Chapter 18

Jim looked to his left and, through the small and dirty window, he could see the mountains of the Germany's countryside. He was inside a small Cessna plane. The engines drummed thunderingly to his ears, making him frown in dismay. It had been an hour since Jim and the group got on the airplane. They were now flying above the German airspace and near the Einzbern main castle estate. Invincible is in there. The Trollhunter thought fervently as his brows knitted in seriousness.

"We are near." Waver said informatively. The mage was sitting across from Jim and beside Shirou, who was fixing the strap of his parachute. Rin, on the other hand, took out a couple of red, yellow and green gems. She looked grim as she put her powerful arsenal inside of her black pants.

"…We are here!" Kairi, who was seated beside the pilot, announced and glanced to his left.

The Castle of Einzbern loomed below them. Its charred remains jutted out of the green and luscious countryside forest. Jim also gazed down and felt an ominous feeling from it. Despite being damaged by fire, he could tell that the castle was still keeping a dark secret that could endanger the world outside.

"In one minute, we'll drop out." The Bounty Hunter took out his parachute bag and started strapping himself to it.

The boy also took out his parachute bag, only for him to stop after he saw the straps around it. Right...I have no idea how to put this on. His lips curled down, clueless on how to put it around himself.

"Let me help you with that Jim." Emiya offered his help with a smile after he noticed the boy's struggle.

Jim smiled in embarrassment as the Terrorist Mage started attaching the straps around his body. "Sorry about this. I have no experience on skydiving," I don't think I will love it. Jim said and remembered how Invincible dropped him from the sky. The feeling of falling made him gulped down on nervousness.

"That's ok. Everyone has their first. I'll guide you." Emiya said gladly as he finished tightening a strap before he took out an object and showed it to him.

"What's this?" Jim asked in puzzlement. He picked up the object. Its silvery surface glinted to his blue eyes. The Terrorist Mage's face became serious before he answered the Trollhunter.

"You're going to face Mark today. Don't hesitate to use it. This thing is a general weakness to the Viltrumites. In fact, it might even kill one."

This one? Jim's eyes widened in shock as he looked at the tiny object. He couldn't believe that such a small trinket could be a weakness to a strong alien race.

"We're here!" Waver exclaimed before the mage opened the window. The wind blasted around the cabin and noisily into Jim's ears.

"Well, then...I'll go first!" Ishtar said energetically before she jumped out and flew out of the plane.

"Really, that goddess." Rin vehemently clicked her tongue in anger before she leapt out of the plane.

"I'm going ahead." Waver said to Emiya and Jim before he plunged outside of the plane. Jim gulped as he glanced outside. The sea of green trees greeted him. He didn't like height much.

"Oh fuzzbuckets-" Jim cursed. The Terrorist Mage stood behind him and smirked at his reaction.

"Like I said, Jim...everyone has their first," Emiya said with amusement before he attached himself to the boy. Before the Trollhunter could react, Emiya pushed them off the plane.

Kairi glanced down as he heard the boy's scream of fright. The Bounty Hunter let out a happy chuckle before he glanced at the pilot beside him. "Tell your friends I will send them Manga! Western comics is filled with SJW/Woke pandering themes, you see!" he shouted with assurance before he opened the door and strode out of the plane.

Ishtar hovered above what seemed to be the front garden of the Einzbern Palace. Rin flew beside her and she watched as the girl detached from her parachute and summon a short gust of wind, letting her land on the ground softly. Waver came soon after and the Mage threw one of his cigars on the ground, a small step of stairs formed and jutted out of the earth which he used to slow his landing.

"Whoa!" The two of them looked up. Jim was attached to Emiya and the two were slowly gliding towards them.

"Here we go," the Terrorist Mage muttered as he unstrapped the parachute on his back and the two skidded hard on the garden before they stopped in front of a broken fountain. Emiya glanced down and noticed that Jim was shaking in fear, looking very ridiculous and cute. "Heh, it's ok now, Jim." Emiya said and detached himself from the boy.

The Trollhunter took several excessive breaths and calmed himself down. He looked up and saw the entirety of the Einzbern castle. The castle was now even more menacing than before. The burned white paint and together with broken windows, toppled down spires, made it more terrifying up close. He could imagine that an actual monster was living inside of it.

"Well, well, the Einzbern have large egos, huh?" Kairi commented after he removed the parachute bag behind him.

Waver put his hand on the ground, his mind chanted a spell with his eyes closed. A single line of mana lit up his view and it formed a single trail. The mana is abundant here on the surface...but there's more below. "The workshop is beneath us." Waver said before he stood up and pointed to a large wooden and broken dual door. "During my investigation here, a year ago, I didn't detect such an extravagant amount of mana."

The Mage fixed his glasses as a grim frown formed on his face. "It must be a special mana barrier...but today, I can detect it all." Waver glanced at everyone and finally concluded. "It means they're here. The Einzbern spare Homunculus...Mark and his Servant."

Jim faced the castle again with a grave look. There was no mistake. This was where the Hero landed after he attacked them in Russia, which meant this would also be the place where he would fulfill his wish, a wish that could end the world as he knew it.

"Let's go. We have a wish to stop." Jim said as everyone nodded and walked towards the dilapidated entrance and into the mouth of the beast.

Jim looked around. He stood in the middle of the large entrance hall of the palace. The whole place would have been extravagant and beautiful, but the walls were blackened. The roof above had caved in and its parts were scattered all over the floor. The stairs in front of him were dusty and filled with soot. It was clear to Jim that the place was abandoned.

"Where's the entrance, Waver?" Kairi asked in an urgent manner as he swept a soot out of his boot, sending it to the air.

The Mage stood by a wall with his eyes closed, his palm on the surface. He cast the similar spell, but this time, he didn't see the same single mana line. "It's gone…" There must be a barrier or...Waver's eyes suddenly lit up after he noticed something. The mana was completely gone. However, he could feel its leftover essence. "Rin, can you cast mana finder gem?"

"I can." Rin said in alertness. The girl mage took out an orange gem with a string tied to it. She closed her eyes as she raised the gem and started to chant in old German. The gem lit up and started to hover. Rin softly pulled the string attached to it. The gem dove and stretched the string. It was pointing downward and it located the single trail of strong mana.

"Found it." Rin said as everyone gathered around her. They followed the gem and saw that it was pointing straight downward at a marble tile in the middle of the grand hall. "It's a simple lock spell...This isn't what an Einzbern would usually cast in order to protect their workshop."

Waver nodded in agreement. Perhaps the Homunculi can't cast extravagant protection spells? "Then that can only mean one thing, the Homunculus is weak and she is slowly transforming into a Lesser Grail." the Mage said as he kneeled and pressed his hand on the tile. He whispered a chant and the tile suddenly glowed in blue. A magic circle appeared before it zapped as the Mage's simple unlock spell destroyed it. The tile made a groan before it rose from the floor, revealing its true face – a trapdoor that warped to a small set of spiral stairs leading downwards.

After the group descended the small staircase, they found themselves in the huge chamber of a cave. The stairs connected to a small landing that led to another set of spiral stairs, but this time, it encircled around a dark pit that looked like it was an entrance to hell. The steps were jutted out of the side. The walls were limestone, moist and wet. The group were all running on the crooked stairs, descending further and further into the darkness.

"You have to give it to the Einzberns...They love creepy and obnoxious architecture!" Kairi commented tensely as he tailed the sprinting group.

"Well, if you pay attention to the stairs, and not the sides, it's not that bad." Waver answered anxiously without moving his eyes from the back of Emiya's head.

Emiya, on the other hand, was glancing at Jim and noticed that the boy was silent. The boy's movements were fast and smooth. Jim was clearly used to these kinds of stairs. "It's a good thing you're not scared of this pit.

The Trollhunter made a nostalgic grin. "It reminds me of Trollmarket's entrance." He recalled vividly. Rin glanced over her shoulder at him. She was the one leading the group.

"Really? I never saw a Trollmarket...I heard it was a market for trolls." she asked in a curious manner.

Ishtar, who was floating above the pit and beside the group, glanced at Rin with a cringed frown. It's in the name already-! The Goddess suddenly felt a strong aura and it was enough for her to raise her hand, signaling everyone to stop.

"What is it?" Emiya asked as the Archer Servant turned to him, showing an alarmed look.

"I can see the ground already...but we must proceed with caution. Berserker is there." Ishtar answered without removing her eyes below. She could see the familiar figure of the Berserker Servant by the door and it made her wary. The group looked at each other, concerned that the remaining Servant was guarding the door.

"Waver-san, I think you should stay here." Emiya suddenly said, making the older Mage glance at him. "You are our leader, but you're clearly in a vulnerable position." he added.

Waver frowned in disagreement, but Rin butted in and reasoned more. "You don't need to worry about us, Teach. Someone should send a message to the Magus Assoc HQ that we've located Mark. They might send the Policies Department on this."

The Policies Department was the Magus Association's law enforcement. If a mage was in trouble or was committing crimes, the Association would always send their foot soldiers in to deal with the problem as long as it involved magic. I understand. Waver thought and sighed in resignation. It was clear that they were doing this to protect him. "Be careful, you two." Waver said before he turned around to face Kairi. "Please support them."

"Sure thing." Kairi said confidently as he cocked his shotgun.

Waver then turned back and looked at Jim, a supportive smile on his face. "If you face Mark again, Jim...go all the way." he advised him and the boy nodded and smirked with confidence.

"Sure thing." the Trollhunter said as the group moved and left Waver behind.

Rin and Emiya were the first ones to reach the end of the stairs, followed by Kairi and Jim, the two trailing behind them closely and looking in front. "You really followed his orders, Heracles." Emiya said, emphasizing the Servant's name. The Terrorist Mage starred in anger and brandished his scowl at the Servant.

Heracles, the Servant of Invincible, was standing in front of a large and ancient dual door. The Greek Hero stood in such stillness that he almost blended in with the door's grey colored surface. His axe-sword was sticking out of the ground. His nose blew vapors as he opened his lifeless golden eyes and bore his intense look at them.

Jim gulped down as he took out his amulet. "What's the plan, Emiya?" he asked. The Terrorist Mage was about to speak when the Servant moved.

Heracles let out a short grunt before he raised his index finger and pointed at the Trollhunter. The group was startled and looked at Jim, who was showing a perplexed expression. "What do you want from me?" he asked in suspicion as the Servant moved his finger again and pointed at the door behind him.

The group finally realized what the Servant was saying. "It looks like...you're the only one who can pass through, Jim." Kairi said, making a side-glance at the boy.

Jim nodded before he asked the Servant. "Why?" The Servant didn't respond. He remained still with his finger pointed at the door.

"Mark must've commanded him to let only you pass through the door," Rin explained in a baffled manner and added more. "Perhaps, Mark wants to face you alone."

Jim, however, had other ideas and it riled him. No, he wants a showdown. Mark must have been expecting Jim to chase him down. Invincible must have felt prideful of his win and was confident enough to create a careless move, such as letting him pass through, giving the boy one more chance to defeat him.

"Hm, if that is so, then Mark has clearly fallen too deep into the rabbit hole." Emiya said as a livid smirk formed on his lips. He had arrived at the same conclusion as the boy. "You go, Jim. Knock some sense into him." he added and looked down at the boy. Jim nodded and was about to walk forward when the Terrorist Mage leaned down on him and whispered. "Remember what I gave you."

The Trollhunter looked at him and nodded with a dark scowl. "Yes. I'll use it fully." he said before he ran forward. The boy glanced up to the Servant, eyeing Saber's killer with ire, before he proceeded to the door. The door swung heavily, creaking its hinges loudly against the cave's walls before it let out another ominous echo as it closed. The lock made a loud thud, completely separating the Trollhunter away from the group.

Heracles watched over his shoulder as the receding back of the Trollhunter disappeared behind the door closed. He then slowly shifted his head at the group, his lips curled in a deprecated sternness. The group also became serious as they were left with the Greek Hero. Emiya knew what the next action would be.

"When will you come out of there?" the Terrorist Mage asked in a dangerous tone as his short swords materialized in his hands. Rin took a step forward and stood beside him. She brandished her blue gems and threatened the Servant. "If you won't come out...we'll make you."

Kairi eyed the Servant first before he made a menacing grin. "I don't normally battle Servants...but I'll make an exception on you." He cocked his shotgun before he added with a grave voice. "I don't like you one bit."

The Servant growled intensely at them. His hand held his axe-sword tightly, ready to attack them. Heracles and the group only stood for a moment, letting the silence of the cave envelope them. And then Heracles roared his battle cry. The Greek Hero charged at them. His eyes focused on Emiya as he noticed a strong mana building from him.

He fell for it! "Now! Waver, Ishtar!" he shouted to his companions above. Heracles saw a faint ember of light fly out of the darkness above – the butt of a burnt cigar. The ember suddenly exploded into a bright white light, illuminating the cave. The Servant careened to a stop as he shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness, only for him to see the Mesopotamian Goddess hovering above him.

"Fire!" Ishtar shouted as her Maanna launched a barrage of golden orbs. The Greek Hero reacted and lurched his axe-sword into the air. His hands moved rapidly, almost invisible, as he parries each of the shots. However, the Goddess launched another volley. Orbs rained down endlessly on Heracles, who made a sprint to his right, parrying and dodging each of the orbs while swinging his weapon wildly.

"I won't let you!" Ishtar said vehemently as her weapon launched another volley of orbs, this time in red. The red orbs travelled and zeroed onto Heracles. The Hero swung his axe-sword and parried the first orb to reach him, but the succeeding projectile hit and impaled him, the force making him hit the wall of the cavern. Three orbs made a hole on his chest while the rest hit his hips and lower limbs. The Servant let out a groan as its eyes went still.

Heracles was dead. "Got him!" Ishtar shouted again but the hero let out a loud howl. Heracles's eyes flashed in red as his injuries began to speedily heal.

"I won't let you! My turn!" Kairi said and took out a green colored flesh out of his magical jacket. It was still beating and emitting green smoke. He threw it on the ground in front of the Servant, a cloud of green smoke enveloped the Heroic Spirit, who then suddenly burst out of it and landed hard on the ground face first. Heracles writhed in pain as the smoke began to eat his flesh.

A hydra acid bomb made from the tonsils of a Hydra. One of my strongest bombs. "That thing will eat your flesh, Heracles...just like before." The group watched as the acid took effect and melted away all of the Greek Hero's flesh. Heracles's eyes, however, sparked to life and the Hero's Noble Phantasm, God Hand, activated and began to regenerate his flesh.

"My turn!" Rin smirked in excitement as she threw a blue gem at the Servant and cast a spell. "Blaue Flammen!"

The gem exploded and the Heroic Servant was engulfed in a blue flame. Heracles thundered his agonizing scream as his skin began to burst and turn to ash. This blue flame is equivalent to the heat of the sun! Everything will be burnt to ashes! Rin watched as her flame spell played on the Heroic Spirit, but not for long. Heracles's eyes flashes again and his flesh moved and began to repair. "Not even that is enough?" the girl cursed in chagrin. Emiya then took a step forward and raised his hand.

"I am the bone of my sword. UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS!" Hundreds of silvery swords appeared above him. Emiya threw his hand forward and the swords narrowed on the Servant. Heracles tried to move his axe-sword, but a claymore sword sliced through his right elbow. Another one buried into his left shoulder while the rest pierced through his chest. Heracles died instantly, but his resurrecting Noble Phantasm activated again. Not enough! I still need more! The Terrorist Mage raised his hand and chanted again. "I am the bone of my sword. UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS!"

A volley of axe-sword, maces, and spears launched out of thin air and honed in on the Servant. Heracles was about to move, but a pair of spears impaled both of his feet. A pair of axes throttled through and hacked both of his arms. He let out an anguished howl, but it was cut as hundreds of maces hit his face and crushed his skull. The Greek Hero dropped to the ground, laying on his back upon being killed again. However, his eyes blazed in red. Emiya didn't let him fully activate his healing Noble Phantasm.

"Ishtar, your Noble Phantasm!"

"You got it!" Ishtar didn't waste time. The space above the cave opened up and the planet Venus descended and shrunken inside her Maanna weapon. The planet turned into a purple arrow and the Goddess aimed it at the Greek Hero. "Reveal your true form to me, AN GAL TA KIGAL SHE!" The purple beam blasted from her weapon and flew towards the Berserker Servant. Heracles tried to move, but to no avail. The purple arrow plunged into his chest, a violet explosion lit up and shook the cave.

That should get him! Emiya thought as the clouds parted and saw the state of the Servant. The Berserker, Heracles, was lying on the ground. His body was mangled and almost indescribable, except for his head that was still intact. The Servant's eyes lit up in red, but it zapped completely and died down as the Greek Hero's resurrection spell ran out of magic. Heracles took his last breath and closed his eyes, accepting his inevitable fate.

Emiya and the group stared at the corpse of Greek Hero. The Terrorist Mage was still making sure that the Servant was dead and that there was no more mana flowing inside of it.

"It's gone, Emiya. Heracles is dead!" Waver shouted from the steps above as Ishtar hovered closely to the ground and beside him.

"Yes, I know." Emiya said plainly before his grey eyes turned sharp. Which means it's time for him to come out. "How long will you stay hidden from us?" he asked in an intense way. Rin took out more of her red gems while Kairi readied his shotgun, holding a beating grenade flesh in his other hand. "There's nowhere for you to hide. Get out of that mangled body and face us!" Emiya demanded, indignantly.

The corpse of Heracles lay still until a single drop of blood rose from the flesh. It was followed by another, and then eventually, hundreds of blood drops began to clump above the dead Greek Hero. Here he comes. Emiya and the others observed as the mass of Viltrumites blood, the one that Mark had offered during his summoning ritual, slowly expanded and then a spark of gold flashed before their eyes and the blood clump exploded.

"It must've been tight down there, eh...?" the Terrorist Mage said warningly as a new figure loomed at the group. The new Servant, who was finally free from the flesh of the Greek Hero, was a man in a tight white costume with a red cape. However, his white costume was all dirty and riddled with holes. The sides of his red cape were all tattered and torn. His face, adorned by a familiar mustache that the whole world knew, was ashen white. His veins, all glowing in orange red, protrude from his neck, cheeks and sides of his eyes. However, the most noticeable feature on the man was the letter O on his costume. It was glowing in different shades of colors. It was like a pure rainbow had been trapped inside of its very fabric. So, this is him, huh?

"At last, we finally meet...the 8th servant of this Holy Grail War, the treacherous Viltrumite Hero, Servant Omni-Man!" Emiya announced as the eighth Servant, Omni-Man, opened his eyes revealing his veiny bloodshot look and light blue pupils.

The Viltrumite stared at them as if they were disgusting insects that he must squashed immediately. "I…" the treacherous Hero spoke with his deep and hellish voice, "...AM...OMNI-MAN...PRETENDER-CLASS AND THE EIGHTH SERVANT!" he howled in fury and rage. His resounding battle cry shook the cave.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Invincible, Fate/Stay Night and Tales of Arcadia. Names, places and events are purely fictional, if one exists in real life then its purely coincidental.

Special Thanks to: Pure Red Crane for beta-reading and proofreading.

New Chapter is up! Whoa, Looks like its time for Omni-Man's debut as a Servant. How do you think he would fair...and do you all know what the Pretender-Class is?