"Is that... Berserker?"
Even without being told, just from the frenzied aura emanating from him, Irisviel could tell that the Servant standing on a distant shipping container was Berserker.
As for the one who had spoken earlier, it must have been Berserker's Master, who was likely hiding somewhere and watching the situation.
Seeing the already unfavorable situation worsen, Irisviel began to seriously consider a retreat.
After all, Arthur was already locked in a difficult battle with Lancer, even seeming to be at a slight disadvantage. If a Berserker was added to the mix, even the legendary King of Knights would likely find it strenuous.
However, just as Irisviel was about to inform Arthur of her thoughts via telepathy, the mysterious Lancer on the other side looked at the distant berserker with some surprise and muttered to himself.
"To think it's Heracles..."
Receiving this intelligence from his adoptive sister, Sajou Manaka, Aozaki Rin was surprised that another famous hero had appeared.
He had been planning to use a single thrust to see if he could force Arthur into a temporary retreat, but now he had to divert some of his attention to the unmoving Heracles in the distance, who was doing nothing but breathing.
"The great hero of Greece? The Holy Grail War is truly full of surprises..."
One Lancer was already difficult for him to handle. After hearing Berserker's True Name from Aozaki Rin, a wry smile crossed Arthur's mind, but his eyes immediately lit up with fighting spirit.
After all, ever since defeating Vortigern and battling that Roman emperor, he had hardly encountered a situation like this. It made his blood boil with a long-forgotten excitement.
Sensing Arthur's soaring fighting spirit, Irisviel hesitated for a moment before abandoning her original plan. She silently pulled back even further to avoid being caught in the ensuing battle.
At this moment, atop a distant shipping container, Kayneth observed the situation in the warehouse district with his enhanced vision.
"Hmph, Saber and Lancer? So what if there are two Servants? Before that legendary hero, all their struggles are futile."
He sneered, his brow unconsciously marked with confidence and arrogance.
Although he had been furious about his original catalyst being stolen on the eve of the Holy Grail War, after summoning Heracles with the catalyst prepared by the Sophia-Ri family, he felt the outcome of this war was already decided.
His confidence was further bolstered when he learned of the Noble Phantasm Heracles possessed through his authority as Master.
The "God of Strength" of Greek mythology, a famous great hero, possessing an ability of near-"immortality" twelve times over, combined with his own excellent abilities as a Master...
Honestly, at this point, Kayneth couldn't imagine how he could possibly lose.
Even if the two Servants before him teamed up, he was confident that Heracles could defeat them both.
Of course, the advantage and confidence brought by a powerful Servant were not the main reasons Kayneth chose to stir things up tonight.
The reason he had come to this "backwater place" to participate in the so-called Holy Grail War was not just to add another insignificant honor to his resume, but more importantly, to change his fiancée's opinion of him.
With a Servant like Heracles, if he were to adopt a timid strategy, it would undoubtedly cause his fiancée, Sola, to look down on him as a man.
To display his mettle and ability, a corner of Kayneth's mouth curled up as he commanded.
"Then, the victory of the first night of the Holy Grail War shall be mine."
"Unleash your power and defeat those two Servants, Berserker!"
—ROAR!
The warrior's savage roar echoed through the night sky. At Kayneth's command, Heracles's massive figure leaped from the shipping container, axe-sword in hand, and crashed down into the warehouse street!
—He's coming! x2
The thought flashed through Aozaki Rin's and Arthur's minds simultaneously. The moment the figure radiating a frenzied aura swung his axe-sword down, they both dodged to the left and right.
With a loud crash, the road shattered, and dust billowed.
Heracles faithfully carried out his Master's command, not choosing one opponent but attacking both Rin and Arthur at once.
The rough, sharp axe-sword slashed at the slender young man, while a muscular left leg kicked through the air towards the blond knight.
Rin held his spear with a wide grip to block the axe-sword, while Arthur used his holy sword as a shield to parry the kick.
The moment they clashed, both the young man and the knight felt an immense brute force, compelling them both to retreat several steps to dissipate the remaining power.
So this is the hero who overcame the Twelve Labors...
A slight numbness spread through his forearm. The face beneath Rin's mask grew serious. At that moment, Sajou Manaka's worried voice echoed in his mind.
—[Rei, are you okay? That muscle monster is, in some ways, much harder to deal with than that Saber. And his Noble Phantasm is equivalent to giving him twelve lives. Unless you can inflict enough damage to take all those lives at once, he'll become harder and harder to deal with as the count goes down. We should retreat for now and plan how to handle him.]
Twelve lives? Is it related to the "Twelve Labors"...
Surprised by the information his sister provided, Aozaki Rin couldn't help but make the connection with that special number.
But honestly, he hadn't felt that Heracles was all that difficult to handle in the previous attack.
If his opponent still had his reason, with his myriad skills and martial arts unimpeded, he would indeed be a formidable enemy. But the attack just now was clearly just a simple swing relying on brute force.
As for the ability of twelve lives, with his alchemy and other techniques, he might just have a chance to wear them down...
—It's fine, Sister. I think I have a way to deal with Heracles. Let me try first. After all, even if we run tonight, we'll still have to face him later.
—[Eh? But...]
Looking at the image reflected in her crystal ball and hearing the young man's words in her mind, Manaka, while rushing towards the highest point in Fuyuki's Miyama Town, muttered to herself in frustration.
"Has this kid gotten addicted to his role? Does he really think he's some warrior from the Age of Gods... No, I have to be faster!"
"And, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, is it? Your Servant almost hurt Rei. I'll remember this..."
Under the night sky, the girl's small curse scattered with the wind as her figure sped up even more.
-------
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