler to kill them. It's really a niche tool, when you consider the limitations. I haven't run into a situation where it would be useful yet." Suddenly, Caster seems to be animated by a new thought. The wand vanishes, and she stands up from the table in a quick movement. "Now you get out of here," she says. "If we've only got one day until the enemy strikes, I need to get to work on your cloak! Why don't you go and lie down while your hand heals?"

Just like that, the witch rushes you out of her workshop, and before you know it you're outside in the hall, the door firmly shut behind you.

>[ ] Follow Caster's advice and take a nap. (Self-Preservation)

>[ ] Return to the dining hall to discuss the recent developments with Adelheid (Duty)

>[ ] Go looking for one of the non-combatants to warn them about the coming attack. (Compassion) (Who do you want to see?)

>[ ] Do something else (Write in)

>>3446078
>[ ] Go looking for one of the non-combatants to warn them about the coming attack. (Compassion)
Go see Truvi. She's one of the two who knows what we're up against, and she's much more familiar with servants and magic than Kikuko is. If anyone can come up with some plan to keep the others safe during the battle, it's her.

>>3446096
+1
I want to trust Truvi.

>>3446078
>>3446096
She can finally be useful, outside of that time she called us out!

>>3446078
Yes, this >>3446096
100%

>>3446096
Let's just hope she doesn't freak out as us nonchalantly talking to her with a missing hand.

>>3446078
>[ ] Return to the dining hall to discuss the recent developments with Adelheid (Duty)
Letting people live<<<<<<<<NOBLE PHANTASMS

>>3446078
>[ ] Follow Caster's advice and take a nap. (Self-Preservation)

>>3446096
+1

With an attack on the university confirmed, you decide that it should be your highest priority this afternoon to secure the safety of those who will be unable to join the fighting. After all, you've done all of the training you can accomplish today already. The evening may as well be dedicated to matters of secondary strategic importance. With this in mind, you make your way to the room of the person best equipped to provide for the defense of your non-combatant compatriots, Truvietianne Edelfelt.

Arriving at her dorm room, you knock with some slight trepidation. The two of you haven't been on the best of terms since Lancer was defeated, and you're unsure how she'll receive you today. "It's Yumigawa," you announce. "I have something to discuss. May I come in?"

"Yumigawa-kun? You may enter," comes a tired-sounding reply. As you open the door, Truvietianne continues, "what do you need?"

For a moment, you're stopped in your tracks, too flabbergasted to formulate a response. There's no evidence here of the elegant and feminine room of a noble maiden here. Furniture has been carelessly pushed to the edge of the room to make way for a large magic circle, burned into the floor by some kind of corrosive liquid. Papers with notes and diagrams are everywhere, in piles on the floor as well as on a large desk, over which Truvietianne is bent, working on some esoteric problem of magic. After a few seconds of silence have elapsed, she stands up and turns to meet your eyes. "Well?" she says, before catching sight of your missing hand and letting out a short scream. "Kya! What happened to your hand, Yumigawa-kun? W-was there a battle?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," you say, regaining your composure. "My hand, of course. Caster had to cut it off for a magic ritual, but she gave me a potion which will supposedly regrow it in a few hours."

"And you were just... fine with that?" Truvietianne asks, sounding incredulous.

You give her a shrug. "To be honest, she cut it off without warning. There's really no point in complaining after the fact."

"Good lord," Truvietianne heaves a sigh before continuing, "so what was it you wanted to discuss with me?"

"It seems that Archer and Rider will make a coordinated attack on the university the day after tomorrow," you explain, moving a stack of papers off a chair to take a seat. Opposite you, Truvietianne spins the chair she'd had at her desk around to face you, and sits as well. "Since Caster, Berserker, and I will be occupied battling them, I wanted to ask if you could take charge of protecting the others during the battle."

"I see," the girl muses. "I suppose you found this out with that divination technique of Caster's. Well, I don't mind." She raises a hand to prevent you from replying, however, as she goes on, "but I won't be doing any supervision. I'll be retreating into the lowest basement levels myself, and setting up a bounded field for protection. If your group wants to take shelter with me, that's fine, but I hope you aren't expecting me to babysit them."

"I understand," you tell her. "Your first concern is naturally for your own safety. Thank you, Miss Edelfelt."

>[ ] Discuss something more with Truvietianne before you go. Perhaps you have some questions about magic, or about her personally? Write in your topics. (Curiosity)

>[ ] Leave Truvietianne's suite, and go looking for Adelheid to discuss the coming attack with her. (Duty)

>[ ] Go around the university and warn Kikuko, Ogawara, and Matsuda of the coming attack. (Compassion)

>[ ] Return to your room to rest, as Caster recommended. (Self-Preservation)

>>3447634
>[ ] Go around the university and warn Kikuko, Ogawara, and Matsuda of the coming attack. (Compassion)
No point in half-assing it.

>>3447634
>[ ] Go around the university and warn Kikuko, Ogawara, and Matsuda of the coming attack. (Compassion)

>>3447634
>[ ] Go around the university and warn Kikuko, Ogawara, and Matsuda of the coming attack. (Compassion)

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Don't mind the missing hand, everyone.
It's all going to plan.

>>3447732
>I forgot about this panel
Ebin. If Killer Queen is our Circe, is ZA HANDO Bahsahka?

"Now, if you'll excuse me," you say, "I'm going to go and give the news to the others. I'm sure they'll all be glad to know you'll provide shelter for them during the attack."

"Don't go overselling my generosity," Truvietianne cautions. "I'm only giving them the opportunity to hide in the shelter I'll be providing for myself."

"Of course," you say, and give the girl a wry smile as you walk out. "Good luck on with your studies."

Heading out into the hallway, you decide to begin with Ogawara. The computer lab is closer than the gymnasium, and he might have some idea of where Kikuko is. You hope he can point you in the right direction, at least; having to wander around looking for her would be a monumental waste of time. Considering the prospect, you do wish you'd had your cell phone with you when you woke up here. Of course, whether it would function in Cid's world is an uncertain matter.

At any rate, you soon arrive at the computer lab, pushing open the double doors and walking through the rows of empty desks to approach Ogawara. You keep your wounded wrist buried in a pocket, hoping to avoid the same sort of drama you went through with Truvietianne. Unlike last time, he hears you come in, turning in his chair to greet you. "H-hi Yumigawa-san. You're, ah, back already?"

"I have some news that I wanted to make sure everyone heard as soon as possible," you say. "Archer and Rider will be attacking the university the morning of the day after tomorrow. I want everyone to take shelter in the university's lowest sub-basement to stay out of harm's way while the fighting is going on. Edelfelt will handle setting up barriers for your protection, but if all goes well they won't need to be used."

"Huh," Ogawara responds noncommittally. "Thanks for the, ah, info, Yumigawa-san. G-good luck in the, ah, fighting."

"I appreciate it," you say. "Now, there was one other thing I wanted to ask you. Do you know where Munahara might be? I know you were the last person with her."

Ogawara thinks for a while before answering, "I, ah, think she said she was going d-down to the, er, spa and pool area. She really, ah, seems to like the baths down th-there."

"Alright," you say. "I'll look for her there. Thank you."

"N-no problem," Ogawara says, and you head back out the way you came. Since the gymnasium and spa are on the same level, there's no real reason to head to either one before the other. You decide to...

>[ ] Go and warn Matsuda first.

>[ ] Go and warn Kikuko first.

>[ ] Head back upstairs. Now that you think about it, you can just send out a notice using Caster's magic, or tell them at dinner. Wandering all around the university meeting everyone in person suddenly feels pointless.

>[ ] Do something else (Write in)

>>3448081
>[ ] Go and warn Matsuda first
We’ll radio the thot

>>3448081
>[ ] Go and warn Matsuda first.
Bros before hoes.

>>3448081
>[ ] Go and warn Matsuda first.
Brethren before wenches.

>>3448081
>[ ] Go and warn Kikuko first.
Ladies first.

You decide to go back to the gymnasium and warn Matsuda before making your way to the pool to explain matters to Kikuko. When you arrive, you find him lying on one of the weight benches he's dragged onto the court, taking a nap. As pain shoots up your left arm, you have to admit you envy him. If you were sleeping now yourself, you might be able to wake up to a restored hand. Ah, well. It doesn't matter now. You push the idea from your mind and prod Matsuda awake.

"Wake up, Matsuda-kun. Sorry to interrupt your nap," you say with a smile, "but I have some news about the war for you."

"Huh... Kaichou?" Matsuda groggily sits up, surprised at your appearance. "What's so urgent ya gotta come down here ta tell me instead of waitin' for dinner?"

"I suppose it isn't exactly urgent," you admit, "but I wanted you all to know as soon as possible. There'll be an attack on the university the day after tomorrow, by Archer and Rider. Caster and I watched them make the plans by magic."

"Alright," Matsuda says, "so whaddya want me ta do about it? You know I won't be much good in a fight against Servants."

"Nothing," you say, "That's just the point. I want to make sure you, Ogawara, Munahara, and Edelfelt all wait out the fight in the deepest sub-basement of the university. Whether I win or lose, you four should be able to wait out the war and go home. If the enemy doesn't want that to happen, though..."

"I get it," Matsuda cuts in. "You want us ta stay hidden and safe, since we can't fight. I have ta say it makes me mad, havin' ta sit around and miss a brawl, but I guess there's nothing I can do in this kinda situation."

"I'm glad you understand, Matsuda-kun," you say. "I have to admit, I was a bit worried you'd rankle at the idea of waiting out the fight."

Matsuda nods, lighting a cigarette as he replies, "Like I said, it does frustrate me. But there are some situations where there's nothin' you can do. One time, a buddy of mine got in bad with the local yakuza. Same group I told you's tryin' ta recruit me now, in fact. I don't know what Fujiyama did to 'em, but they were out for blood." He takes a drag on the cigarette, recalling the situation, before continuing, "Now, I'd stuck up for Fujiyama plenty of times before. He had a bad habit of pissin' off rival gangs, and needin' me and tha rest of my buddies ta bail 'im out. But this time, I didn't lift a finger. When the real mob wants a kid, there's nothin' a high school punk like me can do. That's just the way of it."

"I see," you reply. "That's quite a... dramatic way to come face to face with your limits. What ended up happening to Fujiyama, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I don't mind," Matsuda says. "It's real simple. I never saw 'im again. I don't know if they put 'im on a fishing boat, shipped 'im off to a labor camp, or just killed tha poor guy. Don't wanna know, either."

"Well, I'm sorry about your friend," you say. "I'm sure it must have been very hard on you."

"You get over it," Matsuda's response is dismissive and flat. You're not sure whether he's hiding the pain of losing a friend, or just doesn't really care. "Now why don't ya run along, Kaichou? Ya've told me tha warnin'. I'm beat, and I'd just as soon go back ta sleep, if it's all tha same ta you."

"Sure," you say. "See you later, Matsuda-kun."

You walk back out into the corridor, checking your watch as you go. It's nearly seven, and you realize it's uncertain whether Kikuko would still be at the pool. At this point, it might be better just to go back upstairs to the dining hall and tell her over dinner. There's also the matter of discussing the attack with Adelheid to consider, as well as the worsening pain in your left arm. Could all this walking be aggravating the injury and diminishing the potion's effects?

>[ ] Go to the pool, according to your original plan. (Pride/Compassion)

>[ ] Go to the dining hall and wait for dinner. (Prudence/Compassion)

>[ ] Skip dinner, and make an early night of it to improve your healing. (Self-Preservation)

>[ ] Find Adelheid and discuss the coming attack with her. (Duty)

>>3448472
>[ ] Find Adelheid and discuss the coming attack with her. (Duty)
This, dinner, sleep. Also, Matsuda is so cool. A perfect Agrippa to our Augustus.

>>3448472
>[ ] Find Adelheid and discuss the coming attack with her. (Duty)
Kikuno is a minx. I don't completely trust her to be serious in swimwear.

>>3448472
>[ ] Find Adelheid and discuss the coming attack with her. (Duty)
Talk to Adelheid, have dinner and fill in Kikuko, then catch some sleep and see how much our hand has healed.

>>3448472
>>[ ] Find Adelheid and discuss the coming attack with her. (Duty)

It's getting to be too late to go looking for Kikuko when you're not even certain of her location. Since she'll likely be present at dinner, you reason that it's a safe enough prospect to put off informing her of the attack. What's more pressing is to discuss the matter with Adelheid. That in mind, you begin the climb back towards the floor-level kitchens and dining hall, hoping to find Adelheid there. As you walk, you reach out to her by telepathy.

'Adelheid, are you still in the kitchens?' you say silently. 'I have something I need to discuss with you.'

After a few moments the response appears, Adelheid's high, sweet voice audible in your mind. 'No, I concluded that trying to cook was futile gesture and returned to my room. What is it, Rushorou?'

At her words, you change course towards the dormitory wing. 'Caster and I discovered the enemy's plans. Archer and Rider intend to attack us in the morning, the day after tomorrow. We need to be prepared.'

'Oh?' Adelheid returns, 'So they're making their move, are they? Do you have some plan in mind to discuss, then?'

'Not a detailed plan, as such,' you confess, 'I need more information from you before I can make one. I need you to explain the scope of your abilities to me, Adelheid.'

After this exchange, you arrive at the room you'd given Adelheid to use, opening the door to find the diminutive Servant lying on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. "So," she says, "you want me to explain my abilities, do you?"

'Through the mental link, please,' you send back. 'Caster still considers you her enemy. I'm sure you don't want her to know the details of your power.' You draw up a chair, sitting down to more easily converse with the reclining girl.

'Alright, that's fair enough,' Adelheid responds. 'I'd rather not discuss my noble phantasm, but I suppose there's no helping it at this point. You've shown faith, keeping this from Caster's ears.' She sits up to face you, brushing the white-gold locks that briefly cascade over her face out of the way. 'My powers, then. I suppose I'll have to begin with my nature as an entity, first. You see, I'm not a manifestation of my form in life, like Caster. In fact, I only have a tenuous connection to the person whose heroic spirit I've been derived from.'

'What exactly are you, in that case?' you ask.

'I'm getting to that,' Adelheid replies with a pout. 'Just hold your questions until I'm finished, would you? As I was saying, this heroic spirit was a man. A leader who remade his country, saw it reborn from the ashes of war. He envisioned it as the beginning of a thousand years of rule, with all the world turning around his nation and his people. Pursuing that dream, he plunged the world into war again, putting everything on the line to seize final victory. In the end, though, it was out of his grasp. Everything was destroyed; the man, his nation, and his dream. That man was summoned as Servant Berserker. However, his Noble Phantasm, along with the enchantment of madness enhancement, warped his manifestation into what you see before you. I am the personification of Germany as he saw it: the young queen of the world, almost ready to take the throne. At the same time, I am also his heroic spirit, under the effects of his noble phantasm, Volksgemeinschaft.'

Status Updated

"So," you say aloud, forgetting your own advice in your surprise, "when you spoke about your time alive..."

'Stay silent, remember?' Adelheid chides. 'But yes, those were his memories. When I first manifested, my mind was a complete continuation of his. I was as connected with him as Lancer was with Perseus. Since then, though, I've become more and more separated from him. I've come to identify more and more as Adelheid, rather than as my former self. Memories, abilities, my way of thinking... they've all been fading and changing since I was summoned, becoming those of my... of his dream, not of the heroic spirit. In becoming my ideal, I've lost myself, Rushorou.'

For a moment, Adelheid seems on the verge of an breaking down, and tears threaten to spill from her sapphire eyes, now clouded with pain. Your mind goes blank, and you have to choke down the impulse to pull the girl into your arms, offering whatever comfort you might be able to convey as language fails you. Then she blinks rapidly, shakes her head, and steadies herself. The moment passes.

'Anyway,' Adelheid says into your mind, her thoughts less burdened with emotion now, 'I should explain what this means in the context of the War. As the personification of the German nation and people, I naturally carry their method of battle. Whatever weapons were used or possessed by Germany during the second world war, I can reproduce their effects without requiring the items themselves. Of course, I can't impose any more control on them than their original users, so it would be rather inconvenient to constantly use aerial bombs. For that reason, I've mostly limited myself to attacking with the blasts of hand grenades and mortars up until now.'

'So that's how it works,' you reply. 'Thank you for explaining this to me, Adelheid.' There are a few other things you'd like to say, but what's most important is...

>[ ] ...to comfort her. Even without openly discussing the matter of her true name, it's obviously been weighing on Adelheid's mind. Now that you've dragged it out into the open, the least you can do is help her get over the emotional distress she's going through. (Compassion)

>[ ] ...to discuss how you can make use of Adelheid's abilities. Considering the scope of weapons at her disposal, focusing on explosives seems highly limiting. You have some alternative ideas to propose. (Duty)

>[ ] ...to give Adelheid some time alone. Her identity crisis is clearly a challenge for her, but there's nothing you can do to help. It would be for the best to let her work through it on her own. (Self-Preservation)

>[ ] Something else (Write in)

>>3449684
Oh, so she's the exact opposite of what Cid was feeding us. That's good to know.

>>3449749
>[ ] ...to comfort her. Even without openly discussing the matter of her true name, it's obviously been weighing on Adelheid's mind. Now that you've dragged it out into the open, the least you can do is help her get over the emotional distress she's going through. (Compassion)
I want to hug_ Adelheid until she stops crying!

>>3449684
>[ ] ...to comfort her. Even without openly discussing the matter of her true name, it's obviously been weighing on Adelheid's mind. Now that you've dragged it out into the open, the least you can do is help her get over the emotional distress she's going through. (Compassion)

>>3449684
>>[ ] ...to comfort her. Even without openly discussing the matter of her true name, it's obviously been weighing on Adelheid's mind. Now that you've dragged it out into the open, the least you can do is help her get over the emotional distress she's going through. (Compassion)

Hugs and Headpats?

>>3449684

>[ ] ...to comfort her. Even without openly discussing the matter of her true name, it's obviously been weighing on Adelheid's mind. Now that you've dragged it out into the open, the least you can do is help her get over the emotional distress she's going through. (Compassion)
So does she punch like a 128mm, or can she materialize a 128mm shell at exit velocity. Presumably the former unfortunately, but Neato nevertheless

We haven't (genuinely) done this comforting thing before. Would our first time be awkward?

>>3449799
It would be awkward even if we weren't missing a hand.

>>3449824
Now one issue would be Circe snooping on us, but I doubt she has the time to do that if she actually set her mind to making the cloak.

Although you want to comfort Adelheid, the words to properly do so don't spring to mind. Even during your time at school, you very rarely had to deal with people coming to you for comfort or advice; you had admirers and followers, but no friends. You may have found yourself caring more for those around you since your appearance in this world, but the desire to help doesn't stand in for the ability. You have to spend a few moments thinking, letting the conversation fall into an awkward silence, before you can find something to say.

Finally, you hesitantly manage, "Adelheid, I'm sorry for the... for the difficulty you've had with your manifestation. With determining your true nature." Once you've succeeding in saying something on the subject, the words begin to come more easily, and you continue, "I understand, at least in part, the pain you're experiencing. I've changed as well since coming here, after all. When I return to the world I won't have an identity; the country, the people I knew, even my parents won't recognize me."

You seem to find your course, speaking from the heart rather than looking for some perfect phrase calculated to offer comfort, and your words come faster as you continue to speak. "And my mind's been changing too. Emotions I've never felt before, drive that never filled me before, they've appeared from nothing since my body was transformed. You said your mode of thought was being altered; that's a perfect way to describe it!"

Suddenly you realize that you're becoming overly animated in your speech, and in danger of ranting. You try to get a grip, dropping your tone and volume to a soft, comforting level and crossing the room to sit beside Adelheid. "Maybe there's some strange effect in this world, an enchantment created by Ajisartous to alter people's minds as they act," you say. "Or, maybe it's no more than a coincidental similarity between our respective circumstances. I'm not sure that the cause matters, to be honest."

You take Adelheid's small hands between yours, and continue, "what does matter is that we have proof of our respective existences, here and now. Whatever we may have been in the past, and however we may or may not be connected to those people, you and I know one another only in the present. To me, Adelheid is a person living now, existing in her own right; not the reflection of a dead leader, or the manifestation of an ideal. You need only look forward, and exist as you are. The past is unimportant!"

As you finish your impassioned monologue, the tears Adelheid has been holding back finally overflow. Watching her smile through the tears, you instinctively pull the girl into an embrace, letting her cry into your shirt. As you feel the spreading dampness against your chest, you hear her muffled voice, saying between hitching sobs, "Thank you, Rushorou. I'm sniff weak right now, but sniff thank you for being here."

For a long while, the two of you remain still, as Adelheid lets out the pain and stress of an incomprehensible existence. You hold her close, stroking her hair, until the tears subside. Finally, she pulls away gracefully, dry-eyed and composed again.

"I've never cried before, you know." Her voice, too, is steady. Only a faint hint of her formerly tempestuous despair remains. "Or, he, I suppose I should say. Not since infancy, not even alone. He ranted and raged when he was angry, but in sorrow he only went cold and still. Showing weakness, even for a moment, would make it impossible for him to achieve his rise. Thank you for being with me in my moment of weakness, Rushorou. Thank you for helping me to reach a conclusion, too. I don't think it will be easy to truly settle my identity, but knowing that you've heard my story and still support me means a great deal." Then she breaks into a wry grin, as if her previous despair were only an illusion. "On the other hand, I believe you said you were experiencing similar difficulties with your identity. Have you considered taking on a new name to go with your new face and mind, Rushorou?"

>[ ] "I haven't, but now that you mention it..." (Pride)

>[ ] "No, I haven't given it any thought. My identity may be gone, but I am used to the name."

>[ ] Something else (Write in)

>>3450406
>[ ] "I haven't, but now that you mention it...”
Time to embrace RUSHOROU? Also

>>3450388
>"what does matter is that we have proof of our respective existences, here and now. Whatever we may have been in the past, and however we may or may not be connected to those people, you and I know one another only in the present. To me, Adelheid is a person living now, existing in her own right; not the reflection of a dead leader, or the manifestation of an ideal. You need only look forward, and exist as you are. The past is unimportant!"
King

>>3450406
>[ ] "I haven't, but now that you mention it..." (Pride)

>>3450406
>[ ] "I haven't, but now that you mention it..." (Pride)
A new name huh?
Damn Charisma A rank forcing us to feel emotional and shit. Caster will be displeased.

>>3450406
>[ ] "I haven't, but now that you mention it..." (Pride)
Well, it's not like we can go back to who we were. Hopefully we can somehow manage to get closure with our parents (or at least our mom) when we get back via magic shenanigans, but aside from that we may as well discard who we used to be.

>>3450469
>Damn Charisma A rank forcing us to feel emotional and shit
You, uh... you don't think it was the massive buildup of compassion points you folks have been working on?

>>3450406
>>[ ] "No, I haven't given it any thought. My identity may be gone, but I am used to the name."

By the way, I just realized today was the perfect date on which to finally reveal Adelheid's true nature. Good timing on this conversation, folks.

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>>3450490
Nah, it’s not like it’s right up there with the rest of the second tier motivators or something DUMB and OBVIOUS like that. RUSHOROU is simply being manipulated by the g*rman crocodile tears, he has no lesser human emotionality!

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>>3450490
Naw, that'd make too much sense. Clearly, this is the work of Dead Apostle Kikuko who is still secretly working with Archer despite her mind being altered because she used the power of Geass to pre-alter her mind before we got to her.

>>3450496
Thanks. It's what we do.

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>>3450506
>t.

>[X] "I haven't, but now that you mention it..." (Pride)

Alright, time for a metanarrative subvote!

>[ ] I have an idea for Rushorou's new name! (Write in your ideas)

>[ ] Sweets-Loving QM should decide, or at least come up with a list of Rushorou's ideas as options to pick from.

>>3450540
>[ ] Sweets-Loving QM should decide, or at least come up with a list of Rushorou's ideas as options to pick from
Ez choise

>>3450540
>[ ] Sweets-Loving QM should decide, or at least come up with a list of Rushorou's ideas as options to pick from.

>>3450540
>[ ] Sweets-Loving QM should decide, or at least come up with a list of Rushorou's ideas as options to pick from.
It'd be nice to have a starting point, at least.

I think we've reached the point where Rushurou will have to try and find a way to incarnate them both.

"I haven't," you say, "but now that you mention it, I suppose I may as well. Have you put any thought into the notion of a new name for me, Adelheid?"

"Why, of course I have," the girl declares with pride. "I do love naming things, you know. Now then, for you we can begin with the obvious. Since you're no longer plainly Japanese or human, we needn't be bound by the limits of either your old culture or of common humanity. You should take a more noble name, fit for a hero!"

"Very flattering," you say, and find that Adelheid's sudden good cheer seems to be infectious. After the intense grief of your earlier conversation, you can't quite suppress a smile of your own as you discuss lighter matters. "But you sound like you have something specific in mind. Don't keep it back, please."

"You told me when we met that what you desired from the grail was rulership. Or rather, the power and the right to rule. Why not take a name embodying that dream? You might call yourself Alberich, for example; he was an ancient mage-king, who sought the power to govern the earth. Or perhaps you'd rather focus on the more pressing matter of the war, and take the name of Sigismund, the guardian of victory. Then again, there is Ermenrich, a name which claims power over all the world."

"I can't help but notice," you interject, "that these all sound like Germanic names. I understand your patriotism, but I do wonder if you had any other languages in mind."

"You do look well-suited to a German name, though," says Adelheid. "Why, you even resemble one of the homunculi the Einzberns create. But alright, you'd like to hear another language's names. How about Latin, then? It was the language that gave civilization to Europe, after all."

You know little about Latin names, but there's certainly no reason to be picky about what you hear. "Sure, go ahead," you reply.

"You might call yourself Brutus," she says, "it was a Brutus who founded the republic. And then of course there is the famous Augustus, although the glory may have been worn out of that name by all the emperors who bore it. You might call yourself Lucius, and seek to embody light, or usurp the name of Romulus or Aeneas, and emulate them in founding a new society. Even Faustus bears an interesting tale; to the Romans it simply meant good luck, but it's taken on a very different connotation since. What do you think, Rushorou?"

>[ ] Pick one of the names Adelheid listed.

>[ ] Volunteer an idea of your own (Write it in)

>[ ] Suggest some other category of names. (Write in the category)

>[ ] "I'm not sure if I like any of these. What about..." (I'll come up with another name, not on this list, which Rushorou will decide on.)

Well, it took way longer to post that than I expected. I thought the name list would be a quick follow-up, but ended up having to take care of some other things IRL. Sorry about that.

>>3450858
>Lucius
This one. It goes with how we envision our Origin, iirc.

>>3450858
Personally, I don't mind it being a work in progress.

Not much interest in picking a name, huh?

>>3451175
I like the one we have, dont really feel a need to change it.
After all we might have changed but we still reflect what we were in some way, keeping the name would be a sensible way to acknowledge that fact.
it might be weird/hard to tell everyone our new name and remember it ourselves after being Rushorou for 16 years.

>>3450858
Caesar or Kaiser.
The only acceptable choices, unless you wish to go full ROMA

>>3450887
>>3451189
However, I can agree with the both of you.
We could also be YUMI

>>3451175
I was asleep.
>>3450858
>[ ] Pick one of the names Adelheid listed.
Can we go for s first name and a last name?
If not, Lucius will do.

>>3451230
Anon, are you completely sure you want Yumigawa to embody light?
>(?) Adelheid will remember this.

>>3451234
Yeah so?
We should honestly probably consult Caster before taking a new name, see if she has any ideas.

>>3451238
That too. It's foolhardy to take a new name so soon, and Circe will have a nice list of Greek names for us.

>>3451238
Could always go for maybe a Greek first name and a German second name.
Alexander Sigismund, perhaps?

>>3451245
We should also consider the meaning behind each name and possibly what the Hero who owns the name would think of that.

I dunno if Alexander would have a problem with us taking his name and becoming the God-Emperor of Mankind. What do you think?

>>3451255
Alexander is a bro.
He probably wouldn't mind.

>>3451256
Lucius isn't taken by any canonical Heroic Spirit.
Romulus might object to our use of his name unless we went full ROMA, and I doubt that either of us wants Yunigawa to be bumrushed by an imperial stripper with a magic sword.
Aeneas... is the ancestor of Romulus, and using that might make him 200% ROMA.
Faustus will get us attention from Mephistopheles, and that's a very bad thing for someone like Yumigawa.
We also don't want to name Yumi after Nero for very good reasons.
Brutus would be an interesting name to have if we ever met Julius, but we can keep it because he's a lardass who could never catch us unless Sweets wants to change that as well.

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>>3451265
>magic sword
magic *lance
And he looks like this, for reference

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>>3451265
He's only a lardass as Saber.
Rider (what he's meant to be, I assume) Caesar would slap our shit.
Alexander could be a good one.
We should go for a last name too though.

>>3451272
I can't take that face seriously, it's too rapey

I think people have probably noticed something so obvious but Adelheid is solely calling us by our actual name instead of just "Master".
Just thinking we should maybe be a tad concerned.

>>3450858
Lucius

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>>3451294
Too late now, anon, we've crossed the Rubicon.

>>3450858
>Put it on hold, Consult Circe on names
Tbh, I would like to have a name that isn’t taken by some great historical figure yet.

>>3451354
There's always Lucius:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Verus
Dude wasn't very significant, in the grand scheme of things.

>>3451357
Lucius doesn’t really pop enough, in my expert and 100% correct opinion. Rushorou deserves a name which has a strong and forceful enunciation, but which also has some majesty to it. Old Latin names are decent for it, but maybe some Ancient Greek would work too.

>>3451354
supporting asking Circe for input.

>>3451357
Lucius was one of the most common Roman prenomens, FYI. Like Marcus or Titus, it's now something you can really pin to a particular figure.

Interesting opinions. I'd have picked Alberich or Sigismund myself.

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>>3451413
>Alberich or Sigismund
>implying Alberich is even a choice

>>3451419
Why should it not be? I quite like the name, although I have a fondness for most old Germanic names. Being from the roots for elf and power, it was the first name I thought of as being appropriate for the no-longer-human Rushorou. And then there's the Wagner tie-in, another fun point.

>>3451423
The joke is that the guy in the pic is named SigismundNothing wrong with Wagner, but we could also go with "Albrecht"? It's the German cognate of "Albert" which comes from "Adalbert" which in turn is composed of:
>"Adal" = "Noble"
>"Beraht" -> "Bert" = "Bright"

I prefer "Albrecht" myself, for a reason I can't quite put in words.

>>3451433
Could be the first name, we'll have to consult Circe for the last name.

>I still don't know how we're going to do about our mother, though.

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>>3451445
>how ... to do about
I need to sleep.

>>3451445
Mother will understand. She will be renamed if she doesn't.
Or Circe can give her pills that make her see us as 5'9" with black hair and eyes.

Just a note, I won't be able to update today, due to the holiday. In the meantime, have you folks given any further thought to your wish?

>>3451520
Mine is still to bring back the Age of Gods. I haven't budged on that so far, and I doubt anyone would change their mind now without a big development.

>>3451520
I have a question if you don’t mind- while she was binding Adelheid during our chat with the drunk, did Circe consider using her NP at all?

>>3451596
Wait a second.
It just occurred to me that Circe's NP is a perfect way to KO Archer if we can find a way to restrain him because NPs aren't Magecraft unless explicitly stated to be so.
...Unfortunately he's twice as strong as us, which means we'd have to learn and use Reinforcement in order to overpower him.
Which we don't have the time to do.

>>3451606
That's the kind of thing the wand is good for, yes. As long as the enemy is restrained, no resistance ability, blessing, protection, or immunity can ward off its effects. Of course, that's a large prerequisite.

>>3451596
You can't know her thoughts, of course, but she had the chance to use it and you'd made it clear that you wanted to get Berserker on your side, so you imagine that she held back out of consideration for your intentions.

>>3451354
I'll support asking Circe for help thinking of a new name if we wait a while. I like some of the suggestions, but it'd seem wrong not to consult Circe about this since she's been with us since the start. However, she's currently working on our cloak, so I think it's best to just wait a while and stew on it rather than pick one on the spot.

The Latin names have me thinking, though - might we manage to get a clue about Assassin's identity if Rushorou picked and introduced himself with a name he has a relation to or opinion on? Not saying we should pick based on that, but it might be worth considering (or claim a fake new name in front of Assassin just to see).

>>3451633
Does Adelheid have the ability to turn into, or summon a Berser-Car?

Is it a Kubelwagen, or a cute Kettenkrad?

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>>3453240

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>>3453240
THAT IS ONLY FOR HERACLES

>>3453240
That depends, do you have the ability to turn into or summon Illyasviel von Einzbern?

>>3453362
Circe can a path from us back to Justeaze, and then reverse-engineer algorithms for simulating the human growth process to extrapolate a theoretical loli Justeaze, which should look similar to Illya because all Einzbern Homunculi are derived genetically from Justeaze.
>The models based on Justeaze, such as Irisviel and Illya, share the memories and personality of the original. In a way, they're the same being.
t. Wiki
No citation, so feel free to take it with a grain of salt.

>>3453371
>can a path
*can TRACE a path

>>3453371
>trace a path from us back to Justeaze
How? You're not a homunculus. You have no connection to the Einzberns. What is this path you speak of? Do you mean tracing along the holy grail, using the ritual that summoned her? I can't think of any other temporal connection.

>>3453374
>You have no connection to the Einzberns.
I mean, we do have the Einzbern look.

I thought there could be some tiny connection, even if only on the conceptual level.
Should've figured there was none since we don't have the tramp stampmagic crest that all Einzbern Homunculi have.
>Do you mean tracing along the holy grail, using the ritual that summoned her?
You know what, sure, let's do this if we ever want to do that.
And then we summon Heracles and become the little girl.

This is, of course, completely theoretical, as I have no formal training in Magecraft.

>>3453380
>becoming the little girl
Then how will we procreate with Circe so Adelheid can have adoptive sisters? Fuck you, I'm not leaving her behind.

>>3453389
then again, Adelheid probably wouldn't be too keen on being an 3rd wheel.

>>3453390
>Notably non-Italian Greece
>Honorabu Aryan Japan
>Super-Aryan Germany
It’s the axis, but better!

>>3453389
It's a reversible process.

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>>3453393
Great, now you just have to convince Circe the same! Good luck!

>>3453401
What, are you implying that Circe has a problem with being racist???

Sorry about the long delay, folks. Holidays really eat up the time. I'll post the update shortly.

"I think they're all excellent names," you say, "but the choice of a name is a momentous thing. I'd need some more time to consider the matter before I could come to a decision."

"I suppose that makes sense." Adelheid looks a bit disappointed, but doesn't press the issue. "What are you going to do now, then? How do you intend to prepare for the coming attack?"

You get to your feet before answering, stretching your legs after the long time you've spent sitting. "In the immediate future," you say, "I'll be getting some food. I'm going to walk back down to the dining hall and see what Caster's prepared tonight. As for tomorrow, I'm not yet certain. I may end up spending the entire day training my energy control; it would certainly be the most efficient way to improve our chances of victory." As you consider the prospect of tomorrow's preparations, you begin to pace unconsciously, the movement of your feet helping your mind work. "On the other hand," you continue, "Caster is preparing an enchanted weapon for me, a cloak embedded with a portal to nothing. It will apparently be quite a potent defensive tool, so I should probably spend some time learning to use it."

"You don't intend to prepare any kind of additional magical fortifications?" Adelheid asks in surprise.

"I don't think so," you say. "The most effective way to deal with the enemy, as far as I can tell, will be to face them directly, Servant against Servant. All we really need is a barrier for delay and alert, to ensure that we can react appropriately when they make their attack. Using up our energy preparing other fortifications would be a waste."

Adelheid gives you an approving nod. "It's a sensible plan," she says. "I don't think I'll be joining you for dinner, though. Now that we know when the battle is to come, I intent to spend as much time as possible sleeping, conserving my energy. Whatever fruit your training may or may not bear, a stockpile of energy will be useful."

"Alright then," you say. Opening your mouth to say 'sweet dreams,' you realize that you don't know whether or not Servants dream. You amend it to the more neutral "Sleep well, Adelheid," and exit the room.

Entering the dining hall, you discover it empty, save for Kikuko. Matsuda, you suppose, must be continuing his nap after the exertion of your earlier sparring, and Ogawara is presumably still looking for information on Cid Ajisartous' servant, but the absence of sound from the kitchen makes it clear that Caster is also absent. Certainly a deviation from her usual habit, given her fondness for cooking. "Munahara," you say by way of greeting, "have you seen Caster? I had thought she'd be serving dinner about now." A glance at your watch confirms the time, just after eight.

"No, it's weird, right?" Kikuko looks as confused as you do. "I was totally thinking the same thing. She had food, like, on the table by now last night."

You decide the fastest way to resolve the situation is by a quick telepathic check-in. 'Caster,' you send, 'is there something delaying dinner tonight? I was looking forward to enjoying some of your cooking soon.'

'I'm afraid so, Master.' The reply that comes is absent, distracted. 'I really can't spare any attention for cuisine when I'm working on this cloak. You and your friends will just have to fend for yourselves tonight.'

Well, that settles that.

>[ ] Go into the kitchens yourself, and try your hand at cooking some dinner. (Pride)

>[ ] Pull Ogawara out of the computer lab and have him do it. He seemed proficient enough, after all. (Prudence)

>[ ] Explain the situation to Kikuko, and ask what she thinks about it. Maybe she can cook something for you. (Curiosity)

>>3454587
>[ ] Go into the kitchens yourself, and try your hand at cooking some dinner. (Pride)
Hope you guys like eating coffee.

>>3454587
>>[ ] Go into the kitchens yourself, and try your hand at cooking some dinner. (Pride)

>>3454587
>[ ] Explain the situation to Kikuko, and ask what she thinks about it. Maybe she can cook something for you. (Curiosity)

>>3454587
>[ ] Pull Ogawara out of the computer lab and have him do it. He seemed proficient enough, after all. (Prudence)

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>>3454587
>[ ] Go into the kitchens yourself, and try your hand at cooking some dinner. (Pride)

>Matsuda and Ogawara’s faces when

>>3454819
>a Fate protagonist incapable of cooking
May as well end our life then and there.

>>3454587
>[X] Go into the kitchens yourself, and try your hand at cooking some dinner. (Pride)

Roll 1d100 to attempt to cook

Rolled 33 (1d100)

>>3454877
Uh oh.

Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>3454877

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>3454877
WRRRRRYYYYYY

>>3454888
Thank you, DIO-sama.

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>>3454888 (super heil'd)
>99 (problems)
BUT A BAD MEAL AIN'T ONE

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>>3454888
>It's the exact same as the coffee roll

>>3454888
Oh, come on

>>3454903
>>3454888

So not only can we make a damn good coffee, but now we have Circe demanding that we take over making meals...

>>3454903
It could always be luck...

>>3454888
>>3454888
>Trips
>99
Truly I say to you, this Post was made in heaven

>>3454916
Nevermind, I'm retarded.

>"I'd offer to help," you say, "but I'm no better in the kitchen myself. I've never prepared food before.
I did previously establish that you've never cooked before, though. We'll have to see just how far luck really takes you.

>>3454935
You also gave us B rank luck though.

>>3454935
We will have to emphasize that we've never cooked before.

>>3454935
On the contrary, you've established just the opposite. Rushorou was the cook in his class's cafe during the freshman year cultural festival, as indicated last time Rushorou rolled a 99.
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/3361948/#p3364087
If nothing else, he should have fairly in-depth experience with a few specific, simple dishes.

>>3454994
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/3421216/#p3441586
is what I was quoting above. So, it sort of seems I've contradicted myself. To clarify, I'll say this now. During the cultural festival, you made all the coffee. Tatsuhara Satsuki, one of your classmates, prepared the food.

>When sweets can’t deal with the perfection that is RUSHOROU

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>>3455439
>Yumi's face when everyone is expecting mediocre food because he doesn't have any experience with cooking

"It seems Caster won't be making us dinner tonight," you tell Kikuko, getting to your feet. "I suppose I'll get something together in her place."

"Oh? Can you, like, cook well, Yumigawa-kun?" Kikuko raises an eyebrow. "You didn't seem like the type."

You let out an embarrassed chuckle, answering, "You've got me there. I've never cooked a meal in my life. This wouldn't be the first new skill I've learned to excel in since coming here, though."

"So you're like, broadening your horizons, huh? Kususu~" Kikuko giggles behind her hand, seeming to find the prospect of you cooking mysteriously comical. "I've just got to see how you do."

"Very well," you say. "If it interests you so much, you can feel free to watch me cook, Munahara." With that remark, you walk to the kitchen, not looking to see whether or not Kikuko is following. You find yourself filled with energy, and realize that you're oddly excited about the prospect of cooking. Part of it is the opportunity for a new kind of success, a new point of pride in your growing repertoire. Since your arrival in Cid's world, you've found continual success; nothing seems impossible for you, and the prospect of preparing a delicious meal one-handed seems like a worthy addition to your record. The other part of your excitement comes from a sort of superstitious optimism. Making coffee for Adelheid was the starting point of your alliance with her, a partnership that will bring you victory in the Grail War. Now, as you contemplate dinner, you can't shake the feeling that similar good fortune will come as a result of this dinner.

You begin by checking the fridge, to see what you have to work with. As with the rest of the university, it's enormous. The variety of ingredients on display frankly astounds you. After spending several minutes perusing the selection, you decide to make something simple. Fried sausage, sautéed greens, and a loaf of French bread warmed in the oven may not be extravagant, but it should be possible with one hand. You manage to get butter into the pan and melted without too much trouble, and soon you have the sausage cooking over a low flame, sizzling in the fat. Putting a lid over it, you turn to prepare the greens on a cutting board, chopping them along with some garlic to accompany them in the pan. It's no small task, working out how to do this with only your right hand; you're prompted to reflect on your good fortune in not being left-handed.

Through all this, Kikuko's been watching you as if spellbound, but she suddenly snaps out of the daze as she watches you chopping collard greens with one hand. "Yumigawa-kun, what happened to your hand?" she asks, in a low voice full of uncharacteristic concern. "You've been, like, just keeping your left hand in your pocket this whole time. Are you alright?"

Of course. You hadn't told Kikuko about the hand up until now, and you'd hoped you could avoid the conversation by keeping it hidden. That may have worked for Matsuda and Ogawara, but with the girl watching you cook you should have known she'd notice. "I suppose I may as well show you," you say as you continue to chop. "But hang on until I'm finished with these, would you please? It's nothing to worry about."

"I guess," Kikuko says with a pout, clearly not content to wait.

And so you finish preparing the greens and peeling the garlic (the most difficult of the cooking tasks to perform one-handed, since you find yourself unable to hold the cloves steady), Kikuko looking concernedly on with impatience writ large on her features. Then you have the time until the sausage is finished to wait. You'll be cooking the greens in the same pan, after all. You turn to her to explain, drawing your stump of a left hand out of your pocket as you do so. With some satisfaction, you observe that the flat surface of the cleanly sliced wrist has regrown into a rounded dome, signaling the gradual regeneration of the hand. "As you can see," you say, "I lost my hand earlier today."

At your words, a flush of scarlet flowers blooms on Kikuko's cheeks, her concern transmuted into shock and indignant fury. "W-Wha-" she sputters, "Like, what kind of explanation is that, Yumigawa-kun? What happened? Your hand totally was not cut earlier today, looking like that!"

"Alright, alright," you say, making conciliatory gestures with your remaining hand. "I suppose that was a little incomplete, sorry. Caster is working on the creation of an enchanted weapon for me, and she needed my hand to use in its construction. She gave me a potion to heal it, which is why it's no longer bleeding. I'll have regrown a working hand again at some point tomorrow, apparently."

"Oh, so that's how it is," Kikuko says, calming down swiftly. The angry flush drains away, her color and tone returning to normal, but she fixes you with a suspicious look and crosses her arms. "Is that all it is, Yumigawa-kun? You're not, like, keeping anything back from me?"

"Nothing about my hand," you say. "There is also the fact that we're expecting an attack by Archer and Rider the day after tomorrow, but I'd planned to tell you about that over dinner."

"Oh, great!" Contrary to your injury, the news of the attack actually excites Kikuko. "Are you going to, like, go out and fight yourself? And-" suddenly Kikuko cuts herself off, her head snapping towards the food. "Hey, the sausage is gonna burn!"

After that, you swallow a bit of your pride and have Kikuko help with the remainder of the food preparation, compensating for your lack of a hand. The two of you manage to get the food finished and served without incident, and you sit down to a dinner with only the human occupants of the university.

As Truvietianne, Kikuko, Matsuda, and Ogawara gradually take their respective seats and receive their food, you consider that it's the first time you've actually seen them all at the same table since Archer and Kikuko arrived with their duplicitous offer of alliance. With no-one yet settled into a conversation, it should be easy to bring up any subject you please.

>[ ] Ask Truvietianne about what she was working on earlier.

>[ ] Strike up a conversation with Matsuda (Write in the topic)

>[ ] Strike up a conversation with Ogawara (Write in the topic)

>[ ] Continue your discussion of the attack with Kikuko.

>[ ] Just wait for the moment, tasting the product of your cooking and observing the reactions of the others.

>>3455509
>[ ] Just wait for the moment, tasting the product of your cooking and observing the reactions of the others.
>Singlehandedly producing presumably edible food while having never cooked before
Worth a 99 desu

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>>3455509
>[ ] Just wait for the moment, tasting the product of your cooking and observing the reactions of the others.

>>3455509
>>[ ] Just wait for the moment, tasting the product of your cooking and observing the reactions of the others.

>>3455509
>[ ] Just wait for the moment, tasting the product of your cooking and observing the reactions of the others.
Let's see what we pulled off.

>>3455509
>[ ] Just wait for the moment, tasting the product of your cooking and observing the reactions of the others.

Looking down with some trepidation at the plate of food, your first solid cooking, you take a bite. It's... quite good! The outside of the sausage is crispy and browned to your satisfaction, while the inside is tender and flavorful. The greens form a tasteful combination of powerful flavors, as the zest of the collard greens combines with the potent flavor of the garlic. The bread is excellent as well, although you can hardly take credit for the presence of a high-grade loaf of bread in the pantry. Excited at your success, you look around for the reactions of the others.

Truvietianne seems happy enough to eat the bread and sausage, but after a few bites of the greens she gives up, a sour look on her face. Matsuda and Ogawara are more content to eat, but hardly look enthusiastic. Only Kikuko seems to share your satisfaction in eating every bite. Overall, it's a thoroughly lukewarm reception.

>[ ] Ask Truvietianne about what she was working on earlier.

>[ ] Strike up a conversation with Matsuda (Write in the topic)

>[ ] Strike up a conversation with Ogawara (Write in the topic)

>[ ] Continue your discussion of the attack with Kikuko.

>[ ] Say something to the table at large (Write in)

>>3455550
>[ ] Continue your discussion of the attack with Kikuko.
Best get her prepared, too.

>>3455550
>Overall, it's a thoroughly lukewarm reception.
Acceptable

>[ ] Ask Truvietianne about what she was working on earlier.

>>3455550
>[ ] Ask Truvietianne about what she was working on earlier.

>>3455550
>Overall, it's a thoroughly lukewarm reception.
With no experience and one hand? I'll take it.

>[ ] Continue your discussion of the attack with Kikuko.
I don't think we explained yet that Truvi will be setting up a barrier and she should go there to stay safe.

>>3455550
>The outside of the sausage is crispy and browned to your satisfaction, while the inside is tender and flavorful. The greens form a tasteful combination of powerful flavors, as the zest of the collard greens combines with the potent flavor of the garlic.
also what the fuck is up with nips and amateur food critiques
I see this in every anime, they eat the food and suddenly spout a load of fancy pretentious bullshit about it. Why can't they just say "it's good" and be done with it???

>>3455574
Is that not how you think when you eat?

>>3455574
>I see this in every anime
Key distinction

>>3455580
No, I just turn my brain off
>>3455582
This reminded me of that

>>3455612
So you actively choose not to think about the flavors, composition, ingredients, etc when you eat? Why is that?

>>3455612
What I’m saying is that it’s a media distinction to draw attention to food which has some narrative importance, not a product of nip culture or whatever. In this case in particular, the food is important because we just cooked it and specifically chose an option to “taste the product of our cooking”.

>>3455580
Some of us are pretty firmly in the Bazett camp when it comes to meals. I don't know jack shit about the culinary arts, but I know that food keeps me alive, ends my hunger and some of it tastes better than the rest.

>>3455618
Quite the opposite: tuning out all that stuff is the natural course. When I eat, I turn my mind to other things and the consumption happens basically on auto-pilot. Thinking about everything you just listed would be the active choice, especially since I can't identify half of what goes into my food anyway.

>>3455628
Fascinating. As you can gather, I'm pretty far to the opposite end of the spectrum. I'm always thinking about the details of my food because my main concern when eating is maximizing the enjoyment I can get out of future meals. I hope my descriptions of the food haven't taken too away from the quest for you folks.

>>3455645
Oh, not at all. I enjoy it because it reminds me of the copious details about food in the original FSN. I might not pay much attention to it when it shows up, but I think it's a nice touch.

>>3455661
Well then, just you wait until the arc when Shirou challenges Rushorou to a cook-off. That's when I'll really bust out the serious food descriptions!

I'd just like to remind you folks that we're currently tied. I'm going offline for the night, but hopefully I can update in the morning.

>>3455550
>>[ ] Continue your discussion of the attack with Kikuko.

>>3455550
Now that our lad Rush knows about noble phantasms and heard from Blackbeard about the preparation of certain legend, we should ask Ogawara to do some research regarding Blackbeard, to at least have a vague idea of what is coming

>>3455854
We gonna do this after we speak with Kikuko?

"Munahara," you say between bites, "you had something you wanted to ask me about the attack tomorrow, didn't you?"

"That's right!" Kikuko puts her plate aside to focus on you, continuing excitedly, "we kinda got sidetracked earlier, but what are you, like, gonna do?"

Before you can answer, Matsuda cuts in, "What's it ta you, missy? Everybody but Kaichou and the Servants, we just need ta sit tight in the basement and wait it out. No reason for you ta know Kaichou's plan. Unless," he gives the girl a dark look, "you're still plannin' on helpin' that Servant of yours win."

Kikuko narrows her eyes, meeting suspicion with scorn. "Oh, come on," she says. "Did you put, like, any thought into that? It'd be totally pointless for me to help Archer." The girl holds up her right hand, showing Matsuda the smooth, unmarked skin. "I'm not his Master anymore, remember? I wouldn't, like, get a wish or anything."

"So?" Matsuda isn't giving up the idea. If anything, he seems to have been infuriated by Kikuko's attitude. "Not like ya get anythin' outta Kaichou winning either. You're suspicious, plain and simple."

Before Matsuda can get any farther, you bring up a hand to stop him, putting some steel into your voice as you say, "let it go, Matsuda-kun." Hopefully you can bring the argument to a close this way. You can't come out and say the girl's been brainwashed, but there's no point in letting Matsuda argue a point that you know is already settled.

"I haven't told Munahara about the plan for you all to take shelter in the basement yet," you explain. "She was asking what I'll do because she doesn't know, not because she was probing our defenses."

Matsuda backs off only reluctantly, saying "alright," in the kind of tone that makes it clear the situation is anything but alright. "But I'm warning ya, Kaichou," he growls, "don't trust girls like her. All flash and no substance; they'll turn on ya in a minute."

"Oh, that's a nice thing to say right in front of me, I'm sure," Kikuko says, looking more amused than hurt. Then she turns her attention back to you, dismissing Matsuda from her mind. "Now, what's this about a plan to wait in the basement, Yumigawa-kun?"

"I've been trying to get to it," you tell her, "but I keep getting interrupted, somehow. Anyway, Miss Edelfelt has generously offered to set up a barrier for all of you in the university's deepest sub-basement, so that you can take shelter there without being caught up in the battle. Isn't that right, Edelfelt?"

"It's not as though I went out of my way to offer," Truvietianne says, looking indignant. "I've decided to create a barrier for my own safety. There simply happens to be enough space that you lot can take shelter if you feel the need."

"Of course," you say. If Truvietianne is determined to seem selfish, you won't argue the point. "Anyway, Munahara, that's the plan. Caster, Adelheid, and I will face the enemy. I want the rest of you to stay safe."

Kikuko puffs out her cheeks in a pout, apparently dissatisfied with your plan. "That's, like, totally lame," she says. "I don't want to, like, hang out in the basement while you're out there fighting Archer! I'm going to watch from the gardens."

"What?" For a moment, you're too surprised to formulate a coherent response. "Why would you want to watch? Don't you realize you could be killed?"

The notion of her death seems not to move Kikuko. "Sure, I guess," she says. "That's not, like, a big deal, you know? We could've died any time since we came here. If Archer and Rider, like, attack the building instead of you, we could get buried and trapped. There are, like, tons of ways to die with Servants and magic and stuff all around; that's why it's called a war, right? So, I want to watch you fight, Yumigawa-kun. Not, like, kill time in the basement hiding in a shield."

>[ ] Have Kikuko stay out as an observer, watching you defeat your final enemy Master. (Pride)

>[ ] Insist that Kikuko remains in the basement. It may not be a guarantee of safety, but you still want to minimize risk. (Compassion)

>[ ] It doesn't make a difference to you what Kikuko does. (Duty/Self-Preservation)

>>3457197
>[ ] Insist that Kikuko remains in the basement. It may not be a guarantee of safety, but you still want to minimize risk. (Compassion)
Nope. Plenty of reasons not to let this happen.

>>3457197
>[ ] Insist that Kikuko remains in the basement. It may not be a guarantee of safety, but you still want to minimize risk. (Compassion)
It's for your own good!

>>3457197
>[ ] Insist that Kikuko remains in the basement. It may not be a guarantee of safety, but you still want to minimize risk. (Compassion)
She would make for an easy hostage if she doesn't go with the others.

>>3457193
>It's not as though I went out of my way to offer
Really cranking up the tsundere there, Truvi

>>3457197
>[ ] Insist that Kikuko remains in the basement. It may not be a guarantee of safety, but you still want to minimize risk. (Compassion)
Any distractions during this fight could be fatal

>>3457209
She's like a tsundere, except she actually hates you all and just wants to go home.

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>>3457245
>she hates us
"LOSER! YOU'RE A LOSER! ARE YOU FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF? WELL, YOU SHOULD BE, BECAUSE YOU'RE DIRT! YOU MAKE ME SICK, YOU BIG BABY! BABY WANNA BOTTLE? A BIG DIRT BOTTLE?"

>>3457245
So she's a "classic" tsundere but without someone to fall for so she just stays shit.

>>3457275
There was a route where she could fall for you. Things, uh... didn't go that way.

>>3457283
Was it the part where we didn't yan-ify Circe and kept our cover?

>>3457284
There were a couple of components. First off, not taking power into yourself would be a big plus for the Truvietianne route, since you and she would be on a more level playing field.
Then there's Caster's attachment getting in the way, as you noticed. If you had become a conceptual being, keeping your cover would be good.
Lastly, keeping her in the war is vital. Without a stake in the war, Truvietianne withdraws into her studies and just wants to go back to school, disengaging from any significant connection with the inhabitants of Cid's world.

>>3457287
Are we on track to get both Adelheid and Circe?

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>>3457292
keep your hands off of adelheid, you little

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>>3457298
I'm not going to initiate on her but
>denying the lolibaba
I wouldn't stop her and you are a fool to contemplate so.

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>>3457302
For as long as I bar the way, no pedophilia shall pass underneath my nostrils. We're flying Air Caster now and I'm crashing this plane with no survivors.

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>>3457312
>We're flying Air Caster now and I'm crashing this plane with no survivors.
You realize that crashing a plane is akin to sinking a ship, eg. going for Adelheid/neither, right?

>>3457312
>>3457298
So then, out of curiosity what are your feelings regarding Adelheid?

>>3457325
I couldn't resist the banepost
>>3457326
Imouto if Hitler's not laying a trap for us.

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>>3457335
>if Hitler's not laying a trap for us.
>inb4 the trap consists of something like old Rock CDs and beer.

>>3457341
Speaking of Rock CDs and beer, we should acquire some preferences and a hobby.

>>3457348
>Preferences: ourself, because nobody can live up to Yumigawa Rushorou's standards except Yumigawa Rushorou
>Hobby: looking at our reflection in a mirror
What we really need is a cool catchphrase, if you catch my phrase.

>>3457350
>ourself
If you're gonna put it that way, we might as well put lolibabas under our preferences, too. :^)
>looking at our reflection in a mirror
We haven't done that enough times for it to be considered a hobby.

>>3457348
Yumigawa Rushorou
Preferences: In whatever he does, Rushorou must always be first!
Hobby: Only one thought occupies Rushorou's mind: to be victorious and rule!

Alright, not necessarily. I'd love to read what you folks come up with for getting Rushorou to develop a hobby. He had a pretty empty life before, after all.

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>>3457352
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

"I'm sorry, Munahara," you say, "but I need all of you without Servants to stay safe in the basement during the battle. I won't compromise on this matter just to appease your boredom."

"Hmph! Fine then, be that way! If that's how you feel, you don't even, like, deserve to be cheered on." Kikuko pouts, but doesn't keep up the argument.

You finish dinner without much further conversation, other than one comment from Ogawara. As you're cleaning up your place and getting ready to go, he walks up and puts a hand on your shoulder. In a low voice, he says, "Y-Yumigawa-san, I, ah..." He looks for the words for a moment before finishing, "I think you should just, ah, leave the cooking to me if C-Caster's busy again, a-alright?"

"Sure, Ogawara-kun," you say with a heavy heart. Clearly his judgment of the food was a bit harsher than he'd let on while eating. "Thanks."

With dinner cleared away, you head upstairs and to bed. If Caster gives up her work on the cloak to keep vigil over you, you don't detect it. Still, you're not worried; after all, you have confirmation directly from the enemy's planning session when they'll be making their attack. Crawling into bed, you let your mind go blank, relaxing your body and feeling the bizarre sensation of your regrowing arm free of distractions. There's still a deep pain there, but it's no longer the same feeling of severed flesh you'd had immediately. Instead, you feel a burning sensation running up and down your forearm, in the core of your bones and the outermost layer of skin alike. You suppose it's the feeling of the mass-production of cells as tissue regenerates at a speed far beyond the ordinary. Whether or not that's accurate, it hurts like hell now that you've taken the time to really notice it. You spend a long time staring at the moon, trying to focus and lull yourself into sleep, before consciousness finally departs.

End of Day 9

Tonight, you return to the place of swirling vision, the indecipherable spiral of light and unlight, recognizable color mixed with unnamed and impossible hues, all drawn together toward the central darkness.

As before, there is no force, no sense but vision, and yet tonight you have the feeling that you are peering downward, rather than forward; that you yourself are suspended face-down, watching the stream of color from above as it falls into an infinite pit.

Suddenly, as you examine it, the previously inscrutable design begins to make sense, like a shape arising from formless smoke as you refocus your eyes.

This, you realize, is your origin and element, the world of Imaginary Numbers. Or at least, it must be some antechamber or gateway to that realm, some half-real border region between the two sides of the world.

The colors, impossible in the waking world and indescribable in sane terms, are Nothingness, that element which is material and yet impossible, and they pour into the endless and immaterial Void, the great hollow point which forms the transition from the quasi-real to the truly unreal.

But what does it mean, to be born with this Void as your origin, this vast emptiness? What fate does it carry, if one's origin truly does rule over destiny? What-

As dreams often are, this one is cut off in mid-thought by the loud cheeping of a bird outside your window. Blinking the sleep from your eyes, you look out to see a tiny, round finch perched on the outdoor sill, making a degree of noise you wouldn't have thought possible from its tiny size. Giving in to the bird's aggressive cheer, you roll out of bed and shake the sleep from your limbs. Gratifyingly, your left hand has returned to its full former size and functionality, although there remains a bit of aching in the knuckles.

You head for the bathroom to take your morning shower, and consider how to spend your morning as you do so. Given the pressing time constraint, you should probably devote as much time as possible to battle preparation.

>[ ] Start training to channel more energy through the command spell, and keep at it all day if necessary to make it work. Nothing is more important than supplying Caster and Berserker, after all. (Duty)

>[ ] Check in with Caster to examine her progress on the enchanted cloak. You'll have plenty of time to train your energy output afterwards; your top priority should be gathering new information about your own potential capabilities. (Pride)

>[ ] Visit Adelheid and see how she's feeling after yesterday's discussion. She seemed to have gotten over the worst of it, but one never knows how emotions may change overnight. (Duty)

>>3457358
Correction. The third option should read:
>[ ] Visit Adelheid and see how she's feeling after yesterday's discussion. She seemed to have gotten over the worst of it, but one never knows how emotions may change overnight. (Compassion)

Also, you can:
>[ ] Decide to do something else with your morning. (Write in)

>>3457358
>[ ] Start training to channel more energy through the command spell, and keep at it all day if necessary to make it work. Nothing is more important than supplying Caster and Berserker, after all. (Duty)
I trust Caster to do a good job with the cloak.

>>3457358
>[ ] Start training to channel more energy through the command spell, and keep at it all day if necessary to make it work. Nothing is more important than supplying Caster and Berserker, after all. (Duty)
We'll do our part.

>>3457358
>[ ] Start training to channel more energy through the command spell, and keep at it all day if necessary to make it work. Nothing is more important than supplying Caster and Berserker, after all. (Duty)
I’m doing my part!

>>3457358
>[ ] Start training to channel more energy through the command spell, and keep at it all day if necessary to make it work. Nothing is more important than supplying Caster and Berserker, after all. (Duty)

>>3457358
>[X] Start training to channel more energy through the command spell, and keep at it all day if necessary to make it work. Nothing is more important than supplying Caster and Berserker, after all. (Duty)

Roll 1d100 for effectiveness of training

Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>3457615

Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>3457615
It seems I must sabotage you all yet again.

Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>3457615

Wow, guess we're spending all day to get it.

Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>3457639
>>3457633
>>3457625
Sad!

>>3457664
Cursed roll......

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Jesus...

Here's hoping one more guy drops by for a roll.

>>3457687
I may be an idiot, but I reckon sweets does first 3d100 only

Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>3457690
Pretty sure he does only the first 3d100.

Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>3457709
Yep, looks like we're on a low streak right now. Fucking 4chan dice

>>3457690
>>3457709
You're right. I only take the first 3, unless posted otherwise. Also, goddamn. You folks are definitely going to be at this all day.

After you get out of the shower, you decide not to leave your room after all. The university is filled with distractions. You could wind up talking to people, eating, testing out the enchanted cloak Caster's making, sparring with Matsuda...
Before you knew it, the day would have been frittered away on items of secondary importance! No, what you need to do now is just hole up in your room and focus on improving your mystic energy control until you're able to properly provide for both of your Servants.

You take a seat at the desk in your room, laying your hands flat on the leather top and shutting your eyes. You tune out the outer world and focus on the inner structure of your magic circuits, the imposed aperture of the command seal, and the flow of energy.

The energy of sixty-three magic circuits flows out of you, divided at the point of departure into that portion which flows into Caster and that which flows into Berserker. If you want to fight properly, you'll have to draw out more of the energy being kept in reserve. The first step of this process is simple enough to reason out. You open the mental door that looks out into the void and activate your magic circuits, converting the resting energy in your Od into its active state. Then you draw a blank.

Now that you think of it, what Caster has taught you about using magic has all been either preliminary or theoretical. You can activate your circuits, but you have no idea how to compel the energy within them to flow into the command spell.

After giving the matter some consideration, you try applying the same willful control to your internal energy that you've been using to manipulate the output flow. It takes some effort, but you're gradually able to exert control and channel your mystic energy into the command spell.

Now you're facing the issue of how much energy can pass through the spell's connection. Although you can direct your energy to the point at which it should flow into your Servants, it remains constrained to your magic circuits, as if caught in a bottleneck. No more than half of your mystic energy, it seems, fits through. You spend some time searching carefully for a method of resolving the issue by compressing your energy in some way, but it seems this is beyond your capabilities. It may be impossible. All you succeed in doing that way is wracking your brain and wasting your time. At last, you decide to give up on the idea of compression and focus on widening the aperture instead. It's more of a brute-force method, but perhaps that's what the situation requires.

Like your previous attempt, this method consumes a sizable amount of time and effort before it yields any results. Unlike before, said results are significant. After sweating, straining, and putting in every kind of internal effort short of throwing your back out, you finally manage to force the command spell open for a moment, swiftly reconfiguring the distribution of energy to send fifty parts to each of your Servants while 26 remain in your reserve. In that moment, an electric shock of searing pain courses through your right hand and up your arm, snapping you out of your trance.

You return to the world dazed, blinking and shaking your head to clear it. As you look around, you realize that the sun has sunk low in the sky, and the light coming in through your window is the deep orange of late afternoon. The pain has disappeared from your hand, but the appearance of the command spell has mysteriously changed. Previously bright red, the marks have darkened to the burgundy hue of dried blood. The shift is unsettling, to say the least.

Still, you won't figure out what's happened by sitting here. You've done all it's possible to do alone in terms of preparation. Getting to your feet, you decide to...

>[ ] Go to Caster's workshop and discuss the process of improving your energy output with her. Perhaps she can offer some insight into the change. (Self-Preservation)

>[ ] Visit Adelheid in her room and find out whether she has enough energy to fight well after the change. There's also the matter of her emotional state weighing on your mind... (Pride/Compassion)

>[ ] Go see one of the other four in the university. (Who, and why?)

>[ ] Do something else entirely (Write in)

>>3458708
>[ ] Go to Caster's workshop and discuss the process of improving your energy output with her. Perhaps she can offer some insight into the change. (Self-Preservation)
Make sure we didn't fuck anything up just now too.

>>3458708
>[ ] Go to Caster's workshop and discuss the process of improving your energy output with her. Perhaps she can offer some insight into the change. (Self-Preservation)

>>3458708
>[ ] Go to Caster's workshop and discuss the process of improving your energy output with her. Perhaps she can offer some insight into the change. (Self-Preservation)
Hate to bother Caster, but Command Spells definitely aren't supposed to look like that.

>>3457348
Any of you folks do any more thinking on what kind of preferences or hobby you want to have Rushorou pick up?

>>3458789
He could do what any anime villain does and take up a Germanic naming scheme and Christianity.

>>3458789
Chess

>>3458837
You'd certainly make Adelheid happy that way.

>>3458844
I was just about to recommend this. I think it fits.

>>3458853
Hmm... did Hitler perceive young imperial Germany as a Christian entity at all? Interesting....

Also, bodybuilding and some form of dance would be good for Rushorou. To acquire grace and strength befitting of such a superior being.

>>3458789
>>3458858
Chess and/or Go.

>>3458872
Was Hitler a christian, and did he approve of the role the church played in the lives of Germans? This is a difficult question to answer, as a study of his life reveals a tempestuous and constantly changing relationship between the leader and the church.
On the other hand, we can easily answer the question of "did Hitler see Germany as Christian" with a resounding yes. The first of his three reichs was, after all, the Holy Roman Empire, the foremost defender of the Catholic faith. That nation which spilled more blood in civil war between protestant and catholic than any other. Even in Hitler's own time, Germans remained devout. Whether protestant or catholic, the German Christians went to church consistently, and when the sermon touched on matters in the material world, they listened to their priests. During one of the times when he was at odds with the clergy, Hitler referred to the Catholic Church as "the most powerful opposition party in this nation," and the church remained until his death the only non-party power bloc in Germany which Hitler was unable to wipe out.
On the other hand, Hitler often spoke of "the mission which Providence has given me for the German people" in private as well as in public, and made frequent references to Christianity as an essential aspect of the German national character in his speeches. He also used it as a significant point of demarcation between his own national socialist doctrine and that of "godless communism."
So, yes, the Germany seen through Hitler's eyes was most certainly Christian.

>>3458708
>[ ] Go to Caster's workshop and discuss the process of improving your energy output with her. Perhaps she can offer some insight into the change. (Self-Preservation)
oh shit oh fuck
>>3458872
I must object to dance on the grounds that it is a practice for sissies, faggots and sissy faggots. Possibly also faggot sissies.
We should do martial arts instead. Maybe Circe has a few Pankration manuals hidden somewhere or something.

>>3459007
So are we going to do it where all athletics are done in the nude?

>>3459007
>Implying learning some Renaissance or Regency period dances isn’t a patrician enough activity for Rushorou
Although some form of martial art would certainly be good for him. I really just want him to reach the loftiest heights of body control and functional strength possible.

>>3459007
>t. insecure

>>3459007
A lot of martial arts also involve what is essentially dancing. For example, kata and hyeong are choreographed sequences of moves that don't intend to teach combat so much as the form and flow of the moves and stances that accompany them.

Pankration barely counts as a martial art. The sport itself was little more than an empty-handed brawl with two rules (unless you're Sparta and then there are no rules).

If anything, we should learn Bajiquan.

>>3459090
Yes, and?
>>3459117
Point. Maybe we could also consider Jeet Kune Do, because I've always agreed with Bruce Lee about forms.

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>wanting to take up a martial art
>despite what Matsuda warned
ISHYGDDT

>>3459132
Matsuda got beaten because he didn't follow in the footsteps of the unbeatable combat god Kotomine Kirei. We won't make that mistake.

>>3459149
>Unbeatable combat god
>Beaten by two different Emiyas

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>>3459158
>>Beaten by two different Emiyas
Lies and slander.

Zero doesn't count because he undied, played the long con, and won the second round.
Fate doesn't count because he didn't really fight, the mud just sort of slapped away at Shirou until the end.
Heaven's Feel doesn't count because Shirou didn't even really fight back, Kirei just ran out of gas first.

He's an undefeated champion and any evidence to the contrary is deception by Satan.

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>>3459167
"Your faith does you credit, my son."

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>>3459167
Cope with the fact that Kirei is a loser.

>>3459149
Matsuda has never lost a fight prior to the grail war, by the way. When he was talking about the foibles of learning martial arts, he was referring to his experience beating the shit out of a wannabe Bruce Lee. But that's a story for another time.

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>>3459173
HE'S A WINNER DAMN YOU

>>3459177
I guess we know what we're talking to Matsuda about next time.

>>3459173
Cope with being Satan.

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>>3459195
That's not something to cope with, Christdumb.

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>>3459203
>implying I'm a christdumb
>mfw

"Oh, Hell," you mutter, looking at the ugly color your command spell's become. "That can't be good." You wonder if flooding it with energy may have been the wrong course of action. Still, you did solve the output problem, and just in time. Hopefully whatever this change means, it isn't too bad.

You decide to open telepathic communications with Caster before heading over to her workshop. 'Caster,' you send, 'I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but would you mind taking a look at my command spells?'

A tired voice greets you. From the sound of it, Caster's really been giving this cloak her all. 'Sure, Master, why not? I could definitely use a break from enchanting. This thing is almost yawn done, anyway. Come on up to my workshop.'

A few minutes later, you've arrived. The room hasn't been redecorated this time, another telling sign of Caster's dedication to her work. A central table is covered by a wide swathe of black silk, and you can see shifting runes and sigils gleaming on its surface in uncomfortably familiar hues of red and white. "Hi, Master," Caster says. She's reclining in a chair, looking at the cloth through half-lidded eyes, and raises a languid hand to greet you. It's the first time, you realize, that you've seen her anything short of energetic since you've met. It's an odd feeling.

"Good afternoon, Caster," you reply, pulling up a chair. "Have you noticed the shift in your energy level?"

Caster gives you a nod. "Yes, I see you're providing me with almost as much energy now as before contracting with Berserker," she says. "But you did something to your command spell to make it possible, is that right?"

"Sort of," you answer tentatively. "I've been working internally on pouring more energy out through the command spell all day, and I finally managed it just a short time ago. You and Adelheid should have the same amount of energy now. When I finally managed to force the energy through, though, it felt like my hand was being electrocuted and my command spells went from red to... well, to this color." You put out your hand, showing the discolored crest to Caster.

Caster peers over your hand, examining the command spells. "Is that so," she mutters. Then she sits back up, pushing your hand back towards you. She fixes you with the kind of angry and disappointed glare you remember teachers giving consistently lazy students after tests, and says, "do you have any idea what you did to your command spells?"

Summoning up your guess from earlier, you say, "I suppose using brute force to get through the command spells' restriction damaged it in some way?" You're sure it's not the answer she's looking for, but it's as detailed as you can get.

Caster heaves a heavy sigh, breaking off the glare to lay her head down in her right hand. The theatrical display of exasperation seems a bit extreme, but under the circumstances you withhold your snyde comment. "Why didn't you just come to me when you realized that was the problem," she laments. "I could've modified the command spell, you know." Lifting her head back up to put you back under the full force of her disappointment, she says, "Imagine you want to get through a gate, but it's locked with a beautiful, incredibly intricate silver lock. Now, you don't know how to undo the lock, so you just go at it with a blowtorch. The whole thing melts and fuses together, but it melts in the open state, so at least you can get through now."

You're aghast. "That's what happened to my command spells? Do they work at all anymore?"

"They're not totally ruined," Caster admits grudgingly, "but that's the kind of methodology you used. Next time, talk to me. Anyway, before this you had four categorized command spells: one to affect Berserker, and three to affect me."

"Of course. So what do I have now?"

"Like I said, they fused," Caster continues. "What you have now are two command spells. Either one can be used on either myself or Berserker. There are also a variety of small-scale issues in the finer detail of the enchantment, but they don't seem to affect the overall functionality."

"Two left..." you sigh. The revelation is staggering. You'd carefully kept all of your command spells for Caster in reserve all this time, and suddenly you're left with just one spell per Servant? They may be able to fight now, but as a Master you're down to the wire. Still, you suppose it could be worse. From Caster's description, it's possible you could have fried the command spells completely. There's no sense in dwelling on it forever, so you decide to move on and...

>[ ] Ask Caster about the cloak. Is it finished, and can she show you how to use it? (Pride)

>[ ] Go to Adelheid and check on her condition. You can also discuss how to make the best use of her abilities now that she's properly supplied with energy. (Duty/Compassion)

>[ ] Go down to the gymnasium and spar with Matsuda. What you really need to get your mind off the matter and calm down is to work up a good sweat. (Self-Preservation)

>[ ] Do something else (Write in)

>>3459300
>[ ] Ask Caster about the cloak. Is it finished, and can she show you how to use it? (Pride)
ahaha oh shit

>>3459300
>What you have now are two command spells. Either one can be used on either myself or Berserker.
I don't like where this is going, QM...

>[ ] Go to Adelheid and check on her condition. You can also discuss how to make the best use of her abilities now that she's properly supplied with energy. (Duty/Compassion)

>>3459306
Oh-ho? And where do you suppose it's headed? Or maybe I should ask, where do you intend to take it?

>>3459310
I intend to tuck it in bed, read it a happy story till it goes to sleep, and then go to my room, get in bed and cry.

>>3459310
>>3459312
This is where I would prefer to take it, without the crying.