Madman?
Neema Amiry: Shit is going down. That's a understatement
"Well damn, that is one hell of a Servant." Avenger said lamely as he focused his eyes in the giant that stood behind the little girl. His eyes could easily see through the dark, and the giants skin was dark gray and it looked like stone plates were protruding from his elbows. He was wearing nothing but a giant leather skirt with bracelets around his wrists and ankles. In his right hand he carried a slap of rock shaped into a sword-axe.
"Listen, I have a strategy to use against him. Archer will provide support fire with his bow, and Saber will be the main offense, however I need to know Avengers abilities to figure out where we could use him effectively." Rin said, her own eyes reinforced to look at the behemoth.
"I will be most useful alongside Saber." Avenger said bluntly, his back straight and his face scrunched up in a slight scowl. He whistled over to Shirou, and looked back at him. "If I were you, I'd run as fast as your legs can carry you, but if you wish to fight with us, you better fully comprehend that you could die right here, right now. Understand?"
He didn't wait for an answer as he turned back towards the girl and her Servant. She giggled and smiled. "My name is Illiya, short for Illiyasviel Von Einzbern. You should recognize that, right Tohsaka?" She asked, her smile never fading.
"But, now that all the introductions are out if the way, let's get onto killing you!" She said far too happily for someone saying those words. "Now then Berserker, go get them."
Berserker roared before leaping into the air, spinning dramatically as he fell towards the group. Before he could reach them, what looked like red lights peppered his body, forcing him to go onto the defensive as he slashed the arrows with his sword and took the blows with his chest, none even scratching his skin.
One particularly strong arrow smashed into his chest, releasing a massive blast that sent pieces of earth flying through the air. Shirou and Rin both ran forward to investigate Berserker's condition. As the smoke cleared, Berserker was revealed, injured and growling.
Before anyone could react, he had jumped out and was bringing his blade onto Shirous head, prompting Saber to run and block the attack with her own invisible blade.
Six silver blurs slammed into Berserkers back, leaving no visible wounds on the skin underneath. Avenger stood behind Tohsaka his fingers spreading as more Black Keys appeared in his hands.
Berserker growled again before bringing his blade up to smash it down again to be met with ground as Saber leapt out of range. He charged forward again as Avenger followed, the shadows around his feet beginning to twitch. He dropped two of his Keys to disappear, as he focused his Prana into his two remaining blades as he jumped over Shirou and kept running.
The blades grew longer and thicker, the blades also gaining sharpness and a boost to its enchantment. He chased after the two Servants with murderous intent practically pouring from his body.
He ran into a open field with the street running above on a hill alongside it. Avenger watched as Saber dodged Berserker's blade, before jumping on top of it and slashing her sword towards Berserkers neck. Berserker quick as a bullet flipped backwards and began to assault Saber with his bare hands.
Avenger took opportunity of the distraction and jumped behind Berserker and slashed in a X shape, not leaving a dent or injury in his iron thick skin as the blades shattered.
Avenger gasped as he frantically tried to readjust his momentum to leap of Berserkers back, but he wasn't fast enough as he got the full force of Berserkers strike with the flat of his blade. Avenger felt multiple ribs shatter as he was sent reeling backwards into a light post, bending it at a crooked angle.
He coughed up blood as he cradled his chest, trying to prevent his innards from becoming his outtards. He heard Berserkers roar as he leapt closer, intending to finish the attack. Avenger could hear the whistle from the blade coming, and frantically threw himself to the side, the impact from the stone sword reverberating through his teeth.
He got onto his feet and leaped as far as he could from Berserker, and could hear Saber start to duel with him again. Avenger prodded his chest carefully, and had to catch his breath as he felt the bone move. He summoned a set of Keys and threw then at Berserker, and grimaced as they shattered on his skin.
"His skin alone is strong enough to resist a C rank Noble Phantasm, and he's faster than both me and Saber. How in the actual hell are going to kill him!" Avenger thought angrily as he tried throwing six more Keys, Berserker swatting down two that went close to his head as the others broke again.
"Wait a minute." He thought as he leapt through tree branches with Berserker smashing through everything in his way to give chase. Avenger began mentally warring against Berserker, thinking about his attack patterns, the dodging strategies, the foresight that Berserker seemed to posses, and compiled it in a mental note. And if he wasn't busy trying to not hit a tree or get hit by Berserker, he would have snapped his fingers.
He landed in a graveyard next to the church and summoned a Black Key while overcharging it, the blade transforming into more of a sharpened club than anything else, and looked back at the roaring titan of muscle with a small blonde trying to take him down, and threw his blade towards Berserkers open mouth using his personal favorite technique, the Iron Plate Effect.
Now, as the blade flies towards Berserkers mouth, let's review what exactly the Iron Plate Effect is, and why exactly Berserker can block Excalibur with his bare skin. The Iron Plate Effect when used by a Executioner can increase the throwing power of the Black Keys to make them, and I quote: "allow them to bore through even reinforced concrete walls and hit an enemy with enough force to be likened to being struck by a car."
Surprisingly, this not an enchantment or something done to the key itself. It is actually just a throwing technique that gives the weapon that unique effect, but it is not alone, the other techniques include:
Cremation Rite, which sets the target on fire
Internment Rite, causes petrification of the target
Mummification Rite, drains all of the water out of the target (keep in mind the human body is 70% water. Doesn't paint a pretty picture)
Excarnation Rite, which causes CROWS of all things to attack the target.
And for those unaware, Berserker is the owner of the Noble Phantasm: God Hand. This essentially grants him the ability to die multiple times and...actually, here's the wiki description because I can't explain anything even if my life was on the line:
"Differing from simply tough armor that will endure attacks and eventually wither under the damage, God Hand applies a conceptual defense based upon ranks, a "'law' of immortality created from abnormal amounts of magical energy." It defends against all attacks B-rank and lower, regardless of the attack being physical or magical in nature. It also grants the effect of automatic regeneration, including resurrection after death, reviving him with a stock of eleven extra lives through layered resurrection magic."
In conclusion: It makes him one tough son of a bitch to take down. For those that remember, Avenger can summon the Black Keys due to his Noble Phantasm: Headsman's Blades, which is C rank. But, if you consider that he overcharged it past its limits, is using a throwing style that enables a human person able to shred through concrete, and is throwing in a place unprotected by Berserkers armor like skin.
It means that it may get, rather...messy in 3
2..
...and 1
The Black Key slammed into Berserkers mouth, tearing his jaw and face apart. As his head snapped reared back, the blade began to glow. All of the mana contained in the key was unleashed into Berserkers soft and unprotected brain and down his throat, blowing the top part of his head clean off and singeing his insides.
Avenger, after getting over the shock that it actually worked, quickly jumped up with his fists punching the air as he let out a whoop. "Yeah! Eat it you big muscly bastard! Who would've thought that I would be the one to kill him!" He yelled out before looking at a gawking Saber.
"I am impressed Avenger. For you to have slain the strongest Servant is impressive for someone of your skills." Saber complimented. Avenger was about to ask what she meant by "his skills" but what he saw happening to Berserker got him to shut his mouth rather quick.
Berserker wasn't dead. His face was regenerating, fast. Even with the top part of his skull blown off he was still somehow alive. Avenger was rather pissed to say the least.
"Can anything kill this bastard! His face got blown the hell off! Not even a Servant isn't supposed to survive that! Unless he has a 'Anti Face Explosion' Skill I'm calling BS!" Avenger yelled out as he ran his hands through his hair. He suddenly realized the scenario he was in.
A Berserker, and one that made Lancelot look like a toddler being compared to a body builder at that, wasn't dead and was coming back to life after he blew it's head off. And he was going to be very angry and most likely want revenge. And his target was a Masterless Servant who was running out of mana and tricks up his sleeve. Avenger gulped before abruptly grabbing Saber and throwing her over his shoulder before running.
"The hell are you doing Avenger! Unhand me at once!" Saber yelled into Avengers ear. "Oh quiet princess, we only have several seconds to get as far possible from him before he gets up. And you need to keep your energy up because you aren't getting resupplied from your Master." Avenger growled back.
"So pipe down and enjoy the ri-" Avenger said before he was pushed onto the ground by a massive foot slamming into his back. Saber fell along with him, landing on top of Avenger, making his already injured spine feel like it was on fire.
Avenger frantically turned himself around and tried to untangle himself from Sabers battledress, but he saw Berserker preparing to strike with his sword. Time felt like it had slowed to a crawl, Avenger was summoning four Black Keys and pulling his arm back to throw them, Saber was trying to deflect Berserkers weapon with her own, but neither of them were fast enough.
Avenger knew he was going to die, closing his eyes wouldn't change anything, so he was forced to watch as Berserker brought it down. Only for the attack to never come, and it wasn't a Servants blood that splashed over his face.
Shrou Emiya had taken the blow.
