Been over a month since my last update and I'm glad with what I have come up with in that timeframe. It took me longer to complete then what I first thought, but I eventually got it done in the end. While the length may be nothing to brag about, as we go deeper into the story the general chapter sizes will increase substantially. Thank you everybody for the surprisingly overwhelming support that everyone has shown me in regards to this story. Seriously, thank you. By the way, Fuka and his small gang of ghouls are more for scouting for Intel and resources for Kariya and Kaneki, not fighting.
If you have a question then please don't hesitate to message me. Even with uni on at the moment, having more people to talk to is an experience in itself. I also intend for the storyline to stray into au territory sometime around about this chapter. Don't own Tokyo Ghoul or Fate/Stay Night, I'm sure you all get the idea. No new ratings have been added, changed or removed. Now onto reviewer questions:
Guest: Glad you mentioned the stats. Thanks for that. Wasn't too sure what people thought of them. In this story, Kaneki died after regaining his memories, rescuing Hinami, defeating Arima and becoming the One-Eyed King.
Cinder: Thanks for the compliment. Your idea is sound, maybe I'll add it to another fic in the future. I already gave Kaneki a love interest, but it's a very minor part of the story and won't be explored until at least halfway through the story.
ultima-owner: That's the general idea, yeah. It'll go into more detail later.
On with the chapter.
Enjoy.
Under normal circumstances, the docks would have been deserted at this time of night. However, if Berserker was correct, it was about to become rather occupied. At the very least, it seemed, the other Servant had enough common sense to pick a place where the chances of a distraction were at a bare minimum. It played in his favour so he certainly wasn't complaining about it. Kariya hadn't said anything against investigating the mana source so he technically wasn't disobeying an order. Plus, giving the enemy a bloody nose on the first night of hunting was quite the promising prospect.
The flickering street light near the warehouse that he was currently perched upon gave him a near perfect line of sight of the ground below. Looking down, Berserker was unable to visually locate his target, though he could still feel their presence. He had returned to spirit form before arriving so they likely couldn't see him either. However, there was the other presence that was approaching his direction to consider as well.
It seemed that he wasn't the only one to notice the anonymous invitation. Irritation made itself known on the mind, but not on the face, pale features as expressionless as ever.
The Reaper showed no emotions.
The Servant of (currently not) Madness shifted slightly as Kariya's voice filtered across his mind.
"No sign of them Berserker?"
He shook his head in reply. "No, not at all. I can sense them here, but they aren't revealing themselves."
Berserker highly doubted that this was an ambush meant to draw him in and take him out from behind. He drew his assumptions based on the knowledge provided by the Grail as well as the information in ancient texts that he had come across in his life resolving around ancient heroes. Chances were that their mysterious challenger abided by some sort of moral code that dictated against such tactics. The same couldn't be said for Berserker (not now anyway), but most Servants, being famous heroes renowned for their great and impressive deeds, were most likely to be chained via some sort of values.
"I picked up the mana signature of another Servant. They're making their way towards the docks, no doubt that they noticed the set stage as well."
Kariya spoke again, his voice traced with annoyance.
"Ugh, damn it. Two Servants in one area will be trouble to deal with. If you attack now, chances are that you'll find yourself fighting two opponents at once."
Berserker's lip curled in partial amusement while his gloved thumb rubbed against the handle of his case that sat on his lap. Even with a plagued, fragile body, his Master had a sharp wit and rather adequate intelligence.
They went well together.
Back to the Servants-.
Under normal circumstances, Berserker would have waited for the two Servants to make contact before ambushing them both and eliminating them, however-.
The Reaper specialised in hunting.
"Even if outnumbered two to one, I would have recommended a test run to judge their capabilities, but there are three or four other Servants out there whose locations are currently unknown. It's likely they will notice our host and investigate just like I did, changing my role from predator to prey even if my Presence Detection skill picks them up beforehand. Besides, you still want to save me for Tokiomi's pet, don't you?"
Kariya hummed in what Berserker speculated was agreement. The half-ghoul waited while his Master kept his thoughts to himself for a few moments before coming to a decision.
"Wait and watch for now Berserker. Don't attack unless I say so."
"Understood."
Berserker began to sweep the area for the mysterious Servant's Master.
What he would do for a coffee right now.
Not even two minutes later and Berserker's eyes captured two young women, one standing in front of the other protectively. Dressed in a black suit and tie with matching dress shoes, the one standing in front held herself confidentially and regally, like a monarch or some type of highly experienced warrior. He could tell from her appearance alone that she was more than capable in protecting herself. The other's stance was less impressive, but guarded all the same. Garbed in expensive white clothing from some type of European design, her appearance could be more closely linked to that a princess rather than that of a soldier.
From where he stood, the hidden Servant could see their features quite clearly. The first physically appeared to be in her late teens with shoulder length blonde hair, but her sharp, green eyes, serious and powerful, spoke of someone whose standing went far beyond that of a mere teenager. The white one had hair the colour of snow that reached her lower back, slightly softer features than her companion, unblemished pale skin and clear red eyes. Both were unquestionably some of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.
Although, he swore there was something off about the albino that he couldn't put his finger on.
Attractiveness aside, it didn't take a genius to guess who the Servant was and who the Master was.
"Welcome."
A tall, lithe figure detached himself from the shadows, causing Saber to abruptly tense, instinctively checking that Irisviel. The light produced by the street lamps revealed a handsome, dark-haired man with two spears, one red and the other yellow. Muscular and clad in dark colours, he stood lightly on his feet as he came to a halt, ready to move instantly at a moment's notice.
Lancer, Saber presumed.
"I am glad you decided to accept my invitation. I spent a day searching the city, but everyone else thought it best to hid in their little holes."
One spear in his left, the other held firmly in his right.
"You were the only one who accepted. You have my thanks. I assume from your stance that you are Saber?"
One was his Noble Phantasm.
"Indeed. I guess you are Lancer."
Or were both spears a Noble Phantasm?
Lancer smiled, looking rather apologetic.
"It is unfortunate that we cannot share our names with each other, even if it is a dual that will result in the demise of one of us. It is the rules that are at fault."
Share names? A knight, perhaps?
Still, if he wasn't one, Saber would still be more than glad to oblige him.
Lancer assumed a combat stance. The wind itself was cut by the sharpness of his spears as they moved in his grip with a grace a very small few could match. An interesting fight, this would be for sure.
Deciding to repay Lancer's politeness, Saber answered in kind.
The air withered and shifted, holy light surrounding her as she summoned Excalibur and her armour. Their presence was akin to that of an old friends. Saber silently relished in experiencing the familiar weight, a reminder of the many times they had served her in the past.
Only through combat would she gain her answers.
But where was Lancer's Master?
"Saber please be careful. I can heal your injuries, but nothing more." Irisviel spoke up from where she stood several feet behind her protector.
"I'll handle Lancer, but stay on guard in case Lancer's Master tries something. Please watch my back, Irisviel."
"Of course Saber, bring me victory."
"Understood."
The clashing of blades began.
Saber and Lancer.
Two of the three knight classes.
Berserker couldn't get a proper look at Lancer's face from his current position, the back of the spear user's head facing him. The Servant's attention was focused on Saber, the two conversing words.
"Master, can you please tell me their stats?"
Saber and Lancer began duelling, although perhaps dancing would be a more appropriate term to go with here. They fought against one another, keeping up with one another like it was second nature. The concrete was crushed underneath their feet, the air moved from the force of their blows and their speed would have left any human or ghoul reeling from trying to keep up. Both were obviously very strong.
Berserker was brought out of his musings when Kariya repeated what he saw through his Servant's eyes. He mentally processed the information that was fed him and drew his own conclusions.
'Both have speed ranked just slightly higher than my own. On the other hand, I'm physically stronger than them both. An extended fight would work in my favour, considering my extra mana reserves, allow them to tire themselves out. An ambush could also negate their speed and probable number advantage.'
Considering that Lancer was the faster of the two, it would be more logical for the half ghoul to ambush him first with the intent to take out the lancer-user. Considering Lancer's endurance was only ranked C, he was sure a single solid blow with enough force behind it would be all it would take to eliminate the other male Servant. Whilst Saber was arguably the stronger of the two knight classes based on stats, Berserker was confident in his chances of defeating her at full strength in a one on one confrontation. If problems arose, capturing or killing the female Master could easily solve things.
He shared his thoughts with Kariya, asking for his opinion and also wanting to gain a bigger grasp of the disgraced Matou's way of thinking.
His Master graced him with a response. He sounded rather thoughtful as he digested his words.
"You're idea has merit Berserker. Although, Saber is widely regarded as the strongest Servant for a reason."
Kariya broke off into a sudden fit of coughing.
Berserker hummed under his breath, his eyes still watching the unfolding match below. Saber used the momentum from her charge to push her way inside Lancer's guard. Stepping forward, she swung a blade invisible to the naked eye, the intent target Lancer's neck. Battle-honed instincts saved him, ducking underneath Saber's swing. He darted back, coming to a stop several feet away from Saber. Berserker took notice of a thin red line that stretched across the Servant's cheek. First blood was to Saber then.
The Servant of Madness suddenly remembered something.
"Just moments ago, I sensed what felt like a shroud of mana covering the area. According to the Grail, it's what magi refer to as a bounded field. I'm assuming it's the work of Lancer's Master. He's most likely close by. May I suggest locating and eliminating while Saber and Lancer are busy?"
A moment of silence. Then-.
"Not now. Just watch the fight."
He clicked his tongue, but obeyed, mentally narrowing down the most likely hiding places. Even if Kariya said no, locating a viable target was an obvious choice.
"Let's see where you're hiding magi." Berserker whispered.
Saber and Lancer continued their duel, unaware of the nearby danger.
The moment Emiya Kiritsugu felt the magic field go up, it immediately confirmed to him that Lancer's Master was somewhere close by. Turning his attention away from the fight that was taking place between Saber and Lancer, he turned to Maiya, who stood several feet away, waiting.
"It seems that the Master of Lancer has set up a bounded field." Kiritsugu spoke calmly.
Maiya's face, just like her superior's, gave nothing away.
"Up there would be the most logical vantage point."
Kiritsugu's eyes didn't glance up at the crane for even an instant. He had already considered that position and dismissed it instantly.
It was good to see that he wasn't out of practice after years of no action. Considering that Maiya had just purposely tested him, she must have had some doubts as well. Not obvious to the untrained eye, but she could have posed it more subtlety.
"Indeed, but anyone else would think the same." Kiritsugu reasoned. Finding a vantage point was critical, but so was factoring in any potential unknowns. If discovered, multiple escape venues would be needed. The crane offered none.
"Maiya, you approach from the eastern wharf. I'll take the west. Find positions where we can both watch Saber and the crane.
The dark haired woman didn't give any indication of agreement. She simply began making her way there, passing Kiritsugu as she did so.
Once she was out of sight, a dry, humourless smirk reached the Magus Killer's lips.
"Show us what you're capable of, King of Knights."
It had taken a ridiculously short amount of time to locate hiding Master, who had chosen a rather stupid place. Was it stupidity or arrogance or a combination of the two? Even the most incompetent CCG investigators would know better.
Either way, it worked in Berserker's favour.
A dark figure, male based on the general shape outline, took up residence on top of the roof not very far from Berserker's position. There was confidence and pride in his posture, as though he wasn't even slightly concerned for his own safety.
So an idiot, then?
"Berserker, I see him", Kariya's voice resonated, traced with some concern. "Most magi are overconfident fools, but some are smart. It could be a trap if he was that easy to spot."
The half ghoul found himself agreeing with his Master. "Wait for one of the Servants to die and then make a move?"
He received confirmation.
Finally.
Now just to wait and-.
Berserker stilled, hair shifting from a sudden breeze. Feeling an oddly familiar sensation, he turned and looked in the mana source's direction of origin. Following it across to the other side, grey eyes ascended the crane. For several moments, he was taken aback before regaining his composure. He regarded the dark, shrouded figure carefully. Said figure was making no effort to conceal himself, was completely ignoring the Master standing nearby and somehow still alive despite supposedly being killed by the Toksaka Master's Servant.
A slight frown shifted the Reaper's face.
Apparently people didn't, as a matter of fact, necessarily always die when they're killed.
Berserker wasn't the only one to have noticed Assassin.
Kiritsugu had been setting up his rifle to target Lancer's Master when he noticed the presence of the Servant of Murder. Thanks to the high quality scope that went with his modified Walther WA2000, he could clearly see Assassin. Said Servant appeared to have not even spotted him, the mask's white slits staring intently at the fight between Saber and Lancer. Assassin would have noticed Iri and most likely assumed her to be Saber's Master, but dared not attack when the designated protector was capable of coming to her side in a mere instant.
So then Kotomine had really staged his Servant's death.
Or maybe his Servant really had died? Was it related to his Noble Phantasm?
This changed things. Even if he eliminated the other Master right now, he would most likely draw Assassin's attention.
"Maiya, Assassin has taken up a watching position atop the crane. Can you see him?"
"I can", she confirmed, "but wasn't Assassin killed?"
"Supposedly yes", Kiritsugu agreed, turning to check on Lancer's Master's position. "Wait and see how this pans out for now. I'll watch Lancer, you observe Assassin for now."
Aiming his rifle back down, the Magus Killer watched Saber and Lancer who were still in the midst of their duel, having been going on for several minutes now. Despite Lancer having lower overall stats then Saber, from Kiritsugu's perspective the Servant of the Lance had a slight advantage. Whilst Invisible Air hiding Excalibur's size and length was proving to be invaluable, Lancer's speed, greater reach and two different spears was allowing him to pressure Saber's defences.
How would this pan out?
After more time spend carefully observing, Berserker was beginning to consider placing Saber and Lancer on the same plate he had labelled the latter's Master. If they were going to insist on continually disengaging to converse words every two minutes, it was only a matter of time until another Servant arrived to investigate the commotion. Their honour and chivalry was a huge weakness laying in the works just waiting to be exploited by a third party. As an investigator, he was trained to discern an enemy's Achilles Heel and these two were basically offering theirs to him on a silver platter.
Foolish traditions aside, both were extremely powerful in their own right.
Lancer's Noble Phantasm could negate magic. While such an ability would pose little threat to Berserker in the long run, it was still dangerous as evidenced by its effectiveness against Saber, creating gorges in the barrier that was rendering the swordswoman's blade invisible. It had taken some time, but he already had an idea concerning the man's identity.
Saber, on the other hand, was a true enigma. Her incredible skill with a blade was enough to earn her praise from someone who had been trained under the likes of Arima Kishou. Her identity, however, was a complete mystery. Joan of Arc was a possibility, but something in his gut told him otherwise. This woman carried herself with a bearing that few could ever hope of matching, along with battle honed instincts that could only be a result of countless years of combat.
There was also Assassin to consider as well. If he engaged either Servant, Assassin would know that Kariya was nearby and while Fuka was an S ranked ghoul, Berserker doubted his old subordinate could match a Servant in a fight, even if it was one of the weaker ones on terms of physical ability.
"It seems that you were right Berserker. Assassin is still alive." Kariya admitted. He sounded annoyed.
Berserker was only half listening to his Master's words. He been mulling over it and had just reached his own conclusion, the answer presenting itself clearly.
"This Assassin isn't the same Assassin that you showed me through your farmiliar's eyes the other night." He declared.
He felt Kariya's confusion and elaborated. "The differences are very subtle, but Assassin's appearance varies from the first one we saw. The dead one was shorter, wore no cloak and had a different mask. I might be wrong and Assassin could possess the ability to shapeshift, but chances are we're dealing with more than one Servant of Murder."
However, other probable, but maybe non-existant Assassins weren't the problem at the moment. The one Berserker knew existed was the problem. The Servant not only gave him limited options in dealing with Saber and Lancer, but was also an indirect threat to Kariya's life as well.
To sum it all up, if he wanted a shot at Saber and Lancer then Assassin needed to be dealt with first.
Current stats (Black Reaper)
Strength: B+ (B)
Endurance: A (A-)
Agility: A- (A)
Mana: D (C)
Luck: D (C)
Noble Phantasm: A++
() indicates use of Mad Enhancement.
Class Skills:
Independent Action: C: the capability to exist whilst rejecting the mana provided by the Master for a full day. Furthermore, the user is granted the ability to act outside of their Master's will to a certain extent.
Mad Enhancement: E: the signature skill of the Berserker class, raising basis physical parameters in exchange for hindered mental function. If ranked low enough, the user can retain their sanity and enter a temporary madness when they choose to.
Personal Skills:
Eye of the Mind (False): C+: a natural talent to avoid danger on the basis of an innate sixth sense, intuition, or prescience, where accuracy of instinct has been augmented by experience or by constant exposure to danger.
Murderous Instinct: C+: an ability where one participates in an activity with no chance of survival and with a willingness to die.
Predatory Instincts: A: a skill to discern a target's weakness or holes in their abilities that can be exploited, allowing the wielder to engage the opponent in the most efficient manner possible. Similar to the skill Instinct.
Presence Detection: C: the ability to detect and locate local mana sources within a limited radius, with a specialisation in feeling the mana produced by Servants.
Noble Phantasm:
Unknown: (Support) A++ (something that allows Berserker assume any identity that he has ever been renowned for in his life. Each identity has their separate own stats, class skills and personal skills. Shown to have three identities so far. The more powerful the identity, the higher the mana cost).
That wraps up this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it.
