Archerko VS Berserker
AN – I'm still seeking a Beta Reader so if anyone wishes to volunteer shoot me a PM.
Disclaimer: Fate/Stay Night, Tsukihime, Archerko and Magic: The Gathering are property of their respective owners.
Special thanks go to Xoroth, bakapervert, and cade300 for leaving me reviews last chapter. Sorry for the long delays between chapters, between classes and my ADD muse not being able to get into action...well you get the picture.
When we last left our heroes…
All of a sudden a voice called from a side street beside them.
"Are you done talking?"
Everyone turned to face the spectator, a small aristocratic-looking girl with long white hair standing beside a dark giant with bulging muscles.
Sweat began to drip down Archerko's face, as she looked at the giant.
"Berserker." Both Rin and Archerko stated.
"Good evening, Onii-chan." The young girl said as she stared at Shirou and gave him an innocent smile as the giant stood like a statue as he held his massive stone sword-looking weapon in a single hand.
"This isn't good. That servant's power is without match." Rin said as she nervously stared at Berserker before quietly talking to her spirit-formed servant, "Archer, this isn't an enemy that can be beaten head-on. You should fight him in your own style."
"Understood but what about your defense? You should know that you cannot defend against his attack." Archer replied while still in spirit-form.
"There are three of us. We can manage if we stay on the defensive." Rin replied before turning towards Shirou. "Emiya-kun, you can choose whether to run or fight…But if you can try to run."
Shirou looked over at Rin as if to say, 'I'm not leaving you to face this monster alone,' when the white-haired girl interrupted the moment.
"Are you done? Can I start now?" The girl said with a playful laugh before lifting up the sides of her skirt and curtsying. "It is a pleasure to meet you Rin. I am Ilya. You should figure it out if I make that Illyaviel von Einzbern."
"Einzbern…" Rin repeated the name before stiffening with recognition, causing the girl to smile even more.
"Well then enough with the pleasantries. Go get them Berserker." The girl ordered the giant behind her as if she were singing.
Berserker let loose a mighty roar before charging towards them.
"Stand back, Shirou and Rin." Archerko stated as leapt in-front of Rin and Shirou. Her clothes immediately changed into her skirt and duster as she conjured countless swords all around her creating a wall of swords between her and the two students. However despite the cocky grin on her face, Archerko's eyes betrayed the fact that she was truly worried about this encounter. This is all wrong. She thought as she crossed her arms confidently. We shouldn't have encountered Berserker until after the meeting with Kotomine. Did I make a mistake somewhere?
Suddenly, multiple white lights pelted the black giant from the side, although not one even fazed the giant at all.
"Looks like I need to put you in your place, Berserker." The long-haired servant stated confidently before snapping her finger and launching all of her swords like rockets at the giant and his master. As her bladed missiles flew towards her opponent, her crimson eyes narrowed as she summoned to her right hand, a slender silvery curved sword with bright emeralds studding the sword's cross-guard, pommel and hilt.
Just as she predicted he would, Berserker leapt into the path of the swords' onslaught sheltering his master as Archerko charged towards him at such a high rate of speed that she appeared as a blur.
The bladed missiles pelted the black giant's back, as their master Archerko leapt up to strike at the giant's unprotected neck with her emerald-studded scimitar.
The keen, slender curved sword effortlessly passed through the giant's neck leaving only a thin red line to mark the blade's path as the lithe servant landed next to the giant's master.
"Did she get him?" Shirou asked aloud as he tried to figure out what exactly had occurred, Rin shook her head solemnly just as the giant reared his massive head and roared before swiping his massive stone weapon one at the lithe servant.
"Dammen." Archerko cursed in German as she leapt out of the path of Berserker's weapon, "I was hoping that the Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar would have worked a little better…"
"Archer, back her up." Rin ordered causing even another silver light to strike the giant in the temple.
"That's it Berserker. Kill that servant." Ilya called out like a cheerleader from the sidelines as the giant swung his massive sword around trying to hit the petite servant, with every miss the giant's weapon created craters in the road.
"Keep firing…" Rin called out as she rushed forward and pulled something a small gem from her pocket. "Gewicht, um zu Verdoppel ung." She chanted as she threw the gem at the giant causing multiple silver lights to strike from the heavens.
The giant roared angrily as he kept charging towards Archerko.
"That's right Berserker, ignore the annoying ones." Ilya stated as she stared at the white-haired servant, "Rin and her Archer shouldn't be able to get past your noble phantasm."
The giant swung his massive weapon at Archerko as she quickly rolled to the side out of the path of the attack causing it to shatter the ground where she had just been.
Archerko frowned before leaping backwards while conjuring several swords to form a shield around her just as the giant swung his weapon at her. It struck her shield of swords and sent her flying into the forest on the side of the road.
"After her Berserker, tear her to shreds." Ilya cheered as Berserker ran after the white-haired servant.
Rin turned to face Shirou with a worried look on her face.
"Emiya-kun, run home you'll be more of a hindrance here anyway." Rin stated before running after Archerko and the black giant, Berserker.
However as she started to run into the forest, Ilya laughed at Rin's actions.
"Try all you want but it will take more than what you are capable of to harm my Berserker, since he's the greatest Greek hero of all." Ilya stated carelessly with a confident smile.
Rin stopped and turned towards Ilya with her eyes full of surprise.
"The greatest Greek hero?" Rin asked before turning towards the woods beside them as she listened to the sound of battle and falling trees.
"You mean he's…" Shirou started to say before Ilya interrupted him.
"Yup, he's the son of Zeus. The mighty Hercules and your no-name Saber has no chance against him." Ilya said proudly.
"Archerko isn't a Saber, actually she of the Archer class." Shirou corrected the small girl, causing the young girl to be gasp in surprise.
"WHAT! You mean some no-name Archer-class servant wounded my invincible Berserker!" Ilya said gasping in surprise before running into the woods.
"Emiya-kun, I'm going after her. Run home while Ilya and her servant are distracted." Rin ordered Shirou before turning away from him and started to run after Ilya only to have Shirou grab her wrist and stop her.
"Wait, I'm going with you." The redhead exclaimed as he let her go.
"Emiya-kun, you're insane. Run home. Leave the fighting to Archerko and us." Rin stated before running into the woods after Ilya, Berserker and Archerko, leaving Shirou all alone on the empty street.
"What kind of superhero lets other fight for him..." Shirou said to himself before following suit.
The sound of clashing steel and falling trees filled the air as the lithe, white-haired woman expertly navigated between the massive trees while the Berserker Hercules gave chase, cleaving through the trees between them with the ease of balsa wood.
Archerko's crimson eyes narrowed as she concentrated on keeping the giant's attention without getting hit.
As she ran between the trees sweat poured down her face as she struggled to figure out how to defeat the nearly invincible servant. When she turned to keep an eye on the black giant she realized that the servant was nowhere nearby.
"Where did he go?" Archerko asked herself as she stopped began searching all around her for the missing giant. "For the love of god, where did that berserker go?"
Suddenly she heard the sound of a tree being uprooted from her right.
"He isn't…" Archerko stated with a worried look upon her face just as she saw an entire uprooted tree flying towards her like a giant spear. Panic ran across her face as she brought up the Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar and cleaved the massive missile in two. The two halves of the tree hadn't even hit the ground beside her, as Bereserker's stone blade scythed towards her midsection barely giving her enough time to bring up the legendary scimitar of King Solomon to block the attack. Unfortunately the Berserker's ruthless attack shattered her sword as she blocked it and sent her flying into a tree.
The white-haired servant struck the tree with such force that for a few seconds she defied gravity before sliding down the bark of the tree to the ground.
"Dammen, I knew that Hercules was strong but I wasn't aware that he was this strong." Archerko cursed as she struggled to get to her feet as the black giant charged through the darkness of the forest towards her with his stone sword, his visage reminding her of the stories of the grim reaper that her servants read to her when she was younger. "...perhaps it would've been better if Shirou had summoned Saber."
On the rooftop of a building a few kilometers away, Archer watched as Archerko got cornered by the massive giant without even a weapon in her hand.
"Foolish girl…" Archer said coldly to himself as he conjured a drill-like shortsword, "I guess that I'll just have to take out both you and Berserker in one fell swoop, before I move to get my wish answered."
After transforming the drill-like shortsword into an arrow, Archer notched it to the bowstring of his black bow and casually pulled back the string as he lined up the shot.
Shirou arrived just in time to see Archerko get thrown into a tree by Hercules and then fall to the ground. Horror filled his face as the white-haired girl that had just entered his life barely an hour ago struggling to get back to her feet as the black giant quickly closed the distance between them.
"ARCHERKO!" Shirou called as the black giant brought his massive stone sword up in preparation for a two-handed falling slash on the helpless servant. I need something so that I can save Archerko. Shirou thought as he rushed towards the giant servant without realizing the sheer danger of his decision. What I need is a weapon, like those twin swords that Archerko used.
"Come on don't fail me now. Trace on." Shirou shouted defiantly as he magically created a pair of curved single edged shortswords that looked just like the twin swords of Rin's Archer. As he looked down at the two stubby blades, he frowned before voicing his disapproval, "Oh well, I guess that these will have to do."
Charging forward, he slashed at the giant berserker with the twin blades. With a mighty roar, Berserker turned his attention towards the red-haired boy.
"Shirou." Archerko said as she regained her stance and taunted the servant while she projected a single katana, "Over here Berserker."
Ilya had been observing the fight from the sidelines as Rin arrived at the scene after getting lost in the woods…
"Berserker, focus on the servant. Ignore onii-chan for now." Ilya commanded causing the black giant to turn back to face the now smiling, katana-wielding white-haired female servant.
Archerko brought up the Japanese katana in a neutral Kendo stance, as the giant swung his stone blade toward her.
"Good-bye, Shirou Emiya and Archerko, whoever you are." Archer said as his arrow began to glow as he channeled mana beyond its threshold.
Rin get away quickly. He telepathically sent to his master as he took aim.
Rin was watching Shirou and Archerko attack Berserker with swords in their hands.
When did Shirou get the ability to create swords? Rin thought before receiving Archer's message.
What? Get away? Rin thought back to her servant.
Shirou was just about to attack Berserker once more with his twin blades when his spine suddenly grew cold causing him to turn his head in the direction of Archer.
Even though Archer was several kilometers away, Shirou could see him and his conceited smirk as clear as day.
"Archerko!" He called out as he ran towards her after getting rid of his two swords.
Smirking, Archer fired his bow sending the broken phantasm of the sword Caladbolg streaking across the sky towards his three targets.
"That should be more than enough to get rid of the three of them." Archer said to himself before smiling. "Try to survive that, Shirou Emiya."
Archerko was in the process of dodging Berserker's stone blade when she heard Shirou call out her name and tackle her to the ground.
"Shirou what are you…" She started to say before Berserker turned to face a white streak of light as it approached them.
With a mighty roar, Berserker swung his stone blade at the bright missile before it struck and everything turned white.
From his vantage point, Archer smiled in triumph as the attack struck, sending a small mushroom shaped cloud into the air over the riverside forest.
When the smoke cleared the forest itself was aflame and an unharmed Berserker was standing in the center of the smoking ground.
"I take it back Rin. Your Archer is a powerful opponent." Ilya stated as Berserker let out a mighty roar. "Let's go home Berserker."
Walking silently towards his master, the black giant picked her up and set the small white-haired girl on his shoulder.
Pinned beneath Shirou, Archerko looked up at him with concerned crimson eyes.
"Shirou are you alright?" Rin asked as she ran over to the red-haired boy.
"Yeah I'm fine…" Shirou said as he got off of Archerko only to collapse at the two girls feet.
Archerko moved quickly as she found a four-inch shard of wood sticking from his back.
"Don't move I'm going to pull a piece of wood from your back, this might hurt a bit." Archerko warned before yanking the shard of wood out.
"Thanks Archerko and Rin for your concern." Shirou said to the two girls before passing out in Archerko's arms.
"We'd better head back to his house." Rin said earning a nod of approval from Archerko as they started heading back to Shirou's house with the two girls carrying him between them.
"Damn." Archer cursed as he watched that his attack failed to kill any of his targets.
"That was quite vicious of you Archer," A somewhat familiar-sounding voice called out from behind him, "using a broken phantasm to kill a defenseless human."
Archer quickly turned around as he conjured his twin swords, Kanshou and Bakuya, only to find that no one was there.
He blinked and scowled as he looked around the rooftop before noticing that the roof access door was slightly ajar.
Realizing that whoever it was that spoke was probably long gone, he shifted into spirit form and disappeared off to where his master was.
"Well, it seems that we can't afford to wait any longer now that he's got his sights on Shirou." The mysterious woman said as she walked from around the back of the roof access point. Her long black hair blowing in the wind carelessly blew in the wind as she saw a white-haired woman carrying Shirou along with Rin.
"So even she was summoned into this war." The woman said before smirking, "Well then I'll have to keep an eye on the situation for his sake."
AN: Some ominous foreshadowing perhaps?