Berserker is currently scouting the city, well not really, to be more accurate Berserker is observing the city from a top of the skyscrapers building.
From there Berserker can observe anything that happen within a four kilometer of distance from where he is.
In the distance Berserker could see a car is speeding uncontrollably and is about to crash some passerby.
He quickly dematerialized and save the passerby while the car is swiveling right and left before stopping by brake, car tire marks were left in the road.
The driver hurriedly coming out and running toward him and the passerby.
"Hey are you alright" the man screamed in worry.
When he is in front of them the man quickly prostrate himself on the ground, profusely apologizing to them. The passerby clearly uncomfortable by an older man on his knees apologizing to him, quickly forgave him after telling the older man to be careful while driving in which the man is grateful for. When the both of them turned toward Berserker he is already gone, back to the skyscrapers, which confused both men.
Berserker now back on the skyscrapers is questioned by his master.
'Why did you do that, Berserker?'
Berserker is silent, not sure how to answer, after all his body moved on his own without him noticing.
'No reason' Berserker replied, his master is still curious but didn't asking more question, which Berserker is grateful for.
Berserker is thankful that his Master is not interested on his identity or antic, it seems that as long as he can win the Holy Grail War his Master didn't care even if he was the devil himself, something to contemplate about, thought Berserker.
His identity is a problem even to himself, to simply put it, Berserker didn't remember who or what he is, therein lies the problem, he know his capabilities and his weaknesses, yet he didn't know about himself? Is that even possible? Is that why he was summoned as a Berserker? Because of amnesia of all thing? Is that his form of madness? Amnesia? Seriously? Even the Grail know how to jest it seems, but what is clear to him is that he needed to win the Holy Grail war just as his Master order, without knowing who and what he is or what he wanted.
All in all rather than dwelling on the unknown its better to think on the strategy to defeat the other servant. Berserker know that he has been lucky this whole time, in the fight with Archer, due to the order of his master Berserker for a brief time lose control of himself, seeking nothing but Archer demise disregarding the other servant and even his master condition, if the other servant were to attack him at that moment he would be defenseless against them as his master is dying due to his battle with Archer.
Because of this Berserker and his master have made some sort of strategy, if it can be called that way, in light of Berserker capability and lucid thinking Kariya have agreed to let Berserker to act on his own initiative while Kariya himself will focus on hiding his presence.
This plan is suggested by Kariya who realize that as of right now he himself is Berserker known weakness, for that reason Kariya opted to focus on hiding himself. Such was Kariya confidence toward Berserker capabilities.
About his master, now that is a problem he didn't want to think about, he wasn't even sure if his Master is still himself after all. Despite his condition his Master Kariya have quickly recover, something to be grateful about, he didn't seem to be any different for now but Berserker is willing to play the long game of wait and see. One does not trust a foul creature and expect something good from it after all.
But for now Berserker will focus on scouting the city. From the place where Berserker standing the night has been colder than usual for some reason.
The silence of the night suddenly ended when a voice coming from behind Berserker called out to him.
"I saw what you're just doing" the voice stated.
Berserker turned and he saw from the darkness of the night suddenly a skull mask appear, with a purple hair, and all black outfit Assassin stand before Berserker.
"Very kind of you to help that passerby." Said Assassin.
In response Berserker put his hands on his side ready to summoned his weapon for battle, but Assassin is quick to try and pacify him.
"Wait, wait, I'm not here to fight." Assassin said while putting her hands on the air.
"I'm here to offer an alliance." She continued.
Berserker just silently looked at her. Taking this as a cue Assassin continued talking.
"If you would listen for a moment, I swear this will benefit the both of us." Assassin offered.
'Berserker, let her speak' Kariya tell Berserker.
Berserker while still wary conceded to his Master word.
"Speak" Berserker ordered.
Assassin sighed in relief, looked at Berserker analyzing him for any sign of aggression, when she found there is none, she continued her offer.
"Like I said, my Master and I offered an alliance with your side." Assassin explained.
"We could share information about master and servant, their location, identity, capability, and weaknesses then we can make plans to defeat them together, until there is no other servant except the both of us, what do you think?" Assassin asked for confirmation.
'Tell her to revealed her Noble phantasm first' Kariya ordered.
Berserker looked at her before giving her the ultimatum.
"Assassin, if you want an alliance tell us you're Noble phantasm"
Assassin is quiet, expecting this request, but clearly not willing to tell, after all a Noble Phantasm is the ultimate trump card for a Servant, which can be used in a tricky situation and not something that can be revealed to just anyone, at least not to a future enemy.
"You know I can't" Assassin denied.
"But you know mine" Berserker counter.
"Vaguely, I only knew you used it to defeat Archer and nothing else." Assassin said.
"And yours allowed yourself to survived against Archer barrage of attack, which means it's not for battle." Berserker reminded.
"You need me more than I need you" Berserker said.
Assassin is silent about this, in a way Berserker is not wrong her Noble Phantasm Zabaniya Delusional Illusion power is an Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm that targets Assassin herself rather than an opponent. While her Noble Phantasm has no destructive ability it was in essence more useful for scouting and support than anything else, but of course Assassin will not admit this.
"But are you?" Assassin questioned.
Berserker is raising his eyebrow at her challenging tone, Assassin ignored his stare and continue talking.
"Can you fight Saber and Rider at the same time the with your Noble Phantasm, Berserker?" Assassin challenged.
"What do you mean?" Berserker asked, Assassin changed her tone as she explained.
"Just recently Caster appeared and attacked Saber at her base, but with the help of Lancer, Saber managed to repel his attack only for Lancer to challenge Saber to another duel. The duel is then won by Saber via her Master, and then not long after that Rider came storming in to her base but instead of fighting they were currently sitting and drinking together." Assassin revealed.
"I believe they are talking about alliance against you Berserker" Assassin continued in jest.
Unfortunately for Assassin while Berserker is listening he was not impressed by her revelation, clearly she tried to avoid the question with this information but, fine I'll let it go, Berserker thought keeping silence all the same.
'What do you think Master' Berserker asked Kariya.
'Agreed with her Berserker, her skill will make this war easier for us' Kariya told Berserker, assurance can be felt from his tone, having full confidence toward Berserker power and capabilities. Berserker sighed knowing this.
'Besides we could use help to eliminate Rider and Saber' Kariya continued but Berserker take it differently.
'Is that an order master?' Berserker asked, confusing Kariya but he thought nothing of it.
'Yes'
'Understood master' the light in Berserker eyes changed, surprising Assassin.
"We accept your offer, but first" Berserker said.
"What is it?" Assassin asked.
"You said *currently*" Berserker pointed.
"Yes?" Assassin answered, confused.
"Where?" Berserker demanded.
Assassin felt curious seeing the look on Berserker face.
The place of the banquet was chosen to be the parterre in the castle's central courtyard. The battle last night didn't affect this place, and it wasn't frugal to welcome a guest here. By now, no one paid attention to the coldness of the outside air.
Rider brought the casket to the central courtyard, and the two Servants sat opposite each other with ease.Rider shattered the lid of the casket with his fist; the musky fragrance of rice wine immediately filled the air of the courtyard.
Rider said nothing about the absence of Saber master, while his own Master is standing behind him.
"Although this is shaped oddly, it's the goblet unique to this country."
Rider happily scooped up some wine with the long bamboo ladle. Unfortunately, no one present pointed out the error in his common sense.
Rider firstly drained the wine in the ladle with one gulp, then spoke:
"I heard that only those who are worthy are able to obtain the Holy Grail."
The solemn tone made the atmosphere quietened down. Something must be up if this man is speaking in this tone of voice.
Without hesitation, Saber took the long ladle Rider passed to her, and also scooped up a full measure of wine.
Saber's slender body made others worry if she could really drink liquor. However, her forthrightness with the drink wasn't in any ways lacking compared to the giant Rider. Seeing this, Rider happily praised her.
"So, firstly you are going to compete with me to see who's stronger, Rider?"
"Exactly. Going through a true competition in the name of kingship. But we can't call this 'the War of the Holy Grail', better if we call it 'Quiz of the Holy Grail'… At the end, between the King of Knights and the King of Conquerors, who would become 'the King of the Holy Grail'? It's best fit to ask the wine goblet such a question."
Rider did a u-turn from his previously solemn tone, laughing as if pulling a prank. Then he started speaking.
"Well you can start first Saber, it's just right to give the guest the benefit, right?"
Suppressing the annoyance her heart, Saber started to ask:
"Then I will ask, why do you want the Holy Grail?"
Unexpectedly, Rider smiled rather shyly. He will replied after taking a sip of wine, but before he can speak a bright light suddenly fall from the sky above them.
"Hm?" Rider mused.
BOOM
In that instant, all sound was lost. Accompanied by a pillar of blinding light, an explosion so strong erupted, scorching the very earth itself. Shaking the surrounding air, it emitted an intense pressure that could be felt to those that bore witness to the destruction. The darkened skies partially cleared up, showing bits of the starry sky among the thickened black clouds.
The einzbern castle is now a but a ruined, burning piece of land.
Assassin looked on in wonder at the destruction wrecked upon the Einzbern right in front of her eyes, in fact one of her bodies has been killed because of Berserker assault, if it can be called that way.
After agreeing to the alliance Berserker quickly demanded to know the location of Saber and Rider, she asked what he is planning in which Berserker refused to in indulge. Assassin is flummoxed but conceded and tell him the location of both Servant at the moment, in a castle on the outskirts of fuyuki, what Berserker did then surprised her.
Berserker summoned a black bow of his size and a spiral sword, then the shape of the sword changes, altered into something else, something more aerodynamic. Coiling into a spiral, its shape turned to that of a giant screw. Not only was the blade modified, even the entire structure was altered to the shape of an arrow. A sword now modified into a deadly "arrow", its presence was emitting a sense of enmity.
Berserker put the modified arrow in to the bow, pointed the bow high and then shoot it in an angle towars the sky. The arrow then fall from the sky toward the Einzbern castle in a manner befitting of a meteor before exploded, destroying the castle and everyone in it.
That's how it was supposed to be, but, from where Assassin standing she can saw a speck of light covered by lightning flying away from the wreckage.
"Rider survived it seems" Assassin reported, Berserker quickly responded.
Forming in Berserker hand was a long, thin dark object like sword. The sword then deformed into something of an aerodynamic structure obscured with jagged edges, coiling around its core, forming a spiral that curved upwards. It gave off a sense of dread, as though hungry for blood. Loading it to the bow, Berserker took aim toward Rider.
Red sparks danced around the "arrow" as it was fed with overflowing prana. Pulling back string of the bow, Berserker set his target. The sword was shaking uncontrollably as though acknowledging its prey, like a hungry hound eager to hunt.
Then without warning, a red bullet soared to the skies. Howling like a pack of hounds, it seeks its prey. The air vibrates. Red light stained the darkened skies.
Summoning yet another sword, Berserker poured prana into the makeshift arrow, even more than the first.
10 seconds...
Berserker kept pumping prana into it, to make it stronger and deadlier than the previous one.
20 seconds...
The second arrow was unleashed. A red bullet raced across the field, howling as it makes it way towards its intended target.
Berserker summoned his third "arrow". It needs to be much stronger than its predecessors, more deadly than before.
15 seconds…
Each shot was increasing in power. With a basic charging time of 20 seconds, the concurrent shots have an increase in time interval of 5 seconds, each time he dispense more prana into it.
25 seconds...
The third bullet soared to the skies. Howling in the wind, it raced to its selected target. In that time, the fourth "arrow" was already mounted on the bow.
10 seconds...
20 seconds...
Red light danced around the mounted "arrow". It was emitting red sparks from the overflowing prana fed into it. More, even more, more unstable, more dangerous, more deadly.
30 seconds...
'Ber...berserker w..wait...s..stop' his Master called with panic in his voice, it seems his Master have reached his limit, a pity, Berserker thought while shooting the last "arrow" toward Rider in the distance.
The sky flashed with bright lights. The chased continues as gold and red zoomed across Fuyuki like a blur. Leaving after effects which produced sonic booms, they shattered glass and windows wherever went that. The chase continues on all the way across the ocean and back to the mountain valleys. The whole place of Fuyuki was now an aerial battlefield.
Right now, Rider had spotted his assailant. He dived straight to him, one hand on the reins while his other hand holding his unconcious master.
Gordius Wheel is a large antique war chariot with two prows that is led by twoDivine Bullswith rippling muscles.The bulls, which Rider calls the "Children of Zeus", were originally an offering to Zeus from KingGordius, but Alexander claimed them by cutting the Gordian Knot with his sword.
Each of their hooves is enveloped in purple lightning, and they simultaneously kick with their front hooves and then trample the fallen target with their hind hooves.The bulls' charge is capable of reaching over four hundred kilometers per hour.
Nevertheless, the divine beast did not falter. Instead of retreating, as Rider dived towards the demonic bullet it marched on. It was after all a proud divine beasts with connection to the gods.
Two lights crossed path. Red and gold shone brightly at the intersection point. Using its high mobility and speed, the bulls dodged barely inches from the red bullet. The golden light zoomed past towards victory while the red light soared towards the empty sky, missing its target.
An archer was restricted to an ironclad rule. An arrow once released from the bow cannot change its trajectory or its target. It was only capable of travelling in a straight line. This also applies to bullets shot from guns. If it misses, then there is no helping it.
However that rule, right now doesn't apply here. The red bullet that was released would not accept having denied its prey. It was a cursed sword that would pursue its target as long as the archer continues to target it. Performing an aero feat, the demonic bullet made a 180 angle turn.
With speeds that no normal human or machine could match, it quickly catches up to its prey. Cutting through the air, it raced to Rider, hungry for his blood.
Seeing his pursuer back hot on his tail, Rider went into evasive action. Abandoning targeting the shooter responsible, he made a sharp ascend, hoping for the bullet to hit its shooter instead.
It was so wrong. The bullet was no ordinary bullet. It was the cursed sword "Hrunting". A Noble Phantasm now broken, it was what it was because of its extraordinary feats that were achieved before.
The red bullet soared up to the skies, mimicking the target's moves. The demonic bullet gave chased, following faithfully to Rider complex aerial manoeuvres, refusing to lose its prey.
Berserker and Rider eyes met in a split second, recognition flash in Rider eyes before he went away in a second.
The lights flew out to the sea. The shockwaves produced by the high speed entities created large waves on the surface of the ocean.
Rider cursed realizing who the culprit of his situation, as the arrows getting closer. The problem was Rider can't really retaliate while being attacked like this without endangered his unconcious master in his arms.
Berserker saw as the arrows getting closer toward Rider before they hit the chariot one by one and exploded on the air scarlet light filled a portion of the sky, shaking the atmosphere in an intense pressure, as the towering azure coloured flames came down like tsunami while devouring both the golden and scarlet entities.
The sky was illuminated with violet light as red and blue blended together.And just like when the flames appeared, the whole thing vanished in an instant. Emptiness and silence filled the plains for a few seconds that seemed like hours long. Not long after, sound returns as the crackling noise of the fire burning slowly to its end by the pelting of rain was heard in the background.
"So, Rider is dead now?" Assassin voice breaking the silence.
Berserker shake his head after a few second.
While unclear due to the High speed movement he could still make out Rider vanishing form before the explosion. Clearly Rider Master is using his Command Seals to escape.
"So, what now?" Assassin asked.
Berserker didn't answer as the silence returned.
somewhere on the roof of a building a man in priest outfit is looking at Berserker and his action with a stoic face.
Then from behind him Assassin appear.
"Master" she said.
"They accepted the offer" She confirm.
"Good job, Assassin" the man said looking to the building Berserker standing on, his thoughts unknown.