A Kadoc Grand Order

[Nerdycrow]

As the dust settled and the chaos of battle began to dissipate, those fortunate enough to escape injury set about the task of creating a makeshift camp. Tents were hastily erected using whatever materials could be found, and fires were kindled to ward off the evening chill. Cu Chulainn (Caster) moved among the survivors, his presence a reassuring constant as he lent his strength and expertise to the efforts.

Kadoc Zemlupus stood apart, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. Despite his best efforts to maintain his composure, his hands betrayed him, trembling slightly as he tried to keep them hidden. A magus should never show weakness, he reminded himself, tightening his grip until his knuckles turned white.

Ritsuka Fujimaru's group approached, accompanied by Mash Kyrielight and a contingent of soldiers, Kadoc forced himself to focus. Ritsuka, her eyes were like light that had dimmed as her Mystic Code had been painted with blood like his own.

Beside her was Mash as she walked with a Massive shield with ease. Who would have thought that she would become like this. Yet it was evident that she was also not at her best with a complicated expression on her face.

Kadoc forced a smile, nodding to Ritsuka. "Ritsuka, Mash," he greeted them, his voice steady despite the tremor in his hands. "It's good that you could gather allies at a time like this."

Ritsuka nodded in response, her lips pressing into a thin line. She didn't say anything, her gaze flicking away as she walked past him without another word. Kadoc watched her go, a pang of understanding hitting him. She wasn't used to this—the blood, the chaos. It was taking its toll.

Mash stepped forward, filling the silence. "Allow me to introduce Mr. Thomas Lawrence," she said, her voice steady and calm. "He's the reason these soldiers are here to help us."

Kadoc turned his attention to the man standing behind Mash, it was man in his early thirties wearing an officer uniform one would see on an officer

"Mr. Lawrence," Kadoc acknowledged, extending his hand. "Your assistance is invaluable. We owe you our thanks."

Lawrence took Kadoc's hand in a firm grip. "We're all in this together," he replied. "I guess you're from the Clock tower?"

It surprised Kadoc that this man knew about the clock tower but maybe he was also a Magus yet it wasn't a conversation that one would have in the company of so many people at least.

With that he only nodded and continued to ask. "So, Mr. Lawrence could you tell me what's been happening? I thought the war was about to end?"

The man also nodded and replied. "Yes it was about to and from what I could gather we were about to win but the Germans somehow started a counter attack stronger than before and the Japanese have also started attacking France due to that many have died and most of our allies have been reduced."

Kadoc frowned, absorbing the information. "A stronger counterattack... it doesn't make sense. Do you think they have new weaponry or reinforcements?"

Thomas Lawrence shook his head. "It's possible. The Germans somehow have been able to get these people that are tearing down full armies without a single loss. Even the Japanese have someone calling herself Nobunaga and has 4 generals helping her out."

Cu Chulainn (Caster) joined them, having overheard the conversation. "This means that they may have summoned Servants and one has the Holy Grail."

Kadoc nodded thoughtfully. "We'll need to investigate further. But for now, let's focus on regrouping and fortifying our position. We can't afford to be caught off guard again."

With that everyone nodded and went their way.

You have 2 actions

[ ] Talk to someone (Raises bond)
[ ] Train a skill
[ ] Summon a Servant (1 possible)(Pick some one)(Ritsuka 2/4, Kadoc 3/4)
[ ] Help with the medical staff

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A.N : So Ritsuka won due to QQ and the Roll being in her favour but you can talk to Mandricardo now.

 

[Nerdycrow]

Kadoc shuffled uneasily as he approached his fellow Master Candidate. Ritsuka hadn't said a word since she returned and hadn't even eaten anything.

Mash, Romani and Da Vinci had been worried about her but for some reason sent Kadoc to deal with this.

Ritsuka's usual vivacity was replaced by a heavy silence. He knew what she had witnessed—the stark brutality of death, likely for the first time.

He cleared his throat, but the sound seemed swallowed by the camp's noise. He stood there awkwardly, shifting from one foot to the other, trying to muster the right words.

Although he hadn't seen death before today and was definitely shaken from it but he had always been prepared for it since to be a Magus was to walk with death or something.

"Hey, Fujimaru," he started, his voice faltering. "How…how are you holding up?"

She didn't respond, her eyes still fixed on the ground. Kadoc sighed, already feeling exasperated. "You know, it's not like staring at the dirt is going to help."

Ritsuka's fingers twitched slightly, a small sign of life, but she remained silent. Kadoc bit his lip, feeling more useless by the second.

Kadoc sighed, running a hand through his hair. "This is ridiculous," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to her. "You're just going to sit here and wallow? Really?"

Ritsuka's eyes remained fixed on the ground, her silence now seeming almost defiant. Kadoc felt a flare of irritation. He wasn't good at this emotional stuff, but he couldn't just leave her like this.

"Look," he said, more harshly than he intended, "I get that what you saw was tough. Death isn't exactly a walk in the park. But we don't have time for you to break down. Not now."

Her fingers twitched again, and this time he didn't take it as a good sign. "Snap out of it, Fujimaru," he demanded. "You think you're the only one who's scared? The rest of us are just as terrified. But sitting here feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to bring anyone back."

Ritsuka's eyes flashed with anger, and before Kadoc could react, she was on her feet, her fist connecting with his jaw. He staggered back, clutching his face, more shocked than hurt.

"You think this is easy for me?" Ritsuka spat, her voice trembling with rage. "I just saw a man's head pop like a balloon because he tried to protect me?"

Kadoc rubbed his jaw, wincing slightly as he faced her anger. He took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"Being a Magus means walking very closely with Death, Fujimaru," he said, his voice firm. "We're taught to expect it, to deal with it, because it's a part of our world. It's not fair, and it's never easy, but it's what we signed up for. We can't afford to let it break us."

"But I am not a Magus Kadoc," She replied as Kadoc swore she was getting ready for another punch. "This isn't a world I am familiar with.'

Kadoc held up his hands defensively, trying to calm her down. "Okay, okay, I get it but we have to move on."

Ritsuka glared at him, her chest heaving with anger and frustration. "move on? You think it's that simple?"

"No, it's not simple," Kadoc snapped back. "But sitting here and doing nothing won't help anyone. We're in the middle of a war, Fujimaru People die. It's brutal and unfair, but we have to keep moving. We have to keep fighting."

Ritsuka looked at him with some anger but took a deep breath and calmed down as she said. "Fine." And walked back towards camp.


****

The night was still, save for the occasional crackle of the campfire and the distant sounds of the camp's other inhabitants settling in for the night. Kadoc Zemlupus sat on a log, his gaze fixed on the flickering flames.

All of them had decided that it would be best if they planned their next move tomorrow after everyone had a bit of rest and would be refreshed.

But Kadoc couldn't get sleep since he had many things running through his head. Like the reason for Lev's betrayal and other such thing like the sting of Fujimaru's punch was still felt on his face.

Across from sat his Servant Nitocris. Kadoc still couldn't believe that he had summoned a Pharaoh as his Servant and that the Pharaoh was a Caster.

"You seem troubled, Master," Nitocris spoke, her voice calm and soothing. "Would you like to share your thoughts with me?"

Kadoc sighed, rubbing the side of his face where Fujimaru's punch had landed. "Not quite I am fine. Just thinking about tomorrow morning."

Nitocris raised an eyebrow, and for the first time Kadoc felt that he was sitting Infront of a king. "You are an awful liar, Master," she said, her tone carrying a hint of haughtiness. "A Pharaoh is not easily deceived. Your thoughts are clearly elsewhere, and it would be wise to address them rather than let them fester."

Kadoc glanced at her, a bit taken aback by her bluntness. "Tch, nothing important just thinking about why Lev would betray us or the director? I just can't seem to figure that puzzle out."

Caster stayed silent and didn't reply.

Kadoc shook his head, his frustration evident. "It's not like I care about Lev personally," he muttered, his eyes narrowing at the flames. "But the reason for all this... it's so confusing. Why would someone go to such lengths? It doesn't make any sense."

Nitocris didn't reply immediately but watched for a moment before speaking. "Maybe the reason may be for something Grand or something little but understanding the reason will not undo anything the man has done."

Kadoc stared into the fire, the flames reflecting in his eyes. "Yeah, I know that," he admitted, his voice softer. "It's just... I need to understand. I need to know why everything turned out this way."

A silence settled between them, broken only by the crackling of the fire. After a moment, Kadoc spoke again. "Forgot about it, I am getting some sleep."

With that he moved away from the fire and headed for his tent. It wasn't something he had to talk with Caster it was something personal.

****

A.N : The Vote chapter will be tomorrow. Sorry for the late update.

 

[Nerdycrow]

The next morning at the crack of dawn everyone that held important positions was invited to the main tent to hold a strategic meeting on their next course of actions.

The dimly lit tent and the canvas walls barely muffled the sounds of soldiers bustling outside, but inside, the atmosphere was eerily still. Kadoc sat cross-legged on the rough mat, his fingers drumming a restless rhythm on his knee. His brow was furrowed, his eyes fixed on the map spread out before him.

Ritsuka sat opposite him, arms crossed, her gaze occasionally flickering to Kadoc with an expression like she wanted to say something.

Mash was next to her and the holographic image of Doctor Romani was also in the tent standing in the middle.

Lawrence was sitting with his right hand man and such.

Kadoc's patience, already thin from the restless night, was wearing even thinner with the tension hanging in the air. He glanced up from the map, his voice cutting through the silence. "Alright, let's not waste any more time. We're surrounded on two sides and barely have any information regarding the situation and heavily outnumbered. So our best course of action is probably to gather more allies and decide which front we are going to attack."

Lawrence, seated with his right-hand man at his side, cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. His usually calm demeanor was now tinged with a sense of urgency as he leaned forward, tapping the edge of the map.

"My scouts have brought in some critical information," Lawrence began, his voice steady but carrying the weight of the situation. "To the north, there's a small contingent of French forces. They're being led by a woman carrying a flag—a standard-bearer, perhaps. Despite being vastly outnumbered, they've managed to hold their ground against the Germans. It's a small but determined group, and their position could be crucial if we can reach them in time."

He paused, letting the significance of his words sink in before continuing. "And from the sea, I've received word that a separate group of soldiers—British, by the looks of it—have been defending against Japanese advances. They've managed to stave off multiple assaults, but their numbers are dwindling. If we don't act soon, they'll be overwhelmed."

Lawrence's gaze swept across the tent, taking in the expressions of those gathered. "These two groups could be potential allies. If we can forge an alliance, we might have a chance to bolster our defenses and strike back. But the window of opportunity is closing fast."

He leaned back, his eyes settling on Kadoc. "The decision is yours, but time is of the essence."

Where do you want to advance

[ ] Sea
[ ] North

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A.N : Basically you and your Servants will head to where you voted and Ritsuka will head to the other.