You walk towards the girl, you can't bear to see Ciel in a state like this. This should be a happy moment for her, and if she thinks that she's just lost her reason to live or will be forced to live a cursed existence forever, then you're going to need to tell her that she's simply wrong about that. The girl doesn't react to you as you stand in front of her, simply staring down at the floor instead of facing you. You sit next to the girl on the sofa and pull her into a one armed hug, which quickly brings her back to her senses and causes her to look at you with tears welling in her eyes.

"Ciel, just because Roa is gone, it doesn't mean that your life isn't worth living anymore. It's not like there will no longer be evil or injustices in this world that people like us are needed to stop, right?" You want Ciel to snap out of her sadness first of all, so you keep talking. "Roa was a great evil that needed to be killed, there's no doubt about that, but there are worse things out there that we need to protect humanity from... You might never be able to undo the evil that was spread by Roa, even eradicating his very existence across space-time was incapable of that, but now there's nothing holding you back from doing whatever it is you want to do with your life. If you want to stay with the Burial Agency, then you can do so, and you can fight to eventually eradicate the Twenty Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors from the world. Or if you want, you can walk away from it all, go live in peace for a few years before deciding what it is you truly want to do. The possibilities for what you can do are limitless, Ciel." You smile at the girl, who is looking into your eyes as you keep talking. "So... what is it that you want to do?"

"What I want to do next...?" Ciel ponders the thought for a while. "Well, The Church are the only ones I know of that would take me in anyway at this point and it's not like they'd let me go either. Members of the Burial Agency are kept as members of the Burial Agency until they are... well, buried. If I attempted to actually abandon my post, then Narbareck would probably send the other members after me to bring me in." Ciel gets up, having apparently recovered from her sadness already. "Running away isn't really an option unless I want them to start torturing me again.

"I wouldn't let them torture you, you know." You cross your arms, you don't know Ciel all too well in person, but you know that she's far too nice a person to be allowed to suffer any further than she already has suffered.

"Pardon?" Once again, Ciel is baffled by your words.

"I said that I wouldn't let the Church torture you if you wanted to leave them behind to do your own thing. After all, you're innocent of any crime, and any organization that would torture an innocent out of spite is one that doesn't deserve to exist." You shrug. If the Burial Agency decides they want to cross you, then you'd have no choice but to crush them entirely, you don't care how strong they might be.

"I... You... You don't even know me! How can you make such a promise?" Ciel asks you, there's a tiny amount of indignation in her words as she asks you her question this time, and you can sort of understand it must be very confusing for her to talk to somebody like yourself.

"I know enough about you to understand that you deserve to make your own decisions, Ciel. That you deserve to be able to choose your own destiny, and not be forced to follow down the path that was set for you by Roa and Narbareck. So... What do you want to do?" You counter the girl by once again reaffirming her right to be allowed to choose her own fate. She shouldn't be forced to do anything but anybody if she doesn't want to do so anymore.

"I'll... I'll think about it." Ciel sighs. "You're a surprisingly kind person, Shinji." Ciel starts to head towards the ladder. "I'm sure that we'll meet again in Fuyuki. Though not as enemies."

"Wait!" As Ciel starts to climb the ladder you call out to her. You can't just let her go without revealing one last thing. "Just... hold on a second, I wasn't finished talking yet. It's... It's about how I made you immortal. I don't know if I can do it just yet, but eventually... eventually I think I'll be able to reverse the effect I caused that made you truly unkillable. So... So if you ever do truly want to be able to die... I might be able to remove your immortality." It's a weird thing to tell a girl, that if they want to die, you'll try to kill them, but in the context, it's perfectly fine. Nobody should have to suffer from a cursed existence of living for eternity and watching all that they love fall apart and die over the centuries.

"I'll... keep that in mind." Ciel turns around once more and begins leaving the room. Though she seems to have just... left the shroud she was wearing on the floor. Isn't that an expensively valuable artifact of the Church? Is she really just leaving it in the room with you? Is she trying to give it to you without actually giving it to you?

>Take the Shroud. What's the worst that could happen.
>Call out to Ciel and tell her she forgot it before she's out of earshot.
>Just leave it where it is, you don't want to steal it.
>Try to examine the shroud before deciding what you want to do with it.
>Write-in...

>>4661481
>>Call out to Ciel and tell her she forgot it before she's out of earshot.

>>4661481
>>Take the Shroud. What's the worst that could happen.
It's not the Black Barrel, but loot is loot.

>>4661481
Call out to Ciel

>>4661481
>>4661484
Actually I'll change to
>Take the Shroud. What's the worst that could happen.
I think she meant to leave it. I hope.

>>4661481
>Take the Shroud. What's the worst that could happen.

>Call out to Ciel and tell her she forgot it before she's out of earshot.

Not sure if she did it in purpose.

>>4661481
Take the Shroud. What's the worst that could happen.

>>4661481
>Call out to Ciel and tell her she forgot it before she's out of earshot.
You left behind a pretty sick scarf, Ciel.

>>4661481
>Call out to Ciel and tell her she forgot it before she's out of earshot.

>>4661481
>Take the Shroud. What's the worst that could happen.
We will hold on to it for her.

>>4661481
>Call out to Ciel and tell her she forgot it before she's out of earshot.

It's probably better if she keeps it safe.
Thing like this could become sought after in the valentine day's war.

>>4661494
>I think she meant to leave it. I hope.
That's what I'm getting. Also, she did say she would meet us again in Fuyuki, so even if she does want it back it'd be then.

File: Ciel nun.jpg (238 KB, 811x1200)

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I'm surprised none of you actually want to take a closer look at it to see what it can actually do.

>>4661481
>Try to examine the shroud before deciding what you want to do with it.
Don't we have a skill for this?

>>4661481
>>4661491
Changing to
>Try to examine the shroud

>>4661481
>Try to examine the shroud before deciding what you want to do with it.
>>4661509
I was about to since we have
>Appraisal of Treasure: C+

>>4661509
We can do that when we head back home as a gift to Satsuki or someone.

>>4661509
isn't it that shroud meant to bind people as long as you don't attack them?

hmm... oh well, I suppose >>4661506 is right, we can always return it to her later.

>>4661481
switching from >>4661504
to
>Try to examine the shroud before deciding what you want to do with it.

>>4661503
>>4661481
Changing to
>Try to examine the shroud before deciding what you want to do with it.

>>4661481
>>4661484
>>4661494
Switching again to
>>Try to examine the shroud before deciding what you want to do with it.

>>4661514
yeah I'm not sure if we'll be giving this to any of the girls any time soon unless they're Ciel

>>4661520
No idea what it does

>>4661517
That's Caren's Shroud of Magdalene. It only binds men.

>>4661523
That was the one I thought it was. Well shame on me for assuming I guess.

>>4661523
She uses it to great effect to separate baby chicks into male and female.

Were Ciel born few centuries earlier this would have been awfully similar to how a knight would receive gift of affection from a lady.

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>>4661531
She was (apparently) born in 1976

You'll soon realize these dates don't quite add up, as SHIKI is about eighteen years old himself, meaning that Roa must have died eighteen years before 2004
Meaning that Ciel, as Elesia, must've been killed in 1986.
Which means that she was somehow ten years old when she died.
This obviously isn't the case.
Well I suppose it could be the case because Roa can change what his host body looks like.
Actually that's probably what he did holy shit.

I'll call it in another 20 minutes.

>>4661481
>Try to examine the shroud before deciding what you want to do with it.
>Sniff it

>>4661481
>>Try to examine the shroud before deciding what you want to do with it.

>>4661553
masturbate with it

>>4661578
no time

>Take Shroud
>>4661487
>>4661495
>>4661497
>>4661503

>Call out
>>4661496
>>4661498
>>4661501


>Examine it
>>4661510
>>4661511
>>4661512
>>4661517
>>4661518
>>4661519
>>4661553
>>4661568

Alright.
Got distracted by groceries.

We need to matchmake Ciel with all-caps SHIKI

Wait a second, just... wait. You want to know what this thing can do before you make any decision about it. You quickly pick the Shroud up, and the first thing that you notice is the energy radiating from it is incredible! This burial shroud must've belonged to somebody of great importance to the Christian faith, but the strange thing is that you only actually noticed the holy energy being radiated from the piece of fabric when you actually picked it up. Otherwise it was simply a normal, if very pretty looking, piece of fabric.

You don't spend more than twenty seconds looking at the holy artifact until you manage to discern a few things about it. The first is that whoever is wearing it must have their presence masked to the world to the level of a Servant with Presence Concealment A+ or potentially even higher! Second is that it must've belonged to somebody integral to the faith, perhaps an apostle? Of course, the third thing you realize is that if the Church find out you managed to steal this or even that you got your hands on this burial shroud, you're going to be in a whole lot of trouble with them.

You look up at the open manhole cover... wait a second... is this a test? Is she testing you on whether or not you'd return something valuable to her if she dropped it? Or is she just trying to give you this shroud for some reason?

>It's a test. Leave the shroud where it is.
>It's a gift. Take the shroud.
>Who cares? Take the shroud and offer to give it back to Ciel if she's still hanging around.
>...Wear the Shroud.
>Write-in...
Super short update this time.

>>4661670
>>Who cares? Take the shroud and offer to give it back to Ciel if she's still hanging around.

>>4661670
>Who cares? Take the shroud and offer to give it back to Ciel if she's still hanging around.

>>4661670
It's a gift. Take the shroud

>>4661670
Who would be important enough for Jesus's burial Shroud? Been to a ton of catholic churches in Rome and don't remember any that stood out.

>>4661690
Saint Peter, though he might be too high up, he was supposedly the first Pope

>>4661670
>...Wear the Shroud.
Seems way too important to just left it in any situation.
Could she be signaling us that we were tailed?

>>4661670
>Who cares? Take the shroud and offer to give it back to Ciel if she's still hanging around.

Wait no. She left it behind so we'd lose our entourage tail. She wants us to follow her.
>>4661670
changing >>4661703 to
>Wear the Shroud (and try to follow her)

>>4661707
You're gonna make everyone think we got kidnapped again

>>4661670
>Who cares? Take the shroud and offer to give it back to Ciel if she's still hanging around.

>>4661670
>>Who cares? Take the shroud and offer to give it back to Ciel if she's still hanging around.

>>4661670
Test or a gift, we probably shouldn’t leave it behind like that. Grab it and offer to return it to her when we meet again.
A relic of such value wouldn’t be her to give in official capacity anyway, but if it ended in our hands it might be key to a puzzle before we return it.
>take it and hold onto it for now, with resolve to return it when opportunity arises

>>4661670
>Who cares?

>>4661670
>Who cares? Take the shroud and offer to give it back to Ciel if she's still hanging around.

File: LenandCaster.jpg (76 KB, 639x647)

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30 minutes till call.

Have any of you actually thought of any plans to try to get your Servants back from Manaka yet?

>>4661742
Brute force and if that doesn't work, call Gilgamesh

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>>4661749
But what if she just kidnaps everyone again?

>>4661742
Shroud and sneak attack is now an option I guess or we could try fucking with leylines.
Manaka seems incredibly overpowered to face her head on.
Maybe buffed Tamamo could do it with her NP as well.

>>4661670 #
>Who cares? Take the shroud and offer to give it back to Ciel if she's still hanging around.
I mean if the church gets involved, we can probably find some way out if it. Wether it be through bribery (doubt it’d work but you never know) or a fight. There is likely some way out of it. Should the situation call for it that is.

>>4661749
>call Gilgamesh
That will most likely result in him using Gate of Babylon on our asshole when we least suspect it.

>>4661742
I have somewhat of an idea.

>Get Ciel and Tamamo
>Buff Tamamo
>Possibly make the Jewel Sword
>Return to Manaka alone, try and see if we can at least get Medea back
>wait say a week or so
>gather everyone together and try and sneak in. Be on guard the entire time, if anything happens to anyone, it could spell our doom for good this time.

It’s by no means flawless, and I admit I’m not the best at making plans. However at the very least trying to get Medea back and buffing Tamamo (after making her out ally) could be beneficial in the end.

>>4661754
Deploy the magical girls of course.

>>4661742
Magical Amethyst

>>4661742
Well first we need to figure out where they are. I reckon Touko will need to help us with that.
Then we’ll need to figure out how to reach for them without being detected. The shroud Ciel left could help here, and Mordred could help too. Maybe monkey king if we get their master on board. another avenue could be via Amethyst.

Releasing the captives should be something we should be able to do if we can get our hands on them.

I feel we should learn more about the bounded fields that Medea couldn’t identify as chances are they are linked to the abduction. And we should ask Betty if she remembers anything from the captivity although with our luck she slept through it.

>>4661788
problem is that we know virtually nothing about capabilities of Manaka and limits to them. Clearly us going to liberate hostages is a hostile act she is unlikely to take sitting down unless she decides to take it as a test of our ability for her inscrutable purposes, but we have no option but to try and free them under our own power before we confront her, so we need to be prepared when we make our move.

To that end we're going to have to make a war council and pool whatever sliver of intel we can from the failed raid

>examine our own recollections of the attack - of the bounded fields we crossed,
>recollections of our captured allies - Avenger's, Shirou's, Betty's, for anything helpful
Avenger told us the most so far about the cave, although that in isolation is not much. Would it be in vicinity to the temple, or could it be elsewhere? Temple would be good start but unless we know limits of Manaka's reach it could just as well be somewhere under Tokyo or in Britain.
>our own knowledge of what Manakas want
>following from that, idea what she expects us to do about it
She let Saber go and even gave her Shirou back. Was it out of affection or because she has plans for Arturia that would be more difficult to achieve if she was holding Shirou hostage? Is their marriage going to be a boon or a problem in this context?

>>4661855
Oh and Rin. Rin getting out of there could also be an important hint, and evidence Amethyst might be indispensable for the rescue operation.

...is that shroud part of Ciel's equipment or is it NP of her Servant?

>>4661788
>>4661855
Left Manaka seemed more willing to play along with us and alot "friendlier" as it were. We might be able to negotiate with her.

>>4661920
well one issue here is we have no idea to what extent the two are independent of each other. They might just as easily be playing good cop/bad cop on us. Although their difference does probably have some sort of significance...

But regardless, another problem is that we accepted the noble phantasm from Gilgamesh we're meant to take with us next time we meet them. If we do that, we're likely going to be dumped into combat, and that's a terrible circumstance to be while our allies are still captured. That's why it would be vastly preferable to rescue our allies before even approaching Manakas at all.

Alternatively we could approach Manakas to negotiate without the Gil's trinket, but that would most likely result in gaining Gil as an enemy right then and there and I'm not sure if that's what we need right now.

Honestly? Gift or test, who cares? Either way, you're going to take it with you, if it's a test and she's still hanging around, you'll return it to her, and if it's a gift, then you may as well keep it. Something like this will be tremendously helpful for you in the future after all, the ability to effectively become invisible even to those with senses as sharp as Arcueid or Lugh... though to be fair on those two, Ciel was a fair distance from the two of them already by the time they searched for her so it's not like you'd actually be able to sneak up on either of them with the shroud. Same goes against somebody like Mordred, who should be able to prevent any and all sneak attacks from working against her thanks to her Instinct warning her of any attacks.

You pick the white and red half-cloak up and quickly climb up the ladder into the alleyway once more. Betty is still awake, you know that much, but she took spiritual form at some point in that conversation, probably so Ciel wouldn't be able to try to sneak up on her with another attack like she did last time, or maybe she just didn't feel like sticking around in human form while you discussed things with Ciel, she does seem to be a very easily bored girl and perhaps for her remaining in spiritual form is simply more fun to do than to stand around uselessly in her physical form?

As you look around the alleyway with the shroud still balled up and in one of your hands, you sigh. Did she really just run off and ditch you? Well, you don't really care all that much, seeing as you've clearly managed to make an ally out of her. In fact, if you meet Ciel again, you feel like you might even get the opportunity to properly recruit her to your group. She might dislike Arcueid on account of her being a True Ancestor, and she'd feel the same way towards Satsuki for her being a Dead Apostle, but so long as you can keep Satsuki clean of the blood of innocents, then there would really be no reason for Ciel to attack her. After all, Ciel quite literally works with a Dead Apostle Ancestor who decided to join the Burial Agency, so it's not like she's actively seeking to destroy every single Dead Apostle that exists.

You keep looking at the shroud. So... it was a gift then? You find yourself wondering just what exactly Ciel's motive was for giving you something so precious and valuable. Then, just as you're about to head back to your allies, you notice a piece of paper fluttering down from the sky, having been dropped from above. You try to catch a glimpse at the figure who dropped it, but they were too fast. On the piece of paper it simply reads 'Meet me at Messiaen at 4AM. Use the Shroud of Matthias to get away from others. Need to talk. About War and other Overseer. Didn't have time before your allies get suspicious. Can only trust you.' Wait a minute... Messiaen? And at 4AM? Why the hell would a curry shop be open at four in the morning? Also, the Shroud of Matthias, huh? The name sounds familiar, but isn't ringing any major bells for you. Maybe you can ask Ciel about it later, that is if you even decide to go for a late night rendezvous with the girl. You know that it's from Ciel too, it's the exact same hand-writing as last time, and nobody else would ever want to set their secret meeting in a damn curry house.

You place the note in one of your pockets, and look back at the shroud in your hands.

Pick one from each...

>Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news!
>Don't go see Ciel, you don't need to talk to her about how Kirei is secretly evil.
>Go see Ciel with your allies instead of alone when the time is right.
>Write-in...

AND

>Use the Shroud of Matthias in order to sneak up on your allies to see what they get up to when you're not around.
>Use the Shroud of Matthias to sneak up on your allies to surprise them by appearing from out of nowhere!
>Just walk back to your allies with Betty by your side.
>Write-in...

>>4662024
>Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news!
>Use the Shroud of Matthias in order to sneak up on your allies to see what they get up to when you're not around.

>>4662024
>Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news!
>Use the Shroud of Matthias in order to sneak up on your allies to see what they get up to when you're not around.
This should be fun.

>>4662024
>Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news!

>Just walk back to your allies with Betty by your side.

I dont see the need to peacock

>>4662024
>Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news!
>Just walk back to your allies with Betty by your side.
Don't be an asshole guys. We got warned about snooping on our allies before remember?

>>4662024
>Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news!
>Use the Shroud of Matthias in order to sneak up on your allies to see what they get up to when you're not around.

>>4662024
Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news and Use the Shroud of Matthias in order to sneak up on your allies to see what they get up to when you're not around.

>>4662024
>>Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news!
>>Use the Shroud of Matthias in order to sneak up on your allies to see what they get up to when you're not around.
We should make a fake kidnapping note and then drop it between them.

If we get instayeeted by an ally because of this, you all better tell Taiga it was just a prank, bro when we get to the dojo.

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>>4662024
>Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news!
>Use the Shroud of Matthias in order to sneak up on your allies to see what they get up to when you're not around.
I wonder what Kirei does to keep Gilgamesh undetected by Ciel. I think it would be a problem if Ciel knew or found out that Kirei had a "mortal body" servant on him from the previous grail war. Does Gilgamesh just sleep on the streets as a homeless person to remain seemingly unassociated with Kirei or something? That would be funny.

>>4662024
>Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news!
>Use the Shroud of Matthias in order to sneak up on your allies to see what they get up to when you're not around.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Matthias

Only shroud I can find is Jesus so guess this is OC

>>4662064
In Fate, there are a few Shrouds we are aware of.
EMIYA owns a Holy Shroud that is unnamed and has an unknown effect.
Shirou uses the Shroud of Martin in HF to seal Archer's Arm.
Caren uses the Shroud of Magdelene to bind men.

>>4662024
>>Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news!
>>Use the Shroud of Matthias in order to sneak up on your allies to see what they get up to when you're not around.
Matthias was Judas's replacement

>>4662073
>Caren uses the Shroud of Magdelene to bind men.
And categorize baby chicks.

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>>4662080
Yes, and to do that.
Which she does by abusing the properties of the shroud.

>>4662073
Ciel gave him the shroud and I feel like Nasu hinted that they were lovers

>>4662024
>Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news!
Any information she can share will be valuable.
>Just walk back to your allies with Betty by your side.
Let's not use the artifact frivolously. If anyone's watching there's no need to show our hand.

>>4662061
>Picrelated
Wow, imagining actually thinking it would be a good idea to try to force Gilgamesh's hand off the acquarium glass when he's having a good time.
I can tell you that the Kirei in this image probably lost that arm a few seconds after doing this.
As for Gil, he's rich enough that not having to squat in the Church is very easy.

>>4662024
>>Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news!
>>Just walk back to your allies with Betty by your side.

>>4662059
Look man I just wanna see how our love interests act between each other when we're not there

>>4662024
>>Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news!
>Just walk back to your allies with Betty by your side.

>>4662098
This. Probably my favorite parts of this quest.

>>4662024
>>Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news!
>Just walk back to your allies with Betty by your side.

30 minutes

>>4662098
Mordred may be able to spot us even with it.
Not sure about Arcueid.
Not sure if concealment extends to Betty either.

>>4662115
None of them were able to spot anything the first time around so we'll probably be good

Just walk back posters are the kind of guys who exclusively eat plain cheese pizzas.

Use the Shroud posters are the kind of guys who exclusively eat pineapple pizza.

>>4662147
>pineapple pizza
WTF, is this a ""White"" American thing? That sounds disgusting.

>>4662148
It's for subhumans that lack the brain development to know that pineapple doesn't go with meat.
True Use the Shroud chads opt for ham and sausage pizza.

>>4662163
>True Use the Shroud chads opt for ham and sausage pizza.
Don't lie to yourself anon. I bet you are eating a slice of that pineapple pizza right now.

>>4662024
>Go see Ciel at 4AM later tonight. If she wants to talk to you about the war, then that's great news!
>Use the Shroud of Matthias in order to sneak up on your allies to see what they get up to when you're not around.
Ehh, what could go wrong?

Called?

>>4662213
Haven't started writing yet so if you want to vote go ahead.

>>4662227
Oh wait you have voted.
Then yeah. Called.

How many fucking waifus are we up to at this point?

>>4662408
35 I think

>>4662408
Idea to solve the waifu problem:

Truth a homunculus thats just a female version of us. We essentially fuck ourselves.

(Obviously this is a meme suggestion).

>>4662408
All The Waifus in This World

>>4662408
Well there's Sakura, Satsuki, Medea, Lugh, Tamamo, Arc and Mordred. You can count Betty but that's more paternal love ig, Touko, Illya Medusa and Ciel are maybes but good chance romance is there

Yeah, you'll definitely go see Ciel to talk with her in more detail about the grail war. While it's kind of a weird way to talk to somebody, having a meeting with them at 4AM, but for somebody like Ciel, you suppose that you can't blame her for prioritizing secrecy over all else. You'd of course prefer if she would just be OK with actually going to meet your allies instead of forcing you to wait until 4AM in order to sneak out of the Tohno Mansion to go on what is effectively a date with her. You really hope that the Shroud Of Matthias is going to work. God only knows how much trouble you'd find yourself in if you ended up getting caught to go have a date with a girl at 4AM in the morning.

Of course, there is one way to ensure that the cloak works... If you were to test it out here and now on your allies, not only would you be able to determine whether or not your cloak actually worked, but you'd also be able to find out just what it is your allies get up to when you're not around to observe them! You've already eavesdropped on your allies having a conversation before and got caught as a result of it , but this time you have the power of a holy invisibility cloak on your side!

"Betty, could you go ahead and meet back up with the rest of our allies? I'll be right behind you in about five minutes, I promise." First off though, you need to make sure that Betty heads back by herself, otherwise she could ruin your whole scheme simply by walking by your side, or she could end up panicking and revealing your game to your allies before you even get the chance to see if it will actually work!

Your Servant materializes before she makes her response. "OK, Master... but don't take too long, alright? I don't like it when you get hurt..." Her gentle frown at the mental reminder of your tendency to get yourself maimed and hurt deals some emotional damage to you. You don't like seeing Betty sad. You might have to try to make a conscious effort to avoid getting yourself so wounded in the future, or at least figure out a way to make your body more durable so you aren't battered and bruised by practically anything that goes wrong. She soon disappears back off in the direction of your allies though, and after waiting a moment, you wrap the shroud around your shoulders like a sort of half-poncho and you head off back to see just what it is your allies might be doing now when you aren't observing them.

You try your hardest to not make a single sound as you approach your allies, and none of them seem to have noticed your presence just yet, though you are keeping yourself just close enough so that you can hear exactly what it is that they are talking about, they are mostly all just milling about and awkwardly waiting, much to your boredom, though there is one conversation going on between Mordred and Sakura...

"So because of that, my advisor is going to come with me to Britain to help me conquer it and claim my birthright!" Mordred declares, her arms crossed. Clearly, this isn't a matter that is up to discussion for her.

"B-but he can't go to Britain with you! He lives in Japan with me!" Sakura shoots back, and the King frowns.

"I don't think you understand me very well. You might be his sister, but he belongs by my side!" Mordred declares without any hesitation, and you feel yourself getting worried that something terrible is about to happen.

"Does he? Who says so? You?" Sakura's expression hardens. "Don't make me laugh, you don't even know Onii-chan, I'm his siste-"

"W-w-well he's my boyfriend!" The terrified and jumpy voice of Satsuki suddenly joins in on the conversation between the girls, and all eyes turn towards her. Even those that weren't actually engaged or involved in the conversation between the two bickering girls. "Ha...Haha...." Satsuki begins to wilt under the unrelenting gaze of the group staring at her with piercing eyes.

"What." It's Arcueid who is the one to break the silence, and the panicked looking Satsuki is clearly struggling now.

"I... I mean that... H-he... He takes me out on dates and buys me nice things and says I look pretty once every year!" Satsuki tries to save herself from the scrutinizing gaze of the rest of the girls. "H-he's the one person in the world I can rely on to help me when things go wrong!"

"Satsuki-chan... how do you know my brother, exactly?" Mordred and Sakura's bickering has become a thing of the past, and now all eyes are on the poor Dead Apostle girl under pressure from her careless actions.

"I...uh...Well...Years ago..." Satsuki doesn't seem to know how to explain your relationship with her to the rest of the girls, that she's simply a childhood friend that you met on holiday one time and became great friends with each other. She's probably going to dig herself a deeper hole if you don't come and save her immediately, but that would let them know you were listening in, even if you kept the Shroud of Matthias a secret!

>Just keep watching, you can't help Satsuki.
>Throw the shroud off dramatically and reveal yourself.
>Hide out of sight before taking the shroud off, then reveal yourself.
>Mentally tell Betty to break up the talking by telling them that you're just around a corner! Then reveal yourself like that.
>Throw a rock at somebody, make them think somebody is attacking. (Who?)
>Write-in...

>>4662431
>Mentally tell Betty to break up the talking by telling them that you're just around a corner! Then reveal yourself like that.
This was a mistake. Jesus christ, poor Satsuki.

>>4662431
>Hide out of sight before taking the shroud off, then reveal yourself.

>>4662431
>>Mentally tell Betty to break up the talking by telling them that you're just around a corner! Then reveal yourself like that.
I thought this would be funnier instead of sad, I feel bad

>>4662431
wow, rip sacchin

>>4662431
>Just keep watching, you can't help Satsuki.

>>4662445
We have been warned many, many times about the love interests. I think too many anons expected the conflict to be strictly comedic.

>>4662431
>Chad Sacchin establishing dominance by coming out and declaring shinji her actual boyfriend instead of using flimsy pretext like 'advisor' or 'big brother'

>>4662431
>>Just keep watching, you can't help Satsuki.

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>>4662445
This is a natural consequence of a bunch of women who barely know each other all coming to the realization that they are all after the same man.
It might get better with time, or it might just get worse. This situation is really something that's up to you to solve.

Also have this genderswapped Cornelius Alba.

>>4662472
Puffy

>>4662431
>Just keep watching, you can't help Satsuki.
I believe in her.

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Anyway, Calling in maybe like... 40 minutes?
If no update comes assume I crashed.

>>4662431
>Just keep watching, you can't help Satsuki.
You can do it sacchin.

>>4662431
>>Mentally tell Betty to break up the talking by telling them that you're just around a corner! Then reveal yourself like that.

>>4662431
>>Mentally tell Betty to break up the talking by telling them that you're just around a corner! Then reveal yourself like that.

>>4662431
>>Mentally tell Betty to break up the talking by telling them that you're just around a corner! Then reveal yourself like that.

>>4662472
Alright so this is QM nudging us and saying "stop ignoring this now, they all know, it'll get worse if you do".

>>4662496
Seems that way, but what could we do to address it?

>>4662501
Well, nothing does not seem to be working out. Personally I have for not hugging everyone we came across but its not like Im unused to being outvoted around here.

The answer might be to stall and then commit to someone when we have a breather to address it.

>>4662496
Exactly. That's why half of the people are voting to ignore it.
>>4662501
Stop hiding like a pussy for starters.

>>4662496
I don't think we should confront them about it right now since it could affect morale and we are about to engage in our most serious fights. I think we should get the girls to know each other better so they would be more open to sharing.

>>4662431
Just keep watching, you can't help Satsuki.

>>4662501
How about stop peeping and actually address it?

>>4662474
>>4662495
>>4662518
Could you guys reply with your IDs? Just to make sure you are not a failed samefag.

>>4662514
>>4662521
Yeah but what would we say, "Stop fighting and join me in decaogamy"?

>>4662516
>>4662514
I don't think we should confront it NOW but still do something about it, it's kinda hard since there's a lot of contradictions between them. Let's ignore the fact that they wanna monopolize us, Mordred wants to drag us to Great Britain for conquest but Sakura wants us to stay in Fuyuki and live a normal life with her but we can't exactly abandon Satsuki, who's a Dead Apsotle and who we promised to protect, there's also Medea and Tamamo who want to marry us now or soon. This is a Gordian Knot and none of them are close, the only thing they think of each other is "rival and stranger for Shinji's attention"

>>4662536
Alright nevermind. I am sorry I got paranoid.

>>4662534
sure

>>4662516
So you think this conflict won't affect the morale?

>>4662521
Bad idea to address it now, Satsuki just straight up called us her boyfriend in front of everyone, if we heard it everyone would want to hear an explanation. If we deny it then we hurt Satsuki who already has vampire and self esteem issues but if we’re wishy washy with it that's only leading them on and likely to make them all mad

>>4662536
I just don't want them fighting while all of this is going on.

>>4662550
We will have to address it sooner or later if she keeps calling us that.

>>4662534
Meant to reply to this.

>>4662559
You don't want them to fight so you voted to allow them to continue fighting?

>>4662431
>>Just keep watching, you can't help Satsuki.
We will temper her into a waifu worthy of the name ULTIMATE SACCHIN

>>4662539
I get you that's why i suggested that our potential harem members should get to know each other better if they become friends it will be easier to compromise with them.
>>4662548
I don' t but its already too late for this one it already affected morale confronting them about it would just make things worse.

>>4662569
I just want to see things play out for now.

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Are you enjoying the consequences of your actions yet?

>>4662580
I will as soon as we do our Doki Doki! Super Date Plan!

>>4662580
Yes. It's still not enough.

>>4662580
I just wanted to comfort bitches with purely platonic hugs, not my fault that they all caught feelings.

>>4662580
the reckoning approaches

>>4662576
We genuinely don't have that luxury, maybe things would've been slightly easier if we introduced Sakura to Sacchin earlier but thats done. Honestly, all we can do is say something like "I'm never gonna leave you etc etc but other people need me too"

>>4662580
Unironically love it

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>Use Betty to distract!
>>4662436
>>4662445
>>4662488
>>4662490
>>4662491

>Hide!
>>4662441

>Watch
>>4662455
>>4662467
>>4662474
>>4662485
>>4662574
>>4662518

Well.
If that's what you're going with.

>>4662598
WHY WTF DUDE

>>4662598
Exciting

>>4662598
Just a prank, bro!

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>>4662598

>>4662458
Thank god it isn't; Only thing worse than that is the bloody harem thing.

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>>4662598

What can possibly go wrong?

You can't intervene. You can't reveal to them all that you were watching all this happen. You just... You just need to have faith in Satsuki's ability to resolve this situation on her own! You just hope that you haven't made the wrong choice as you look at the poor girl being surrounded by Sakura, Arcueid and Mordred. Lugh is just looking at the scene unfolding with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Come on, girl, tell us how you know my Advisor. I won't be able to trust you if I don't know your origin." Mordred says, her tone restrained. It looks like the pathetic state that Satsuki is finding herself in is quickly appealing to her inner sense of mercy and chivalry.

"Yeah. Why don't you tell us why you think you're Onii-chan's girlfriend...?" Sakura is far less merciful than Mordred is, the look on the face of your sister is quite the dangerous one. You hope that she isn't going to attack Satsuki for some reason, Satsuki really doesn't deserve any of this! You have to steady your emotions so as not to jump out and come to the rescue. With any luck, if you let things come to a natural end, there will be no need for you to intervene!

Arcueid is the only one of the three who remains silent, as is simply watching the girl with a curious eye. In fact, there doesn't even appear to be much hostility in her gaze. While it's clear that she's displeased, she's not nearly as displeased as Sakura is. You still wish that she hadn't gotten herself involved in this little fight in the first place though, it's hardly constructive.

"L-leave me alone." Satsuki's voice is quiet and you can barely hear it uttered from where she's standing "I don't have to explain my relationship to Shinji-kun to you..." Not intervening is making you feel worse and worse, and you begin to contemplate leaping to Satsuki's rescue anyway. "You're just trying to bully me..."

That comment makes Sakura flinch backwards in surprise and regain some of her usual cool, the girl seemingly coming to her senses as Satsuki stares at her with teary eyes. "Wait a second, let me jus-"

Satsuki's eyes suddenly flash a brilliant shade of bright crimson as she draws upon her full reserves of vampiric power! What is she planning on doing?! Surely she's not planning on attacking, right? "I said leave me alone!" Then, just like that, Satsuki is gone. Arcueid, Sakura and Mordred have vanished with her, and you find yourself staring at an empty street, well, empty except for Betty and Lugh. "Woah, so that girl could deploy a reality marble after just a few days of being a Dead Apostle? That's terrifyingly impressive, honestly." Lugh is looking at the now empty part of the street with interest, before he turns around to look you directly in the eyes. "You can stop using that ridiculous thing to hide yourself now, it might've fooled me at a distance, but up close like this I can see you very clearly." Lugh reveals that he easily saw through a disguise that you believed to have been infallible.

You're speechless as you take off your disguise before you fold it up and put the piece of fabric in one of your pockets. "I knew Arcueid wanted to test the girl, but I think that this sort of thing was just going too far. The other two weren't even part of the plan" Lugh casually reveals that Mordred and Sakura were just kind of unwanted elements to something that Arcueid was planning all along. "It's a shame that we weren't in the radius of the activation. I've never gotten to see a Reality Marble, you know? Not to mention one deployed without even requiring the usage of an aria!" Lugh stares at the location the girls disappeared from her a few more seconds. "Still, I can't imagine that Arcueid will allow any of them to hurt each other." Your mind however keeps replaying to you the chances that Satsuki out of the complete blue has fallen to darkness. There must be something you can do!

>Try to find out a way to enter the recently deployed Reality Marble
>Push your magical energy to its limit and destabilize the area by reciting your aria
>Just wait for the girls to return by themselves, you doubt Satsuki can keep a Reality Marble active for long.
>Write-in...

>>4662666
You OK?

>>4662669
Just wait for the girls to return by themselves, you doubt Satsuki can keep a Reality Marble active for long

>>4662669
Just. A. Prank. Bro.

>Try to find out a way to enter the recently deployed Reality Marble

>>4662669
>>Push your magical energy to its limit and destabilize the area by reciting your aria

>>4662669
>Push your magical energy to its limit and destabilize the area by reciting your aria

>>4662669
>>Try to find out a way to enter the recently deployed Reality Marble
thats still a Reality Marble, it can get someone killed, gotta force open it since we're still running on fumes

>>4662669
>>Push your magical energy to its limit and destabilize the area by reciting your aria
That's what happens when a harem protagonist is a spineless coward who can't confront his own romantic interests.

>>4662669
>Try to find out a way to enter the recently deployed Reality Marble

>satsuki unleashes her reality marble on a post number ending in 666

>>4662669
>>Push your magical energy to its limit and destabilize the area by reciting your aria

>>4662694
Our collective hubris summons the unholy.

>>4662669
>Try to find out a way to enter the recently deployed Reality Marble

So how did this whole "I don't want them to fight but I won't do anything cause I am a pussy" thing work out for you guys lol?

>>4662720
i fucking voted to try and stop it idk what those other retards were even attempting to go for

>>4662729
Go easy on them. They probably never interacted with women before lol.
Besides "Do nothing and wait for problems to resolve themself" is a great strategy wouldn't you agree?

>>4662734
literally right after QM said "hey guys, this will get bad if you think it'll solve itself"

>>4662738
My theory is anons thought it would be a harem comedy bit. They chose poorly.

>>4662720
I was hoping for a sparring match. Maybe Sakura gets some sense knocked into her.

>>4662669
>>Try to find out a way to enter the recently deployed Reality Marble
>>4662720
It needed to get really bad so that we could catch them on the spot. Now it got really bad, now some anvils can be dropped.

>>4662749
Great, now we have Harem Accelerationists

>>4662738
Reading comprehension is a privilege in our society anon.
But seriously I chukled when I read some of those posts.
"We can't reveal ourself now! It will lower morale!"
"We can't help our childhood friend who was tortured to death just a day ago! She should handle it on her own!"
Hilarious.
>>4662748
I also hope for that. Maybe Arc will kill Satsuki off. One less problem to think about lol.
>>4662749
Don't lie to yourself. You are voting for the noncommital option right now. "Try to find a way" What does it even mean lol?

>>4662669
>Try to find out a way to enter the recently deployed Reality Marble

By the way. HEY GUYS WHEN ARE WE NEXT SEEING TAIGA? IT’S BEEN AWHILE.

>>4662748
why would you want 2 emotionally unstable and deadly girls fighting over you?

>>4662757
I consider myself more of a Harem Deconstructioner.
>>4662761
Oh, you think this was the noncommital option? If we had Betty stop her and then pretend nothing happened then the issue would have been delayed. Now we have motivation to break a few hearts.

>>4662764
I've had a mini harem before, yanderes make a nice add to the mix.

>>4662763
Roughly two updates from now.

>>4662770
Sure ya did, tripfag.

>>4662763
In a pool of her own blood lmao. Altrouge is probaly in Fuyuki torturing her right now.
>>4662767
Or you could address the issue lol? With your words and charisma B you know.
"motivation to break a few hearts" lmao. Do you own a fedora anon?

>>4662772
I'm sorry you never experienced young love or any love for that matter. Not everyone is an autist like you.

>>4662773
I haven't seen you making any prompt to adress the issue yourself gigachad, elucidate us please.

>>4662777
You wear a trip on a quest thread, nothing I ever do will be that sad.

>>4662780
Why would I lol? I am here to lurk and gloat at your failures.

>>4662781
Lol OK fagguette

How come after every update with a "bad" result everyone who didn't vote with the majority becomes a massive smuglord and starts shitting up the thread with saturday morning cartoon villain tier melodramatic jeering?

>>4662666
>You just... You just need to have faith in Satsuki's ability to resolve this situation on her own!
>With any luck, if you let things come to a natural end, there will be no need for you to intervene!
Hey QM did it hurt to write those lines out lol?
Isn't it sad QM?
>>4662799
Oh anon I didn't vote at all. I just lurk around and when people vote for something retarded like this time I do my best to sprinkle some salt on top.

>>4662799
Im not smug, I assume anons meant well and just thought wed get another comedy skit.

I also think that Sakura becoming more unhinged specifically seems to be flying by people, which likely factors in.

This is incredibly cringy.

>>4662810
I agree. Leaving your poor childhood friend to fend for herself was super cringe lol.

>>4662808
i feel like everyone forgets that she can still go Dark Sakura

>>4662830
She can probably do a lot worse than that with Tiamat.

I wonder that exactly her Reality Marble is since WhatIs mentioned it will be something different from canon.
>>4662669
>Try to find out a way to enter the recently deployed Reality Marble
That was fun.

>>4662669
>Try to find out a way to enter the recently deployed Reality Marble

>>4662669
>>Try to find out a way to enter the recently deployed Reality Marble

We are probably too drained to be brute forcing our own marbles.

>>4662971
Also we should probably be ready to deliver a filibuster to break up the fight, even though I personally think everyone involved is too good to truly let this spiral to hell.
Assuming we get in. Or after they pop out.

>Enough! This has gone on long enough.... *I* have let this go on long enough.
>Girls. I can’t bear to see any one of you be hurt, or upset, especially not because of me.
>Satsuki is a dear friend to me. I met her when I was looking for help against Zouken. It hurt to leave your side then, Sakura, but I was not strong enough and needed the help. I befriended her then and can vouch for her character, Arcueid.
>Sakura, I’m sorry now for not mentioning her earlier. I honestly didn’t think you could be anything but friends had you come to meet, because I know how pure of heart you both are. Please don’t let my failure to communicate twist your opinion of her.
>Mordred. I’m not going to shirk the promise I gave you. You already know that. I realize your intentions are noble and will support you to the best of my ability. But I’m not going to ditch my friends and family. Even as a King you need to realize people are not things, they have their own dreams, bonds and wills.
>Arcueid, thank you for your help in all this, and sorry for making you deal with drama I’ve caused.
>Girls, I am sorry to you all for hurting you with anything I’ve said or omitted. I realize now I’ve not been as forthright with you as I should have. If there’s anything you want to ask, please do. I really don’t want to see any one of you hurt for whatever reason.

>>4662988
Cringe.
Don't you get it yet? Majority of players don't give a shit.

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Ok right, well, yelling at each other aside, calling in... an hour?
Yeah.

>>4662988
Just stop man.

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>>4663017
But I do give a shit, and that's enough for me to follow my heart and do my best.

>>4663037
Your efforts are pointless lol.
This quest's players will never vote for an option more complicated than a single sentence.

>>4662988
>>4662971

Supporting. I still give a shit.

>>4663042
Fuck off samefag

I'm not so flowery in defusing situations but I share the same sentiment of not neglecting characters at least so anons dont start bitching why characters are lacking involvement in the plot. You cant keep dismissing them because eventually you will end up with none.

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>>4663046
Suck my ass, tripshitter.

>>4663046
Nice projection here. Did you develop inferiority complex after you were called out on your samefagging?

>>4663050
Nice edit

>>4663050
Nice edited screenshot.

>>4663035
Not while I draw breath.

>>4663046
I've never samefagged in a quest in my life and I certainly won't be starting with it now. What benefit is there in getting one's way to detriment of others and OP's mental health?

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>>4663053
So I can't even crop this shit without people crying?

>>4663052
Hey now no need to play this drama for us. Everyone knows you have samefagged the last vote and a few other votes so you could see this quest crash and burn.

>>4663058
Last vote? All I voted for was to stay out of it. Stop trying to make drama.

>>4663058
This, his shitty trip makes it all the more obvious.

>>4663056
Again nice edit.

>>4663061
I totally believe you man. That's why you are so rabid. So noone would suspect you.

>>4663063
How the fuck would I make an edit that fast on a fucking phonepost you mouthbreathing ape?

>>4663065
I don't know, you're the one samefagging.

>>4663063
Come on call him a samefag a few more times. Let's see if he's gonna start calling you names.

>>4663066
Why are you not answering my posts batman lol.
Did I hit too close to home?
Which of those 1-post IDs are yours?

>>4663066
Wow! What an insightful observation and astute comeback! You really got me there! How could I possibly refute you if you refuse to think?

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>It's happening again

>>4663070
What was your samefag plan again?

>>4663070
Time for another hiatus lmao.
Fateshitters are way too autistic for civilised threads.
>>4663071
To ban you from this board I hope.

>>4663072
You're the one who's shitting up the threads, you admitted it up top.

>>4663071
It varies with the situation in order to prevent samefags from adapting to it.
I won't be implementing anything here because I don't consider this a suspicious vote.

>>4663070
Yeah sorry, the tripfag just pissed me off with the accusation. Personally I don't think it's even near bad enough to necessitate anti samefag measures, and the shitposting is only between 3 anons anyway.

>>4663075
Cool, also when do you ever sleep buddy?

>>4663074
So? How does it change the fact that you call people samefags while samefagging yourself?
Hey batman am I also a samefag? Come on why don't you call me a samefag too?

>>4663078
samefag

>>4663080
Holy shit you are toxic.

>>4663034
I might be in minority here on this but I expect that you will deliver a satisfying resolution to this conundrum without typical boring romantic drama tropes, WhatIs.

>>4663082
Lmao he said it again. And you call me a "shitposter" like it's a bad thing. Me and you are like shitposting brothers.

>>4663084
As long as it's not the SFs long winded autist fest we'll be OK.

>>4663084
Me too. Let's just kill that satsuki bitch. Make a write-in and I'll suppurt you with a few accounts.

>Wait
>>4662672

>Finds way
>>4662674
>>4662680
>>4662694
>>4662718
>>4662749
>>4662763
>>4662931
>>4662948
>>4662971
>>4663042

>Aria
>>4662676
>>4662679
>>4662684
>>4662699

>>4663097
Lol what a pompous retard

And it went over his head. Figures. Funny if you block 2 ids the whole thread is cleaned up.

>>4663087
>>4663088
Funposting aside I don't think Shinji has capability to pull Mind of Steel-esque choice.
Or that WhatIs has any intentions to twist whole thing into relationship drama story for rest of the thread.

So much autism. I just hope you may reconcile for the sake of anime titties without the simping.

>>4663101
I knew you'd block me you fag. How could you? We were "the shitposting brothers".
>block 2 ids
Wow! I didn't know you can block your own ID.

>>4663108
mate please stop, this isn't helping anyone.

You can't just sit around and do nothing, you need to find a way to get inside Satsuki's reality marble! You need to stop this before somebody gets themselves hurt! You walk over to the exact location that Satsuki was standing in when she activated the ability, and you spread what little magical energy you have left around you in order to try to gauge just how exactly you're going to find the four girls. The use of a reality marble involves layering your own inner world over the world outside, dragging people nearby you into your inner world turned physical. While you're standing on the space that Satsuki was standing when she activated her marble without meaning to, there's no physical path into the marble. You're going to need to try to make one.

Of course, that's easier said than done, as only trace amounts of magical energy are visible to you in the air from Satsuki's activation of her marble. Right now, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Satsuki and the three other girls have been dragged off to another dimension entirely, even if that dimension is one that can't last very long due to the influence of Gaia trying to unmake it.

You keep looking, trying to examine the fragments of energy left behind after the manifestation of Satsuki's reality marble, with any luck you'll be able to duplicate the process that allows other people to enter the manifested world in order to enter the reality marble under your own power! You finally manage to find a large enough fragment in order to get accustomed to the magical energy signature being given off by the Reality Marble. It's incredibly faint, but now you've determined just what the magical energy of the Reality Marble is like, you can just about feel the Reality Marble's presence, in the world but at the same time not in the world. An extra layer, or texture, upon the planet that can't exist independently before dissolving.

Lugh watches you with great interest as you kneel down on the floor and place a palm on the ground, willing what little magical energy you have left to allow you to apply a concept upon what you understand to be the material presence of Satsuki's Reality Marble. You only need to use a single concept to get inside now, one that isn't in opposition with the existence of the Reality Marble. 'Open'.

You suddenly find yourself falling through the air as a portal opens up beneath your feet and you drop through it nearly instantly. The darkness of the city's night disappearing and being replaced with the fresh crisp light of Satsuki's inner world. It's a far cry from the miserable wasteland of energy draining that you were expecting. Your memories of Depletion Garden, Satsuki's Reality Marble in Melty Blood, are vague, but you're pretty sure it's not supposed to look so... nice?

You hit the floor, and thankfully the landing is soft, so you get up quickly. You're sitting atop a hill. In the distance is what looks like some sort of large structure made of white marble with columns and pillars decorating it, like a great palace that has fallen into disrepair and been reclaimed by nature. There's no trace of Satsuki or of the three girls that she dragged into this world from the hill you're standing on, but this place is huge! There's no end in sight to the rolling hills.

Not having any better ideas, and not wanting to just wander aimlessly around the hills, you head towards the palace like structure. The atmosphere of this world isn't suffocating or oppressing as you thought it would be, but is instead almost... filling you with energy! Of course, it's only a feeling, this world isn't actually supplying you with magical energy, as nice as that might be.

The journey to the palace feels like it takes longer than it actually does, especially as you ran most of the way, not wanting to leave the four of them to fight or whatever it is that they're getting up to in this world. You hope that they aren't still fighting though. A tremendous crashing noise from within the castle quickly obliterates that hope though.

You quickly race forwards towards the doors leading into the palace-like structure and head inside. With any luck you can stop this before anybody gets hurt! You take in status of the battle as you enter the large room, and you can see Mordred holding a large boulder above her head as if to throw it at Satsuki, who doesn't look scared or worried at all! You're about to call out to stop the attack but before you can-!

"Try to dodge this one then!" Mordred roars, and throws the boulder that is almost as big as she is at Satsuki with speeds surpassing that of a cannon! Is Mordred actually trying to kill Satsuki?! You can't stop it in time! What the hell is Mordred trying to do here?!

Your question is answered when the moment that the boulder reaches Satsuki, it drops to the floor, having somehow managed to lose all momentum just a few moments before it touched her. You can hear clapping, and you crane your head to see Arcueid sitting atop a pillar spectating this strange... well you wanted to call it a battle, but you don't think that's the case anymore. Sakura looks kind of fed up as she sits on the pillar next to Arcueid. "Great work, Satsuki! With a Reality Marble like this, I think you could take on one of the Dead Apostle Ancestors!" Arcueid congratulates the girl. "You still need to learn more about fighting though..." Wait a second... Is Arcueid... tutoring Satsuki?

"T-thank you?" It's only then that you notice that the boulder isn't the only odd thing about the area around Satsuki. She's surrounded by a small ring of pebbles too! Could they have fallen out of the air like that boulder did when it was about to hit her?

For some reason, none of them seem to have noticed your arrival yet, and it's up to you just how you're going to announce your arrival to the girls. At least it doesn't seem like they are fighting anymore? That's a plus, at least. If you've got anybody to thank for that though, it's probably Arcueid and her incredible strength. She probably could've increased the pressure upon this Reality Marble by calling on her connection to Gaia and collapsed it rapidly, the fact that she hasn't tells you this is all going according to whatever plan she has.

>"What the hell is going on here?!"
>"I heard everything from Lugh. What gives?"
>"I'm very disappointed in all of you. You shouldn't bully Satsuki."
>"Hey, this is a pretty cool Reality Marble, Sacchin! What does it do?"
>Write-in...

Welcome to Satsuki's new Reality Marble.
Salvation Garden

>>4663129
>>"Hey, this is a pretty cool Reality Marble, Sacchin! What does it do?"

>>4663129
>"I heard everything from Lugh. What gives?"
We ought to strangle them all, and not in the sexual way either.

>>4663129
>>"Hey, this is a pretty cool Reality Marble, Sacchin! What does it do?"

>>4663129

>"This is... beautiful."

>>4663129
>>"Hey, this is a pretty cool Reality Marble, Sacchin! What does it do?"

>>4663133
Why? They are helping Satsuki with her RM.

>>4663129
>"I'm very disappointed in all of you. You shouldn't bully Satsuki."
>"Hey, this is a pretty cool Reality Marble, Sacchin! What does it do?"

Call in fifty.
You guys are lucky that Arcueid is here.

>>4663144
Arcuid is quickly rising as most dependable ally we have alongside Touko and Medea.

>>4663129
>"Hey, this is a pretty cool Reality Marble, Sacchin! What does it do?"

>Arcueid saves the day
Nice to have at least one responsible person present.
>>4663129
>"Hey, this is a pretty cool Reality Marble, Sacchin! What does it do?"
Seems to be impulse/aggression neglecting/pacifying Reality Marble?
Something like Reality Marble analog of electromagnetic armor is pretty great defensive tool.

>>4663129
"Hey, this is a pretty cool Reality Marble, Sacchin! What does it do?"

>>4663129
>>"Hey, this is a pretty cool Reality Marble, Sacchin! What does it do?"
damn so Arc just bullied her on purpose

>"Hey, this is a pretty cool Reality Marble, Sacchin! What does it do?"

Im just grateful that this didnt end in tears. Sometimes I feel as if we are the marshmellows keeping the smores together.

"Hey, this is a pretty cool Reality Marble, Sacchin! What does it do?" You reveal your presence in the room to the four girls, a smile on your face as you do. You can't be too upset, after all, nothing bad seems to have happened in the end, in fact, Satsuki even managed to get stronger as a result of being put under pressure!

"S-Shinji-kun?!" Satsuki falls over in surprise at your sudden question. "W-what are you doing here?" She blurts out as she struggles to get back on her feet as she does a double take.

"Yes, and more importantly, how are you here?" Arcueid looks at you with a raised eyebrow, breaking into a Reality Marble is probably quite the difficult thing to do, even for somebody like Arcueid.

"I let myself in, obviously." You just tell the truth. There's really no harm in letting them all know that you can break into Reality Marbles if you are aware of their presence. You don't know if you'd be able to accomplish the same in reverse though, you'd need to be able to find a trace of the world outside

"Right." Arcueid just shrugs, clearly she doesn't want to argue with you or how your powers work when they've already proven themselves capable of doing the impossible more than once before. "As for what the Reality Marble does?" Arcueid suddenly leaps towards Satsuki with incredible speed, her nails turn into razor sharp looking talons and she takes a swipe at Satsuki's neck, with enough force to take her head off!

"Eek!" Satsuki lets out a terrified noise at her impending decapitation, though instead of her razor sharp talons cleaving Satsuki's head straight off, all that happens is that Arcueid's hand stops half an inch away from Satsuki's neck, exertion clearly still on her face as she tries to see if she can overcome some invisible force holding her back.

"Within this... world, no attack can be used against Satsuki, even those... certain to strike." Arcueid stops exerting herself and pulls her hand back so it returns to its normal appearance. What's more, it also seems to have some form of... calming effect, the world itself seems to abhor violence, and that helped pacify these two, their squabbling was starting to get irritating." Arcueid gestures to both the girl wearing heavy armor and the girl still sitting atop a pillar.

""Hey!"" Sakura and Mordred both call out at the same time, clearly not happy about the unkind words. Though you can't really disagree with Arcueid's assessment of things. Do they really have to try to pick a fight with each other the exact moment that they think you're out of earshot? You might have to get these girls to spend some more time with each other at some point, just so that they don't dislike each other so much. It would be a complete disaster if your faction devolved into infighting... over you.

You ignore the two girls, and instead decide to address Satsuki. "Well, this is an incredible Reality Marble Sacchin, really!" You genuinely mean your words too. A Reality Marble that is devoted only to the protection of its owner like this is ridiculous! You wager that Satsuki within this place would have an absolute protection against any attack that attempted to use the laws of Gaia to damage her! But what could have caused it to change from Depletion Garden? A change in outlook? The manner of it's activation? Perhaps it could've occurred as a result of her only drinking your blood?

Satsuki blushes as you praise her Reality Marble. "Y-you really think so?" She clearly wasn't expecting you to arrive in this place, yet she clearly is enjoying the justified praise she's getting as a result of developing a Reality Marble in a few days. Just how much potential does this girl have? Reality Marbles are supposed to be one of the most difficult pieces of magecraft to grasp, yet here she is, having done it with nothing but a little bit of incentive!

"Would I lie to you, Sacchin?" You smile at the girl, and she happily beams a smile back at you.

>"Now, can you disable it? We ought to get going."
>"Actually can you hold on for a moment, I want to test something" (Attempt to apply a concept onto Satsuki's Reality Marble?)
>Ask some more questions about Satsuki's Reality Marble (What do you want to know?)
>Write-in...

>>4663207
>>"Now, can you disable it? We ought to get going."
We have no energy left to apply anything.

>>4663207
>>"Now, can you disable it? We ought to get going."

>>4663206
>>What's more, it also seems to have some form of... calming effect, the world itself seems to abhor violence, and that helped pacify these two, their squabbling was starting to get irritating
This is how we tame Primate Murder

>>"Now, can you disable it? We ought to get going."
We have no energy left, we can do this later, we're tapped out, plus i have no idea what concept to use

>>4663215
>>4663207
oops

>>4663207
>"Now, can you disable it? We ought to get going."

>>4663207
>>"Now, can you disable it? We ought to get going."