[h2]Mihama Nanako[/h2]

Nanako opened her mouth. For a moment, she wanted to say she'd taken cover because of the arrow barrage. Because it was still close, and that if she took cover it wouldn't force Meltryllis to have to consider her when she dodged too. But then she shut her mouth just as quickly. All she would do if she spoke would have been to upset Meltryllis. Nothing she could say would do any good. So she took the admonishment.

... If she was being honest, the sight of Meltryllis's dance through the arrows had been so beautiful it made her heart hurt even more. Her Servant was graceful and lovely, and yet she had ruined everything about the friendly relationship they could have built. The relationship she had envisioned when she thought about summoning a Servant...

Weakly, Nanako shook her head. Now wasn't the time, it couldn't be...!

The hulking figure with the Roman sword slowly rose, having cratered the wall with its impact. It did not move as a natural creature, its upper body bent backwards before reaching a more normal posture with an ugly snapping sound. Had Meltryllis's kick broken something inside its body? Had the snapping sound been it self-repairing?

"... Oppressssooooorrrr..." it groaned, stepping forward, maw hanging open to reveal that hanging tongue once more, drool dribbling to the ground.

"Wh... what [i]is[/i] that...?" Nanako found herself saying, as the shadowy figure raised its sword once more, preparing to charge. But that wasn't all.

With more time to take stock of the situation, and able to see past the damaged wall, Nanako realized with horror why there were no workers around. All she saw was a single arm laying limply, blood pooling around it... blood on the more distant walls, blood... there was so much blood beyond the damaged wall. They were dead... the workers here were dead...!

A hail of arrows suddenly rained down from the upper windows! This time, it looked as if they were aimed to try and drive both Nanako and Meltryllis towards the hulking shadow beast!

[@PKMNB0Y]