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[h3][b]Budapest 
District V - Banks of the Danube[/b][/h3]
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“The goal of experimentation…” Caster responded to his question, happy to keep him engaged here rather than retreating. “Determining the nature of the land here, and more broadly, the very nature of this war. A holy grail is certainly worthy of study, too. As for my methods, well - that remains to be seen.” Whether that information would be shared with her fellow Servants was unknown, too. Her results, or her methods - keeping them secret would likely be the most logical option. 

It was then that the enemy let loose with the spear, a powerful projectile headed right for her. More powerful than his previous thrust, this wasn’t something Caster was sure she could challenge with the strength of flowing water alone. Particularly since it was a piercing throw, something that meeting with a liquid wall of force might simply see it penetrate the water. Knocking it off course might not be reliable, either. However-

She wasn’t assertive? Well, that was true enough. That was the principle of Wu Wei, after all. Action without action, simply cultivating one’s mind and body to achieve understanding. Concentrating one’s breath and one’s senses. Flowing like water as the world acted upon you. Teachings of this kind of meditation were fundamental for most Magecraft, even if the specifics varied. 

But for Caster, this was a matter of her being. Spending her life in water, cultivating her self-understanding to the point where form itself became mutable. The world flowed, and it was simply a matter of understanding that flow, moving with it. 

In an instant, the water distorted beneath her, creating a magic circle that extended out of the river only slightly. Caster muttered a quick incantation, and [i]moved[/i]. The spear blasted past, mere inches from her face, blowing her hair around with its force. 

This wasn’t simply a matter of dodging an attack, but rather utilising Feng Shui - Geomancy - to determine the perfect location to inhabit, to ensure the force passed harmlessly past her. Dodging would involve analysing the opponent’s throw with one’s instincts and moving out of its path - something Caster did not have the combat experience to reliably do. This was unmistakably a use of Magecraft; analysing the space around her and inhabiting the most auspicious spot. The spear itself was therefore irrelevant. 

Any combatant capable of a throw like that would be able to tell the difference, even if they had missed the appearance of the magic circle. Caster sighed. It seemed she would not be able to conceal her class, though perhaps that had been a vain hope to begin with. 

“[i]Shuǐ[/i] to [i]mù[/i]. Water nourishes Wood.” The circle beneath her shifted in shape.

This was her first attack using Magecraft, finally befitting her class. The water splashed on the earth in a way that seemed so careless began to shimmer beneath the enemy Servant’s feet, as the trampled grasses began to grow into thick trunks of wood, and flowering vines, aiming to trip and entangle the man. 

The five phases of Wuxing that made up the cycles of life, of the world. The world flowed on, as Caster gave it only the slightest of pushes. 

But the true nature of the attack would soon become clear as the scent of blooming flowers filled the air as if it were spring anew. She had seen the enemy’s deep inhalation just before the attack that had almost skewered her. Simply clouding this man’s sight had not been enough, but now his sense of smell would be unable to make up for it.The mist began to rise on the river once more.

Beneath the river, something began to stir.

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[centre][@Yankee][@Yukitamas][@Gracefully][/centre]