Quest for the Grail II

Summary: Stranded in a world not her own, Fujmaru Ritsuka must resolve the anomaly that is creating a singularity in space and time.

"I see," Ritsuka said, laying her teacup down. "So he is no true Dragon, merely an imitation in shape. Of course, if that is the case, then calling upon Georgios was very lucky," she said.

"Why? Does he have some sort of cheat device that makes his enemies into dragons for him to fight?" asked the uncommonly pretty boy of the lot. His name was Alec, and he had actually been courteous enough to introduce himself. After backing down from the fight when the dark skinned Servant Ritsuka had summoned easily handled their beasts.

Beowulf was always up for a fight with a beast, though Ritsuka had learned never to summon him and Arthur at the same time. It would just get silly.

The others had introduced themselves promptly.

"Of course," Ritsuka said, smiling.

Her eyes swept the L couch. The tall, dark skinned and well muscled boy, his name was Brian. Apparently his name was not a reference to that old text based game she had played with Dr. Roman. Good. Those things scared her more than Goetia ever could. So much lost progress because she'd forgotten to carry a match or a torch in her inventory.

The slightly smaller, but still rather noticeably bulky female that was tending to her dogs, scared and terrified from Beowulf's display, was named Rachel. Ritsuka liked Rachel, she was quiet and didn't really do much of anything after Beowulf had cowed her. She would recommend a shower, however, she did smell like wet dog.

Finally was the blonde in spandex, Lisa. The 'brain' of the group. Ritsuka had already determined she suffered from a terminal case of foot in mouth syndrome. That alone had tempted Ritsuka to summon Gawain, simply to watch the two of them try to dig their feet out of their mouths and just make it worse and worse until the awkwardness reached champion levels.

"Fuck. I just realized. That's Saint George, isn't it?" Lisa asked, turning to the raging fight, where the increasingly bigger and angrier Lung was getting cut to ribbons by the Guardian Knight, who was making a notable effort to keep the fight away form his master and her party. "And the madman before... that was the real Beowulf, too."

"Correct on both counts," Ritsuka said, nodding.

"But... how, none of that makes any sense!" Lisa continued, "they're dead, their mythical feats are proven mostly false, and I'm not entirely sure Beowulf even existed at all, even though I just met him!"

"Perhaps in this world they are mere myth and legend," Ritsuka said. "In mine, they are not. If it'll make it easier, it's just magic, we don't have to explain it."

"The only reason you won't explain it is that you can't, you can't do magic on your own, can you?"

Ritsuka blushed. "I'm a terrible Magus, yes, and I can pretty much just use my Mystic Codes and that's that. But hey," she said, turning to the fight, "I think we're done here."

Saint George stood triumphant over the broken, battered and cut up body of Lung.

"Is... is he dead?" Brian asked. The fight had been gory, but not exactly what you would call spectacular. Most of it was simply Saint George cutting apart Lung, while Lung tried to set things on fire only to be weakened immensely by George while at the same time blocked from escaping or damaging the environment.

For Brian, it was pretty interesting to watch, as he saw a man move with far greater skill than he had ever seen, and he said as much, but for the others, it was actually not all that interesting, which they also expressed.

Lisa whistled. "He was for the past ten minutes. His regeneration is honestly insane when he gets this fired up..."

"Well, nothing really weird has happened. At least not outside the norm," Lisa said. "I don't think I can help-"

Her cellphone rang.

"Just a minute," Lisa said, fishing into her purse (gotta live up to the image of a normal teen when in the boardwalk!) and pulling out her phone, answering the call and bringing it to her ear. "I've got company right now, give me - what? Really? Oh man, that's hilar- okay so that's not funny at all actually. Kinda messed- seriously? Shit. Shit shit shit. Yeah, about that, boss - I think we might have an in on what's going on right now. She's next to me right now, and claims to come from an alternate world, seems to be seeking some sort of artifact of great power that basically creates weird situations. Exactly."

Ritsuka blinked. That was one fast conversation, she didn't even know if there was time for the other person to answer.

"Cool. Yeah, I'll bring her over - I think it's better if we talk in person."

Beside her, Brian seemed suspicious. "It's strange. The boss doesn't usually meet with people in person. He's a very cautious man."

Ritsuka nodded. "Well if what's happening is what I think is happening, then I might have found the Grail, and the situation could not be any more serious."

"Extremely serious, indeed," the man behind the snake themed costume said. "This... Holy Grail, that you mentioned, could it be responsible for the changes in the Merchants?"

He laid a series of folders on the desk in front of himself. Ritsuka reached into the one labelled 'Skidmark' with a smaller 'leader' underneath it and opened it. "This is a very disgusting individual," she said, idly.

"Yes," Coil said. "But that is his normal state."

Ritsuka turned the page. The man had clearly gained at least an inch or two, his muscles were rippling, veins, glowing red, were visible all across his exposed upper body, his eyes were almost glittering gold and of course, he was wreathed in dark energy. Reports said that any and all attacks headed in his direction were simply repelled, and that while it was part of his powerset, the red and black fields he was generating were significantly stronger than what he had ever used before.

"This does indeed look like the influence of a Grail."

The fact that he had apparently shrugged off mundane gunfire, something he was not capable of before, was the clincher - he had become a Phantasmal entity, on a similar level to a Servant. Mundane weaponry would not be able to harm him any more.

"The other two on file, as well as a third that we have not yet compiled a file upon, display similar traits," he said, gesturing to the files reading 'Squealer' and 'Mush'.

"It's almost certain that removing the grail will end this situation. However, I do not know which of them possesses it, or if they came into contact with it, its corrupted essence or even the mud that spews from the taint of the Demon God Pillars," Ritsuka explained.

"In the meantime, while we look for the grail, how do we fight them?" Coil asked. "Bullets, knives - even explosives - have all failed."

"Mundane weaponry will have no effect. They are conceptually speaking elevated existences," Ritsuka explained, "It's kind of hard to explain, but the gist of it is that you're gonna need to fight them with magic. I'm not entirely sure, but your parahuman powers are probably magic of some sort-"

"Magic..?" Coil asked, his eyes narrowing.

Ritsuka smiled a strained smile. "If it pleases you to think of it as such, consider that any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic. It is merely a name, ultimately unimportant."

"True," Coil said. "Nevertheless, as my plans have been upset by the interference of this... 'Grail', I shall enlist your help in ridding my city of their presence."

Ritsuka smiled. "Tell me, Mr. Coil," she began, "how would you think you compare to James Moriarty?"

"I believe I can hold my own, Ms. Fujimaru," Coil said.

Behind Ritsuka, a flash of light heralded the appearance of a dandy man, dressed in an immaculate white shirt with a maroon waistcoat and well fit pants, holding a tray with a tea service set in it. He lay it on the desk.

"From where I am standing, Mr. Coil, your plots are as plain as day," she said. "Would you care for a cup of tea, Mr. Substitute?"

"Impressive," a much deeper baritone said, from the intercom system. "I am the true Coil."

The dandy man smiled. "Ah, to watch my girl see through the plots of other villains, it warms an uncle's heart. Now, however, I believe it's time for the adults to discuss, because I would not trust a viper not to bite the hand that feeds it."

"Fair enough," Coil said.

And so negotiations began in earnest.

So I've been saving up for a while.

Current tally?

1600 Quartz In.

Eresh zero.

If any of you wants to contribute, raise your hands to the sky and share your energy with me!

Or send me money. Whichever works really. I have no Quartz, and I must roll.