The golden long spear shimmered before morphing into a grimoire etched with cryptic characters. In that instant, Saber's instincts screamed that something was deeply wrong.
In her field of vision, Berserker opened his mouth as if reciting an incantation, yet neither she nor Assassin could hear a single sound. Carbuncle Summon!
A blue, multi-tailed creature materialized on the ground. Was it a cat? A rabbit? Neither Saber nor Kenshin could identify its species; it was unlike any creature they had ever encountered. By appearance alone, it was undeniably "cute," but paired with a monstrous existence like Berserker, neither of them felt any sense of relief.
"Chanting..."
"Could it be?!" Sensing Berserker opening his mouth again, Saber reacted instantly, launching a desperate surprise attack. She had realized the truth: Berserker was not limited to swords and spears; he possessed the talent for Magecraft as well.
But something didn't add up. According to the laws of the Holy Grail, a Servant's abilities were strictly bound by their Class. A Saber should be a master of the sword, and a Lancer a master of the spear. It was almost impossible for a Servant to violate these settings so brazenly. Yet Berserker seemed completely unfettered by such rules.
With no answers in sight, she and Assassin could only focus on stopping him. She didn't know the depth of Berserker's magecraft, and she had no desire to find out the hard way. Judging by their exchange so far, this was a terrifyingly versatile enemy.
"Intercepting me?" Kenshin mused, his heart sinking as the small, strange creature blocked his path. He dodged a lash of its tail, realizing the summon possessed power that couldn't be ignored. While he could likely dispatch the creature quickly, those few seconds would be all Berserker needed to complete his chant. He had to leave the frontal assault to Saber.
Bang!
The moment Saber closed the distance, she was violently blasted back by a flash of blinding white light.
"Ugh!" Thud! Scritch...
Her body slammed into the ground, sliding through the dirt until she crashed into an abandoned building. 'The magecraft chant is so fast... and it locked onto me instantly.'
Clutching her abdomen and gritting her teeth against the pain, Saber used her Holy Sword to pull herself up. Though she wasn't as agile as Assassin, her speed was formidable—yet even so, she couldn't even touch Berserker.
"The next shot is coming!" Her instincts flared. Saber reflexively brought the Holy Sword up to block.
BOOM!!
The building collapsed into a heap of rubble, sending thick smoke and debris billowing into the air.
"..." After fending off the blue "Cat-Rabbit," Kenshin struggled to find a path to victory. This enemy was too strong—stronger than anyone he had ever faced in his life. He simply couldn't see a way to win with only the sword in his hand.
Suddenly, the strange creature vanished, and the grimoire in Berserker's hand transformed into a massive golden axe. Combined with the heavy armor he wore, the sight was overwhelming.
'He can switch weapons at will... he's even more formidable than a Master!' For the teenage Kenshin, this was a jarring revelation. Impeccable equipment, master-level martial arts, and a perfect fighting style—he had never seen anything like it.
Whoosh!
The golden axe swung toward him, and Kenshin was forced into an awkward dodge. He couldn't find an opening to counter. Against the sheer mass of that axe, his scabbard and broken blade would likely shatter instantly. Only his agility kept him from being crushed.
'I can't just keep dodging forever... eventually, he'll hit me.'
"Mn?" Searching for a way to turn the tide, Kenshin's eyes caught a glint of light in the ruins of the building Saber had crashed into. It was Saber's Holy Sword, still embedded in the ground where she had been standing.
A sword... A plan formed in his mind. Kenshin sprinted toward the light. Whoosh! Berserker was hot on his heels.
Hah! Reaching the Holy Sword, Kenshin gripped the hilt just as Berserker swung the golden axe down with crushing force.
"Assassin!" Saber cried out, watching from a distance as she struggled to her feet. She realized what he was doing—he was going to use her blade to replace his own.
'If it's him... he might actually have a chance.'
While Kenshin couldn't unleash Excalibur's true power, the blade itself was more than enough to withstand any impact.
Clang!!
Kenshin spun mid-air, drawing the Holy Sword and blocking the overhead strike just in time. The impact was monumental, driving him toward the earth. Crack! Crack! The ground beneath him spiderwebbed under the pressure.
"!" Taking a sharp breath, Kenshin tilted his body and rolled out from under the pressure. The giant axe slammed into the earth, sending a shockwave through the air.
"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu!"
"Ryutsuisen (Dragon Hammer Flash)!!"
Leaping from the side, Kenshin gripped the Holy Sword with both hands and brought it down in a thunderous overhead strike. Berserker sensed the move and tried to retreat, but Kenshin was too fast.
Crack!
This time, there were no sparks or redirections. The Holy Sword bit deep into Berserker's thick armor.
"Success?" Saber wondered, her eyes wide. Though there was no blood, Assassin had undeniably broken the enemy's defense.
Berserker looked down at the rent in his chest plate, a faint smile touching the lips hidden beneath his helmet. These two unknown heroes were indeed impressive. To hold their own against him for this long... they truly were powerful.
Bang!!
Suddenly, an explosion rocked the nearby area, and a figure tumbled out of the smoke.
"Ptui ptui ptui... I've got a mouthful of dust!" A golden-haired girl scrambled up, coughing and waving her arms.
"Just how many traps do you have?!" Kyoko Sakura shouted as she leaped down from a rooftop, her voice laced with fury. She was still bound by magical handcuffs and covered in grime. "That Magus is playing dirty!"
"This is...!"
"Lancer and Caster?" The new arrivals drew the attention of Saber and the others. It seemed another battle had spilled over into theirs.
"Wait, is there a fight going on here too? This is bad!" Kyoko Sakura finally noticed the three powerful presences nearby. Feeling their aura as Servants, she realized she was in no position to join another fray, especially while her hands were sealed.
But then, a flash of golden light illuminated the area, followed by a burst of arrogant, echoing laughter from atop a nearby street lamp.
"A-hahahahahaha!!"