Chapter 99 : Saber vs Specter (part 2)

Saber had managed to survive Specter's Noble Phantasm, her wounds healed thanks to Alessandro's magical energy and she began to fight against the opponent. Specter was surprised to see Saber still alive:
« What kind of trick did you use, Saber? »
« I'm very lucky. »
Saber tried to hit Specter but the latter lowered and, with a blade sticking out of the foot, jumped, rotating backwards, in an attempt to cut the rival's throat. Saber the blow with the sword and then resumed attacking. She struck five slits, two high and three at the height of her belly, but Specter was able to block them all using the blades of her arms.
Saber was looking for a weak spot to hit and eventually tried a different tactic: she got defensive. Specter took the opportunity to start attacking, after about three back shots, Saber noticed that the opponent had a tendency to aim at the throat and then in the fourth hit she bent down and then launched a blow that hit Specter in the middle.
« I got you. »
Specter fell to the ground, hurt, tried to get back on her feet but the wound was too deep. Saber prepared to give her a coup de grace but then noticed that Specter was pulling blades out of her body to protect the wound and other exposed parts as well.
« Caassimolar! (The Smiling Dog of Hell) » Specter shouted.
All the blades that were covering her body were thrown in every direction, she was like a porcupine. Saber was hit in the thigh and arm by two blades and as soon as she looked up she saw the face of a smiling dog, frightened she jumped back, but didn't know she had Specter behind her who was ready to stab her. Specter aimed at Saber's throat, with a blade prepared to decapitate her. Saber knew that the smiling face couldn't be real, everything else was as if it had disappeared, surely it was the fault of the blades but before taking them off she put her hand on the ground.
« Fortification. »
Suddenly a perfect square structure appeared, in wood, with two other squares defined by wooden stilts of at least three meters inside, there were ditches and there were also caltrops on the ground. Specter was separated from Saber. Disoriented and nervous, Specter immediately sought out her opponent. Saber, meanwhile, managed to remove the blades, the smiling face disappeared. When she realized that she had managed to separate Specter from her, she prepared to use her Noble Phantasm.
« A Saber that can create territories. A really unusual thing, don't you think? »
« Silly! This isn't a trivial "creation of territories". This skill of mine is Military Engineering! It allows me to create fortifications and siege weapons. At this moment you are in my fort, in my world, and here I am in charge. »
« A Saber making fortifications, huh? » Specter thought aloud.
Specter saw the caltrops on the ground and realized that as she proceeded she would meet Saber, but she didn't know what was going to happen. With the blades in the soles of her feet, Specter began to get rid of the different traps and then, when she reached Saber, she found herself in front of a bad surprise.
Saber's sword was raised high, the blade was lighting up, the light that emanated resembled that of a sun and Saber screamed:
« Crocea Mors! (The Sword of Certain Victory) »
A powerful blow, made of light, similar to a direct beam, struck Specter in full. Saber's fortress disappeared.

The powerful Noble Phantasm was also perceived by the two Masters who were fighting. Alessandro noticed Friedrich's worried gaze and asked him:
« Why are you fighting the Holy Grail War? »
« Why do you ask me that? »
« You don't look like a bad person to me, someone who only follows his craving. »
« I fight because I need answers. There is a doubt that plagues me and I need to meet a person. »
« It seems rather stupid to me to fight a war for such a foolish thing. »
« It's a complicated thing, I don't think you can understand it. »
« Give it a go. »
« Why do you want to know? You don't get anything. » Friedrich asked, perplexed.
« Have you heard the blow before? I'm sure it was my Servant. Probably yours is dead or probably not, in this moment of uncertainty is it really too much to ask you to clarify what is your goal? I want to know who I'm fighting against. »
« Ah, ah! You're probably fighting against nothing. »

Saber using Crocea Mors by Bikowolf

 

Chapter 98 : Saber vs Specter (part 1)

Specter stood in front of Friedrich Wolff and seeing Saber licked her own lips.
« You really are a beautiful woman. You have beautiful shapes. If you weren't my enemy you would be my personal prostitute. »
« Disgusting but interesting. As far as I know, the Specter class welcomes demons. So I guess you're a demon. »
« My class speaks for me, Saber. So are you ready to duel, baby? »
Saber drew her sword and hit Specter but the latter parried the blow with a blade that popped out of her arm, two other blades popped out of her feet and she launched a series of kicks that Saber parried trying to find an opening but Specter was able to avoid being hit, started jumping and spinning hitting Saber with blades that came out of her legs and arms.
Saber backed away and Alessandro, worried about her, asked her:
« Are you OK? »
« Don't worry, Master, I can kill this bitch. »
While Saber returned to face Specter, Alessandro took care of Friedrich. He snapped his fingers and said:
« Dis. »
Friedrich was catapulted into another room, got up immediately and immediately understood the type of attack so he moved away from Alessandro and summoned a fire wolf:
« Feuerwolf! »
This magical animal spat a fireball against Alessandro who had to snap his fingers and said:
« Defendere! »
Friedrich ordered his animal to attack Alessandro frontally, the wolf attacked the barrier and then exploded destroying the magic shields that Alessandro had evoked around him. Friedrich summoned an ice wolf:
« Eiswolf! »
This glacial wolf spat a jet that created an ice wall giving Friedrich the opportunity to study a strategy to face Alessandro.

In the meantime Saber and Specter were continuing their duel, neither of them had gained a real advantage over the other. Specter decided to attack the opponent with a direct blow to the throat but the latter stopped the attack just in time, Saber seeing that Specter had lowered her guard wounded her in the side and then tried to kill her. Specter, however, was smarter than Saber and managed to get blades from the shoulders that blocked the attack. Saber distanced himself:
« You really have an annoying power, Specter. »
« Facing a demon isn't like facing a human, Saber. I'm stronger than you. »
« I guess you're right. »
« All Servants are nothing but pets and technically I'm too, but I'm still much stronger than a normal human being and ... you know ... I just want to end this boring battle. So, this is goodbye, baby. »
Specter activated her Noble Phantasm:
« Caacrinolaas! (The Dog with Griffin Wings) »
Two immense wings similar to those of an eagle sprouted from Specter's back, the wings turned golden and the girl rose into the air, breaking the walls of the building and leaving it. Saber followed her rival and saw that the pointed feathers of the wings began to come off, so Specter threw hundreds of thousands of blades, which had come off the wings, against Saber.

Specter activating her Noble Phantasm by Bikowolf

 

Chapter 97 : Calm before the storm

Saber and Alessandro were walking together on the streets of London. The girl wore ordinary clothes thankfully but Alessandro was still afraid of being attacked by a Servant among the people, he certainly didn't want to end up in the newspapers and so he decided to take Saber to a pub so as not to be seen too much around.
« Londinium will certainly offer delicacies! » Saber exclaimed, exploring the menu with her eyes.
« You certainly won't find Roman food. »
« De gustibus non disputandum est! You can't argue about personal tastes! If in Londinium they love non-Roman food then we will eat non-Roman food and satiate our stomachs! »
« Okay, calm down, everyone is watching us. » Alessandro said, embarrassed.
« What's the problem? I like to be looked at. I was born to be the center of attention. »
« Saber ... »
« Ah! And then I must tell you that the time I ate with Valerio Leone, I satisfied my appetite with truly unique dishes! Have you ever heard of butter asparagus? They are very good! You should try them! »
Saber was enthusiastic but Alessandro was unable to follow her:
« Sorry, who's Valerio Leone, again? »
« A rich man from Mediolanum if I remember correctly. He had a really fantastic domus and even though my soldiers hated his food I eventually convinced them to eat and they liked it in the end, you know, sometimes the legionnaires tend to be grumpy but then in the end it's enough to talk to them and everything is resolved . »
The enthusiasm that Saber put into her words was contagious, it was impossible not to listen to her, but Alessandro was not surprised at this, after all he found himself in front of Caesar: a person without comparison in history that had completely transformed Rome.
He was served and the girl didn't hold back and began to devour whole courses in a short time, she was like a hungry beast, which was rather strange, in fact it didn't seem to Alessandro that the Servants needed to eat, she probably did it simply because accustomed to Roman culture.
« Saber, do you think we will win this war? »
« I can't lose, Master, so we'll win. » She replied, smiling.
« I'm serious. I don't want to speak with "Caesar the swagger" I want to speak with "Caesar the military strategist". Do you think we can win? »
Saber read the concern in Alessandro's gaze and then decided to reply in a mature way:
« Master, do you know what a war is? »
« A battle. »
« No. The battle is a part of the war but every war is divided into three parts: the cause, the battle and the effect. If you want to win a war you must be able to answer all three fundamental questions: why fight? How to fight? What to do after the fight? Set a goal and follow it until the end. »
« I want to be honest with you ... I was forced to take part in this war. I have no desire. »
« However, you are here. You may cancel the contract but you have not done so. »
« The Coven would kill me. »
« Then why do you want to win the war? »
« Because I want to live. »
« And why do you want to live? »
« Because I want a happy life, without problems and without anxiety ... »
Then Alessandro realized that he had answered one of the three questions that Saber had asked, the girl gave a knowing smile and then she said:
« Now you know why you're fighting this war, now it's about knowing how to win it, that's the most complicated part but that's why I'm here. »
« Thanks, Saber. »
« Don't thank me, enjoy the meal, come on. »
After eating, the two of them left the pub and returned to the hotel room. Alessandro was exhausted, he threw himself on the bed and there Saber lay next to him who asked him:
« Did you eat well, Master? »
« Yup. »
Alessandro was already reflecting on how to win the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil and then Saber, noticing his puzzled gaze, asked:
« What are you thinking about, Master? »
« We're going to war tonight, Saber. We have to win, this is the only way to end this war. We must win at any cost. »
« I like this spirit! That's how you do it, Master! » She exulted.
« With you by my side I am sure I will win. »
That night Alessandro and Saber headed into an abandoned building waiting for a challenger and it was then that they saw Friedrich Wolff arrive together with Specter. As soon as Alessandro saw his rival's Servant he immediately recognized the demon and worried, the demons were very dangerous creatures and shouldn't be underestimated.
Friedrich saw Saber and then shifted his attention to Alessandro Serpi and said to him:
« Hallo. You must be my opponent. I'm Friedrich. Friedrich Wolff. »
« Alessandro Serpi. Do you belong to the Rote Mäntel? »
« No, but you belong to the Coven. I recognized you right away. »
« I hope you are ready to fight, Friedrich. Because I will win this war. »
« We'll see that, priest. »

Specter, Saber, Alessandro and Friedrich by Bikowolf

 

Chapter 96 : Enemies in the dark

Friedrich Wolff was sleeping blissfully in his bed in the hotel room, he had no idea that there had been a battle between two Servants in Regent's Park. He felt a cold breeze on his neck, covered himself with the blanket but was now disturbed and could no longer fall asleep, turned on the light and went to the window to check that there were no drafts. It was perfectly closed and passing his hand over the edge he didn't even feel a breath of air, so what had caused that strange breeze?
Friedrich made his way to the living room but at that moment he realized that for some strange reason a picture on the wall was slightly tilted to the right. He put it straight and at that moment he saw a hand sticking out of the wall, this grabbed his head and slammed it against the glass of the picture. Friedrich fell to the ground and saw this hooded man who looked like a Jesuit monk come out of the wall.
« I guess that you are a Servant! »
« Perceptive. »
Friedrich immediately got up from the ground and ran into the living room, chased by Assassin who threw several daggers, always missing the target slightly. Specter appeared before Friedrich:
« Specter, we have a problem! »
« Move, now I'll take care of him. »
A blade came out of Specter's hand but it passed through Assassin, the girl was surprised but then another blade came out of a finger of the same hand and this time Assassin ran away to avoid being hit.
Specter, smiling, said:
« I understand. »
Specter attempted to attack Assassin but he escaped by leaving the apartment. Specter thought of chasing him but Friedrich stopped her:
« It doesn't matter, let's avoid fighting in this place. I don't want any civilian 
casualties. »
« As you wish, Master. »

January 28, 2021 - Day 2

The next morning Friedrich was already at work to try to find out what Assassin's identity was, Specter appeared behind him while he was sitting on the sofa reading history books.
« Discovered something, Master? »
« No, still nothing. So far, that Assassin remains simply Casper's "ugly brother." »
« Casper? »
« Forget it, it was just a joke. I have no idea who he is. »
« I bet you will find out sooner or later, Master. »
« Specter, I have a question. »
« Really? »
Specter jumped on the sofa and lay down resting her head on Friedrich's legs, he asked her:
« Can Nidhoggr really be the Ouroboros? »
« They have similarities but I can't tell you if they are the same thing. In the world that transcends yours, matter is like water, everything mixes and nothing is defined. There are many worlds, many universes where possible combinations of matter are implemented in different ways and in varied times. You know the Root? »
« Yes. It's what every magus would like to see. The source of true magical power. »
« That's only a milligram of the possibilities of Being. The Root is something unique and unrepeatable for humans but for me and a divinity the Root is only a fragment of a set of probabilities that repeat themselves indefinitely. »
« Forgive me, I can't follow you, these are complicated things. » Friedrich said, stunned.
« Being is the basis of everything. But what is "everything"? "Everything" is that which is divided into defined and indefinite. Matter and not matter. You are definite matter, and the Root is devoid of matter. But it's a fragment of the immaterial world. »
« How vast is this immaterial world? »
« The only way you have to measure it it's in probability. Imagine having a hand capable of rolling a thousand six-sided dice at a time, the number of possible combinations equals one millionth of the total size of the immaterial world. But the combinations increase with the increase of the dice and these increase because the Being is always in motion and always produces something new. »
« So, going back to the previous question ... »
« You can only speculate about the connection between Nidhoggr and Ouroboros. » 

Friedrich Wolff and Specter by Bikowolf

 

Favorite historical characters who might one day become Servant - 6

Commodus

Lucius Aurelius Commodus. Like Caligula and Nero, he's described by historians as extravagant, cruel and depraved.
During the twelve years of principality, despite the reputation of despot, Commodus is recognized of merits: for example he exercised a wide religious tolerance, ending the persecutions against Christians after a few years from the ascent to the throne, which began again after the his death. He himself practiced Eastern and foreign cults.
The first difference between him and Nero is the love of the army. He was loved by the people and supported by the army, to which he had given substantial sums of money.
Commodus had a passion for gladiator fights and those against beasts, to the point of descending himself into the arena dressed as a gladiator, like the Roman Hercules wearing a lion skin.
Commodus' instability was not limited to this "hobby". A part of the city of Rome was destroyed by a fire, and Commodus took the opportunity to "re-found" it, calling it the Commodian Colony in his honor. The calendar months were also renamed in his honor, and even the Senate changed its name to the Senate of Fortune Commodian, while the army became Commodian Army and so did the Classis Commodian fleet. These monarch attitudes were considered seriously offensive by the senate.
He also had a propensity for what we now call sexual perversions; he abused all the sisters, he forced his concubines to put his mother's name during the intercourse, he had set up a sort of harem made up of 300 girls and 300 boys.
So what classes for him?
(a note the stars indicate what for me would be the most suitable class for the character. Five stars is the maximum, no star is the minimum.)
. Rider (-)
. Caster (-)
. Saber (⭐)
. Assassin (-)
. Lancer (⭐)
. Berserker (⭐⭐⭐⭐)
. Archer (-)
. Specter (-)
. Devourer (-)
. Ruler (-)
. Avenger (⭐⭐)

Favorite historical characters who might one day become Servant - 5

Horatio Nelson

A national hero of the British Empire, a man who won numerous battles and who soon became known to be the nemesis of Napoleon Bonaparte. Horatio Nelson entered the navy at the age of ten thanks to his uncle. He was forty years old when he managed to block Napoleon in Egypt thanks to his fearsome fleet. He was subsequently sent to Naples with a joint British-Portuguese fleet to target the Jacobin insurgents and save the Bourbon court.
Nelson was in charge of defeating the fleets of Denmark and Sweden; in fact both countries economically supported Napoleonic France and for this reason they had to be quickly stopped.
Nelson reported a brilliant victory with the Battle of Copenhagen which definitively canceled the Scandinavian naval threat.
He became famous for fighting the battle of Trafalgar. Nelson inflicted a decisive defeat on the French fleet. This war event allowed England to strengthen its naval supremacy over the French one which from that moment had no more weight on the naval operational chessboard.
On the day of the naval battle of Trafalgar, Horatio Nelson raised the signal of incitement addressed to his entire fleet on the main mast of his flagship, the Victory: 

"England expects that every man will do his duty."

 
However Nelson was unable to enjoy the laurels of victory as he was shot dead by a French shooter.
(a note the stars indicate what for me would be the most suitable class for the character. Five stars is the maximum, no star is the minimum.)
. Rider (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
. Caster (-)
. Saber (-)
. Assassin (-)
. Lancer (-)
. Berserker (-)
. Archer (-)
. Specter (-)
. Devourer (-)
. Ruler (-)
. Avenger (⭐)

Chapter 95 : Lancer vs Rider

Lancer attempted to pierce Rider in the chest but the latter parried the blow and counterattacked with a blow to the enemy's throat. Lancer dodged the blow and counterattacked in turn, Rider avoided the attack but was wounded in the cheek and distanced herself to avoid being hit. Spear and katana discounted at least twenty times in a quick duel full of dodges, attacks and counterattacks. None of the two Servants wanted to surrender.
Rider thought of injuring the opponent's legs in such a way as to prevent her from moving quickly but Lancer was smart and understood Rider's tactic, which suddenly attacked with low slits.
« You're very good, Rider, I grant you, but you will never be at my level. »
« I've used my Noble Phantasm before, you should know my identity, Lancer. »
« Obviously: you are Ieyasu Tokugawa, the General with Three Faces. »
« I don't like that name. I am Tokugawa Ieyasu, I am the one who founded the Tokugawa shogunate and who brought order to Japan when it fell into chaos! I am the order! »
« You will soon be dead. »
Lancer attempted to hit Rider but the latter parried the attack and with a quick move she injured the opponent's arm. Lancer jumped back.
« I finally managed to hurt you, Lancer. »
« You were lucky, Rider. »
Then Lancer noticed that there was something strange in Rider, something was missing:
« Where's your steed, Rider? »
« My steed is not an animal, Lancer, but you will only find out if you can show me that you can actually fight. Which reminds me: you didn't tell me your name. »
« Why should I tell you? »
« It's a matter of honor, Lancer. This duel could be your last one, would you rather die without being remembered by anyone? »
« Do you want my name? »
Lancer's spear started to shine, the warrior ran towards Rider and then jumped and used her Noble Phantasm, five astral spears appeared around Rider and at that moment Lancer screamed:
« Katadíki Tou Krótona! (My Condemnation of Crotone) »
Lancer threw her spear at Rider and generated a gigantic shining explosion. 
Shortly thereafter, dust rose and the body of an unknown person emerged from the cloud of smoke, he was not Rider, on the contrary, he seemed a very ordinary London citizen. Lancer was confused, had no idea who that person was, yet she was sure she had hit Rider.
« I'm good at lying, but doing politics means knowing how to adapt. »
Rider was close to his Master, a little further on. Angry Lancer exclaimed:
« Who's that person?! »
« Nobody. A member of the people who was influenced by my Noble Phantasm. He sacrificed himself to save my life. You just killed a civilian, you're a criminal, Cleta. That's your name, isn't it? You are the Nurse of Penthesilea, you are an Amazon. »
« Exactly. For one who speaks of honor, you are quite dishonest, Tokugawa. »
« You call it" dishonesty "but that's my honor. The people who I influence with my Noble Phantasm are happy to fight for me and at my side, the people are my steed, they lead me to success and through them I always win. But it's too late, this battle has already bored me, next time, Lancer you will die. »
Rider took her Master in her arms and walked away leaving Lancer and Tetsuya in the park.

Lancer by Bikowolf

 

Favorite historical characters who might one day become Servant - 4

Hadrian

A Roman emperor who inaugurated a new military strategy for the empire: expansion and conquest were replaced by the consolidation of the borders and their defense.
His rule was characterized by tolerance, efficiency and splendor of the arts and philosophy. A cornerstone of Hadrian's policy was the idea of widening tolerance levels whenever possible. He promoted a legislative reform to lighten the position of slaves, who found themselves in inhuman situations when a crime occurred against the dominus. Even towards Christians he showed greater tolerance than his predecessors. 
To keep the troops' morale high and not let them lazy, Hadrian set up intense training shifts, personally inspecting the troops during his continuous travels. Since he was not inclined, since the days of the Dacian countryside, to distinguish himself for particular luxuries, he moved on horseback and shared in all the rough life of the legionaries. 
He attended and protected art, being himself an intellectual goal, lover of the figurative arts, poetry and literature. Architecture also fascinated him a lot and during his principality he worked to give a personal stylistic imprint to the buildings that were gradually built. For many historians he loved art perhaps even more than Nero, but unlike the latter he was never jealous of the different poets and artists, on the contrary, he wanted to learn and improve himself.
Here are the classes that are appropriate for me:
(a note the stars indicate what for me would be the most suitable class for the character. Five stars is the maximum, no star is the minimum.)
. Rider (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
. Caster (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
. Saber (⭐⭐)
. Assassin (-)
. Lancer (-)
. Berserker (-)
. Archer (⭐)
. Specter (-)
. Devourer (-)
. Ruler (⭐⭐⭐⭐)
. Avenger (-)

Favorite historical characters who might one day become Servant - 3

Marcus Aurelius

Roman emperor and philosopher of great fame he was a stoic who wrote a book on his personal reflections.  It seems that Marcus Aurelius showed, at least initially, all his reluctance to take charge of imperial power. He must have had a real fear of imperial power (horror imperii), considering his predilection for the philosophical life, but he knew, as a stoic what it was, what he had to do and how to do it.
Although torture and the death penalty were easily applied in Rome especially against slaves and foreigners, the legislation of many "enlightened" emperors sought to reduce the number of crimes punishable by severe penalties.
For Marcus Aurelius, slaves also had to be treated as persons, albeit subordinate, and not as objects, thus avoiding all cruelty and respecting their dignity, unlike Christians who often didn't pronounce themselves in favor of the servile class. Marcus Aurelius was forced to fight a long and exhausting war against the barbarian populations of the North, first rejecting them and "cleaning up" the territories of Cisalpine and Norian Gaul. A noble emperor, surely, and an exceptional man.
The classes I thought for him are below:
(a note the stars indicate what for me would be the most suitable class for the character. Five stars is the maximum, no star is the minimum.)
. Rider (⭐⭐⭐⭐)
. Caster (⭐)
. Saber (⭐⭐⭐⭐)
. Assassin (-)
. Lancer (-)
. Berserker (-)
. Archer (-)
. Specter (-)
. Devourer (-)
. Ruler (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
. Avenger (-)
 

Favorite historical characters who might one day become Servant - 2

Elizabeth Alexeievna

Alexander I of Russia's consort. Their relationship was not at all happy, indeed, it is known that they both dated several lovers when they were married but reunited. This woman was praised for her beautiful voice, her gentle attitude and her perfect face. A beautiful and refined woman who always supported her husband and who even took part in the Congress of Vienna.
I can't deny that she's one of my favorite queens (although it would be fairer to say empress). She was a splendid woman who has suffered a lot in her life, she just wanted to be loved and her story with Alexander was very complicated, but in the end she remained faithful to him and when he died she wrote:

 "Do not worry too much about me, but if I dared, I would like to follow the one who has been my very life."

So below I put her possible classes:
(a note the stars indicate what for me would be the most suitable class for the character. Five stars is the maximum, no star is the minimum.) 
. Rider (-) 
. Caster (⭐⭐⭐)
. Saber (-)
. Assassin (-)
. Lancer (-)
. Berserker (-)
. Archer (-)
. Specter (-)
. Devourer (-)
. Ruler (⭐)
. Avenger (⭐⭐)

Chapter 94 : Declaration of war

January 27, 2021 - Day 1

Murakawa Tetsuya was on the train, comfortably seated sipping whiskey from his personal bottle while watching the alternate lights of the dark gallery that passed quickly in front of the window. The noise of the wagons moving was the only sound that filled that empty section of the train. Tetsuya was thinking about the Command Seal on his chest and constantly wondering what he should have done to win: how many people would he have to kill?
« You are thoughtful. »
Lancer appeared: a woman with Greek armor and a hoplite helmet. She sat down in front of Tetsuya.
« Why did you materialize? »
« Are you afraid that someone knows that you are a Master? »
« I don't like being noticed by dickheads that could hinder me. »
« Where are we going? »
« Hunting a Master. Here in London the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil will take place, we are here to hunt Master and Servant. »
« You don't speak like a Master ... you look like a predator. What are you? »
« A murderer. A former killer, actually. I worked for T6, an organization of magi who were paid to kill particular targets. I use Magecraft to kill. »
« T6? A strange name. »
« You're right, but I've never asked myself what it means. It's just a name. »
« I don't get along with the killers. They are all dishonorable people. »
« Honor is a strange word, don't you think? It's a way in which the rich love to stand out from the poor. But a poor man uses the methods at his disposal to succeed, he doesn't have time to be "honorable". Honor is a luxury, not a duty. »
« Are you poor? »
« I was. »
The train stopped. Lancer disappeared and Tetsuya left the station to head towards Regent's Park. It was night. Tetsuya saw another Master arrive, a boy who was dressed as a Japanese school student. He had blond hair and green eyes, was calm, calm like a Buddhist monk and approached Tetsuya, stopping only about twenty paces from him.
« What's a brat doing in a war like this? » Tetsuya asked nervously.
« Do you have a problem with me? »
« A couple of problems, yes. »
« I am Nishijima Kazuki, the Master of Rider. »
« The Master of Rider? Well. Let's start very well, then. »
Lancer appeared and Rider also made an appearance. Rider was a girl wearing Japanese armor, she had long black hair, her right eye was green while the left one was yellow. Rider was holding her katana and the first thing she did was nod to Lancer with a smile.
« You don't look much to me, Lancer. » Rider said with a proud smile.
« I just met you and I already want you dead. Well, I love when things are simple. »
Lancer jumped forward and, brandishing her spear, struck a direct blow to the opponent's heart. Rider parried the blow using her katana and attempted to injure Lancer but the latter dodged the blow at an incredible speed, however Rider didn't let the opponent run away and followed her: the two dueled exchanging different blows.
Lancer kicked Rider's stomach and made her flew into the sky and then, with impressive speed, reached her and tried to pierce her but Rider parried the blow and recovered with a jump backwards. Rider's katana began to glow with an intense light but then went out.
« I don't think I'll use my Noble Phantasm against someone like you. » Said Rider.
« Do you think you can beat me without it? Prove it. »
« I will not use my trump card on you, but I will still use a Noble Phantasm, maybe it will be a little weaker but it will kill you anyway. »
Rider sheathed the katana and went into a fighting stance. Lancer, confused, waited for the opponent's move. 
Tetsuya, meanwhile, noticed that Kazuki's expression was strangely amused, probably something bad would have happened to Lancer, he set his eyes on Rider again and saw the ground under her feet vibrate slightly, even the air around her seemed to distort slightly.
Suddenly Rider disappeared and reappeared in front of Lancer, unlined the katana and shouted:
« Mittsume! (She Who is in Third Place Compared to Nobunaga) »
Lancer dodged in time the slash which, despite being single, generated three very powerful invisible cuts in three directions: forward, to the right and to the left of Rider. These invisible cuts mowed each tree for at least six meters. Tetsuya had to stoop to avoid the blow.
Rider, noting that Lancer had managed to survive, said to her:
« You are very lucky, Lancer. It's a pity that this luck will not last long. »
« Wait, Rider. » Kazuki said: « I would like to ask a question at the Master of Lancer. »
Kazuki then turned to Tetsuya:
« You have seen the strength of my Servant, by now you have understood that your defeat is inevitable. Rider is superior to Lancer, you'd better give up. So what about throwing in the towel and leaving? »
Tetsuya thought about it a bit. With his hands in his pockets he approached one of the trees that had been cut by Rider's Noble Phantasm and then said:
« Or ... »
Tetsuya kicked the trunk against Kazuki, who immediately ducked. The trunk thumped to the ground just missing the Master of Rider who was shocked by the strength of his opponent.
« I could just break that asshole-face you have, brat. » Tetsuya concluded.
« Very well. »
Tetsuya turned to Lancer and said to her:
« Don't die, I want to win against that asshole. »
« Don't worry, Master, I have no intention of dying. »

Lancer fighting Rider by Bikowolf

 

Favorite historical characters who might one day become Servant - 1

Alexander I of Russia

One of my favorite historical characters is definitely Alexander I of Russia.
I don't know why, but there is something about his style and history that attracts me. It must be said that he was one of those who inflicted a very serious defeat on Napoleon Bonaparte, but he was a double-faced emperor. On the one hand he was an enlightened man, a faithful Christian who had studied a lot who loved science and poetry, had great plans for Russia and wanted to fight poverty and reform the state. But it must be said that none of the reforms were successful, he was never able to truly change Russia, and above all he was a man who preferred to be alone and live in his dreams, he was not made to be a politician.This is why many believe that he staged his death in order to live like a monk. 
I would like one day to make a Servant version of Alexander and here are his possible classes:
(a note the stars indicate what for me would be the most suitable class for the character. Five stars is the maximum, no star is the minimum.)
. Rider (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
. Caster (⭐⭐⭐⭐)
. Saber (⭐)
. Assassin (-)
. Lancer (-)
. Berserker (-)
. Archer (-)
. Specter (-)
. Devourer (-)
. Ruler (⭐⭐)
. Avenger (-)

Chapter 93 : The ghost of Russia

January 2, 2021

Moscow. Sergei Rybakov was in the library reading a book by Vladímir Majakovskij, it was Formidable Laughter. He was so immersed in reading that he didn't even notice the presence of another man who sat down next to him.
« Sergei. »
Sergei looked up and saw this man in his forties with a thick beard and little hair on his head. This man with the crow's nose was dressed very elegantly and passed him a ruined wooden cross. Sergei seeing the object said:
« What's this thing? »
« The relic. »
« Impossible. »
« No, this is it, believe me. Vasily told me it's this. »
« Where did he get it? »
« A Polish magus, Lesław Szymczyk, provided it to him. »
« You mean the one who founded the Warsaw Academy of Magecraft? »
« Yes him. »
« Did Guryev give you this and nothing else? »
« Exactly. He only gave me this relic. »
Sergei took a look at that old cross a little bigger than a hand, it was certainly ancient but Sergei feared it was a fake and asked:
« How can I trust Guryev? That's a man with no honor. »
« Trust me, that's the relic. With that you will summon a Servant. »
« Sorry, you're right Igor, I don't want to offend you. After all, we both belonged to the Order of the Blessed. »
« Yerzov and Rybakov, together we were invincible, but then you left. »

« I had to do it. »
« I don't blame you, but I'm sorry. »
Sergei closed the book and put it back on the shelf. Intrigued, Igor asked him:
« Do you only like Mayakovsky? »
« No. I also like Ogarëv and Parnok. »
« Parnok? »
« Don't you know Sofija Parnok? You are truly an ignorant in poetry. »
« I don't have your same obsession. »
Sergei and Igor came out of the library, it was snowing outside, walking on the streets of Moscow, Sergei, clutching the relic that would have allowed him to officially enter the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil. Igor was visibly worried about his friend, he knew that his intent was to fight the war but he didn't know the reason and so he asked him:
« Why do you want to fight? »
« I don't think you would understand, Igor. »
« You can't know if you don't tell me. Tell me. »
« I've been having nightmares for two months now. »
« What kind of nightmares? »
« I see the end of the world, I see myself fighting against a girl who hates me and who, although seeming weak, manages to beat me in a clash and I see a lot of suffering. »
« Therefore? »
« I have seen a cup full of blood, I have seen death and I'm afraid that those images will become reality. I have to fight this war, it's my destiny. »
« Sergei ... »
« I know, it sounds crazy, but believe me: it isn't. »

« Sergei, I will always be on your side, you are like a brother to me, but be careful. The Holy Grail War is not a game, you could die. » 
« Maybe ... or maybe not. The only way to find out is to fight it. »

Sergei Rybakov by Bikowolf

 

My choice, a somewhat gloomy thought

There's a moment when I look at what I'm doing and I'm frightened. I'm frightened because I fear that the choices I make may somehow be wrong. I've always been afraid of making mistakes, my ex-girlfriend (two / three years ago) told me that she has always noticed this huge flaw in me: I don't act for fear of making mistakes.
Only now I realize that she was right. I'm afraid of making mistakes. Whenever I make a choice I'm afraid I have made the wrong choice and therefore I'm always doubtful, sometimes slightly paranoid, and this disturbs me.
I'm writing this blognovel. What if it was a mistake? What if I give up and focus more on studying?
I like studying philosophy at university, of course, but I can't deny to myself that I've aspirations that distance themselves from philosophy.
I like to write, but I don't like to write about philosophy, I like to tell my stories and make them known to the world. I've been writing since I was little, I've been creating stories since I was little, but maybe ... maybe I'm doing everything wrong.
Maybe I should step back and leave it all behind. But then there's that voice ... that voice that tempts me. Every time I study and concentrate I hear a voice (it's a thought) that pushes me to create something new. Today, while studying Wittgenstein, I started thinking about a story about a man imprisoned in a room and forced to communicate via email with someone else. He does not know who's writing: a person or a machine? And then there's a whole story that unfolds and that must reveal the mystery, the enigma.
That voice is a temptress. It causes me to leave everything behind and simply create something new, to use this fantasy that I have in my head and that seems to be about to explode.

But then ...

There is the real world and that's an asshole. The real world is about money, not dreams, but dreams that make money; the real world doesn't encourage you to follow your dreams but to follow what makes you survive; we have to sacrifice our dreams for money instead of our life for dreams.
So what's the moral of the story?
Alan Watts would say:
 
"Much better to have a short but happy life than a long but miserable life."
 
True. But everyone is free to choose what kind of life to have and this is also right. I personally think this:
We have one life, one bullet in this rifle, one shot. If you waste that single shot, it's over. There is nothing after. It's over. So in this one life, what's better? To follow yourself or to follow others?
 
I have already made my choice. 

Chapter 92 : Start a war (part 4)

January 20, 2021

Hamburg. After having had the opportunity to speak with Friedrich Wolff, Kumahira Yukiko, headed towards the church of St. Michael where some members of the Rote Mäntel were gathering to prepare for the ritual to summon the Servant. It was night and Yukiko was alone. She approached the doors of the church but two men stopped her, one of them said:
« I'm sorry, miss, you can't go through. »
Inside the church the ritual had already begun, in a few minutes the Servant would appear, but Yukiko was in no hurry. She walked slowly away with a predatory grin, waiting for the end of the summoning.
The Rote Mäntel managed to summon Caster. The Master was a young magus ready to win the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil for the sake of their organization, the Servant was restless, something was troubling him.
« What's going on, Caster? » Asked the young Master.
« There's a Servant. There's a very powerful Servant. » He replied, intimidated.
Caster opened his book, took out his goose down and summoned beings made of ink. The men in the church were confused but at that moment the doors were destroyed, the two guards who were outside had been killed and Yukiko entered the church. The Master was young and inexperienced and with a bold tone he exclaimed:
« You must be a Master! There is no problem, I am not afraid of you! I will kill you! »
Yukiko remained silent, she had completely ignored the words of the young Master. She looked at Caster, made a smug face and said:
« You are very weak, Caster, my Servant will kill you in a moment. »
The ink beings attacked Yukiko but at that moment Berserker appeared: a girl with coal-black armor, full of scales, with a battle skirt similar to that of a princess and with a helmet in the shape of a dragon's head .
Berserker killed the ink beings with a few strokes and then her fists were wrapped in red flames that tended to black. Caster, intimidated, thought of immediately using his Noble Phantasm but Berserker hit him with such a powerful punch that he flew out of the church.
The young Master used a Command Seal:
« Caster, I'll strengthen you! »
Yukiko didn't stop him, she knew Berserker would kill Caster anyway. The other men in the church surrounded Yukiko and she said:
« You can't stop me in any way, you are like dung compared to me. »
Then she recited a magic formula:
« Jag är Oövervinnlig. »
The men cast their spells in unison but these had no effect on Yukiko. The girl killed those fools by splitting their heads, tearing their hearts and breaking up their limbs. The young Master was shocked, that fragile girl looked like a demon.
« Stay away! Monster! » He shouted, frightened.
« I don't need to come over there to kill you. » She said, smiling.
Berserker joined Yukiko, clutching Caster by the throat, who was unable to react, he was like a wounded rabbit.
« Servants ... shouldn't be so weak ... » said the young Master, traumatized.
« Compared to Berserker, all Servants are weak, especially if there are incompetent Masters like you with them. You are the living proof that the Holy Grail War is not made for everyone. »
« Caster! Caster, react! I order you! »
« A writer should not be a Caster, otherwise this is what happens. Your dearest Nostradamus has become Berserker's bitch, but don't worry, you will die together. »
« WAIT! Have mercy on me! I didn't want to participate in this war! » Shouted the boy in tears.
« You're really pathetic. Don't you really have anything interesting for me? Can you at least fight a little? »
« I want to live! Please, let me live! »
The young Master was on his knees, in tears and was peeing on himself, it was a pitiful sight but Yukiko had no compassion. She nodded to Berserker and she threw Caster's body next to the young Master. Yukiko left leaving Berserker in front of the two of them, the last words she addressed to the boy were:
« Even the devil will throw you up. »
Berserker used her Noble Phantasm:
« Ashes of Camelot! (My Hell is Eternal) »
Berserker launched a powerful vortex of fire from her hands that burned the young Master and his Servant together. Part of the church was completely destroyed.  
This was the way Yukiko loved to start a war.

Yukiko Kumahira and Berserker by Bikowolf

 

Berserker kills Caster by Bikowolf

 

Chapter 91 : Start a war (part 3)

A luxurious hotel room, certainly something that only the Coven could afford. Alessandro Serpi was tired from traveling by plane and only wanted to sleep. He put his bags aside without even opening them and lay down on the double bed. Saber appeared:
« Do you want to sleep a little Master? »
« Is that a problem for you? I think I have already given too much for today. »
« The sun has just risen. »
« But we have just arrived. Is it possible that you don't have a conception of tiredness? »
« I'm a Servant. I depend solely on your magical energy and you have a lot of it. You are a very strong magus, you know? »
« I belong to a family that has been practicing Magecraft for many generations. »
« So you're some kind of aristocrat? »
« It's more or less like that among magi, yes. It's all about biology. »
Saber snorted and said:
« Why don't you just call yourself "magicians"? It's all simpler like this. »
« Because a magus is not like a magician. A magician can do real miracles, they do what we call magic, and they overcome the limits established by thaumaturgy. »
Saber then asked curiously:
« Your family is made up of magi, did you say? »
« The Serpis are a very ancient family, in Italy there are at least twenty families of magi, and there are just as many in France, Germany and in every other country in Europe. »
« But are you the strongest magus of the Coven? »
« No. The Grand Master Giovanni Monteverdi X is much stronger than me. » Alessandro yawned.
Saber, noticing that he was struggling to keep his eyes open, let him sleep peacefully.

That afternoon Alessandro got out of bed and realized that Saber was in front of him with a completely different suit: she had black tights, Mary Jane shoes, a dark blue miniskirt and a pink sweatshirt, with a hood. The girl had taken off her laurel wreath and the weapon was also gone.
Confused, he asked her:
« What are you doing? »
« While you were in bed I took the time to visit Londinium. Barbarians have really modernized! »
« What?! You went out and you didn't tell me anything?! What if they attacked you?! »
« Impossible. Here in Londinium they are all so kind. Even though they told me it's called Lon-don. Strange name. Londinium sounds much better, don't you think too? »
« Saber ... you had to tell me! You had to wake me up! »
« Relax, relax, I have something for you: here. »
Saber gave Alessandro a miniature of a blue phone box and then he asked:
« What is this stuff? »
« I don't know. They told me it's from a doctor but I didn't understand his name. Do you like it? I find it cute. »
« Saber, listen to me, you can't do that. Promise me you won't do it again. »
« Can I promise that I will do it only a few times? »
« Saber! »
« Okay, okay, there is no need to be so paranoid. And then I'm glad you have enough magical energy to keep me in this form. You really have to be some sort of Super 
Magus. »
« If you like to believe it ... »
Alessandro went into the living room, opened a suitcase and took out a glass container full of salt, then spread a map of London on the floor and spread the salt on it. Saber, curious, asked him:
« What are you doing, Master? »
« I want to know how many other Masters are present in London. »
Saber stroked Alessandro's head and the latter, unnerved, exclaimed:
« I'm not a dog, you know? »
« But you have been very good. You're acting like a strategist, I like it. »
« I'm just doing the most logical thing. »
Saber smiled, proud of his Master's initiative but the latter was not happy to be treated like a child. He got up from the floor and said, snapping his fingers:
« Revelare. »
The salt formed several heaps in parts of the map and Alessandro, noting the position and the number of heaps, commented:
« There are only four. Five more are missing. They will probably be in London shortly. »
« Master, can you locate magic energy with that magic? »
« Yup. »
« Can you also try to locate the Holy Grail? »
« I can try. »
He snapped his fingers again and said:
« Signum Videre. »
The salt began to spin randomly on the map of London without ever stopping.
« I can't locate it. » Alessandro said, disappointed.
« I was wondering one thing: isn't it risky to fight a war in a city full of civilians? »
« Obviously. However, it's possible that battles will take place in isolated places where no one can poke their noses. »
« I hope you're right, I can't stand hurting those who don't know how to defend themselves. »

Alessandro Serpi and Saber by Bikowolf

 

Stupid thing, stupid notes ... yeeeh 😐

During the correction of the first 78 chapters of the first arc I counted the number of words just for fun. In total there are 76,872 words. Yeeeh ... 😬😬😬

Chapter 90 : Start a war (part 2)

January 26, 2021

Friedrich Wolff had therefore arrived in London with his Servant. Once in town the first thing he did was to find himself a place to stay, a hotel. Friedrich had already been to London and knew how to find his way, so he had no problem finding accommodation. He made himself comfortable in a well-kept hotel room where there was a bathroom with a bathtub, a toilet and a sink; the bed was single and there was a fairly large living room with a modern TV and a brown sofa.
Friedrich placed his guitar near the exit door. He opened the windows to let the air flow, opened the closet to check if there was anything belonging to the previous tenants, ran the tap and tub water and then checked the toilet drain. Everything seemed in order.
Specter appeared:
« I didn't think a nomad like you had enough money to afford a place like this. »
« I did several jobs. »
« Something immoral? »
« I'm not that kind of person. »
« What kind of person are you then? You don't seem like your typical good boy. »
« I am the type of person who loves to live freely. »
« Then why did you agree to participate in this war? »
« There is something weird. » He replied: « That Yukiko knows something and is intriguing me. »
« In fact she had talked about Nidhoggr and a cycle of eternal return ... but do you really care about these things? »
« You know something about this? »
« I know many things. What are you referring to? » She asked, smiling.
« Do you know what Yukiko was talking about? »
« Do you believe her? »
« I don't know. »
Specter chuckled, approached Friedrich and murmured:
« Liar. »
« Why? »
She sat on the bed and, crossing her legs, explained:
« Ever since you met that girl, you left Hamburg, you went to Berlin where you spent most of your time researching in a dusty library and then decided to go to Paris to meet a friend of yours that you couldn't find and then you decided to come here to London just to be able to talk to that girl. You believe her. »
« Okay, I believe her. But you didn't answer my question: do you know what Yukiko was talking about? »
« I'm not a divinity, therefore I cannot confirm or even deny her conjectures, however, I can tell you that they are not new to me. In the Gnostic doctrines Abraxas was considered a divinity for half cock and half snake and was protected by the Uroborus, considered a being that represented the totality of time, space and the primordial ocean. The Uroborus was not bad or even good, but represented the beginning and the end of a cycle and its beginning again. It separated the earthly world from the dark one, coincidentally just like Nidhoggr. »
« What if it's true? »
« IF it were true then it would be a big problem for you. »
« Why? »
« Because you can't escape the Uroborus. Beyond him is the void. »
At that moment Friedrich, taking a look at his Servant, thought it would be smart to try to understand her limits immediately and then he asked her:
« Can I check your combat parameters? »
« Do you think I'm not strong enough as Servant? »
« I don't know the characteristics of your class. »
« And how do you want to know them ...? »
Friedrich touched her chest, closed his eyes, and could feel the exact strength of his Servant. Specter, however, took the opportunity to grab his hand, carried him forcefully on the bed and jumped on him.
« What are you doing?! »
« I'm a demon who has special needs, Master. »
« You're joking, right? »
« Just looking at you, I want to rape you. »
A blade came out of Specter's arm and she placed it in front of his throat.
« This "bad boy attitude" of yours excites me. »
« No, no, no, no! Forget it! Remove this blade from my throat! »
« Why? Don't tell me you're still a virgin? »
He punched her in the head.
« Ouch! This will make me a bump! »
Friedrich was embarrassed and red as a pepper.
« The nymphomaniac Servant had to happen to me. »

Specter by Bikowolf

Specter and Friedrich Wolff by Bikowolf

 

🎇 Happy New Year! 🎇

Happy New Year to all my readers! You are really dear to me and I treasure your interest in my work! Thank you so much!