"Now Praetor..." Saber said, glaring at me after she had buff spells set in action.
I rubbed the back of my head. She had told me not to make allies so quickly...and...well...
"I did hope that we could become friends, but I need to win this War." Rani said, casting a Magic buffing Code Cast. Why she used a magic boosting ability, on a Berserker of all classes, was beyond me.
"My Master does not need 'friends' that are the likes of your kind!" Saber yelled, defending me.
But, in reply to that, I heard Berserker roar as if he was defending his Master. "Armistice!" I...think it yelled in the beast-like roaring it talked in. A pulse of energy was unleashed from it's massive frame, and it started the battle with a powerful swing of his lance. It flung that weapon around more like a twig, and the lance seems to be nearly double Berserker's size, and double the thickness of my arm.
Saber quickly threw up her guard to block the first attack. Her Fount of Chronos took effect, stunning the hulking monster.
"Tsk, pitiful." Saber gloated as she began her attack. She stuck to quick and simple strikes, as she was at her full stamina and vitality, so Break-style attacks weren't needed. "As much as I expected from a Servant of your class." Saber continued to gloat as her attack went on. I found it odd...any other Class of Servant would be throwing up their guards by now or using a skill or two to get out of the onslaught of attacks. Something was off, and I voiced the feelings to Saber, who quickly pushed off the ground and away from Berserker.
"Berserker. Attack." Rani ordered, her Servant roaring in response. It was scary to hear that...thing...roar, but my god did that change to sheer nightmare fuel when I seen that monster suddenly pick up as much speed as my previous Assassin rival and literally backhand Saber across the face, shattering her guard. My jaw dropped as I seen Berserker bat Saber away with the hilt of his lance. In the short time Saber had lifted from the ground, I heard the monster of a Servant roar.
"Fallible Bow!" It seemed to yell in it's insane rage. A bow was summoned in his hand. My heart was racing, and I thought it would simply stop when I seen Berserker notch his lance as an arrow. And when it fired, it hit me as hard as it hit Saber, who I thought would be pinned to the digital background of the arena: I had forgotten to heal her. I was lucky that she had always cast Thrice-Setting Sun beforehand, otherwise I would have come this far for nothing, and let Rin down.
The golden aura that would shine when Saber was being revive took affect as she quickly scrambled to her feet and quickly recasted Thrice-Setting Sun. My reply to that was to top off her prana supply and heal her to full to avoid getting getting a sword through my chest.
"Thank you...Praetor...next time, please be have more haste when I am being treated like a slave." She growled at me. My reply? A nervous chuckle. She sighed that, and went on her attacks against the wall in front of us. I could swear that every swing Saber did to attack Berserker seemed to bounce right off as if the sword was made of rubber. I could the...thing...groan and grunt in what seemed to pain, that or he was laughing. I knew Lu Bu was full of his skills on the battlefield...but I never knew that he was near invulnerable.
"Berserker...please end this." Rani said calmly, casting a new Code Cast on her Servant, this time, one to add more defense to the servant's already steel-like skin and armor.
The warrior roared in reply, swinging his lance in a massive arc. Saber quickly threw up her guard, but the lance shattered it one more. Lu Bu let out his war cry...or...yea it's easier to say that this guy was full blown insane. In a few slow, yet powerful swings, he had once again battered Saber like a red-headed step child. It turns out his Stun-adding moves lasted much longer than Fount of Chronos' Stun effect. Before Berserker could summon his massive bow, I quickly healed Saber with the Recover Code Cast.
Reeling back from the attack still, Saber gathered herself in time to throw her guard up once more to block the arrow-like spear. Thank the gods though she wasn't stunned. I seen my Servant lower her guard, a fire in her eyes once more. I knew the battle would get serious. About time Saber was hit by that mode.
"Fount of the Saint!" I heard her yell. No Healer or Chronos. I think she was just going for quick and powerful attacks rather then get her guard broken and stunned or try to break his. Saber unleashed her flurry of attacks from her crimson blade. Berserk groaned each time she connect with his body, and finally it seemed to be doing some sort of damage.
My smirk was growing and I kept my Code Casts ready in case Berserker pulled any skills or ungodly quick attacks that someone of his body build and size shouldn't be able to do. But it seemed like it was Saber's turn to be Berserker around like a cat swatting a fly out of the air and then batting the poor thing around on the floor. Berserker tried to raise a fist to Saber, but a quick 'Veil of Petals' kept him at bay from doing anything other than grunt, groan, and get beat around. Saber's attack was dying down, her fire being exhausted by the sheer amount of vitality Berserker had. So, in a last attack, she quickly slashed at the hulking beast's body a few more times before using the wall-like body of the beast to kick off and land at my side.
"Master...he just seems to absorb my damage...what can I do?" She asked me, a bit panicked. My only thought was for her to summon her Golden Theater, but she wanted to keep that if she really needed it. I did agree as well after some thought.
"Berserker...I thought I said to end it. Do so...now." Rani ordered.
The moment those words left her mouth, Saber and I felt the ground shake from Berserker's most rage filled and insane roar. The arena went black and he seemed to blink in front of Saber and I before he swatted me to the side. The fist on that monster felt like a bullet train just hit me and exploded. I hit the ground countless times, or the number of times I hit my head just made me forget. I slowly rose from the dirt to look as Berserker had Saber in a death grip.
"The Warriors of Guan Yu!" I heard it yell. His Noble Phantasm. No way Saber could live this, but I couldn't even more to heal her, my body was still recovering from the nuclear bomb that hit my chest. He quickly slammed Saber to the ground and swung his lance, causing my Servant to bounce off the ground and land on her feet, her mind and body stunned from the two attacks. Before Saber could even remember what Class she was, Berserker quickly threw his lance out in a quick series of thrusts, then swings. Saber was stuck in place, her head spinning. In a massive burst of dark energy, after holding his lance in both of his massive hands, he summoned his bow and notched his lance into it. But...the bow was fully drawn, to the point where the bow should be snapped in a series of splinters and string. But in stead of my wish coming true, the lance gathered dark energy around the head of the lance. He roared as loudly as before he launched his 'arrow' at Saber. I watched as the arrow tore through Saber. I could have sworn I seen a hole in her stomach for a split second, before she fell to her knees and hitting the ground with a thud.
I gathered myself and slowly crept to my feet, Saber's Auto-Revive kicking in, thank the gods, and she doing the same. She simply recasted the spell as I topped off her vitality and prana supply before Berserker could try to finish the job.
Saber's fired returned...and it returned in the form of Thunderous Applause, having Saber rip right through Berserker's hulking frame. Things seemed to be going for our benefit, but...
"Immortal Red Hare!" I heard it bellow. All I knew was that the Red Hare was Lu Bu's horse, and only he was able to train the steed. I seen another Thunderous Applause, followed by Berserker stabbing the hilt of his lance into the ground and falling over.
Saber chuckled quietly, throwing her sword over her shoulder and walking over to me, her heels clicking. But something was off. Where was the Red Wall? After hearing a dull roar, it hit me.
Saber quickly spun around to see Berserker's massive body rise above the ground and filled with energy again, grabbing his lance. "He...he can revive himself..." Saber growled.
I quickly healed Saber again in a panic before she readied herself for an attack. I seen her go into the front of his dress for something, then just as quickly as I asked the question I seen her pull out a rose.
"Aestus Domus Aurea! Golden Theater of the Deranged!" she yelled, throwing the rose and hacking at Berserker before she summoned the majestic theater. I felt a chill run up and down my spin, goosebumps along my body. I was chuckling darkly to myself. I knew it was over, no matter how many times Berserker could revive himself. And if on clockwork I heard the massive beast yell the name of his steed.
"Hmf...pitiful attempt to defeat the greatest of Emperors." Saber said with pride before she started to unleash Blossom of the Court as many times as she could, and as many times as I could keep her prana supply at a decent level. Plus...people don't think Nero was the best of emperors, but to each their own.
Rani simply looked on as her Servant was being destroyed as badly as TNT can destroy a building. The battle came to a quick end after Saber's Theater was summoned, but it seemed a bit...empty. I turned my gaze to Rani as the Red Wall rocketed across the field as Saber walked towards me, her heels clicking.
I looked at Rani, who had the same gaze as she always did. Berserker, on the other hand, was swinging at and trying to destroy the Wall to end Saber, but the SE. RA. PH Simply deleted him.
"I..wish that we could have been friends..." Rani said, looking at me. Those were her only words as she vanished.
Back at my Private Room with Saber, she had said something that I forgot to notice.
"Praetor, you have made it quite far. Tomorrow starts the last week of the Holy Grail War."
That's right. It's the final week tomorrow...and my last rival: Leo.