[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/A9Vw6CK.png[/img] [h2]The Battlefield[/h2] [/center] [hr] Norton felt a sudden pang of sympathy to Airi. That helplessness, especially compared to great heroes, was one he understood. Circumstances out of their control had swept them both up in this, but at least he had the brute strength to fight. Still, as he frowned, he turned aside to look back towards the...castle? It was shrinking. It was changing. It was almost too small to be seen. Almost. That silhouette, however, had burnt itself into the Berserker's eyes, kindling his fury. [color=tomato]"Yes, Master!"[/color] The Emperor's teeth grit, lips pulled into a snarl. But the crackling fire of maddening rage steeled this particular Berserker's mind, tempering it rather than melting it. He had the presence of mind to hit the speed dial for her phone number, opening the call between them. In his hand, he materialized the phone itself, knuckles white with anger, yet the dexterity needed to open the video conference option remained. 2004 was 2004, but a Japanese cellphone was still a highly-evolved island species. Airi's phone would provide her with eyes and ears now. [@SIGINT] Once he'd done so, he took a few paces towards the man who stole Stirner. Then forceful, barely-restrained stomps across the ground, away from Airi. [color=tomato]"Don't undersell yourself. Thanks to your eyes, then, I understand now. If they can still work through this device, I'm going to need your backup more than ever."[/color] The jovial, even perhaps bumbling voice of Norton wasn't seething, wasn't boiling with rage despite how he raised it. It had, instead, gone cold. Icily, cleanly, surgically cold, every syllable measured with precise diction. [center][color=tomato][h3]"That's the one who kidnapped my summoner."[/h3][/color][/center] He kept his eyes firmly locked on the man who, unknown to him, was one of the founders of this ritual. The Emperor had witnessed the incredible speed of this demon before, and wasn't going to drop a sliver of his guard. But then came the deployment of a Noble Phantasm. To fight a castle, deploy a castle. This was promising, but he was wary. All the same, the sight of a defensive bastion of their own, the sound of a rallying cry, calmed him down. This was not something he had to do alone. Ah, he was fortunate to always have had splendid allies. [color=tomato]"Master. Do you wish me to take you to that fortress? The demon has attacked masters before...and if what you say is true, I fear my summoner has been taken into it."[/color] The connection between himself and Stirner had been forcibly cut, but Berserker attempted to tug upon it all the same, while continuing to strategize with Airi given these recent changes to the situation. [color=tomato]"My goal will be to dismember it. If its arms didn't want to hurt the Masters, perhaps he is one of them? Master, I'll need you to try and distinguish its parts any way you can. You'd have a better chance of that closer to the field in that Fortress Noble Phantasm."[/color] Norton kept his eyes on Nagato in the distance, just in case he had to intercept. [color=tomato]"I'm counting on your insight, Master. I had an idea to attack it when it was a castle, but a demon is another matter."[/color]