The Strongest Warrior and his Master's Call

[Chao Rinshen]

Day 0; 15:30 P.M. - Traditional District; Miyama, Fuyuki

Alright, a once over should be fine.

These were the thoughts of Chao Lingshen, as her gentle golden gaze swept across the polished marble of her estate's basement. As far as residences go in the traditional district of Fuyuki City, the Rinshen estate was certainly a house that blended in to the similar structures surrounding it. A two story house that could best be called "medium-sized," with the typical Far Eastern architecture that houses within this neighborhood typically boasted. It was a modest base of operations, but large enough for Chao Rinshen El Melloi III to set up her magecraft workshop in the basement. The house was bought and paid for in cash, no questions asked. She had paid for the place upfront and had openly told the realtor that money wasn't an issue. For Chao Rinshen, money was never a real issue; she owned a very successful chain of diner carts scattered around Europe, as well as China. The most recent Chao Bao Zi streetcar had opened up in Fuyuki, and business was already booming.

So, she had taken the liberty of acquiring a house to use for both the summoning of the Servant whom would win her the Holy Grail War and as a temporary base of operations during her time in Fuyuki. The house had quickly been decorated to reflect her mixed Eurasian heritage, with a touch of both elegant oriental style art and decor, mixed with the extravagant European flavor of her taste. She was pleased with the house: it had plenty of room, a spare bedroom and bathroom, and the master bedroom was on the second floor of the estate. Chao liked the view from the second floor, and it was easy enough to enjoy since the houses closest to her own were all one story high. She doubted any of those had a basement, and to her that was a key selling point when she had considered where to set up shop. The basement had not been decorated, though she had made it her workshop with all the staples of a mage's laboratory. The center of the basement had been smoothed and polished, and until tonight untouched.

She stared down at the magical diagram she had drawn with her own blood. A perfect circle with a star decorating the middle of the loop, and a few key mysticism symbols within the triangles and center of the star. Only a knowledgable magus would be able to actually discern just what the diagram was for. Although, if such a magus were to look upon Chao's left hand, they would see the mark of a Master: a command seal designed for a Servant summoning. This ritual wasn't as classless as those used to call forth regular spirits...a heroic spirit was different from a ghost or something...their existence was closer to that of a planet than an illusionary projection. Her boot-clad feet shuffled briefly as she walked about the diameter of the circle, looking it over for any mistakes. Of course, there were none to be found.

So far, so good. She told herself, pleased with her own handiwork. She then made her way over to her work table, a finished wooden number with an assortment of shelves and mystical artifacts, as well as beakers and machines with exposed wires. Now for the catalyst, the legendary Houtengeki itself. She concluded, lifting up a large, rectangular case made of fine leather. The legendary weapon of Lu Bu was within the ceremonial case, and it had taken an unprecedented amount of work to actually find the memorial weapon. It had been located in China's Forbidden City, and had taken decidedly less effort to obtain since Chao Rinshen had herself gone to retrieve the artifact. Now, the money and time spent tracking Houtengeki down would soon pay off: this catalyst could only call forth one heroic spirit: the unstoppable warrior, Lu Bu. With this in mind, she made her way back to the circle, and gently set the long, black case in the middle of the circle.

This ritual is not a greater summoning. The Holy Grail will take care of the actual summoning itself. The satellite known as the Grail is already activated. I merely need to activate the antennae to receive the offered signal. I drew the circle, so I set up the proper array. I now have an artifact as well, so the antennae itself has a great amplifier on it which will enable to me secure the proper frequency. Chao told herself, comparing the summoning of the heroic spirit to receiving a television or radio signal from a satellite in space. It was an apt comparison, neither perfectly correct nor horribly inaccurate. The mentality itself would suffice when such an analogy was kept in mind, if nothing else. Everything was ready, and so Chao stood before the circle, and activated her magic circuits. As her prana began to flow through her and into the circle, she spoke with a resonating voice.

"Ye first, O silver, O iron!" She declared, invoking the summoning. In response, the circle began to glow and more mysterious symbols illuminated upon the diagram. A slight breeze formed from the amount of prana being put into the circle, and the circle would begin to come to life, light tracing about the edges and beginning to fill the diagram. Simultaneously, the command seal upon her left hand began to glow, harmlessly etching itself into her skin. It curved gracefully and took shape; Chao mentally noted that the command mantra was reminiscent of an atom. How appropriate. She thought with a small smile, before continuing the incantation.

"O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract. Hear me in the name of our great teacher, the Archmagus Schweinorg." Now, both command seal and circle resonated with their glowing, the whole of both diagrams now keen with soft but powerful crimson light. The wind picked up as well, her prana swirling the air about her but never once touching the tables or equipment that lined the walls of the workshop. Things were going smoothly so far, and she could tell that without any trouble.

"Let the descending winds be as a wall. Let the gates in all directions be shut, rising above the crown, and let the three-forked roads to the Kingdom revolve. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Five perfections for each repetition. And now, let the filled sigils be annihilated in my stead! Set. Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade. If thou submittest to my calling and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond!" She declared, not requesting the presence of the Servant, but ordering him to answer the call should he be inclined to do so. Only now, as the anchor between Master and Servant solidified, did the burning sensation kick in. Like a hot knife against butter, it burned her...but she paid it no mind...it was all a small price to pay, if she could but succeed.

"I make my oath here. I am that person who is to become the virtue of all Heavens. I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades. Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words, come past thy restraining rings," With this statement, Chao Rinshen projected her left hand outward so that it stretched over the circle slightly, her focus on the artifact now. It was time. All of her suffering...all of her effort...it was all coming to an end. No...this was just the beginning of the end. An end which would be justified by any means. And together, Master and Servant would ride to victory, trampling all who would dare stand in their path.

"And be thou the hands that protect the balance-!" Her voice had steadily risen throughout the mantra, the wind whipping about the workshop/basement combination, and her honey-flecked eyes brilliantly reflecting the light of the summoning. And those eyes would behold the return of the lost Houtengeki to its Master.

[Lü Bu]

Day 0; 15:45 P.M. - Traditional District; Miyama, Fuyuki

The light in the center of the circle grew brighter, reaching a point where looking directly into it would be akin to staring directly at the sun. The gentle breeze in the basement quickly became a roaring wind as prana flared up in its center, the amount of sheer magical staggering. Inside of the circle, a being of pure, magical energy was forming...the return of a warrior of an era long passed.

At the eye of the storm, the fine black leather of the case was torn to shreds, revealing the catalyst in its full glory....Houtengeki. The intimidating polearm remained untarnished and unbroken, despite all the years since its creation, all the time it spent lost. With a hum, the halberd was swept up in the luminous winds, floating up into the air...before an armored hand shot forth from the blinding light, quickly gripping the weapon by its onyx shaft.

"...Houtengeki..."

A voice rings out from the light, muttering the name of the weapon in his hand. The weapon that had been lost to him when Song Xian and Wei Xu betrayed him, stealing the weapon and throwing it over the walls of the city Xiapi. Lost, all those countless ages...and now once again in his hands. A weapon whose name was feared throughout all the Three Kingdoms...only one man was fit to hold it, only one was knowledgeable in its mysterious workings, far more advanced for its time than one would believe.

This one man now set foot upon this earth once again.

The figure began to step out from the light. The man was a mountain, at a towering seven feet tall. He was dressed in the finest armor, topped with an elegant pheasant-tail headdress, befitting a man of his rank and ability. The giant cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, before slamming the butt of his halberd onto the hard floor with a loud crack. As the light began to fade away, he opened his eyes, slowly scanning the bleak basement-turned-workshop...before his crimson gaze locked on to the young woman before him. This...? He was to be bound to this...child? He felt slightly disgusted for a moment...but he reconsidered. This...girl...had an air about her...something about her made him think that maybe she was strong enough to be of use afterall...

Lü Bu gripped Houtengeki tighter as he pointed the tip at the young woman, his eyes never leaving hers. His gaze seemed to question her...or maybe even dare her to prove herself to him. He remained stonefaced, his expression hard as he spoke, his thunderous voice a sound that struck fear in thousands of soldiers so long ago.

"I am Servant Rider, the greatest of warriors to ever walk beneath all the heavens...I ask you...are you my Master? More importantly..." He narrowed his eyes. "...are you worth my time?"

[Chao Rinshen]

Day 0; 15:49 P.M. - Traditional District; Miyama, Fuyuki

As her golden hues reflected the brilliant dance of light and air, Chao couldn't help but smile. She had spent the past ten or so years working for this. All of her effort and all of the miseries of her war-torn past were going to be made worth it. Eleven long years of training, of living as a prodigy who at age fourteen was recognized globally by the magical community as El Melloi III, the most powerful and esteemed magus of her day. With the warrior of fame Lü Bu as her sword and shield, Chao's power and potential would exponentially increase. Summoning such a powerful Servant had few drawbacks, if any: anyone privy to Chinese history would know and dread the name Lü Bu. He was quite possibly China's greatest warrior, who wielded one of China's greatest weapons. Essentially, he was the Chinese equivalent to summoning King Arthur or Sigurd of north European lore. A powerful Servant who rode into battle and rarely lost in his engagements...a warrior betrayed by the wickedness of weaker men. And as a massive hand claimed the weapon known as Houtengeki, the voice of this warrior resonated within the chamber.

"Houtengeki..." The voice called, declaring the name of the artifact and what was undoubtedly going to serve as the warrior's most versatile noble phantasm. Weapon in hand, the signal had been flawlessly received by the satellite array of the summoning circle and the antennae of Lü Bu's great weapon. He stepped into the chamber from the realm beyond man, made manifest by a lost magic controlled by the Grail's persistent existence. An armored behemoth standing seven-feet tall, wearing the garb he was so often portrayed favoring in modern renditions of him. He looked every bit the warrior one might expect of Lü Bu, and a lesser Master would have gone weak in the knees upon seeing this Servant. The aura he gave off was not enmity, but similar to the air one would expect from a Berserker.

Still, Chao did not waver in the face of the warrior. She stared up at him, but remained upright and unshaken by the pressure he let off. A wry smirk began to creep upon her thin lips...she couldn't help but smile, just a little. After all, for this Servant to answer her call...it put her one step closer to obtaining the miracle she sought. The tool whom stood before her was undeniably imposing in regards to his presence, but she did not yield visibly before him. She felt his eyes appraising her, so she suitably stood before him. She was a work of art before the curator of a museum, just as he was to her. The subtle smirk did not disappear even as Houtengeki was pointed in her direction whilst the Rider-class Servant gestured and spoke.

"I am Servant Rider, the greatest of warriors to ever walk beneath all the heavens...I ask you...are you my Master? More importantly...are you worth my time?"

"Remarkable."

That was the first word to leave Chao's lips as the confident smile yielded to a more serious, appraising gaze which she unapologetically cast in Lü Bu's direction. Her eyes followed along his sturdy frame, taking in everything from the bulky armor and the headdress to the legendary weapon once more wielded by its rightful owner. There was no fear in her eyes, and even the visible awe in her expression was reserved by dignity and experience. Still, she could not deny that Lü Bu was both exactly what she had expected him to be and yet, so much more. His mere presence commanded her respect and attention, though this was typical of Servants. She had never been in the presence of a Servant before, and so the adjective had slipped from her lips before she could think to stop herself. However, given a second or two to look him over after his question, Chao placed a hand on her left hip and spoke to the towering warrior.

"That will be for you to decide, Rider." Chao answered, her voice calm and reserved in tone. "Yet, if I were not worthy of being such a warrior's Master, then I could not have summoned you. It took a good five years of effort to secure that weapon of yours. Stolen, wouldn't you know, after it was lost to you. But I have returned such a weapon to its rightful Master. That alone should begin to prove my worth."

Perhaps unexpectedly, Chao took a few steps forward. Now, the tip of Houtengeki rested gently against her neck, which she bared by just slightly tilting her head back. Her eyes betrayed no fear; only confidence could be seen in her unwavering gesture. She extended both arms out and lifted her shoulders, shrugging in response to his question.

"So you make the call, Rider. Am I, El Melloi the Third, recognized as the modern world's greatest magus... She paused briefly, making sure she provided her Servant direct eye contact. There was no pride in her words. There was only truth, an objective appraisal of herself as a prodigy and individual. Within her eyes, unyielding resolve reflecting only determination to refuse reality and create her own. "Am I, a magus unbound by time itself, who took it upon myself to reclaim your stolen prize...I, who escaped a wartorn childhood many generations into the future from this point, only to use my past as motivation to carve my own path into this timeline by obtaining the Holy Grail...am I fit to be your Master?" She asked of Lü Bu directly and without hesitation, her body not seeming to register that it was in direct contact with death itself.

"And are you prepared to ride into battle with such a magus as your Master, the one for whom you will wield your weapon once more?"

[Lü Bu]

Day 0; 15:51 P.M. - Traditional District; Miyama, Fuyuki

"Remarkable."

Lü Bu nearly smirked. It was refreshing to be back after countless ages, to once again see the awe on the face of lesser men when they gazed upon him. Although...while the girl was obviously in awe of him, it was not in the same way as soldiers looked upon him when he was alive. Her eyes betrayed no fear, only respect.

"That will be for you to decide, Rider. Yet, if I were not worthy of being such a warrior's Master, then I could not have summoned you. It took a good five years of effort to secure that weapon of yours. Stolen, wouldn't you know, after it was lost to you. But I have returned such a weapon to its rightful Master. That alone should begin to prove my worth."

Rider let out a small 'hmph'. While there was truth to her words, he wasn't about to let her get by with just that. That would far, far too easy. She'd have to try harder than that.

And she did just that. The Servant raised an eyebrow as the young woman stepped forward, placing Houtengeki's tip directly at her throat of her own will. His stone-faced expression did not falter as she spoke.

"So you make the call, Rider. Am I, El Melloi the Third, recognized as the modern world's greatest magus... " He kept his eyes locked with hers, as if trying to see right through her, find any sign of weakness. "Am I, a magus unbound by time itself, who took it upon myself to reclaim your stolen prize...I, who escaped a wartorn childhood many generations into the future from this point, only to use my past as motivation to carve my own path into this timeline by obtaining the Holy Grail...am I fit to be your Master? And are you prepared to ride into battle with such a magus as your Master, the one for whom you will wield your weapon once more?"

Lü Bu held her gaze for a few, silent moments...before his lips curled into a smirk. He pulled the tip of Houtengeki away from her throat, slamming the butt of the halberd into the floor, the violent sound echoing in the basement.

"Hmph. I suppose you'll do." He says, a slight hint of amusement in his voice. If nothing else, he admired the girl's guts. "Very well. I, Lü Bu of the Rider class, accept you, El-Melloi, as my master!"

[Chao Rinshen]

Day 0; 15:55 P.M. - Traditional District; Miyama, Fuyuki

When Lü Bu offered her a pleased smirk, Chao herself felt relieved. Of course, there had been no fear...her Mystic Code would have reversed any damage done or at least allowed her to teleport far enough way to then reappear and use a command seal. However, that contingency plan had not been in the forefront of her mind: she did not consider herself a trickster nor did she summarize herself in the way she had done so with any detectable trace of pride in her voice. Her assessment of herself had been completely objective and spoken with the utmost confidence. In short, Chao Rinshen realized that she was destined to be the Master of Lü Bu. And, luckily for her, it seemed the famed warrior admired her audacity and boldness, if nothing else. He withdrew Houtengeki's tip from his Master's throat and pridefully struck the bottom of the halberd into the stone floor. Chao didn't mind that said floor was now cracked from not just one but two strikes of Houtengeki.

"Very well. I, Lü Bu of the Rider class, accept you, El-Melloi, as my master!" Lü Bu declared without doubt or hesitance in his voice. She had no doubt that with her own combination of technology and magic, in conjunction with the power of China's ultimate warrior, that she would prevail in this Holy Grail War. She knew this to be Seventh Heaven's Feel, and had already heard the disturbing rumors regarding the boundaries of the Holy Grail. Apparently, the lack of a Grail's confirmed physical container was worrisome, but Chao had no doubt that the Einzbern woman had done something to counter that flaw. For now, Chao only had to focus on making use of Lü Bu and winning as many battles as possible.

"I'm glad to hear that," Chao Rinshen stated, allowing her chin to lower once more, though her eyes remained upwards; they had to do so in order to make eye contact with Lü Bu. She had the utmost respect for him, and while she was a magus - and thus, Lü Bu was still a tool to be used by her to the fullest - she also held respect for the heroic spirits. They were all heroes for a reason, and in Lü Bu's case, it was almost impossible to not conceive him as a heroic spirit. She had considered summoning him into the Berserker class, as her command seal would have guaranteed obedience and control...but in her point of view, Mad Enhancement would be an insult to Lü Bu's superior combat abilities.

"It'll make things so much easier. Now, this will be the Seventh Holy Grail War, Lü Bu. But no one actually knows where the Grail's current location is. We assume it is in Fuyuki, though, since the summonings have already started. I received a call saying that one Servant has already been summoned. I'm sure others have been as well, but we've no confirmation on that just now. The best course of action we can take now is technically to standby, but I feel that doing nothing is contrary to my goal. I believe as a general, you recognize the importance of reconnaissance, don't you?"

She spoke clearly, and perhaps surprisingly, now talked only in Chinese when addressing Lü Bu. It was their shared language, an archaic form of Chinese that most people did not know, with only about seventy-percent of the language still used in modern Chinese. This would enable secrecy and clear communication between Master and Servant. Chao turned from Lü Bu as she waited for his point of view. Tool or no, Lü Bu was undeniably a great warrior and military leader, and she would respect his opinion on most matters until she felt she could not afford to do so. To make herself clear, as she walked away from Lü Bu and stood before a plastic worktable upon metal legs, she concluded her thoughts.

"What do you think is the best course of action. We are early in our campaign, but also in the war in general. You've more experience than most, in leading wars...so, how do we go about this, in your opinion?" Her tone betrayed no doubt in her own strategy to wait and perform intelligence gathering, but instead mutual respect from a genius in one field to a genius in another.

[Lü Bu]

Day 0; 15:57 P.M. - Traditional District; Miyama, Fuyuki

"The best course of action we can take now is technically to standby, but I feel that doing nothing is contrary to my goal. I believe as a general, you recognize the importance of reconnaissance, don't you?"

Lü Bu chuckled slightly as he heard her speaking in what would be considered grossly outdated Chinese by today's standards. It was an unnecessary gesture, as the Grail supplied him with knowledge and mastery of almost every possible language. Well, even if it was uneccessary, he supposed it was appreciated. Showed respect.

"What do you think is the best course of action. We are early in our campaign, but also in the war in general. You've more experience than most, in leading wars...so, how do we go about this, in your opinion?"

The Rider stroked his chin as he thought. Normally, he'd love to just brute force his way through all the war's contestants, obtaining the prize as swiftly as possible. However...

Things were too different. This was a war between legends. While there were a few men in his time that could have been considered as legendary as he, the majority were just normal soldiers. But in this conflict, everyone was going to be someone extraordinary enough to have ascended to the throne of heroes...he couldn't help but feel excited at the idea. Very few warriors in his own time had given him a fight he could truly enjoy. It seemed that clashing steel with the greatest warriors would be the perfect remedy to this...and to prove himself as the greatest warrior of all. But first things first...

"It would be foolish to charge in without knowing anything about our enemies. While I have no doubts in my ability to cut down any who comes before me...it would be reckless to rely on that alone. I agree, reconnaissance is in order." Rider spoke calmly. His chance for unparalleled glory would come soon enough. For now, it was time to prepare.

[Chao Rinshen]

Day 0; 15:59 P.M. - Traditional District; Miyama, Fuyuki

Chao was considered among any knowledgeable, modern day magus as a genius. After all, to inherit the title of El Melloi from Waver Velvet, who in turn took up the prodigy-bound mantle after the death of Kayneth Archibald, one had to be recognized as a high-ranking magus. On top of being an elite magus, Chao was also a brilliant scientist. Her thesis paper upon graduating from Clocktower at the top of her class had proven that, and she was as knowledgeable in physics and engineering as she was as spellcasting. So, to formulate a simple strategy was child's play for El Melloi. She had been destined upon taking up the title El Melloi to eventually participate in a Heaven's Feel. In her mind, she had been destined for that since birth.

In short, the entire expression of doubt had itself been a test; Chao Rinshen wanted to observe the basic personality and thought process of one of history's greatest. Her hypothesis had been that this powerful Servant, known as one of China's greatest warriors, would display arrogance alongside his rightfully felt pride. She was pleasantly surprised, however; her Servant - either through the use of his personal skills or his own thoughtfulness - took a second to think before speaking. And Chao's mind was actually put at ease by the reply of her Servant.

"It would be foolish to charge in without knowing anything about our enemies. While I have no doubts in my ability to cut down any who comes before me...it would be reckless to rely on that alone. I agree, reconnaissance is in order."

Truly, Chao had stricken metaphorical Servant gold in obtaining Houtengeki along with the loyalty of Lü Bu. She recognized that, and admired this man all the more for his true words. Words, she noticed, which were spoken with a modern twang, but it was fine. El Melloi had judiciously chosen to use outdated Mandarin in order to confuse enemies who might be listening; most magus lacked the resources or will or power to teach their familiars more than one language, and Chinese was rarely among the typically taught vocabulary of familiars. Chao decided to respond to her Servant, as he had put into slightly more crude words what she had already been thinking.

"Hm. I agree, Lü Bu. We should not stand idly by, but we needn't recklessly sacrifice ourselves either. There is a saying from Russia, an ally of our nation. 'The bear that sees the hunter's trap is wise. The bear who sees the hunter setting the trap, then, garners an advantage and can avoid the wiles of the inattentive."

She allowed a small smirk to cross her lips, and continued speaking for just a moment. "Most magus don't think to sleep before summoning their Servant. They'll have summoned their Servants with wavering hearts and uneasy minds. I slept a whole night's sleep today after taking the final preparations. Now, it is about six o'clock," She began, knowing he understood the concept of time. "So, we'll head out at seven, before it gets dark...that is when most of our enemies will be about. Until then, shall I give you the grand tour of our camp?" She offered, looking up into the eyes of her Servant.

[Lü Bu]

Day 0; 16:01 P.M. - Traditional District; Miyama, Fuyuki

"Hm. I agree, Lü Bu. We should not stand idly by, but we needn't recklessly sacrifice ourselves either. There is a saying from Russia, an ally of our nation. 'The bear that sees the hunter's trap is wise. The bear who sees the hunter setting the trap, then, garners an advantage and can avoid the wiles of the inattentive."

Rider couldn't help but let out a low, rumbling chuckle at the saying. It was rather quaint, really...that said, it was also absolutely correct. He listened intently as his Master continued to lay out her plan.

"Now, it is about six o'clock," She began, knowing he understood the concept of time. "So, we'll head out at seven, before it gets dark...that is when most of our enemies will be about. Until then, shall I give you the grand tour of our camp?"

Hrm. So he'd have to wait one...what's the word? The Grail told him 'hour'. So he'd have to wait one hour before he could go scouting. He didn't like that much, but he had to make sure to keep his lust for action in check. Easier said than done, as in life, Lü Bu had trouble keeping his many lusts in check. Either way...this did give him time to be familiarized with their stronghold. The giant Servant nodded as he looked down into his Master's eyes.

"That would be a wise use of our time, yes. The grand tour it is."

End Topic

[Chao Rinshen]

//Day 0; 16:05 P.M. - Traditional District; Miyama, Fuyuki//

"Well, you've already seen my workshop." Chao explained, walking up the stone-carved stairs which led out of the basement. "I made it from scratch in only a week or two, and for a simple outpost such as this house, it suffices fairly well. I'm used to much larger and more resourceful workshops myself, but I decided to put discretion before hubris, since I'm throwing my lot into this Holy Grail War." As Chao explained her reasoning and why a prodigy magus like herself was ok with such "lowly" accommodations, Chao extended her right arm and gripped the doorknob, pushing the wooden, basement door open. She exited the basement first, hoping that her Servant would be more judicious in his use of Houtengeki than he had been in the basement.

"So, as I said...this house is nothing more than an outpost. Don't expect too much." Chao warned, though the house was far from modest by average standards. It was a large, two-story number which was crafted with elegance and skill. The exterior of the tall and wide house was deceptive; the inside of the house was much more spacious than any outside view let on. Still, to the magus known as El-Melloi III, such an abode could only be called "modest," whether Rider knew that or not. She was unfamiliar with what dwellings the legendary warrior was familiar with in his life, but in such a two-story temple Chao Rinshen was definitely well-accommodated for any situation that might arise during the Seventh Heaven's Feel.

"This is the living room~" Chao announced, stepping to one side so Lü Bu could exit the basement and look into the spacious, Victorian-style living room. It was definitely spacious, probably one of the larger rooms in the oriental-style house. The living room was still oriental and traditional in design, even if the decor was mostly Enlightenment-age European in make. A low table was set into a rectangular shape cut into the floor, and a simple vase along with some fine china decorated the tabletop. A television sat across the room, with a fancy love seat directly in front of it, and a drab, olive-green couch to one side. Between the love seat and the wide-screen television was a European table, much higher than the Japanese dining table inset into the ground. "That low table over there is actually the beginning of the dining room area, and yields to the kitchen." Chao included, fairly confidant the Heroic Spirit understood the terms she was using.

"I would like you to meet someone, Rider. An ally of ours in this war...and something more advanced than you could possibly imagine from your time. She is my loyal bodyguard and even a friend...and she will help us win the Holy Grail. Shall I call her in?" Chao inquired, turning to face the towering frame of her Servant with her arms crossed about her chest casually. She spoke proudly of this ally. Lü Bu might only relate the bond between Chao and this individual to his own fondness for a trusted commander or a worthy comrade on the battlefield.

[Lü Bu]

Rider silently followed behind, surveying the household as Chao gace him the tour. The house was incredibly humble, compared to some of the abodes he had taken residence in. That said, Lü Bu had been a man lords had showered in gifts and riches, so it was fair to say he was a bit spoiled. Still, he kept this judgement of the house to himself, knowing that it was a fair enough base of operations. As his Master had put it, discretion before hubris.

Besides...once he won the war, then he could have the biggest mansion, the finest foods and wines...and of course, the finest women, as well.

The Servant glanced about the living room his Master was showing off. There was some furniture of decent enough quality, all situated in front of what seemed to be the focal point of the room, some...large, black rectangle. Ah, television, the Grail informed him. From the information he found pouring into his mind, Rider decided that this television may be an interesting bauble. May be worth checking out later.

"I would like you to meet someone, Rider. An ally of ours in this war...and something more advanced than you could possibly imagine from your time. She is my loyal bodyguard and even a friend...and she will help us win the Holy Grail. Shall I call her in?"

Rider raised an eyebrow. An ally? Was this another Magus? Or did she somehow have access to two Servants? And what was this about being advanced? While the small bits of the present's technology he had come across certainly fit the bill, he doubted such a term could be applied to a person. Still, if his Master spoke so highly of this person, it was most likely worth his time to have them introduced to him.

"Bring her out."

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