>>44042442
>Slowly get out of the bed

>>44042442
>Slowly get out of the bed

>>44042606

Slowly getting out of the bed, you take the chance to examine the corpse.
The head is almost completely detached from the neck, and the whole body seems to be standing in a twisted and unnatural position.
You head towards Saber, who stretches his hand out to you.

The second you hold it, the world seems to return to normality. The dreamlike haze is gone, and your room looks normal once more.

"What is this, Saber?"
"Most likely one of Caster's tricks. Thankfully my Magic Resistance is as high as it can be, and our bond is pretty good, so you get to benefit from it."
"Our bond?"
"Yes, our bond. The bond is the connection between a Master and Servant. The stronger it is, the stronger the Servant, and the more a Master can benefit from its Servant's skills."

You smile in gratefulness, as Saber seems to be the only person who cares enough to explain to you what's going on.
"It is better to look for the source of this, Master. Caster can't sustain an enchantment this big and this strong for ever. Unless..."
You shiver at that 'unless'. Maybe Saber is pondering whether the bond between Caster and his or her master is strong enough to do much worse.

If that's the case, maybe it's wiser to look for help.

>go alone
>Try to reach other Masters.

>>44042708
>Try to reach other Masters.

>>44042708
>Try to reach other Masters.
If Caster's attempting direct attacks on us instead of our Servant, that's sufficient reason to propose an alliance with whichever side(s) doesn't have Caster.

Of course, it could be a deception by another Servant with abilities that resemble that of a Caster, to bait us into allying with them.

Regardless, we need information. There's nothing to say that the other Masters haven't been similarly attacked.

At the very least, anyone with common sense should be able to tell that, no matter who did this, it most likely wasn't us.

>>44042803
>>44042803

"Saber, I don't like this any more than you do, but we ought to look for help somewhere, somehow."
"No, master. I agree, we should. My magic resistance only goes so far. We need help."

Saber stretches his arm forward, and his magic resistance is cast like if it were torchlight in the dark.
Around you, the mystic haze is thick and swarming with mind-boggling horrors.
You try to keep your cool, but some eldritch abominations and perverted figures really make you shiver.

"Which way, Master?"

You ponder this intently. The Student Council Alliance is probably in class, while the other 2 girls are most likely in the tea room trying to come up with a strategy. You assume the legless girl is one of the masters, but you have no idea who the last one could be, and especially, who is Caster's Master.
Any guess at this point is as good as another

>head for the classroom
>head for the tea room

>>44042887
>head for the tea room
I could have been misreading - who were the ones who were against involving the rest of the student population again?

>>44042887
>head for the classroom

>>44042887
>head for the tea room

>>44043163
Lily and Hanako, usually they hang at the tea room. All the info is in the pastebin anyway :)
>>44043204
>>44043234

"Let's go to the tea room, Saber"
An imperceptible nod from your Servant signals you that he understood and that he agrees.

Caster's illusion must be rather effective, as corridors turn into labyrinths, rooms into caves, and stairs change direction and orientation.
The tea room seems farther away with every step you take, and the walk is tiring you out.

Finally, you reach the room. It seems to be locked from the inside, but after knocking on it a couple of times without receiving a reply, you assume no one is there.

As you turn around to talk with Saber, you notice something. Now that his beam of magical resistance is pointed against you, you can see behind his shoulders a familiar figure.
It is the dead guy, now heading towards your same class.

"Master, look here!"
Saber points at the door. "Somebody wrote on it. 'moortra'. What does that even mean?"
It is a riddle, but you're torn between attempting to solve it and following the shade of the dead Hisao as he walks around

>>44043397
>moortra
Artroom backwards. We Mirror World now.

Anyway:
>Follow the shade.

>>44043567
>>44043397
second

>>44043567
"Wait Saber. Turn off your magic resistance beacon."
Saber hesitates, but obeys.
"Let's follow that shade!", you say, pointing at the dead guy.

He seems to be heading to your classroom, and even if you and Saber struggle to keep up with the abominations on the ground, and with the twisted reality, you manage to catch up with him. He seems to be talking with someone, his voice barely audible.

"For the last time, I do not want to join the Student Council. Your attempts to blackmail and coerce me are just driving me further away from you, don't you see? "
Clearly he was the object of unwanted attentions during his permanence in Yamaku.
"Besides, why do you dislike...uh, who is there?"
He turns around and stares at you, like if he could see you.
"Hey Johnathan. How are you?"
You blood chills in your veins, and Saber materializes his sword. How does this shade know about you? Is this another trick of Caster?
"hello? You alright?"
He clearly notices you, but not Saber. Something odd is going on, but unlike the horrors all around you, this shade of Hisao seem to be innocuous. If it wanted to attack you, you reason, he had plenty of chances to do so.
This might well be a ruse, a masterly crafted one. And yet the chance to learn more about him is alluring

>talk to the shade
>order Saber to kill it.

>>44043885
>talk to the shade
>Sorry, we've been a little off as of late. But man, when was the last time we've seen each other? It feel like ages ago, doesn't it?
Play along. We'll probably find out more that way.

>>44043885

>talk to the shade
>>44043939

>>44043939
>>44043964

"Ah yes, Hisao, sorry. Something was on my mind. How are you? Everything alright?"
"I can't complain, but my neck hurts as hell.", he says, massaging his neck as he talks.
"I've heard you quarreled with Emi".
"Emi? Who is that?"
"You know, the legless runner. That girl really is a hothead", he says, laughing friendly. Then he turns serious. "Please don't grudge her. She's been through a lot. I know threatening to kill you was very inconsiderate, but... Let's put it like this. She's a very determined girl. She'd do whatever to achieve her goal. She is an amputee, but doctors claimed they never saw such a speedy recovery. She learned how to walk on prosthetics faster than doctors had foreseen, and then she started running on those. All I am saying is that she has got a big goal in mind this time, and she perceives anybody that is standing between her and her goals as a threat." He shrugs pensively.
"It's a shame you didn't get to meet her when her mood was better. I am sure she would have befriended you and helped you out" he winks "and he would have trained you too, if that was what you wanted". He smiles once more, before turning serious again. "But those times are gone. She is this way because her greatest fear, that of losing all she had in the blink of an eye, became real. Again. But hey, looks like class is about to begin! I have to run." He smiles and waves at you as he gets in.
Then the door creaks open again, Hisao's head peaking out. "Oh, you should head to the art room. But you already know that, don't you? Smart guy!". As the door closes again, you and Saber are left alone.

>"Did you see that, Saber?"
>"Come on Saber, we're off to the Art Room"

>>44044125
>"Did you see that, Saber?"
Is the door one of those that has a transparent window set into it? If so, can we peek into the room Hisao apparently just left into?

>>44044125
>"Did you see that, Saber?"
>"Come on Saber, we're off to the Art Room"

>>44044187
>>44044354


"Did you see that Saber?"
"I didn't see anything Master. Who were you talking to?"
You open the classroom door in a rush, only to find it completely engulfed in the darkness and ripe with the smell of corruption. You close the door as quickly as you can, trying as hard as you can not to puke.
You're bending over with your hand on your stomach, which worries Saber.
"Master, what is going on?" Slowly you gain control again. "It's alright. It was nothing, probably another illusion. We should head to the Art room."
Saber nods again, and as you set off for the Art room, he channels his magic resist in a beam once more.

The walk to the Art room seems much less demanding than the walk to the tea room.
None of the horrors around you seem to be hostile, strangely enough. Either this trap has been masterfully crafted, or it is just a rather poor attempt altogether.

"Master, the Art class is this way. This is what the building plant said, anyway. I checked it,there was no magic on it."

As you head towards the door, you catch two movements with the corner of your eye. On your right, a shadow drops a piece of paper and disappears.
On your left, a shade you barely recognize gets tackled down to the floor.

>Investigate the collision
>Investigate the piece of paper on the ground

>>44044476
>Investigate the piece of paper on the ground

>>44044476
>Investigate the piece of paper on the ground
I have no inclination one way or the other, but have no desire to create a tie.

>>44044533
>>44044678

You turn around to pick up the piece of paper.
It is a message scribbled with no particular care, that reads: 'crouch and cover you're ears'

You instantly comply, and the very second you do so, a noise that could shatter a million windows reverberates throughout the corridors.
It sounds like somebody is blowing his warhorn, and the sound is so intense it almost hurts. Saber seems to be practically immune to all of this.

As the sound ends, another one begins: that of an earthquake. Things around starts to tremble and fall off, and you can't help ending up on the ground. Saber, right in front of you, helps you up again before turning camouflage on.

As the brief earthquake finishes, all the misty haze surrounding you disappears. The illusion is broken. What the hell was that?

An echoing laughter takes you aback. "Wahaha, John, did you see that?"
The pink-haired interpreter appears behind you, with a smug look on her face. "My Berserker is the strongest! And so is our team! You should have joined us!"
The deaf girl standards signaling back and forth with a rage, and this seems to spillover to Misha. "And by the way, John, that was very rude! 'Nuts', this is not how you respond to ladies, not at all, right Shicchan!"

>"My ticket is rude, yours is grammatically wrong. What of it?"
>"Whatever. The Art Room is that way"

>>44044904
>"Whatever. The Art Room is that way"

>>44044904
>"Wait wait wait! Before we go any further, first things first - very important question: is Caster in your side, because someone's been doing some very Caster-like fucking with my head all morning."

>>44044904
>"Whatever. The Art Room is that way"

>>44044973
>>44045081

"Whatever. The Art Room is that way anyway."
"What's in the Art Room, John?"
You shrug. "Caster's Master I presume. What is it, having second thoughts?" A sarcastic smile spreads on your face. "Or maybe you're afraid your servants won't be up for the challenge?"
Shizune starts signing furiously as Misha translates "In case you didn't notice, it was my Berserker who just destroyed Caster's illusion! So you should be more grateful! Plus Shizune says that her Lancer would destroy your Saber any day!" Then the torrent of words stop, as Misha realizes her blunder. "I, I mean, her knight-class Servant!". You celebrate your small triumph silently, as you know stand on equal footing with your rivals for what concerns information. At least partially.

You move on to open the door, just to reveal what seems to be a rather tall and tomboyish girl painting with her legs. Her shirt's sleeves are tied in knots. You remember seeing her amidst the confusion of the summoning of Saber, but she didn't say much, nor did you care to talk with her.
She is attractive in her own way, with dark green eyes and red hair. You wonder if she's Caster's Master, and if so, what is her wish for fighting in such a war.

>"Any last words, Poor Man's Michelangelo?"
>"You're responsible for all of this, right?Surrender your command seals and you won't be harmed"

>>44045222
>"You're responsible for all of this, right?Surrender your command seals and you won't be harmed"
You are living your life wrong!

>>44045222
>"You're responsible for all of this, right?Surrender your command seals and you won't be harmed."
>"Why are you even doing this?"

>>44045222
>>"You're responsible for all of this, right?Surrender your command seals and you won't be harmed"

>>44045275
>>44045362
>>44045468


"You're responsible for all of this, right? Surrender your command seals and you won't be harmed"

The girl turns around, staring at you with an expression in between annoyed and bored.
"No".
"No? What do you mean 'no', you just engulfed the school in an extra-dimensional abomination, did you really think somebody wouldn't figure it out and try to stop you?"
She shrugs. "I just enjoy having a painting partner. Is is that bad?"
"Where is he, now? Your Servant. Or she, whatever. Look we don't have much time, in a second..."
You're cut off by the sound of the door opening and Misha's cry. "BUSTED!"
"there you go", you comment sadly.
Shizune starts signing with a warlike expression, and Misha tries to convey her anger through her speech "What were you thinking, miss Tezuka? You should never, ever fight or use your Servant's power outside of the designated Reality Marble! The life of your fellow students were on the line!"
'A lot of tough talk from someone who wanted to use the students as living battery for this so-called 'Reality Marble'', you think.
"Hey", answers the painting girl lazily. "It's not like anybody got injured, right? I won't do that again. Just let me paint."
"I don't think so", coldly sates a male voice coming from nowhere. Then, an oplite appears out of thin air, with a short knife pointed at the girl's throat. "It's a good time to surrender, Caster!" he shouts. The girl looks genuinely scared, and you think it's a good time to take the initiative.

>"Calm down now, we said no harm to the Masters"
>Try to locate the exit to get out of this

>>44045504

>"Calm down now, we said no harm to the Masters"
Have Saber be ready to interfere.

>>44045504
>"Calm down now, we said no harm to the Masters"
>"Miss... Tezuka, is it? If you just want to paint, why did you need to put a spell over the entire school?"

>>44045504
>>"Calm down now, we said no harm to the Masters"

>>44045554
>>44045633
>>44045606

"Ok now let's all calm down. We said no harm to Masters, right?" the situation is making you uncomfortable: a master is being threatened at sword's point, and yours is nowhere to be seen. But you feel a familiar presence by your side the second you think about that: saber hasn't abandoned you.

"Miss...Tezuka, is it? There are no rules against painting. But painting an horrific spell all over the school isn't exactly something nice to do".

"THAT'S BECAUSE ALL OF YOU ARE NARROW-MINDED IDIOTS!". A voice in a thick spanish accent can be heard across the room, then Caster materializes: a man wearing a somber suit, with crazy moustache on his face, and a walking cane with a golden skull on the top of it.
"The girl wants to paint, let her paint no? You mediocre dogs wouldn't know artistic talent if it stung you in your back! And what's this blabbering about horror stories? It's just fantasy, just imagination! The true horror is right here in this room!" You can see Misha struggling to keep up with the translation.
"Teenagers fighting a war against each other, standing ready to spill each other's blood! Now that's horror, not some imaginary bugaboo!". His words reek of his spite, and both the girls from the Student Council seem to be at a loss for words.
"Then what do you propose?", you finally say, eyeing nervously the oplite pointing his knife to the girl
"Let us be, and we will let you be! Everybody wins. We don't even want the Grail, do we, Master?" Tezuka answers shrugging. "Just let us have a good time", he finishes

>"Alright. But no more accidents like this."
>"Sorry, we can't let you have that. Surrender, and your Master won't be harmed".

>>44045753
>"Swear it. Swear it on your Command Seals. Swear not to harm anyone. Your imagination , your fantasy - it is awe-inspiring, but for us many non-imaginative people, it is often too much to bear."

>>44045831
>>44045753
yeah this. Tell Dali his crazy shit gets boring real quick if it comes to people getting shrekt

>>44045753
>"Alright. But no more accidents like this."

>>44045831
>>44045972
>>44045906
Kudos for guessing the Heroic Spirit

"Alright then. Swear it. Swear it on your Command Seals. Swear not to harm anyone. Your imagination, for how sick or inspiring it can be, is also a weapon of mass destruction. Keep that thing in check and you're ok on my book."

You smile at her, and she smiles and nods at you. "My Command seals are on my foot. A matter of convenience I guess. Anyway..."
"WAHAHAHA! Very moving John, very moving! Shicchan says she's touched! But! We can't let this happen". You look at Misha, who's standing with her arms crossed on her chest and a proud smile on her face.
"Berserker, get him!" she orders, unflinching.
It all happens in a second. A knight in a rusty armor appears behind caster, and grabs him by his arms.
You can quickly spot a warhorn and beautifully crafted sword hanging on his hips, before he unleashes an horrific battlecry
"WEAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHO"
As he screams, Berserker starts pulling Dalí's arms in opposite direction. He screams too, but in pain.
"NO!" you exclaim "LET HIM GO!". But it's too late. Caster is torn apart by Berserker's sheer force. Lancer lets go of Tezuka, who falls on the ground and starts weeping.
"Well done, Caster! Wahah! Quick and painless. Now let's go". Shizune, Misha and their Servants head for the door, but they're interrupted by Tezuka's cry. "Why? Why is it so important to you that I am miserable? He was the only one to ever understand...".
Then Shizune starts signing. Apparently she has no intentions to apologize. "John, Shicchan says that now you have to join us, since we saved you from Caster!. Besides, we're the strongest! You have seen it yourself haven't you? WAHAHA"

>"Sod off!" [Help Tezuka get up]
>"Alright. Let's talk."

>>44046135
>"Sod off!" [Help Tezuka get up]
>"Saved me? Are you retarded, is that your disability?"

>>44046135
>"Sod off!" [Help Tezuka get up]
>"I hope you're not under and misconceptions that the goodwill you acquired in breaking me out of Caster's illusion hasn't been entirely erased by killing him while I was in the middle of negotiating a truce!"

>>44046167
>>44046288


"Oh sod off will you?" you say, barely controlling your rage. You help the armless girl get up. "Look I am sorry... I should have tried harder." She shakes her head. "Thanks for trying. You did more than enough. Just... no need to call me Tezuka. You can call me Rin."
She smiles timidly, and you smile back.
"Alright then. Rin. Did you create that shadow of Hisao? To talk with me?"
She nods again. "Thanks for that. I appreciate the gesture".

"John! how rude of you!" Misha's voice is loudest than a thousand airplanes taking off at the same time. "Well then, Shicchan says that if you have no desire to comply, we'll settle this right here, right now!"

Lancer and Berserker reach for their weapons and start walking towards you, as Saber exits camouflage and wields his sword too.
"The odds are against us today, Master. But we''ll give them a run for their money!", he claims boisterously.

"And so will we". A calm, almost ethereal voice comes from the entrance. Lily and Hanako make their way through the door.
"Let them go, Shizune. The fight is over today. Or we'll take his side!". Hanako tries to nod convincingly, but ends up looking more like an upset puppy.

Misha signals that to Shizune, who adjusts her glasses triumphantly, before starting to signal on her own. "Satou, always minding someone's business I see!" Misha crosses her arms in displeasure. "Very well, let's call it a day."
She turns to you and grins as widely as she can. "See you around, John".
You feel like you should feel threatened, but Misha's good nature gets in the way of Shizune's cold and calculating attitude.
"I WON'T FORGET THIS!" you scream, as they get out, past Lily and Hanako. But you are afraid your words are lost on that.

Lily turns in your general direction and asks
"My, my, John. Are you alright? Quite a predicament it was".

>"Yes, I am. Thanks for your help. Maybe we should team up after all".
>"Thanks for the help, I owe you one."

>>44046394
Just to make it clear, selecting last option WON'T result in an alliance with Lily and Hanako.

>"Thanks for that. I appreciate the gesture".
This is John talking, I assume it could create confusion.

>you are afraid your words are lost on *them.

sorry, typo.

>>44046394
>"Thanks for the help, I owe you one."
Still on them to convince us of why we should team up with them. I imagine it'd be more likely than the other two now, though.

>>44046394
>"Thanks for the help, I owe you one."

Illconsider tue team up tell them

>>44046394
>>"Yes, I am. Thanks for your help. Maybe we should team up after all".

>>44046498
>>44046508
>>44046510

"I am. Thank you girls. I owe you one."
Lily smiles and so does Hanako.
"Don't you worry, John. We did it because it was fair, not to trick you into tagging along with us. After all, you're brave boy with a kind heart. Don't let them take it away from you".

Having said this, they turn around and exit from the door. You assume their servants never left camouflage. You're left alone in your room with Rin.
"What a day, right?" You try to smile at her and cheer her up, but you can see she's not in the mood.
"I am sorry. I know how it feels like to be alienated and misunderstood."
She shakes her head. "It's ok, you did your best. And I am not that alone"
"No? I guess Emi is your friend, right?"
She nods slightly. "You could be my friend too, if you wanted."
You nod and smile. "Of course, I would very much like that".
You check your watch and realize you're late for class.
"I must go now, Rin. See you around!"
"One last thing, John."
"Yes?"
"I know you want to defeat Emi. I won't grudge her if you do. Just don't hurt her. Ok?"
You think for a second, and with the most serious face you can muster, you proclaim.
"If I will somehow emerge victorious, you have my word she won't be harmed".
Rin nods slightly, with half a smile on her face. Then she speaks up again.
"Too bad I won't get her to promise the same".

=========
thank you guys for the high turnout rate!
I will give you a fun fact to close this evening together.

In the early plans for my adventure, Saber was going to be the Ice Warrior from the Emerald Sword Saga. But on second thought, I realized that was a bit too much.

>>44046694
>that was a bit too much
Kek
See you next time boss.

>>44046694
Of course, of course.

Bracing for Ice Warrior Rider.

>>44046814
>>44046853

the Ice Warrior is out, maybe next time boys.

GLOOOOOOORIA, GLORIAAAAA PERPETUAAAAA