Breo

Fate/Empty Providence

Siegfried

Shinto Streets

---

His glare towards the putrid thing in front of him did not diminish in intensity for even an instant, even as his body still reeled from the aftershock of the clash. In any other circumstances, the sensation would have been met with perhaps fear, perhaps excitement – the sting of pain after so long was an almost alien feeling to Siegfried. However, in the current circumstances?

This was not some mighty hero, sorcerer or ruler of legend. This was not some terrible villain, witch or tyrant. This was a disgusting thing that dared stand before a hero in spite of what it represented.

The blood in his veins boiled, so unlike him that if he would step back and observe from the position of a third party, even he would have found it baffling. Green eyes illuminated by the moonlight and the soft glow of Fafnir’s sigil carried a strange sort of enmity towards this thing that was too similar and also too different.

“Why are you here?” He found himself asking despite the fact that he shouldn’t, that he would have normally kept silent even in such circumstances. “Run off and hide in a cave, dredge. That is all you are good for.”

A sickening creature it was – both in appearance and in what it represented. His stomach lurched as he observed it, both disgust and rejection mixing in a very potent cocktail of emotions. But why did he despise it so much? Not even he could fully understand. Perhaps it is simply a result of the core being too similar – a reality not even Siegfried wanted to accept.

Balmung was kept in a defensive position, held before Siegfried – for whatever good it was worth. The thing had already proven it could make it through his swing, no matter how much pride the dragon-slayer held in his own ability or that of his sword. Even if he managed to repeat his earlier feat and send it away the next time it tried to rush at him, it’d all be the same.

…Don’t you understand? Go away. You are nothing but a wretched creature that has no business here. You are not wanted here. Leave and never return, demon. A hero is one who conquers what you deny, he has no need of you.

His grip in the handle tightens just so as he waits for the being to make the next move. He has never been one for offensive engagements – and, in this case, it would prove a fruitless endeavor at the moment.

Perhaps not even he wants to admit it, but in a way, even heroes feel fear – and though the creature in front of him does not scare him, what it embodies is a different story. After all – what else is there to Siegfried once the evil dragon is taken away?

He pauses and takes a slow breath he does not need, trying to calm himself and analyze the best path of action, even though not much comes to a mind that is distracted with thoughts of destroying the demon before him, rejecting everything it is and everything it embodies. He takes half a step forward, Balmung shining under the soft moonlight, then another step and then another, blade readied to answer any sudden attacks and to attempt to find a way through the monster's hide.

Perhaps he is, indeed, afraid of whatever this is.

But that was fine. He did have a history of killing things he was afraid of, after all.

@ConstantlyComic@Moonlit Sonata

Fate/Empty Providence

Siegfried

Shinto Streets

---

“I suggest you stand back, Master.”

So it was that Siegfried would meet his first quarry in the war. Not in the quiet night, softly exchanging greetings before letting their vaunted treasures sing the melody of steel clashing against steel. Not a fight of heroes, of skilled warriors without peer.

But rather, a battle against the putrid thing that revealed itself before him. He could not say it was the most expected event, but he would also not complain.

He was a shield and a sword. That was all there was to him, that was all there was to a Servant. Though his wish had been ‘to take the reins of his own life’, he must also not forget his place. And so, if this was the enemy, then he would cut it down.

…You, who are afraid. Do you think you are alone? Foolishness, for bravery resides in conquering one’s fear. He had been afraid, as well – the moment he had been tasked to defeat the evil dragon, he knew nothing else but the sheer terror that he had felt as he approached Fafnir’s lair. Yet, he had carried out his duty as a hero nonetheless, even if he did not remember how.

You, who deny that which incites fear, why do you show yourself before a hero, wretched thing? You, who wishes to flee from terror, why do you stand against one who would fight against it?

Ah, this body, bathed in the blood of a creature most terrifying, these veins through which runs the blood of a being that would have made lesser men shiver in their boots and surrender themselves to the end.

A smile parted Siegfried’s lips. A growl escaped his throat. It was unnatural, so unlike ‘the hero, Siegfried’ to show something other than a dispassionate façade even in the face of battle with this otherworldly being. Yet the blood of the dragon may sometimes prove that it has not been as diminished as some would think.

Balmung arose, reflecting the rays of the moon, an otherworldly shine to the Holy Blade of the Nibelungs. Muscles tensed like coiled springs, ready to release and do battle against that which was akin to him, yet not. Wait, wait, wait, now is not yet time. Let it approach a tad more. He couldn’t dodge, his Master was right behind him, after all. So all he could do was meet the assault head on.

It suited him just fine.

The moment it reached optimal distance – the falling comet would be answered with a rising star as Siegfried’s blade started its upwards swing, the full strength he could muster. Against lesser creatures, it would have perhaps stepped out of the realm of cutting – perhaps more akin to ‘obliteration’. But against this one, not even he could be certain.

“…Come, then. If you so wish to escape, then let me offer you deliverance.”

The words were spoken – but perhaps not even Siegfried could truly know what prompted them. All he knew was that the thing before him was an enemy. And, as such, it would be slain.

@ConstantlyComic @Moonlit Sonata

---

David Ríos

(Southern Miyama, Riverside Cottage)

---

Hm. His Servant had posed the big question, hadn’t she? What did he wish to attain out of this entire affair, what would motivate him to enter this deathmatch with only one victor?

He was rather surprised it hadn’t come up earlier, really. Stepping out into the streets, he paused for a second – theatrical, perhaps, but that was just how he was. Allowing his features to relax, he decided to merely tell the truth.

“My wish is rather simple, truth be told – I seek only to further my family’s interests… Is what I should say.” He let the words hang in the air for an instant before speaking again. “Do you know the desire of Magi as a whole, Lancer? To reach the Root, by whatever means the deem necessary, through whichever path they have chosen. It is a timeless task and a thankless one – each will further the family focus as much as possible, and then pass on their findings and the will of our ancestors to the next descendant. Repeat, repeat, repeat ad infinitum or until one of our descendants manages to achieve that goal.”

There is a certain bemusement in his tone of voice – perhaps even a touch of annoyance, as though he dislikes the very notion.

“Can you understand, Lancer? My very family expects me to be yet another cog in the wheel. They don’t require anything from me except that I do my duty and quietly pass the mantle when the time comes.” His tone is more heated with each word. “As if. What is the point of being ‘just one more’, Lancer? Why not be ‘the one’, when the chance so tantalizingly presents itself before me? If the Grail is truly what they have claimed it to be – then, at the very least, even witnessing its effect will propel my work to new heights, let alone what victory would avail me, no?”

There is another bout of silence as he realizes he has spread his arms wide, as though to seize the whole world, coat billowing behind him, and he carefully returns to a calmer position, coughing into his hand in an attempt to retrieve the levity he had lost.

“Well, I suppose in the end, you might as well call me a selfish, ambitious magus – but I make no secret of what I am.”

@Ijoyen

Fate/Empty Providence

Siegfried

Shinto Streets

---

Following his Master just a few steps behind in Spirit Form, Siegfried had taken the time to observe his surroundings – being restricted to that suite for most of the day had been tiring, but at least this would also allow him to start forming a mental layout of the area, which would likely prove useful.

…It was also most definitely less boring than being cooped up inside a room, even if his Master had requested that he stayed immaterial due to subtlety and energy concerns. But that was fine.

Thinking about such things, he scanned the tall buildings of the district, in a way fascinated by the contrast between this era and his own – it was one thing to know of them, another to see it. He’d have to ask his Master permission to scout on his own – probably come morning.

…But that would, indeed, have to wait. Something prodded at the corner of his vision, some figure approached from the skyline, making a beeline for both him and his Master – and whether it was another Servant or something else, the small unease that had built up told him not to take risks.

So he stepped forward. Whereas he had previously stood incorporeal behind his Master, now motes of light converged and gave shape to the Saber-Class Servant, powerful strides echoing in the empty streets as he placed himself between the one he was to shield and whatever it was that approached them. His right hand closed its grip around Balmung’s handle as he pulled, the massive great sword leaving its sheath to the tune of metal scrapping against metal – a discordant cacophony that matched the buzz of insect wings reaching his ears.

“Master, it seems we have company.” He said, bringing his weapon to bear in front of him – a defensive stance, at least for now. “I suggest you stay behind me unless you have your own plan.”

His grip tightened, then slackened as he realized he was holding it much too strongly. His heartbeat quickened for the briefest second before returning to a normal pace.

It was a common occurrence. After all, his was the invincible skin that had been granted through baptism in dragon’s blood. The chances of finding an opponent that could meaningfully harm him were almost none – and so, even the one thing he had taken pride in lost its luster.

Still, in this battlefield of heroes, perhaps hoping would not be a wasted effort…

@Moonlit Sonata@ConstantlyComic

Fate/Empty Providence

David Ríos

(Southern Miyama, Riverside Cottage)

---

The day had proven relatively fruitful, as far as he was concerned. He had acquired the clothing his Servant had desired – which seemed to have been enough to curry some favor, adding to his attitude during the summoning. That was good, at least. Indeed, having problems with the very individual he would have to entrust his life to in this war would have meant he would have been off to a less-than-stellar start.

However, the night was young, and the tasks that needed to be done knew no end. Lancer had left to scout the area, and he had not objected to such – though being separated from his Servant was certainly somewhat worrisome, he had managed to make do with a rudimentary Bounded Field to alert him to undesirables that would enter his property. It meant little in the way of defense, but he hoped that his following preparations throughout the remainder of the night would manage to make his base of operations a moderately safe haven, and if not, it was always nice to know when to make a run for it – useless as that would be if a Servant was hunting him down, it was human nature to struggle even against something so inevitable.

His idea of how he would spend the time until the morning – continue setting up his defenses, analyze whatever report or input Lancer would give him, make plans for the following nights, perhaps stake out advantageous locations and pay a visit to the Overseer for formal registration afterwards. How sad such quiet plans are always rudely interrupted at the worst moment.

Lancer had come back unexpectedly early. Though he doubted she would have taken overly-long to begin with, her abrupt return was still surprising – and she seemed to bear no shortage of concerning news.

A presence at the riverbank? Considering just where this small cottage was located, it was a bothersome thought indeed. Regardless of what it might have been, making absolutely sure of its nature and intentions should be the first step, he thought as he prepared himself to abandon his plans for the night.

“Though I appreciate your promptness in informing me, Lancer,” he sighed, exhaling as his eyes swept the room, finding his jacket and briskly donning it. “I would not have minded if you had investigated on your own before returning or alerting me. I did give you leave to do as you thought appropriate. But, well, that matters little for the moment.”

He walked toward the door, yet did not reach to open it. Signaling to Lancer, he motioned for her to take the lead.

“Let us go. I will accompany you for now, both to ascertain the presence and to avoid leaving myself open to an attack – though your Agility is certainly top notch, it would not do to send you away if a potential enemy is out and about and has possibly followed you here – this place is still much too open to attacks. I trust you to protect me should the worst situation occur, Lancer.”

@Ijoyen

Fate/Empty Providence

Siegfried

Fuyuki Hyatt

---

The Servant in question merely looked at his Master as the question was posed, features neutral as he seemingly weighed the advantages or disadvantages such a course of action could bring about. On the one hand – certainly, there was no victory to be found if they did not strike out on their own. On the other hand, however, considering the circumstances and the conditions for this battle, rushing in would be foolish. Invulnerable he might have become, but that had not made Siegfried a reckless man.

All considered, the worst possible scenario was revealing too much too early. Confident he might have been in his abilities, he knew that his weakness was also greater than any other Heroic Spirit should it be discovered, even if reaching it would be equally difficult for most heroes. Nonetheless, his Master did seem eager to begin this skirmish in earnest – and he would admit, though tempered by the years, he was similar in that regard.

For all he knew, a worthy match might be waiting for him in this battlefield of heroes. Though he held little desire for the Grail, he had to admit that the thought was an attractive one – after all, Fafnir’s ‘gift’ had become more of a curse later in life in some regards.

Ah, decisions. Feeling an odd mix of thankful and slightly frustrated, for a moment, he almost wished his Master was more decisive – he was just much too used to following orders, whether for good or ill – such was the nature of the hero, Siegfried. Having the last call on this matter was a strange feeling… Though not an unwelcome one.
Observing the city from the window of the suite, he hummed as he considered their options.

“…Yes, Master.” He spoke at last, turning to face her. “Though while I will do my best, I request that you consider listening if I feel we should pull back. Tonight is the first of many skirmishes, and although eliminating the competition would be a boon, I feel we should not place all our cards upon the table so early – let us test the waters first.” Not that he would not take the opportunity should it present itself and the benefits outweigh the negatives. After all, that was the very reason he had been called forth.

There was, of course, the issue of her own capabilities as a magus – his own prowess as a Servant had been diminished, if only slightly, and he did not know exactly how much he would be able to push before it was ‘too much’. In that regard this, too, would fall under ‘testing the waters’.

Of course, he chose to be more tactful and avoid saying that, trusting his Master to warn him should the worst come to pass. Vanishing into motes of light, he phased into Spirit Form – both to conserve magical energy, precious resource that it was, and avoid having strange looks sent his way, for merely saying that he ‘stood out’ in a crowd was being rather generous.

"I trust your judgement for the moment, Master – please, lead the way."

Perhaps an awkward attempt at encouragement, but it was the thought that counted, right? Nonetheless, Siegfried fell silent once more.

@ConstantlyComic

Fate/Empty Providence

If I'm not told anything in a timely manner (say, in the next day or so, though I'll be lenient), it will be assumed that your character spent the day chatting and bonding with their partner, or buying clothes, or something similar.

@Moonlit Sonata

Well, aside from that, nothing much else to do other than setting up Bounded Fields unless @Ijoyen wants to add anything.

But yeah, accurate summary.

Fate/Empty Providence

Siegfried

Fuyuki Hyatt

---

The light from the circle flashed, blindingly so, for but an instant. And the next instant, someone else stood with the Master in the room.

A tall man, powerfully built, dark skin and ashen hair that reached down to his back – not a natural color, but something he had acquired in life after his baptism by dragon’s blood.

A black bodysuit – perhaps leather, perhaps something else – served as clothing, reddish lines running along the edges as decoration. Over it, masterfully crafted silver armor encased the man, large pauldrons, gauntlets, greaves and boots, but no chestpiece. The bodysuit opened at the front, leaving it absolutely exposed – same for the glowing sigil etched in it, greenish lines reaching to his face and almost illuminating his features with their glow. Green eyes, almost the same shade as the sigil, looked at the woman that had called him forth with handsome features set in a determined frown. Perhaps any other man would have thought leaving their front exposed in such a manner was begging for an enemy to come after it – but to this one, such thought was not worth concern. His back might’ve been another matter entirely, but that was not an important matter at the moment.

A steel chain was slung over his shoulder, held by his hand – attached to and holding up the sheath of the downright gargantuan greatsword at his back, handle peeking over it.

Indeed – the ‘hero level’ was probably off the charts. It was so stereotypical it could almost be said to loop into ludicrous. For an instant, the man seemed introspective – noting a slight diminishment of his capabilities that he should inform the woman of – before focusing wholly in her once more.

“Saber, Siegfried, answers your summons. Are you to be my Master?”

His voice was a rich tenor that broke the spell of silence that had been cast upon the room. But more important was what he had called himself, rather than how he had said it.

Siegfried – the dragon slaying-hero of Europe whose tale had circled the globe, the most famous depiction of his tragedy being the epic poem ‘The Nibelungenlied’. The man who had bathed in and drunk the blood of the Evil Dragon, Fafnir, and had partaken in its heart, the invulnerable hero that could only be killed due to trickery and foul play.

Truly, as far as Saber-class Servants stood – and indeed, perhaps even as far as Servants as a whole, this one could with no doubt be said to be A-Rank.

Such was the identity of the man she had summoned, though thoughts about his fame were likely the farthest thing from his mind. The Servant likely cared little about such things – all that mattered was that he had been called forth, and thus, to the best of his ability, he would serve as a knight and a hero.

Silence dominated the room once again as the Saber-class politely waited for the woman to answer his query and finish the final formalities of the contract. He did not seem to dislike the situation, but there was still a dispassionate air about him as he observed the room he had been summoned in, almost as if he was merely going through the motions.

In that regard, one could asume many things about the reason for such a lack of enthusiasm.

@ConstantlyComic

---

David Ríos

(Southern Miyama, Riverside Cottage - Attic)

---

…

Well, he had said what he had said, but really, in many ways, he did only have a ‘game plan’ as far as the outline was concerned. The first and most important thing was for him to finish his preparations and set up shop, the second was for Lancer to not to leave his side or at least always remain close by should he find himself in trouble. Presence Concealment was a troublesome thing, but most Assassins lost their capability to remain hidden while they were attacking, or so he thought – though it would make no difference to him alone, Lancer’s presence could mean the difference between life and death in that situation.

Ah, well, at least if he died he hoped it didn’t stretch out long enough for him to regret things. At the same time, he supposed that rather than hunting for Assassin specifically – such a thing was an exercise in futility, seeing as his Servant lacked Presence Detection as a Skill – it would be more correct to say that the daylight hours would be spent scouting and attempting to find the Workshops of other Masters. He would need to prepare some basic familiars to aid in such a task, wouldn’t he? Hm.

At the very least, should they prove capable of finding their whereabouts, they could wait to ambush them – or, in the case they were absolutely certain of their victory, launch an assault outright.

Ah, but he still had to at least pay attention to his Servant for the moment, no?

…Mm, at least she seemed enthusiastic about the partnership. Good enough, he supposed – at least the conversation was proving productive rather than meaningless pleasantries.

And then she asked if she could stay in physical form. The worst part of it being that she had given a good point, and it would not do to damage the goodwill he had built up so far by denying something without offering an equally valid – or better – counterpoint.

Perhaps a compromise.

“…I suppose it might not be a completely unreasonable request, so if we can retrieve some modern clothing, I’ll allow it – but I reserve the right to order you to return to spirit form if I feel we should prioritize conservation of magical energy, Lancer.”

He paused for a second.

“Of course, there’s the matter of how to retrieve said modern clothing, too.” He muttered, dreading the idea but perhaps resigning himself to needing to make a shopping trip at some point during the day.

Really, he wasn’t expecting this when he summoned his Servant – at least if Yukimura had been male as the records had said he could have loaned Lancer one of his own sets of clothes, but as it was?

He could only sigh, arms folded. For the time being, might as well just focus on finishing the preparations and set up his defenses and alarms. He could worry about how much of a dent this would put in his finances afterwards.

He kept telling himself it was for a good cause. It wouldn’t do much, if anything, but it was the principle of the thing, at least.

@Ijoyen

Fate/Empty Providence

@Breo
Due to a lack of Master aptitude, a Servant cut from the cloth of Heroic Spirit Siegfried is incapable of displaying his full potential. The following detriment has been obtained.

-Rank down to CON (A -> B)

@Moonlit Sonata

Okay, I'll add it to his CS.

I was expecting something heavier, actually.

Fate/Empty Providence

@Breo I'd like to have her summon Siegfried, if you're amenable.

@ConstantlyComic

Fine by me.

...I wasn't actually expecting Sumanai to get picked when there were still OC Servants around. Guess that goes to show me.

Fate/Empty Providence

David Ríos

(Southern Miyama, Riverside Cottage - Attic)

---

…Mm.

Had it been a misunderstanding of the Servant’s character on his part, had what he mistook as pride been truly but an outburst of the moment? If so, he supposed that reflected all more poorly on him for not being able to see it, but – well, at least Lancer had the presence of mind to straighten it out before it became a problem.

Good thing, too. He much preferred a Servant that was comfortable following orders over one that challenged him at every turn. As for the ‘friendly terms’… Well, it was much too early to say, but he certainly saw no problem in adjusting his persona just a tad – certainly, she was to be his sword and shield, so that kindness could certainly be afforded.

As it was, he could certainly say the situation was a weight off his shoulders – and he, for one, would look a gift horse like this in the mouth, particularly when it was presented like so. Tension slowly ebbed away and he shifted from the formal stance to a more relaxed one.

“I feel it is I who should apologize.”, he said, hoping to clear any remaining unease. “I mistook you for the sort that would enjoy the formalities and came across as foppish, so that’s certainly a mark against me.”

Maybe it was better to keep the fact that he had indeed thought her to be the arrogant sort veiled for the moment – no need to risk coming across as insulting, right? Ah, well, at least his Servant seemed willing to listen and explain. He chose to not to comment on the reason she had been recorded in history as a man, merely nodding and letting the matter rest – it was not his business, after all. All that mattered to him was that she proved competent in her assigned role.

Nodding to himself, he went over his mental checklist for the day – regardless of the initial misunderstanding and his reasonable surprise, nothing had actually changed in his strategies, so that much was already a boon.

“Certainly, I would prefer hearing the sort of strategies and engagements you are more comfortable with, Lancer.”, not in the least because he would need to adapt any plans he drafted to make sure his Servant could use her abilities to their full extent. “However, at the same time, I should share with you some of what I have already thought about prior to your summoning, as it were.”

He paused for a second to let his words hang in the air. It was truly nothing grand, merely a conjecture of a plan he had formulated, to be completed only when he was certain about the capabilities of his Servant, but he thought it would be a sound idea.

That said, he was certainly no master strategist, so he figured input from a famed warrior would be a welcome thing.

“To begin with, though this cottage will serve as our base of operations, I have yet to create the Bounded Fields that will truly allow it to carry out its purpose – both basic and something more advanced, a specialty of mine so to speak.”, it was embarrassing to admit that he had prepared so little, but at the same time, it was better to be upfront about such things – and it was not like he had been granted enough time, really. “In that regard, I consider it to be a higher priority than heading to the church and check in with the Overseer for the time being. More to the point of your role, however, I feel that we should first focus on the Assassin Class as far as threats in this war are concerned.”

A smile that conveyed no small amount of faux self-mockery settled upon his features.

“I can hardly defend myself before a Servant, and the shadow of the Hero of Murder makes for a daunting thing – before we eliminate them, I fear we might not be able to focus fully on our other opponents for this War. Caster remains a close contender, however – particularly, we should try to hunt them down before they have a chance to set up a Territory of their own.”

Indeed, Assassin and Caster were the two most dangerous pieces on the table, at least as far as he was concerned – one could appear at any one moment Lancer was preoccupied and go for his own throat, and the other could prove amazingly troublesome if given respite and preparation. Though he was confident in a Knight Class’ ability to take challenges presented head-on, subterfuge was a more worrying matter.

He should know. He is, after all, a magus.

“Otherwise, as far as your own tactics in combat are concerned…”, here, he paused again, as if thinking about what to say. “Well, I can hardly claim to know more about it than yourself, so in that regard, feel free to do as you believe is appropriate. I will provide support where needed.

So all I ask is that you bring me the heads of our enemies in turn.”

…

Ah, had that last phrase been perhaps too dramatic? He thought it was what one was supposed to say, considering the circumstances...

@Ijoyen