(AN) This chapter was beta'ed by lioncousin, and he did an awesome job once again even though he is busy with his exams. And thanks for all the reviews I got for the last chapter.
Continuing on, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
(((Finding oneself)))
The night was cold and chilly, mist crept its way into the city alleys. The once crowded streets that were full of life and human activity during the day now stood empty and barren.
Outside influences were at a minimum, and there was no need to worry about trying to hide the battle that was going to ensue.
A battle between legends, which was going to take place in a mere street a little farther than where Shinto church stood. Three Masters and three Servants faced each other at this moment. Two of the Masters stood on one side, while the other would have been by her lonesome self if it wasn't for the gargantuan figure beside her.
The short statured girl with white hair walked a few steps forward, while the other two Masters kept their guard up and didn't dare take their eyes of her partner. The monstrosity which followed the doll-like girl demanded everyone's attention. The girl sported a sweet smile, as she closed her red eyes, a common trait possessed amongst her homunculi family.
"Good evening, Onii-chan! This is the second time we are meeting like this."
Shirou may have received her words a lot more warmly if it were not for the obvious hostility she radiated behind that innocent smile. He was surprised a bit when she called him onii-chan, something that only siblings would normally do, or someone really close like how siblings would be.
But, he could not allow to be fooled by her words, both Saber and Rin were tensed beside him. He could tell that even Archer was probably thinking the same thing and already had his bow nocked.
The girl noticed Rin's sour expression, and smiled spreading her skirt a little with her hands and bowing her head before her in a proper curtsy.
"It's nice to meet you too, Rin. I am Illya. IIlyasviel Von Einzbern," she peeked an eye open lifting her head. "You know the name 'Einzbern', don't you?" The action could have been considered cute if it wasn't for the tense atmosphere.
"Einzbern…" Rin tensed up, and her suspicions were true. This girl was from the Einzbern family, one of the three great mage families, the other two being her own family, the Tohsaka, and Shinji's and Sakura's family, the Matou.
Even Saber tensed a little, images of the previous war rushed through her mind upon hearing Illya's family name. However, she quickly shook it off. A battle was soon to take place, and any distraction could prove to be fatal.
Shirou was lost at the importance of the name Einzbern, while Rin quickly gauged the beast behind the Einzbern. The parameters that she observed made her raise her brows in mild amazement and fear. "I am amazed. In terms of raw ability, that thing outclasses even Saber."
"It's terrifying, I agree." Archer's voice echoed around them, as he continued to stay in his spirit form. "That Servant could probably face the other six Servants single-handedly."
"Which means this isn't someone that can be taken out by brute force alone." Rin summarized, not taking her eyes of the Berserker. "Archer, this calls for your class's primary battle style."
"Then, what about defense?
I doubt you could survive one of his attacks head-on," the Servant clad in red asked.
Rin looked at Shirou's nervous face and Saber, before settling her eyes on Berserker again.
"There are three of us. We will be able to manage somehow."
"Understood."
With that, Archer retreated to make his way to the highest vantage point where he could get a clear view of the battle that would occur.
"Finished with your little strategy meeting?" Illya tilted her head, her tone full of confidence. "Shall we begin?" Her predatory smile wouldn't have been misplaced on the maw of a wolf.
All she got as an answer were defensive stances and wary looks. Those cautious gazes boosted her confidence in herself and her Servant even more. Berserker was the strongest in the world after all. But, at least they weren't running away, so maybe she could commend them for that. By killing them quickly, of course.
"Okay, go get them now Berserker," she sang.
Prana swirled in air as the Berserker class Servant let out a huge roar, which caused the road tiles beneath him to crack under the pressure. Any lesser man might have already soiled themselves upon seeing the hulking monstrosity, his ruthlessly crafted and honed muscles plus the absolute look of fury that the mad Servant held.
Without any warning, Berserker launched himself high into the air, prepared to end the three figures in front of him in one blow. For Berserker was without a doubt a top Servant and being summoned into the Berserker class further enhanced his raw strength and power.
But, he was intercepted mid-air by Archer's arrows which managed to deflect his path, and pushed him onto the pavement to the side. Berserker met the second wave of projectiles head-on deflecting it with the crude slab of stone in his hand, before one arrow snuck past his defense and struck him head on. The issuing explosion blocked the hulking Servant from everyone's view.
Shirou and Rin ran to check if the Berserker was down, but the Servant's roar said it all.
"No way! They had no effect?!"
Rin's surprise was evident on her face as she gulped nervously. Berserker meanwhile crouched down and launched himself again at blinding speeds, landing beside Shirou in an instant.
Shirou just managed to look up, and froze as fear coursed through his veins instantly. His war was going to end on the first day. There was no way he could evade such a sudden blow. How pathetic.
As he awaited for his impending doom, the stone sword that should have left his entire body as paste on the pavement was held back by an invisible blade, the hair and skirt of Saber still swayed due to her sudden arrival, her discarded cloak fluttered in the air.
The shock wave from the clash shook Shirou of his feet as he landed on his rear. Saber tilted her sword a little, and pushed to the side throwing Berserker off balance before striking at him once more. Although the Berserker was able to parry it, he was thrown back due to the amount of strength Saber held in her blow.
Her eyes widened a second later, as Berserker used the momentum from Saber's attack to land near Rin. Before either Saber, or Archer could react, Berserker had brought down his cruel weapon at Tohsaka, who could only close her eyes in anticipation, unable to react at all.
"RIN!"
Shirou's desperate shout was in vain, as the ground shattered completely where Berserker stood, dust enveloped him and the possible remains of Tohsaka.
Saber and Shirou waited impatiently as the smoke cleared and revealed Berserker, who stood straight, weapon in hand, yet Tohsaka was nowhere to be seen.
"So, another one joins the fray."
They all looked around upon hearing Illya's displeased remark. The girl's previously jovial smile was now replaced by an irritated grimace as she stared at the new arrival.
A red cape billowed in the cold night wind, as blue apathetic eyes turned towards Berserker and his Master not far away from him.
Saber and Shirou turned their heads in the direction in which both Berserker and his Master were staring at. A regal figure clad in radiant golden armor, contrasted with the dark and unforgiving night stood at quite a distance away from them on top of one of the surrounding lampposts.
Shirou's eyes widened as he took notice of the figure squirming in the mysterious man's arms.
"Let go of Tohsaka!"
Despite his shout of accusation, Saber could see that the white haired man had just now moved to save Rin. And, he could not have been an ordinary human to have rescued Rin when she was about to be struck down by Berserker at such close proximity. That meant that the new arrival had to be –
"Which Servant class do you belong to?"
It was just as Illya asked. Another Servant who had been observing the battle decided to join them. But, why now? What could he gain by helping an enemy Master?
The white haired man wordlessly joined the rest of them on the ground and let Rin go, upon release she immediately put some distance between herself and the Servant. The golden Servant motioned for her to get away from him, which she followed quietly and ran cautiously to where Shirou and Saber were.
"My class is irrelevant as you shall find out soon." The radiant Servant answered, turning his attention back to Illya. "I presume you are the Master of Berserker. Is that right?"
Berserker immediately jumped and landed where Illya was. Despite losing his sanity due to the mad enhancement, his primal instincts screamed to him that the man in front of him was dangerous.
"Yes, that is correct. Though, your Master must be really foolish to allow you to get involved in this battle. He should have just waited for his turn." For the first time in that day, Illya was sporting an annoyed look.
Her observations confirmed the opposite person as a weak servant, with mediocre to average stats at best. With such stats… The nerve of the guy! The audacity he had to interrupt when Berserker was involved in a battle. It was like insulting her and Berserker.
No sooner than she said those words, a bluish-white light seemed to penetrate through Lancer's right hand. However, he was only bringing form to the object that should have been there to begin with.
Illya and Rin held no words. But it was Shirou and Saber who were struck most by the weapon. The young Emiya for some reason was able to sympathise with bladed weapons and he just knew the weapon before him was something special. Saber having seen weapons created by those outside the realms of man was able to understand the weapon which emerged in her vision was something of great beauty and power like her own blade.
It was a massive spear, with a shaft of gold and the spearhead shaped similarly to a golden sun. A weapon of such exquisite appearance that it was practically a work of art, and could only be described as a weapon granted by the Gods. The golden polearm was without a doubt his Noble Phantasm.
"I see that you hold a great deal of confidence in your servant. While that is a good thing, having too much blind faith might just pave way for your downfall." He pointed his holy spear at her servant. "Allow me to demonstrate."
Utterly calm and assured, Lancer declared that he had no issue with facing Berserker. The very same Servant that both Saber and Archer had trouble dealing with. His words spoke volumes of his enormous self-confidence. He spoke not out of haughtiness or arrogance, because to him, it was the simple truth that he could not be defeated. At least not against this foe in his current condition.
"What...?"
Rin was at a loss of words, shocked by Lancer's calm declaration. Saber, and even Archer who was relatively quiet waited to see the bold declarations that Lancer made.
Illya, on the other hand, was shocked by both Lancer's insult and his calm words, even as Lancer stood before the Servant in whom she had every confidence in. Her shock immediately transforming into hatred, Illya shouted in an uncharacteristic tone.
"Kill him, Berserker! Crush that Lancer into the ground!"
Berserker raised his weapon at Lancer, the ground beneath him crumbled under his weight.
"...Very well. This duel is ours, Berserker."
With an earth shattering roar, Berserker shifted and crashed the wall that the Lancer was standing near by. The rubble split away, as Lancer made a strike at the beast who met it with his own. The impact those two held in their attacks caused another ripple, another shockwave that could be mistaken as an earthquake by the residents.
Apathetic eyes met ruthless ones for a brief moment before both of them vanished from others field of vision. Shirou and Rin weren't able to follow the battle at all, as those two entered high speed combat that only Saber and Archer were able to perceive.
Multiple ripples could be felt in the area, as the empty street was torn apart. The battle shifted from the streets to the cemetery. Trenched were formed, multiple trees were uprooted, and in another location great clumps of dirt were kicked into the air.
They finally settled to a single place, where their destructive battle could proceed unhindered. Each strike in itself could have taken out any lesser Heroic Spirit, but both of them were unmistakably top class.
Berserker accumulated his strength in an attempt to crush any defense Lancer could have offered. The golden Servant shifted to the side slightly, avoiding the attack by a hair's width. The velocity of Berserker's strike caused Lancer's red cape to billow in the wind and his white hair flew about in all directions. With a twirl of his weapon, Lancer sent his spearhead towards the heart of the overextended Berserker.
"Got him!" Rin yelled in delight, pumping a fist.
While both were enemy Servants, it was safe to presume that Lancer was on their side until Berserker was dealt with. There was no way that the mindless beast could dodge such a swift blow from such a short distance.
Berserker merely shifted his feet, bending his huge enormous body at the last minute to avoid what would have been a fatal blow, but Lancer still managed to graze the mad Servant, a crimson line extended up his chest and across his right shoulder. First blood went to Lancer, and most importantly everyone could now see that the previously invulnerable Berserker could indeed bleed.
And if something could bleed, it could die.
Refusing to let Lancer press his war cry escaped from his maw, Berserker let go of his crude stone sword, and latched unto Lancer's spear. With a vicious pull, Lancer was taken off balance and was dealt a powerful kick to his gut.
"He's way too agile!" Rin commented in amazement. Berserker's mad enhancement didn't seem to negatively impact his thought process in combat at all which was worrisome.
The kick sent Lancer flying away a few feet, before he whirled around in midair to land on his feet. His weapon was still in his grip since he wretched it away from Berserker's hands when his blow landed. He was honestly impressed by his opponent's skills.
"You must be a famous heroic of some renown." Lancer said, gazing at the wounds that the Berserker was sporting – a slash in the chest, a cut in his bicep, a slash on his thigh and a wound in the shoulder. "I see that your endurance is pretty high too."
It was just as Lancer pointed, as Berserker had fought without caring about the wounds at all as if they never existed in the first place. These said wounds were now being healed by his Master who was more than displeased at the current situation.
"You must be an endurance type warrior too." Saber pointed out, observing that Lancer was wearing minimal injuries compared to Berserker. The kick the Servant of the lance received should have done a lot more damage than it appeared to have done. Yet, the only discomfort Lancer showed was a slight rub to the area that was hit.
She turned her green eyes at Berserker, stepping to Lancer's side. "But, still even in the grip of madness his skill with blade remains unblunted." Cold apathetic eyes turned towards her, as she put out a suggestion. "How about a temporary truce, Lancer?" If this was a Servant of honor or chivalry then Saber wouldn't have dared to offer such a suggestion, but this Berserker had tried to attack her Master, and was little more than a mad beast in her eyes.
She had half expected Lancer to point his spear in her direction, but he just smiled a little in response. "It is true that fighting with that monster alone would lead to nothing but a stalemate as of now. I'm confident in my abilities of taking down that Servant but it would put more of a burden on my Master than what I would desire. While I do not like to ally myself with an enemy servant, I suppose it can't be helped."
This brief truce would even help with his Master's previous orders.
Lancer was unmistakably top class. However, with his golden armor that was continuously active and the magnificent divine spear he held, he consumed an extraordinary amount of prana as well. A normal magus probably wouldn't be able to move even a single finger while supporting him. Even a first‐rate magus would be exhausted to the point that they couldn't use their own magecraft.
His current Master, Sasuke, was somebody new to all this. Despite trying to act mature he could tell how inexperienced his Master was. He did not want to burden his Master so early with his prana consumption, by using prana burst, or either of his offensive Noble phantasms. If he used some of his more taxing abilities it could even kill his Master which is something Karna refused to do. Saber's assistance could also help him discover the Servant of the sword's identity if he was lucky.
"Very well. No objections, right Shirou?" Saber asked, turning her head towards the redhead for a brief moment. Even if the boy was inexperienced, she had agreed to become his partner, and thus even his opinion mattered to her.
Shirou gave Saber of nod of approval. Despite how brief their partnership has been so far he already held great faith in his Servant.
"Archer will support you!" Rin said from beside, causing everyone to turn towards her. Even Lancer raised his eyebrows slightly. "That thing is an obstacle to everyone. So, it would be beneficial for all of us if we bring it down."
'He's less a frenzied warrior and more an embodiment of savagery. He may be mad, but his ingrained swordsmanship hasn't left him. But, are you sure, Rin?' Archer asked through their bond.
'That Lancer class servant is equally dangerous. That spear is a rare gem, being able to pierce the hide that is Berserker's body, and it's not just his weapon. Lancer's destructive force comes from his immense physical strength and his transcendent technique. Truly, his strength, agility, and endurance far surpass what his parameters detail.' Archer continued in a slightly wary tone. 'It would be best for us if we try to take them both out while they are busy fighting each other.'
'We can't do that,' Rin replied immediately. 'Lancer just saved my life. I think he means us no ill will as of now.'
'It might have been his Master who ordered him–'
'Whatever the case, I think it's safe to think of him as an ally for today.' She cut Archer off hoping that it was the case.
Archer sighed on other end, 'There you go complicating things again… Fine! Let's just get this over with.'
"That's the spirit Archer!" She beamed aloud this time, before blushing in embarrassment from the strange looks she was getting.
Saber gripped her sword and readied herself. "Let's go, Lancer." Lancer nodded wordlessly and swung his divine spear with both hands, Saber swung her invisible sword and Archer nocked another arrow. Standing in their way was the one who could take on the other six servants single-handedly.
At the same time as Berserker roared, the clash between these four Servants commenced.
(((Finding oneself)))
Sasuke placed his hand on his forehead and shook his head, before standing firmly.
"Are you alright, young man?" Kirei asked upon noticing how Sasuke seemed to space out for a moment.
"No. I am fine." Sasuke said. He didn't want to show the priest any weakness but couldn't help but use the chair next to him for support. His already pale complexion turned even paler. While he could push through the fatigue, his eyes had blurred for an instant just now and he felt his body start heating up tremendously. Lancer has engaged in combat.
What worried him was that Lancer wasn't even going all out, and he was already feeling backlash from his Servant. His inner coils felt as if they were set on fire, straining to provide Lancer with prana. Maybe, because he was already tired due to the stress of his situation and the recent summoning, but the fact remained that Lancer was consuming extraordinary amounts of prana.
Maybe this was the price to pay for drawing a top class servant. Shaking his head once more, he focused his vision onto the priest. "What did you say was the offer again?"
"It's like I said. I can provide you the details of an enemy Master and his Servant." Kirei smiled, making Sasuke want to backpedal a bit. "Just a moment."
Kirei excused himself, and walked to where the cross was. He bent down and opened a locker located near the base to fish out a file.
"What exactly is in it for you?" Sasuke asked from where he stood, still holding onto the chair.
"Oh, nothing." Kirei said, removing a pile of old manuscripts that his father left. "It was actually requested of me to hand over the privilege by the enemy Master himself. Though I admit, I am a bit late on attending to that matter…"
Plenty late actually. Now that all the Masters and Servants had assembled.
"I won't be getting in trouble for taking out this mage, will I?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes, still not trusting the priest. Kotomine rubbed the Uchiha the wrong way and all his senses screamed at him to be wary of the man.
"Ah, you wouldn't. Atrum Galliasta is just an ambitious man who is out here of his own consent." Kirei answered, taking out the file relating to the said man. "The Clock Tower is aware of this. So, they won't hold you responsible for his death. They view the Holy Grail War as just some minor ritual in the east after all."
"His Servant, you mean." Sasuke replied in turn. The priest did not seem to be bothered by Sasuke's correction.
"His Servant, or himself. It doesn't matter now that the Holy Grail War has begun." Kirei stated, his smile falling a bit. "Because that is how the wars have been waged until now. In fact, killing the Master's is common, even recommended."
For a priest, he's able to talk about death quite easily… Sasuke noted, before taking the file from the priest. If he starts murdering people without a care in the world, then there wouldn't be much of a difference between him and the murderer who robbed the life of the doc's son. Just thinking about it made him feel sick.
"Do you perhaps feel guilty of what you are about to do?" Kirei raised an eyebrow, studying the face of the Uchiha to gauge his reactions.
"I could care less about whether he dies, or his Servant dies." Sasuke stated coldly. He was surprised by how easily the words came to him. "I just don't want the police on my back after this war is over."
"I will be able to handle anything on that end. It is part of my job as the overseer after all," Kirei smiled again, reassured of the boy's reply.
This was sort of a trial to see whether the boy really held any similarities to the Magus Killer, Kiritsugu. Kiritsugu's own adopted son left him with a different impression than he expected. Very different than what he thought that man's adopted son would be like, but maybe Sasuke could provide the answer he sought all these days from Kiritsugu.
He let another one of his morbid smiles grace his face as he observed the Uchiha walk out of the church with the file in his hand.
(((Finding oneself)))
Saber attacked while Berserker was kept busy by the relentless attacks of Lancer, each attack in itself held the strength to break through whatever defense the enemy Servant had. While Berserker was extremely agile, few of the attacks still managed to pierce through his defenses from time to time dealing flesh wounds.
Though, she had to commend Berserker. Even after losing his sanity, he still managed to avoid wounds to this vitals. Many Heroic spirit would have been killed ten times over by now yet here he was, still standing. Despite his now evident disadvantage, the hulking Servant stood tall against both her and Lancer.
Another tree was uprooted, and slid past her as she dashed past the graves in the cemetery, and dealt another glancing wound to the beast. Since they were fighting the Berserker now in the cemetery, support from Archer was pointless due to the multiple obstacles covering the area, not to mention his arrows lack of effectiveness.
Lancer did well on his part to stay out of her attacks whenever she approached to make them. Another three to four clashes were made collectively before Berserker could respond, and when the final blow was about to be dealt, Berserker let out a roar and leaped back away from her and Lancer.
Saber halted in her tracks, her eyes on Berserker before taking a quick look around at the destruction that was caused due to their brief clash. Something that wasn't possible by ordinary humans. While the battles between Servants could be truly magnificent to watch, they were just as devastating in terms of destruction caused to the surrounding areas.
She took a peek at the peerless warrior whose expression hadn't changed at all during this fast paced conflict, like he wasn't troubled at all facing this mindless beast. Maybe she was focusing on the wrong target here. Maybe Lancer was the most dangerous of the Servants summoned in this war, like how she was caught up between Rider and Archer of the previous war.
But, for now her opponent was Berserker. Saber raised her invisible sword at Berserker again and decided to spare few final words to her opponent before she brought him down, "We are Heroic Spirits... we who walked our respective paths unto the bitter end. I would love to exchange names but all we can do is exchange blows meant to kill each other. I shall answer with a strike using my full might. This is where you die Berserker!"
Lancer's gaze met hers briefly for a moment before he launched himself at Berserker.
The golden knight showed why his class held the reputation of being the most agile by increasing the rate of his attacks against Berserker. The speed and strength behind his attacks were absurd. His strength although not on the same level as Berserkers was definitely on the same level as her own which was nothing to scoff at in and of itself, as the peerless warrior dodged a counter attack aimed at his throat, before thrusting his spear forward with lightning speed.
Each thrust ripped apart a crucial organ, artery, or tore apart tendons before Lancer moved out of his way for Saber to deal the finishing blow. She charged forward, prana focused around her invisible blade, as the air around the blade cleared to reveal a sword unlike any other, a blade not made by mankind, but a gift from the Faes.
Dazzling golden light radiated from her sword, as she weaved her blade in a deadly pattern in the air at the incapacitated Berserker. With one final thrust the power gathered expelled forward, splitting the body of Berserker almost in half, as the glow in his eyes vanished.
The air around Saber's sword was restored, as she stood still, her head bent a little paying her final respects to the slain Heroic Spirit.
Skidding to a stop after leaping away, Lancer watched Saber with both appreciation and approval from behind, as he let his divine spear rest against his shoulder. He had just witnessed the brave and noble fighting spirit of an honorable warrior. He had even discerned her identity when she revealed her sword for a brief moment, for anyone could recognize the blade she hid beneath a sheath of wind once they set their eyes upon it.
Because of being summoned by the grail, he was provided with the knowledge of various legends and myths of other cultures. So, he now knew who the person in front of him exactly was. To think he would be summoned in the same war as the King of Knights.
An honest and noble person who shouldered the entire burden of those under her rule, rather than letting others bear it. A true hero right down to her core, however Karna also knew it was for that very same reason why her kingdom eventually fell, yet he could not condemn her. For he too had taken similar actions as the Hero of Charity.
Yet, this Saber reminded him of another person, more than she did himself, yes… this Saber truly was most similar to him. It seemed as if this encounter was no accident, but some sort of destiny at work. Feelings of reminiscences filled his vision, before he took note of the slight twitch in Berserker's fingers.
So, the battle hasn't concluded yet. The grip Lancer had on his spear tightened.
"Lancer, that's enough."
Lancer stopped whatever his preparations for battle, and stood still upon hearing Sasuke's voice ring in his mind.
"We need some time to prepare for tomorrow's battle. Retreat for now with whatever information you managed to obtain."
"Understood." Lancer nodded, before turning towards Saber.
"My Master is calling for me. We shall have our duel some other time, Saber."
Saber was surprised, but quickly got over it, as she lowered her sword. "Very well, Lancer. I hope to exchange blows with you in an honorable setting in the near future."
"I must say luck has been on my side to have battled alongside you, Oh King of Knights. However, your battle hasn't ended just yet."
Saber wasn't surprised at how Lancer knew her identity. After her attack, any who set eyes on her blade would know who she was. What confused her were the other Servant's words.
"Farewell, Saber." Before Saber could say anything in return, Lancer abruptly turned into spirit form and disappeared.
Meanwhile, the spectators who were watching the battle finally let out their breaths which they didn't realize were holding. Rin, in particular was happy that there was at least something beneficial of the whole arrangement. Alas, her joy was only short lived as Archer spoke to her.
"That teamwork was indeed magnificent, but we aren't done yet. Get back, Rin." An arrow, no, a sword which was shaped into the equivalent of an arrow came forth. The shear power which radiated off of the weapon in his hand would have made any sane Heroic Spirit cautious. The blade of the sword coiled into a spiral which made it look as if could pierce any defense. The Servant of the Bow took aim from a far off building, hitting a target from this range would be impossible for any human. Yet, he was a Heroic Spirit because he was capable of such feats. The sword turned arrow was carefully notched onto his bow, the shape was altered further as he pulled back on the string and took aim at his intended target.
"Get back? What do you mean we aren't done yet?" Rin argued, before it dawned on her.
Shirou looked towards Rin's perplexed expression before he felt a shock run through his system. The redhead immediately ran towards Saber who was standing close to Berserker's corpse, upon realizing what Archer was going to do. "Saber!"
Saber got what Lancer meant when she observed the tendons in Berserker's body string among itself, forming a knit of kinky flesh. "Regeneration. No. It's almost like time reversal a curse of resurrection. A Noble phantasm activated upon death." Her eyes snapped in horror towards Shirou who was running towards her. "Shirou, stay back!"
Shirou did stop, but not because of Saber's warning, but because he felt that shock, something like a tug in the direction Archer should have been. He immediately turned his head back, and ran towards Saber in haste. The moment he snatched her hand, he started to run away from the regenerating Berserker, not bothering to explain even when she put on a confused expression.
The sky around the area seemed to be illuminated for a brief second behind Shirou and Saber's back, before a deafening noise completely encased the area followed by a major explosion. Rubble blasted away, trees burned and the entire area was devastated in less than a second.
Even after all the mini inferno that graced the cemetery...
"No way, he's still standing!?"
Just as Rin stated, Berserker stood in between the inferno without any scratches.
"Hm, I changed my mind about you, Rin. Your archer is impressive. Earlier none of his attacks were able to harm Berserker, but that last attack was able to do more than I expected." The spectator who remained silent since the battle began with the clash of Lancer and Berserker finally spoke. "That's enough. Return to me, Berserker. I had hoped to get rid of the boring stuff first, but my plans have changed."
"What's wrong? You're running away?"
Illya turned towards Rin who was glaring at her. "Yes. I am retreating. I don't care about Saber, but your Archer and that Lancer have piqued my interest. So, you have my permission to live a little longer."
Her gaze turned towards the redhead, who barely survived the blast just now. "Okay, bye-bye. Let's play again some other time, Onii-chan." With that, Berserker and her Master left the field too.
Saber, who popped up beside Shirou turned towards him before looking at his hand, which was tightly wrapped around hers. "Master, I thank you for your quick thinking, but would you mind unhanding me?"
"Oh, right. Sorry!" Shirou quickly released his hold and jumped back in embarrassment, before he felt something wrong inside him. "...huh?"
"Shirou, what's wrong?"
He was immediately brought down to his knees, blood left his mouth and splattered onto the ground.
"Shirou! Hold on!" Saber pleaded, shouting his name. "Shirou!" Her last plea caught Rin's attention, as Emiya completely collapsed.
(((Finding oneself)))
Lancer, having just witnessed the collapse of an enemy Master, turned towards his own when he felt something wrong. "Master, are you unwell?"
"I'll be fine." Sasuke answered in a flat voice, trying to dissuade his Servant's worries. He had placed his hand in front of his left eye, and was struggling against the urge to gasp in pain.
Lancer knew that Sasuke was lying, for he was able to see through any lie, but didn't say anything regarding it. He allowed his Master some time to collect himself, as his narrowed eyes turned towards Rin who was seen running towards Emiya.
Sasuke removed his hand from his eye before he squinted at the downed form of the fallen Master.
"...To think that even you were dragged in, Shirou."
Sparing one last glance, Sasuke strode away from the high cliff where he stood followed by Lancer who returned to his spirit form. And, thus, the first clash of the Fifth Holy Grail War had ended.
(AN) So, this entire chapter was sort of dedicated to the clash between servants. Hoping that the servants were in character. Next chapter may not have any action scenes, so just a head's up.
And, I really don't know what to say about the recent Apocrypha episode. I know the plot deteriorated after the fall of Vlad, but the anime adaptation is even worse. Many key scenes were left out that it makes no sense to only anime viewers. Anyway, until next time.