Strike Air is the only attack that was capable of killing Berserker. Saber wanted to use that attack again, but she needed Berserker to stand still for even a second, which is easier said than done.
Berserker is a beast in every sense of the word. Despite being consumed by madness, his sword technique and hand-to-hand combat skills are still ingrained in his body. Fighting such a beast was a real challenge.
Saber struck her sword against Berserker's, and the clash sent Berserker reeling, but he instantly recovered and counterattacked. Saber blocked the attack, but due to Berserker's strength, she was sent flying through the air.
In midair, Saber raised her sword to strike Berserker, who jumped to continue the fight. Both struck their swords again, but this time both were knocked back into the air and landed skidding their feet on the ground.
"I admit your accuracy is admirable, Berserker. Although it seems words are not your forte."
Of course. Berserker roared at what Saber said, and his body began to expel mana as if it were a cloud of smoke. His muscles hardened further, and, bathed in his own madness, he lunged at Saber.
She responded with a thrust, causing her wind sword to slide, its edge colliding with Berserker's sword. The thrust resulted in a fatal blow to Berserker's heart, but he did not flinch.
With the sword piercing his heart, Berserker dropped his sword and grabbed Saber by the head. He lifted her up, forcing Saber to look him in the eyes.
Then, Berserker used all his strength to crush Saber's head. She reacted by pulling the sword out of Berserker's chest. With no one apparently watching her, the wind cleared from her sword and the sharp golden blade glinted in the darkness of the night.
She swung the sword hard and cut off Berserker's arms. He screamed as his arteries spurted blood, and Saber fell to the ground thinking that this was not going to end.
In a desperate move, Berserker kicked Saber, sending her flying into the graves. He then spread his arms and new hands grew, while his old hands vanished in a red trail of mana. He immediately grabbed the sword and leaped forward to continue fighting.
***
Nearby, Shirou looked sternly at Illya. His whole body burned with anger and determination, but that was useless if his body remained weak against an experienced magus. Aside from buying time, Shirou wanted to know the reason why the Einzbern family was preventing him from visiting Kiritsugu's daughter.
Illya was visibly confused by Shirou's question. Emiya Shirou... She knew that this boy had received the life she deserved. She doesn't hate him, really. She hates Kiritsugu and everything he represents. Shirou was the last flame of that man's will.
"Her? Who is she? Onii-chan says strange things. Are you trying to play a joke on me? I can play jokes too, onii-chan."
From the beginning, Shirou tried to be polite and ask the head of the Einzbern family for permission to see that mysterious girl, but the old man refused and expelled him from his territory in the rudest way possible, trying to kill him.
"Don't play dumb! You! All of you know! I can't allow you to deny that girl a real family and a normal life! I need to save her from you! I need to repay my debt to Kiritsugu!"
Illya opened her eyes. She was surprised. She smiled and shook her head.
"Onii-chan is very arrogant," she said, with two translucent birds appearing behind her. "And that surprises me, but you can't do anything for her. She doesn't want to see you. She doesn't need you. She's been alone and can do everything on her own."
Shirou clenched his teeth tightly. "That's a lie... Have they ever let her leave that castle? If you can answer that question, I'll let you kill me."
Illya's smile instantly faded. Shirou was so sure of his bet that he wasn't afraid to risk his life.
"Shut up..." Illya reached out her hand and the birds turned into two swords. "You don't know anything."
Exactly. Shirou knows nothing about what Kiritsugu's daughter has had to live through. He knows nothing about that girl's suffering, nothing about her regrets or desires. Shirou knows nothing and doesn't deserve to know anything.
However...
"I know that! That's why I want to get to know her! I want to know who she is! I want to know what I can do for her! I want to become her hero!" Shirou shouted, picking up a branch from the ground and reinforcing it with Gradation Air.
This onii-chan had turned out to be someone unpredictable. Illya clenched her fist. Her mouth trembled as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn't. With a look of annoyance that hid her true emotions, she extended her finger and the swords pointed at Shirou.
"You're no longer fun. Die."
The white swords shot toward Shirou. He, with his powerful branch that he found on the ground, prepared to receive the attacks. At that moment, a strange sensation invaded his mind and soul. His entire body felt light and his movements became fluid.
It was as if he had fought this way before.
When the swords arrived, Shirou raised the branch, blocked the first sword, deflected the second, and lunged at Illya. The ground cracked slightly as he propelled himself forward, and his gaze turned completely cold. He is willing to go all the way, but Illya is not so weak.
The swords that had stuck into the ground after being deflected rose up and floated, aiming at Shirou's back. Just like a second ago, the swords lunged at him.
Shirou felt a chill down his spine, and before reaching Illya, he turned around and struck the first sword. Unfortunately, the second sword pierced his right thigh. He growled in pain as he fell to the ground. He immediately pulled the sword out of his leg and clutched the wound.
"Onii-chan doesn't know when to give up. You've become annoying," she said as she prepared the swords to pierce Shirou.
***
The clash of power did not stop. Saber was covered in cuts, as was Berserker, but only she was breathing heavily. This was a battle of attrition, but the only one wearing down was Saber.
From the beginning, this fight was going to be this way. There was no other choice. It was kill Berserker or die trying.
'Shirou'
Besides, there was no more time. Shirou is not an experienced magus. Illya has every advantage over him. That's why Saber had to end this fight quickly.
As Berserker slammed the ground hard, kicking up dirt and rocks, Saber moved among the debris as if she were dancing, though she was really just dodging the debris. When she got close enough to Berserker, she tried to stab him with the tip of her wind sword, but Berserker had already seen that attack.
The colossal servant covered his chest with his sword. Saber increased the force with which she pushed the wind sword, but Berserker was not overwhelmed by Saber's strength.
Like an unstoppable beast, Berserker struck Saber's sword and pushed her back, but that wasn't all. Berserker attacked directly whenever Saber retreated. This meant she had no room to rest.
The fight is continuous and uninterrupted. When Saber wanted to cut off Berserker's head, he leaned back with calisthenic skill and performed acrobatic movements, throwing two kicks to make her retreat again.
Both repeated the same pattern over and over again. This made the fight endless.
"You're becoming predictable, Berserker!" Even if that was true, despite Berserker being predictable, he was still extremely fast and strong. She was always overwhelmed by Berserker's catastrophic brute force.
Her fencing was perfect. There was no doubt about that. But in a fight against someone who had lost their mind, it was difficult to keep up. Saber spun on her own axis as she repeatedly struck Berserker's sword. He recoiled with each clash, but as he got back up, Saber was once again overwhelmed.
With one more sword strike, Saber was sent flying, and Berserker repeated the same move from the beginning. She had been waiting for that moment. The moment Berserker jumped, she thrust her sword into his chest.
"Strike Air!"
The sword Excalibur flashed its golden glow for a split second, and the residual wind explosion pierced Berserker, splitting him in half. The colossus fell among the graves, and Saber wasted no time. She immediately ran to Shirou.
Above it all, Toru watched this battle analytically. That wind strike is dangerous, but what is even more dangerous is Saber's Noble Phantasm. He was sure that if the light of Excalibur was similar to that of Rhongomyniad, he would be powerless against it. Saber's Noble Phantasm would wipe Toru from the face of the earth.
"The moment is approaching, Master. You will have to wait with a clone," he said, and as he spoke, a cloud of smoke exploded beside him and a clone appeared.
The clone held Sakura in his arms and the original Toru dematerialized.
"First we have to follow the Masters. Assassin."
The clone nodded and jumped into the air. They moved over the forest until they could see Shirou on the ground about to be stabbed by Illya. This was good for everyone because if she killed Shirou, only she would remain.
So Toru waited, but he saw that Saber was already approaching. So he had no choice but to prepare himself, as Berserker was running after her. With this, Berserker had been killed twice, but he still came back to life.
***
Shirou clenched his fist, digging the dirt between his fingernails. He didn't dare give up. No one would ever be able to break him. Even though he had the sword at his neck, he gripped the wooden stick tightly, and the lines covering his body glowed even brighter.
In a rather strange way, the wound on Shirou's leg began to close, and more unfamiliar yet strangely familiar sensations filled his mind and soul. This time, he felt that he could use Gradation Air more effectively.
Illya clenched her fist and the sword advanced. However, the sword collided with another metal object. Shirou lay on the ground, holding a blunt sword where the wooden stick had been. The sword was sturdy, so it blocked the sword very effectively.
Even Shirou didn't know what he was doing, but he was doing it.
"Stop blocking my magecraft! Onii-chan is so stubborn!"
Still on the ground while the two swords pointed at him, he smiled defiantly.
"I'm not going to die. I'm not going to leave her alone. I'm sure she was alone for a long time. Maybe she was sad because her father didn't come back. Maybe she felt so lonely that she didn't dare run away from that castle..." He struggled to his feet. He grabbed the sword as if he knew how to use one and pointed it at Illya. "So I won't lose to you! I won't lose to the Einzbern family!"
A loud bang was heard nearby. It was Saber and Berserker resuming their fight.
However...
"Assassin..."
Said a voice in the darkness. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion of wind, like something breaking the sound barrier. From the sky, a shadow shot down. The shadow fell so fast that Illya barely had time to turn around to see it.
That shadow wore a mask and held a pair of invisible weapons in each hand, and was just inches away from slitting Illya's throat.
Assassin, entering the battle at just the right moment, had secured the first elimination of the war. But his luck was the lowest of all. Something was going to stop him, and that something was not long in coming.
Berserker emerged from the trees with Saber following him. The beast raised his sword, and Toru opened his eyes beneath the mask. Berserker's attack was aimed at him. He could no longer dodge it because they were too close.
Assassin was horrified because he knew what was going to happen. He tried in vain to cover himself with his daggers in that split second, but it wasn't enough. Berserker struck, and a large wound opened in Assassin's chest. He was thrown against the trees, breaking them all with his body and crashing into a large mound of earth.
Blood began to spill from under his body, and his lungs exploded from the blow.
"Why? Why did I fail? They couldn't get there..." he spat blood under his mask. Some of his ribs were broken and could even be seen in the open wound caused by Berserker's sword.
"Saber!" Shirou shouted, rushing to her side.
Illya also reacted, seeing Berserker and the servant who was dying a few meters ahead.
As for Sakura, she covered her mouth to keep from screaming. Toru was destroyed by a single blow from Berserker. She didn't know what to do at the moment, but instinctively looked at the command spell.