Updating to make way for new content.
Last time on Fate Zero.
1. Lancer saves Kayneth from Berserkers Surprise butt-secks.
Kayneth: What do you want, a cookie!?
2. Kariya loses his shit.
Kariya: KARIYA SMASH!
3. And Broskander gets set up the bomb.
Waver: STOP BUTCHERING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE!
And now, on with the show!
Fate/Zero Requiem
An Alternate Tale of the Fourth Holy Grail War
Thirteenth Night: Piercing the Haze of Madness.
As the scion of one of the wealthiest, most successful Magus lineages and a prodigy in his own right, it could arguably be said that there wasn't a Magus competing in the Fourth Holy Grail War as skilled or as knowledgeable as Lord Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi.
Even if you discounted the fact his lineage extended back over nine highly productive generations, Kayneth's own innate brilliance and magical talent had ensured that the word 'challenge' very rarely entered into his vocabulary, and even when it did he merely dismissed the cause as a 'trifle' once dealt with.
Waver Velvet's stealing of his intended relic? A costly annoyance, but nothing more. If anything, the brat had done him a favor if the audacity & utter disrespect for his betters the King of conquerors had displayed thus far was anything to go by.
Being forced to prove his worth to his fianceé by competing in the 4th Heaven's feel? An intriguing chance to match wits against heroes of legend whilst displaying his vast superiority over his fellow Masters.
Or at least, such had been his intention.
By the very definition of its name, Magical Combat between Magi was meant to be conducted in a honorable, straightforward manner reminiscent of dueling or fencing. The standard procedure involved opponents attempting to bypass one another's defenses, before challenging one another openly.
This was the standard by which duels were conducted in the Clock Tower, and the standard by which Kayneth had intended to conduct himself for the duration of his stay in this backwater, only venturing outside his protections when pushed by Sola, unable to stand her thinking less of him for 'hiding' from the other Masters.
However, it seemed his fellow Masters, for the most part, did not share his standards, and while exceptions could be made in the case of Waver Velvet and the Master of Caster, the former being a delusional child and the latter a mere Serial Killer, a fact that irked him most profoundly, though he would never voice it aloud, the same, could not be said for the level of contempt he had begun to harbour for the Einzbern Master.
While he could not fault them for finding a way to bypass his defenses, the loss of his carefully constructed Atelier and amassed Mystic Codes would have hurt a lot less had they at least made the attempt to challenge the gauntlet he'd laid out to welcome any aggressors, instead of resorting to mundane explosive to drop the entire building on his head.
Still, the Einzbern Master at least had the excuse of being desperate, which was only understandable, as Kayneth dared not imagine the punishment Jubstacheit would undoubtedly bestow upon the 'doll' if it further compounded their family's losing streak, so he supposed he could be magnanimous and forgive the insult the next time he faced her once he eliminated Caster.
That didn't mean he was going to go easy on her mind you, Heavens no. Being magnanimous and being merciful were two completely different things after all, and some of the Mystic Codes lost to the explosion had been in his family for generations. In addition, while Kayneth wasn't the type to lose his temper in front of a woman, Lord only knew Sola knew how to push his buttons, fiery minx that she was, as a homunculus the Einzbern Master didn't even qualify as human.
However, whatever courtesy he intended to show Jubstacheit's doll did not apply in this instance, as he faced off against the Makiri representative, who had done more to incite Kayneth's wrath in the scant minute's they had met than the entire debacle the Grail War was turning out to be, coupled with various grievances that had accumulated since the Archibald had arrived in Japan.
The first offense had been his cowardly, unannounced attack on Kayneth when the Overseer from the Church had clearly stated that combat between the other Masters was prohibited until Caster's death had been confirmed. The fact that in doing so he almost cost Kayneth another Command Seal hadn't earned the pest any favours either.
His second, and by far the more infuriating offense, however, was to so casually discard his pride as a Magus and blatantly mock, nay, praise, the decline of Magecraft due to the advent of mundane technology.
Few things could drive a Magus of Kayneth's esteemed personage to resort to something as petty as a physical thrashing, the Lord El-Melloi preferring to verbally humiliate his opponents in front of their peers while using his considerable influence to undermine any chances of their being taken seriously again. But in this case, faced with such outright heresy, he was more than happy to make an exception.
Or at least he would, were it not for the fact his opponent was clearly a rank amateur, barely capable of dividing his Prana between maintaining his Servant and manifesting an admittedly impressive number of giant, murderous looking insect familiars without half-killing himself in the process.
However, as impressive as their numbers were, the hum of their wings like thunder as they hovered in mid-air, they remained little more than insects, and thus it was with a composed sneer that Kayneth removed a simple vial from his pocket, holding it over the vase containing his sole remaining, yet by no-means least effective, Mystic Code.
"Fervor me Sanguis." he intoned, calmly pouring the contents of the vial into the vase even as the swarm lunged at him, hungry for blood "Automatoportum Defensio: Dilectus Incrisio."
At his command, a wave of mercury erupted from within the depths of the vase, slicing the initial charge to shreds, a wall of liquid silver forming between the sneering Archibald and those that remained, lashing out at those that drew too close.
"Volumen Hydragyrum." He introduced, the wall parting slightly to allow him to sneer at the half-dead mockery of a Magus before him, finding the look of shock on the heretic's face almost amusing "You should feel honoured. Normally I would never resort to my Mystic Code against such an obviously inferior opponent. However, there are some lessons, I believe, that must be learned the hard way. Scalp."
Kariya's POV...
"Shit!" Kariya swore, bringing his hands up again, sending another wave of insects at the wall of mercury despite knowing all-too-well that they'd serve no better than their brethren, the half-dead Master glancing frantically around for a means of escape.
From the get go, he'd never had any intention of facing any of the other Masters in direct combat if he could help it. While he had little doubt in Berserker's prowess, evidenced by how easily his Servant had handled Saber back on the docks, his own was decidedly lacking even before he'd undergone the necessary 'modifications' to become the Master of the Mad Servant.
It wasn't just the physical limitations of his ailing body either. Anyone with a brain could tell you with a passing glance that Lancer's Master outmatched him in every possible way, clearly evidenced by the fact that, despite the continuous barrage of bloodthirsty insects Kariya had sent his way, the smug prick hadn't made a single move to attack, simply standing there, smug as could be, while the blob of animated mercury fended off Kariya's familiars with the ease of a man swatting flies.
This was by no means the fault of the insects themselves mind you, for there were far more to the worm-born monstrosities than one would first assume. Kariya had seen Zouken 'feed' once, the nightmares brought on by witnessing the swarm of horrors devour a grown man until there wasn't a trace of blood left being one of the many reasons he'd left the Matou House to begin with, and so knew more than enough to never underestimate just what the worms could do to a human being.
The problem was that Zouken's skill at manipulating the worms was so far beyond Kariya's as to be incomparable, and that most of Zouken's victims had been either animals, vagrants, or the kind of people whose disappearance wouldn't be missed for a few days.
Lancer's Master was by no means comparable to such things, and to make matters worse, the death of every insect only served to aggravate the worms within Kariya, prompting them to devour yet more of his flesh and bone, converting it into prana.
While this was by no means a bad thing strategically, as it meant Berserker could deal with Lancer without having to worry about running out of steam, the constant pain associated with the Mad Servant's movements only served to aggravate the worms further, so it was really only a matter of which would give out first; Kariya's body or Lancer's Master's defenses.
'I am so screwed.' Kariya panted, staggering back, unable to stand straight even as he commanded the Swarm to attack, his teeth clenched and eyes wide in a pained snarl as he felt multiple capillaries rupture throughout his body as the Familiars took more from his dwindling reserves than he would've been able to give even if he had been properly trained.
And yet, despite knowing he was a dead man walking, Kariya pressed on, his hand outstretched, fingers curving like claws as he directed the swarm towards Lancer's Master, seeing not the Magus' cocky sneer, but Tokiomi's smug, self-assured smile and Sakura's blank, emotionless eyes gazing back at him, fueling his rage even as those very flames shaved away at his life.
"This is beyond laughable." Lancer's Master scoffed, his expression laced with utter contempt and disdain from behind his fortifications "Then again, I suppose that's about all one can expect from the dregs of a dying lineage: Scalp!"
The wall of mercury reacted almost instantaneously, a section of it separating from the whole, a long, silvery tendril lashing out like a whip, Kariya cursing as he stumbled out of the way, more a result of his leg choosing that moment to give out than instinct, his good eye widening in alarm as the tendril compressed into a thin blade mid-flight, slicing through his remaining familiars as it struck at the patch of rooftop he'd been standing on, slicing it up like a piece of tofu.
"Look at you, crawling around in the dirt like the rat you are." Lancer's Master sneered, Kariya looking up to see the Magus standing over him, his Mystic Code at his side, having assumed the form of a deceptively harmless sphere the size of a large dog "No, calling you a rat would be an insult to vermin everywhere, you're just a worm, a maggot, not even worth stepping on."
"Fuck you." Kariya spat, a blob of dark blood falling just short of his opponent's shoe, the immaculately dressed Magus' lip curling in disgust as he instinctively took half a step back, partly out of disgust, and partly out of caution, as it wasn't uncommon for Magi to alter their bodies in such a way as to give them an advantage.
Whatever satisfaction Kariya might have gained from the man's reaction, however, was soon was quenched as he snapped his finger, the sickly Master crying out in agony as his left leg was cut off at the knee in a flash of quicksilver.
"Pathetic." Lancer's Master sneered, his features cold as he watched Kariya's suffering with a detached, calculating expression, as if Kariya were an underwhelming specimen on a petri-dish "To think a worm like you could qualify as a Master…clearly the Einzbern were remiss in their choice of conspirators if this is all one of the founding families amounts to." He raised a hand, like an executioner raising his axe "No matter…this is where it ends. Scal-!"
An explosion cut through the night, Kariya flinching, only to blink as he realized that whatever it was had nothing to do with Lancer's Master. Indeed, the immaculately dressed Magus had actually stopped mid-incantation, his hand freezing half-way as his head whipped round to gape at the other side of the river, where a plume of fire was rising slowly into the air, several more explosions heralding the rise of more pillars, moving progressively towards the river down the main street.
"What the Devil?" Lancer's Master gaped, his cold demeanor replaced with abject shock, turning his back on his prone target in favour of watching the fireworks in disbelief "Who on earth would do something so reckless?"
Kariya highly doubted the Magus was talking to him, and even if he was, he wouldn't have been able to provide an answer even if he wanted to. However, the momentary distraction was all he needed to summon up another swarm, not to attack, but to buy him the few seconds he needed to make his getaway.
"By the authority of the Command Seals…" he croaked out, one hand clutching his wounded leg, the other clenched before his face "I command you: Berserker, PROTECT ME!"
Enter the Fog of Madness...
"■■■■■■■〓〓〓〓■■!"
Rage.
Such was the word that encompassed the sum total of his existence.
"■■■■■■■〓〓〓〓■■!"
Kill.
Such was the word that embodied his sole purpose in this world.
The world beyond the narrow grill of his helmet was tainted a dark, scarlet red, the same shade as the blood that pounded through his veins. His breath came in savage gasps, his movements those of a beast despite the skill with which he wielded his weapons.
Before him stood his opponent. At one point in time, he would have cared to learn this warrior's name, and would have gladly engaged in honourable battle, burning the image of such a skilled spearman into his memory for as long as this transient life lasted.
But such times were long since gone, and all that remained was a savage desire to rip his opponent's throat out, to smash his skull open, gouge out his eyes, shatter his bones, splatter his guts, reduce him to little more than a bloody stain on the firmament before moving onto his next target.
Such was the mindset of the Heroic Spirit that had been summoned under the Mantle of 'Berserker' for the 4th Holy Grail War.
No, to call that which directed the Black Knight a 'Mind' was to be charitable, as this was not the consciousness of a sentient being, but rather the blood-lust of a rabid beast whose sole existence revolved around the elimination of his target.
That isn't to say there wasn't some semblance of the man he'd once been remaining. Indeed, deep beneath the wrath and fury, in a part of his soul yet untouched by madness, the essence of the Heroic Spirit watched as his body lashed out at his opponent, his improvised weapons, corrupted by the touch of his Prana, rendered as ineffective as paper against his foe's Crimson Spear.
In a detached fashion, this transient shade noted that Lancer was refraining from using his Golden Spear, no doubt under orders from his Master, a valid precaution, given how the Servant of the Spear had no doubt witnessed how close he'd come from claiming Saber's weapon during their last encounter.
A howl tore itself from his throat, that brief recollection of the King of Knights serving to fuel his body's blood-lust even further, the tassels of his armour erupting from his back, flailing behind him as he lunged forwards, pressing his assault even as Lancer weathered it with admirable skill even as he moved onto the defensive.
For such was the weakness of the Crimson Spear, while the tip could cut through all Magecraft, the haft was not so fortunate. In this regard, the Golden Spear would make a more effective weapon, it's shorter length allowing it to attack within Berserker's Guard where the tip of the Crimson Spear could not reach.
But Lancer seemed determined to avoid using it save as a means of deflecting any strikes that got to close for comfort. Indeed, he was dimly aware of Lancer firing off the odd quip during their brief exchanges. Berserker, naturally, gave no response save to continue to press his assault on his fellow Servant.
Even were he not rendered a snarling beast by the effect of Mad Enhancement, he had never been one for idle chatter during a fight to the death. There was a time for talk, and there was a time for steel, never shall the two be mixed, such was the law of combat.
Not that such matters were of concern to the Mad Servant. All that mattered was that his opponent still drew breath, a heresy he intended to correct with his own two hands as the tip of the Golden Spear thrust forwards, forcing Berserker back even as the haft of the Crimson Spear swung round, intent on ramming into his side.
This time, however, rather than block the attack with his improvised weapons, Berserker instead released them, his armored hands wrapping around the haft of the spear, halting it in time to prevent a fatal wound, though sadly not in time to prevent it from slicing into his armour.
The effect was instantaneous, the black fog which had concealed his form vanishing as if struck by the morning sun, revealing the Mad Servant's darkened carapace is all its tainted glory.
It was not the only thing to be dispelled however, for as Berserker gripped the Spear haft, he realized that not only could he comprehend that he'd been wounded, but that he was in actual control of his senses, as opposed to simply watching from within his own head.
The Crimson Rose of Exorcism possessed the ability to temporarily sever any and all Magecraft upon contact. Mad Enhancement, the Class Skill inherent to the Berserker Class, was no exception to this rule.
"Ha, so you finally decide to show yourself." Lancer quipped, his voice finally reaching the Black Knight, now that Mad Enhancement could not distort the words before they could reach him "You surprise me, Berserker!" the Knight of the Spear applauded, though his grin was decidedly forced as he struggled to reclaim his weapon "I have faced many a beast in my day, but certainly none that possessed even a shade of your tenacity!"
Berserker growled, not the feral growl of a beast, but the annoyed growl of a man holding the haft of the spear currently embedded in his flank. He would not rise to the Knight of the Spear's attempts at conversation. He had already consigned himself to being little more than a rabid beast, and a beast had no need for words.
"PROTECT ME!"
A familiar voice resounded in his head, nay, his very soul, a voice he recalled reaching out to him not long ago, calling him across time and space to assume his current role, a voice that, until now, he had done his level best to ignore if he could help it.
But now, backed by the power of a Command Seal, without the interference inherent from Mad Enhancement, the voice of his Master thundered through his veins, the Black Knight's head snapping round to see the wounded Magus under siege by his original Target, Lancer's Master.
With a roar of anger that surprised even himself, he grasped the Crimson Spear in both hands, Lancer's eyes widening in alarm as the dark Prana engulfed his weapon, corrupting it from within, his shock giving Berserker the opening he needed to kick the Knight of the Spear in the gut, forcing him to relinquish his grip.
"Bastard!" Lancer swore, glaring at the Black Knight as he regained his feet, only to pale as Berserker ignored him in favour of turning to face the opposite roof and hurling his purloined Noble Phantasm at his true target.
"Lord Kayneth!" the Knight of the Spear's cried, features fraught with horror as he shot to his feet, leaping past Berserker in a heroic attempt to catch the flying Spear before it could reach its target, an attempt that Berserker knew was futile.
Putting aside the boost he normally received under the effect of Mad Enhancement, Berserker's Strength far outclassed that of the Knight of the Spear's, and while Lancer's higher Agility might give him the edge needed to close the gap, he wouldn't reach the Spear before it came into contact with his Master's defences.
Were it any other weapon, the brief moment of resistance provided would most certainly have allowed Lancer to intercept before it came within a hair's breadth of reaching his master.
But The Crimson Rose of Exorcism possessed the ability to cleanly sever any & all Thaumaturgy. Be it a product of Modern Magecraft or a Servant's Noble Phantasm, if it was created by Magecraft, then the Crimson Rose would pierce it.
And so Berserker looked on with cool detachment as the purloined Noble Phantasm passed through the wall of living silver Lancer's Master had protected himself with and buried itself in the Magus' back.
Surprise BUTT-SECKS!
Kariya blinked, looking up at his opponent in shock, not even bothering to dab at the blood which has splattered on his face as a result of the Crimson Spear's exit from Lancer's Master's torso.
"...What?" the formerly confident Magus choked, blood spewing from his lips as he glanced down at the haft of the spear effectively pinning him to the rooftop "What…is this…"?
"LORD KAYNETH!" Lancer exclaimed, the distraught Knight of the Spear dropping to his Master's side, one arm going to support him, to prevent aggravating his wound "Hold on, I'm getting you out of here!"
"L-Lancer…" the Magus, Kayneth Kariya noted, choked, his features stunned, his eyes wide as he gazed at his servant, comprehension warring with disbelief "You-!"
Whatever Kayneth had been about to say was rendered moot as Berserker landed on the roof, forcing Lancer to retreat with a curse, the Knight of the Spear casting a venomous glare at the Mad Servant as he leapt over the side of the building and into the night, leaving Kariya alone with his Murderous Servant.
'I'm honestly torn as to how to feel about this…' he muttered, glancing warily at the Black Knight, noting that the ominous black mist that had covered his armour at all time prior had officially vanished "I'd thank you, but then I doubt you'd be in a position to understand me if you did."
"On the contrary, Master," a rough voice countered, Kariya's eyes widening as he gaped at the Black Knight in disbelief "I understand you fairly well," he glanced at the stump that remained of Kariya's leg "Though t'would appear my assistance was late in coming."
"D-don't worry about it." Kariya muttered, pushing his back against a wall, wincing at the pain in his body "The worms already closed the wound so there's no fear of me bleeding out." He snorted mockingly "Say what you like about Zouken…he won't let me die till he's gotten what he wants."
"I would not normally give praise to a practitioner of such…foul Magics." Berserker growled, his disgust palpable as he stepped past the twitching remains of the defeated worm familiars,insects "However, as they seem to have preserved your life for the moment, I will withhold judgement."
"Fine by me…" Kariya muttered, his expression torn between self-mocking and exhausted, taking deep, sweet gasps of night air into his haggard lungs "State I'm in now, I highly doubt I'd be awake long to receive a lecture anyway."
"In that case, might I offer my assistance?" a cultured voice called out, the two of them glancing sharply to the side to see a familiar Masked figure standing on the edge of the roof, limbs concealed as always beneath a mantle like a bat's wings.
"Archer-!" Kariya hissed, his expression torn between loathing and fear, Berserker leaping forward to place himself between his Master and Tokiomi's Servant "Shit, Tokiomi doesn't waste any time does he? Then again I suppose I shouldn't be surprised…he always was tight with the Church."
"I certainly cannot deny that accusation, Matou Kariya-san." The Masked Servant acknowledged, Kariya's brow furrowing at the Servant's voice, as he could've sworn it was a lot deeper back on the docks "However, I think you'll find that you are the one in the wrong here. After all, you were the one who disregarded the Overseer's rules and assaulted Lord El-Melloi.
"She speaks the truth, Master." Berserker growled, earning a look of shock from Kariya at the revelation of the Servant's Gender "However, that does not explain why you have chosen to reveal yourself."
"I assure you, Berserker, that had I any intention on you Master's life, I wouldn't have revealed myself as I am now." the Masked Servant offered, holding out a hand, palm up for emphasis "Indeed, it is with your Master's best interests in mind that I have taken such a risk."
"You mean to propose an alliance?" Berserker demanded, the Black Knight's tone disbelieving, only to be cut off by a cry of fury from Kariya, who hurled the remains of one of the insects at the masked Servant.
"Like hell!" the wounded Matou snarled, the veins on his face twitching spasmodically as he glared at the Servant with all the hatred he could muster "You can tell Tokiomi he can take his offer and shove it up his-!"
"Tohsaka Tokiomi is no longer among the living."
Silence reigned in the wake of Archer's words. Kariya's anger, which had seemed nigh infinite before, vanishing like morning mist as he gaped at the Masked Servant.
"This is not the place to speak of such things." Archer noted offhandedly, as if she hadn't just confirmed the death of one of the main competitors in the war "We have made preparations for you, will you not accompany me, Matou Kariya?"
"Master?" Berserker growled, his tone suspicious yet subordinate, making it clear that he was more than willing to rip the Masked Servant's throat out and was simply waiting instruction from his Master to do so.
Faced with this and the bombshell that had been dropped on him, Kariya could merely nod his assent, Berserker pausing only to retrieve the man's severed leg before tossing his Master over his shoulder, following the Masked Servant into the night as thunder and lightning cracked overhead, illuminating a rooftop at least a block away from the scene.
Hisau Maiya pulled back from the scope of the Sniper Rifle she'd been peering through, her expression dark as she watched her targets retreat before pulling out her phone.
"Kiritsugu, we have a situation."
Not quite a cliffhanger, but something to work with at least!
For those wondering why Kayneth was referred to as 'Lancer's Master' rather than by name during Kariya's segments, it's because they were both so furious that neither thought to bring up the subject of his name.
I'm not 100% certain that Gae Dearg's effect on Mad Enhancement is canon, but going by the mechanics seen thus far, plus Berserker's own Magic Resistance, it'd make sense that being stabbed with the Crimson Rose would wake Lancelot up. Keep in mind, unlike Herakales, whose Mad Enhancement is kept active by Ilya, Lancelot is the one keeping it active, heedless of the strain on Kariya, which implies it can be turned on/off in some way.
So one of Kariya's drives for even being in this war is gone. What will happen next time I wonder?