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votestaynight2 · 1 year

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12th Day - moonlight (II) (Scene 5)/ 13th Day - VS berserker (Scene 1)

…It'll just end up like today if we fight them head on. As we are inferior, we have to execute a surprise attack to catch them off guard.

"Hey. You're Kotomine's student, right? Then don't you know a lot about that church?"

"…? Well, I have stayed over at the church a couple of times… Oh, I see. I'm sorry, but there aren't any secret passages in that church. That was the first time I've seen the underground temple. Even if there is one, Kotomine would be the only one that knows about it."

"I give up. …Damn, I guess it won't be that convenient. I thought it would be possible, considering that priest."

"Yeah. But as long as we can't use it, we have to come up with something else. …Um, this is a what-if, so can you hear me out?" "Sure… but do you have an idea?"

"It's not good enough to be called an idea.[vr] Look, it's obvious that we can't beat Caster by ourselves, right?[vr] So we have to increase our force. They have three Servants, so we should have at least one."

"Well, that's true… but increase our force…? Then we're going to go ask other Masters for help?" "No, it's more like cooperation. Caster is a powerful force now, so other Masters can't just keep watching, right? If they want the Holy Grail, we have to collaborate to defeat the most powerful force. We can break the collaboration after that. This is a basic tactic in battle royal, right?"

"――――――――" So we'll make an alliance of the remaining Masters since Caster is so strong now, huh?

"…I see. We might be able to cooperate depending on how the negotiations turn out.[l] Then…"

"Yes, there are two remaining Masters now. Lancer's Master and Berserker's Master. There's no way to negotiate with Lancer's Master because his identity is unknown. But we might have a chance with Berserker's Master, Ilyasviel."

Berserker's Master. The white girl and the statue-like giant I met on the night when it all began. She sounded dangerous, but I don't think she's cruel.

"…Yeah. I think she would at least listen to us. I don't think she'll ask for much in return, either."

"―――You idiot. She's the most dangerous for you. She was only looking at you, Shirou. I don't know what she'll do to you."

"W-What do you mean? I've only met her once, so that can't be possible. Quit scaring me like that, Tohsaka."

"……Humph. We'll stop the negotiation right then if that does happen." Then… Tohsaka averts her gaze and gulps down her tea.

"…But we can only bet on Ilyasviel for now. If Archer is right about Caster's identity, Berserker would be her natural enemy. They knew each other when they were alive, so he should know Caster's tricks. Berserker can handle Caster and Archer by himself. We can take care of Kuzuki while he does so."

"That's an optimistic thought. But does Berserker really know Caster?"

"Yes, Archer told me that Berserker's true identity is Hercules. If Caster really is that witch, Berserker might know her through the Argo Expedition. It's just like how I don't get along with Kirei. Everyone has a natural enemy."

…Okay. But I'm sure everyone would dislike that priest.

"―――Then it's decided. But how should we find her? She hasn't appeared since that night. We should be able to find her because of her large magical energy, right? But we can't find her in spite of that, so doesn't that mean she's not in this town?"

"I'd assume not. Ilyasviel must be having fun, watching the Holy Grail War from a faraway place." "…Faraway place? Is she keeping watch over the town like how Caster was doing at the Ryudou Temple?"

"I don't know. But I have an idea of where she might be. …I heard from my dad that the Einzbern family has a villa in the forest on the outskirts of town."

She says so with a tense voice. ―――A villa inside the forest… Tohsaka's expression tells me how dangerous the place is.

I go back to my room and lie down. Drowsiness fills my body as soon as I do.

"――――――――" I stare at the dark ceiling. We are going to Ilyasviel's hideout tomorrow.

No matter what kind of negotiations take place, it's obvious that we'll need energy. Tohsaka said we wouldn't get good results with tired bodies, so we decided to head out after we sleep.

"…It's five hours until dawn. We have to go talk to her after that."

The young Master that appeared on the night I became a Master. If Saber is a Servant excellent in all aspects, Berserker is a Servant specialized in battle. There is no Servant that can match Berserker in simple combat.

"―――How can I talk to such monsters?" Saying it makes me believe it's impossible to negotiate with them. But――――

Strangely, I don't feel any uneasiness. I think Ilya will understand us if we talk to her. …Just like Tohsaka, she will classify enemy and ally as a magus, but I think she's a proper girl with all that aside.

"…Man, what wishful thinking when I haven't even talked with her yet." I bet he would scorn me, saying that it's a convenient fantasy. But what's wrong with believing? Is it wrong to have hope for someone you haven't met yet?

"――――――――" I realize that I'm gritting my teeth. The man who told me to drown in my ideals and die betrayed Tohsaka in front of me. A guy with that much trust and power switched his allegiance so easily.

"―――――――Archer." My mind darkens. No, it's freezing. My head cools down thinking about what he did.

I'm angry. I can't forgive him for betraying Tohsaka. I can't forgive the fact that he cast away his partner. I――――will swear here. Even if that may have been the very best action and even if it turns out that it was the right choice to survive, I will never do something like that.

His actions have been getting on my nerves. He told me not to talk about ideals. I opposed him when he told me I cannot save everybody. But――――I agreed with his words somewhere inside of me.

…His words are correct. The superhero my father talked about is just a fantasy, and I accepted the fact that I would have to become like him to get as close to the ideal as possible. Not wanting to do so, I openly denied the idea even though I accepted it in my mind.

…But this isn't on such a level. I can't approve of him. I can't approve of his action no matter what the circumstances may be. I won't be able to keep standing if I approve of him.

"――――That's why I can't lose to you." …My words do not disperse into the darkness, but stay in the room. A few hours until dawn. I keep repeating those words even in my sleep――――

13th Day - VS berserker

Interlude 13-1

She is alone with her thoughts in the darkness. It has been a day since she attacked the church and killed the priest. It has been a day since she declared that she can find it, no matter where it may be hidden, if it "exists". It may not be the case for other Servants, but there is no way someone versed in magic like her would not be able to find a relic as holy as the "Holy Grail". Then there is only one answer. The Holy Grail was never hidden in this church to begin with.

"――――――――" She sighs and puts her fingers on her temple. …When she closes her eyes, heavy darkness assails her body. No, it is just a scream. It is not coming from outside. The scream comes from her body and mind, telling her that her fatigue is at the limit.

It has been a month since she was summoned. Since then, she has done her best to win. Her Master is an ordinary person without a Magic Circuit, and she is the weakest of the Servants. To make up for that, she abused forbidden magic. Collection from the people. The magical string she placed throughout the town and the control of the ley line using sacrifices. …These are all reasons why she was called a witch during her life.

But she has never used them before. She should have never used them, and she did not intend to do the forbidden. ―――So… Why did she end up using them for a meaningless conflict like this?

She became a heroic spirit to take revenge. But she also knows it is meaningless to use the skills that labeled her a "witch". She only uses trivial magic. She only created disasters that caused people to destroy themselves with their own greed. That was all the revenge she could manage, so what caused her to stray from her path so much?

"…It is all for the Holy Grail. It is natural for me to go crazy for something that can grant any wish." That is a lie. She knows the true identity of the Holy Grail. She already knows what that thing is and why Servants like her are summoned.

…It is true that most wishes can be granted using the Holy Grail that appears in this town. It will allow her to stay in this world with physical form, and it will allow her to start a second life as a "human". ――――But.

"――――How stupid. There is no meaning in such a thing." Saying so, she closes her eyes. She empties her mind. For now――――she lets her guard down and rests her mind.

…She hears the sound of rain. It was a night without moonlight. The surroundings were pitch black, and she wandered with an empty mind. That is where she met him. With bloodstained body and frozen limbs. A chanced meeting that was more miraculous than any miracle.

It was the mountain where the Ryudou Temple is located. Falling rain. She was stumbling aimlessly through the dense forest. "Haa――――Haa, ha――――" She left behind a trail of blood. In her hand was a dagger that breaks all contracts. Her purple robe was wet with rain, and her limbs had turned white from the winter cold.

"Ha――――Haa, ha――――……!" She staggered around, holding on to the trees for support. She walked on, dirtied with mud, her breath ragged, reaching out her hand as if begging for help. She did not look like her usual self, filled with cool composure. No, even the amount of magical energy was unlike her. ―――She was exhausted. She only had a handful of power left.

For a Servant, magical energy is like a lifeline that allows them to stay in this world. But that was all lost. No magical energy was coming from her Master. But that was only natural. She had just killed her own Master. That was the cause of her exhaustion. She―――Servant Caster was about to disappear alone as compensation for obtaining freedom.

"Haa――――aha, hahaha――――" A dry laugh. It is funny that her body was not able to maintain itself and that she betrayed her vulgar Master. Moreover, it's quite amusing to see how badly she had underestimated the relationship between Servant and Master.

――――She had done well. Her Master was a legitimate magus. He was in his thirties, had a medium build, and had few noteworthy characteristics. He had no will to fight, but dreamed of victory. He was a man that only waited for the other Masters to kill each other.

The man had not trusted Caster. He treated Caster coldly as she was a superior magus, and he insulted her for being inferior to other Servants.

She gave up on him after a few days. She acted as an obedient Servant and filled the man's conceit. In short, she made him use his Command Spells for meaningless things. She told him he did not need the Command Spells. She made him believe that she would be faithful to her Master even without the Command Spell.

It was his fault for believing in her. The Master used his third Command Spell for a meaningless thing, and was killed by Caster at that moment. It was easy. She did not like the fact that the contract with him still existed, so she killed him using the Rule Breaker.

"――――Kuh, ah――――" But she had made a mistake. Servants exist using the supply of magical energy provided by their Masters. But not just magical energy. Servants are only allowed to exist in this age by being connected with people of this age. In other words―――to lose one's Master, the passport to this age, means being forced to return to the "outside" world.

…But she would not normally be this exhausted. This was the curse her Master had left her. Her Master did not approve of her, as she was a better magus than he was. Therefore, he limited her magical energy to be always below his level.

The magical energy level of a mere human cannot keep a Servant in this world. She would normally be able to stay in this world for two days after losing her Master.

But now was different. Her magical energy was drastically decreasing with every second, and the end was near. …Probably a few more minutes. She would disappear if she could not find her next Master in that time. She would disappear before she could fight, unable to do anything. She would be a pitiful Servant, summoned only to be trampled upon.

"Ah――――haa, ha――――" It was vexing. It was vexing, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. It had always been like this for her. She was treated unreasonably like this all the time. She was always used as a tool, and she was never understood by anyone.

――――Yes. Her life was always controlled by someone else. Her mind was destroyed at a young age to save a hero chosen by the gods. Just for the sake of a hero the goddess of beauty happened to favor, the goddess cursed her to blindly love a man she had never seen. The girl betrayed her father, and she was even forced to betray her own country.

…There is no memory after that. After everything was over, the girl, who was a princess, was in an unfamiliar country. A girl that betrayed her father, the king, for a man. A witch that cut apart her own brother and threw the pieces into the sea to escape her native country. ―――And the man who wanted it done cast her aside in order to become king, saying he could not marry a witch.

She was controlled and taken to an unknown country, was marked as a witch, and the only person she could rely on threw her away. That is her origin. There is nothing people can blame her for, and people around her were aware of that. But still, people continued to demand for her to be a witch.

An evil to protect the king. An evil to be on the receiving end of evil superstitions. People wanted a convenient scapegoat that they could blame for any disaster. This pattern has never changed. People demand easily understandable evil to reassure themselves of their own goodness.

In that regard, she was the perfect sacrifice. The father she could rely on was in a distant country. Nobody defended her, and people gladly blamed her for all the ugly things in their world. They decided that every ugliness was the witch's doing: that they are poor, that they hate others, that humans are ugly, and even that people die.

"Ha――――Haha, ah, ha――――" …So she merely accepted it. Since she could only live as a witch, she decided to live like a witch. She swore to show them the ugliness of the wishes they demanded of her.

If people do not know their ugliness, so be it. They can stay ignorant, go to hell for their own crimes, and suffer forever. They won't be able to get out of hell. They will suffer forever as criminals because they do not know what crimes they have committed. That is the reason for existence she imposed on herself. That is the only role people gave to the girl, to the one called the witch, who never had a free will.

"Ah――――Ah――――" But… Nobody actually wished for such a thing. The same goes for her as well. She seeks revenge against her will, without having any wish for herself. ―――Yes. Until she met up with this stranger.

A rustling sound. "――――――――" She peered ahead, even though she was barely able to stand. It's midnight. Who could possibly come into this forest at this time?

"What are you doing there?" It was a heavy voice. She did not have the composure to check who it was. She just thought it was all over. She had no power to use magic. Her purple robe might have looked like a coat, but she was covered in blood.

A woman covered in blood was hiding in the rain. It is obvious what such a person did. Anyone would run away first. What would they do after that? They would either call the police or pretend they hadn't seen it. …It did not matter to her, as she could no longer move.

That caused the last of her spirit to give out. Her last moment was cold and lonely, just as it was at the end of her true lifetime. ―――Or so she thought.

When she regained consciousness, she was in that place. In front of her is that man――――the man who she met in the woods.

"So you've awakened. Can you tell me your circumstances?" Those were his first words. When she watched the man with blank amazement… "Go home if I did a needless thing. If you wish for me to forget about this, I shall do so." …The tone of his voice never changed.

…That was her first encounter with her Master, Kuzuki Souichirou. Kuzuki was a strange man. Should he be called a ghost? He had no reason to live, but had no reason to die. He was just there, and since he existed, he followed whatever whim took him.

He has no self. That was her first impression of him, and she thought it would be easy to turn him into a puppet. ―――She grew to realize that the thought was a mistake. Kuzuki Souichirou does not have a past. He has no self because he has no past, but it does not mean Kuzuki Souichirou is empty.

Kuzuki was a sincere man. He easily accepted her when she told him that she wanted him to be her Master and when she told him about her true identity.

When she asked him, "Do you believe such a story?" He replied, "Was that a lie?" He accepted it after she told him it was the truth.

And the most amazing part was the night they met. As she was about to disappear, she told Kuzuki to lay with her. After making a difficult expression… "Let me ask. Do you want it rough or gentle?" After that, he made love to her without waiting for her reply.

To put it his way, they had sex before the Buddha. It seemed rough like Asura, but it also seemed gentle like Bodhisattva. …Either way, the contract was completed. She obtained a new Master, was able to stay in this world, and returned to her role of being a witch.

…She still considers it to be a miracle. She would have disappeared before she woke up if she wasn't taken to the Ryudou Temple. The Ryudou Temple is a demonic place for Servants, but it is a perfect summoning place once inside. As the Ryudou Temple is surrounded by a boundary field, it is suited for keeping anything inhuman.

She was able to remain without disappearing because she was brought to the Ryudou Temple. Had it been anyplace else, she would have vanished after being taken there. As a result, she obtained the best ley line and the best protection. She easily occupied the Ryudou Temple, figured out the mechanism of the Holy Grail, and summoned Assassin as the fifth Servant.

But such things are trivial matters. She was certainly lucky on that night. Many miracles saved her, and she is now on the verge of victory. But they do not deserve thanks. She would have been fine with it even if those miracles had not occurred.

―――There is only one important fact. A very small matter that is trivial for anyone else. For her, the fact that she was able to meet Kuzuki Souichirou is a miracle beyond belief.

"――――――――" But it's not going well. No, she feels that everything she does is not going well.

Her Master will not be delighted with what she did. He has never had an interest in the Holy Grail. She would do her best to grant any wish of his, but Kuzuki Souichirou has none.

A one-sided relationship. They do not get along well. It is not going well at all.

"―――So the mummy hunter became the mummy? Even the rare witch is fragile, huh?" "――――!" She turns to the intruder. It is not her Master that is standing there. It is the knight in red, Archer, with his true identity still unknown.

"…Archer. I thought I ordered you to keep watch outside." "Yeah, but I didn't see any enemies around here. I got bored, so I came to check what was going on in here."

"…Heh, I would assume so. The only enemy we have is Berserker. Even with him, we will go attack them ourselves once Saber is fully controlled. We have had nothing to fear since you joined us. ―――Isn't that why you came to my side?"

"Who knows. Don't you think I only wanted to break my contract with that Master? Don't you think I didn't care who my new Master was?" There is some truth in Archer's words. …But what does it mean? Archer had no intention of betraying, but betrayed his Master only because he wanted to break his contract with Tohsaka Rin?

"…I see. So you did not like looking after that little girl? Well, it is true that Servants are dissatisfied with their Masters. It is natural for you to run out of patience with yours."

"No, she was perfect as a summoner. But some miscalculations occurred. And Caster, let me warn you. Do not consider all Servants to be like you. At the very least, Saber and Berserker were satisfied with their Masters. A righteous hero can only be summoned by righteous people."

"…Heh, why tell me that now? A twisted Master calls for twisted heroic spirits. You do not need to tell me that." …That is right. Servants are determined by their summoners. Summoners with dark shadows in their mind cannot summon heroic spirits who are on the light side.

In that regard, she and Rider are not heroic spirits. A twisted Master calls for twisted heroic spirits. As Rider was "one that was beautiful", she was also "one that was pure". It is ironic how the Servant Caster summoned is a fictional hero.

"But it is indeed strange once I think about it. You and Rider are ones that oppose the heroic spirits. But you two are still summoned as Servants. …Well, the Holy Grail does not differentiate between good and evil. So I guess it will summon anyone with powers, huh?"

"―――Originally, a mixed spirit that had a heroic side would not have been called upon. Things went out of order starting with the third war. Heroic spirits like Rider and I were not summoned before that."

…That does not concern her now. She is not concerned about the true identity of the Holy Grail. Servant Caster's mission is to win this war. She is not interested in what comes after. No, to be honest, that is not the end she wishes for.

"――――Enough with the meaningless talk. Get back to your station. I don't care what you're thinking. You are my Servant now. Your life is in my hands. Put that into consideration when you talk to me."

"Understood. Then I shall live up to my Master's expectation like an obedient Servant." The knight in red goes up the stairs. "――――――――" Seeing him off silently, Caster lets out a long sigh.

―――One more day until Saber surrenders. She does not have the Holy Grail yet, but she will approach the end once Saber falls. …What will happen when the war ends? Caster will make every wish come true with her powers. It is not bad to live as a witch, like she swore before dying.

But―――the reason will go away once the war ends. Even if she still has the will, her master will lose the reason to stay as her Master. "―――――I will obtain the Holy Grail soon." Caster gracefully reaches out into empty space. Her hard work is about to be rewarded, but her expression is like that of a criminal about to be executed.

End of Interlude

―――I saw many corpses. I died at that time and was reborn.

I do not have any regrets. My eyes lost hatred there. My hands lost anger there. My legs lost hope there. My self lost its self there.

Everything went away. It is not because I gave up that I believed nothing would save me. I just found out that it's natural. It's just that dying people will die and survivors will survive. I laid down on the rubble and stared at the burning field. I understood everything then. I thought I understood everything.

――――But I still considered it… How wonderful it would be… If I was able to save everything here.

That's what I admired. I just wished nobody would have to suffer. That's why I tried to become a superhero. It was simple, and it seemed like an ideal existence.

That was why I aimed for it. I knew where I had to be, but there were many ways to get there. I kept on running, wanting to get as close to it as possible, even though I did not know what was right or wrong.

Many paths I took were crooked, and my destination was only getting farther away. I'm taking the long way. I've been repeating this for ten years since I got saved by Kiritsugu.

But I won't regret it. I'm not as skillful as Tohsaka. I will take the wrong path and lose a lot of things at times. But I cannot discard them as meaningless. I have to present meanings for everything I've trampled upon and everything that cannot be returned.

So I cannot lose. It can't be helped if I lose against someone else. But I can win against myself. I can always fight back against my mind that tells me to give up. So that's all I swore upon. There's only one thing that I believed in and wanted to believe in.

…That's right. Even if I am walking down the wrong path, I will not regret believing in it.

"――――――――!" I wake up from the light shining in. It's before six o'clock. The sky I can see through the window is a clouded one.

I get ready and leave my room. My body feels well, and there isn't that much pain from my wound. I shouldn't be a burden to Tohsaka even if we end up fighting.

"――――You're here. Are you ready, Shirou?" "――――" …I'm ready, but… Tohsaka has transformed.

"…? What, you look like a new soldier that just stepped on a mine. Are you not ready yet?" "――――Um, that's not it. Tohsaka, you look different." "Huh…? Oh, these? I only put them on when I do detailed work, so don't worry about it."

"……" Well. I guess it's all right if you say so. What kind of magic is it? It looks so wrong, and yet so right.

"All right. We're heading to the forest on the outskirts of this town. It's a huge woodland, unkempt and far from the city. It has rejected human interaction for a long time, so the forest is big and wide. You know how there are a few people every year that get lost in there for going in without any preparations, right?"

"――――――――" I nod silently. Our destination is the Einzbern villa that is said to be somewhere in that forest. Our fate will be sealed the instant our negotiations fail and we end up fighting. We won't be able to call for help, and it will be difficult to run away. We cannot escape that forest unless we defeat that giant―――Berserker.

"Then let's get going. I stayed up all night figuring out where it could be, so we should be able to find it within half a day if we're lucky. We'll take a cab as far as the highway, so get some money ready."

She starts walking with a big bag in her hand.

"――――Hm." I follow her with the usual shinai bag in mine. …But Tohsaka. Money for the cab is fine, but does that mean we'll be walking back on the way home?

―――We rode the taxi for an hour from the town. We drove on the highway, passed many mountains, and reached the entrance to the forest. Of course, the forest does not have any paved roads. We finally reach the entrance to the forest after walking about a kilometer from the highway.

"――――――――" I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I get nervous once I actually face it. The forest is dark even though it's daytime. The tall branches block off the sunlight, and it's hard to see more than a few meters ahead, let alone to the end.

"Shirou. Can you walk ahead for a bit?" "…? Fine, but you're the one who knows where she could be, right? I think it'll do no good if I go ahead." I complain as I enter the forest. ―――Then.

"――――What was that!? I felt a shock…!" I pull back my foot. I only felt the shock for an instant. It's not that strong, so it'd hurt more if I hit my foot on the corner of a dresser. …Well, in short, it was like static electricity.

"―――I thought so. I'm sure it's only for identification, but it seems she has the whole forest under her surveillance." "Eh―――hold on. Isn't that bad? That means we got caught in an alarm, right? Then――――"

"I don't think it'll be a problem. We didn't come here for a surprise attack. We came to talk, so it would be in our favor to let them know we're coming."

"Oh. Be careful though. It'll shock you a bit." "I know, I know. I can tell how bad it is by looking at you――――" She waves her hand and steps into the forest. Then.

"UKYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Tohsaka jumps back with a funny scream.

"Wow…" I hear fire hissing. I want to believe it's my imagination that the leaves under Tohsaka's feet are scorched.

"…I guess there's personal differences on the alarm. It was light in my case." I calmly analyze the situation. "Kuh――――kuku, kukuku――――" But it doesn't seem like Tohsaka is listening to me.

"That does it, kid…! I heard you laughing…!"

Tohsaka yells into the empty sky. She's so angry that she might go to fight instead of talk.

…Well, anyway. It seems talking bad about Tohsaka is fatal no matter how far away you are from her, so I guess I'll refrain from doing so.

…We walk in the forest. We're the only people in this vast place.

I don't hear any beasts, and the grasses are dead like corpses. The endless rows of trees makes me think this forest goes on forever.

It's been three hours since we entered. Just as our surroundings start to blur together…

"――――Found it. …Geez, I'm still stunned even though I knew about it. They really did build something like that in such a place."

I follow Tohsaka's stare. There's only darkness ahead. Between the trees. There is something unbefitting of these surroundings, visible through a crack so small that you'd miss it if you weren't careful.

"…What's that? Is that a wall?" "It is a wall. Geez, what's up with them? They brought that whole thing from their country."

Tohsaka complains and heads to the "strange object" we can see in the distance. I still can't tell what it is, so I follow her.

We get out of the forest. The endless forest quickly ends. No, it seems like the forest is scooped out here with a big spoon.

The sky curving above us is gray. ―――A giant dome. It seems more like an underground kingdom than a clearing.

This is Ilyasviel's dwelling. An old castle built within the forest. A solitary castle without any visitors, too big for one girl, not to mention too desolate for anyone to live alone in.

"――――――――" …Anyway, it does no good to be standing here. According to Tohsaka, Ilyasviel knows we're here. Then we should go in from the front entrance as a sign that we're not here to fight.

"Let's go, Tohsaka… Tohsaka?" Tohsaka is looking up at the castle with an alarmed expression. Her face is tense as if she's confronting an enemy.

"Tohsaka. Is there something wrong?" "…Yeah. There's someone else besides us here." "Of course. This is where Ilya and Berserker live."

"That's not what I mean. There's someone else other than that. …We're going in this way, Shirou." "Eh――――w-wait…!?"

Tohsaka starts running towards a big tree by the wall, and I don't have time to stop her. No, that's not all. She grabs onto a branch and skillfully climbs up.

"――――――――" I look up in astonishment. Tohsaka looks around and――― She jumps and kicks at the castle.

A shattering sound. The window breaks and the red figure disappears into the castle.

"Come on…! There's something seriously wrong with this castle…!" "―――Hey, weren't we here to talk…!?" But what's done is done. I climb up the tree and jump into the second floor window like Tohsaka.

We enter the hallway. Even before I'm dazzled by the magnificence of the castle, I sense the "abnormality" Tohsaka is talking about.

I hear sounds of fighting. Swords crashing against each other. But―――would such a storm-like battle even be possible? Even the most fierce battle of swords, the battle between Berserker and Saber, did not create such sounds.

"――――――――Oh." Then I suddenly realize. This isn't the sound of swords crashing. This is one against many―――there is literally a war going on somewhere in this castle.

One side has to be Ilyasviel. This is Ilyasviel's castle. If there is a battle here, it could only be Berserker attacking the intruding enemy.

I run. The sound is coming from below us. Considering the location we came in from, the battle is happening right in the center of the castle―――in the guest hall.

I run through the unfamiliar castle. This isn't the time to be talking. I don't know what's going on, but something terrible is happening―――

I run down the stairs. The fierce battle is happening nearby.

"All right. This place is connected to the stairwell down to the hall." Tohsaka confirms what's down the hallway. The hallway splits at a T-junction, both branches leading to a terrace at either side of the hall.

"Let's part here. I'll go from this side, so you go from that side."

It's better to split up. …As we are now, we have no way to escape once we're found. There's no point in staying together right now. We don't stand a chance either way. If we're separated, there's hope for the other one to escape even if one of us is found.

Tohsaka walks down the hallway facing east. "――――――――" I nod and go down the other hallway―――the one heading west.

"――――Shirou." She suddenly calls to me.

"…You know, right? Don't do anything, no matter what happens. We have no way to fight right now. Run away if you think it's dangerous. Run away even if one of us gets caught. …Saving others comes after you save yourself."

She suppresses her emotions. It sounds more like a wish than a warning.

I go around and come out into the terrace. I see Tohsaka emerge on the opposite side.

She immediately takes cover, then peeks out. As soon as I follow her example and look down, we both gasp.

"S-Shinji――――!? Why is he here…!?"

Shinji stands atop the rubble in the corner of the room, happily watching the scene.

No. That's not the surprising thing. What I have to accept right now is the battle Shinji is observing.

"[wacky len=12]" The black giant lets out a roar. The swinging axe-sword blows up dust and grinds the rubble into powder. The mad warrior appears no different from before. No, his dreadful roar is louder now.

The girl in white is behind the giant. Berserker's Master, Ilyasviel. An ever-smiling girl, unsuited for murder. But… That girl is now shivering and watching her Servant with a face almost in tears.

Her pale face is desperately trying to deny the despair in front of her. "Someone help me." The girl's trembling lips mouth these words.

"――――No way."

A storming whirlwind. Berserker's axe-sword is repelled each time. By the "Noble Phantasm" of one Servant, the one reigning from the throne of rubble in the center of the hall.

Many swords are released. Each one of the weapons appearing from behind the man would cause certain death.

"[wacky len=9]――――!" They attack. They are like gushing water. The infinite Noble Phantasms not only repel Berserker's axe-sword, but pierce his body.

Pieces are blown from his body. The sword cuts through his body, penetrates his skull, and pierces his heart.

―――But he still does not die. The giant regenerates every time he is killed, slowly but surely moving forward. Eight times already… He has been killed so many times, but Berserker still moves forward. The "enemy" greets him with a smile.

The tragedy continues. Berserker is killed without even being able to go near the enemy.

"――――No way…"

It's not because Berserker is getting killed without being able to do anything. That man―――that Servant is beyond belief.

The infinite Noble Phantasms he sends out are each a true Noble Phantasm. I can tell since I've projected Archer's swords. They are the originals of every Noble Phantasm. The first ones, from before they became legend. Who could he be, having an infinite supply of such weapons? No, first of all, there should only be seven Servants. Then he is the eighth one――someone that shouldn't exist―――

"――――――――" I can't breathe. Berserker defies description. His body of steel and his superhuman strength, and his regenerative powers on top of that. He is not someone you can match. But the eighth Servant does not retreat from such an opponent and overwhelms Berserker using the demonic swords and the holy swords he releases.

"――――――――" When I look up, I can see that Tohsaka is pale as well. ―――It's only natural. The place below us is a land of death. We'll die instantly if we enter it. No, more than that――――

…He is a demon. He has a brutality different from Berserker―――that man wishes for battles only to kill others.

――――But. With such an enemy in front of him, the black giant is still the strongest. He does not stop even if he is pierced or slashed all over his body. He receives the rain of Noble Phantasms, regenerates each time, and closes in on his enemy.

It is an advance devoid of tactics. He is not thinking about countering the enemy's attacks. It is a savage fight where he advances on his enemy as long as he still lives.

"[wacky len=12]" …He will not reach the enemy. Berserker's brute courage will prove futile and he will end his life as a mere target. The enemy understands that. That is why he is standing there and provoking the foolishly advancing giant.

"[wacky len=12]" The black giant does not have a way to win. It's something the enemy and even I understand. ―――And probably… Even Berserker himself knows that.

"[wacky len=12]" But the giant keeps walking forward. He knows no retreat and does not avoid the attacks. The man greets the figure with a smile.

"――――Ha. As expected from dogshit. You can only fight. I had hopes for you as a fellow demigod, but it seems I expected too much!" The Noble Phantasms emerge from space. Letting out a laugh, he readies the Noble Phantasms behind him.

"Then let me finish you off now. It will be unpleasant for you to come any closer." ―――At his signal, the numerous Noble Phantasms descend on the giant. The giant repels most of them, and at the same time, loses most of his life.

"[wacky len=12]" The black giant shakes. The body of rock starts to fall. ―――But. The giant stands his ground and shakes the Noble Phantasms from his body.

"Wh――――at?" The exclamation of surprise comes from the strange Servant. The black giant destroys the swarm of Noble Phantasms and moves toward his enemy. …His body is dying already. With a hopeless fatal wound, the black giant still advances.

"――――――――" …It is the result of a strong will. It is not madness resulting from being a Berserker. The giant faces this hopeless fight with an iron will.

"Damn―――a mere target survived my attack…!?" The magical bullets are fired mercilessly. "[wacky len=12]" Repelling it with his axe-sword, the giant corners the man with his body slashed and with his limbs pierced.

"――――――――" He will not reach the man. But he still challenges the man because there is something he cannot give up.

―――Then what is he moving forward for? Servants fight for their Master, to protect the Master's life. That is why that giant does not retreat. He can only move forward as a shield to protect the frightened Master behind him. The giant continues his foolish advancement. It is because he knows that he needs to take all the attacks in order to beat that Servant without having his Master killed.

And―――when he reaches his enemy, that is when he wins. From the beginning, that has been this battle's nature. The man has to kill the giant before he reaches him. The giant has to approach the man before his life ends. It is a battle where the one to accomplish their goal is the one to win.

The giant is aware of that. ……Even if… …It is a battle with no hope of victory from the start.

"[wacky len=9]――――!" He roars. Coming out of his tenth death, his body explodes forward. He charges into the man like a bull challenging a matador.

"You lowlife――――!" Numerous arrows are released. Was it his last charge, or did he just get used to the attacks? The giant repels all the arrows. He approaches the owner of the Noble Phantasms――――!

He swings his axe-sword. The weapon that has not yet been raised against the man rips through the air―――― "――――Heaven's chain――――!" The black bull is captured by numerous appearing chains.

What kind of a Noble Phantasm is it? The chain that appeared out of nowhere confines Berserker as if binding space itself.

"[wacky len=12]" The chain twists Berserker's arms and bends them in a direction they should not go. The chains tighten mercilessly, trying to tear off the rock-like head.

"―――Damn, you still won't die? This chain once bound the Bull of Heaven, but even this does not seem to be enough to finish you."

The man's voice. The hall is filled with the creaking sounds of the chain. It must be Berserker's power. The giant tries to break the chain that binds even space itself. Even if it sounds impossible, I'm sure the giant will be able to manage it. And the man acknowledges that as well.

"No――――come back, Berserker…!" The girl screams. Ilyasviel commands Berserker to retreat using her Command Spell. But the giant is still bound by chains, unable to move an inch.

"Why…? I told you to come back inside of me, so why…?" "It is useless, you puppet. Not even the gods can escape these chains. No, it will become stronger the more divine one is. This is a chain made to bind the gods. I will not allow transportation through a Command Spell."

And so… The man points to the giant as if to denote the end. "Oh――――" An astonished girl's voice.

…………It's over. It really ends.

Bound by chains, he receives 22 Noble Phantasms on his defenseless body. The black giant falls silent after becoming a grotesque object.

…I don't even need to check if he's alive or not. Even if he is a great hero that overcame ten deaths, he should not be able to get up after receiving twenty. …Yes. Even if he is alive, he should not even have the power to breathe.

―――And the battle ends. It was known from the start who was going to win. …Berserker cannot beat that Servant.

No, Servants cannot beat that man as long as they are heroic spirits. All heroic spirits have things they were weak against when they were alive. Those are their greatest weak points. Then―――what if there is a hero who possesses all of the Noble Phantasms, even the ones that killed each hero?

This is the result. Even if he may have been stronger, he cannot beat that man――――

"No――――No, Berserker…!" The girl in white runs to the giant corpse. Seeing it… The man mercilessly slashes the girl with the sword in his hand.

"[line12]" A scream. The man slashes her eyes in one blow.

"[line12]" And he pierces her heart. But it misses. No, he made it miss. The girl is pierced in her lung and coughs up blood.

――――The chains are broken. "[wacky len=9]――――!!!!" Shattering his binds, the black giant charges at the man. The man pierces the slow-moving target.

A lance to pierce the heart. He impales the giant with a lance very similar to Gae Bolg. ――――That's it. The black giant dies for sure this time.

"[line12]" The sword is pulled out from the girl. Leaving traces of red, the girl crawls to the unmoving giant.

"[line12]" Watching it in delight, the man walks forward. He throws down his sword. He will use his bare hands… …To finish off the dying girl…

"[line12]" I'll die. I'll probably die. I'll surely die this time. There is no logic behind that Servant. He will kill anyone that hinders him. I will surely be killed if I don't get away from here before he finds me. And I…

#votestaynight

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