Chapter 6
Lion-O slowly stood up along with Saber, the two servants readied their weapons. The enemy, the Berserker-class, loomed over them with his sheer size.
"Saber…any idea how to defeat him?" Lion-O asked while Saber glanced at him. "I was about to ask the same thing to you." Lion-O looked back behind him. He saw Ardrice stood up beside a pole, Shirou and Rin staggered to their feet as they stood beside a road guard rail.
Now…how should I defeat him? Lion-O thought as he faced the berserker-class again. "Saber, let's double tag him." He suggested to Saber who readied her stance again. "Yes, that would be a good idea."
Lion-O smiled and then the two of them charge. Berserker let out a deafening roar before he dashed in unbelievable speed. He raised his sword high and slammed it down at the two but the two servants quickly split and ran to his open sides.
Got you! Lion-O and Saber quickly swung their sword but to their dismay, Berserker quickly hinge his whole body up by his sword, twisted in the air, before he landed behind the two. "He's flexible-!"
"Watch out!" Saber raised her sword and parried the Berserker-class and was pushed to the guardrail. Lion-O then hurled towards him but the Berserker-class planted his right foot, twist it and made a roundhouse kick with his left. A gust of wind pushed Lion-O and the King servant was pushed towards a wall on his left.
He's too powerful…I guess I don't have any choice! He glanced behind him and saw the Berserker's master. "I have to kill the master!" Lion-O turned around and then swiftly sprinted towards the Einzbern master. He raised his sword and was about to strike down the girl but the Einzbern master quickly leap back, avoiding his sword.
"Tch, little runt-" Lion-O's voice was cut when a shadow appeared behind him, he immediately turned and raised his sword and block the Berserker's stone sword. He was pushed away and grunted heavily.
"He's fast!"
"He's a skilled warrior and probably a veteran of war." Saber observed as she puffed air. A warrior and a hero…no, he's much more than that. Lion-O thought hard as the Berserker-class squatted his legs down and pointed his sword at them.
"Lion-O! Use your Noble Phantasm!" Lion-O glanced behind him and saw Ardrice raised his gun and fired a shot at Einzbern, the girl only raised her right hand and stopped it with her force field.
"I was planning to!" Lion-O shouted and pointed his sword downward. A fusillade of green light shrouded him, followed by a surge of golden light. Lion-O's Noble Phantasm armor equipped on his body and the servant grinned.
"Now get a load of this!" He charged towards the Berserker-class with speed. The Berserker-class roared and raised his sword to his left, Lion-O clashed against with his stone sword and the Berserker was pushed forcefully.
"Grrr-!" The Berserker growled, piqued at Lion-O's noble phantasm. "How about that huh?!" Lion-O sneered more, making the Berserker howled angrily. The Bersker charged towards him, stone sword raised high.
It then veered his stone sword up, Lion-O bended his body back and quickly kick the Berserker-class by his chin. The Berserker flew and landed his back on the ground, startling Illya.
"Oh, so you can push my Berserker with ease now huh," she made a grin at the two servants. "But my servant can take the two of you, Berserker!" The Berserker's eyes lit up in red and grunted vehemently before he got up.
"Heh come at me, big grey bob." Lion-O taunted and the Berserker burst forward. He's gonna make a right hook, through Lion-O's armor, the servant saw the Berserker planting his right foot hard and then raising his right fist. He could easily dodge this.
"So easy to doge-" and then Lion-O's smile disappear. Berserker whipped his left leg with brunt and hit the Lion King servant's chin. A sickening sound of metal breaking apart, echoed as Lion-O was thrown upward to the sky.
"Wha-!" the head armor of Lion-O shattered, his face of disbelief was exposed to the night sky. "A feint attack-" then a shadow appeared on his left. It was the Berserker with his stone sword raised high which he forcefully swung down, hitting Lion-O's armor on his mid-torso.
Lion-O howled in anguish as he plummets down to the earth and during his descent he heard his Master, screaming in fear, from the distant.
"LION-O!" Ardrice screamed, horrified as he watch Lion-O falls to the ravine below them together with several pieces of his Armor of Omens. No…he can't die here! He made a dash towards the ravine, worrying for his servant.
"Wait, Ardrice!" Shirou shouted as he chased after him. "Shirou, don't go alone!" Rin and Saber said in unison as they too followed him.
Ardrice slide down the slopes of the ravine and reached the bottom. In front of him was an abandoned cemetery. Crosses and statues of angels lined up the ground, which were all riddled with mosses and vines.
And on the middle of the cemetery, sunk down on a small crater, was Lion-O. He gasped, terrified after he saw a growing pool of blood underneath him, which slowly changing the color of his blue cape into red, coming from the wounds of his stomach.
"Lion-O, are you alright?!" Ardrice rushed and kneeled beside Lion-O. "Don't worry I'll heal you!" his hands fished for a potion on his right jacket pocket but before he could take it out, a gush of wind suddenly hit him and it almost knock him out.
Then they both heard a clap. Ardrice darted towards the source of the clap and saw the Einzbern master. The child was clapping her hands in a slow, mocking way, while she beamed a belittling grin at them.
"Hmm…I can't say it was a good battle but your servant did put up a good fight. I guess the Defensors can still put up a good mage, despite their dark, gruesome history." Ardrice's eyes became dark as he suddenly pointed his gun at her and fired.
"Storch Ritter, Degen!" Illya shouted before a whisk of white light appeared and formed into a white bird which then flew and block the bullet.
Of course it will be block, Storch Ritter… a magical wire construct made from her own hair. Ardrice looked at the hovering birds, he gritted his teeth for he has no chance of winning against her.
"Augh-!" a painful groan suddenly came out from Lion-O's mouth. "Lion-O!" Ardrice exclaimed as Lion-O slowly stood up. He grunted in agony as he made each move. Blood poured on to the ground as he coughed hard after felt his muscles on his abdomen cramped in tense.
"Where's-your servant…?" Lion-O asked, straining each words.
"Not gonna give up? Oh well. Berserker!" a loud thump shook the earth as the Berserker-class appeared beside Illya. "Finish him please." She said merrily as the Berserker-class roared deafeningly and then jumped towards the servant Lion King.
"Ardrice get behind me, now!" Lion-O commanded and the master immediately move.
I'm not going to die here! "Thunder!" Lion-O pointed his sword, the blade began to glow in red.
I still have a wish to fulfill! "Thunder!" the hue on his sword increased, electricity began to form on the blade's tip.
"THUNDER!"
I swear I will fulfill my wish! "Thundercats-Roar!" the hue died down and then a bright and powerful beam of red light shoot towards the Berserker servant. The Berserker careened into a stop but before he could react, the beam hit him. The red beam gushed out and shoots towards the sky, parting the clouds and turned the dark blue night into a bright blood red one.
And then the beam disappeared.
"Did…I get him…?" Lion-O whispered as his knees buckled and began to fall but Ardrice caught him by his right shoulder. "Yeah…yes, you did." They both turned to the Berserker-class. They saw him on the middle of the cemetery, kneeling.
His legs were bent as his feet was still planted on the ground but above his waist there was nothing.
The whole upper body of the Berserker-class was gone. The two smiled triumphantly, this was there first victory.
"W-we did it!" Lion-O chuckled weakly as Ardrice looked at him. "Indeed! We beat a Berserker-class!" he exclaimed as he laughed, happily.
"Wow, you killed my Berserker-class!" The mood was cut as Illya exclaimed in a surprised way. She stood on a large tree trunk where she jumped to avoid Lion-O's Noble Phantasm, before the servant cast it.
"Yes, now you don't have any servant Illya, you're out of the Holy Grail war!" Ardrice shouted boastfully, while raising his right third middle finger at her.
Illya glanced at remains of the Berserker and then made a malicious smile. "Really…then let me wake him up." She clap her hands loud then a burst of red light shoots from the dismembered waist.
Lion-O and Ardrice's smile disappear and was replace by horror as the upper body of the Berserker-class began to regenerate and reconstruct. His gray-metallic skin was back, his wavy messy black hair become more menacing, and his eyes casted a blood red spark.
"No—no way!" Lion-O stammered in fear. "Oh yes way, eighth servant. Did I introduce my Berserker to you? His real name is Heracles, and he's the strongest hero ever!"
Heracles…oh shit! Ardrice recognized the name. "The strongest Greek hero ever…Heracles, Hercules!" Ardrice trembled as Illya grinned at their scared faces.
"And now that you know him…then I guess you already know his Noble Phantasm, little Defensor." The girl chuckled in delight. "Now Berserker, violate their bodies and kill them!" the Berserker-class roared begrudgingly and shoot forward towards the two.
"Ardrice!" Lion-O shouted before he pushed his master away from him. Just Ardrice, let me save my master! He thought as he closed his eyes before the Berserker-class raised his sword and curved it down to him.
"No-!" a voice echoed followed by a sickening sound of a flesh being torn apart. "Eh?" Lion-O slowly opened his eyes after for he didn't feel the Berserker's attack. And he found out why.
"Shirou-!" Lion-O saw Shirou on his left. His back was leaning on a grave cross. A large pool of blood was forming beneath him as the servant saw a large opened wound on his chest.
Illya saw the whole thing and her eyes was wide, from shock. "Why…why did he block my servant's attack!?" she asked in a disbelieving tone. "Why did he save someone's servant!?" her voice increased, irritated to what just happened.
"Shirou!"
"Master!" Saber and Rin ran towards him. "Foolish master, you shouldn't have done that!" Saber said in a tempered voice. "Is—Ardrice and Lion-O…ok?" Shirou asked, grunting each words in agony, not minding his large bloody wound.
"He saved another Master…?" Illya muttered in a solemn way before he turned her head away and stomped her right foot. "Is my Onii-chan aware that he was also a participant in this war? Berserker, let's go." She commanded as her servant picked her up and put her in his left shoulder before he leaped up and disappeared into the night.
Onii-chan, brother? Ardrice thought and turned his attention to Shirou, the boy was lying on the ground now as Rin began to administer some healing magic.
"A-Ardrice." Lion-O called before he collapsed and breathed hard on the ground.
"Lion-O, hang in there my King." He took out a green colored potion from his right jacket pocket which the servant quickly drank. "Now lie down for a second," he calmly breath and looked at the opened wound on his abdomen, he could see some of his servants organs already and it made him gulp.
"O-Ok, relax now." He calmly put both of his hands on the wound, earning him a painful hiss from his servant. "Alchemy Form no. 5 restoration." A loud gasped escaped from Lion-O's lips as he felt a agonizing tenderness inside him.
"I'm…restoring your cell. Together with the regenerating potion, this could seal your wound fast." He explained but the servant wasn't listening. Lion-O was breathing hard and was staring at the sky with a suffering face.
"Incredible…" On Rin's side the girl was looking down at Shirou's wound. "Saber, look at this." Saber also looked down at Shirou and watched as the boy's wound slowly closed on its own. "Wh-what…such fast regeneration speed." Rin said, surprised, while Saber stared at her master, quizzically.
"Rin, do you think my master is more than what he thinks he is?" Saber asked as Rin closed her eyes and began to think. "Maybe…just maybe." She muttered.
Emerald Sky Home – Ardrice's Unit
"Take a slow step Lion-O," Ardrice opened the door of his unit and slowly entered with Lion-O's left arm around his shoulders. His servant limp as he began to walk towards his room.
"Saber, you can put Shirou down on the sofa." He called to Saber, attentively, as Saber entered the unit. She was carrying her master, who was conscious but very weak, by his right shoulder.
"Whe-where are we…?"
"In Ardrice's unit, Master. We'll stay here for the night." Saber said and she slowly sat her Master down on the sofa, earning her a small cry from his mouth.
Rin was the last the one to enter and the girl glanced down the hallway before she closed the door and put her right hand on the frame. "I'm putting an anti-hex and natural defense for a moment." She said gravely as her right hand glow in red.
She then let out a sigh and turned around. "Heracles huh, I'm not much surprise with the Einzbern, if they could summon such a thing like that." She sat down on a chair beside Shirou and Saber. "How's he?"
"Still fine his wounds are completely closed," Saber answered with half awe as Rin glanced down at the hall where Ardrice's room was.
Ardrice's servant was severely injured and yet he's a Beast-class. She thought deeply and recalled the battle. "The Beast-class…why would a Beast-class be summoned here?" her tone wondered as she cast her eyes up to the ceiling.
Ardrice's Room
Lion-O's chest heaved heavily as he took a deep breath. Ardrice was on his right, he was bend over him and still treating his wound. The boy's row furrowed, disheartened because his servant's wound wasn't fully healed yet.
"I'm sorry, my King…I'm—I'm really trying…" he struggled hard while he keep both of his hand, which were both glowing with green light, cast his alchemy restoring spell.
My mana is completely drained, two Noble Phantasm had did a number on me, he thought gravely and then he suddenly coughed hard. His chest tightened uncomfortably as his lungs gave away all the air inside. "No…you're not completely healed…" and I've reached my limit.
He clicked his tongue, frustration and then rested his back beside his bed. "Master…"Ardrice shot up and looked at Lion-O after he called him, softly.
"M-master…mana transfer…" What…? Ardrice stared, questioningly, at Lion-O. "Mana…transfer." Then the boy's eyes lit up after he remembered another way to replenish mana.
"Lion-O, my mana is depleted, I can't transfer mana to you." Mana transfer, it works if its from Master to servant…but I don't have Mana yet. Ardrice thought as Lion-O opened his eyes, weakly, and looked at him with a grim frown.
"No…from me to you." Ardrice blinked and then realized what he was saying. But mana transfer involves taking everything off… including clothes. His face reddened to the thought of being naked with him, but h quickly shrugged off.
"Y-yeah, um, wait a second ok." Ardrice took off to his side table and took out several bandages and some potion. "I'll just…fix your wound first."
Ardrice's eyes were dead tired as he stood up and looked down on Lion-O. The servant Lion King was already shirtless, bandages was wrapped around his abdomen and waist, he watched as his massive chest goes up and down in a calm way.
"I'll begin…" the boy said as he unbutton his shirt, he didn't remove his pants as he slid down to the bed and lie beside his servant. He stared at the ceiling and took a mouthful of air, he was clueless on what to do for this was his first time to perform a mana transfer.
"Master, put your hand on my chest…" Lion-O called, his voice was gentle and his eyes were close. Ardrice turned to his side and put his left hand on his chest and stared at him. Lion-O…he looked with worry at his servant's peaceful sleeping face.
"I'm beginning." Lion-O said and the tattoo on his chest suddenly lit up in blue. The hue was calming and solemn, Ardrice observe as he felt a warm sensation seeping into his body. So this is Mana transfer…I could get use to this. His heavy eyes slowly closed. He succumbed to the fatigue of today's battle.
Lion-O glanced at him and smiled peacefully at his Master's smiling face. "Sleep well, Master." He said but Ardrice was already in a deep slumber.
Disclaimer : I do not own Thundercats (2011 series) and Fate/Stay night.
Woo-hoo! finally updated! Guys, how's everyone? I hope my fanfiction helps you cope up with this crazy pandemic quarantine. As for those who like my fanfic, Thank you all. I would like to apologize if my fanfic is riddle with grammar mistakes, I am really training myself to improve my grammar while under quarantine. As always, thank you for reading my fanfic, I hope you'll like it. Thinker out!
:)