Hello everyone, more LoCG, and… yeah catching up to the backlog. I might no longer be posting weekly… hopefully I'll still be posting frequently though. Anyways the impending catching up of my readers to be as knowledgeable in my story as me aside. Lets handle those reviews shall we?

Whwsms:{a simple review is sometimes the best, Muireann's battle was hard fought, but her victory was well earned.

Index clearly was enjoying herself… a little tooo much when it comes to eating people. Looks like espers are on the menu now, better hope she gets chained soon.}

Onilink500:{Glad you enjoyed it

I actually knew about this.

Well Muireann is a selkie, not a scientist, she's not going to know that}

5had0wHand:{It was a mostly battle chap, but I enjoyed writing the fight. (I mean it's blood thats contaminated with a shiz ton of pathogens so… yeah might as well be coca-cola XD)

Your Selkie has evolved to a frost Pincess}

Not much to say so, remember, constructive criticism is bot encouraged and desired. And with that out of the way, let this tale of an infinity commence once again.

Chapter 59

Royally Berserk

Sword met axe, and sparks flew as shrapnel was launched into the air. Elizard and Ragnar sprinted across the battlefield faster than the eye could see. Only becoming visible when their weapons clashed against each other.

History that was a myth, and a myth that was history.

On one hand, Ragnar Lothbrok was a real man, who had a real life and real achievements. But his story had been so embellished and over exaggerated it had become difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.

On the other hand, Excalibur was a fictional blade from a fictional story wielded by a fictional man. But it had become so ingrained into British culture that it itself became part of Britain's history.

Ragnar's axe swung downward as he threw his fist forward. Elizard angled Excalibur and deflected the axe as she rotated sideways, avoiding his fist. Thrusting Excalibur forward, Elizard struck out, but Ragnar bent back, avoiding the strike.

A stream of prismatic energy struck the sargasso and sent splinters flying. Ragnar then swung his axe at Elizard's side; she met it with Excalibur, parrying the blade.

But Ragnar used the momentum to his advantage, swinging the axe around the opposite direction to Elizard's left. It carved a chunk of flesh out of her left shoulder as she tried to avoid.

Elizard bit back a scream of agony as her hand struck out, Excalibur cutting Into Ragnar's own side. He stumbled back a moment as his blood dripped from the wound.

Biting her lip, Elizard readjusted her grip on Excalibur, her shoulder stung. No, it burned in agony as Ragnar spoke, "I must admit your majesty Elizard, I did not give you the respect you deserve when we met." He grinned as he launched himself towards her, shield forward to slam into Elizard.

Rotating out of the way, Elizard pulled Excalibur up behind her, deflecting Ragar's axe. "Really? Now why would that be?" she asked between gasps. She swung Excalibur around, the edge glittering as she swept her legs forward.

Tilting backwards, Ragnar rolled away as an arc of prismatic light launched out. "For one, you are an old woman past her prime," he began as he threw his axe at Elizard. She used Excalibur and deflected it away, ducking back as Ragnar tried to slam the edge of the shield into her face. "And you are a royal who inherited the throne, so I had arrogantly assumed you had never had experience in battle." He rolled over her feet when she tried to trip him and snatched up his axe as he spun around. "So, I must apologize for that," he grinned as he kicked forward again.

Elizard adjusted her footing and swung Excalibur around, the two weapons clashed again and a shockwave was sent out. "Is that why you're speaking english now, Ragnar Lothbrok?" she asked.

"It is only polite to speak the tongue of the one you challenge," Ragnar stated as he tried to kick her. Elizard bent her leg a little, sliding his foot off her and sending the strike into the ground. A crater was formed as Ragnar continued, "to not do so is a sign of disrespect."

Elizard kicked off Ragnar, and swung Excalibur upwards. Ragnar barely ducked back and dodged as another arc of rainbow energy clipped some of his beard. "I am honored that you think so highly of me," Elizard stated as she landed on her feet.

Ragnar held his axe outward as he moved to meet her, a flurry of blows was sent that Elizard barely managed to avoid. "Then let us stop these pleasantries and get our duel truly underway, don't hold back on me Queen Rengant Elizard!" he shouted as he sent a kick Into Elizard.

She skidded across the ground before rolling to her feet and barely deflecting another blow. Only to find the axe buried into her side as she coughed in pain, thrusting Excalibur out, piercing Ragnar's flesh.

Despite both of them having chunks of flesh ripped from their bodies. It was only Ragnar's blood which was spilled, Instead of pouring from her wounds like it should. Elizard's blood crossed the gap as if through invisible blood vessels.

Even as their blades clashed, and blows were exchanged, not one drop of the queen's blood fell to the earth.

Ragnar Lothbrok raised an eyebrow and grinned as he deflected a strike from Excalibur. He rounded behind Elizard but was met with a kick as she turned around. "Ah… so, that is the fabled blessing of the scabbard"

Yes

This was the power of Excalibur's scabbard, its stories told of how it's users' injuries would not bleed. But, it did so by ensuring not one drop of blood left the body. Even if Elizard was to be cut into pieces, her blood would still reach every part of her body.

However, this in turn meant she was actually highly susceptible to infection. With such an obvious wound, it only took one airborne pathogen to contaminate the wound.

Elizard grimaced in agony as she was caught and thrown by Ragnar. She angled her left shoulder away from the ground and rolled to her feet. Leaping over, what looked like a floating head with multiple eyes. I went to snap at her but she swung her blade and carved it in half.

Ragnar landed on a tentacled faced humanoid a few feet away, his impact knocking a dark skinned boy with an obsidian knife off his feet.

The boy quickly scrambled to his feet and tilted his knife, causing a weird amalgamation of corpses to fall apart as he avoided the battling royals. "Thanks Elizard… and… whoever you are I guess?" he said.

However the two dueling warriors ignored him, Elizard raised an eyebrow as Ragnar pressed his foot against the tentacled faced humanoid, pinning it to the ground. "Elizard your majesty, you've gotten my blood pumping. So, no more holding back!" He plunged his hand into the creature's throat and tore it out. Pouring it's blood down his throat and wiping his mouth.

Unsure what he was doing, but knowing she couldn't let him, Elizard launched herself forward to strike.

Only to be launched to the side by an invisible force, she used Excalibur to stop herself but saw Ragnar's body had begun to change.

He screamed in agony as his skin seemed to darken slightly, his fingers became slightly longer and sharper and his skull bulged outwards a bit. Much like the creature whose blood he just drank.

Raising his head his sclera were a dark blue and he grinned, the ground beneath him lifted and he was launched forward. Swinging his axe down as two chunks of the sargasso closed in either side of Elizard.

Elizard swung her leg around and shattered one of the chunks as she brought Excalibur around. A prismatic arc of light destroyed the second as her blade met Ragnar's Axe.

It was… much more difficult to hold the blade away from her chest. So she slid off it and rolled away, the axe slammed against the ground and a crater formed.

"What… did you just do?" Elizard asked in confusion, it was like he had just-

Ragnar rose an eyebrow as he threw his axe at her, she ducked and it missed. But the man was already closing in hand outstretched so Elizard turned to the side and elbowed him in the gut. He coughed and stumbled back, just as the axe returned to his hand.

Wiping some blood from his mouth Ragnar spoke "So, you know not of the Berserker shapeshifting?" he asked her.

Elizard adjusted her footing in preparation for Ragnar's next strike. "No, I am afraid I do not," she admitted as Ragnar sent a chunk of metal flying at her.

She kicked it back at Ragnar who ducked away, "Straight away, bring your throat to it's steaming blood, and devourer the feast of its body with ravenous jaws," he quoted. Gesturing, the ground tore up around Elizard, she leapt over and struck down, sending a shockwave out that Ragnar deflected. "Berserkers can take the traits of animals which are beneficial to battle, so long as we dring what equates to their blood."

He had drank the blood of a Mindflayer, and gained its telekinetic power. Elizard swung her leg around to which he raised his shield. But that's what she wanted, the impact launched him across the battlefield away from the hoard of eldritch beasts. Rays of energy striking the ground around them as Elizard chased Ragnar.

Slamming against the ground, Ragnar's hand dug into the sargasso, slowing him down. Slowly rising he looked into his hands and smiled, a starfish now in his grip

Elizard instantly moved to strike the sea-creature from his hands but ducked away as his axe flew in from behind her.

Catching his axe and kicking his shield up, Ragnar bit into the starfish. His wounds rapidly sealed even as Elizard charged in and struck him. Excalibur pierced his side and he roared in agony.

But it was clear he enjoyed it, "Surely you have more tricks up your sleeve Elizard! Show me the might of the crown!" he shouted as he launched Elizard away. Elizard slammed her feet down and skidded to a halt bringing Excalibur up in time to deflect a telekinetically enhanced blow.

She was thrown into the air and bounced across the ground. Slamming into what appeared to have been a couch, sending it's fragments flying.

Eyes wide, Elizard rolled to her feet out of the way as Ragnar's axe flew towards her.

It missed carving into a large reddish horned humanoid with a gourd. It roared in agony before Ragnar himself slammed his feet against it. The Berserker king tore his axe out and it's blood sprayed everywhere.

Elizard coughed, some of the blood having splattered into her mouth, before tilting Excalibur. Ragnar shielded his face from the light, giving Elizard a chance to strike.

But just as her blade swung towards his neck, Elizard was launched back by another telekinetic shove. She slammed into another horned humanoid as a shout was heard. It tried to grab her, but Elizard carved through it, the sprayed blood splattering on her face.

A weird fuzzy feeling hit her like she was drunk, and Elizard ducked out of the way of a telekinetic crush Ragnar attempted. 'Damn it, may have contracted something,' Elizard grimaced.

"Elizard!?" a familiar shout said as a flamberge sliced through a watery ghost. Tatemiya rolled away from a group of animated objects. and struck back. "What are you doing over here? And who is that?" he asked.

A series of white-green beams vaporized a number of those living objects and one of the horned humanoids. Those beams bounced around at angles before concentrating down to a single point.

Detonations occurred nearby while Elizard deflected another blow from Ragnar and swung Excalibur down. Ragnar leapt back and tossed a chunk of wreck at Elizard, she tore through it and landed back on the ground.

If the Amakusas were here, and the number for, that must mean she's in the midst of the demon night parade. Making those horned humanoids Oni, and objects Tsukomogami.

"Don't interrupt Tatemiay Saiji! This is a duel between warriors, and that is all you need to know." Elizard said as she slowly gauged Ragnar, he was allowing her to convince Tatemiya to back off.

Tatemiya went to speak but the glare from Elizard shut him up. "Very well your majesty we won't get in your way." He deflected a blow from an Oni as he cut through it, kicking it back.

"Are you done?" Ragnar said as he telekinetically threw a Youkai into their brethren. "Because I'd rather not have any more… interruptions" the narrow gaze showed he was irritated.

"I apologize for their ignorance," Elizard was in front of Ragnar "It won't happen again."

Ragnar's grin returned and he ducked back kicking Elizard in the gut and sending her skidding across the splintering ground. "Glad to hear it," he said as he kicked off to strike Elizard.

She tilted sideways, her blood had begun to scab up but it wasn't enough. So, she quickly sheathed the blade and rapidly whipped it out again. The arc of prismatic energy that flew out carved through chunks of the sargasso. Ragnar telekinetically launched himself upwards to avoid it.

"Lady of the lake, cleanse my wounds and clear my mind" Elizard muttered as she placed her hand against Excalibur's blade. Her senses cleared slightly and some of the pain of her injuries ebbed.

And just in time too as Ragnar slammed his axe down, she met the blade with her own and grinned. She slipped out of the lock and around Ragnar, turning the blade backwards and thrusting it behind her.

Ragnar rotated himself and slid the strike off his shield, swinging Excalibur around and striking Elizard.

She shouted in pain and slammed into a wall as Ragnar headed forwards. "The strength and power of a Berserker is passed down through the bloodline. But it requires discipline in order to be properly used," Ragnar said as he approached her. "That is what led to my downfall," he grinned as he kicked off the ground towards Elizard

"After the sacking of Lindisfarne me and other vikingers got a little bold. Too bold that is," he threw his shield at Elizard, forcing her to roll out of the way. "So bold, that I ended up getting caught by King Æll of Northumbria. That is when I died," he swung the axe around, it caught Elizard's calf causing her to fall over. "But my sons, the 'piggies' took revenge, they gathered the great army and conquered Northumbria, East anglia, and Mercia, establishing the danelaw."

Elizard barely avoided his next strike, which was a kick towards her head as she rolled away. She stumbled to her feet, her legs shaking and body screaming in pain as she deflected Ragnar's axe. And ducked away from his returning shield, she stumbled backwards as he smacked her face with it and was hit by the butt of the axe.

"After which Alfred surrendered and his descendents eventually conquered the rest of the island." Ragnar kicked Elizard up into the aif before launching her into the ground with telekinesis "That was the birth of England, but eventually after the battle of stamford bridge where one of the great berserkers fell. The Duke of Normandy, those french followers of christianity, crossed the channel and conquered England."

Ragnar's axe swung forward, and Elizard barely parried, the axe only slicing her cheek. But she did not look good as she stumbled and stood. Her breathing was shaky and her composure was slowly failing.

"That, was the end of the Viking era, that was the end of the berserkers." Ragnar slammed his shield against Elizard, knocking her to the ground. "You fought well, Elizard, but you lost when the truth of my people faded from history." His axe rose above Elizard's head and he prepared the final blow, "if the Valkiries come to take your soul, I would be honored to dine with you in the halls of Valhalla." With that his axe came down to strike Elizard's head, her breathing had steadied as she gazed calmly, ready for what was to come.

But before the axe could slice through Elizard's neck, Ragnar's hand was severed.

He blinked in surprise seeing his axe slam into the ground to the side, his hand clinging to it.

Elizar stood, bent forward, her head low, Excalibur drawn to the side as it had carved through Ragnar's wrist. "Then it's high time the world remembered," she spoke softly, "remembered what a Berserker truly is."

She stood up, she was no longer shaking and power brimmed in her body. Her muscles felt like they were on fire, but she could keep going.

"Not battle crazed beasts bloodying a battlefield," Her fist slammed against Ragnar sending him flying into the earth as fire curled across Excalibur.

"Not, barbaric warriors who tore through armies in a blood fueled frenzy!" She carved through Ragnar's shield and sliced into his side, the wound cauterized and Ragnar grimaced in agony.

"But the noble champion warriors of the Norse whom Kings, queens and rulers entrusted their very lives, and their kingdoms to." She grabbed Ragnar's head and swung him around, throwing him. He slammed into the ground and skidded to a halt near his axe, "So! Pick your weapon back up, and let us finish this!"

Ragnar grabbed his hand and shoved it back onto his wrist, his skull seemed to have begun to return to normal meaning he was running out of time.

But he merely looked in shock at Elizard "could it be?..." before kicking off to strike Elizard.

"It is true that the Normans were French and christian, but if the name didn't make it obvious enough." Elizard kicked to the side and swung around, avoiding Ragnar's attack while striking his leg with one of her own. "Normandy was founded by the norse," Ragnar rolled his leg away but only caused the blade to strike his foot instead.

Ragnar skidded to a halt and swung the axe up "that is correct, I must have forgotten that. But what does this have to do with reminding the world what Berserkers were?" he asked.

Parrying the axe and using the momentum to slice at Ragnar's shoulder. Elizard grinned, "because, while the crown certainly passed hands quite a bit for a while." She sliced through Ragnar's side and kicked him back as he tried to parry her sword. "Whose blood do you think runs through the royal family to this very day!" she tore a chunk of the sargasso out and threw it.

Ragnar punched the wreckage out of the way with wide eyes, "Do you mean to say that…" The grin on his face was wild, as he threw himself forward.

Elizard returned it with a grin of her own, ducking down and rolling Ragnar off her back. She then caught his neck in her arm and threw him into the ground. "Yes, Ragnar Lothbrock! Even now the blood of the vikings hold the crown!"

Ragnar pulled the axe up, but it was too late, Elizard's blade carved through him from right leg to left shoulder. He fell backwards and his torso fell off his legs as he chuckled, "that… was truly… exhilarating."

Elizard stumbled and fell back a moment but managed to stay standing. Sheathing Excalibur she let out a breath, "Now… you've lost Ragnar… so like we agreed, call off the hunt."

Ragnar continued grinning, "they could feel the moment I lost, so they are leaving." He forced his neck to move and looked at Elizard. "Still… did you use the berserkinger?" he asked, "I could not tell but… could you have it?"

"I do not know… If I did, it was unintentional," Elizard looked up as her heart rate slowed.

Ragnar coughed, what was left of his left lung barely moving. "Either way… I will entrust the history of the Berserkers to you," he began to fade.

Elizard smiled, "you may rest knowing your story will survive, and your name will echo through history."

With that, Ragnar's eyes closed and he vanished from the world.

As Elizard tried to return to the Agnese forces she stumbled and collapsed.

Even as the devourer called forth myths to defeat her foes.

Warriors… remained honorable.

A/N: did a bit of research for Excalibur in this one, while using some off handed knowledge for the berserkinger. Hope you enjoyed my take on both of these mythical aspects of history.