Chapter Two: The Demon of Blades
Rin stared as the metal monstrosity stalked towards Berserker, it's every step scorching the Earth. Smoke stubbornly clung to it like a devoted lover.
Just as it was about to pass Rin and Saber, its head turned, and the red-hot dots that made its eyes met Rin's aqua blues.
Though it was inhuman, devoid of any facial expression known to man, its eyes held something she took note of.
...Recognition.
It was small, almost like it was saying, "Oh, it's you."
The monster's gaze seemed almost dismissive…
What was a mere instant felt like an eternity for Rin. This thing radiated power, it was like a god damned beacon that shone might with its very presence. It was absolutely unreal.
As its eyes left hers, Rin let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
The bladed beast continued its stride towards Berserker, stopped just a meter in front of him. It crossed its arms as if waiting for a reply.
Berserker blinked a few times before chuckling. "Well, ain't this a surprise? You socked me pretty good back there, and you've got my Master spooked. Who'd have thought the 10th Apostle Ancestor would be a Master in the Holy Grail War?"
Rin paled. "He's what!?"
"But, as a Master of the Grail War, you know that we can't have witnesses." Berserker pointed out. "I'm going to have to ask you to step aside so I can get rid of him. You know, Master's orders and all..."
The metallic monster's fanged maw opened. "And if I refuse?"
Its voice was deep, hoarse, rumbling, even a little demonic.
The Berserker spearman pointed his weapon at the monster. "Then I'm going to have to cut you down."
The Apostle Ancestor seemed to… smile. He spread his arms out in a rather arrogant display, as if he were inviting the Servant's spear.
"Then you will have to cut me down." He declared in a boisterous tone.
Rin stared with her jaw dropped, she saw Saber and Berserker with similar expressions of bemusement.
Was… was this guy actually trying to pick a fight with a Servant!?
The young Magus couldn't wrap her head around it. Why in the world would a Master endanger himself by fighting a Servant?
Was he trying to protect Shirou?
No, definitely no. Kirei made it all too clear what kind of sadistic creatures the Apostles were, but that just made this particular Ancestor's actions all the more confusing.
Even more confusing, Berserker said this monster was the 10th Apostle Ancestor, which didn't make sense since Nrvnqsr Chaos held that spot from what she remembered.
Though… it didn't seem like it would matter much longer.
Berserk laughed. "I like you, you've got guts!" He took a stance with his crimson spear. "Though you caught me off guard with that sneak attack of yours, you hit like a truck, but don't expect to land another hit after that."
The monster paused. "You thought that was a hard hit? That was just a love tap."
The blue-haired Servant blinked. "You're bluffing."
The claim was made with utter certainty.
Rin had to agree as well.
As impressive as the Ancestor's power was, there was no way he would be able to stand up to a Servant.
Sure the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors were shining examples of the power inhuman existences could achieve in this era, but outside of those who knew True Magic, like Zelretch… all were merely third-rate compared to the Heroic Spirits of the Age of Gods.
The Ancestor causally closed the distance between him and Berserker, his fist reared back. "Then let's see if I'm just blowing hot air."
Berserker obliged him and held his spear up, an almost mocking smile on his face.
If Rin wasn't still in a state of shock, she would've sighed at the utter embarrassing scene that would've likely played out. At the very least, Berserker would be getting rid of what was undoubtedly the most dangerous enemy Master
BGM: Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works OST - Souls to Fight
As the wrought-iron monster's bladed fist came down, it blazed with a furious inferno. A mass of sparks flew as it made contact. Flames exploded like a shockwave, the ground cratered due to the immense physical force unleashed.
...Berserker was sent flying, his speeding body made contact with the walls surrounding Homurahara Academy, which shattered much like Rin's world view.
"What… the..."
"...Hell." Saber finished for her.
Without missing a beat, Berserker burst from the pile of rubble. He crossed the distance between him and the Ancestor in an instant, and trusted his crimson spear at it with a vicious grin on his face.
Rin couldn't tell if the Ancestor had moved, or if Berserker was off with his aim, because his trust completely missed the monster.
The Servant trusted his spear again, aiming for its head.
He missed.
Though this time it was made much clearer that the monstrous Master had moved. His head was tilted, the edge of the blade just missing him.
"You sure showed me! Not only are you strong as hell, but you're just as fast!" Berserker exclaimed in bloodthirsty joy. "I like you even more now!"
The Ancestor laughed. "Glad to hear it, now let's get to the part where I kick your ass!"
The stance the Ancestor took was extremely familiar to Rin.
His guard was raised high, covering in front of his face, elbows flared, exposing where his ribs should be. His hips, squared and facing towards Berserker. He seemed to be doing a sort of marching rhythm, shifting his weight from his left foot to his right constantly.
Rin connected the dots. "Is that a Muay Thai stance?"
The sound of a blade cutting the air was heard as the monster lashed out with a kick, a streak of fire accompanying its arc.
It was faster than Rin could comprehend. By the time she knew what was already happening, a clang turned into a loud boom. A shower of sparks turned into a shockwave of fire and heat that made the cold winter wind feel like scorching summer gales. Chunks of earth were uprooted as the very ground beneath them cracked.
And through the inferno, the embers, and the scorched earth, Rin saw something that made it very clear that what she saw before was no fluke.
...Berserker, blocking the Ancestor's strike, his crimson spear shaking as he struggled to hold back the brutal, but precise blow. The blue-haired Servant grinning as if he was having the time of his life as he fought against a Master.
A Master, a being of this era, matching a hero of the past, from the Age of Gods, blow for blow.
Rin couldn't take her eyes off the spectacle before her. "This… this is illegal, right?"
She let out a squeak as Saber grabbed her and jumped away from the ongoing fight.
"H-Hey!" She exclaimed.
"Rin, that battle is too dangerous to be close by, observing from the rooftops is our safest option." Her Servant explained. "Let them wear each other out, we might be able to pick off the winner."
Rin nodded, not really paying attention to what her Servant said, her focus was solely on the sounds of the epic battle behind them.
They landed on the roof of the school, and Rin rushed to the safety fence at the edge to continue viewing the fight.
It had escalated in the short time her eyes were taken off it.
A streak of silver and flame dashed across the courtyard, as did a streak of blue and red.
An explosion rocked the school every time they clashed, sending debris flying and turning the courtyard into a black, scorched mess filled with craters.
"Saber..." Rin's voice was quiet, almost a whisper. "...can we beat something like that?"
She received no answer…
While slightly irritated, she dared not take her eyes off the duel below. "Saber?"
No answer again…
This time, Rin turned to give her Servant a piece of her mind. Her words died in her mouth when she saw his face…
He looked at the ongoing battle with a mix of dreed and confusion, despite his tanned skin, he looked pale as a ghost. He was practically frozen, a few steps away from genuinely terrified.
She gulped, did that thing down there really scare her Servant that much? He was fine a moment ago. "S-Saber?"
"H-Huh!?" He exclaimed, startled.
"Saber," The authority came back into her voice. "Can we beat that Ancestor?"
Saber looked between his Master and the fight going down in the courtyard.
"I wouldn't know until I tried." He answered.
It wasn't an answer Rin was satisfied with, but considering the circumstances…
Then her Servant began to elaborate. "Every strike it makes is followed by a localized explosion. Those two are fighting so fast that, to the untrained eye, it would look like a constant stream of zig-zag explosions."
"But you have high Magic Resistance, don't you?"
Saber nodded. "Yes, but not even that can counteract physics. A direct hit from him would be devastating, even blocking is dangerous. The best defense would be to not get hit at all. Though, I believe something with range would be able to take him down. I suggest leaving him to whoever Archer is."
Rin bit her lip, she didn't like this, being so thoroughly outclassed, and by a Master of all things. Just being told "Let's pack it up and let someone else handle it," left quite the bitter taste in her mouth.
She blinked as she noticed something… the clashing had stopped. It was quiet.
The duo peered through the fence to see what was going on.
The Ancestor and Berserker were… chatting. As if they were two friends, Berserker even started laughing at one point.
Then Berserker jumped back, widening the distance between them greatly.
Just as Rin was wondering what was going on, vast murderous intent flooded the area.
Berserker's arm moved.
It was greatly different from how he held his spear before. A stance free from contempt.
The spearhead was lowered as if to strike the ground, yet only his stare pierced the Ancestor.
"Well said!" Berserker exclaimed. "In that case, I'll honor you with my ultimate technique!"
"Oh, I see, you've finally taken off the training wheels!" The Tenth Ancestor held his arms behind his back like he was a businessman. "Then hit me with your best shot!"
...It was official, this monster had a God damned death wish!
Berserker's body sank down, and at the same time, an icy chill, like thorns, filled the schoolyard.
Pure red energy spiraled from the spear…
The air froze, literally. All the mana in the air has been frozen.
It felt like death itself had enveloped the school.
That spear… it's unmistakably of demonic nature.
"He's dead..." Rin whispered.
She didn't even know what kind of Noble Phantasm it was, but there was no doubt in her mind, the moment Berserker thrusts his spear… the Ancestor will die.
That spear… the embodiment of inescapable death…
The spearman jumped. Instantly, he was in front of the blade-like monster, as if he teleported and… thrusted his spear at the monster's feet.
That was a bad move…
"Gáe…"
Hell, it was a horrib-
"...Bolg!"
WHY IS THE SPEAR IN HIS HEART!?
There are no words, no sound, none except the piercing of metal with a blade.
But that was impossible! The lance was aimed at his feet! Then it suddenly moved at an impossible angle… but the spear, it wasn't bent or damaged at all.
It looked so natural… to the point where one would think that the spear was… already… in his… heart.
Oh God, his Noble Phantasm reverses causality!
The spear's name… Gáe Bolg.
Oh God, they were fighting Cú Chulainn of the Ulster Cycle!
The clanking of metal echoed throughout the schoolyard as the monster of blades… grabbed the spear stabbed in its chest.
"...But he killed him." Saber and Rin said in disbelief.
Berserker's face shifted from shock, to anger, wherein he shouted something that sounded a lot like "But I killed you!" multiple times before his expression shifted to deadpan understanding.
The spearman jumped back once again, prying his weapon from the monster's hand.
"To think I'd have to use this so early!" Berserker yelled. "Time for you to see the reason I qualify for Berserker!"
Berserker held himself in a more relaxed stance, and just like before, the mana in the air froze. The icy chill returned, but with it seemed more… violent.
It was less, "You're going to die!" and more, "YOU'RE GOING TO FUCKING DIE!"
He ripped off the moon-shaped pendant, and red energy spiraled around Berserker, but it was more concentrated. Rin could only make out his silhouette in the maelstrom of power that raged around the Servant.
The sounds of bones cracking and flesh tearing could be heard, accompanied by inhuman growls. Such vile, awful sounds persisted, Rin felt nauseous.
"This is… a Noble Phantasm." Saber explained as he observed with narrowed eyes.
Her head snapped to her Servant. "What!? Just what kind of Noble Phantasm does that!?"
Saber paused, he glanced at his Master before bringing his attention back to the horror concealed by red energy. "In the legend of Cú Chulainn, he was known for something called the ríastrad… or warp spasm. It turned him into an inhuman monster that could fell armies with ease."
Rin gulped and willed herself to view the battlefield the courtyard had become.
The sounds had stopped, all that could be heard was the swelling of energy, until…
BGM: Resident Evil Outbreak OST - Thanatos
"GRRRAAAWWWR!" A scream of pure rage and bloodlust rang like thunder throughout Homurahara Academy. It was a sound that no creature on this Earth could possibly create.
The spiral of energy dissipated, and an unsightly beast stepped forth.
...Berserker turned into something right out of one of those horror movies Ayako dragged her to see.
He was much taller, about twelve feet in height. The man that was once Cú Chulainn had turned into a wolf-like monster. The structure of his skull extended, given him a canine-like appearance with a maw filled with vicious fangs. His blue hair turned into a spiky mane that seemed almost like quills, his legs transformed to be digitigrade.
...Though the sound of blood dripping made it known that this was a very violent transformation.
The skin on the monster that bore the name Cú Chulainn had been stretched to its limit. In most places, the skin had been completely torn off, exposing muscle. The small amount of skin still attached to its face completely covered the right eye, the left eye, however, was completely exposed, not even the eyelid remaining, revealing a black void with a red, glowing dot screaming insanity and rage.
Spine-like bones jutted out of his arms, his fingers extended into, broken, jagged claws. His torso looked as if his rib cage had broken and rearranged itself, fang-like bone structures jutted through his chest, almost like his body was trying to make a second mouth out of his chest cavity. His toes had fused together to make three-digit talons, like those of raptors, they were jagged and broken like his fingers.
Even his spear, his Noble Phantasm, Gáe Bolg, had changed. It grew in size to fit the changes of its master, it looked more vicious as well.
Rin wasn't really one for foul language, but seriously…
"...What the actual fuck?" Her voice was barely a whisper.
"Oh God, he's on some William Birkin shit!" The Ancestor's booming voice was not.
Also, who the hell was William Birkin!?
Without warning, Berserker disappeared from sight, a loud boom and the ground where he stood cratering soon after. He appeared just above the Ancestor, descending like a comet.
Just before he made contact with him, Saber grabbed Rin and jumped as far away from the building as he could.
BOOM!
The Ancestor and Berserker rocketed through the main building of Homurahara Academy, causing the front of the school to explode from the first story to the roof, effectively splitting the school in half.
Saber and Rin landed on the roof of the archery club.
The young magus noticed that the fighting continued in the small park between buildings.
The Servant and Master couldn't clearly see the fight between the smoke, dust, and explosions. Debris flew everywhere as Homurahara Academy became the battlefield between titans. Roars of rage and fury from both combatants echoed throughout the city.
...So, this was the Holy Grail War.
Rin would never say it out loud, but she may have bitten off more than she could chew by joining this insanity.
A giant pillar of fire erupted where the fountain should be, but the clashing of steel did not cease.
With another loud boom, the Ancestor came crashing through the building and back into the courtyard. His body was littered with cracks, spewing flame over various parts of his body, his arm had changed, turning into a surfboard-sized blade which was heavily chipped around the edges. Glowing blue lines ran across his body, signifying the use of his Magic Circuits, no doubt for Reinforcement.
Berserker followed soon after roaring as he met blades with the Tenth Ancestor.
No more words were spoken, all that came from their mouths were the inhuman, animalistic screams of frenzied rage.
This wasn't a fight between Servants anymore. Hell, it wasn't even a between a Servant and a being comparable to a Servant.
...This was just two monsters that wanted nothing more than to rip each other to pieces.
Berserker was faster than the Ancestor, not just one his feet, but also in attack speed, yet the bladed beast didn't seem like it was at a disadvantage. Pieces of the Ancestor went flying with each blow exchanged, but not once was he deterred.
One particular blow shattered his right arm into pieces, but not even a second later, molten steel flowed down the stump. He swung the red hot, liquid metal as if it was an actual arm. As it made contact with the side of Berserker's face the molten steel, for lack of a better word, "reforged" back into his arm.
Another blow resulted in Berserker's fist being punched through the Ancestor's chest. The monster of blades held his arm while using his free hand to land a devastating uppercut that sent Berserker flying.
Berserker was too fast for him to keep up with, so… he was deliberately taking normally fatal blows in order to create openings.
Graceless, brutal, and utterly savage…
Rin used the clairvoyance granted to Masters by the Grail to view Berserker's stats.
...Strength, and Agility had all shot up to Rank A+++.
The monstrous Servant before them was possibly the most powerful Servant in this war from a purely statistical standpoint.
"So, this is the power of Berserker..." Rin mumbled.
"Tch. That's not a Berserker, that's a creature God forgot to love." Saber snarked. "Rin, I suggest we-"
Boom!
Annnnnnnd, the Ancestor was blasted into the archery range…
Wait, they were on the roof of the archery range…
"Saber!" Rin yelled.
"On it!" Saber once again scooped up his Master and jumped away from their position.
Just in time too…
"YOU MOTHER FUCKER!" The Ancestor shouted angrily.
The archery range all but exploded as its roof was violently torn off, blue lines spread through the structure as it was reinforced. And slammed, repeatedly, and savagely, on top of Berserker.
By the time Saber and Rin had left campus grounds, the blue lines turn red, signifying that the Reinforcement was being overloaded, and the weaponized roof exploded in a violent wave of mana.
Saber and Rin landed on one of the nearby buildings outside the campus, nearly a kilometer away.
Rin watched from a distance as her high school was turned into a divine calamity from the Age of Gods. A barely contained inferno…
Her mind flashed back to the day before, when she encountered Shirou at the park in Shito, the place where the Fourth Holy Grail War ended… where the disaster that killed over five-hundred people took place.
...Oh shit, he was still in the building when those two freaks of nature began fighting!
Did… did he get out of the building in time!? Oh God, oh God, if he dies then Sakura will…
...What in the world was going to tell Sakura!?
It didn't seem like that Ancestor was even trying to protect him, he was just using Shirou as an excuse to pick a fight with Berserker!
Rin was brought out of her panic by Saber.
"What ridiculous beings this Grail War has attracted." Saber complained. "That Berserker swings his spear wildly, but he still instinctively knows which end is the sharp one. And that Master..."
Rin turned to Saber, remembering his reaction to the Ancestor. "Do you know him…?"
"No, I still don't remember a thing, remember." The white-haired man said as he stared at the inferno that was once Homurahara Academy. "He seems… familiar."
That wasn't much to go on. But considering Ancestors have been around for hundreds of years, it wouldn't be much of a surprise that Saber came across him during his lifetime.
Rin sighed, her oversight on the ritual costed her valuable information regarding the most ridiculous Master known to the Holy Grail War.
"Rin, do you hear that?" Her Servant asked.
Rin gave him a confused look. "Hear what? I hear nothi-"
Oh…
Nothing…
Silence…
The fighting had stopped…
The inferno that raged across the school had disappeared without so much as a drop of water, leaving only smoking rubble.
A figure was sent flying from the school… near their position.
Crash!
Fortunately, whoever it was didn't land on the building they were on, but the streets below.
Rin and Saber peered over the edge.
...Oh God, It was Berserker.
Red energy spilled from his mutated body as he, very painfully, transformed back into his original form. Blood covering his body as his skin, bone, and muscle tissue put themselves back where they should be. The crimson spear still gripped tightly in his hand.
...Oh God, this means the Dead Apostle Ancestor won.
The clanking of metal rang through the streets as the Tenth Ancestor approached Berserker, and in his hands… was the same spear Berserker had.
Rin's eyes widened at the sight of the second Gáe Bolg. "What...?"
Was that Projection or something?
It had to be. But why Projection? It was a complex, but useless magecraft.
The Ancestor was silent. His body sank down, and at the same time, an icy chill, like thorns, filled the empty streets.
Pure red energy spiraled from the spear…
No...
Rin denied what her own eyes saw.
No, no, no...
Berserker laughed, coughing up blood, and mumbled something they couldn't hear.
The mana in the air froze as the feeling of death permeated the air.
No! No! No! No! No! That's not fair, that's bullshit! That's one-hundred percent illegal, it has to be!
"Gáe..." The Ancestor's voice carried more weight than any of the blows it dealt that night, his arm was pulled back in preparation to throw the spear. "Bo-"
In a flash of red, Berserker was nowhere to be seen…
All was silent.
"What…?" The being that defeated Berserker asked in confusion. "Did… did he just…? No. No! You don't just get to puss out when you feel like it! I don't give a damn if it's a Command Seal or not! You get back here and die like a man, Berserker!"
Oh no, he sounded really pissed.
His head turned.
Oh no, he was looking at them!
The Ancestor threw his hands in the air. "Gah! To hell with this. Yo! Twintails, and Batman! If wondering where the redhead went, I saw him booking it like the Flash through the streets when Berserker sent me into low orbit!"
Just as Rin was about to say something, a Servant materialized next to the Ancestor.
She was a young slender woman with short, violet hair, dark skin, a skull mask, and a black, form-fitting outfit.
The Ancestor turned to the Servant, no words were spoken.
Then he sighed. "Yes, Assassin, I was already on my way back. Berserker's Master soured the whole fight."
The Servant nodded, then went into spirit form.
The bladed monster spared Rin and Saber one last look before stabbed the spear into himself, causing it to melt into his body. He then took off at blinding speeds.
Rin and Saber stared at where one of the deadliest beings in the modern era once was.
"Well, Rin, we at least know what Servant he's the Master of..." Saber said.
Rin's eye twitched, and the sound of firefighter sirens wailed throughout the city. Closing in on the pile of smoking rubble that was once her school.
To hell with this! To hell with the Grail War! To hell with everything!
She was going to check up on Shirou, yell at Kirei, and go to bed!
Chapter End