The approaching Berserker. My attacks seemed to have no effect on him. Or perhaps they did, but he was moving despite the physical damage.
Though his hands were bare, they were more than enough to kill. And behind me were Waver and Sakura in the mech. I had no option to dodge.
"Hah!!!"
Saber's flash of a sword streaked past.
The holy sword tore through the air, and its invisible tip headed straight for Berserker's throat.
Mid-air, Berserker forcefully twisted his body, and...
"Blade catching...!"
He stopped the blade just barely. What's more,
"■■■■■■■■■――――!!"
Using the grabbed sword as a pivot, he slammed Saber to the floor below.
But Saber was not to be defeated. Though we couldn't see her, she must have swung her holy sword on the floor below. A deep cut was made, and the building tilted.
Saber leaped out, pursuing Berserker as he jumped to another building.
"This is insane!!"
I couldn't help but shout that as the instantaneous offense and defense unfolded.
Berserker's target was completely Saber now. This was a bad situation. We had been drawn into a fight with Berserker, but the original plan was based on him being an ally. Saber and Berserker fighting to destroy each other was the worst possible outcome.
But it couldn't be helped now. While I was concerned about Kariya's safety, I couldn't dwell on it if I didn't get through this situation.
"Waver! Get away from here for now! That Berserker is dangerous!!"
"Yeah, I'll do that! A normal human can't fight someone like that!"
The Master's safety was the top priority. I didn't think he would get hurt while in the mech, but against a Servant, it was a different story.
"Wait a moment."
Out of nowhere, an armed soldier appeared. Judging by his equipment...
"A Rider's soldier?"
"Yes. By the King's command, I have come to report on the situation inside the Reality Marble."
"What's happening!? Is Rider okay!?"
Waver shouted through the mech's speakers. I was wondering the same thing. Even with the Ionian Hetairoi, I wondered if they could handle a Stand.
"It seems there is indeed an invisible monster inside. However, our attacks have no effect... We are only being worn down. At this rate, the Reality Marble can only be maintained for about five more minutes."
"Understood. When the time is near, please come and tell Waver."
"Understood. Please excuse me."
With that, the soldier vanished.
I wanted to go into the Reality Marble to help Rider if I could, but I was also worried about Saber fighting Berserker. And I had to be careful of Zouken's attack. I wished I could be in two more places at once.
"You heard that, Waver. When you get the report, contact me!"
"Leave it to me! Are you going to go and defeat him?"
"...I don't want to, but..."
But at this point, I had no choice. A Berserker who had fallen into Zouken's hands was a lost cause.
"I won't let you, Irregular Servant."
"Zouken...!!"
As I was about to fly away, I heard a hoarse voice. The small body was supported by his two feet and a staff, and I couldn't feel anything from his sunken eyes.
He was the current Master of Berserker, Zouken Matou.
I've been had. Now that he was here, I couldn't move. He was a more troublesome opponent than Berserker.
"I understand your eagerness. Especially if you know the relationship between Berserker and Saber."
"..."
This guy knew everything...
"Even though you shouldn't judge a Heroic Spirit by their looks... Kuku, the sight of that proud girl breaking is truly something special."
"Is that so?!"
I fired the shotgun from my hip. The darkness of the night was dispelled for a moment, and the protective fence was torn apart as if bitten by a beast. The part of Zouken's body that was there was, of course, reduced to dust. By the time the empty casing hit the ground, there was nothing left that resembled a person.
He must not have had any magical defenses, as the pieces of his body fell to the ground. But they immediately turned into insects and reformed Zouken's body.
"Hmph, I would prefer if you stopped killing my cute insects... It's bad enough that my Worm's Lair was destroyed, wasn't it?"
"I see. So if I burn all of your insects, I can defeat your main body."
"..., a visitor from the future is quite troublesome, isn't he?"
Zouken's face finally twisted.
The sound of destruction echoed from a distance. Saber and Berserker's battle was probably still ongoing. If Zouken knew about the two of them, he would actively use that knowledge as a weapon. I didn't know when Berserker would reveal his true name. If I let Zouken think he was dancing in the palm of my hand, all my previous actions could become meaningless.
"By the way, is that hunk of iron your Noble Phantasm?"
"Huh?"
"It seems Rider's Master and—Sakura are inside."
I fired a second shot.
"A person's story—"
A third shot.
"Hey—"
A fourth shot.
"Ugh, wait!"
A fifth shot.
"I don't need to hear anything from you! Whatever you have to say, it's not going to be anything good!"
I fired the shotgun repeatedly, giving Zouken no chance to do anything. Suppressive fire.
"—Come, Berserker."
Suddenly, I felt a chilling magical power behind me.
Whoa!!
Eek!!
At the same time, I heard a scream and the unpleasant sound of a machine being forcefully moved. When I turned around, I saw Berserker in a jet-black armor—the opposite of the mech's silver body—riding on the back of the mech.
He was just fighting Saber, but...
"He used a Command Seal!?"
By the time I realized it, it was too late. He had already attached himself to the mech.
Magical power was being poured into it from where he grabbed it. The mech struggled to shake off the invader, but its resistance was like a dying ember before Knight of Honor. It was slowly becoming obedient.
At this rate, there was a danger of not only having the powerful weapon taken but also facing the worst-case scenario of having two Masters taken hostage.
"The tables have turned, Irregular."
He gloated proudly. The situation was indeed bad. The Masters were hostages because of Berserker. Now that Zouken was involved in the Holy Grail War, I didn't know if he would consider Sakura special. No, he was using her as a hostage, so he didn't care what happened to her.
Saber wasn't close, and even if she was, there was a terrible bomb waiting. The enemy had more cards than me. However, my hand was not yet empty.
"Turned? No, Zouken. The situation has just changed."
"Don't make me laugh, Irregular. Or are you just bluffing? There's nothing you can do anymore! A Servant whose Master is taken hostage is nothing more than a dummy! Especially a foolishly kind one like you!"
"I'm saying it's too early for a victory speech. There's one more move... just one more move that I can make!"
Berserker was on the back of the mech. The mech, with Waver and Sakura inside, was between us. I couldn't attack in a straight line. And I wasn't fast enough to get behind him. So what should I do?
I clearly imagined it. I was going to make this comeback move a success.
I pulled back my fist, and...
"Goooooo!!"
I thrust it forward.
But I couldn't reach it yet. And the distance between my hand and the mech was pitifully wide. Not even a single hair reached it. But it hit.
"What!?"
Zouken's eyes widened at the impossible event. Without a single scratch on the mech between us, only Berserker was blown away by an invisible force. The heat generated by the system's activation was released from the heat sinks on my shoulders and back.
"HAAAAAHH!!"
"■■■■■■■■■■――――"
Saber, who had rushed over, followed up with her own attack. Even Berserker couldn't respond to this. He was cut down and fell to the ground.
The "Lambda Driver." Its official name is the "Pseudo-String Repulsion Field Generation System." It's a system mounted on the Arbalest I was wearing, and in the story, it is called a dangerous piece of black technology. Repulsion is the force that pushes objects away from each other. If you hit an opponent with it, it's an attack. If you use it on weapons or bullets, their power increases. And if you use it like a shield, it can be used for defense. It's an incredibly convenient system, but its strength and power are unstable and change depending on the user's mental state.
I used that power to deliver a long-range strike to Berserker.
"Waver, get away!"
Yeah! I get it!!
The mech, which had escaped Knight of Honor's control, soared high into the sky. It was no longer an easy target.
"Irregular, are you alright?"
"Yeah. No problem. How about you?"
"I'm fine, too."
Even Zouken seemed to be afraid of being glared at by two Servants. He was slowly being cornered. No, wait. Berserker was climbing the wall of the building. He wanted to be near him.
"You detestable brat... you still had a hidden power."
"Saber, there's no need to listen to him. Let's finish him off quickly."
"Yes. If that man is the one I've heard about—Sakura's parent—then there is no need for mercy."
Saber agreed.
"Very well. If you have played your hand, then I, too, will play my joker."
"What did you say?"
Saber frowned, but I knew what he meant. I won't let him!
"Berserker, you may open your Noble Phantasm. Wreak havoc to your heart's content."
"Tch!!"
I tried to land another Lambda Driver punch—
"It's not working—"
This time it was a dud. I had relied on an unstable system.
The black haze covering Berserker dissipated. The armor, which I could only see vaguely before, now came into clear focus. The color of the armor was still black, but it was a more vivid and beautiful black than the haze. There was a large crack in his torso, and blood was dripping from the wound Saber had made.
He was holding a single sword in his hand. Seeing the sword, Saber's expression turned to one of despair.
"Forfeit Lake Light, Arondight... You couldn't possibly be—"
The helmet split down the middle and fell to the ground. His face was revealed.
"A—urrrr!!"
"Sir Lancelot...!"
Berserker, ignoring me, lunged straight for Saber.
"Zouken!!"
By the time I looked, Zouken was gone. He had fled somewhere, leaving behind his biggest weapon, Berserker.
Saber and Berserker started fighting. No, this wasn't a fight. Saber was being attacked one-sidedly. He had her pinned and was relentlessly punching her. She was defending against fatal attacks from his sword, but otherwise, she was helpless. If she hadn't been a Saber-class Servant, it would have been a truly miserable sight.
"Dark Magic: Magia Elevea. Lambda Driver—"
I put power into my legs, and...
"PUNCH!!"
Berserker made a hole in the building wall, went through it, and was impaled on the ground.
Did it work this time? Or did it not? Dammit, it's hard to tell.
Aurrrrrr!!
It sounded like a grudge coming from the bottom of the earth.
At that moment, the space distorted. Iskandar's Reality Marble had been dispelled. Iskandar, riding on the chariot in the sky, approached with a thunderous roar.
"Rider!"
"Honestly. That's not what you told me, Sho. Weren't you supposed to come in with us?"
"Didn't the messenger tell you anything?"
Rider laughed heartily.
"It was a joke. It seems you had a rough time as well. I can tell by looking at him... I won't ask what happened."
"...I'll share the information later."
Iskandar looked at Saber and said. It seemed Berserker had retreated. With three Servants, he wouldn't stand a chance. And he must have been quite injured from today's battle. If he didn't intend to be a throwaway, it was time to retreat... And he had driven in a wedge that was more than enough.
I took a breath, and my phone rang. The caller was... Kiritsugu.
'It's me. We succeeded in eliminating the Caster's Master.'
"Caster's?"
'Yeah. I confirmed the Command Seals on his hand. I also confirmed the Caster's disappearance. What about you?'
Caster's Master was the Stand user? What was going on? There were a million things I wanted to think about, but for now, it was important to go back and share information.
"The fighting here is over, too. There was a lot of damage, but everyone's alive. Should we meet up?"
'No, we'll head back as is. We have to send a familiar to the church to collect the reward for Caster's elimination.'
"Understood. I'll send you a summary via email."
'Alright.'
I hung up the phone and relaxed. I really thought this was the end of us. We made it through, but the damage was extensive.
"Was that Saber's real Master?"
Waver, with a similarly exhausted face, got out of the mech.
"Yeah. The initial goal was accomplished. We were able to deal with that invisible monster. Let's talk about the details when we get back. I'm completely wiped out."
After that, we met up and began our journey home.
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