FATE/STAY NIGHT

WARRIOR

ep.12

Clash of Titans

"Illya... von Einzbern," Yusuke said briefly, exhaling heavily through his mask.

"I didn't expect you to arrive this quickly," the white-haired girl said as she stepped slowly down the stairs, her face devoid of kindness. "That thing was more useless than I thought."

"Huh? That thing?... oh, you mean that magical domain?" Kuuga stood up, still maintaining his battle stance in caution.

"It's one of the treasures of the Einzbern family, known as the Lord of Nightmares. But it seems you are even worse," Illya smirked. "Let's see how far you can go."

"Enough... Stop playing around! Give Shirou back!" Kuuga shouts on. As he charged forward, aiming to grab her. But he suddenly halted when Illya raised her hand, facing toward him.

"Don't take another step..."

"Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it?" Kuuga taunted back as he continued walking.

The moment his left foot touched the ground an inch in front of Illya, he felt a massive tremor, like an earthquake. with the sound of something big coming closer.

The castle wall to his left exploded outward. A massive figure burst through the dust, debris, and shattered granite and marble, charging straight toward Yusuke.

BAMMMMM!

In a split second, Yusuke was sent flying like a ragdoll, slamming into the castle wall on the opposite side. The impact cracked the wall and left a large crater.

"Ugh..." Kuuga groaned, trying to lift his head and regain his senses after the lightning-fast attack that he couldn't react to.

He looked back at Illya, now a towering figure beside her. It held a weapon resembling a gigantic sword, its sharp eyes angled upward, glaring at him like an enraged beast. Every inch of its body was packed with bulging, hardened muscles.

Compared to Illya, this thing made her look like a tiny mouse.

"So you finally decided to show up..." Kuuga pushed himself into a crouching position, wiping the blood off his mask.

"Berserker," Illya looked up at Berserker and placed her hand on its keel. "Kill him."

Berserker roared, shaking the air, followed by the ground trembling beneath its enormous feet. Despite its massive size, its speed was incredible. Kuuga couldn't react in time—he was slammed in with full force, his body crashing against the mansion's staircase with a loud

THUD!

A place filled with dust and building scraps Scattered, remaining visible after the attack. Silence filled the air for a brief moment. Berserker stood over Kuuga, who was battered and barely responsive, having yet to counterattack.

From a distance, Illya smiled faintly, clearly pleased.

"Huh?"

A sharp sound cut through the air from where Kuuga had fallen. In an instant, he was gone.

Illya's eyes darted around—up, down, left, and right. Her face tensed with growing concern.

"Here."

A low voice whispered from behind her. Kuuga, now in his blue form, stood there, his left hand straightened like a blade, poised to strike her neck.

"Yusuke!"

Rin's voice rang out from the mansion's entrance, stopping Kuuga in his tracks.

In that moment, Berserker lunged forward. In less than a second, it swung its deadly weapon sideways, aiming to behead Kuuga.

He barely dodged at the last moment, ducking and spinning away from Illya. But for her, Berserker grabbed Illya and placed her onto its shoulder before jumping backward.

"That's... Berserker..." Rin's eyes locked onto the monstrous figure, her voice trembling with fear and concern. "I don't know how many times that thing can revive. So be careful."

"I almost had its master..." Uuga groaned as he stood up. "If you hadn't screamed like the world was ending..."

"What was that!?" Rin crossed her arms, fuming. To what Kuuga had said.

During that moment, Saber stepped forward beside Yusuke, shifting her stance, one foot back, sword raised.

"It has overwhelming strength, size, speed, and skill… If we're going to win, we'll need to cover each other carefully," she said, sweat trailing down her forehead, Saber's gaze firm with determination.

Yusuke clenched his fist. He had no choice but to take a gamble.

"Alright then..."

Also, he adjusted his stance, gripping a broken stair railing he had grabbed during the fight—and transformed it into a long bluish rod.

But—

"Wait!" Illya's firm voice interrupted, stopping both sides before they could clash. "Everyone except Yusuke, go to Shirou."

As soon as Illya finished speaking, Rin, Saber, and Yusuke all turned to look at each other, raising their eyebrows in confusion.

"What do you mean—"

"Do as I say… I'm giving you two—" Illya pointed at Saber and Rin. "Achance… …Choose wisely, or I might change my mind."

"You're letting us through… but not Yusuke?"

"I'm giving you time… If you don't leave, I'll have my servant kill him," Illya declared coldly. Her eye hints that she's going to kill Shirou for real.

Rin and Saber both turned pale at her words, their initial confusion turning into alarm.

"It's fine; I can handle this." Kuuga stood up in front of everyone, turning his eyes to both Saber and Rin. "This prick can't even hurt me! " He's giving her a thumbs-up.

"Are you insane!? Do you really think you alone can fight Berserker!?" Rin turned to Saber, who still looked uncertain but had yet to move. Seeing that, Rin spoke up again. "Saber! You have to stay here, alright! I will just go and pick Shirou! "

"Sure thing, Rin, I'll stay and—"

Before Saber could finish, Illya pointed at her sharply.

"Both of you must go!" Illya repeated firmly, making it clear that she meant what she said.

Saber looked at Kuuga, then slowly lowered her guard.

"It's alright," Kuuga said.

With Kuuga's confident words, Saber finally lowered her sword and ran off with Rin, passing Illya and Berserker, who stood still and completely ignored them.

"So, to kill me, you kidnapped Shirou and lured everyone else in? You really are something," Kuuga remarked while he adjusted back to his battle stance.

"If I hadn't done this, would you have come?" Illya shot a statement back.

"Yeah…fair point."

The moment their conversation ended, Berserker lunged forward with full force, swinging his massive weapon down at Yusuke.

Kuuga sidestepped just in time, and the weapon slammed into the ground, embedding itself deep into concrete. Seizing the moment, Kuuga leaped up along Berserker's arm and swung his staff straight into the giant's face.

Berserker's head snapped back from the impact, but only for a moment. He quickly turned his head up again and grabbed his ankle before he could escape.

"Ugh!"

With overwhelming strength, Berserker slammed Kuuga into the tiled floor like a ragdoll, sending shattered debris flying and leaving a shallow crater cracking on the ground.

With a vicious yank, Berserker wrenched his weapon from the ground, raising it high above his head with both hands, aiming to finish Kuuga off as he lay battered on the floor.

BOOM!

Another devastating strike—but when Berserker's fierce eyes scanned the ground, Kuuga was gone.

"This form isn't enough to beat you… So I'll use the one that can, "

Kuuga shifted into his transformation stance again.

"Change "

His belt emitted a swirling sound, and his body began to change.

Silver armor with purple edges formed over him, his eyes glowing a deep violet. Even his staff transformed, elongating into a long sword.

Standing firm, Kuuga raised his blade with unwavering confidence, his purple-glowing eyes locked onto Berserker.

Not giving him a chance to prepare, Berserker charged forward again, swinging his weapon with full force.

No matter how powerful the strike was, it was stopped by Kuuga's silver armor strength.

Berserker's expression momentarily shifted in shock—Kuuga hadn't moved an inch.

"I thought you were stronger than that, huh?"

Kuuga shoved Berserker's arm aside before slashing his sword down onto it.

The blade tore through Berserker's thick flesh, severing tendons and cutting deep into his muscle—almost to the bone.

In that second, Berserker jerked its arm backward and pulled out Kuuga's sword before it was severed.

Blood spurted from the wound, but he showed no sign of pain. Instead, he began attacking again, switching a weapon to another arm and swinging his weapon at rapid speed.

Kuuga raised his arm to block; he barely got it in time, but thanks to his superior strength, he stopped the assault with ease.

Stepping back with one foot, he tightened his grip on his sword—then thrust it straight into Berserker's chest.

Blood gushed out, splattering across Kuuga's mask and armor.

Underneath his mask, Yusuke smirked slightly.

"Eh!?"

His smile fades as the wound from his sword strikes with no effect. The Kuuga emblem, which should have appeared after striking the enemy's vital point, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was only an ordinary wound.

Gassssss!

In the brief moment of silence, Berserker spun horizontally in midair and launched a powerful double kick. The sheer force sent Kuga, who was still in shock, crashing through a wall.

At that moment, Kuuga's long sword reverted to being nothing more than a broken stair railing. Berserker yanked it out with ease, and the wounds across its body slowly healed until it appeared as though it had never been injured at all.

Kuga sat up, crouching on the ground. Witnessing this shocking sight nearly made him fall backward.

"That should never happen…!?" Kuuga muttered in disbelief. "Are you immortal? "

"So, you still don't know?" Illya said as she stood atop the staircase. She leaped gracefully down, landing softly on the castle floor. "By default, all Servants can heal themselves... at least, if it's just a wound like that."

"Like hell, that's just a scratch! I—"

Before he could finish, Kuga was sent flying once again. Berserker had rushed in at an unknown moment, slamming into him and knocking him away. However, this time, Kuga managed to regain his footing.

"When you're in a fight, don't take your eyes off your opponent... Didn't anyone ever teach you that?"

Kuuga sighed at words that he always held in his memories, but now being taunted by an enemy.

"Yes, sure…. "

Instantly, his eyes darted toward an iron sword held by a statue nearby. Without hesitation, he snatched the iron sword and transformed it into his signature Titan blade.

As Berserker lunged forward, swinging its massive weapon, Kuuga caught the strike with one hand. The increased force drove him to his knees, almost burying him into the ground.

But in that fleeting moment, Kuuga thrust his sword toward an opening in Berserker's stance.

Clench!

The tip of his blade was stopped abruptly—caught in Berserker's grip, who is faster.

Both of its hands began to tremble, one from the berserker that attempted to cut Kuuga down, and Kuuga struggled to lunge his sword. Despite being larger, Berserker's raw strength didn't necessarily surpass that of Kuga in his Titan form.

With a beastly roar, smoke began to rise from Berserker's reddening skin.

More importantly, the pressure pushing against Kuga steadily increased. The sheer force began cracking the castle floor beneath their feet, the ground giving way under the power of these two titanic beings.

"Haaaahhh!"

Kuuga's arms and legs tensed, veins bulging through the gaps in his armor. Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on Berserker's weapon. Slowly but surely, he began to lift it.

Then, with a sudden, powerful jerk, Kuuga tore his hand away. The combined force of their struggle sent Berserker's weapon flying, spinning violently through the air.

It barely missed Illya, grazing just a single strand of her hair before embedding itself into the wall behind with a thunderous CRASH!

Seizing the moment, Kuuga clasped both hands together, pressing his strength against Berserker.

And in that moment... he won.

The sword pierced through Berserker's hand, driving deep into the center of its body.

Once again, Yusuke grinned with joy, though this time he was noticeably exhausted.

"Ah!?"

Far too much time had passed, yet Kuuga's emblem still hadn't appeared. Yusuke looked up, seeing blood trickling from Berserker's mouth, but the monster showed no signs of faltering.

Yusuke realized what was about to happen. He slowly loosened his grip and stepped back.

But it was too late.

Berserker used its massive hands to grab Kuuga, lifting him high before slamming him into the ground with tremendous force, leaving a crater.

"Ugh!"

It smashed him into the ground again, this time with even greater force.

Satisfied, Berserker flung Yusuke through the air, sending him crashing through a staircase.

A deep hole remained, too dark to see into. Kuuga's body had vanished within the black shadows.

Silence filled the battlefield; the only sound remaining was Berserker's heavy breathing—proof that it was the victor.

"That was easier than I thought." Illya smirked.

Seconds passed, but an uneasy feeling crept over her. It was too quiet... as if Kuuga had completely disappeared.

Cautiously, she took slow steps forward, peering into the hole in the staircase, scanning the massive gap that stretched from the back room beyond the stairs to the far end of the castle.

But Kuuga's body was nowhere to be seen.

"New transformation!"

Yusuke's voice echoed above her.

In an instant, Illya snapped her head upward toward the rooftop.

Kuuga, now clad in gleaming green armor, crouched on a wooden beam. Both hands gripped a flintlock rifle aimed directly at her.

But as she watched, the weapon in his hands began to shift. The wooden stock transformed into black metal, and the rifle's barrel engraved itself with golden arrow-like grooves.

His gun had become a long iron crossbow.

Kuuga adjusted his aim toward Berserker, his finger tightening on the trigger.

"Die."

A golden-headed arrow shot from the crossbow, instantly igniting into flames as it hurtled toward Berserker at impossible speed, striking before the giant could react.

The arrow embedded itself in Berserker's forehead. The monster roared, raising its massive sword—

But it was too late.

Kuuga's emblem appeared where the arrow had struck, and Berserker's entire body began to glow.

For a moment, everything fell silent, as if the world had entered a vacuum.

Then came the explosion.

A devastating blast obliterated the entire front section of the castle.

As the dust settled, Illya, who had crouched for cover, slowly lifted her head.

She saw Kuuga, now in his Titan form, shielding himself against the shattered remains of Berserker.

"Don't get the wrong idea! I only did that because my friend is behind you!" Kuuga took a step closer to Illya. "And besides, I won."

"Oh? Is that so?" Illya smirked, her eyes shifting to something behind him.

"What—"

Before Kuuga could react, his body was sent flying once more.

The source?

Berserker, now fully restored.

As their eyes met, a chill ran down Kuuga's spine.

Berserker's skin had turned a deep crimson, steam billowing from its pores like a raging furnace ready to incinerate its foes.

"…Fine."

Kuuga picked up a broken piece of wood, transforming it into his signature longsword.

"Round two begins."