Lancer knelt before Kayneth's chair, high above the city in the hotel's penthouse suite. His Master was very close to enraged, but it did not show on his face.
"My lord, I know not how to explain its workings, but the moment that spear touched my body, I felt the compulsion to kill Saber disappear."
Kayneth's hands clawed at the armrests as his rage finally boiled to the surface.
"What? You make me waste a Command Spell on you, and now you say it didn't even work?" Kayneth's voice burst forth, startling his fiance Sola-Ui. She rose and went to his side, trying to help him see reason.
"It's entirely possible that's what Berserker's Master wants. Berserker's Noble Phantasm may be able to stop miracles or cancel enchantments, much like Lancer's own Gáe Daerg. If you get angry at Lancer and ruin the trust you place in each other, you're going to go into your next battle and get killed."
Her theories seemed to mollify Kayneth somewhat, he was now more enraged at Berserker for wasting one of his Command Spells than he was before she started talking.
Musing on this, Kayneth was just about to voice his decision to kill Berserker before any other Servants when the phone rang. Picking up the wired receiver gingerly, he held it against his ear slowly.
"Yes? What is it?" he snapped.
"Hello sir, this is Front Reception. I was asked to pass on a message to your room, is there someone there called 'Mr Pervert'?"
Kayneth held the receiver in thought for a moment as he envisioned berating the staff for disturbing him, until he realised who would call anyone 'Mr Pervert'. "I'll make sure he receives it, what's the message?" Kayneth ground out, forcing himself to be calm and polite in case the girl was connected to the War, which he was now fairly certain she was.
"The message read 'I'm going to get you Mr Pervert, but finish things up with your girlfriend first.' Do you need me to repeat that?"
"What did the person look like, the one who gave you this message?" With just a bit of confirmation, he might be able to confirm the existence of Caster, the 7th Servant.
"It was a girl, she looked young, maybe fifteen years old." The man staffing the front desk began to murmur as he thought of any distinguishing features. "Ooh! She had light blue hair and red eyes and she was rather pale. Do you know anyone like that sir?"
"I might. Did this girl give you a name?"
"She did sir, she said her name was Gaius Cassius, the True Lancer." When there was silence on Kayneth's end, the secretar-I mean, receptionist took it as his cue to gently ease his way out of the conversation. "Will that be all sir?"
"Yes, that will be all." Clunking the handset into the cradle, Kayneth mentally returned to the hotel room to find a very confused Lancer.
"My lord, I overheard that and cannot help but think I am the 'Mr Pervert' in question."
Kayneth waved his hand as though Lancer were stating the obvious, which he was. "The blue-haired girl from last night is a Servant, most likely Caster. From what transpired, I believe her to be in league with Berserker."
"My lord, that girl had no presence as a Servant, would it not be safer to assume that she was a bystander killed by Berserker?"
"The fact remains, Lancer, this 'bystander' of yours saw you in the forest when only a Servant or magus should be able to and now she's sending messages when she's supposed to be dead! Berserker wouldn't abide by that plan unless he only had Rank C Mad Enhancement!"
Sola-ui shifted her position at his left hand to drape her arms around him from behind. She whispered gently in his ear, trying to make him speak calmly to the two of them. "Now now, my dear, what did I say just before? Don't be mad at Lancer, don't lose the trust you've placed in him. Be angry at how Berserker's Master is making you react exactly how he wants."
"Then how," Kayneth ground out, "do you propose we stop this from happening again?" He stood up suddenly, knocking Sola-ui back without thinking. "Berserker's Master must have gained the alliance of Caster for him to oppose us so, and I have no wish to fight against two such Servants when my own was not summoned under the class he should have been!"
"My lord, perhaps we should end things with Saber first." Lancer said, still kneeling on the floor with his head bowed. "If Berserker is telling the truth, then they must have good reason to fear Saber as they do. And as much as I believe they had planned to fool most of us as they have done, Berserker seems to be a wild card of sorts, not adhering to the entire plan; doubtless we were not supposed to receive a phone call from her."
Kayneth rounded on his Servant. "You claim Berserker's Master is a master planner, then tell me that deviations from his plan won't be within the plan? If he's a true genius, then he will be able to improvise! First we will kill Caster, then Berserker, then we'll end things with Saber. We'll keep at it until no one can even think to stop us!"
...
The car screeched around the bend, smoothly accelerating across the momentary straight and grinding to a halt in the middle of the road. Saber coolly regarded the man standing in the light cast by the car's lights. This man was clearly a Servant, likely Caster by process of elimination.
"Milady, get out of the car slowly and stay behind me. This man is a Servant, so be on your guard."
The man didn't make any movements as the two women left the vehicle, he just kept staring at Saber, accurately identifying her as the opposing Servant.
"My Jeanne!" The man cried, manic grin lighting up his face. With great care, he bowed slowly, one arm coming across his body. "I have come for you, O Holy Virgin."
"Saber, do you know this man?" Irisviel questioned.
"Never in my years did I meet a man as pitiable as this; this is the first time I've laid eyes on him."
"How cruel of you Jeanne, to say you forget my face!" The man sobbed. He brought his arms up, but did not rise himself It's me, Gilles de Rais! I, who had spent my life praying for your revival and begging god for a miracle. I have come to the end of time itself to meet you once more." The threw out his hands to Saber, beseeching her.
"I've not heard your name before, nor do I know this 'Jeanne' you purport me to be."
"Have you truly forgotten your own mortal life?"
"I do remember who I was in life. I am Arturia Pendragon, rightful King of Britain. Now stand aside, unless you wish to do battle this night."
"What cruelty! What woe! Not only did you forget your life, you have gone mad!" the man begin to pound the road beneath him, driving his fist some way into the hard surface. "I curse you, God! I curse you! Why must you inflict this torture upon my beautiful Jeanne?"
"Enough!" Saber reprimanded. "You embarrass yourself."
"There is no embarrassment." The man said. "For the Grail has chosen me, Gilles, without the necessity of this War. The War is done Jeanne! Live not as Saber, but as my bride, as Jeanne. For that was my only wish, the revival of Jeanne d'Arc, and it has been granted!"
A blast of wind scored the road beside the man, ending his tirade. Saber stood where she was, now clad in her regal armour and bearing a scowl on her face. "If you mock the prayers of us Heroic Spirits any further," she said, "the next strike will be aimed to kill. Now stand up!"
As the man stood a white blur again brought him to his knees, shattering the road beneath and throwing up a great cloud of dust. With a wave of her sword, Saber chased the dust away with a large gust of wind.
"You dare interrupt my most heartfelt reunion? You truly are the madman they name you as." The man was bent low, a huge blade resting on the back of his neck. Holding the blade was the man that Saber knew to be Berserker.
"Not your Saber." Berserker said, armoured joints grinding against each other as the Servant inside the armour shuddered. Pieces began to fall from the armour, the madman inside struggling to regain his reason and the ability to speak. "Saber…and Lancer. Have honour."
"Do not presume to speak of honour, Berserker. I know not who you are, but you don't have the mental fortitude to leave an innocent be." Saber brandished her masked blade in the direction of the two servants.
One of Berserker's massive pauldrons fell forward, clanking hollow against the road before dissolving. "Master…made me. Didn't want to." The creaking resumed as Berserker began to tear at his torso, shedding various pieces of white armour. "Go. Please."
Saber complied, bundling Irisviel back into the car and reversing hastily. Left alone with Caster, Berserker growled, no longer willing to show mercy.
...
Kariya Matou slept fitfully, waking only five times during the day that was now his night. Berserker nudged him awake when the sun was setting, a new day of the war beginning.
"Master, I believe our plan so far has worked. Most of the different factions believe me to be Caster while Berserker is a separate entity. I have also confirmed that Assassin is not dead, merely very good at faking it."
"That is very good Berserker, we'll be winning this in no time."
Suddenly, as Kariya was making his way to the table, Berserker's head jerked around, keenly watching something far beyond the small apartment. "Master, I do not believe Lancer's Master to have been killed in that hotel explosion. I can feel Lancer and Saber currently in battle with Caster. Should I interfere?"
"Yes, go out there and at least take Caster out. Show them your power Berserker."
"Very well then Master." Berserker said, her form shifting and changing, eventually settling on an adolescent boy with silver hair. "I wonder how long it will take Saber to figure it out."
With that, Berserker faded from the apartment, racing through buildings and across roads to what Saber knew to be the Einzbern manor.
...
"My Jeanne! Welcome! I can understand if you hate me. I did, after all, turn from God's light." Caster said, gentling running his fingers through the last child's hair. "It pains me to say, but this isn't the only survivor. That mad dog of yours took one from right in front of me."
"I hold no sway over Berserker. Now hand over that child, Caster." Saber took up a low stance across from Caster; this time she did not make any sweeping gestures with her blade.
"You see, boy? An angel of God has come down from the heavens to save you. Go on, go to her." Removing his hand from the boys head, he gestured that he may go. Screaming and crying, the boy ran to Saber, clutching at her skirts in his panic.
"Run away from here. Just follow the path and you'll find a big castle."
Suddenly, the boy began to writhe and scream, his back throbbing and bulging. The boy burst a moment later, tentacles rising forth to bind Saber's limbs. The rest of the thankfully-deceased children soon followed, now a small army of demonic tentacles at Caster's command. "Did I not say that I would come prepared the next time we met?"
"How disgusting, to kill children just for this. I will fight you not for the Grail, but merely for your death!" Saber brought up a burst of wind from every point on her body, purging the giant limpet in an instant.
"O how wondrous, Jeanne! How valiant of you! I am certain now, your presence dulls even that of God!"
Saber charged, slicing through the beasts as she screamed at Caster. "Do not presume to speak to me of valour and nobility! Even Berserker can acknowledge a greater concept of honour than you!" She went to march on Caster, but the monsters behind her began to bubble once more, quickly healing themselves of the deadly slashes Saber had imparted. Glancing around at the writhing things and back at Caster, she noticed a strange glow about a book in Caster's arms. "Is that book your Noble Phantasm then?"
"Why yes, Jeanne. With this book from Prelati I can control an army of demons. But no miracle will save you from this."
With no words, Saber charged, but a tentacle from the undergrowth caught her charge short. Then, more came forth from every direction, binding her limbs totally and working to choke the life out of her.
Two spears, one red, one yellow, came flashing down to sever all the tentacles with one slice each. "You disappoint me Saber. It's only been a day but you've already lost your edge. You don't do the name 'King of Knights' any justice."
"Who gave you permission to interfere, Gaelic swine?" Caster asked of Lancer.
"That's the question I was going to ask, fiend. I am the one who will take Saber's life!"
"It was my wish upon the Grail that brought that woman into this world, thusly her life is mine. Even her soul itself!" Caster began to tear out his hair and point and cry at Lancer.
"I'm not here to meddle in your sick love ballad. If you think your the kind of man to make Saber yours then I won't stop you. But I won't let you defeat Saber before she's settled things with me!"
"Don't get carried away you bastard!" Caster screamed, calling his demon horde to finish them off.
...
The last remaining child brought by Caster was shivering outside the entrance to the Einzbern forest, holding the hand of the older boy that had saved him.
"N-nii-san, are you sure that someone will come help us?"
"They don't need to help me, but we just need to find a house with people in it." Looking up at the stars, Berserker sensed about for a trace of human activity, finding it in a house just a short distance from the forest. Leading the boy to the door, Berserker began to disappear. "Just tell them you're lost and you don't know your way home. I need to go meet with some friends." The albino Servant managed to say before his mouth took form in spirit only.
End Chapter 3: Deliberately Confusing
AN:I've found that It's very easy to write scenes if they at no point involve Rei as Berserker or discussion of Rei as Berserker. This basically means I'll be skipping around events a bit, but since Kariya is only using Rei as he used Lancelot at the moment, not a lot changes, it shouldn't be that hard to follow what goes on in the parts I leave out. I'm going to keep you guessing for as long as I can about what exactly is happening here. I will say you should be able to guess what all Rei's powers are if you know enough about Evangelion.
Here's an excerpt from the character sheet I made up for her in the middle of writing Chapter 1, you should be able to figure it out.
Mad Enchancement: Rank B - In exchange for most of the user's sanity all parameters are raised; Monstrous Strength, Mental Pollution and Battle Continuation equivalent to Rank A are also exhibited. Due to this particular Servant's inability to be classified as fully human the Grail can only recognise this as a Rank B skill.
Territory Creation: Rank A (EX) - Able to rapidly construct a spatial anomaly that will reject any foreign object with less than B-Rank Divinity. When used offensively is capable of destroying any non-divine enemy, equivalent to a C-Rank Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm. Under Mad Enhancement this ability is permanently active to some degree and able to prevent the interference of any and all objects except the Noble Phantasm 'Lance of Longinus'.
Mad Enchancement: Rank B - In exchange for most of the user's sanity all parameters are raised; Monstrous Strength, Mental Pollution and Battle Continuation equivalent to Rank A are also exhibited. Due to this particular Servant's inability to be classified as fully human the Grail can only recognise this as a Rank B skill.
Territory Creation: Rank A (EX) - Able to rapidly construct a spatial anomaly that will reject any foreign object with less than B-Rank Divinity. When used offensively is capable of destroying any non-divine enemy, equivalent to a C-Rank Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm. Under Mad Enhancement this ability is permanently active to some degree and able to prevent the interference of any and all objects except the Noble Phantasm 'Lance of Longinus'.