Chapter 23: Kiritsugu Emiya's Apprehension
Karna, holding the two-meter-high golden spear, immediately charged forward without hesitation upon hearing the command.
Clang—!
A clear, deafening sound of metal striking metal instantly rang out, chilling the heart.
Berserker's combat power in his state of madness was quite formidable; even Karna found him somewhat difficult to handle.
Clang, clang, clang—!!!
A succession of metallic clashes rang out as Karna and Berserker fought with increasing intensity.
Saber, witnessing this scene, was also quite shocked.
"That Lancer... he's actually able to clash head-on with Berserker and not fall into a disadvantage!"
At the same time, Rider grabbed the reins, driving the 'Via Regia (Gordius Wheel)' and violently slamming Berserker's body away.
Waver was stunned by Rider's action.
Waver was already confused by Lancer's Master's behavior, and now his own Rider was acting the same way, leaving him completely bewildered.
"Why are you helping our enemy?"
No sooner had he spoken than a forehead flick arrived as expected.
Bang!
Ignoring the abused Waver, Shirou, seeing this scene, wisely shifted his gaze to Berserker, who had been sent flying and was embedded in the wall of a building.
Shirou naturally knew Berserker's True Name as well.
Lancelot, who in life was one of King Arthur's Twelve Knights of the Round Table, the great knight known as the "Knight of the Lake" and the "Flower of Knights."
He had been caught in adultery with King Arthur's Queen, but was not punished by King Arthur. Instead, he was exiled by Arthur, who remembered their old affection. Because he did not receive the punishment he deserved, he became a Berserker Heroic Spirit after death due to this obsession.
His target was undoubtedly Saber.
However, if Saber were to fight him in her current injured state, she would not be able to defeat him.
Although Berserker would not use his Noble Phantasm when facing Saber, his state when fighting Karna was at maximum capacity.
The Berserker Class itself is the 'Mad Warrior.' Berserker, with the Class Skill 'Mad Enhancement', has all his ability parameters (except Luck and Mana) raised by one rank.
Of course, such a powerful boost comes with side effects: it causes Berserker to lose the ability to speak, only making 'a-ba a-ba' sounds, and preventing him from complex thinking. Simply put, he becomes stupid.
You might wonder why Berserker can still use his original martial arts even though he is made stupid; even rationalizing it as instinctual reaction is a stretch, as some techniques cannot be performed by mere instinct.
Furthermore, if it were only instinctual reaction, Karna would have crushed him long ago, and the fight wouldn't have lasted this long.
The real reason is Berserker's innate skill, 'Eternal Arms Mastership'. Lancelot's peerless martial arts mastery in his time allowed for the complete unification of mind, skill, and body, enabling him to display powerful combat abilities without being affected by any mental impairment.
Relying on this skill, he can perform his original techniques even in a frenzied state, which was evident in his fight with Gilgamesh when he dodged, caught a Noble Phantasm, and then struck down a second projected Noble Phantasm.
With these skills augmenting him, Berserker's combat power skyrockets due to the Class influence, while he maintains a martial skill level second to none. This is why Matou Zouken originally believed that summoning Berserker guaranteed victory.
However, that old man is dead beyond dead; presumably, he can only watch this scene live-streamed in hell.
At this moment, Berserker, who had been slammed away by Rider, struggled to his feet but was no longer as frantic as before. As if the impact had sobered him up, he turned and fled.
Although this situation left everyone but Shirou somewhat confused, the street by the sea quieted down once Berserker finally left.
Seeing that there was nothing else going on, Rider naturally had no intention of lingering.
"Well then, everyone, we shall meet again in the future. We still have many more days ahead."
After speaking, Rider drove his bull away.
"In that case, I should probably take my leave, too."
Shirou smiled and waved at the still somewhat dazed Saber and Irisviel, then departed with Karna.
Just then, Karna suddenly asked, "Master, should I eliminate the two small fry on the rooftop over there?"
Karna's sudden question made Saber and Irisviel's expressions tense up again.
However, Shirou just smiled and said.
"No need."
"Understood." Karna did not ask why, simply nodded, and continued to follow Shirou.
Saber and Irisviel, standing behind, only fully recovered their composure after seeing the retreating figures of Shirou and Lancer gradually move away.
.
.
.
"This is... the Holy Grail War..."
Kiritsugu Emiya, on the rooftop, raised his hand and wiped the cold sweat beading on his forehead, his gaze fixed on the two figures moving away.
"Lancer's Master, huh... He might be our greatest opponent in this Holy Grail War."
While Kiritsugu Emiya felt somewhat shocked by the power of Shirou and Lancer, Saber, quietly watching the two figures gradually moving away below, finally exhaled deeply after confirming that there were no enemies nearby.
On Saber's side, her True Name had been seen through, and all her cards had been exposed.
"I really didn't expect..."
Saber's eyes were complicated as she looked at the two figures slowly walking away, finally letting out a helpless sigh.
"Is this the Holy Grail War...?"
She had entered the War with immense confidence in her own ability, yet on the very first night, she suffered such a blow.
First, she was nearly defeated in her duel with Lancer, and then she faced the sudden attack from Berserker. All these unexpected crises gave Saber an unprecedented sense of tension.
This was far more dangerous than the battlefields she had experienced in the past.
Because these Heroic Spirits were absolute powerhouses in their respective eras.
Thinking about having to fight them in the future, Saber was unsure whether she felt excited or nervous, and the hand clutching her sword trembled slightly.
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