Chapter 11, Interlude - "A Sharp Dissonance (Berserker)"
Ilya kicked Berserker in the only soft spot she could find, his stomach.
She kicked, and kicked, and kicked, and kicked.
Berserker groaned very lightly, though he made no signs of resisting.
He continued groaning out mindlessly the names of the people most important to him, alternatively groaning "Sakuraaaaaaa...", and "Illyaaaaaaaa..."
Ilya kicked him again in the gut, as harshly as she could muster.
"What a useless servant!" Ilya huffed, "And what a useless "brother"!"
Ilya kicked him again in the stomach repeatedly, though not to much effect.
Berserker just continued groaning helplessly.
He was a Servant that only marginally became useful once a very high level of Mad Enhancement (A++) and a heavy degree of "Pain Nullification" via Magecraft (The equivalent of the natural A+++ Skill) had been applied to him.
Now though, the "Pain Nullification" had been temporarily switched off by Ilya, and was currently inactive.
"Honestly! How did I mess up so badly that I ended up summoning a catatonic servant in the first place?!"
Ilya gave Berserker one last kick, and stormed off to her bedroom.
"Illyaaaaaaaa..."
"Ilya-sama..." Leysritt called out to her, but Ilya just stomped away angrily.
"Sakuraaaaaaa..."
"Don't bother me!" Ilya called back, not bothering to look at her maids.
"..."
"Illyaaaaaaaa..."
Berserker lay a convulsing mess on the ground, in continuous intense pain from all the blades jutting out from of his own body. "Sakuraaaaaaa..."
"Ilyaaaaaaaa..."
"..."
The Maids watched on, as he lay there pathetically and with no awareness of even his own surroundings.
"Sakuraaaaaaa..."
Leysritt looked on at Berserker, in sympathy.
"It's so pitiful, isn't it...?"
She asked, her own pity clear in her voice.
"Don't feel for it, Leysritt." Sella scolded, "It's just a tool. Ilya-sama's tool to win the war. If it's Ilya-sama's will, then there's nothing to be done about it."
"But..."
"Don't."
"..."
"..."
Berserker squirmed again, in intense pain.
"Ilyaaaaaaaa..."
[]
"Damn it! Why?!"
Ilya fumed.
"Why do I feel sorry for that thing?! He's just a tool! My tool!"
But deep in her heart, she knew that wasn't true.
She had seen his memories. She had seen his warmness and his kindness, even to her and even in the depths of his despair.
Ilya shook her head, trying to justify herself, "He's that man's son! He's Emiya Kiritsugu's son! The one he abandoned me for!"
...But, even so...
The other her, the other Ilya, the one she had seen in Berserker's memories had been so kind to him, despite that. And that was what shook her the most.
...Would she also be able to be feel like that? To be like that? To feel Emiya Shirou's warmth and love?
She had seen Berserker's Memories of her, and of the other Lesser Grail. And he was warm, so very, incredibly warm.
Ilya stuffed her face in her pillow, trying to wipe off her tears.
She didn't even know when she had started crying.
Again, she shook her head, trying to shake away any sympathy she had for Berserker.
She stuffed her head deeply inside her pillow, trying to ignore her own consciousness.
'Whatever! I'll just sleep it off!'
But she knew she would only see more of Berserker's memories, the ones she still hadn't seen yet, and that bothered her.
But she didn't want to think about that right now!
She sighed.
And in an act of mercy, she reactivated Berserker's "Pain Nullification" Magecraft Enhancement from afar, before setting off to sleep.
Berserker collapsed in relief, finally no longer squirming or convulsing wildly.
"Illyaaaaaaaa..." He groaned softly. It sounded almost fond and affection, if one were to listen closely.
That night, she dreamed of a crying Shirou, who pushed her away, and of herself, who pulled him back, comforting him, softly and warmly.
Ilya slept.
And that night, she dreamt, like an angel in heaven's hands. An angel, in heaven's feel.
Chapter 11, Interlude - "A Sharp Dissonance (Berserker)" END
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Author's Notes:
There's that wordplay that fits the situation in the end. Hopefully, some of you enjoyed that. Personally, I liked it. I though it was kind of a cool and clever wordplay, myself. But I'm the author, so I might be a bit biased on that end (lol).
A bit of a more heavy (baritone) chapter this time, but next chapter will be a lot more of a lighter and fluffier chapter.
Short Chapter this week, but next chapter will be longer (Shirou and Saber focused, Shirou doing some training!).
Omake:
"I feel sorry for it, Sella."
"Don't, Leysritt. It's Ilya-sama's will."
"..."
"..."
"...We could at least feed him something!"
"It's not a dog, Leysritt."
Omake END