Meanwhile Niu was chatting in the bathroom with Saber. The dense mist was concealing her naked body.
"What do you think of all this?" She asked her servant.
"I have to admit that I don't like this situation." Saber replied, the eyes closed.
Saber did not want to be associated with Savior and Adam. While the first made him bite the dust, the second had turned his back on him. He did not like them very much. Yet the choice wasn't his. Without this truce both sides would have been defeated.
"You should keep it cool." Niu told him while rubbing her hair.
A few minutes later Niu was coming down the stairs. She went to the living room where Adam was waiting for her.
"Tonight we're going on an expedition to the Kärson Forest." Announced Adam.
"Why ?" Asked Niu
Adam threw the newspaper to her. The headline spoke of itself "The Kärson Forest Massacre." Niu flipped through the pages with a puzzled look.
"What makes you say it's related to the Grail War?"
Adam, annoyed, answered promptly.
"First of all, such a massacre in those days seems very suspicious to me, and I noticed some inconsistencies in the statements made by the newspaper. In the worst scenario, case we will lose a little bit of time but it is worth. This is an opportunity to take advantage of our alliance. "
Niu seemed as convinced as disturbed.
"Are you really nineteen years old?"
Adam glared at her with hatred.
"I mean you're only two years older than me and you talk like an adult."
The young man ignored her words.
"The guards won't be a problem. The real issue is the other Masters. I think that this event won't leave our opponents indifferent. Be prepared to fight. I've thought about a plan if we were to face a hopeless situation. Your eyes will be of great help. "
The girl listened to him while keeping her disturbed look.
"You didn't give me any explanations. It's important to know each other as allies, and you seem to enjoy this war. That smile you have while announcing that you have a plan. It's not that of a normal man. " She declared, folding her arms and pouting.
"I am what I am. That's all. I don't need your judgment. I'd rather prefer your eyes right now."
Saber materialized while unsheathing his sword. In the same way Savior arose to block the sword of the knight heading towards Adam's neck.
"A very coward attack for a knight." Declared Savior calmly.
"I only wanted to threaten him so that he withdrew his words." Retorted Saber.
Adam had not blinked. He had an unshakable confidence in Savior. His pride also prevented him from showing any form of fear.
"Come on, come on, relax Saber. But it's true Adam! It's not only my eyes that you should look, but also my whole body, even my soul." She said with a smirk.
Adam gave her a jaded look.
"What?! That's not how I wanted you to look at me!"
Savior let out a smile. An unusual reaction for him.
"Stop your childishness Niu and focus." Adam retorted with the same jaded look.
Saber showed his disagreement with the situation by his tensed face.
"We're leaving in two hours." Pursued the young man to end the conversation.
"Haaa this boy is far too serious..." Niu muttered while sighing.
Savior followed Adam closely in his ascent to the first floor of the house. Saber did not failed to look at him defiantly.
Church of Högalid, Stockholm
The young Pontus was returning to the beautiful church of Högalid.
"Father, Father!" The boy was about to report to Father Augustin the news about the Kärson Forest massacre.
At the very moment he entered the church, he stopped suddenly. Two individuals were already talking to the supervisor. Each of them was covered with a hood and a long black coat. The aura emanating from them was not reassuring. The two mysterious individuals turned simultaneously and advanced towards the young Pontus. He saw their two faces. The first was that of a man with hypocritical features. The young Pontus was good at interpreting facial expressions. The second was that of a beautiful girl. It only lasted a few seconds but for Pontus, the flow of time seemed to have stopped. He was oppressed by the presence of the two individuals. Pontus hastened to join Father Augustin who seemed to be livid. The supervisor put his hand on Pontus's head as if to reassure him. Gradually this delicate attention turned into a real embrace. Blood began to emanate from all the facial cavities of Pontus. He had just been the victim of a terrible fate.
"Sorry Pontus but you made the mistake of seeing their faces. I couldn't do anything for you anymore. Let's say I prevented you to suffer." After a few prayers, Father Augustin went to bury what was left of his promising apprentice.
The two black-clad individuals were walking down the streets towards their base.
"What a funny supervisor this gentleman is." Daniel said mockingly. Daniel was the tallest of the two individuals. He was the man. His family was high up in the ecclesiastical hierarchy. They had given themselves the mission to bring Jesus back to earth in this decadent time. Not as a servant, but as a real entity. The Grail was able to fulfill this wish.
The girl rose her voice.
"The apprentice still saw our faces. It would be wise to get rid of him." She said worriedly.
"Do not worry, it's already settled." Said Daniel with a sneer.
Kärson Forest, Stockholm
The moon had risen in the skies of the city. In the shadows, Adam and Niu were watching the island from another shore. Only the famous Lake Mälar was seperating them from their destination.
"Twenty boats are parked around the island. I should be able to get to the island by manipulating the repositories of my alternative worlds." Adam said.
"No need to do so." corrected Savior
"They are ghost ships." Continued Saber.
"Well then we can go to the place by swimming. Niu, you will have to apply a charm on us. I can't give myself a cold resistance to brave the icy waters." Adam ordered while analyzing the situation. A Master came here and is likely to still be in the shadows.
Niu laid her hand on Adam's heart.
"O vivacious spark, may you live in our hearts, may you even melt the everlasting mirrors... Dance, twirl, embrace us with your warm aura."
Adam felt a heat invading him. The frail hand of Niu generated an impressive amount of prana. The young man was grateful to his benefactor. He blushed slightly and reassured himself that it was only a side effect of the heat rise.
"Tadam! we're protected!" She exclaimed cheerfully with a big smile.
"Ahem...Was it supposed to be a pun?" Adam while blushing lightly.
"Turn back." Niu ordered.
"Are you really going to go naked?" Replied Adam.
"I have no desire to wet my clothes. Just put them in one of your worlds and give them back to me after." She said with a smile.
Adam sighed.
"If you take advantage of your perception skills to look at Niu, I'll cut your head on the spot." Said Saber to Savior.
Savior, who had his eyes closed, found these accusations very uncomfortable.
"Why would I do that, could you practice voyeurism towards your own children?"
Saber realized the stupidity of his intervention.
"Sorry, I made a mistake."
Niu intervened.
"Stop those vain arguments boys," she said in a tone of excitement.
Adam spoke.
"Savior, how many living people are on the island."
A bird came to rest on the shoulder of the resplendent servant. The animal let itself be caressed and then left again.
"One person, a woman more precisely. Her servant may be in its spiritual form. Although I can't fully make use of my perceptive abilities at night, my creations can guide me. There is a "me" in everything in this world."
"It's probably the woman who got rid of the guards," concludes Adam.
"You can turn around." Niu said.
She was in the water. Although she was not very bulky, she hid her chest with both hands. She wore a comforting smile.
"Are we going?" She declared.
Adam undressed but decided to keep his underwear.
They both plunged into the dark waters of Lake Mälar. Their bodies were totally immune to the freezing temperatures. The charm was effective.
Once on the other side of the river Adam returned her belongings to Niu and also put on his clothes. The atmosphere was heavy. The more the two masters ventured into the forest, the more the air seemed charged. The smell of putrefying bodies reached their nostrils.
Niu saw the first corpse. She could not say a word. The shock was such that the slightest movement was impossible for her. She was shaking. Maybe staying at home would have been a much better option. The intestines of the dead man were scattered on the ground. Adam was looking at her from a distance. He then understood the extent of the damage. The young man put his hand on the shoulder of Niu which did not fail to startle her. Adam raised his head to the sky to contemplate the stars. What he saw was none other than the blade of an opponent. That of Berserker. Adam jostled Niu who managed to dodge the attack. As for him, the sword almost cut off his head. Saber then suddenly emerged from the shadows to attack Berserker. With a powerful blow he deflected Berserker's sword and prepared to deliver the coup de grace. Nevertheless his opponent did not intend to stop there. In a movement of extreme fluidity Berserker dodged Saber's attack and sent him off with a violent kick.
"This monster knows how to fight." Saber said while wiping the blood flowing from her mouth.
"I wish I could know your name Berserker, you seem to be a tough opponent." Saber exclaimed.
The insane person in front of the knight stared at him for a moment. As if he wanted to tell Saber but his madness prevented him to do so.
"Run Niu! I'll hold him back!" He ordered before their swords sang again in a deafening clang. Pronouncing the name of Adam would have been for him much too embarrassing.
"By a seal of command, Saber, I order you to fight to the end with all your might!" Niu exclaimed before running away. Adam clicked his tongue and followed her.
Facing his opponent, Saber felt his strength increasing considerably. The magic energy contained in the seal reached him directly in his circuits.
"Savior, do you hear me, what are you doing?" Asked Adam.
"I have fulfilled the will of the knight. He wanted to take care of the situation alone. If you want me to move you will have to use a command seal." Said Savior calmly.
Adam thought that perhaps Savior was not as reliable as he thought. Using a seal was an investment far too big for the situation.
The two swordsmen were stirring in every direction. It seemed like a real choreography. The shock of their swords served as a metronome. The tempo juggled between presto and allegro. Berserker's facial expression showed more than ever his desire to win. Suddenly Saber's sword charged with magic energy. With a violent blow it rejected of an unequaled force its opponent. Berserker's chest was bleeding profusely. The knight's sword had seemed to roar for a moment. The crazy servant got up despite the wounds. The blood that flowed from his eyes since the beginning was doing it much more abundantly.
"His Noble Phantasm?" Saber wondered.
The magical energy of the blindfolded servant was growing at a breathtaking speed. His Master had probably used a command seal. The order to use his full power had been launched.
The entire environment was transformed into a cliff. A large cliff on which rose a strange being. A mythological creature called the Sphinx.
"Solve my enigma and I'll leave you alone. Answer wrong and die." Announced the beast
Saber was surprised at the nature of the Noble Phantasm of this Berserker. He expected something more brutal. It was surprising that he had to use his reason to thwart the ultimate attack of a being who was devoid of it. He understood, however, who he was dealing with.
"I am motionless during life, and I move during my death, who am I?"
"It's not the same riddle as in his legend," he murmured thoughtfully.
"It would be too easy for you, servants, who know all mythologies. You have two minutes." Said the beast scornfully.
Saber was fully aware that the slightest mistake would lead to his defeat. He began a long inner monologue
"What could possibly fit these criteria, to lead a still life, only the trees do it, or our souls, yes, our souls, imprisoned in our bodies it remains motionless, nevertheless after our death it goes to the heaven, or in cases like servants in the throne of the heroes. The original question of the Sphinx was "Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed?" Oedipus' answer was none other than humans themselves, it seems to me quite likely but also way too easy. I must take my time."
The wind was blowing hard at the top of the cliff. Saber's hair were dancing in the wind. The Sphinx was getting impatient.
"Only one minute left."
Adam and Niu were running away.
"On their jacket were annotated inscriptions R.A.G you have an idea of what it is?"Asked Adam.
"Absolutely none!" Screamed Niu.
In their stride Adam met an emerald green gaze in the dim light. It was only very brief. Yet enough for him to stop running.
"I can't use mana anymore." He announced.
"Why?" Niu asked.
"Our opponent is there, and like you she is a mystic eye owner. It seems that hers inflicts an instant Geis. Berserker's master has just ordered me not to use my mana anymore. I have the feeling that if I were to break the order I would immediately die. " Said Adam.
"You got it !" Exclaimed a feminine voice perched on the branch of a tree. She was a very beautiful woman. Her appearance betrayed Indian origins.
"Why don't you order me to commit suicide ? It would be better for you. Right now Niu is totally able to attack you. Or maybe you're the kind of pervert who would order me to kill her... Nevertheless, it wouldn't stop her from getting rid of you while keeping me out of the way. To make it short, your attack is completely stupid. "
Akanksha laughed loudly while keeping her natural elegance.
"You're so funny!"
Adam began to run towards her.
"I don't need magic to put you down!" he exclaimed.
Akanksha chuckled for a moment.
"Allow me to change the nature of your order. Stop moving!"
Adam stopped short and blocked all of his muscles. He had learned from Rin how to control his body accurately. The mesmerizing woman descended from the tree from which she was perched and approached the motionless young man. With a slow and sure step, she stood in front of him. Suddenly his ward stared at the beautiful woman. She thought it was over for him, but with a fluid movement he drew a sword that almost cut her throat.
"H-how is it possible!" She exclaimed in amazement.
"I bet on the fact that you're unable to give an order that would directly lead to one's death. So you're also unable to pronounce an order impossible to achieve. Am I right? " He said arrogantly while sneering.
Akanksha realized her stupidity. She had dodged the attack narrowly. Niu was confused.
"By running towards you like a fool, I hoped you would order me not to move. However, it's impossible completely stop moving, each of my cells moves against my will. The entire planet moves with me on it. To make it simple, I just pretended stillness until you get closer to me. "
Akanksha had so underrated the kids who were in front of her that she ended up giving an absurd order. It was a mistake unworthy of her careful personality. Her magic circuits redirected the previous order hastily.
"Do not attack anymore!" Akanksha exclaimed
"Tch. I should have won with that strike." Said Adam with disappointment.
"You there! Niu, right? I'll tell you a secret. I can only order one person at a time. That makes me an expert in duels. I didn't thought that Masters will team up so quickly. I give you a deal. Kill him and I order Berserker to spare Saber. Adam is harmless, he can't attack anymore. " She said with a friendly voice.
"I would never do that, I trust Saber!" Exclaimed Niu.
"Oh, what if I told you he was under the influence of Berserker's Noble Phantasm at the moment?" Akanksha declared with a smile.
Saber was still thinking about the enigma in an inner monologue.
"The soul is a possibility, but some people report being able to detach the soul from their body. Otherwise the star can be a solution. It's still on its repository but when it dies, it can be said that it moves in the form of a shooting star. No, it's too far-fetched. Hmm ... So why not a secret. Yes, when it's known by one person it may be considered immobile. But a secret is no longer a secret when it's traveling from person to person. So a secret is dead when it "moves." That's it, I'm sure of it! "
The sphinx did not move an inch.
"You have ten seconds left." It said calmly.
"A secret. That's my answer." Saber exclaimed.
"Is this your last word?" Asked the Sphinx.
Saber felt a drop of sweat sliding from his forehead to his back while going through his neck. He swallowed before giving his answer.
"Yes. That's my last word." He declared solemnly.
In response to these words, the Reality Marble began to fracture. Gradually, in a deafening crash, the landscape of the Kärson Forest was revealed. The eyes of the Sphinx began to radiate of a chelating red. A dissonant voice began to reason in Saber's head.
"False. The answer was "a leaf". " It said.
While the Reality Marble was gone, the Sphinx was still there.
With a powerful blow, Saber was repulsed at an incredible speed and did not fail to ricochet on the waters of Lake Mälar before landing on the opposite. His armor was damaged and now one could see bloody pieces of flesh on the knight's body. Saber began to spit blood. The Sphinx' strength was far too powerful. In the distance Berserker was reclining sitting on the floor. Saber regretted for a moment that he had refused Savior's help. This idea was driven out of his mind as quickly as it came. He had not tried everything. Other assets were still up his sleeve.
"I won't lose to a mere wild beast." Said Saber in a voice distorted by pain.
On the other side of the island, Adam, Niu and Akanksha heard the resonance of the appearance of the Sphinx.
"It looks like Saber is doomed. Unless I ask my servant to spare him." Akanksha said with a sneer.
Niu was facing a dilemma.
"Adam, in case you want to run away I want to warn you that I have erected a bounded field in the perimeter." Akanksha continued with a lovely smile.
Adam showed no sign of astonishment. He was biting his lip. For him there remained an exit issue: Savior. He had to use his seals. He could not attack but his servant yes. However it would be admitting his defeat against the opponent. He did not want to have harm his pride again. The agreement with Niu was already a big blow for his ego.
On the other side of the bank, Savior was smiling.
"What an interesting Master." He said.
Suddenly, despite Akanksha's warnings, Adam ran to his left.
"What's he doing?!" She said while looking in his direction. When she turned to Niu, the young girl was already in front of Akanksha, knife in hand. The blade penetrated the flesh of the young woman. Her reflexes allowed her to minimize the damage but her stomach suffered a noticeable laceration. With a fluid and energetic movement, Akanksha kicked Niu, reinforced her arms thanks to her magical circuits, and twirled Niu in the air to throw her several meters further.
"I curse you stupid kids!"
Their plan was thorough. It was the fruit of Adam's ingenuity. Niu had applied her power to a rock. As soon as her foot brutally came in contact with it, the girl had been propelled at a breathtaking speed towards Akanksha. Normally, despite Adam's diversion, the Indian beauty should have heard Niu's footsteps. However, the girl had also applied her power to the left eardrum of Akanksha shortly before her run. The victim only heard the same looping noises. The quiet nights of the Kärson Forest had finally became an advantage. All this having happened in a few moments, Akanksha had scarcely time to realize the trickery.
Niu stood up breathless, the mystical eye unfurled.
"Y-You too!" Akanksha exclaimed.
Akanksha's wounds did not close.
"The mystical eye of perpetuality ... I've heard about it before." She murmured, grimacing in pain.
Niu wiped the droplets of blood that caressed her lips.
"Ask Berserker to spare Saber and I will lift my power over your wounds."
Akanksha bit her lip. Adam next to her looked at the woman with a mocking smile. Chintamani's envoy looked back at the young man.
"Cursed kids..." she said, looking in his direction with a slight smile. She had admitted her defeat.
Several meters away. Saber was recovering from his wounds as the Sphinx prepared for his ultimate attack. The monster could only materialize for two minutes. The time it took for Saber to try to solve the riddle. The knight brandished his sword and began to exclaim.
"O comrade, O partner, you who fought with me ..."
The sword began to shimmer with a ruddy red.
"Me, your one and only master, the knight ..."
As Saber was about to reveal his name, the Sphinx began to disappear. Berserker was not there either. The knight then stopped the prana contribution to his sword and put an end to the activation process of his Noble Phantasm.
"Why did they retire? Niu probably have defeated Berserker's Master." Once again he avoided uttering the name of the man who had turned his back on their first meeting.
A few minutes later, the members of the alliance went to Savior on the opposite island.
"So, how was it?" Asked Savior who had attended to the whole show from there.
"Tensed." Replied Adam.
"We won thanks to Niu." He continued.
"No, the idea was yours Adam." She replied.
"I have to admit that I doubted you could do it. The plan required a lot of mana, a perfect rhythm and above all you had to measure your strength perfectly while hitting the rock. Against all expectations you succeeded wonderfully well. "He explained.
"Thanks, it makes me happy..." she declared a little moved but with a smile.
Akanksha was sitting in a limousine driven by one of Chintamani's personal drivers. Her wound healed quickly thanks to her magic. The beautiful woman sighed. She took a card out of her pocket. There was three letters on the back of it. R, A and G.
"I'm still the winner of this expedition. the United States are a worthy opponent ..."