[h2]Johanna Faust[/h2]

She had made it in time after all--her immediate consorting with the Overseer had made that clear. With some pairs yet to present themselves to the Church, it was possible that all had been successfully summoned already... but somewhat unlikely. Were it not for wanting to maintain a civil relationship with the most important non-participant in the war, the tall magus would have summoned then and there. Her patience had stretched to merely walking out and going around the back, in an empty copse that had yet to be converted to a graveyard or anything else.

Only age steadied her hand as she traced the complicated circle in dust--gems once infused with magic, ground up as a suitable material. It was too late to hope that somebody had yet to claim the strongest class... but regardless of having to settle for whatever came up, Johanna had every intention of putting her all into it. She refused to summon a weak representative of any class; should she be unfortunate enough to summon Assassin, then she hoped to get the progenitor of them all. Her sole hope was that someone had absolutely taken Caster--she would undoubtedly receive Faust if that was her class, and a Servant with such an easily guessed identity would be a hindrance.

Even for someone of her experience, one who routinely cut wordy spells down to a far more practical length, this was a ritual that she dare not skip over. It was exciting, like being an apprentice all over again, to recite an aria so solemnly, to let each word be treated with attention. The heated feeling of magecraft, of circuits opening to capacity--

It was a glorious rush, and the circle filled with light.

[@Cu Chulainn]