Crates

Archer gazed at her sliced musket. The sword had cut through the barrel, all the way to the round loaded inside it. If she had pulled the trigger, the musket would have effectively exploded in her face. For Rider to have noticed her from such a far distance, he probably had a high levelled Presence Detection skill. She hurled the broken weapon aside and got up from her sniping position. "What now Master?" Archer spoke over the mental link.

Tokiomi scratched his beard as he pondered over his next course of action. Rider knew Archer's current position already. If she didn't appear, Rider would most likely go after her. Furthermore, it was only a matter of time before she had to show up anyway.

"You may go and confront them." Archer face lit up with glee. It was about damn time she got her cold ass off the crate. "Yes Master," she replied in a composed manner but deep inside, she was excited. She could finally have some company though they may albeit a bit hostile. It still beats being alone in the night. Plus, she could finally settle the score with the ero-baby. With a smile on her face, Archer descended from the crate and walked towards the docks.

Elsewhere

"Master?" Berserker gazed at Kariya who was also deep in thought. The original plan was to wait for Tokiomi's servant to appear but it seems that now he did not have a choice.

"Respond to the challenge," Kariya replied "But stick to the original plan. Annihilate Tokiomi's servant first."

"Roger that," Berserker gave a nod as he assisted Kariya in sitting down.

"I'm going!" Berserker announced as he bid Kariya goodbye before turning to silver dust. Kariya briefly waved his hand as a sign of farewell but as he did, he felt a pang of pain in his chest. He felt bad. Berserker was a very nice boy; he shouldn't be involved in the Grail war at all. The way he cared for him, a total stranger, was like he was a part of his family. The boy was like a ball of hope for Kariya as well as a source of warmth. For a long time in his life, Kariya had never experienced any love or care until now.

"Please stay safe, Berserker." Kariya prayed fervently to whatever god he still believed in.

Docks

"And here they are!" Rider outstretched his palm in said direction. As if on cue, two figures appeared, walking in from two different directions. One was dressed as a schoolgirl and decked out in yellow whereas the latter was wearing clothing that resembled a priest.

Irisviel gasped as she looked at both of them. They were both only in their early teens. Just what kind of heroic spirits were they to have resided in the Throne of Heroes?

"Hello there," The priest scratched the back of his head as he waved in greeting. "I'm the Berserker of this war. Nice to meet you guys."

That caused everyone's eyes, save for Rider's, to widened. A Berserker not influenced by Madness? That's not something you see every day.

"Oh yea," Berserker looked as though he suddenly recalled something. "Which of you is Archer?" Archer turned to face him. "That would be me." She called out in a cheerful voice. "Let me introduce myself. I'm…" Archer was cut off when a metallic silver arm shot towards her head. She barely had enough time to react, tumbling to one side to duck the fatal blow. When she recovered, she saw the claw retract. It was the left hand of Berserker.

"What are you doing, Berserker?" Archer narrowed her eyes as she summoned forth another musket, aimed straight for Berserker.

"Sorry about that," Berserker's voice was low and filled with danger. "But I have been ordered to kill you first. I am sorry but I have made a promise to someone and I intend to keep it." Berserker's left eye was now glowing red and had two gears revolving in front of it.

"Great and here I thought I could make some new friends. Well, too bad. Guess I have to fight you then." Archer replied with a sad smile as she raised her musket.

Without a word, Berserker charged towards Archer. Archer responded by summoning another three muskets and fired all of them simultaneously one after another at Berserker. Berserker just raised his left arm as a shield, guarding against all the shells while still charging forward. Archer's eyes widened as she watched the shells ricochet off just as Berserker closed the gap. With a yell, he raised his left arm and smashed it onto the ground, intending to crush Archer. Archer jumped up and avoided the attack, summoning another two muskets and fired upon Berserker.

"Tch!" Berserker claw suddenly expanded to three times its size. Berserker than ripped out a huge chunk of the ground and hurled it towards Archer. "Child's play." thought Archer as she smashed it into pieces with the butt of her muskets. Little did she realize that one of the pieces was larger than the rest. And behind it was a waiting Berserker. Archer suddenly felt a pressure to the side of her head and before she knew what was going on, Berserker hurled her through another stack of crates. As Berserker watched her fly, he followed suit as well, vanishing into the cloak of dust and rubble. "Come on!" Archer released a dozen more shots whereas Berserker let out a war cry.

"Awww man! I haven't even asked them yet!" Rider grumbled as he heard the sound of explosions and slashes from the other side of the docks. "Tch and here I was hoping to have a battle with either."

"Alright, where are you, you sneaky bastard!" Rider called out into the open air. "I know you received my invitation as well!"

Waver barely heard the distortion of space from above him. A miniature portal opened up and from within, a bladed chain launched itself towards his head.

"Look out!" Irisviel yelled out at the young Master. Waver turned his head, watching the chain approach him in slow motion. Waver's entire life flashed before him as the blade neared. "No, it can't end like this!" Waver thought desperately as tears began trickling out of his eyes. He was going to die.

But then again, he did not. As Waver closed his eyes awaiting the final blow, it never came. When he re-opened them, he was surprised. In Rider's hand held the chain, millimeters away from his forehead. "Rider," Waver whispered.

"Your fight is with me! So don't go attacking the innocents you bastard!" Rider growled as he tugged the chain with all his might. "Damn!" thought Assassin as he was sent hurling out of his own dimension. And right into Rider's outstretched fist. "Take this!" Rider plummeted his fist into Assassin's gut, sending the smaller servant flying.

"Blegh!" Assassin spat out a mouthful of blood as he flipped himself, balancing himself on a crate. Rider stared him down, pointing at him and declaring: "Fight me like a real man dammit! Seems like your courage is just as small as your size huh!" That caused a tick to form on Assassin's head. Again with his size!

"Rider," Waver began, only to be met with Rider's trademark grin. "Relax Master. As long as I am here, no one will lay a hand on your wimpy ass!" Waver's gratitude instantly vanished. He was still treating him like a coward and a weak one as well.

"Well then, shall we get the game going Assassin?" Rider drew his katana and readied a battle pose. His eye was reflecting composure but his grin said otherwise. He was going to enjoy this. However, this seemed to anger Assassin!

"That eye! It is the same as his! You both think you are better than me do you!" Assassin spat with venom. A huge wave of killing intent began to emanate from him, causing Rider to tighten his grip. "No more. No one will not look down on me anymore! I will be free from that gaze of yours! And I will finally show you whose boss!"

"Huh?" Rider wondered aloud. He had no idea who Assassin was talking about but he did not lower his guard. Something big was coming.

"PRESENT PLEASE!" Assassin roared as a fountain of black mana erupted from his pacifier, completely engulfing him. In that instant, the air became extremely dense, making it difficult for all the Masters present to breathe. As the mana died down, Assassin had changed. Assassin was now the size of a regular servant. The bandages on his body had fallen off, revealing an albino body that was swathed in scars. His face was also fully revealed. It looked like that of a 10 year old child, except that he possessed glowing red eyes. Eyes that were burning with fury and hatred.

"So that's your true form eh?" remarked Rider. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Still so cocky. Guess I'll have to spill your guts out before you will wipe that smug grin off your face!" Assassin let a small smile creep onto his face. Without a word, Assassin went for Rider who smiled wildly. "Come on!"

Reinforced fist met with katana, causing a massive shockwave that shattered the earth and blew the crates away like leaves in the wind. Both parties were smiling, eager to be the last one standing as well as enjoy the battle.

Shadows

Unknown to all the servants, each of their shadows had a small crimson eye on them. The eye recorded down their battles as well as kept watch on them, relaying all information to Caster.

Deep within the shadow realm, Caster calculated his options. He could just simply observe from the darkness, refusing to participate in this confrontation and save his strength for the upcoming fights. Or he could descend in as of now, defeating and possibly annihilating all of them in one fell swoop. With the exception of one of them, the rest were all just humans. If they were ants, he was a boot, meant to crush their tiny corpses. He was a homunculus after all, a being that neared the edge of godhood. Nothing in this world could ever come close to him.

Also, his Master had asked for a souvenir. The fool made Kimblee seem like a god in his work but for now Caster would put up with it. He was still his Master. As long as he was useful and provided him with prana, his life would be spared. After all, pawns should be used to their fullest abilities.

"Well then," Caster stood up, having made up his mind. "It's about time I took Centre stage." All around him, eyes and jaws emerged from the shadows, grinning as they stood by ready to claim the first victims of the war. Caster then commanded, "Arise my brother."

From the swirling shadows, red lightning began to course through the air as matter began to form. It slowly began to take on the shape of a fat man. The man was bald and had red lining connecting from the back of his shirt all the way to his forearms. He wore a brown tight suit that caused his overwhelming belly to become even more obvious. The man was drooling all over the place and there was a tattoo of a dragon on his tongue.

"Pride, I smell lots of different smells. Can I eat all of them?" The man continued to drool as he directed his question to Caster.

"Yes Gluttony, they are all yours to eat." Caster replied with a smirk.

"YAY! It's a buffet!" Gluttony cried out in joy as he rushed off, eager to satisfy his hunger. Caster just simply crossed his arms, waiting to see what happens next.

With Rider and Assassin

"Orreaaah!" Rider swung his katana in a crazed fashion at Assassin. Left, up, right, backwards, stab, there was no identifiable pattern in his attacks, making any normal being face difficulty in dodging them all. However, Assassin was no normal human. As the leader of a mafia police force, he was used to dealing with some of the harshest criminals the world has ever witnessed. Each of Rider's moves was parried and retaliated with great elegance. Assassin dodged another of Rider's vicious slashes and responded with another punch. Rider guarded against it but was sent staggering a few steps back from the force. "Damn," Rider growled as he glanced at his katana. It was cracking at where Assassin had struck. Guess the servant wasn't kidding when he said he was going all out. Rider just let out a roar as he spun his sword upwards from the ground in a vertical slash, trying to cut the nimble servant into two.

Assassin fell back as Rider tried to catch him in his windup, firing off all the chains he held around his arms: a grand total of six. Rider dodged all of them at the last second, watching as all of them exploded harmlessly around him. The explosions created a dust cloud in which Rider took advantage of, charging in headfirst as it obscured Assassin's vision. "Take this!" Rider roared as his katana became charged with blue lightning, swinging it downwards onto the unsuspecting Assassin.

Assassin never saw it coming till the last moment. But he did not fall, simply smiling as he winked out of existence. "What?" Rider's face was that of surprise as his blade slashed through the clean air. All around him, he heard Assassin's mocking voice. "Fool, you are so predictable. Taking advantage of the dust cloud was within my calculations."

"Tch!" Rider growled as he raised his guard, not knowing where Assassin would hit from. In a flash, Assassin struck, doing a dropkick on Rider's back, causing the said servant to wipe the floor. Assassin followed up by grabbing onto Rider's legs as he fell, spinning him in a wide arc which started to resemble a cyclone as Assassin built up momentum. "Time to fly!" Assassin roared before hurling him into a stack of crates

"Gah!" Rider coughed out as he felt his breath leave his lungs. To make matters worse, his katana was sent flying out of his hands He was utterly defenseless now. "Die!" Assassin charged, his fist aiming for Rider's skull. Now it was Rider's turn to smile. "Don't underestimate me!" Rider then flicked up his left hand. In it were three shining blades. Assassin noticed them too late. The blades dug deep into his flesh, tearing through his arm and chest. "Shit!" Assassin growled, warping away just as he felt them beginning to reach his vital organs. He then reappeared a short distance away, now clutching his right arm where the blades tore through. It was mangled to the point whereby a simple shake would have caused it to drop.

"So how dya like my claws Assassin?" Rider smirked as he recovered, brushing the dust off his body as he went to retrieve his fallen katana. Assassin said nothing. Something was not right here. When he clashed with Rider earlier, Rider strength was so weak that he could easily parry his blades with bare fists. And yet this time, they tore through him like butter. "Your katanas', they did something to your strength didn't they?" Assassin's eyes narrowed as he stared down Rider.

"Hell yea! It's my Noble Phantasm, Counting game. For each katana I wield, my strength stat is boosted up by one rank!" Rider declared proudly which caused Assassin to snarl. If what Rider was saying was the truth, then counting the number of sheaths he had, he was only using half his strength. How infuriating.

"Well then, since we have gotten the pleasantries out of the way, how about we both get serious." Rider instantly sheathed all his swords in one swift motion, before drawing all six of them once more. This time, blue lightning was concentrated on each of the blades, causing them to hum with power.

Assassin snorted. He did not like revealing too many of his cards at once but Rider left him with no choice. "Flame of the Night" Assassin echoed as black flames coated his limbs and chest. Rider would now have a taste of his full power.

"Let's dance!" Rider declared as both fighters shot towards each other. Rider swiped with his right hand but Assassin evaded it by warping and reappearing behind Rider, unleashing a flurry of blows. Rider spun around, all six of his blades held out as he countered the reinforced hits. Rider then flicked his blades, forcing Assassin back as an energy orb charged between the blades on his left hand.

"Death Fang!" Rider hurled the massive blue orb of lightning towards Assassin. Assassin smirked as he cleaved the orb into half, rushing through the explosion towards Rider "Once more, Death Fang!" Rider swung the energy orb on his right hand face on towards Assassin. Instantly, Assassin created a shield of black flames, absorbing the orb and its impact. As the shield died down, a raging Rider was seen swinging all six blades at Assassin's head. Assassin fired two jets of black flames to slow Rider down but Rider cut through it in a second. "Here I come!" Rider spun like a tornado towards Assassin, his blades ripping ferociously around him. Assassinducked to a side and avoided Rider's onslaught. Rider having noticed he missed, stopped spinning. He dug three of his blades into the ground to regain his footing and hurled the other three at Assassin. If not for the lightning infused within them, Assassin would have crushed them with his bare hands. Instead, Assassin warped once more, disappearing into the dimensional space as Rider cleaved the air where he was seconds ago.

"Come on not this trick again!" Rider sighed in frustration as he called back his three blades. Chains of lightning appeared from the hilt of each blade, pulling them back to Rider's left hand. "Its showtime!" Rider roared in excitement as he began to spin all his swords in a circular pattern. This time he had a trick up his sleeve to counter Assassin. The air around Rider began to sizzle as electricity coursed through it. A mini cyclone had started to build up around Rider and was growing in size as Rider continued to spin his blades. The wind began to tear at the ground , leaving deep marks on the concrete floor as Rider finalized the preparations for his next attack.

"Eat this! Crazy Storm!" Rider called out as he slashed the air with all his blades. The cyclone instantly grew in size and began to spread out all around Rider. The electrical current then began randomly striking out at all the empty spaces around Rider, effectively creating a barrier of wind and lightning. Assassin's eyes widened as the lightning ripped through the dimensional portal he was hiding behind, shocking him and dragging him back into the docks.

"GRRAAHH!" Assassin roared in pain as he fell out of his portal. "There you are," Rider announced with a glee on his face. "Ready to surrender and join me?"

"Never," Assassin spat out with venom, the flames on his body blazing even harder. Just as he was about to rush Rider, there was a loud scream which pierced the air. The next second, a bald and fat male was sent hurling down their direction. Both servants leapt out of the way as he continued to tumble end over end, before finally crashing into a crane which then collapsed on top of him.

"Caster?"

Other side of the docks with Berserker and Archer

"Ouch," Archer rubbed the back of her head as she sat up from the rubble. Berserker had thrown her all the way to the other end of the docks. "This is no way to treat a lady." She grumbled as she brushed the dust of her clothes.

All of a sudden, Archer detected movement behind the dust cloud. "Darn," she thought as she back flipped, narrowing dodging Berserker's claw. Berserker grunted in frustration. He missed her yet again. If anything, Archer was fast. Berserker then slammed his claw onto the ground, propelling himself into the air to chase Archer.

"Take this pretty boy." Archer thought to herself as summoned forth six muskets, firing all of them at Berserker. Berserker twisted in midair to avoid the first five before catching and crushing the last shell with his claw. After which, he followed up with a quick slash towards Archer's chest. Archer saw the attack coming and brought forth two of the empty muskets to parry the blow. Berserker's claw crushed them like paper balls in an instant and the resultant shockwave was sufficient to cause send Archer into the ground. "Gah!" Archer coughed out as she hit the floor hard. Berserker strength was definitely worthy of his class. Without a moment to rest, Berserker sent his claw plummeting towards her once again.

"Crap!" Archer created another Musket and held it up to intercept the incoming blow. A loud pinge sound emitted as the claw collided. Thankfully, the musket held out this time. Archer had created this one out of steel but the cracks appearing on its side showed that it wouldn't last any longer. With her free hand, Archer brought forth another musket and aimed it for Berserker's body. Berserker's eyes widened as he noticed the barrel. As Archer pulled the trigger, Berserker retracted his claw, bringing it to bear in front of his chest, blocking the shot.

This got Archer thinking. Recalling from their earlier skirmish, Berserker's claw could easily guard against her shots. So why did he have to protect his body if his skin was already bulletproof. Unless…

It was worth a shot. Archer got up from the ground and fired another half a dozen shots at Berserker as she rushed towards him. Berserker brought his claw before him once more to guard, deflecting all the bullets again. As he did so, Archer kept firing, closing the gap between them as she did so. "What is she trying to do?" Berserker thought just as she got into striking range. Without further ado, Berserker raised his claw again, swiping towards Archer from the left.

"Binding Ribbon!" Ribbons immediately grew out of the shells that were Berserker's claw, effectively holding it in place mid-strike. "It's useless!" Berserker called out as he flexed his muscles, and within a second snapped the imposing restraints. But a second was all Archer needed. So intent was Berserker on his left arm that he failed to see the musket that Archer summoned. As he broke free, she pulled the trigger. Berserker had barely enough time to move aside to avoid the near fatal wound but it took him through his right thigh, causing blood to spurt out from the wound. "Damn!" Berserker thought as he leapt back on his remaining good leg.

Archer's guess paid off. The fact that Archer could wound him meant that only his left arm was invulnerable. The rest of his body was solid flesh and bones. That advantage made Archer smile. She now knew Berserker could be hurt. As for his left arm, she had a special something to deal with it as well.

Archer summoned about 20 muskets and left them to fire automatically as she worked on her latest creation. Even with one leg, Berserker managed to hop around nimbly to evade all the shots. "Gotcha!" Berserker declared as he cleared through the hail of bullets, his claw cocked back and ready to slash Archer. "That's my line." Archer replied as she whipped out a new musket. This one was largely different from the rest. It was pitched black and had an extended barrel as well as two blue rings around the ammo clip. As Archer pressed the trigger, the musket kicked back violently against Archer. She grimaced in pain as she felt a snap in her shoulder. However, the same could not be said for Berserker. The shot fired tore through his entire arm and exited from his elbow. "Arrrghh!" Berserker screamed as he fell back, clutching his injured claw and inspecting the injury. Whatever she fired, it was strong enough to tear through his Innocence.

"Thank God I managed to convince Tokiomi to buy me that gun magazine." Archer thought to herself with a smile. The magus had been adamant about getting the magazine, claiming it was a disgrace to him but when Archer convinced him that it would be vital in winning the War, he finally relented. The shot she had just fired was an Anti-Material Rifle shell. The origins of the anti-materiel rifle go back to the First World War, during which the first anti-tank rifles appeared. While modern tanks and most other armored vehicles are too well protected to be affected by anti-materiel rifles, the guns are still effective for attacking unarmored or lightly armored vehicles. For the bulletproof arm of Berserker, it was the ideal weapon.

"It's time to end this charade." Archer declared, believing that she now had Berserker on the ropes. "Musket Ballet!" Archer called out and within a split second, thousands of ripples materialized in the air. Muskets appeared from them a split second later, all of which were the same as the one she had just fired. All of them were aimed straight at Berserker. "Sayonara." A rain of anti-material shells then descended upon the fallen servant, resulting in a massive explosion and a rain of concrete and dust.

"Too easy." Archer muttered as she took her leave, believing the fight to be over. That was when she heard the sharp whistling of the air being cut. As she turned to find the source of the sound, she felt and immense pain through her left shoulder and hip. "AHHH!" she screamed as she fell forward. "What is this?" As she turned to her left, she noticed a glowing stake embedded in her left shoulder. As she reached to pull it out, the stake began to burn her hand, causing her to retract it in pain. "Impossible, he couldn't have possibly survived that!"

For Berserker, the impossible was possible. As the dust cleared, it revealed an unharmed Berserker. Despite the slight flesh wounds on his arms and legs, he was practically unscathed. "How? I gave him everything I got?" Archer's eyes widened. That was when she noticed that his left arm had changed. It was no longer a claw. The claw had been replaced hollow like object that had three wires connected to the elbow as well as five orange spikes of light at the hollow extension. In all retrospect, it reminded Archer of a gun.

"Cross Beta" Berserker replied calmly as he held out his still smoking arm. If he hadn't changed his Innocence form in time, he would have been swiss cheese by then. "You shouldn't turn your back on me so early." Berserker reminded her coldly. Archer gritted her teeth as she got to her feet, still holding her wounded shoulder. "Shall we continue?"

Archer was about to answer when she heard a joyous voice ring out into the night. "MEAT! FRESH MEAT! ALL FOR GLUTTONY!" Both servants turned to the source of the sound which came from behind one of the crates. They raised their weapons respectively and watched as a bald fat man appeared from behind the crates. He was drooling on the floor and held his tongue out as he licked his lips. "Caster?" Both servants thought at the same time.

"Which one? Both look tasty." The man known as Gluttony thought out aloud as he eyed both servants with pure hunger. "I know! Ladies first! Ladies always taste nicer!" he declared as he shot straight for Archer. "Disgusting," remarked Archer as she took aim and fired. The shell flew straight and true, tearing off Gluttony's head, causing it to go splat on the floor.

That was when something horrifying happened. Red lightning coursed around Gluttony headless neck and before the eyes of both servants, it began to grow back. "Instant regeneration!" Berserker thought in horror as he remembered having faced a similar enemy on the island of Edo.

"Aiyaaiyaaiya! That hurts! I don't like to die before I have my fill!" Complained Gluttony once his head grew back. "Now I really want to eat you!" This time he hurled himself towards Archer, jaws opened wide. Archer hurriedly summoned forth another musket, only to have it bitten into two by Gluttony. With a swipe of his arm, Gluttony sent Archer flying into a stack of crates. Archer yelped in pain as she felt her injury become aggravated. As she opened her eyes, she saw Gluttony rushing for her again. As she tried to run, she realized that she was pinned down. Berserker's stake was lodged deeply into the crate, trapping her as well.

"No, I don't want to die again!" Archer thought frantically as tears welled up in her eyes. Gluttony's teeth was just inches from her head. "ITADAKI…" Gluttony's sentence was cut off as an axe kick to his head sent him spiraling into the ground. Archer turned to her savior and her eyes widened in surprise. It was Berserker.

"Why? Why did you save me?" Archer whispered loud enough for Berserker to hear. Berserker rubbed the back of his head as he gave a sheepish smile. "Well, two reasons. The first being that I have to be the one to defeat you. I was ordered by my Master to do so and I intend to follow it, so I won't allow someone else to beat me to it. The second being that I just can't leave a damsel in distress. Besides, it looks like he is a bigger problem than you are."

Upon hearing his reasons, Archer allowed herself to smile despite the situation. Even though he was an enemy, Berserker was still a gentleman. A very kind one at that. Her thoughts were broken as she heard Gluttony get to his feet. "Damn you! I just want to eat!" Gluttony grumbled angrily. "If you are going to interfere, I WILL JUST EAT YOU FIRST!" He then made a beeline for Berserker, pissed at not being able to have his meal.

Berserker just levelled his weapon and let the mana flow through it. His left arm began to hum with life and a yellow light started to glow within the barrel. "Begone!" Berserker declared as he fired his arm- gun. In a flash, hundreds of glowing hot stakes erupted from his weapon, all heading straight for Gluttony. The stakes impaled Gluttony's entire body, causing the homunculus to scream in pain. Even so, Berserker did not stop. Instead he increased the output. More and more stakes began to shoot out of his weapon, all travelling faster than before. After watching Gluttony's regeneration, Berserker did not want to take any chances. With each hit, Gluttony staggered back even more. He was now a glowing ball of sticks that just kept increasing in numbers. A final push and the said being was sent hurling through the crates to the other end of the docks. All the while, Archer watched in amazement. So that was how Berserker survived. He countered thousands with thousands, each cancelling out the other.

As Archer watched on, Berserker snapped the stake off of Archer shoulder and helped her to her feet. Archer nodded in thanks while Berserker motioned towards the direction that Gluttony flew through. "Come on. Let's make sure that guy is dead." Archer nodded with a grim look on her face. With that both servants took off in search of the homunculus.

With Saber, Irisviel, Waver and Lancer

Saber watched in awe as the duel between Rider and Assassin proceeded. Rider was like a bloodthirsty beast, striking at every opening he got at Assassin whereas Assassin was like a cold-hard killer, intently watching and countering Rider's every move. Both of them were experienced fighters, each strike was aimed to maim or kill their opponent. Their movements were so fast that even she had difficulty keeping up with their battle even though she was a veteran herself. Both opponents would be deadly foes, just like Lancer.

Speaking of Lancer, Saber instantly recalled the pale servant was yet to be through with her. She immediately picked up a defensive stance as she turned to face Lancer. However, Lancer simply ignored her. He too was fixated on the battle. "My Master has ordered me to observe the battle for now, Saber. We will settle things between us later." Lancer replied emotionlessly without even meeting her gaze. Inwardly, Saber heaved a huge sigh of relief. She did not think her body could hold up any longer against Lancer.

Suddenly a large explosion and some yelling drew her attention back to the battle. Now instead of two combatants, there was a new arrival. The third was a fat and bald man who had multiple glowing sticks sticking out of his body. He had crashed into the crane nearby, causing the said structure to fall onto him.

"Caster?" Saber thought aloud. "No," Irisviel answered quietly while Waver shook his head fervently. They could feel the mana coursing through each of the servants. Saber, Rider, Lancer and Assassin all had mana readings that resembled bonfires. Two more such readings were coming from the West, probably Berserker and Archer. However, the reading from that fat man was nothing more than a spark. It was way too weak to be a servant. But if he wasn't a servant, what was he?

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! That hurts a lot!" Gluttony whimpered as he forcefully removed each of the glowing stakes, wincing each time he did so. Lightning then coursed through his injuries, instantly sealing them up, making him as good as new. All eyes then widened save for Saber and Lancer. That was something you did not see every day. "Instant regeneration," Assassin muttered. Rider nodded in agreement. Although the man before him seemed to be at a lost, Rider was not taking any chances. He shifted his stance and directed his attention to Gluttony. Assassin, seemingly also understanding the threat he posed, also turned to face the common enemy.

"*sniff sniff, OOOHHH! Lots of new scents! I smell more meat! But, that women there. She smells just like Pride!" Gluttony scratched his chin as he stared at Irisviel. Irisviel subconsciously took a step back. She was terrified and yet curious of that man. The look he was giving her was that of pure, unsated hunger and yet that was also a look of recognition in his eyes. Just what did he mean?

Berserker emerged from the other edge of the docks, carrying an injured Archer bridal style. Rider instantly notice their presence, turning to their direction and waving. "Yo! Berserker, Archer! Weren't you two at each other's throats a few seconds ago? Why so lovey dovey now? Did something naughty happen over there?" Rider gave a big goofy grin at the duo whose faces had both turned beet red. "NO!" both of them hollered back at Rider who was still chuckling in glee. "Rider, that guy…" Berserker started but Rider cut him off, his smile vanishing. "I know. We all saw it. If his ability is unlimited, we are in deep trouble. I say we take this guy out first before we get back to our own spars." Assassin, Archer and Berserker all nodded in agreement.

"Saber," Irisviel started. "I understand. I too will cooperate for now." Saber replied in earnest as she took up her stance beside Rider. "Oh ho, looks like the little girl has come out to play." Rider teased Saber and huge tick formed on her forehead. If not for this imminent threat, she would have cut Rider down there and then. Similarly, Kayneth spoke to Lancer through their mental link. "Lancer, annihilate that thing before dealing with the rest of the servants." Lancer nodded in acknowledgement, drawing his katana and prepared for combat.

Slowly all six servants surrounded Gluttony who now had a very lost and worried look on his face, each of them getting ready to strike. "HERE WE GO!" roared Rider and as if on cue, all the servants rushed towards that single homunculus.

Shadows

"That simpleton!" Snarled Caster as he watched Gluttony get surrounded. That idiot managed to get the attention of every single servant in the vicinity. An idiot. Not that Caster wouldn't mind letting him die but to lose a pawn so early in the war did him no good.

"Sigh, if you want something done, you have to do it yourself." Caster muttered angrily as he prepared to rescue his brother.

Seconds before clash

The instant each servant took off, all the Masters felt an immense mana source below Gluttony's feet. "Look out!" Waver called out in panic. All servants halted in their tracks and not a moment too soon. A tower of shadows exploded from beneath Gluttony, carrying him into the air. All the shadows had savage grins and bloodshot eyes on them, each carrying huge amounts of killing intent. The servants watched in fear and shock as the shadows climbed higher. Never in their lives have they felt such an enormous power. At the top, the shadows parted like a flower, revealing a small boy with black hair as well as Gluttony. The boy's eyes were cold and unfeeling as he gazed upon the rest of the servants and Masters before he turned to face Gluttony.

"You fool. You let yourself get surrounded and died almost 10 times today." Caster chided Gluttony who was now fiddling his thumbs and staring at his feet.

"But…But, there were so many smells. I couldn't decide who to eat first." Gluttony's eyes suddenly brightened as he recalled something. "Oh ya, Pride. The silver haired women smells just like us."

That caught Caster's attention. Another homunculus? He stared at Irisviel long and hard as he tried to feel for the pulsation of a philosopher stone. Nothing, not even a pinge. Caster decided to file it away for further reference later. "That's enough for tonight. We're leaving." Caster ordered.

"Hold it right there!" Rider called out. "Caster I presume? What makes you think that you could come and crash our party and walk away unscathed?"

Caster held out two fingers. "Two reasons. One, I am stronger than all of you put together. Two, I am immortal. Here's a demonstration." Caster snapped his fingers and multiple shadows shot towards every Master and Servant.

How right he was. The shadows moved so fast that almost everyone had no time to react. Caster's shadows slammed into Berserker and Archer who had barely enough time to block with their weapons but the force sent them flying a good distance away. Assassin and Lancer had somewhat better luck, one warped out of existence whereas the other dodged at the last second. Rider and saber scrambled to protect their Masters and did, but at a cost. The shadows sliced Rider clean at the knees, causing him to yell in pain and fall to the ground having to support himself on his katanas. Saber's armor was like paper, instantly shattering as soon as the shadows made impact, causing her to be vulnerable and exposed. Kayneth had no time to move at all. Even though his Mystic Code had automatically formed a defensive shield for him, Caster's shadow cleaved it into two as well as crane he had been standing on. If not for Lancer catching him in mid-air, he would have fallen to his death.

Caster gave a smirk as he proved his point before allowing the shadows to embrace both him and Gluttony, disappearing without a trace. Now all the servants were weary of Caster. Without a doubt, as of now he was definitely the most powerful servant in this war.

"Lancer, retreat. That's all for tonight!" Kayneth ordered in a worried tone. After witnessing Caster's power, he was going to have to rethink his plans. "Yes, my Master." Lancer obeyed, helping Kayneth to his feet before vanishing in a burst of sound.

"Well then. I guess this concludes tonight's party." Rider said with a smile. Despite his injuries, he still managed to give off an air of cockiness as he declared. "Next time we meet Caster, I will be the one to defeat you! Come on boy, we had plenty of fun tonight. It's time to leave."

"R…Right!" Waver answered nervously as he followed Rider towards Raika. Honestly, he was still shaking like a leaf. He had faced death way too many times that night alone. Maybe it was a bad idea taking part in the war after all. In a flash of lightning, both of them were gone, flying through the skies.

Archer glanced at Berserker. She was still thankful for the rescue but the next time they met, they would be enemies and she would be sure to finish off their match. With that thought in mind, Archer vanished into golden dust.

That left Berserker and Saber. Assassin had long disappeared since Caster's attack. Berserker gave a small smile at Saber, "Well, I should get going as well. I'm guessing my Master would be worried sake after all of this. Till we meet next time but I won't go easy on you though."

Despite the tense atmosphere, Saber gave a small smile. "Likewise to you Berserker." Although Saber did not witness his fight, she could tell that he was a strong servant, and an especially kind one too given how he was carrying Archer.

With that, Berserker leapt over another stack of crates, eager to see how Kariya was holding up. Saber watched as he left, before she and Irisviel took their leave as well.

The battlefield had become quiet once more, the calm before the storm. The opening battle of the Fourth War had just concluded and things were only going to get more intense from here out.

And Hiya guys! I am terribly sorry for the long period of no updates. Exams are a bitch. Finally finished my papers and as a reward for your patience, this is a longer chapter than usual. Here's a hint for the next update. If you think the war has only seven servants, think again. As I have not thought of a character yet, feel free to recommend any character in the reviews section. Please provide skills and details as well. Many thanks and now for the stats of Berserker.

Class: Berserker

Spirit: Allen Walker (D Gray Man)

Armaments: Innocence (Claw Mode)

Alignment: Lawful/Good

Strength: A-

Endurance: C+

Agility: B

Mana: B

Luck: C

Mad Enhancement: E

Raises basic parameters in exchange of hindering mental capacities. In some cases, also seals away Personal Skills

The Noah inside of Berserker acts as his inner voice as well as source of mental strength, allowing Berserker to nullifying the effects of madness.

Battle continuation: A+

The strength of vitality for predicaments. Also, the ability to withdraw from combat and reach allied territory alive after being defeated.

Berserker is able to absorb any poisons or dark magic based injuries and heal instantly. A direct result of his cursed eye.

Mystic eyes: B

The possession of Mystic Eyes that are capable of interfering with the outside world.

Berserker is able to discern the class and identity of a servant just by watching their attack patterns. Passive ability but can be forcefully activated if a command seal is used.

Uncrowned Arms Mastership: B++

Is arms competency that was not recognized by others due various reasons

Berserker has mastered the art of brawling as well as swordsmanship when he was alive but the latter did not receive any recognition due to the limited chance to show off his ability.

Noble Phantasms

Innocence: Second Release: B

Berserker's left hand is able to switch rapidly between its claw mode, gun mode and spear mode.

Innocence: True mode, Crown Clown: A

Berserker reveals the true form of his Innocence which resembles that of a white cloak. Berserker's right arm becomes fused to his Innocence and his left arm turns black and slender, sprouting razor sharp claws. In this form, Berserker is able to use Cross Grave and Edge End, two of his most signature moves. Has to be activated to use Sword of Exorcism.

Innocence: Critical Point Broken, Sword of Exorcism: A+

True Form of Berserker's left arm. Berserker is able to shave off mana from any entity that the sword cuts as well as cause massive explosions with each swing of the sword.

Awakening of the Noah: EX Anti Unit (self) type

Must have activated Crown Clown to use. In this mode, Berserker's stats are all raised to EX for 5 minutes. Berserker's skin turns completely black and multiple cross scars appear on his forehead. He is unable to discern friend from foe and attacks everyone and everything he sees or deems a threat. Berserker feels no pain or remorse in this mode and will ignore all his injuries no matter how grave. Verbal commands do not work on Berserker in this mode , only a command seal can be used to call off Berserker, limiting the usage of this form to just three times.