Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/Stay Night or anything from the Fate Series. They all belong to Type-Moon. I really want to say that I do, but I don't want to eat an Enuma Elish in the face. With that in mind, we continue this tale.
KingofBeasts Productions Present:
Clarent Blood Arthur: A Fate/Stay Night Fanfiction
Chapter 2: Over the Sea
3:00 pm, The Airport. Two Days before the Grail War.
"N-Never again..."
Berserker has fought over hundreds of battles, faced foes of incredible power and even stood toe-to-toe against Arturia Pendragon herself. It goes without saying that very few things scare Sir Mordred of the Round Table.
Flying on an airplane happened to be one of those things.
"I'm never riding one of those monstrosities again..." The girl, clad in a white tube top that showed her midriff under a red long-sleeved open leather jacket, denim short shorts of the Daisy Duke variety and black boots (I.e her casual wear in Apocrypha), looked nauseous after she exited the plane, her legs trembling in terror and beads of sweat gushing out of her pores.
"Oh cheer up, Berserker!" Her Master, Ilyasviel von Einzbern, skipped along the runway with her Servant in tow "It's my first time to fly, too. I found it quite fun!"
"Easy for you to say, Master." The blonde tried maintain her composure and decorum as a knight, but found that she was failing at that so miserably. "Men were not meant to soar that high..." Sure, Servants like her materialized with knowledge of the current age, but she didn't have to like flying!
Watching the usually unshakeable Berserker feel so uneasy amused Ilya. It had been a really hard two months since she summoned her; she was given rigorous training in the art of magecraft and fighting in tandem with her Servant. It didn't help that Berserker acted like a drill instructor during those joint sessions. Well, at least she was kinder than her grandfather.
Still, the little ojou had grown quite fond of Berserker. Using the library the Einzbern's had at their manor, she read up on Arthurian Legends, especially the one's regarding Mordred, and didn't find them to her liking. Many of them described her as a traitorous knight who, through the manipulation of her mother Morgan Le Fay, sought to overthrow King Arthur and claim the throne for herself. Even her title, "The Knight of Treachery", implied that she was evil.
"They're wrong!" the little girl thought stubbornly as she remembered all she read "Berserker's not like that! It's true that she's strict and that she's scary when she's fighting, but she's also kind and brave. She's also lonely. All she wanted was her Papa's love...just like me."
"Is something troubling you, milady?" Berserker inquired, seeing her Master's eyes narrowing and cheeks puffing in indignation. She thought that she looked kind of cute, not that she would ever say it out loud lest she earn the girl's wrath.
"It's not fair what they say about you." Ilya grumbled. "They say you're a bad person, but I think you're really cool!"
Mordred couldn't help but chuckle at that. She had grown used to her Master's childish demeanor (despite the fact that she was actually nineteen years old in a pre-teen's body). In fact, it was these quirks that made her grow fond of Ilya.
"You honor me with your words, young Master." Berserker smiled as she ruffled the pale-skinned homunculus' hair. "Indeed, the history books have painted me in a undesirable light, but I am happy to know that you believe in me."
"Of course I do! You're my Servant, after all, and we're going to win the Holy Grail!" Ilya giggled as she held her Servant's hand, which caused Berserker's heart to warm a little.
They walked through the airport terminal to find a peculiar individual waiting for them holding up a cardboard sign that said "Einzbern". He graying black hair that was slicked back; gray eyes , a straight nose and a mustache with a goat beard. His pale skin, though slightly wrinkled, still shone with the glow of a man in his prime. He was thin bordering on wiry and had a lean physique that fit his figure. He wore a black suit with long coat tails over a white long sleeved polo. He also had black slacks and black leather shoes. Lastly he wore white cotton gloves that fit his calloused hands. All in all, he perfectly looked like an old butler.
"Lady Einzbern?" The man inquired in a voice that somehow had a dignified, yet rough edge in it.
"May I know who asks?" Berserker asked, looking at him warily.
"My name is Morimoto," her introduced himself with a stiff bow "And I've been assigned by your grandfather as your butler and humble servant for your stay in Japan."
Ilya gave Berserker a nod, which told the blonde that the guy was safe. "Thank you." The homunculus gave him a curtsey. Likewise, Berserker nodded towards the butler.
"Now," Morimoto motioned them to come with him "If you'll follow me, I shall take you to your car, oujou-sama."
Ilya nodded and let the old butler lead the way, Berserker following closely, stopping to get their luggage before they made their way out of the airport. By the gates stood a sleek black limousine, no doubt reserved for the Einzbern Master and her Servant.
"This way, ojou-sama." Morimoto opened the rear door and motioned for Ilya and Berserker to enter. As soon as they took their respective seats in the spacious limo, the butler entered behind them and closed the door.
"Driver, take us to Einzbern Castle."
With that simple command, the limo left the airport and began it's journey to Einzbern Castle, which is where Ilya and Berserker would reside for the entirety of the 5th War.
Berserker took a glance out the window and gazed at the sights they drove by. She found herself fascinated by the modern age; with towers that dwarfed castles, machines that could move faster than any horse, and weapons that out-ranged any bow are among the wonders Berserker had witnessed in her two months as a Servant so far.
She turned away from the window to face her Master beside her, only to find that the young girl was gawking through the window as well. The blonde smiled at this; after having spent of most of her life in the mansion back at Siberia, Ilya had never seen the outside world. "I guess this is a new experience for both of us." she thought as she smiled fondly at Ilya.
"Excuse me, Master-" Berserker was about to ask, only to get cut off by the girl.
"I thought I already told you to call me 'Ilya'!" she pouted, her cheeks puffing up as a result.
"I am sorry...Ilya." Berserker chuckled, reminded that she should not be so formal around her Master "What is our plan for today?"
"First, we gotta register for the 5th War itself!" The young girl declared cheerfully "Which means as soon as we're done dropping our stuff at the house, we're headed for Kotomine Church!"
9:30 pm, Kotomine Church.
After a short dinner (Where Mordred consumed enough food to feed an army), Ilya asked to be driven to Kotomine Church, an errand taken up by Morimoto personally. So it was at this night that Ilya and Berserker were driven to a simple looking church on a hill where the Supervisor of the Grail War, Kirei Kotomine, resides.
"Call me when you need to be picked up, ojou-sama." The elderly butler said as he dropped the two off by the gates.
"Are you not going to stay?" Ilya asked the butler as she Berserker helped her off the car.
"I have errands I must attend to, I'm afraid. Besides," He looked up to take a good look at the place. For a split second, Berserker could have sworn that he saw a glimmer of hatred and anger in those hawk-like eyes as he looked at the church "I never really liked churches, to be honest."
He gave a stiff bow towards the two before driving back into the mansion.
"I wonder what was that all about?" Ilya asked her Servant, who just shrugged in response.
They walked towards the somber church and opened it's door, the pale moonlight serving as the only source of light that illuminated the rather quiet church.
"Hello?" Ilya called out to the open air. "Is Father Kotomine here?"
Berserker, at the mean time, was tense. She took stock of her surroundings often, as her experience as a Knight of the Round had her deal with sneak attacks every so often. Her body and mind were in a battle-ready state; as such, she was ready to call upon her armor and sword at any given time should a threat to her Master appear.
"Well, this certainly is a surprise." Both of them jumped in shock when they heard the deep baritone belonging to a smirking Father Kirei Kotomine. "It is not everyday that this humble church gets a visit from a member of the Einzbern clan."
"D-don't surprise me like that!" Ilya breathed heavily, recovering from being shocked by the priest. She momentarily composed herself before facing Father Kotomine "I come as a Master and participant in the 5th War of the Holy Grail." As proof, her entire body glowed ominously, revealing the Command Spells that were etched into every corner of her tiny frame.
"Of course you are. You would not be here at this time of night otherwise" Kirei smiled enigmatically at the the pale-skinned homunculus, then to the blonde girl accompanying her "And I suppose she is your Servant?"
"Yup!" Ilya declared confidently as clung to the red-clad blonde's arm. "Berserker and I are going to destroy the competition! You'll see!"
While Berserker appreciated her Master's enthusiasm, she hoped that Ilya didn't honestly think of underestimating the other Servants. After all, each of them were legendary heroes in their own right, accomplishing great feats no mortal man could hope to achieve. The one she sought would be no exception.
"Father." She thought while clenching her fist tightly "Why haven't you appeared yet?"
As for Kotomine, Berserker could not help but feel uneasy around him. He seemed like a normal decent priest, but for some reason, he gave off an aura that caused Mordred to keep on her toes. It did not help when she gazed at those gray eyes only to find them unreadable. Add all that to his unreadable stoic expression that was constantly plastered on his face, the red-clad petite blonde had every right to be wary of Kirei Kotomine, finding herself unable to trust a man she couldn't read.
"Takes one to know one." She thought mirthlessly, having concealed her own identity from the rest of Camelot in the past.
"I admire your confidence, my child." Kotomine turned to smile at Ilya, his dull gray eyes meeting her red ones "But surely, you didn't visit the supervisor of the War just to declare your presence? After all, a Master would only visit this location if they seek sanctuary after losing his or her Servant."
"Fine, I'll get to the point." Ilya huffed, then turned to the priest with a look of determination in her crimson red orbs "Has the Servant Saber been summoned yet?"
Kirei's eyes widened in mild surprise at her inquiry. He then took a glance at Berserker, and noted at how much she resembled a certain King of Knights who had been the Servant of Kiritsugu Emiya, his arch-nemesis. He then looked to Ilya and saw how similar she looked to her mother. It all made sense to him now. He inwardly grinned as he answered her question.
"I'm afraid not, young child." He said to her in his usual cryptic tone. "In fact, it seems that every Servant has been summoned save for Saber. Rest assured child, you will know once the last Servant reveals his or herself." he paused to put a hand on his chin "Though I am intrigued, why did you wish to know?"
"It's none of your concern." Ilya replied curtly.
"Of course, of course." Kirei chuckled "I apologize, Miss Einzbern. I did not mean to pry."
"Oh no, it's fine." Ilya shrugged him off politely "Well, since I got what I needed to know, I should get going."
"Very well." Kotomine nodded as the little girl, followed by her Servant, made their way out of the church doors "I wish you luck in the War, Lady Einzbern."
With a dignified curtsey from Ilya and a stiff bow from Berserker, the pair exited the church through the oaken doors.
Once he was sure they were out of earshot, Kirei smirked and shook his head. "I should have known you were watching, King of Heroes."
In a flash of golden light, a new figure materialized out of nowhere. He had a thin but muscular frame. He was clad in a black jacket he wore over a white long sleeved polo, black form-fitting pants and shoes. His most striking features were his short unkempt golden blond hair and eyes as red as rubies.
"I could not help it, Kirei. The Berserker of this new War interests me." The newcomer said in arrogant, kingly tone.
"It seems she has caught your fancy." The priest chuckled "The resemblance she bears to your beloved King of Knights is uncanny, to say the least."
"Alas, she is but a pale imitation to the woman I desire most." The blonde sighed "While she may be a beauty in her own right, she cannot compare to my dear Saber, who I am sure will appear in this War as well."
"Which makes this all the more interesting." Kirei mused, placing a hand on his chin in thought "I have no doubt in my mind that this Berserker was a Knight of the Round in her lifetime, much like the last one. The fact that she resembles Saber could quite possibly mean that this woman could very well be Mordred."
"You mean this doll was her 'son'?" The blonde questioned, having spent a good amount of his free time researching Arthurian history whenever he had the chance. "The one who slain her at the Battle of Camlann?"
"Yes, Gilgamesh. That very one."
"I see." The King of Heroes' eyes narrowed at the thought "So I suppose she seeks to finish what she started the moment she learns that Saber has been summoned?"
"That is likely, as long as her Master gives her free reign to do what she wants." Kirei said thoughtfully "My guess would be that she would care less about the Grail once she meets her 'father' in battle. Or perhaps she has a wish in the Grail concerning her. Who could really say?"
"Pshh." Gilgamesh scoffed "That imitation will not have that chance, neither with the Grail nor Saber! The moment she seeks to defile my treasures will be the moment she meets her end by my hand!"
"I assure you, you will get your chance, King of Heroes." Kirei reassured his 'friend' "For now, patience. While she may have killed Saber in life, this Berserker fell to her before her own end. You of all people should know that Servant Saber is much stronger than she appears."
Gilgamesh paused to consider it for a moment, then finally snorted. "Fine, I shall stay my hand against this...faker for now." The King of Heroes turned to leave "But remember, Kirei: The moment she scars my beloved Saber is the moment she shall feel the full brunt of my wrath." With that last ominous warning, he vanished in a flash of light just as quickly as he came.
As soon as Gilgamesh had left, Father Kotomine shook his head.
"You really are quite a handful, o King of Heroes. Quite a handful indeed..."
At the same time Father Kotomine and Gilgamesh conversed, Ilya and Berserker had their own discussion while waiting for Morimoto to pick them up.
"I do not trust that man." Berserker stated simply "He seems too shifty for my liking."
"Huh? What do you mean?" inquired her Master, who was by all accounts quite naive at times.
"There's something off about him. I can't explain it, but to put it simply, I'd rather not approach Kirei Kotomine unless I have to."
Ilya nodded as she listened to her Servant. Now that she put it that way, Kirei Kotomine seemed a bit shady for her liking. Still, he was the supervisor of the Grail War, so he was supposed to remain neutral at all times.
"We'll deal with him later if we have to." The young homunculus said to her Servant "We can leave him alone for the mean time, so behave yourself around him, okay?"
While Berserker still had her misgivings, she had no choice but to trust in her Master for now. With that in mind, she nodded in agreement, which seemed to please the young homunculus for the time being.
"Hey, Berserker?" The young Einzbern asked
"Yes, milady?"
"Do you believe we can win the war?" This question caused Mordred to turn to the petite Ilya, who had a subdued look on her face.
"Why are you asking this now, Master?" The Servant asked the girl with a worried expression on her face.
"It's just that..." Ilya paused slightly before continuing "I know I act all confident and so sure of myself, but I'm still scared. We're fighting heroes just as great as you are and the one I want to fight, the one who took my Papa from me, will have the Servant who killed you while you were still alive. So I can't help but feel a little worried."
The usually serious knight's face softened considerably; She realized that she was witnessing her Master's more vulnerable side, the side that was at heart just a little girl scared by all these strange yet amazing events happening around her. A girl who was forced to take a huge burden upon herself by becoming the Master who represents her family in a war which she probably will never return alive from. And for what? Some magic cup that grants the heart's desire?
"It's amazing how much alike my Master and I are." the Servant smiled softly, reminiscing her own experiences with her mother Morgan Le Fay and how she had groomed her to one day take the throne of Camelot from the king.
"Listen to me, Ilya." Berserker said after she had time to collect her thoughts "The two months we've trained together were probably the harshest time you've experienced. It also showed me the kind of person you are; A young girl you may be, but you are much stronger than you believe. You are a proficient magus, and a competent master. So believe me when I say this; for as long as I am your sword, we WILL win this war. I will make sure of it."
"You really mean that?" Ilya asked her Servant, her eyes becoming slightly watery due to the overwhelming emotions that were stirring within her.
"Yes I do, milady." She said with a confident and determined grin while pumping her hand in the air "You'll see. We'll prove to them that we are not to be trifled with!"
"Right!" Ilya sniffed as she wiped the tears away. She was genuinely happy that she got this confident, determined knight as her Servant. "We'll show them! We'll show them all that they shouldn't mess with us!" She declared jovially as she pumped her tiny fist to the air as well while the Servant nodded in agreement.
"For we are unstoppable!" Berserker declared confidently.
"We are unbeatable!" Ilya joined in her cheering, the Servant's excitement proving to be contagious.
It was in such fashion that the two spent the remaining time waiting for their pick-up cheering enthusiastically, raising their voices and declaring to the Heavens that though Fate had dealt these two partners a bad hand, they will overcome whatever comes their way together.
Two nights later...
"Servant Saber has arrived as summoned. I ask of you, are you my Master?"
For the life of him, Shirou Emiya could not believe what he was seeing in front of him. Out of nowhere comes this petite blonde with eyes as green as the grassy fields of Avalon, clad in what looks like a blue and white battle-dress with the chest, forearms and forelegs covered in intricately designed steel armor. With an invisible weapon in hand, she went forth to face a man in a blue skin-tight bodysuit wielding a red lance. All while a brunette clad in a red sweater who kept her long hair in pigtail was rushing to scene alongside a white-haired, olive-skinned man whose red coat fit his muscular frame.
Unbeknownst to all parties involved, a lean old butler by the name of Morimoto was watching the entire scene on a suburban rooftop with a pair of binoculars. Once he was sure of his information, he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket to make a call.
"Hello? Berserker-sama?" The old man reported in "Kindly tell ojou-sama that the Servant Saber has finally been summoned."
End Chapter 2
A/N: Ladies and Gentlemen, that's another chapter for the books!This is kingofbeasts once again with some things that will be addressed.
First order of business: Thank you for you reviews, dear readers! I did not expect to get so many reviews on the first chapter. I am indeed quite humbled to see people have an interest in this particular fic. I intend to finish this to the end, so keep your toes peeled for new chapters!
Speaking of your reviews, we have a special guest who will respond to some of them today. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Berserker of Clarent Blood Arthur, Sir Mordred herself!
Mordred: Thank you for inviting me here today. Now, on to the reviews.
Piterio – The author thanks you for being the first to review. As for what will become of my father and her Master, you will just have to wait and see.
Toramaru and RealmOfEmptiness – I certainly give you much respect for pointing out the parallels between my Master and I. Rest assured that KingofBeasts has every intention to stick with this to the end.
weirdkid and Windraider – While it is certainly true that I dealt the wound that would kill my father, remember that she killed me first. Thus, she is just as Anti-me as much as I am Anti-her. Meaning at her full power, it could go either way.
anon – ABSOLUTELY NOT! To do so will be an utter betrayal of my Master's trust, so to your query I say nay! NAY!
Azuregrimoire – I have to say...You certainly lit a fire under author's rear in a good way. He appreciates your feedback and hopes to use what you told him to improve his craft in the future.
Oh, by the way, please leave a review. The author would REALLY appreciate it if you did.
And since KingofBeasts also gave me this assignment, I suppose I should end with the next chapter's prompt, which I am looking forward to, by the way. Now, without further ado...
Next time on Clarent Blood Arthur: Showdown at Kotomine Church!
As promised, here's Mordred's stat sheet:
Servant Class: Berserker
Identity: Mordred
Master: Ilyasviel von Einzbern
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Strength: B+ (A-)*
Agility: B (B+)*
Mana: A+ (Being plugged to the walking mana battery that is Ilyasviel von Einzbern has it's perks)
Luck: A (She and Ilya have so much in common, it's scary...)
Endurance: A (A+)*
*Under Madness Enhancement
Class Skills:
Madness Enhancement: E (She does not go completely mad and she can activate it at will. As if already battle-hungry persona needed a boost...)
Personal Skills:
Instinct: B
Prana Burst: B (Not as potent as Saber's, but it's enough.)
Magic Resistance: B (Her father was already innately immune to magic. Why can't she be?)
Battle Continuation: B (Due to the curse that forced her to swing down her sword even in death, she has this)
Noble Phantasm(/s):
Clarent Blood Arthur: Rebellion Against My Beautiful Father: Anti-Fortress = Rank A+ (Can't do nothing against Ea, but will match Excalibur pretty well. Though using it reveals her identity)
Secret of Pedigree: B (Hides her identity, personal skills, and her main Noble Phantasm from opponents.)
*Credits to Type-Moon Wiki and TvTropes for the info