[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ILmLCSt.png[/img]
[color=7ea7d8][h2]Evan Strauss[/h2][/color][i][h3]Strauss Workshop, Shinto[/h3][/i]
[@Art of Fun]
[/center]
[color=7ea7d8]”Well, at least it wasn’t a net loss.”[/color]

A touch of dissatisfaction displayed on his face, the alchemist sighed to himself as he inspected the work of the previous night. Initially, things had been going rather well. The attack levied against the Matou estate had been the perfect combination of impactful and non-lethal that a testing shot ought to be, and had given some valuable insight into the Matou themselves. 

The fact that another Servant had been made to take the fall for the attack was also nice. Evan wondered how that would be met, if the Matou had already demanded that poor Servant’s head or not. A small boy who threw devastating stones beyond what his small frame might indicate, what sort of Servant did they think that was?

Of course, things could not have gone so perfectly. Not long after, in the dead of night, the spying familiars that the alchemist has stationed in Shinto had seemed to vanish. Either there was a supreme master of familiars here among his fellow magi, or, more likely, a Caster or another Servant knowledgeable in magecraft had played their hand. Regardless, he doubted he was the only one affected by this individual, but there was no sense in crying over it. The nature of whoever had done this was a complete blank in Evan’s mind, but at least between this and the events witnessed by Assassin and his familiars, a general idea was starting to form. 

Ah, no matter. All of that was trivial, in the end, compared to the next item on his agenda. 

This notion seemed absurd. After all, to a magus who sought the Holy Grail, there was nothing more key in this war than removing the obstacles that laid between them and that prize. Nonetheless, for Evan, this next priority carried equal weight to obtaining the Holy Grail. 

Yes, because after all, for Evan...

[color=7ea7d8]‘Assassin, to be safe, can you come with me? Should probably take a form you haven’t used before, but don’t bother with your Presence Concealment. We’ll be introducing you as ‘Berserker’.’[/color]

...the ‘most important thing’ was merely that he managed to create [i]that[/i].

And so to lunch he went. 

[@Phonic]

[hr]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/FUQYsr4.png[/img]
[color=aba000][h2]Chiron [Lily][/h2][/color][i][h3]Pelion’s Pub, Edge of Shinto[/h3][/i]
[@Sageage]
[/center]
There was a man who was not a man. 

There was a horse that was not a horse. 

A horse that was a man? No, the basis was too distinct. A man that was a horse? No, the foundation was poorly engraved. 

A man that had become a horse. Yes, that was it precisely. 

And so, as one customer was dragged from his bar by a small child who was certainly not a customer- what kind of irresponsible parent let their kid in a bar anyway- Archer turned to face the new arrival. 

He stared in silence for a time that lasted an eternity from the inside, but a mere moment from the inside. Eyes beyond the flesh craned outwards and [b]saw[/b]. 

A thousand points pierced this world. 

A devil forged from malice and iron pierced the void. 

A void crying for all things was folded into all. 

And as this waged on, he, [b]he[/b]...

[color=aba000][sub]“Hold onto it. Because everything you’re about to go through is going to test how strong that hold is. If you let go of it, you’ll die.”[/sub][/color]

...so it would move onwards. So it was meant to move onwards. 

[color=aba000]“Donnie, get the horse wine.”[/color]

[color=bc8dbf]”Eh? I thought you hated the horse wine. You haven’t asked for it since the Titan killed your prototype.”[/color]

[color=aba000]”It’s not for me, it’s for the new kid.”[/color]

Bartender and manager alike turned their eye to the new arrival, and laughed in unison. The former poured a glass of wine from a bottle with a horse’s head imprinted upon it, before offering it to that very arrival. 

[color=bc8dbf]“Here you are. Enjoy. This is a rare commodity. I’m frankly shocked, actually.”[/color]

And so, a declaration was made that would shatter the foundation of the Holy Grail War. 

[b][color=bc8dbf]”...you know, you’re already the second person today I’ve poured this for.”[/color][/b]