Chapter 37
A myriad of lights writhed in the dark as the two glowing swords sought out each other, the blades going high and low, from the left to the right and vice versa. Diagonal slashes followed up with vertical strikes and then a stab, while both sides also used kicks and punches whenever the opportunity presented itself.
Assassin used her superior agility to dodge her blows and get in close to Berserker as her dual blades interfered in close range combat, but a mix of lightning and telekinesis prevented Assassin from getting to the desired distance.
At the same time, Berserker used her strength to land heavy blows that were unblockable by Assassin, using the torque of her entire body to strike, with only Assassin's speed saving her from getting bisected.
Slowly, the stone beneath their feet crumbed from the sheer force they were traveling at, each step packing enough strength to pierce through the hood of the car and straight past the engine without difficulty. Pieces of stone were sent flying everywhere as Flat endured the pelting to shield Gray, while Illya called up her familiars with strands of hair, forming a shield of white wires to repel the debris. The shards of the stone stairs flew through the air to impact Kuzuki's face as well, the pain eliciting a slight reaction from him as a small groan escaped his lips.
Two Servants hailing from another universe pitted against one another in the Holy Grail War, putting their friendship to the side as their loyalty to their Master compelled them to fight each other. Also, they had fought against each other since the first meeting they had at Cosmo Chaldea Academy, so it wasn't something they were against either.
By this point, they both knew each other's moves and strategies by heart, having fought against and besides each other for years. They had been both partners and enemies, with no other Servant pair in this War having a greater synergy than the two of them. It was no great stretch to say that if the two teamed up with each other, victory was well within their grasp.
But when fighting against each other, it resulted in a stalemate that slightly tipped in the favour of MHX for her innate conceptual nature.
For MHX, she was made from stimulating Artoria genes to create a weapon of mass murder that would eradicate all Artoria-type Servants. Thus, her entire being became a Conceptual Weapon that "killed Saberfaces", every action against Saberfaces acquiring multiplied levels of potency.
In contrast, MHX Alter was made from the X factor extracted from MHX and forbidden magic, turning her into an inferior base copy that required strengthening with the Altreactor to match MHX, as well as other bodily augmentations. The original concept implanted in MHX became diluted in her Alter counterpart, resulting in Alter becoming a Conceptual Weapon that "killed Saber-class Servants". This was an important distinction in this particular battle, and the deciding factor between their strength.
While both were Saberfaces, neither of them was a Saber. Hence, Assassin gained an edge against Berserker that she was unable to match, each blow dealing more damage to Berserker than Berserker did to her as shallow scratches became deep cuts, a punch that should have only made a bruise almost shattering her bones when it landed. The damage amplification was almost a cheat-like ability in this particular War as well, although her own parameters weren't increased in any way. However, there were still ways to get around this skill, such as dodging every blow. If she couldn't hit the enemy, there was no damage to be magnified, as zero times any number still equalled zero.
Against Berserker though, her superior speed allowed her to land light hits that were boosted through her Conceptual Weight, Berserker's trait as a Saberface proving to be detrimental to her in this duel.
Soon, she was bleeding from numerous cuts littered all over her body, the blood dripping on to the floor as the injuries sapped her strength, her body aching dully as even a light graze shook her entire body. Furthermore, even the heat radiating off of Sabers blade scorched her skin as it grazed past, close misses still inflicting damage on her. Assassin was also able to switch off the plasma that coated the blade when she physically cut Berserker, to avoid cauterizing the wound that would keep her from bleeding. Even the light from the blade stabbed at her eyes, making it difficult to keep track of Assassin's movements when it glowed, especially at night with her boosted optic nerves.
It was true that Berserker's familiarity with Assassin's moves and her thinking saved her from being defeated in one go, but it also gave Assassin the chance to inflict many small wounds that became more and more deadly as the fight dragged on, like a "poison" that degraded Berserker's abilities by bleeding her out. While she had a higher rank of endurance than Assassin along with her Mad Enhancement that allowed her to tank the damage she was taking, it had its limits. Unless she suddenly acquired Battle Continuation, she would fall in the near future.
In short, Berserker was increasingly doomed the longer the fight dragged on.
A battle of endurance between two foes that deeply understood each other, from their favourite moves down to their psyches, and one had an undeniable advantage over the other.
Seeing her sword shift to the right, swinging horizontally, Berserker could tell it was a feint from her years of experience with her, shifting her legs to hurtle towards the sword as she pointed the tip of her saberstaff straight her wrist, waiting for the moment it transitioned into an upwards slash towards her head. Seeing her ready to counter, Assassin instead exchanged hands and struck with her left, but Berserker's palm was raised with electricity shooting towards Assassin, forcing her to block.
A sweeping kick aimed at knocking Berserker off balance was reversed as a telekinetic grasp grabbed Assassin's throat, choking her as the flesh around her neck sank into a depression in the shape of a hand, before she flared her glowing sword to its maximum brightness.
"Gah!"
Berserker instinctively shielded her eyes with her arm, breaking off her hold on Assassin and allowing her to escape, wheezing as she greedily breathed in fresh air. Not letting up, Berserker leaped forward even as her eyes struggled to blink out the dark spots in her vision, the laser bolts that Assassin fired at her barely missing as they struck where she was originally standing. With no time to waste, Assassin raised her blade to block Berserker's wild charge, stray electricity arcing into the surroundings as it struck patches of grass and trees around the area, igniting small patches of flames that if left unchecked, would grow into a blaze that would consume the forest.
Berserker slashed at Assassin three times in quick succession, both blades meeting Secretcalibur as she spun the handle to allow a swift consecutive attack, forcing Assassin to retreat until she was standing in front of Kuzuki's body.
Without warning, Berserker dashed to the left and right, her blade scoring deep cuts in the trees on both sides of the stairs. Running past Assassin through the trees, she circled all around the spot she was standing at, even passing Gray and Flat, crossing to the opposite side, then cutting the trees there. She dashed back down to her starting point, deactivated Necrocalibur, and raised both hands, each hand reaching to the left and right. Her open palms faced forward, arms straight at a right angle with her body. Then her hands closed into fists as they crossed into an X over her chest.
*sprrrk-krsh*
The trees that had been cut each slowly bent forward, the shove she gave them sufficient to make them topple over the stairs. The trees on either side wouldn't collide with each other as well, since she had made sure to cut in alternating patterns.
"Damn it!"
Assassin leaped into the sky to slice the trees to pieces, dashing from one trunk to the next as she leaped between them, cutting them into harmless chunks to avoid them crashing into Gray, Flat and Kuzuki. Even though Rhongomiant disintegrated the top of the trees falling down on Gray, the trunks also rolled down the stairs carried by their weight. Wood chips and bark flew into the air as Assassin turned into a one man army of lumberjacks, destroying the trees as her golden blade cut through each trunk like butter.
*WHOOSH!*
Just the wood splinters and dust in the air was ignited as crimson electricity hopped through the air, zig zagging between chunks of wood and splinter to ignite the very air itself, suffused with flammable wood dust from the sheer amount of wood chopped as Assassin made sure to turn it all into splinters no bigger than her thumb, her transcendent speed and skill allowing her to do so, as well as a heavy amount of supporting bombardment.
The world above Gray and Flat turned into a firestorm as the air caught fire, Assassin trapped in the wide area as heat licked her jersey and tore holes in the cloth. In a matter of seconds, she suffered severe third-degree burns that heavily crippled her body, before she finally dematerialized to avoid further injury. Over several dozen portals appeared around Gray, Flat and Kuzuki as they formed a dome around them, protecting them from the immense heat of the flames as Assassin had spent the seconds bathed in the flames to activate several layers of blue portals around them, using her skill Fire Support in a defensive manner.
The surroundings turned into a sea of flames as the heat in the air sparked more flames on the ground, chunks of wood on the side that Assassin left alone and caught aflame in the explosion of fire and hitting the ground to spread it in the forest. The dry wood and grass easily caught alight, the area now bathed in an eerie red glow as smoke rose into the sky, Flat now casting purification magecraft in a dome around him and Gray as he hooked a leg around Kuzuki's shoulder to pull him in, keeping a hand on Gray's back to continue reinforcing her. Below, Illya gazed at the flames impassively, her white hair tinted red.
Assassin reappeared a few flights above Berserker, her jersey now sporting several holes as melted flesh peaked through, red and black spots of uneven flesh exposed beneath the skin, with one particularly bad one on her back exposing the pure white tissue deep below her skin. Her muffler was shortened by half, and her body trembled in pain, her left arm unable to properly grip her sword with the area at the elbow, the nerves and blood vessels destroyed there as black and red lined the yellowish white area. The areas with the most damage were painless however, because the nerve endings there were lost to the flames. Somehow, her baseball cap was untouched, the ahoge the same as ever, despite the fact that almost every other part of her clothing was singed, scorched, or in the case of her boots, half-melted.
*tup, tup, tup*
Striding through the flames towards her, was a dark warrior of the Alter side.
The smoke coiled around her body as her hood was back up, the pale face and yellow eyes reflecting the orange light of the flames. Electricity crackled menacingly around her, the hum of her lightsaber audible over the crackling flames in the background. Even with the numerous wounds inflicted on her earlier, her steps were steady and sure, her stance betraying no signs of weakness.
On the other hand, Assassin stood leaning to the right, her left leg pressing on the ground as lightly as possible. Her right hand held Secretcalibur loosely, her half burnt muffles covered in ash and soot as the wind of heat convection blew them towards her body. In spite of her injuries, her eyes stared down at Berserker, her ahoge standing proud above her forehead.
The tables were now evened once again, both sides weakened with various injuries.
*Nyong-NYYYYOOoong*
The golden tower of light gradually shrank, metal pieces flying up to cover it once it turned into a brightly glowing spark of light. The scraps of metal assembled into recognizable patterns, the cube known as Add appearing once more before their eyes. The cube hovered in the air for a moment, then descended downwards before dropping into Gray's trembling, exhausted hands.
Gray managed to tuck back into the birdcage, before she collapsed in Flat's arms, utterly fatigued from her ordeal. Rhongomyniad was a Mystic Code of immense power, and not meant to be casually used. To be able to hold it in it's released form for so long was a feat worthy of heroes of old, and for Gray to do so was even more remarkable, even if she did have outside assistance.
Caster stood back up from her trance, holding her staff tightly as the crystal began to glow once more, bathing the room in blue light, the sash and feathers fluttering with an imaginary wind, her blonde hair lifting as well.
"Around Caliburn."
The energy siphoned from the ley line rushed into her Magic Circuits before being funneled towards her Noble Phantasm.
Pink petals.
Those were the first things that he saw as one drifted past him to rest on Gray's face, laid down on the stone floor to rest with his lap as a pillow. Looking up, he saw many more drifting lazily in the air, untouched by the flames and smoke. Wherever they fell, the flames extinguished, not even leaving behind a trail of smoke. The air turned fresh no longer choked by smoke and haze as the visibility increased, a new scent trickling into the air.
Breathing in the cleansed air, he felt purified, the fatigue leaving his body as energy flushed back into his system, his mind clear and his body energetic. It felt like he could run a marathon and play a match of chess with his tutor at the same time. In his lap, Gray stirred awake, revived by the energy knitting her body back together after the damage taken from overexerting herself.
Kuzuki didn't awaken, but gradually his body's bruises and cuts shrank as the bleeding stopped, the blood coagulating. Bone slowly settled into place as fragments were ejected out of his shattered knee, his stomach sealing up the internal bleeding as more blood flowed out of his orifices to empty the blood in various parts of his body from internal injuries.
Assassin, the sole combatant on their side still standing, felt her ahoge stand straight up as golden rhombuses arranged in patterns of four surrounded her in a circle, glowing brightly before fading away. Light and mana burst out of her as wind circled her, energy coursing through her entire body as her sword hand steadied, her back straight again. Strength entered her in large amounts, yet it somehow was pleasant, like a soothing massage that nursed her muscles back into peak condition.
Below the four, Berserker stared indifferently as Illya witnessed the Noble Phantasm with widened eyes. Berserker noted a pearly gray sheen covering all of their bodies, almost invisible to the eye unless you had augmented vision like hers.
Caster focused even more, calling forth every blessing at her disposal.
Blue light shone around their bodies as golden motes fell from the sky like snow, bathing their bodies in the enchantments of Caster as their fate became aligned with hers, granting the protection accorded to those that walked besides her. Charisma of Hope, Blessing of the Lake, Sword of Selection, Around Caliburn. Each and every one of them reached her allies and pushed them past their limits, strengthening them to reach their full potential, and even go beyond it.
Assassin calmly faced Berserker, spreading her arms in a show of confidence.
"It's over Berserker. I have the high ground."
Berserker stood still for a moment after the shower of blessings ended, then leapt up in one massive bound to reach right in front of Assassin.
*BOOM*
The next instant, she was sent flying back down, crashing straight into the stone tiles at the bottom and tumbling down to land in a heap at Illya's feet.
"E-Ecchan!"
Illya stared in horror at her Servant, unable to believe was pushed back so easily. Shakily, she stood back up, the injuries from earlier already taking their toll on her as the steps all the way down to Illya were stained with her blood from the open wounds.
Berserker had swung her sword at Assassin, with the blue Servant not reacting at all, only for her plasma blades to skate across her bare skin, as if there was an invisible shield surrounding her, the point of contact flashing grey white for a moment, before she felt a palm on her chest, looking down to see Assassin's injured left arm before being pushed down with tremendous strength, completely unlike the power she had displayed before.
"Master, looks like it's time for us to get serious."
Illya stared at her before nodding, her eyes resolute.
"Leave the mana to me Ecchan. With the Grail supporting you now, you can release your Noble Phantasm as much as you want."
Berserker nodded slightly, her eyes never leaving Assassin.
*Scrrrrrcch!*
A car screeched to halt behind them, a man with long shiny black hair jumping out of the red Aston Martin.
"Flat, Gray, are you there!"
Seeing his panicked teacher worry about them so much to personally come despite the danger, he smiled and waved at him from above.
"We're fine, don't worry! We just saw an awesome battle that was seriously cool!"
Everyone still conscious in the vicinity started to suspect his sanity, wondering if he'd realized he'd almost died several times just now, except for El-Melloi, who already knew he didn't have a lick of sense.
He spotted Gray lying on the floor as well.
"Is Gray all right!"
"She's just resting, she's been through a lot!"
After getting reassured by Flat, he eyebrows loosened as he switched his focus to the enemy Master right in front of him. Illya stared right back at him, Berserker trusting her Master to deal with the magus as she kept her attention on Assassin.
"I am Lord El-Melloi II of Norwich, the Department of Modern Magecraft Theories."
"A Lord hm, how interesting! Guten abend, my name is Illyasviel von Einzbern, homunculus Master of the Einzbern family, Master of Berserker."
Somehow, she reminded him of his younger step-sister, Reines. Her seemingly innocent smile was a bit too unnerving.
"I've come here to retrieve my apprentices. Please, allow me to pass through to get them."
"A demand right off the bat. Why would I do that for an enemy."
Two bird familiars appeared, floating on the left and right.
"I could easily kill you right here and now, and then deal with your precious apprentices."
Indeed, despite his status as a Lord, his talent in magecraft was quite mediocre, and he would be easily defeated by her in a duel.
*WWWeeeeWOOO-WWeeee-WOOO*
Sirens blared in the distance, getting louder and louder.
"The normal citizens are coming to the scene of a disaster, and it is paramount for us maguses to keep the secrecy of the Mystics, our number one rule to ensure our preservation. Surely, even the Einzberns, as reclusive as they are, know about this."
Illya tilted her head, smiling sweetly.
"Then I just have to kill you before they get here."
Two ethereal blades flew towards him, aiming straight for his heart.
*Splrch, babump, babu-BOOM*
A fleshy hand grenade wrapped with a human heart sailed out the open window of the car and towards Illya, forcing her to redirect her familiars as shields against the sudden attack.
The car door opened, revealing a well-muscled Japanese man wearing sunglasses and a scar running across his face.
"I guess it was a good idea you brought me along."
El-Melloi stood back up from the car door that he had stumbled into as he attempted to dodge the swords, nodding his thanks towards the mercenary.
"Thanks for the help Kairi."
"Save your thanks for when you pay me."
Faced with two magi, Illya's chances of a swift victory grew smaller, while the sirens of the fire trucks grew louder and louder.
"Fine, I've had enough entertainment for the night anyways. Ecchan, let's go."
"Yes, Master."
Taking one last look at Assassin, she scooped up Illya in her arms and leaped away into the night. As she left, Illya left one last message for them.
"You had better prepare, or you'll be defeated by Ecchan's Noble Phantasm when we get serious, and the fight would be too easy."
Her voice trailed in the air as Assassin's gaze lingered on where her best friend had disappeared, before turning back to her Master to assess her condition.
Running up the stairs, El-Melloi ran up to where his students were resting, stepping around the craters and through the debris of obliterated stone and dirt. The destroyed stairs made it difficult, but he managed to reach them after only tripping six times.
"Flat, what happened just now?" Anger smouldered in his eyes as he glared at his irresponsible pupil.
Flat just scratched the back of his head and smiled.
"When we got here, Rhongomyniad malfunctioned and almost blew up, so we had to work with Caster to recontain it, but then Berserker came and attacked us, taking out Caster's Master and duking it out with Assassin. You should've seen the guy, he fought toe to toe with Berserker!"
El-Melloi looked to Assassin for confirmation, and she nodded.
"Alright then, let's leave and go back to base to recuperate. You two have had a long night."
Despite his urge to roast Flat until he couldn't stand back up, he decided to withhold it until tomorrow, seeing the pitiful states they were in, covered in soot and scratches from the debris thrown around, while Assassin was in an even worse state from her fight with Berserker.
"Hey, who's this then."
Kairi nudged the unconscious body of Kuzuki with his foot.
"Oh, that's Caster's Master." Flat replied to his question.
Kairi stared at him, then pulled out his shotgun.
"I see, I'll just kill him then."
Aiming at his head, he pulled the trigger.
*KRNG*
The finger bullets struck an invisible barrier and were repelled, dropping to the ground as flattened discs of meat.
"Please leave!'"
A clear voice sounded from the top of the stairs, a young girl standing at the temple gate. Raising their head, it was the first time Gray, Flat and Assassin had seen Caster's true face since coming here. They were all surprised at the face that was visible beneath the light of the moon.
"Another one…?"
El-Melloi memorized her features as well, starting to suspect that something wrong was happening with the Holy Grail. He would have to start investigating after they returned to the base.
"Please leave right now!"
The girl repeated her declaration, mana starting to gather around her as El-Melloi noticed the pale outlines of swords beside, barely visible under the moonlight.
"Let's go." Supporting Flat with his shoulder, he handed Gray over to Kairi to carry down the ruined stairs. Kairi opened his mouth to protest them leaving when the enemy Master was right in front of them, then looked back up at Caster, thought better of it and promptly shut his mouth, carrying Gray silently down the hill.
After they left, Caster placed Kuzuki on one of her recently acquired swords that she had been able to access after gaining magical energy from the ley lines, floating him back into the temple.
The stairs turned peaceful once more, broken only by the distant sirens that soon arrived on the scene to find a complete warzone, later officially explained as a sudden meteor shower in the area, courtesy of a certain priest.