Prologue 4: Berserker
'I'm a devil.'
That was the sudden realization I had after defeating all of my enemies. Their corpses numbered in the millions. Or was it billions? I wasn't too sure. Either way…
… every single one of my enemies is dead now.
That excludes me since I wouldn't be telling this story if I was dead. Even though this fact meant that my friends, the comrades that have stuck by me through thick and thin were now gone too, this should make everything that I have accomplished pointless.
However, I didn't feel sad. Did that make me a devil? No. I had been one for as long as I could remember. It all began when I committed the act that got the person most important to me in my life killed, that person being my mother.
I killed my mother.
Ever since I had concocted my devilish scheme to kill her and everyone else in the world was when I went mad. But that doesn't sound right. I saw my mother die by being eaten alive by my father's first wife, now a monstrous Titan.
Her death was what drove me to do what I did. Genocide. But isn't that a contradiction? My hatred for Titans, no, the world itself, for taking my mother away from me was what kept me alive. At the same time, I killed her because I believed it was the only way 'to save the world.'
Yeah…
… ever since I was born…
… I've been a devil-
Suddenly, everything went dark. This lasted for a blink of an eye as I found myself in…
… A new world.
'… Where… am… I?' I thought internally as I examined the scenery in front of me. The place I found myself in was Catacombs. Or at least they appeared to be. It was a wide area that a hundred people could fit inside of and still have plenty of space to move around.
But at the same time, it was suffocating. It was also dark with very little light to speak of. It all reminded me of a place that I thought I had long since forgotten… my father's basement. That and everything else made me want to get the hell out of here as soon as possible.
Even still, this place was completely foreign to me. And since I had long since perished due to the 'Curse of the Titans.' This meant one thing and one thing only…
"… Looks like I'm not in Paradis anymore." I muttered to myself with a smirk.
"W-Who are you?" I heard someone's voice; their words went through my eardrums. I then turned my head toward them and noticed a man a few meters away from me. He wore a blue jacket, though the dim lighting along with the fact that his hood was draped over his head meant that his face was obscured to me.
His voice, clothes, and everything else about the man were completely foreign to me. All things considered; he might as well be something that isn't a man. Hell, even if he's human, that gives me less of a reason to trust him.
'Guess, I'll play the part of the fool for now.' I thought internally as I proceeded to-
"Hmm… I have no idea. How about you tell me my name." The man replied to me in a disinterested tone without a care in the world. Huh? What is this? Isn't this supposed to be the Servant I summoned? If that's the case, then why can't he remember his na-
"HAHAHA! A Servant that can't remember his own name?! Looks like you really screwed up, Kariya! HAHAHA!" My grandfather laughed hysterically. D-Did I really make a mistake during the summoning ritual?!
"I-It can't be!" I yelled out as I rejected the harsh reality before me. If this Servant speaks the truth, then he won't be able to use his Noble Phantasm! And if he can't use his ultimate ability, then I have no chance of accomplishing my promise! My promise to her-
I remember it just as if it were yesterday…
'Let's take Aoi-san and Rin-chan from the Tohsakas and go somewhere far away. We can play together again like we used to.' I whispered into her ear while hugging her.
'Can I really see them again?' She asked with a voice that I believed wanted to hope but was scared to do so. I didn't want her to be afraid anymore, so I reassured her.
'Yeah, you will. I promise you that." I promised her. A promise is an unbreakable oath. For that reason, I must make that promise a reality…
… Even if it kills me.
However, in the Holy Grail War, I need a Servant that is strong. That is why I summoned a Berserker-Class Servant. I intend to crush the competition, especially that bastard Tokiomi! But this Servant is-
"HAHAHA! He looks so weak! Can someone so frail even be considered a Berserker?! HAHAHA!" Grandfather's excessive laughter broke my thought process again. However, he's right.
Can 'that' even be called a Berserker, let alone a Servant? I was expecting someone covered head to toe in armor! Or at least a bulky man with a physique that rivaled Schwarzenegger! But this man looks just like a man! There's nothing impressive about him!
Does this mean that all my effort, everything that I have sacrificed will be in vain?!
"Hey. What the hell did you just call me?" The man spoke though not to me but to my grandfather. Wait… WHAT?!
"Huh? Are you, not the Berserker-Class Servant?" Grandfather asked.
"That word… don't you ever call me 'Servant' old man." The man spoke with immense hatred in his voice. D-Does this guy have a death wish or something?!
"Hahaha…" Grandfather laughed quietly until-
"… Clearly you don't know who you are talking to… boy." Grandfather finished with a devilish grin on his face. And then…
'BZZT! BZZT! BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!' Suddenly a swarm of bugs came from grandfather and sped through the air and toward the man! Not even a second later, they were crawling all over the man and biting him ferociously!
"Grandfather! Please stop! If you don't he'll di-" I pleaded with Grandfather but I was cut off by-
'Chomp!' A Crest Worm that dug itself into my leg!
"AAAUUUUGGGHHHHHHHH!" I groaned in agony. Even though I have so many of those vile monsters inside of me... the pain of having one of them penetrate me… that never becomes bearable...
... not in the slightest.
"Shut up. Your Servant disrespected me. But relax. I won't kill him. I'm just going to teach him a lesson. HAHAHA!" Grandfather declared as he laughed hysterically once more.
'Shit! At this rate, he might be killed! If I don't stop Grandfather then my chances of winning the Grail War, of saving Sakura, will all go down the drain! I have no choice! I must-
"That's the third and last time, you call me Servant… you old bastard." The man spoke as not even a second later…
'FLASH!' A flash of light blinded my vision!
'CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!' The ground cracked below me!
'W-What is this?! An earthquake?!' I found myself thinking that as my vision began to return to me.
'Whoosh!' As the dust settled, I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was something that shouldn't belong in this world.
"W-W-What the hell is that?" I muttered as I stared at the giant, no. The Titan before me. He had long brown hair and a massive body. He looked like an incarnated God but with that face, he looks more like a devil to me.
"Impossible! T-This is the Berserker-Class Servant?!" Grandfather yelled out as he was dumbstruck as well. We both marveled at the Titan. It was at least fifteen meters tall. It was so utterly massive that the roof of this accursed pit full of Crest Worms was being broken through by the Titan! But then…
'BAM!' The Titan's foot crushed Grandfather with ease! He was blown to pieces like a watermelon that was hit with a baseball bat! It was so sudden that I couldn't even comprehend it till after the deed was already done. Without a shadow of a doubt, this Titan is the Berserker-Class Servant.
Wait a second. If he was able to defeat Grandfather that easily… then maybe… I don't even need to go through with this Grail War. If it weren't for Grandfather, then I would have rescued Sakura a year ago.
However, I couldn't defeat Grandfather. There's not much a novice like me can do against an experienced Mage, let alone one that has lived as long as that monster has. I doubt that crafty old bastard is dead. Even still, this Servant has proved itself to be strong.
I can't let this chance slip away! But I doubt that this Servant will listen to reason in this form. Unless I use a-
"By my Command Spell…" I spoke as the tattoo on my left hand flashed bright red. And then…
"… I order you to rescue Sakura!" I declared as one of the tattoos on my hand vanished without a trace. I might have lost one of my three Command Spells, but if this is what it takes to ensure Sakura's safety then so be it.
"…" I waited patiently for the order to be fulfilled.
"…" I continued waiting.
"…" But even though thirty seconds have passed…
"Huh." I muttered as suddenly smoke clouded my vision.
"W-What the-" I muttered once more.
"You dare think you can control me?" A familiar voice spoke to me. It was the man's voice, aka Berserker's human form.
"Ah!" I gasped as the smoke settled and I noticed that the man had penetrated through the Titan's back. He then leaped down to the ground and rushed toward me. I wanted to move, but my legs didn't listen to me, so I was-
"Listen here. You may think you can control me but think again." The man spoke as he gripped my jacket and-
'Bam!' Punched me in my face!
"Augh!" I groaned in pain as I noticed that one of my teeth had fallen to the ground. But not even a second later-
'Bam!' I was punched in my solar plexus.
"BLAUGH!" I vomited blood while I fell to the ground.
"I'm not your or anyone else's 'Servant.' I have obtained freedom. I will never lose that freedom ever again. So, if you ever use another one of those 'Command Spells' on me again…" The man spoke until he stopped for a few seconds while he gripped my hair and pulled me up. And then…
"… I'll make sure you watch me as I kill that 'Sakura girl' you told me to rescue." The man declared as he whispered into my ear. My eyes shot wide open as I remembered all of those memories I shared with the young girl.
"YOU BAS-" I yelled out only to be completely cut off by the man slamming his knee into my face.
"AUGH!" I groaned in agony as I fell to the ground once more.
"Don't you realize that this isn't a fair fight whatsoever? What are you? Some suicidal bastard?" The man asked me. But before I could respond he-
"Hahaha. Great. Now I'm starting to understand what Jean meant when he used to call me that." The man spoke with a grin as he approached me.
"Get up." The man commanded.
"I-I refuse." I replied.
"You still don't understand, do you? I'm only going to say this once. I'm your Master. So, when I say get up, then you get the hell up, understand?" The man spoke but I ignored him.
"… Unless you really don't care what happens to poor little Sakura." The man continued but once he mentioned her name, I had no choice but to immediately stand up.
"Now, was that so hard?" The man asked with a smirk.
"…" I didn't say a word in response as I stared daggers at him.
"Ooh, scary. I'm so scared of…" The man spoke but stopped for a few seconds as he clearly didn't know my name.
"Kariya." I spoke.
"Kariya. Oh, by the way, I never told you my name…" The man spoke as he paused for a few seconds until-
"… My name is… Eren Yeager." The man revealed his true identity with a smug expression.
"I'm not from around here, so explain to me just what the hell is going on, Ser-no. My…" Eren spoke but paused for a second as he leaned toward me. And then…
"… Slave." Eren whispered into my ear as our roles of Master and Servant have been completely reversed.