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Eryl Fairfax	The Dimethyl Casino sits like a shining beacon on the hill above an ill-begotten, ragged township. It's a classic example of money and power lording over those without either. It is at the casino that fortunes are made and lost every night, and where everything can be bet, and bet on. People can bid their freedom on a fist fight to the death, and none would bat an eye.     It is here that Hikari Toromaru struck out to amass a personal fortune using his Concord stipend. By choosing the no-limit tables where the dealers would rig the deck, he used card counting to gradually eke out small victories until he amassed a fortune in chips. All was looking up for the unhinged high-schooler and his massive, imposing Servant that draws so much attention.     That is, until a streak of green burst through the clouds and slammed into the stained-glass windows.     Those who respond to the call for help would see the massive, moulted Assassin facing off against a bedraggled man in adventurers clothing. His hands are covered in green scales and from them, great black talons sprout. Leathery, draconic wings sprout from his back, having torn through his vest. His boots are torn open, revealing his feet have met the same fate as his hands.     It is Griff, the former Master of the Paradox Berserker.     "Hmph, I recognise you. Losers in a Grail War should gracefully slink away back to their normal lives," Hikari says, keeping Assassin between himself and the changed man. The bard in response wheezes out a guttural laugh. "You don't think I tried? And yet... Berserker's voice won't get out of my head!"     The draconic man lunges at Hikari, only to be intercepted by Assassin. His claws rend the mammoth's skin, but he stands regardless, aiming a big meaty swipe at his opponent's head. Already, the gamblers have gathered around and are placing bets on the fight.
Touta Konoe	The Dimethyl Casino, definitely not a place you'd expect to find a kid like Touta. So why exactly had he'd shown up? Well, truth be told, there wasn't much. Or at least not in his mind. After the most recent events that transpired in the Grail War with Ruler being abducted all Touta wanted to do was try and find Nagi and learn more about the ones who had abducted him. Though from what he understood there had been no sighting of them since their strange disappearence. That lead to another issue though, even if Nagi wasn't exactly the best Ruler in regards to managing the Servants and their battles, it was another thing when it came to the anomalies that had caused so many distortions across the Multiverse. "Rynith...You think one of those anomalies might happen here?"     It's a question he wishes he had gotten an answer to from Nagi before anything else at this point. How in the hell had he been able to find out where those distortions were gonna occur?! He never got that answer so now he's here, in this den of debauchery watching as Assassin and her Master try to make it big at the card tables while they're incognito...Or as much as they can be. "Seriously, I want to figure out where those hooded guys were, instead we gotta watch this schmuc- Wha?!"     Before he can even finish he watches Ber- No, whatever sort of new anomaly is. "Is that- The hell even is that?!"
Reiji Arisu	If only the rather distressing state of the social backdrop surrounding the Dimethyl Casino was the only cause for alarm in this little corner of the multiverse. Unfortunately, things are never that easy. The call for aid goes out. Regardless of how corrupt many of the gamblers here may be, it doesn't change the fact that there are all but certainly innocent civilians about to be caught up in a crossfire of the most supernatural sort. That in and of itself would have been enough. But the nature of the disturbance is what makes the situation impossible to ignore. The casino doors swing open before a flood of law enforcement agents- the Paladin footsoldiers, arriving alongside several of the organization's elites. "Spread out," the man at the vanguard orders, "Evacuate the area as quickly as you can. I don't care how many chips are on the table. The patrons can grab what they can carry but they all need to get out of here as soon as possible." After all, the last time he got involved, something happened that would not be survivable for any ordinary soul within miles of the epicenter. Reiji can't afford the risk now. Orders dispatched, Reiji leaps toward the heart of the chaos. A golden flash punctuates the sudden rapport of gunfire as he sends a single slug into the floor between Assassin and the Master of Berserker. "Stop immediately and tell me what the hell is going on, or the next one won't be a warning shot."
Lory Thumper	Dens like this make Lory Thumper kind of ill. No rules on bets, no concern for the health or livelihood of those being bet on or placing the bets. But, a call for help is a call for help, and so the small bunny cop made her way here as quickly as possible despite not really liking the potential scum she might be protecting.      She isn't entirely up to speed on the Grail War, but she does know these servants are supposed to be super powered killing machines. So, she sneaks her way as close as possible, then rolls out from behind a nearby machine and brings her weapon to bear while holding her shield on her other arm. "Yes, that's enough! Stop this right now or we'll have to detain all three of you!" she says, then blinks and stares as she realizes that people are already taking bets on this. "...what the...are you serious?!" she exclaims in disbelief, her gauss pistol lowering just a bit as she stares at the gathered crowd.
Nanoha Takamachi	With a call for help out, word had quickly made its way to the Paladins. And given the apparent connection to the Paradox Grail War, it had been flagged by Raising Heart for Nanoha. Given the questions that still revolve around the war, plus a desire to see it stopped, Nanoha decided to make her way to the site of the fight.     So up in the sky, is not a bird, nor a plane, nor a superpowered alien. Instead it's a streak of pink, blasting through the air and curving down towards the casino. Nanoha slows down as she quickly reaches the buildings entrance. From her perspective she can see the Paladin forces barging in. Along with the two Servants (or so she assumes) in question. As well as one Master, it seems.     Reiji and Lory are already handling the talking at this point. So Nanoha instead floats in down through the broken windows, maintaining a position in the air, staff at the ready to support the others should the need arise.
Ritsuka Fujimaru	Among those gathered at the Dimethyl Casino is a certain white-haired, pale-skinned lady looking not too different from the more sun-deprived of the gamblers. Technically, she's never been invited to join those aboard, but in the chaos that starts when the draconic man arrives, it's not too hard to blend in with the crowd. She sets some money down alongside the other gamblers, and she barks out her bet. "Put me in for the big one!" Jeanne shouts with a deranged grin, apparently trying to rile the others betting on the fight to double down. Touta's arrival draws a brief glance, and she lets out a long sigh after a few more moments. "Should I be surprised you're here, too...? Well, whatever. This should be more interesting than wha I came here for, anyway." She doesn't elaborate on that, of course. It might be a little too obvious that she's trying too hard to get someone to ask the easy question.
Staren	Apparently this guy is a Concord asset? Staren may not think the most of gambling, but as long as Hikari does whatever job he's paid for, how he spends his salary isn't Staren's business. And Staren doesn't know enough about, let alone dislike, this guy enough to want him to die, so. Here he is.     Staren flies in through the broken window on wings of orange light, takes aim, and frowns behind his visor. He might hit Assassin. Well. Assassin doesn't look that easy to hurt, but still. Staren pulls a caseless SMG from his bag and unloads a spray of shock gel bullets. He's not sure that'll DO anything to Griff, but it'll be good to know whether it does, and he's reasonably sure it won't affect Assassin. Also no serious harm done to innocent bystanders if his shots are deflected or something.
Eryl Fairfax	Rynith is at Touta's side, at ever. She seems tense and on-edge. "I think... one is already here. Something is wrong." And what is wrong becomes apparent as everyone arrives. "That's... that's Berserker's Master! But something is wrong, he didn't look like that before. It's almost like..."     Her words are cut off as the Paladins arrive, attempting to bring order to the proceedings. However, the gamblers are not having any of it. "Buzz off, pigs!" a portly man shouts before flinging a flute of champagne in Reiji's face. Lory is pelted with shrimp from the buffet while Nanoha gets to enjoy having handfuls of low-value chips hurled at her. These people want nothing between them and their games. Hikari laughs at the display. "Yes, you heard the man officers. Let them have their fun. Assassin will make short work of this lunatic."     Jeanne's chips are collected by one of the casino's betmakers, currently carting around a blackboard with odds displayed by doodles of Griff and Assassin. When Staren comes barrelling in with shock rounds aimed at Griff, the odds are immediately shifted in Assassin's favor. "Hmph. It's about time one of you showed up," Hikari says coldly.     Griff is not down yet however. He shudders and flexes his wings before opening his mouth wide. "If the war ends... then maybe she'll leave me alone!" A great gout of flame, choked with black smoke erupts from his mouth, flowing constantly, aimed at Assassin and Staren both! The people look on and cheer, mindless of the sprinkler systems kicking on.
Staren	Staren almost can't believe the behavior of the gamblers around him, but whatever. Part of him wonders if he should bet on himself....     Staren sighs at those words from Griff, wings buzzing as he flies out of the way of the attack. "I will give you /one/ chance. Stand down and Concord R&D will examine whatever the heck is going on with you, and we may be able to save you. Alternatively, agree to help end the war in the Concord's favor. Otherwise..."     Staren makes a sweeping gesture at the gathered gamblers. "These people are crazy, but what if this had been a crowded city street or something? I can't just let you do as you please, endangering innocents."
Touta Konoe	Touta blinks as he hears a familiar voice amongst one of the nearby tables, "Wait...Jeanne?! What are you doing here?!" There's legitimate surprise in his voice, "You missed the rendevous by like a fortnite!!!" Cause apparently he had been expecting her the last time...Not this one. And what was she doing gambling?! Well, he'll have to chat with her about it later as things start heating up.     The sounds of doors busting in, and glass from windows shattering as the Paladins come in doesn't cause as much commotion as one would expect which is...Surprising. In fact to see the Paladins so wholeheartedly rejected kinda makes the moment feel kinda surreal as he stands with Rynith and Jeanne.     "Man, guess word travels fast...Lancer, let's see if we can help the paladins keep up with this Master. I don't know if this is part of the anomalies but doesn't sound like he's got any control. If you can...Try to pin him down, I might have an idea to help."     Telling his Paradox Partner the gameplan he then looks back to the other Servant...Avenger, a Servant who didn't necessarily have a desire to protect, at least not always. But he's still staring her down with the usual determined look on his face, though out of the blue it turns into a smirk...One might even call it...A smug smirk...He looks back towards the dealer who was putting up the bets, "Hey Dealer, I'm putting up a side bet." He takes some of the chips from the table and just slams it down, "Me versus the cute blonde. See which one of us gets closer to taking down the guy with the bad breath. If you kill or maim him though you're out...Think of it like playing 21...Who wants to place a bet?!"     With that said, he grins again at Jeanne, now that he's basically called her out and even gone as far as set the terms and conditions of this...'Challenge'. Though one look can make it apparent that he's...Staggering a bit. And yet, he still looks like he's not gonna back down from this.
Lory Thumper	Lory is soon using her shield to fend off flying shrimp! "Hey! Cut it out! That's just gross!" she exclaims. Her ears lower and she lets out a long groaning sigh as she sees that she is once again in a lawless area where common decency seems non-existent. Her ears perk again as she hears Staren, and she nods in agreement. "Even if this crowd is enjoying the fight, that's a servant and this guy is...I dunno, possessed or something! So, take it outside or to an approved fighting arena, or stop fighting." she says.      And with that, the bunny pulls some of her riot foam grenades from her belt. The yellow discs are tossed like ninja stars, and upon exploding the quick hardening foam should make it a bit harder to move. And then...Touta is joining in on the bets? At least his bet is something that could be beneficial to the situation, but they are still inside a populated building. "We should try to lure them outside if we are going to attempt a takedown!" she calls out to the others here to contain the situation.
Ritsuka Fujimaru	Good. The people are sticking arund to see if their bets are going to pay off or not. With her work done for the time being, Jeanne backs off a bit from the money collectors to observe the chaos. She pauses when Touta calls out to her, though, furrowing her brow a moment later. "And? It still happened, so be grateful!" She's not about to admit that she forgot the whole thing. Instead, she looks up at the sprinkler systems, counting them out as they start soaking the place. "And that's not very fair, now is it? Let's remove this little bit of outside interference..." Spears start appearing around her, and she flicks her hand upwards to direct them into said sprinklers. She won't have any fire-prevention systems functioning on her watch! Plus, she's not about to give Touta an advantage in that challenge of his. She does smirk widely at him, though, holding her hand out to her side as her blade materializes beside her. "Good. You're learning, even if it's so transparent that the old me would've seen through it. I would have been fine letting these people perish in the flames, but..." Her armor materializes onto her in a flash of purple flames, and then she lunges for Griff without further fanfare. "... It's been a while since my last battle, anyway!" That last part about not maiming the guy seems to have gone right over her head, though, as she aims to drive her sword straight at Griff's knee!
Reiji Arisu	This is what Reiji is left with for trying to keep an eye out for the general public. Champagne on his face. It's probably /good/ champagne too. Considering the situation outside, that kind of wastefulness is especially infuriating. And yet: "If you will not evacuate the premises, then we'll be forced to remove you from the area for your own safety." Reiji takes a moment to wipe the bubbly booze from his forehead. "I suggest that you consider whether a cheap thrill is more important than your life." His eyes scan back toward the fight in progress. Reiji frowns as he looks between Staren and the Master of Berserker. Always trying to get an edge in, eh? But-- "Your spirit is... It's hard to describe. Master-of-Berserker, I can't say what exactly is going on specifically, but spiritual contamination is a speciality of mine. If you surrender peacefully, I can guarantee your safety and that I will do whatever is within my power to find a solution to your problem. But I cannot permit allowing this battle to reach its conclusion. The risk of anyone obtaining the grail is too great." "You've already lost your servant, Griff. There's no reason you /should/ still be driven to take part in this war. Whatever is happening to you, there's no guarantee that taking out Assassin won't just make it worse." For all Reiji knows, his degeneration is being fueled in part by the grail itself. A symptom of excess mana being fed to a master who should by rights already have been removed from the battle. And yet, he's still being driven to make war... Reiji lunges, flame erupting in a cloud of ash and cinder as he swings Karin at the Assassin. If he's lucky, this place's fire prevention systems are up to code and the sprinklers will soon begin spraying. That might just help thin out the crowd, too...
Nanoha Takamachi	Nanoha just... Sighs. As her Barrier Jacket is pelted with chips. Given the sight before them, she can't fathom what the casino patrons are thinking.     Nanoha turns her head as Staren flies in through the same window she just did and starts opening fire on the Pesudo-Berserker, Griff. As he then makes an offer to the Assassin and its Master, Nanoha frowns a little. It could be a problem if the Concord get their hands on the servant...     First thing's first. They actually need to subdue Griff before he can be restrained, by either side. Nanoha looks back, raising her staff towards Griff. She's not as familiar with what the former Master is going through like Reiji is, but she can recognise that the man is troubled. By something. He needs help...     An orb of pink appears just beyond the head of Nanoha's staff, the power quickly rising as she calls out to Griff, "Don't worry, we can help you!" Nanoha fires, a beam streaking towards Griff to explode in a small blast of light on impact.
Eryl Fairfax	Hikari tsks at Staren. "Don't be a fool. There is no room for mercy in a Grail War. Assassin, bring him down." The hulking monster extends a hand, a tendril lashing out from its sleeve to slash at Griff. It connects, drawing a gout of blood from his chest, but in retaliation, the corrupted Master lashes out with his claws and severs it from the Servant.     "Shut up," he snarls at Staren. "You're with /her/ aren't you? The one who killed Berserker. Why should I trust anyone who shoots at me then pretends to want to talk? Anyone in league with her have to die too!" He lunges at Staren, flapping his wings to try and tackle the catboy out of the air and bring him down!     He and Assassin both are blasted with riot foam in this moment. The draconic man screams, flexing his power to blow it off of him, while the titanic Assassin just exerts his strength to step out of it. "Don't interfere!" Griff shouts, shooting another gout of flame at Lory. "For once, I am in agreement. Assassin, 'deal with' the other uninvited guests too." Assassin snarls "Guests..." before another tendril lashes from his sleeve, aimed at impaling Lory.     Touta's bet is taken and arranged on another board. Money and chips are flying fast as the odds ever shift with each new person who joins the fray. An eruption of claps sound out as Jeanne buries her blade in Griff's leg. "Get off!" he shouts, grabbing her head and attempting to drive it into his knee. Reiji dashes at Assassin and slashes him with his burning blade. The giant does not react, save for swinging his arm at the exorcist with force akin to a runaway truck. Nanoha barrages Griff with lasers, and he retaliates with a cluster of fiery streaks that erupt from his mouth! His control over his flames is tightening, and horns are starting to grow from his head. "AaaaaAAAAAARGH!"     Touta and Lancer both join the fray, the formers black blade and the latter's summoned blueprint scoring both Pseudo-Servant and Servant. The two are left between them as they dash at each other, both getting swung at as the two tie it up in a grapple!
Staren	Staren narrowly avoids being grabbed, but is still knocked out of the air. "Oof!" The floor cracks where he lands, and a spherical forcefield flickers around him. "...Because I grant wishes more reliably than any grail. If your wish is to die, so be it." Staren sits up, lifting his arm and firing the twin beam cannons on either side of his forearm, the field flickering again as it drops just long enough to let his attack out.     And then as Staren gets to his feet, his view is obscured by text boxes coming over the radio somehow. He waves his hand trying to dismiss them, "What the f***?!"
Reiji Arisu	The situation is deteriorating, and not just because more people are piling onto what is quickly devolving into an all-you-can-eat buffet of carnage. Out of the corner of his eye, Reiji watches Griff's transformation accelerate. Is it being driven by anger, or the battle in general? What's worse, a certain SOMEBODY decided to block up all the sprinklers with a bunch of spears. That's fine, he can still make use of that, and of what water /did/ leak through. But first he has to deal with the angry zombie trying to take off his head. If he were a less skilled fighter, Nemesis' club-like swing would have almost certainly shattered a dozen bones, if it didn't knock him unconscious altogether. Instead, the momentum of an 18-wheeler truck meets one side of Reiji's portable arsenal and is redirected up and around. The exorcist doesn't come away unharmed, the impact still shakes his bones. But even so, he's intact enough to swing his frigid blade across the ground as he's hurled backwards by the force of Nemesis' strike. A creeping wave of ice propagates across the standing water, terminating in a jagged array of frozen spikes that shoot up right under the zombie's center of mass...! "This is bad. If Griff progresses too far, I'm not sure there'll still be a man to save," Reiji yells to the others. "We need to hurry."
Ritsuka Fujimaru	A sadistic smile crosses Jeanne's face as she shees and feels that sword going in, but she can't enjoy that moment for long as the Masterserker goes on the counter-attack rather quickly. He's far faster than she had anticipated, too, as he yanks her head down rather suddenly, and she only narrowly gets away with a hard knee to the side of her forehead. "Keh... You have the strength and the speed, but you lack focus!" The Avenger shouts despite the welt on her forehead, grabbing a spear out of the air to pair it with her sword. Each one bursts into flames as she goes right back on the offensive, moving in with a flurry of stabs at Griff while staying light on her feet. "Either follow through to destroy someone utterly with your size advantage, or force them to fight on your terms!" She tilts her head back just a bit in the direction of the watching gamblers, that grin of hers growing just a bit wider. Is it a ploy to try and divert his attention? A tip to divert the Paladins' attention? Legitimate survival advice? Yes.
Lory Thumper	Lory is pretty evasive, but...dodging a big blast of fire isn't as easy as it looks. She moves, but still gets engulfed fully before managing to dive roll out of it. She keeps rolling, both to put out any clinging flames and to avoid that incoming tendril from Assassin. "Take it somewhere suitable for such a fight and we won't have to interfere!" she shouts to Griff and Hikari as she rolls to her feet again.      She slides her shield onto her back again and pulls both her guns. She flips a switch on the sides of each, and electrical prongs sprout from both before she launches them at Griff and Assassin. If her aim is true, those prongs are followed by powerful bursts of electricity. The capacitors that launch those magnetic rounds can do more than just fire bullets, it seems! "Just stand down, both..er...all three of you! I'm not sure what is happening to you, but if you just calm down I am sure we can find some way to stop it! And we won't let that assassin get you, either!"
Touta Konoe	"Lancer!" The two of them are left in the middle of the Servant and Pseudo-Servant, this was basically what they had intended to do. Saying all but her name, he doesn't feel like he needs to tell her what to do, he trusts her to do what she thinks is best. So As the two enemies try to catch them in what would be a pincer attack the ground below Touta begins to crumble as he shoots straight into a blinding dash of his own towards Griff keeping him from retaliating against Rynith. Touta's goal was to find footing on Griff as he planted a kick right into the Pseudo Servant's body, "Sorry guy, we'll make sure to fix you up but just..."     Touta's interrupted though as his attention returns to Assassin, the second part of his attack still not finished... "Grasp the world!!!" The boy uses the force that he had done to initiate the blinding speed into the ground a moment ago right into Griff, literally using him as a launch pad for Touta's attack as he ricochets from Griff and brings all his speed into attacking Assassin instead. His black blade held at the ready and packing more force behind it than one mind expect!
Nanoha Takamachi	Nanoha quickly raises her hand up as the flames wash out towards her. A spell circle appears just beyond it, forming a barrier. The flames spread out across it, some flowing over the edge, just managing to reach part of Nanoha's arm. But the minor pain doesn't distract the Mage as she keeps her focus on Griff.     Given the former master's claims of still hearing his servant, Berserker, in his head. Nanoha wonders if he might be somehow infected by the defeated Servant. A second opinion suggests a possibility. But they need to capture Griff to find out more.     Seeing Lory fire on the Pseudo-Berserker with her stun guns, Nanoha decides to try and take advantage of the opportunity to get Griff in some restraints. Her hand flicks in his direction as she calls, "Ring Bind!"     Several rings of pink light appear around Griff. The rings float there for just a moment, before quickly constricting in an attempt to bind Griff in place. Nanoha calls out to him, "Surrender and we'll do everything we can to free you of Berserker!" It's an unconfirmed hunch, but it might get the man to cooperate.
Eryl Fairfax	Griff is blasted with energy, repeatedly stabbed by Jeanne and Lancer both, tased, kicked off of, and bound with magic. It is as Jeanne Alter said; he's too wild to put up an effective defence. However, the spreading scaled are doing much to help mitigate the incoming blows. He struggles against his bindings as Hikari watches on. "Pitiful wretch. Just hold him still, Miss Paladin, and allow Assassin to remove him from his misery."     For indeed, even as he takes the brunt of Lory's gunfire, even as he is impaled on ice and viciously kicked by Touta onto Lancer's blades, the implacable zombie staggers, but does not fall. Assassin pulls the ice out of him and lurches off of Lancer's blueprint swords, and he snarls again. "Guests..."     His body erupts, tendrils upon tendrils lashing out of his torso to streak through the air and aim to impale those who have attacked him. A few of the guests get caught up, but Hikari pays no mind. "Do you see? Assassin is perfect for a Grail War. A Servant who can rise even upon defeat and return to his Master's side. A Servant with no will of its own, allowing free use of Command Seals for other matters. The strength and endurance of a Berserker, with the Presence Concealment of an Assassin, allowing for quick and lethal ambushes! Try as you might, you'll never win Griff! You were a fool to start here!"     The corrupted man's sclera turn black as he opens his mouth wider, unhinging his jaw as he screams again. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" he screams, shooting out a gout of that smokey flame again. But as he breathes, the smoke clears, leaving only pure, red fire that intensifies into a green beam of searing heat. He whips his head around, struggling against his binds, trying to blast everyone.     And then something goes wrong.     The green becomes black, and the heat turns to chill. The flames now bear the look of the distortions. Lancer gasps, and returns to Touta's side. "It's him! He's the source of the distortion I was feeling!" The black passes across the gamblers, and they /change./ Some abruptly become entirely different people, left standing there utterly confused. The less fortunate are reduced to piles of flesh and organs. And others simply... vanish entirely.     The building is 'catching' in that the distortions spread across every surface, leaving them changed entirely at random. This needs to be stopped.
Staren	The guy becomes more dragon-y as he fights, just like Lung from that superhero world. "Oh great, THIS again. Does his body regenerate and get stronger the more we hurt him? Maybe we need like knockout gas or something..." Staren dives out of the way of the fire, behind a table, but even a glancing hit on his forcefield melts a huge chunk out of it from the sheer heat NEAR the beam. Staren pulls something like a flipphone from his bag and fiddles with it until the text boxes are redirected. He can deal with that later. As he does so, he shouts back at Hikari, "Stop bragging! Think of a way to end the fight more quickly instead!"     Meanwhile, others are trying to disable this guy instead of kill him. Honestly, Staren's fine with that; he doesn't especially WANT to kill this guy, maybe he's just out of his mind. He's just a danger to everyone right now...     Which is reinforced as the beam of chaos sweeps across the crowd and randomizes them; the table Staren's hiding behind turns into a very confused octopus. Staren stands, and the missile racks on his shoulder aim forward and fire.     A volley of mini-missiles have barely flown a few feet when they detonate, technological mastery of physics explosively converting some bits of metal into high-density matter imbued with such ridiculous temperature and velocity that it punches through tank armor like it's not even there, then scatters apart after a few feet.     Time to end this!
Lory Thumper	Lory Thumper keeps reacting with ridiculous speed as those tendrils lash about and those flames and distortions fill the room. She leaps, somersaults, and spirals through the air, barely touching the ground except when absolutely necessary. She finally lands again. And immediately screams as she realizes there is a /pile of organs/ next to her. "Oh my god!!! As both a vegitarian and a beat cop, she has zero experience with this kind of thing. She has spent much of her adult life training. Training for fighting, training for situations, training to prepare herself. But, there was no way she would have thought to train for this.      She scrabbles backward away from the remains, only to bump into someone just before they simply vanish. Her instincts start to take over, and in a flash of movement she just starts throwing grenades from her belt at the assassin and the monstrous berserker master. Explosions of a few different grenade types start raining down around the instigators of all this. Flashbangs, tear gas, riot foam, and plenty conventional grenades. The flashbangs and tear gas might help with something else at least, and that is clearing out the remaining living gamblers, changed or unchanged. "What the hell is happening?!" she practically screams. Though it could be directed at no one, her head turns just a bit toward Touta and his Lancer as she speaks like she has encountered this before.
Nanoha Takamachi	A beam of intensified heat whips around the inside of the casino, threatening to blast though anything it hits. Nanoha doesn't think one of her barriers would survive against that for very long, so opts for a more evasive approach.     Suddenly blasting forward, Nanoha starts to weave through the air, inside the damaged casino. She dives down, flying under a table as the beam streaks through the air just above her. She rises up, skirting around a chandelier as its lines are cut and it plummets to shatter on the ground below.     But the beam eventually catches up, glancing across Nanoha's side. The white of her Barrier Jacket is turned black before disintegrating to ash under the intense heat.     Nanoha swoops around, coming to stop at a point above Touta and Lancer as the transformation overcoming Griff reaches a high point. Nanoha glances at her burned side for a moment, before looking back at Griff, "So now the masters can become distortions? This war is falling apart at the seams!" As evidenced by the sudden change of the casino around them.     Seeing Griff struggling against her binds, Nanoha doesn't expect them to hold for long. So she tries to reinforce them, "Chain Bind!" A spell circle appears on the ground beneath Griff, chains of pink light rising up to try and wrap around the changing monster. Nanoha looks at the others, "We need to contain him, before the distortion can manifest completely!" Nanoha's still hoping they can get through this without killing Griff.
Ritsuka Fujimaru	The man really is going mad. A shame, perhaps, but it's stillresulting in just what Jeanne was hoping to see: These gamblers eating absolute shit. Granted, she's getting shat upon herself pretty badly as those flames wash over and, instead of mixing with her flames and simply burning her, turn into ice halfway. Pain lances through the Dragon Witch as the mingling of burning and freezing just makes things worse, and genuine anger and excitement flashes through her eyes despite feeling several parts of her body going numb from taking that attack head on. "So, Touta... Do you still want him alive?" She barks out with her tone a mixture of anger and battle-frenzy, excited at the prospect of being able to really let loose against someone so dangerous. She's not really sure why she bothered asking the boy, though. It's certainly not like Jeanne to do that, but for some reason, she's suddenly feeling an overwhelming urge to... Protect him? All of them. The boy. The rabbit. The mother. The swordsman. The scientist. Even the sinners. They all need to be protected. As Jeanne advances on the corrupted Griff once more, there's something rather off about her. She's more colorful. Her black armor and cloak have turned white and purple, respectively, and even her hair's turned a distinctly blonde color rather than the former white. "Unfortunate Master... Believe in us. If we cannot restore you to what you were, we can at least give your soul peace. Now..." The banner is raised, and she holds it upwards as it glows brightly. "Defend my brethren, my banner! God is here with me... Luminosite Eternelle!" That light becomes nearly blinding as it bathes the room in light, and then Jeanne charges with her banner/spear to thrust it forward again, aiming to drive it deep within Griff's chest with d... Divine power? There's something incredibly wrong about this, but she doesn't know what.
Reiji Arisu	Truly, Nemesis is a terrifying creature. A thing that unlives only to shamble unstoppably in the direction of its next victims, ignoring even the most grievous of wounds. Bioweapons of this caliber are never to be underestimated, even taking it seriously means the slightest slip-up is punished mercilessly. Reiji fights back a pained growl as Nemesis' fleshy tendrils pierce through his body armor and smash into the thin plate of hardened material underneath the layers of kevlar. It saves him from being truly impaled-- but does nothing to arrest the momentum. He's sent flying as a half-dozen tentacles crash into him, sending him careening into a support beam with the sickening crunch of fracturing bone. "Damn..." the exorcist groans as he forces himself up, "Felt that one. This isn't exactly going as well as I'd like--" A beam of light scythes through the column right above his head. Reiji hisses a swear as he rolls out of the way-- just in time for his blood to run cold as the beam abruptly seems to /invert./ Chaotic black energy sweeps across the casino, doing... /terrible/ things to the people and things within. It's happening again. That distortion...! Nanoha's right. They need to seal this away before it gets any worse. And so-- to that end-- Reiji darts forward, swinging his mobile arsenal wide. His weapons emerge as a singular cluster from the rack, and with a sudden burst of speed he grabs hold of the first. Hollywood. "Wood kindles Fire," Reiji intones as he unloads a pair of buckshot rounds. The air is briefly filled with the distinct scent of pine and sanctified incense-- but before the smoke is given the chance to disperse, he snatches a sword out of the air. Karin. "Fire creates earth," Reiji's chant continues as he swings at the distorted Master, conjuring a sudden burst of flame that catches Hollywood's lingering smoke cloud and suddenly *explodes* like some kind of fuel-air mixture. He releases his first blade, grabbing the second. Chirai. "Earth yields Metal," Three-fold arcs of lightning tear through the explosive cloud, drawing on the heat and building to a blinding intensity. Again, he releases the blade, this time replacing it with his oversized handgun. Gold. "And finally...!" He turns and fires. Bolts of heavy metal lance through the lingering lightning and become tiny suns unto themselves. But he's not finished. One last. He grabs his last blade and swings it...! "Metal carries Water!" A wave of frost erupts from Sorin. Gold's heavy rounds abruptly flash and become nucleation sites, allowing the ice to build and grow faster than it ever aught to have been able. Reiji rolls back, levels Hollywood one last time, and finishes: "This is... The power of All Things In Nature!" He pulls the trigger. One last shotgun shell to unleash the combined power of all five elemental forces...!
Touta Konoe	"Wait...He's what?!" That's the immediate response to Rynith's deduction. The source of the distortion was none other than Griff, and hearing this makes Touma give a solemn look. "But if he's the distortion then we'd have to...Have to..."     They'd have to get rid of him. Just like Nagi had done with the earlier distortions. It was the only assured way, but that would mean..."There's gotta be something we can do ri-"     Before he can finish speaking Touta can hear the screams echoing from Griff and he watches as this man goes from a Pseudo Servant to just...A monster. A distortion in every sense of the word, and in becoming so actually affecting the very surroundings amongst him.     Before he realizes the entire group is caught within this distortions attack that literally tries to engulf everything in black...And for a moment...Touta gets caught. It happened so suddenly, trying to push one of these gamblers out of the way half of his body gets caught in one of the blasts. His right arm and leg, part of his waist are completely disintegrated leaving nothing but half of a man...Half of his face so singed that he looks like he'd be auditioning for Two-Face. And for a moment he stumbles to the ground. Even as he slowly recovers though he finds himself partially taken aback by how powerful the attack was and just how much damage it had caused. He's honestly not sure what else he can do at this point besides just...End it quickly. The feeling only intensifies as he finally hears Jeanne of all people...Asking him the tough questions. He's known her for maybe...A year now and he's probably never heard her ask him something like that, and it makes him clench at his sword even tighter as she starts talking about saving his soul. "...Hey Jeanne...You're...Not getting out of this bet so easily!" This person might have been a monster now, but this wasn't entirely Griff either. So give up on this guy was like to forsake him, like hell he's gonna let Jeanne or any of these other exorcist types think otherwise about it.     "Rynith! GET ME AN OPENING!!!" Touta holds out a card towards Rynith and it begins to shine with a warm light, in doing so she can feel a swell of magical power within her as Touta begins to pull out his hoop and spins it, creating a small cyclone as he prepares his Revolution. A smile comes with a bead of sweat that goes down his brow, everyone had an idea of sealing or exorcising this magical Servant, "Well...So do I!!!"     Touta charges in behind the others, not quick enough to beat a divine power, an exorcist's exorcism spell, or a Mahou Shoujo's magical binding. So he's likely one of the last to get his licks in to try and deal with Griff, but he's gonna put his all in this gamble. The boy runs through the blackness of Griff's continuing onslaught, his senses trying to stay attune at the last moment for Assassin's appearence so that he doesn't interrupt what Touta attempts to do. Closing the distance as all the attacks would go, Touta would try sealing this magical Servant...Or what was left of it the only way he knew how. "COMPLEXIO!!!" Touma was going to try and absorb whatever sort of magic was forming the entity that was overtaking Griff.
Eryl Fairfax	Missiles impact on Griff, staggering him, but not stopping the distortion breath. The building keeps changing, but there's a method to it. It's not just random chaos. As the burns connect, the changes solidify into a single unified theme. It's all chrome and tech, roulette tables turning into computer consoles, fountains into power conduits. The Dimethyl Casino is becoming something else, but what?     Grenades from Lory draw the beam to her, but Nanoha reinforces her binds, holding his head in place before the chaotic blast can strike her. And then Jeanne strides forth. No Alter, no fake version. For the moment, it's the real deal. She drives her banner into Griff's chest and blasts him with sanctified power. There is nothing inherently unholy about the distortions, but it has a hell of an effect regardless. The black beam cuts off, and draconic power starts pouring off him like a broken dam. The distortions clash, and Jeanne's comes out the victor.     But this power does not want to leave its host. It drives Griff to lash out, to swing with all his might at Jeanne and the approaching Touta, to try and ward them off. But the young man asked Lancer for an opening, and she grants one. Twin blueprint swords fly down to impale Griff's hands, pinning them to his legs as Touta touches him, attempting to pull the force out of the bard and into himself.     Black scales sprout on Touta's fingers, spreading along his hands and up his arms as he begins growing horns of his own. He understands this power now, the effect of Berserker's Noble Phantasm. Her legacy of bringing dragons into existence by granting man the power... it was used on Griff, and distorted by this false Grail War, allowing it to persist past her death.     But even as it threatens to invade Touta, Reiji fires his sealing shot. This power of the completed Shinra Bansho strikes at the green and black force, causing it to collapse on itself, the seal drawing the power from Griff and Touta both. In a wink, it disappears, and Griff collapses. His scales begin flaking off, his horns dissolving, as do those on Touta.     It's over.     "Well, that was a bother," Hikari says from behind a newly made computer console. "If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way. I'll be sure to bill the Paladins for the cost of removing those bullets from Assassin," he says to Lory, before looking to Staren. "You, carry me out of here. My Servant can follow on foot."     With the affair settled, things can be followed up on. There's little that can be done for those turned into piles of flesh. Those who vanished are searched for. Some are found just at their homes, confused but unharmed. Others are found in far-flung places, even more confused, and possibly starved and dehydrated.     Those who are now different people have an entire life of memories, and no recollection of who they were. From their perspective, they were just warped to the casino suddenly. They mention places and names familiar, but no one remembers them. They will require help to settle in.     And atop that hill, there is no longer a casino, but a large section of debris from something spherical. Whatever it came from was huge, and data salvaged from the computers make reference to some kind of beam weapon. Lists of targets are corrupted, but include Al@&^ran.
Nanoha Takamachi	Nanoha watches as the combined assaults interact with the distortion. Dare she hope that it'll work? Nanoha doesn't have to wait long as the power is pulled forth, before disappearing.     As their surroundings settle, Nanoha lets out a relieved breath, "Phew." She then grins at the accomplishment, "This proves that we can contain the distortions!" She taps her chin for a moment, "I might have to see if I can take the readings from this and update my sealing spell..."     Anyway, Nanoha floats down, gently touching on the ground. She looks at everyone who had helped bring about this outcome, smiling at them as she echoes Touta's statement, "Thank you for your help, everyone!" The distortion did unfortunately take some lives... But it could have been much worse.
Staren	Griff is sealed. Staren was only aiming to finish him out of necessity, so he doesn't do so now.     Hikari gives an order to a Hand of the Concord. Staren just stares at him for a few seconds, then opens his visor so his face can be clearly seen and his voice clearly heard: "You can walk out of here yourself. If you have no higher ambition than to be carried and to order people around, then your command seals will be reassigned to someone more useful."     Staren then moves to address the Paladins. "It was your contribution that made capture possible, but I'd like to offer Concord R&D's assistance in studying this man and purging whatever's been done to him. Perhaps we can work together on this."     For a brief moment, he DID consider trying to save the brains. But a brain outside of a skull and all its other protections maintains its structure about as well as pudding. It's already too late.
Ritsuka Fujimaru	Jeanne holds that banner in place as long as she can, drawing it back only when Griff readies to slam into her with that Berserker-fed might. The impact she expects never comes, though, as the barrage of attacks bind him in place and pull that distorted energy out of the Master Servant hybrid, sealed into an explosion of magical power, and then... Everything settles. She sighs softly while turning to the strangers, looking the survivors over while smiling softly. "Is everyone alright? Can you-" Who are these people? This isn't her Grail War. Where is her Master? When was she even summoned? Why is she here? Something's wrong. She can feel something burning inside. The fire's growing. It's different from that day. 'Avenger... Say that again.' "Aven...?" The distortions appear again briefly, there's a flash of light, then flames, and then Jeanne is there again. The black-armored one, though, with the nearly-white hair and the paler skin. Despite saying nothing and not setting anything nearby on fire, she looks absolutely furious.
Lory Thumper	Lory can only really watch wide-eyed as those with much more suited powers take care of the situation. She looks pretty worried as it looks like Touta will be taken over as well, but Reiji takes care of it.      Once it is all over, the bunny cop has to just sit there for a few moments and take some deep breaths. She just nods at thank yous that are handed out by the others, but it is a minute or two before she actually gets up again. "I-is everyone alri-" And then her ears perk at what Hikari said. "Excuse me?!" Anger is a good way to override overwhelmed. "I should charge -you- for engaging in this stupid Grail War in a populated place and forcing the use of my ammunition!" she exclaims, little bunny fists clenched in possibly the cutest angry pose ever. "In fact! I should just take you in! Your servant and this situation cost lives! Do you even care?" she says as she actually retrieves some handcuffs from her belt and starts toward Hikari.      Jeanne's change distracts her for a moment, possibly enough time for Hikari to slip away if he so chooses. "...what the...I guess I was lucky." she says, thinking about what might have happened if she had been caught in one of those distortions. Would she be just a puddle of flesh? A snowshoe hare instead of a cottontail? ...are those people that were altered gone or merely displaced?"
Reiji Arisu	Touta does something reckless. Something utterly foolish. Reiji's about to say as much before it's too late to change anything and he's already commited to the shot. He takes it, and whispers a prayer. ...And thankfully, as the seal drains that chaotic energy away and scatters it to the four winds, it seems a merciful god hears his plea. Reiji holds position until the last of the corruption crumbles away. Finally, it's over. He allows himself to release a long, tense sigh before making his way over to offer Touta a hand up. "That was reckless. But I'm glad you're alright," he nods, then looks to the other Paladins, and gestures to the crowds of confused people and the piles of twitching meat. "Looks like we've still got a job to do. This damn war is really making a mess of things." Staren makes an offer, and Reiji shrugs. "Maybe. I'll have to take it up with someone who has the authority to make that call. Your offer is noted and appreciated, however--" Suddenly, the air shifts. Something sacred becomes profane. Reiji turns on his heel to the source of the distortion and finds... Oh. Oh, it's just the Frenchwoman again. Okay. "Come on you two," he calls to the other Paladins, "Let's get Griff to medical. Touta, you should probably come too. Get yourself checked for... more distortions."
Eryl Fairfax	Hikari tsks lightly at Staren. "It would be a gesture of good faith to a vulnerable Master allied with your faction, in a War your First takes very seriously. But I understand you're not a 'people person."     Lory grabs his attention, and he looks at her incredulously. "Arrest me? I was just here enjoying some recreational gambling. He's the one who came barrelling in and started the fight." He gestures at Griff as he is being tended to by Reiji. "Is the tiny officer mad that I don't respect her authority? Too bad. I am a liaison of the Concord who was merely acting in self-defence. Bring me in if you must, but you risk out and out war between the factions."     He sneers as she looks away at Jeanne. "Thought so. Come Assassin." The massive servant picks the boy up and sets him on its shoulders before striding from the ruins.     Griff is semi-coherent as he is taken away. He manages to say, "I just wanted to bring music to everyone... this War is a nightmare," before slipping back into unconsciousness.
Touta Konoe	For a moment, Touta can feel the power of this Servant surging through him, for a moment he's the one that's being overwhelmed. But just as he's getting overwhelmed he's doing everything in his power to consume what is trying to consume him. There's a moment where it's neck and neck on who would consume whom, and just as it's about to happen...The spirit origin fades. The magic Touta had been trying to consume begins to dissipate. "Wha-?"     The young man loses his balance as the hoop falls from his hips. He's not sure entirely what just happened but he knows at the very least..."Yeah...Guess this was our win?" It's the only thing he can think to say towards Nanoha's remark, even with all the casualties.     Without uttering another word he takes Reiji's hand up as he tries Touta for doing something dangerous. Well, that wasn't a first and probably wouldn't be a last if it was needed. What ends up being really scarey though are the words that come out of Jeanne's mouth or the lack there of. "Avenger...Say that again." 'Aven...?' There's a bit of worry for a moment as Touta leans in to check on her, he speaks in hushed tone for a moment only to see in an instant her return to her normal teeth grinding state. The Dragon Witch returns with vengeance!!! Touta meanwhile can take a sigh of relief for now getting just about ready to go with Reiji to debrief on the current situation. Though that's when he hears a very unpleasant voice start to speak up to Staren...And then sass Lory...     He knows that Reiji /JUST/ told him not to do anything reckless but...He looks at Reiji...Then to Staren, then back to Reiji with a bit of a 'Sorry' look. "Jeanne...Rynith..."     He says nothing more as he just gives them both notice as he starts walking away from the Paladins, cracking his knuckles as he does so. "Excuse me!" He shouts towards Hikari the moment before it looks like the massive Servant was going to pick him up, "Not sure we've been properly introduced yet. But my name's Touta Konoe..." In the next moment The boy becomes a blur immediately coming face to face with Hikari still having that very innocent grin as he does so. That smile is then proceeded by an uppercut to Hikari's jaw. "...And I'm not part of /any/ faction! I don't care if you're part of this Grail War or not, you talk shit like that to my friends again and I'll show you what not being a 'people person' looks like!"
Ritsuka Fujimaru	There's a fair bit of silence from the Dragon Witch as she works herself through what had just happened, the rage simmering long and hard while people talk about... Something? She's not paying that much attention, and she only catches vague gestures and looks in her direction. Why the hell did it have to be HER? "Tch. There's not enough people here worth burning to..." Jeanne lets out a frustrated yell as she hurls a flaming spear into the distance, the arc coindentally whizzing right past Hikari and the towering Assassin. That wasn't enough. Visibly fuming now, she eventually settles on watching Touta to see what sort of dumb thing he has in mind. Jeanne starts laughing. It's that familiar, maniacal sort of laughter, but it's (probably) better than her being pissed. She steadies her hold on her sword, then approaches Touta, Hikari, and the Assassin slowly. "Good form. Probably. Now, little..." She has no idea what Hikari's name is. "...You. Please. Give me a reason to use this."
Eryl Fairfax	Hikari turns and regards Touta with a smirk. "I don't believe I as-"     POW!     He is sent sailing back by the impact of the punch. Assassin, obviously, immediately winds up a big punch to put Touta into the ground, but in an instant, Rynith is there to intercept it with a massive sword. "Do you have to be so reckless Touta?!" she demands, though she doesn't seem all that unhappy.     Hikari gets back to his feet, looking like he's about to cry as he rubs his jaw. "How dare you! You... You! Assassin!" He starts to issue a command, but realises the odds. Three on one, after a big fight. Assassin may be nigh unkillable, but he can be put down long enough for these three to go to town on him.     "Assassin!... let's go. Don't think I'll forget this," the Master hisses, before the two leave.