Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Nasuverse.
A/N: Fifth one up. I thought about holding off for a bit… but I was just couldn't wait to post this one. Too excited. Enjoy.
Interruption
Kiritsugu stared down at the battlefield. Looks like those reports about Rider's nature had been true after all. Once he had named himself the Servant foolishly called out to the Servants who were not part of the gathering, asking those listening to join them. No sensible Master would allow their Servant to act so rashly, and an even less sensible Master would let their Servant answer to the call Rider had made.
"I suppose Rider and Berserker's Masters are both lacking in sense…" Kiritsugu sighed.
He couldn't say anything about Berserker's Master, but he assumed that Kayneth would be more cautious than this.
Kiritsugu kept his eyes on Berserker. The Servant wasn't quite what he expected from the class as the Servant seemed capable of speech and with the clothes he was wearing looked like he'd have an easier time blending in with a crowd than the other Servants could.
But he couldn't help but question the actions of Berserker's Master. What was to be gained from dropping a Servant in the middle of this chaos?
"Maiya, has Assassin made any moves in response to this?"
"Negative." She responded through her communicator.
"Hm… continue to watch him then."
"Understood."
Kiritsugu's mind was in a whirl, trying to decide what the best course of action to take was. Five Servants all in one area… any one of them could decide attack Archer and force him to leave Iri undefended. Saber and Berserker's Masters were unaccounted for, and a sixth Servant, Assassin, was perched above ready to strike at anything below it anytime it wanted to.
The situation was becoming dire at an alarming rate.
Down below, Berserker was whipping his head around at the four Servants that stared at him. Two of them were staring at him in surprise due to the way he had appeared while the big guy was giving him an interested look while the one with long hair didn't seem to have any outward reaction to his entrance.
And none of them had moved when he gave them the go ahead.
Berserker's smile still widened. That was fine with him. It meant they were letting him choose. His Master had given him the freedom to attack any way he wanted, so he could enjoy the battle to his fullest! He was excited and ready to go, the very thought of tearing the Servants in front of him limb from limb overtaking every other thought Berserker had…
The Servant's eyes flashed.
"Let's have some fun!"
Berserker, deciding on his first target, catapulted towards Lancer with his fist brought back.
The Servant was sent flying when Berserker smashed his fist into the center of its face.
"Lancer!" Waver cried as the Servant was blasted away with ten times the force Saber's attacks had done. Lancer's body disappeared into the metal containers it was thrown through and buried under.
Saber could only look on in shock. His sword had barely done anything to Lancer, yet Berserker had managed to knock it away with just his fists? The knight's eyes widened when he saw Berserker's body hurling through the air towards him.
The Servant was laughing gleefully as his fists came down on Saber. "Hey shiny guy! Show me what you've got!"
Saber quickly raised his sword to block, the force of Berserker's fists crashing down on the blade jarring Saber as his stance faltered. It was amazing the Servant hadn't cut himself on the blade. His skin was almost like iron. Berserker appeared to have a strong body similar to Lancer. Quicker than Saber had anticipated, one of the fists flew low and slammed into the armor over his stomach.
Even with his armor, Saber coughed as he felt the force punch the air out of his lungs and send his feet sliding across ground. They were even stronger than Lancer's punches! Saber maintained his balance and dodged to the side as Berserker's other fist came swinging in from the left. The laughing Servant was quick on the follow up, launching a flurry of punches and kicks that felt like iron hammers smashing into Saber from all sides, even with his armor on. The Servant struggled to defend himself as he kept his sword and arms in front of him, but Berserker paid his actions no heed as the rain of strikes continued.
"Hey, your Majesty, why not asking him if he wants to join up with you?" Archer asked Rider with a smirk as he gestured to Berserker. He made sure Iri was behind him as he started to put more distance between themselves and the rampaging Servant.
"I don't think he's the type that would be willing to negotiate." Rider mused as he watched Berserker. "He's not exactly the mad warrior I had imagined, but do you hear how he laughs? That laughter is from someone who not only enjoys fighting, but also sees it as a game. He does not understand the true essence of battle. You can also see it in the way he moves that there is no technique to his attacks. This Servant is but a howling, immature child in my eyes."
"Is that right…?" Archer chuckled, still maintaining his gaze on Berserker.
"Even so, without a defined technique it makes it harder for one to read Berserker's attacks." Rider continued. "It's probably part of the reason why Saber has not been able to counterattack."
"Come on, come on, come on, COME ON!" Berserker yelled as he landed an uppercut that broke Saber's guard. His follow up punch caught Saber in the stomach once more, sending the Servant back another few feet. "Is guarding all you can do?!"
Saber's eyes narrowed, shifting his stance and launching his own flurry of attacks. Berserker grinned as he raised his arms to block. The furious sword strikes weren't enough to draw blood thanks to Berserker's hardened body tone, but they did leave angry red marks across the Servant's forearms. Berserker pivoted and flipped backwards on his hands, ignoring Saber for a moment and eying the other two Servants with a manic gleam in his eye.
"…Shit." Archer muttered when the Servant's eyes fell on him.
"Don't just stand there!" Berserker cried with a savage grin, propelling himself forward, his hands reaching out towards Archer. "Come join in on the fun!"
Archer heard Irisviel gasp behind him as his mind reeled. With the strength Berserker possessed, he would be easily batted aside and the crazy Servant might decide to go for the Masters once he was out of the way. Just as Archer started to jump back to better guard Iri and find a way to avoid the incoming Servant, he heard Rider speak.
"…I grow tired of this brat's arrogant shouting."
Even in that moment of tension, Archer still found it in him to take a snipe at Rider's words.
"That means a lot coming from someone as loud as you."
Rider only grinned at Archer's comment.
"Ah, but I'm different! My fellow King, I only shout when it is fitting! Such as declaring a conquest or vanquishing those that stand before me. Speaking of…!"
And from atop his chariot, Rider snapped his reins and the divine beasts that pulled his chariot reared and took off. Rider's battle cry echoed even over the lightning and thunder that seemed to generate around the chariot in his charge. The two oxen furiously galloped towards Berserker, who suddenly stopped when he saw the beasts and chariot coming for him.
Now, most would look at the sheer size of the beasts, Rider's chariot, and the lightning that seemed to run alongside them and would try to run away or avoid the charge.
Berserker, grinning savagely, dug his feet into the ground and extended his hands towards the beasts.
Only this Servant would stand in the face of a charge like this and smile at it. Just as the beasts came upon him, Berserker let out his own unique war cry.
"GOOOOOOOOOOLLLDEEEEEEEEEN!"
And, catching the head of one ox with his left hand and the other with his right, Berserker matched Rider's charge with his own two hands.
Rider's eyes widened in surprise when he noticed Berserker had caught the heads of his chariot drivers and instead of being dragged under and being trampled by the beasts and becoming nothing more than a speed bump for his chariot, the Servant was only being pushed back by the charge as he stayed upright even as the heels of Berserker's feet cut deep ruts into the earth as he was pushed along.
Rider thought it impossible for even someone as strong as Berserker to stand up to his Gordius Wheel, but then he noticed something odd about the lightning and how it seemed to react to Berserker…
Tugging hard on the reins of his chariot, Rider brought his beasts to an abrupt halt, a maneuver that proved to be more effective than his initial charge was. Berserker, not expecting the sudden stop, lost his balance and was sent tumbling across the ground since his body was still in motion. He crashed into one of the containers, leaving an impression of his body in the metal before falling to the ground.
"Hm… that hadn't exactly gone the way I planned." Rider complained as he rubbed the back of his neck. He gave a few more tugs on the reins as he attempted to calm the beasts down. "Still, with the way the lightning generated from Gordius Wheel seemed to strengthen Berserker… could it be that Berserker is descended from some kind of lightning deity?"
His eyes narrowed as he saw Berserker hop to his feet. Volts of lightning danced near the Servant's body, carving long red marks into the Servant's skin that were rapidly spreading.
No… it wasn't the lightning's doing. The red hue seemed to be covering the Servant's skin all on its own.
Kariya had kept to the shadows of the warehouse, content to listen to the havoc his Berserker was wrecking. All those Servants in one area and Berserker was standing up to them all! Yes, the Servant was troublesome to deal with and the worms were irritating him as even more of his prana was drained away, but he could deal with it. Kariya was smiling as he listened to his Servant battle. Yes, if things continued like this, he'd be able to survive this War long enough in order to-
Kariya's eyes widened when he felt a strong tug from the connection with his Servant. Kariya gasped and let out a cry of pain as a large portion of his prana was ripped away from him, sending the Crest Worms inside him into a chaotic frenzy. The man coughed and hacked as he fell to his knees. He could feel Berserker's power building as more of his prana was sapped away.
"Is… is this the Mad Enhancement…?!" Kariya gasped through the pain.
"Heheh… hehehehehehehe… hahahah…!" Berserker giggled joyfully to himself as his body shook with excitement.
He felt great! He could already feel himself starting to get lost in all the fun he was having. This War was awesome if he could enjoy himself this much! No… he could enjoy himself even more if he brought that out!
Berserker continued to laugh as the crimson hue crawled over the rest of his body. Sparks of electricity bounced off the Servant's hands as he raised his arms up towards the sky. A bolt of lightning struck down on him, and suddenly, a large golden axe with fifteen attachments on the back of it was in Berserker's hands.
"Noble Phantasm…?" Saber muttered to himself as he overlooked the weapon.
His eyes widened when his words seemed to grab Berserker's attention as the Servant's red face whipped towards him once again. Berserker gave a savage smile before rearing his head back and let loose a howling roar before hefting his axe and charging for the King of Knights. The red body propelled itself towards Saber, closing in with its axe swinging as the moonlight reflected off the edge of the axe that came around. At the same moment, Saber swung Caliburn forward.
The air shook as the weapons clashed.
"Grk…!" Saber grunted in pain as the axe was knocked away. His arms were shaking from the force of the blow. He was barely able to block that attack and if-
Saber's eyes widened as he raised his sword just in time to block the golden axe that smashed into him from the side. Saber grimaced when he noticed another strike coming at him less than a second after the one that had followed the first. He blocked the blow despite his weakening guard, trying to recover, but Berserker just kept coming at him. Saber was desperately trying to block each one of the golden strikes that were coming at him like a tornado. If even one of those attacks hit him…!
Berserker only continued to cry out and laugh as he tore into his opponent.
"H-How can he swing that axe around like that…?" Waver whispered to himself, watching Berserker attack again and again with a speed that seemed unreal when he was carrying that colossal axe. "He's on a whole different level than before!"
Waver glanced over to the collapsed containers. His Command Seals were still on his hand, so where was Lancer…?
Another enraged shout brought Waver's attention back to the battle.
Archer watched the battle intently, debating on what course of action to take. Part of him wanted to help Saber fight Berserker. If he could help take out such a dangerous competitor early on it would make surviving the War much easier and give him more time to complete his objective. But as long as he was protecting Iri and unless he could maintain a safe distance, Archer would only watch. His eyes drifted towards the crane that hung over the battlefield.
A black shadow was perched on top of the perfect place where he could launch an attack from a safe place. But as long as it was there…
Archer's eyes widened when he saw something white shoot towards the shadow at an impossible speed.
"That's…!"
Assassin chuckled to himself as he watched Berserker's mad assault. Thanks to the chaos the Servant was providing he could strike at anyone he chose. Rider was out of the question, since if his attack failed he had no doubts that the stronger Servant would retaliate and finish him off easily. Berserker was also a no go since Assassin doubted any attack he made would only be brushed aside and ignored by the red Servant. Archer… if he was a long distance Servant like the class suggested he would be able to strike back, so he was no good. He could attack Saber which might provide enough distraction for Berserker to break the knight's guard and smash him to pieces. But it would harder to hit a moving target with so much distance in between them and Berserker might get in the way. It was better to go for something stationary, something easy…
...Like one of those two Masters standing out in the open.
Assassin looked towards the woman with silver hair first. The Servant clicked his tongue when he realized Archer was in front of her which prevented him from making any sort of attack against the woman. So the only other viable target was…
Yes, that magus boy who stood alone off to the side. With Lancer gone, there was no one left to defend the boy.
Assassin whipped out a small black throwing knife. He could easily make the distance, he was an expert in throwing knifes, after all. Now, he just had to aim…
Suddenly Assassin felt all too exposed, like every Servant below him was suddenly looking in his direction, even though he knew they weren't. Had someone noticed him? His eyes widened underneath his mask when he heard something cutting through the air towards him. Assassin turned towards the noise.
He was just able to catch a glimpse of the detail on the white javelin before it buried itself in his throat and stabbed out through the other side.
Assassin was able to make a tortured, gargling scream of pain before his dead body began plummeting towards the ground below.
Kirei's eyes opened when the connection with his Servant was suddenly cut off. An expression of surprise marred his features for a brief moment before Kirei relaxed. Caren shifted in her sleep beside him as he went over what he had seen.
The man turned his head when he heard the door open.
"Ah, Kirei." Tokiomi smiled as he stepped into his study. "Anything to report?"
Kirei nodded and began to recount what he had seen through his Servant's eyes before his demise. He told him of five Servants that had gathered and about the Masters he had seen. Tokiomi had been most interested when Kirei mentioned the Einzbern Master, and the Tohsaka had said that he had been careless to overlook her presence before and that she was the key to shaping the Holy Grail War. Tokiomi listened to the rest of the part, nodding at the parts that intrigued him before Kirei finished.
"I see…" Tokiomi hummed as poured himself a glass of red wine and took a sip. "So the identities of two more Masters have been confirmed while Saber and Berserker's Masters elude us. No matter. They'll show themselves in due time."
Tokiomi turned towards Kirei.
"Ah, did anyone happen to see Assassin fall?"
"I'm sure everyone present was able to witness it." Kirei confirmed much to Tokiomi's satisfaction.
"Good. All went according to plan." Tokiomi smiled. "Now we can move about freely in the shadows and wait for an opportune time to strike at a Master who won't have their Command Seals for much longer…"
"Who did father wish to introduce to you at the church?" Kirei asked curiously.
"I think it would be best to meet him yourself. It would be rude to spoil the man's introduction, and once you see him, you may find that you already know him." Tokiomi said. "He is part of the Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament like you and Risei-san are."
"I have never met any other members of the Assembly." Kirei confessed. "I know of some of them, but I do not attend meetings and most jobs I have been given were done alone or together with my father."
"I see. Well, I've evaluated the man and I believe he is someone we can trust." Tokiomi said. "Risei-san saw an ally in him because he is an individual who has studied the War and was interested in becoming a part of it."
"Is that so…"
"Well, you'll meet him soon enough." Tokiomi assured him. "You had best make your way over to the church, unless you'd prefer to stay the night."
Kirei glanced towards his sleeping daughter as Tokiomi trailed off, his gaze also fixed on the girl. Kirei shook his head and carefully picked Caren up so as not to rouse her from her slumber. Her head rested comfortably on his shoulder while Kirei held her.
"That will be fine. Caren finds the church more comfortable to stay in."
"Very well then." Tokiomi smiled. "Do be careful on your way there. In the middle of a war like this, it's dangerous to walk the streets at night."
Kirei nodded before walking out the door and bidding his teacher good night.
A scream of pain pierced the night skies. It was heard even over Berserker's shouts and his furious battle with Saber. Everyone momentarily looked away from the two Servants locked in combat towards where they heard the sound.
"Kiritsugu!" Maiya said sharply as she spoke to the man through her communicator.
"I know." Kiritsugu muttered back, having turned towards Assassin just in time to see the lance skewer the Servant.
Down below, the other Masters and Servants had their own reactions.
"Assassin!" Waver gasped, noticing that a long white lance was stuck in the shadow, standing out in the night sky.
"…Well, that's one problem taken care of." Archer muttered as he watched the Servant plummet to the ground. His expression was puzzled though. "But who was…"
"Lancer."
Waver, Irisviel and Archer turned towards Rider who had uttered the Servant's name, following his gaze to the Servant he named, who stood atop the bent and broken metal containers Berserker had punched it into. Lancer's hand was raised and its body was in an odd position. It looked like Lancer had thrown something…
"Lancer!" Waver cried out in relief upon seeing his Servant. He was amazed that the Servant looked no worse for wear despite the beating it had taken from both Saber and Berserker. Waver's eyes widened. "Wait, that lance and Assassin… did you do that?!"
"He was planning to attack you." Lancer replied, frowning up at where the Servant once was. "He was already annoying me just sitting up there, so when he decided to attack my Master I felt that I needed to take care of the problem before it became even more bothersome…"
Waver faltered at that. Even though Lancer had apparently saved his life, the Servant was making the whole action sound like a chore it would have rather avoided doing.
"Berserker…" Lancer mumbled as it stared at the Servant. It felt anger upon looking at him. Lancer turned towards the one who could help it. "Archer, may I ask for your assistance?"
"Oh…?" Archer raised his eyebrows curiously in response. He was surprised that the Servant was so quick in seeking aid from an enemy.
"I was fine with Rider interrupting me and Saber's fight since he was polite about it, but Berserker has been everything but since he showed up." Lancer said. "Do you have anything that could hurt him?"
"I might be able to do something, but…" Archer turned towards Iri. "What do you think, Master? Should we help our enemy take out another enemy?"
Irisviel thought Lancer's offer over for a bit before she gave a serious nod and whispered quietly, "Berserker is dangerous… if there's a way to take him out this early, I think Kiritsugu would approve."
"Alright then." Archer replied. He glanced at Lancer. "You'll have to distract him while I get in position though."
"I can do that. Thank you." Lancer smiled. Archer nodded before turning towards Irisviel and grabbing her arm.
"Eh?"
"I still don't feel comfortable leaving you down here." Archer smirked. "So let me move you somewhere safer first."
And with that, Archer swept the woman's legs out from under her, carrying her safely in his arms and jumped away.
"Perhaps I shouldn't have called him here…" Rider sighed as he watched Berserker. "He's been nothing but trouble…"
"No worries. Hopefully it'll be taken care of soon enough." Lancer smiled at Rider. "And this is also entertaining in some ways."
"Wahahaha! You're an interesting Servant, Lancer!" Rider laughed. "Very well, I'll just sit back and watch if you don't mind. You fared well against Saber, but how will you do against Berserker…?"
"He was just lucky the first time." Lancer replied before it took off. "Enjoy the show."
Kiritsugu's eyes widened in surprise when Archer suddenly landed next to him with Iri in his arms. The red knight placed her down on the roof next to him before giving the man a smirk.
"Mind if I leave her with you for a few minutes?"
Not waiting for an answer, Archer disappeared.
Ignoring Archer's actions for a moment, Kiritsugu turned towards his wife. He didn't let the relief of seeing her safe show on his face.
"Iri, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Irisviel assured him with a smile. "You've been up here this whole time…?"
"What is Archer doing?" Kiritsugu asked, ignoring her question.
"Oh, he's going to try and stop Berserker." Irisviel answered, her face solemn. "He might have an attack that can do the job."
Kiritsugu was silent as he turned back to the battlefield. Berserker was definitely the prime threat here now that Lancer had taken care of Assassin. He could agree with the decision made even if it meant aiding another Servant. Kiritsugu turned the scoop of his gun back towards the large crane.
Plus, this way, he could finally see what his Servant was capable of.
"Let's see what you can do, Archer…"
High atop the crane and standing over the battlefield below him, Archer summoned his bow and grasped onto it. His vision expanded and pinpointed every target he could see, and he could strike at any one of them if he chose. But he only had one target, so he'd use only one arrow. Archer smirked to himself as he watched everything unfold in front of him. Well, Lancer would make things easier but had accidentally made himself a target too. Oh well. Kiritsugu was probably watching him right now, eager to see the abilities he had kept hidden thus far. Well, he'd give him a spectacle to enjoy.
And a part of Archer really wanted to make a good showing to impress the man.
"I am the bone of my sword…"
Reaching deep within his mind, his inner world, Archer pulled out the sword that he felt would most impress his Master.
Kaladbolg II was projected into the world, modified to fit his tastes in a shape that would make the perfect, most powerful arrow. It was something so strong that Archer felt it could be called his Noble Phantasm. He notched the sword to his bow and pulled back, eyes homing in on his target. His arrow hummed with power as prana built up and concentrated within it. He kept the sword and bow steady, but the air around him shook with barely restrained power. Archer gave a deadly smirk as he lined up his shot.
"I hope you've got your eyes on this one, Kiritsugu…"
He released the bow and the arrow raced down to earth towards its target.
Saber managed to avoid the next sweeping attack but had to block the one that came down on his head. He had hoped Berserker would tire after this continuous onslaught but the Servant had yet to slow down and wasn't giving Saber anytime to counterattack. Still, Saber had managed to adjust his stance so he could block the axe in a way that would keep him from taking the attacks head on so that some of the force was reduced. He avoided what he could and accepted glancing blows when he had to block. He had been able to depend on his speed and instinct to see him through thus far, but he couldn't keep this up for much longer…
Suddenly, a lance struck Berserker's back, causing the Servant to stop his attack for a brief second. The lance hadn't broken through the Servant's skin and didn't even count as a minor annoyance for Berserker, but it caused him to let up in his attack for the briefest of moments.
It was all Saber needed to get an attack in.
"Ha…!"
Building up prana and releasing it as he cut into Berserker's chest, the red man was driven back as if a bomb had exploded in his face. Saber felt a small sense of triumph well up inside him when he noticed his blade had cut an angry gash across Berserker's chest that had managed to draw blood.
"Lancer!" Saber exclaimed when he noticed the Servant who had thrown the lance, allowing him to make that precise strike.
Berserker turned towards the smaller servant and with another furious shout, jumped and came down on Lancer with his axe.
Lancer only raised its hands in response.
It stopped the massive axe with the palm of its left hand with its right hand pressing behind it for support. Even then, Lancer could feel its body straining under the weight of the axe with Berserker pressing down on it. Those watching were surprised Lancer had even been able to stop the axe. The ground sank down underneath its feet as Lancer struggled to keep the axe from smashing down on itself. It could only hold it for a few seconds longer…!
Lancer smiled when it heard something tear through the air behind it.
The silver streak of light screamed down on the target that the Servant held in place. Lancer was undeterred and held its stance with its back to the light, while Berserker was blinded by its brilliance.
Kiritsugu watched with wide eyes as Archer's Noble Phantasm shot towards the red target. Irisviel's face was openly expressing her awe at the silver bullet that had been fired. This was the Servant they had summoned? Kiritsugu suddenly felt that perhaps the card they had drawn was better than he previously thought.
Doing the class proud, the sword struck the red Servant right between the eyes.
The explosion of prana that followed consumed both Berserker and Lancer. Saber held his ground in the storm while Waver shouted for his Servant over the noise, even as the force of the impact reverberated towards him through the air, ready to blow him off his feet. Waver's eyes widened when he saw a chariot move in front of him to defend him from the impact and debris that flew towards him. Rider turned and grinned at Waver, giving the boy a thumbs up.
"I commend you for standing with your Servant throughout all of this! You're a brave one, boy!" Rider laughed as the gale passed over them. "That's more than I can say for my own Master!"
"T-Thanks…?" Waver gave the king an uneasy smile. It was mostly due to fear and awe that he had stayed rooted in place rather than find a place to hide throughout the whole ordeal, but he didn't feel like telling Rider that. Waver's eyes tried to look past the man. "B-But what about…!"
He saw it. Lancer's form as the dust settled, sprawled on the ground just outside the crater that had formed in front of it. Berserker's golden axe lay a few feet inside the crater, depressing the earth the colossal axe rested upon.
Berserker was gone.
"Lancer!"
Waver ran around Rider's chariot to his fallen Servant. He knelt down and lifted the Servant's body up, eyes scanning over Lancer's body. There were no wounds or blood he could see, but…
Waver's eyes widened when Lancer's eyes fluttered open. The boy let out a relieved sigh as Lancer gave a few coughs. The Servant smiled.
"Well… I felt that more than I thought I would." Lancer smiled.
Waver chuckled a bit at that. He was surprised he even still had a Servant after all the punishment Lancer had taken throughout the night. First its fight with Saber, then stopping Berserker's axe, and Archer's arrow…
Waver felt a chill run down his spine when he heard the grinding sound of metal breaking and bending not too far away.
"Should have figured that wouldn't be enough to kill him…" Rider sighed as he stared across the battlefield.
From out of a pile of ruined containers, Berserker's red form tore out from under the wreckage. Parts of his golden hair were soaked with crimson blood that dripped down his forehead and around his eyes.
Not only was Berserker still standing, but the Servant was still had that insane smile.
"N-No way…" Waver whispered. Wasn't there anything that could take this Servant out…?
And then bullets of silver light descended on the red Servant.
Berserker cried out as arrows rained down on him. Most only scratched against his skin, but some were powerful enough to draw more blood. He flayed and swung his arms about, trying to block the attacks coming from an opponent he couldn't reach. His shoulders, his chest, his head, every arrow was aimed at his upper body, each hitting the target they were aimed for.
Berserker let out another furious shout when one arrow pierced when the first arrow had hit him.
From his perch, Archer notched and fired another arrow. Then another. And another. He fired dozens of arrows for every second that passed. He had known his first shot wouldn't be enough to take down Berserker. But it would break his guard, leave him vulnerable, if only for a few seconds. The Servant felt a smirk rise to his lips as he notched another arrow and let it fly. He could feel it through the connection with his Master, he had plenty of prana to spare and the extra bit he got from Irisviel was another added bonus. Kiritsugu wasn't too bad a Master if Archer could afford pack this much prana into his swords. Archer kept firing down on the Servant and wouldn't stop until he saw Berserker's form fall to the ground.
Archer's eyebrows went up a fraction before his expression hardened.
Someone else had joined the fray, and Archer wouldn't adjust his shots to avoid hitting the other Servant.
Saber swung his sword and carved a gash in Berserker's side, quickly retreating to avoid the hail of arrows that rained down on the two of them. While Berserker tried to defend against the storm, Saber could strike at him and hopefully deal a mortal blow that would finish off the Servant for good. Saber dashed forward again when he saw an opening, carving two more gashes into Berserker's shoulders before retreating again.
Berserker recovered too quickly, however, as the Servant shouted again before taking off, even as arrows continued to rain down on him. Saber's eyes widened when he noticed what the Servant was running towards.
The red Berserker grabbed his axe and raised it high above his head. One of the cartridges on the back of the axe lit up before Berserker brought it down in front of him. The ground tore apart as the area around the axe exploded, dust obscuring Berserker from view as prana was released from the axe in a large electrical burst. The hail of arrows stopped after that, since Archer could no longer see his target through the cloud of dust and earth.
Kariya gasped and writhed as more and more prana was torn from his body to be used as energy for Berserker. The man coughed, worms falling from his mouth and dying on the ground when they weren't in the body that sustained them. Kariya collapsed as he clutched his heart.
It couldn't go on like this…! If any more of his prana was drained away he wouldn't last…!
Kariya shakily brought up his right had, the one that bore his Command Seals. They glowed as he decided that there was no longer any other choice.
"By the power of my Command Seal…!"
Kariya struggled to stay conscious as he gave the command.
"Berserker…! I order you to calm down and return to me…!"
All Masters and Servants were still and silent as they waited for the dust to clear. When it finally did, they found Berserker standing in the middle of a crater he had created with his attack. Only two things stood out.
His skin was back to its normal color and his golden axe was gone.
"Grr… just had to spoil my fun, huh?" Berserker whined, kicking the ground irritably and shoving his hands his pockets. "My Master is such a killjoy…"
Berserker's form shimmered as he began to fade away. The monster was retreating…?
"We'll play some other time." Berserker announced to the assembled Servants, flashing an arrogant grin as he disappeared. "Until that time comes, stay golden everybody!"
And with that, Berserker was gone.
Saber sighed as he finally relaxed. He glanced over to the Servant he had been fighting before this mess began, watching as Lancer's Master helped the Servant up. Saber noticed that Lancer seemed fatigued, and the knight was both amused and relieved that the Servant wasn't immune to getting tired.
"Saber, its time we returned home."
Saber nodded to the voice that echoed through the air. He turned to address Lancer.
"We'll finish our duel soon." Saber promised. "For now, we shall turn in for the night."
"That's fine with me." Lancer smiled. "I'll be waiting."
Saber nodded before turning around and disappeared down the road that led to the outskirts of the pier, no doubt to meet up with his Master who had remained hidden all this time.
"And I will be looking forward to the victor of your match!"
Waver and Lancer turned towards Rider as the man addressed him. Waver frowned as he rounded on the man.
"Geez, this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't called for Berserker in the first place!" Waver shouted at the man angrily. "If Berserker hadn't calmed down when he did who knows how much longer this would've gone on!"
"Yes, yes, I admit some of the fault is mine. I realized tonight that not all Servants are as respectable as Lancer, Saber, or Archer." Rider smiled. It irked Waver with the way he said it so dismissively though. Rider rubbed his chin for a moment as if he was thinking about something before smiling at the duo again. "To make it up to you, how about I take you both back to your home? You must be tired after this campaign, Lancer especially. What do you say?"
Waver gulped at the offer as he looked from the chariot Rider stood on to the oxen that pulled it along. If he remembered, that thing was capable of flight. Would it be safe to ride on…?
"We'll accept your offer, right Master?"
"W-What?!"
"It'll be fun." Lancer asserted. "Besides, there is a certain pleasure in feeling the wind in your face and flying in the skies."
Lancer did always have fun when its King decided to take Vimana out for a spin, however rare the occasion had been.
Not even bothering to ask for an opinion from its Master, Lancer stepped onto Rider chariot. Waver attempted to protest, but his complaints died on his lips when Rider grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged him onto the chariot.
"Excellent! Now, let us be off!"
With a snap of the reins and a terrified scream from Waver as they rose into the air, Rider's Gordius Wheel galloped across the night sky with its two extra passengers. As they passed over the crane, Lancer politely called out to the man still standing on top of it.
"Have a nice night, Archer!"
Archer let an amused smile come to his lips as he watched the chariot disappear into the night sky. His bow disappeared as he hopped down back to where Kiritsugu and Irisviel stood. He looked to his Master, also noticing Maiya approach from the corner of his eye as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"If you have any compliments I'd be happy to hear them, Master." Archer smirked.
Kiritsugu silently analyzed Archer before turning his back to the white haired man and faced Irisviel.
Archer frowned at the reaction.
"Iri, I'll arrange a car for you two. We'll meet up at the manor later." Kiritsugu told his wife as he took out his phone to make a call. He gestured to his assistant. "Maiya."
The woman was silent as she followed after the man. Both Maiya and Kiritsugu disappeared from view. Archer clicked his tongue as he shook his head. Irisviel tilted her head curiously at him.
"Not even a kiss goodbye?" Archer asked, turning towards Iri with a pitiful look.
"Ah, it wasn't like I expected him to…" Iri told him.
"I meant for me."
Irisviel silently stared at the Servant for a few moments before she succumbed to her laughter. The woman was clutching her sides and tearing up at how hard she was laughing. Archer smiled at her. Her reaction as opposed to Kiritsugu's was much more rewarding. Even after everything Irisviel still found it in herself to laugh. That was more than he could say about Kiritsugu, who was far more unsmiling and distant than he remembered.
"R-Really, Archer. T-That's my husband you're talking about. I might actually get angry if didn't know you weren't serious!" Irisviel giggled. "A joke like that is too much!"
"I aim to please." Archer smiled. "Now, how about we get down from here and find that car Master said he would get for us?"
"Okay!" Irisviel beamed, excitement lighting up in those red eyes of hers. "I'll drive!"
"Sounds good to me." Archer replied, ignoring the sudden trepidation he felt.
After a night like tonight, he didn't mind letting her take the wheel. A relaxing night drive sounded like a good way to unwind after a battle like that.
"Che, you're really starting to annoy me!" Berserker growled as he materialized next to his Master as he wiped the blood from his eyes. "That cartridge barely had any prana in it too! You really are a weak Master. Seriously, making me stop just when I was… hey, are you sleeping?!"
Berserker was appalled at the sight of his Master on the ground. The man nudged Kariya's body with his boot with an annoyed expression on his face.
"C'mon, wake up!" Berserker yelled angrily. "You've already pissed me off, and with the way you're… Master? Are you okay?"
Worry creeped into Berserker's tone when he noticed the blood stains on the dirt.
"M-Master? Seriously, you're starting to freak me out…" Berserker said, kneeling down and shaking Kariya in an attempt to rouse him. "Master? H-Hey, Master…? Master!"
Berserker was really beginning to think that there really might be something seriously wrong with his Master.
And those worms crawling around near his mouth were really grossing him out…
"Hah… that goes here… maybe a bit… nah, it's better over there…"
Wet splats and gurgles echoed in the darkness.
"More here and… that should do it!" Ryuunosuke grinned as he twirled the bloody scalpel in his hand. He turned his head around to address his companion. "Hey, buddy, what do ya think?"
Ryuunosuke frowned when he noticed that Bluebeard was still looking into that crystal ball thing he had whipped out earlier. While the battle looked interesting and all his art was way cooler and took precedence over watching what amounted to, in his eyes, a really small television.
He'd admit it was still pretty cool though…
"Ah… fortune has smiled upon us!" Caster grinned as he looked away from the crystal orb he had used to watch the battles at the pier. "All the Servants have shown their faces and strengths, and with one already gone we may devise a plan that will allow us to smite the rest!"
"Ah… sounds good." Ryuunosuke grinned, glancing at the ball curiously. "So, you're competing with those guys for this Holy Grail thing?"
"Perceptive as always, Ryuunosuke." Caster nodded, clutching his fists. "Yes, all these lowly Servants summoned by a greater power, vying for the prize in hopes of granting their own selfish, worldly desires…!"
"You gonna kill these guys?" Ryuunosuke asked excitedly.
"In the cruelest and most fitting of ways. Dogs like them deserve no less!" Caster shouted, his screeching wail echoing throughout Fuyuki's sewers.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm totally on board with that!" Ryuunosuke smiled, eyes filled with wonder. "Man, you're so cool!"
Caster nodded and glanced off to the side where several objects floated in stasis, trapped by his magic.
"Forgive me, Ryuunosuke, but you'll have to make do with these meager resources for the time being." Caster murmured apologetically. "I must focus my attention elsewhere for the time being."
"Aw… alright…" Ryuunosuke sighed sadly. "But… before you go, could you show me another one of your tricks again? Please?"
"Hm… I suppose I can spare the time." Caster smiled as he stepped forward.
Ryuunosuke's smile stretched as he watched his buddy work. Bluebeard knew how to kill in the best and most amusing ways. His art was already improving thanks to the inspiration.
And using organs as musical instruments? This guy was the coolest person in the world!
"My Servant has been eliminated, leaving me, his Master, defeated and unable to continue in the Holy Grail War. As per rules I, Kotomine Kirei, seek asylum from the Holy Church."
"Accepted." Risei said to his son as he held the church doors open for him. "Your safety is guaranteed for as long as you stay here."
Kirei entered the church, pulling Caren along as the girl yawned and rubbed her eyes. She had woken up sometime during the walk. Risei followed them in.
Kirei immediately noticed someone standing near the alter in clothes similar to what he and his father wore. Even with his back turned, Kirei could tell the young man had a thin frame. The white haired man turned. His blue eyes bored into Kirei's darker ones.
"Hello." The man smiled in greeting. "You must be Kirei-kun."
"I am." Kirei nodded. "And you are…?"
"He is the man I asked Tokiomi-kun to meet earlier." Risei said, stepping forward. "He is a member of the Eighth Assembly like we are, and he is knowledgeable about the Holy Grail War. He has agreed to help us obtain the Grail for the Tohsaka."
"Sancraid Phahn. Pleased to meet you." The young man, Sancraid, said as he bowed. His gaze shifted next to Kirei. "And who might you be?"
"Caren." The girl answered.
"My daughter." Kirei added for clarification. Not that there was any need really…
"I see." Sancraid looked surprised for a brief moment before he smiled again. "Kirei-kun, I have a favor to ask if you wouldn't mind. The Holy Grail War… I've always longed to witness it, to see what it was like and, forgive me for asking, but your Servant, could you maybe… show it to me…?"
Kirei glanced at Risei, who nodded, before he turned back to Sancraid.
"Assassin." Kirei called to the empty church.
A shadow appeared next to Kirei and took human form. It was a man wearing a white mask. Another shadow rose, this time a woman, reclining on one of the long seats in the church. The shadow that Kirei had spoken to in the Tohsaka manor materialized behind him. More and more shadows appeared and took form, each with different body builds and varying height, different clothes and gender, some standing, some sitting, some even sticking to the wall or hanging on the ceiling. But even though they looked different from one another, in the end, they were all the same.
Dozens of throats chorused as if one.
"We are the Heroic Spirit of the shadows. We are true darkness. We are all Assassin."
One Assassin, a shadow that had taken the form of a small girl stepped forward and approached Caren cautiously while the white haired girl observed. After a few moments, Caren took the hand of the small Servant. Caren smiled and shook the hand she grabbed, causing girl in the white mask to duck her head shyly.
Kirei watched this interaction with mild interest before turning and gesturing around the room.
"This is my Servant."
Sancraid smiled wider in response.
Wise Up!
Class: Berserker
Master: Kariya Matou
True Name: ?
Gender: Male
Alignment: Chaos Neutral
Strength: A+ (Strong enough to bat away Lancer. It's lucky for the high Endurance stat…)
Endurance: A (He's no Hercules, but he can shrug off a few sword slashes)
Agility: C+ (Pretty fast, and improvised on the fly fighting style helps him catch opponents off guard)
Prana: B-
Luck: C
Noble Phantasm: ?
Class Abilities:
Madness: E / Doesn't receive the benefits of the ability that the class is known for. However, if enough damage is dealt, or if Berserker becomes excited/enraged in battle, the rank will exponentially increase. The rank will decrease once again if Berserker is calmed down or if the engagement ends. His skin turns red when the ability is active.
Skills:
Divinity: D / Divine Spirit aptitude that comes from origins as a thunder deity's son. Because his mother was a man-eating mountain witch, the rank is low. It will rarely activate as resistance in regards to the attack of Heroic Spirits that possess thunder deity-lineage roots and legends. (How he was able to stop Gordius Wheel. Lucky, no?)
Noble Phantasm:
Golden Axe: ? / Its name and specific abilities are currently unknown. It seems to generate some kind of electrical attack though.
Not all of his abilities, skills and NPs are up there. We've got the whole rest of the War to find out what other tricks and benefits he's got.
A/N: What have we here? And how many of you expected something like this?
Well, now that the first battle is done we are officially off the rails. I may follow how canon went at certain points, but now we'll be experience a Fourth Holy Grail War that's a bit different than what we knew.
Now comes the character interaction. We'll be seeing more of Kiritsugu/Archer interaction now so don't be bothered by the lack of it until now. Kiritsugu is treating Archer similarly to how he treated Saber in canon because, as you all know, he only sees Servants as tools but his attitude on Archer will change because EMIYA will not be ignored the way Arturia was. The first night isn't quite over yet, but when we hit daybreak we'll learn more about the other Servants and how their Masters plan to move during the War. Anyway, I try to get the next one up soon. I really should update my other stories though. Thanks for reading everyone and your feedback helps inspire me.
Kiiam