Prologue 1: True Berserker
The Northern Winters
Those who venture to these lands, yet are not born in the north will tell tales of frostbite inducing temperatures, howling winds of ice and show that effectively blind the traveller unlucky enough to not find shelter before night fall. They tell these tales, that is, if they don't die out here.
Illyasviel von Einzbern, firstborn daughter of the union between Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel von Einzbern, stands in the midst of this unforgiving weather with nothing but a white cloth to cover herself from the harsh environment around her. Thrown out into the wilderness by her unforgiving grandfather, Jubstacheit von Einzbern and demanded her to not return unless she summons a servant. Illya wraps her arms around herself as she finishes the servant summoning circle. She shivers in the cold, but she steels herself with resolve. The resolve to participate in the 5th Holy Grail War due in another two months.
Normally, summoning servants can only be done at maximum, a week before the war began, but being one of the creators of the Holy Grail, the Einzbern's were able to cheat the system, and allow Illya to summon her servant, giving her the upper hand against the other masters because she would have had an extra two months of training and preparation.
Illya suddenly hears the sound of growling in the distance. She has to hurry! She did not endure ten long years of harsh, training just to die in the middle of nowhere. She raised her hand, and started chanting.
Ye first, O silver, O iron.
O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract.
Hear me in the name of our great teacher, the Archmagus Schweinorg.
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 submitteth to the call of the Holy Grail, and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond.
I make my oath here.
I am that person who is become the virtue of all Heaven.
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, and be thou the hands that protect the balance-!
Almost instantly, the summoning circle lit up with a bright light, sadly that same light attracted the wolves to Illya. And as the light faded, it revealed a towering man, standing 6ft, 8in tall – or 204 cm for everyone not from the U.S – the man wore pitch black armor, with a brown cape at his back that seems to conceal some type of weapon – If the hilt sticking out the top was any indication – the man also seemed to have an iron gauntlet on his left arm. For a moment the two were just staring at one another, but the howls of approaching wolves snapped them out of it.
Illya was scared because she hadn't made the contract with Berserker – she assumed the man was anyway – yet, she didn't have enough time. She readied herself to fight – albeit a bit nervously – but just as the wolves burst through the foliage, the large man stepped in front of her, grabbed the hilt on his back and pulled, revealing a sword too large to be called a sword, and effortlessly sliced an approaching wolf in half.
The 'sword' was far too large to be even categorized as a sword. It was more like a hugs slab of iron, and it seemed with a mix of the sheer weight of the weapon, along with the strength of the user – anyone capable of wielding such a weapon must be someone of unparalleled strength. Illya wondered if there was a swordsman that wielded such a weapon. She momentarily considered the man to be from a minor myth, but that was impossible. A man with strength of this caliber would've been much more famous.
The man lifted the sword over his shoulder, unbothered by the weight of the weapon. "He must have had the weapon for a considerable amount of time, considering how he is so accustomed to the weapon." Illya thought to herself, before she had to stop thinking as the black swordsman cleaved through an entire pack of wolves effortlessly. Illy managed to get a glance of the man's expression, and he seemed utterly bored, like the wolves were a mere nuisance to him.
With the last of the wolves slain, the man put the sword back onto his back before turning to Illya. The young homunculus froze; she knew of the tendency Berserker's have to kill their own masters. A chill ran down her spine as the man's gaze landed on her.
She was a bit confused when the man rubbed his temples. "*sighs* All I wanted to do was rest after all that bullshit, but here I am summoned to fight in another war." The man looked to the distance, and Illya finally the look in his eyes, it was the same look his father would sometimes have when he was alone. When she asked her mother about it, she says that he was just tired. The same look appeared in the man's eyes, Illya idly wondered just what the man went through.
"Well anyway, maybe I can let loose this time. You're my master, right?" He asked.
"Y-yes!" Shoot, she just had to stutter. "I, Illyasviel von Einzbern acknowledge myself as your master. What is your class?"
"Berserker." Was the man's only answer.
Eh? A Berserker that can talk? That's certainly new. Usually, the Berserker's Mad Enhancement skill rendered their ability to speak useless. Replaced only with grunts and roars, and yet here it is, a completely sane Berserker with the strength to lift what seemed to be at least 400lbs/180kg.
She wanted- no, she needed to see his stats. She needed to know just how strong her servant was.
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Spirit: Guts
Master: Illyasviel von Einzbern
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Class: Berserker
Strength: B+
Mana: E
Endurance: B+
Luck: EX
Agility: B+
N. Phantasm: EX
Class skills:
Mad Enhancement EX (D)
- Parameters Are Ranked Up, but loses all sense of reason. Due to the effects of Gutts' personal skill Protection of the Little Forest Witch, the skill is nullified outside of battle.
Personal skills:
Protection of the Little Forest Witch EX: Ever since donning his Berserker Armor, Gutts have been easily prone to fits of rage if left unchecked for too long in the battlefield. The ever loyal little witch, always there to heal him and bring him out of his madness induced state. Nullifies the Madness Enhancement skill when outside of battle, and grants a small regeneration ability after battle for a limited time.
Battle Continuation A++: Is a strength of vitality for predicaments. Also, the ability to withdraw from combat and reach allied territory after being defeated. Can continue fighting even with wounds that place the owner of the skill is on the verge of death. Born from constant battles against demons and various other phantasmal creatures.
Bravery A++: The ability to negate mental interference such as pressure, confusion and fascination. The skill is rendered useless under the effects of the Madness Enhancement. At this rank, the skill gives a large boost in all melee damage.
Unyielding Will EX: Possesses resistance against physical and mental damage. Stacks with Bravery and Battle Continuation.
Sleepless Warrior A: A skill born from the result of his brand drawing in demons, and various other phantasmal creatures. Denying him any rest as they are drawn to him like moths to a flame.
Demon Slayer EX: A unique skill given to those who have slain demons. Gutts have slain hundreds of thousands of demons in his lifetime, both born demons and Apostles, humans who have sacrificed their humanity and became demons in exchange for what they hold dear. Adds (++) mod to all skills when fighting beings of demonic or monstrous origin.
God Slayer B: A skill given to those who have slain gods. Once thought to be something only realized in the imagination. Gutts have slain a few gods in his life; including a giant sea god, along with the Idea of Evil the very source of evil and demons in Gutts' world. Adds (+) mod to all skills when fighting beings of divine or heroes with the Divinity skill.
Leaping Fish: He who defies Fate and Death EX: Gutts has lived a life filled with near death situations even from birth, and yet he stands tall and survives the harsh trials the world throws at him. Increases chance of survival the higher the chance of death.
Noble Phantasms:
Berserker Armor: The Dwarven Armor of Rage
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Range: 1
Maximum amount of targets: 1
Rank: A
An armor fashioned by the dwarves, one of the most renowned smiths of both weaponry and armor. While weapons and armor made by the Fae were known for their magical capabilities, Dwarven weapons and armor are known for their durability, and unique trait to unleash the wearer's true strength uninhibited. The Berserker Armor will keep the wearer alive, but it doesn't heal them. The armor merely holds the wearer's bones together, until the wearer spills the last of their blood or shatter all of their bones. Increases Strength, Agility, Endurance, and the Mad Enhancement skill by one rank.
Dragonslayer: The Blade Bathed in the Blood of Demons
Type: Anti-Unit
Range: 4
Maximum amount of targets: 1-10
Rank: A
Originally nothing more than an ordinary weapon, far too heavy to be wielded by the average men. Gutts have bathed this sword in the blood of hundreds of thousands of demons, thus turning the weapon from an oversized slab of iron, into a lethal weapon that harms beings even those from the astral plane; I.e. Ghosts, Specters, etc. Increased effectiveness against Phantasmal Beasts.
Beast of Temptation: I am my own Demon
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Range: 1
Maximum amount of targets: 1
Rank: B
Ever since donning the Berserker Armor, Gutts have been fighting against his own rage, taking the form of a giant wolf, with crimson red eyes. Can be used in two ways; 1. Gutts can allow the Beast of Temptation to take control when he dons the Berserker Armor.; 2. Gutts can create a duplicate of himself, completely donning the Berserker Armor, and with the Beast of Temptation controlling aid body.
The Eclipse: My own Personal Hell
Type: Anti-Unit (Self), Anti-Army
Range: 1-99
Maximum amount of targets: ?
Rank: EX
Gutts' true Noble Phantasm. Gutts can create a Reality Marble mirroring the Eclipse, a place that exists on the Astral Plane where those willing to sacrifice what they hold dear for a wish go to. The Reality Marble is filled with all of the demons Gutts have killed in his journey, including the demons known as God's Hand, five powerful demons, each with command of an army of their own. This is a suicidal Noble Phantasm, as the demons within will all try to kill and/or devour anyone unfortunate enough to be brought into this place, including Gutts himself.
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…What?
What, what, what, what, what, WHAT?! Wh-what is with Berserker's stats? They're completely insane. Granted, his stats alone are average as far as Berserker's go. But his skills and personal skill amp those stats through the roof!
And then there's two of his skills; Demonslayer, and Godslayer. I mean, seriously?! One, what kind of life did Berserker go through? And two, HOW THE HELL DID HE KILL A GOD?! Gods can't be killed. But, then again his weapon was able to wound both Phantasmal Beasts and beings from the Astral Plane, so maybe it's possible.
Oh, and don't even let her even (Censored) start with his weapons and armor. A weapon that, after being used against countless demons, it became able to harm beings of the Astral Plane?! I mean, come on!
Oh, and then there's the armor, a (Censored) Dwarven armor made to remove a person's natural inhibitors? She's spent a lot of time outside of training, looking through myths and mythologies, just in case she summoned a Servant that wasn't exactly well known. And she came across Dwarves in Norse mythology, she wondered if Berserker was Nordic? She wasn't sure.
She honestly shuddered at the possibility of the man in front of her being summoned as a Saber.
Quick, she needs to be more friendly. "Well, now that that's out of the way. Can you tell me your name?" If she was going to fight in a war with someone who can carry 400lbs of iron without breaking a sweat, she needs to make sure she's the one holding the reins.
"Gutts." Okay, not a very talkative type.
"Is that Guts with one or two "t's"?" She asked.
"Whichever you want, I honestly don't care." Guts shrugged.
"Well, come on then. Let's go back to the mansion, I'm freeing." Illya grabbed his hand – a gesture he's completely unfamiliar with – and led him back to the mansion.
For some reason, Illya reminded Guts of the little kid that would sometimes pop up out of nowhere. Maybe it's because they both seemed… 'inhuman'. Though he felt the little kid was a lot more inhuman than his little master.