Nasuverse Holding Back the Sea
- Thread starter Ryuugi
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Rider gave a snort of laughter at that, drawing BerserkerÆs attention. The Heroic Spirit of Fury smiled teasingly at the larger man.
ôI was wondering when someone would finally get here. YouÆre falling behind, Rider.ö He said.
Rider smirked.
ôAll that matters is gets the kill.ö
ôAh,ö Berserker nodded, amusement glimmering in his eyes. ôHoping that slow and steady will win the race? I hope you arenÆt relying on me taking too many naps.ö
Waver was surprisedùthe two Servants were joking with each other as if they were friends. Since their last two meanings had ended with a hit and runs and challenge, respectively, it seemed odd to him that they were so sociable.
ôHmph,ö Rider glanced at his opponent challengingly. ôI think youÆll find that IÆm full of surprises.ö
Suddenly, BerserkerÆs smile showed a lot more teeth, something made amazingly unnerving by his blood-covered form, and Waver mentally corrected his previous observationùthey were friends, but they probably wouldnÆt mind trying to kill each. Seeing thatùand suddenly worried that their truce might not keep them from taking æfriendlyÆ shots at each otherùWaver quickly changed the subject quickly.
ôHow did you figure out where Caster was?ö He asked, before mentally kicking himself. Not only would Berserker not answer, but heÆd probably mind it insultingù
ôI went to the morgue and took a look at the bodies. Then I tracked Caster here based on what I found. There were mutilated bodies at the bottom of the river, gathered near the entrance of this sewer, so I entered and found a bunch of monsters. You?ö Berserker said, sounding extremely confident, to the point of not being worried about sharing his own plans.
But then again, heÆd gotten here first.
And since they had both managed to find their way here at around the same time, saying how they did so probably wouldnÆt affect anything.
Still, Waver was a bit surprised, both that Berserker knew what a morgue was, where it was in this city, and that his first course of action was to go there and play medical examiner. Things like that werenÆt included in the knowledge provided by the Holy Grail.
In which case, the only real possible source was BerserkerÆs Master, who couldùand probably mustùhave left a great deal of comprehensive details about the entire City.
Even if he was absent, he was proving himself a dangerous opponentà
ôI used Alchemy to check the water. I found a lot of traces of magic in the water.ö
Berserker nodded.
ôI noticed that after I entered the waterùit felt polluted.ö
Having received his answer, BerserkerÆs attention immediately refocused on what he was doing, turning around a striding further into the darkness. He ignored Rider and his Master, apparently dismissing their presence as less important than being the one to kill Caster.
Waver opened his mouth to speak, only to close it quietly as Rider laid a hand on his shoulder. RiderÆs eyes stared into the darkness, but Waver was sure he wasnÆt looking at Berserker. Apparently, he had also decided to ignore the other Servant and focus on Caster.
In all likelihood, if Caster was ahead, those two wouldnÆt even acknowledge the otherÆs presence and instead focus completely on taking their targetÆs head.
As soon as Waver realized that, the chariot was in motion. It moved slowly, and the occasion flashes of light that resulted from the footsteps of the bulls revealed whyùBerserker stood just ahead.
Even if they wouldnÆt acknowledge the other, it seemed they would at least avoid hurting each other.
Before long, they were in a wide space. In the darkness of the sewers, there wasnÆt even a glimmer of illumination, nor any moving air, but the cramped, oppressive feeling that theyÆd had while in the narrow tunnel was gone. Waver had wanted to bring flashlight or something, but if there had been an ambush lying in wait, having such a thing would have immediately informed them of his position. As a result, he simply had to make due in the darkness.
Of course, with RiderÆs chariot, subtlety was out of the question to begin with, butàblinding flashes of lightning could hide them in a different way. So he was still safer without something giving him away. He had his magecraft, if he needed it.
ôùTch.ö Berserker said, though Waver could not see him. ôIt seems weÆre both a step behind. CasterÆs not here.ö
ùThough for a ServantÆs eyes, there was probably no problem, even in such complete darkness.
But what was this place?
ôA water tank? Orà?ö He wondered, preparing to activate his nightvision.
ôOi, RiderÆs Master,ö Berserker said, suddenly standing so close that Waver froze in fear. His hand was firm on WaverÆs shoulder, though it wasnÆt strong enough to hurt. ôItÆs not my place to give you orders, butàI think itÆs better for you not to look.ö
There was a mixture of rage and disgust in the ServantÆs voice, but it was too late.
HeÆd already activated his magecraft.
He could see everything perfectly.
ôI was wondering when someone would finally get here. YouÆre falling behind, Rider.ö He said.
Rider smirked.
ôAll that matters is gets the kill.ö
ôAh,ö Berserker nodded, amusement glimmering in his eyes. ôHoping that slow and steady will win the race? I hope you arenÆt relying on me taking too many naps.ö
Waver was surprisedùthe two Servants were joking with each other as if they were friends. Since their last two meanings had ended with a hit and runs and challenge, respectively, it seemed odd to him that they were so sociable.
ôHmph,ö Rider glanced at his opponent challengingly. ôI think youÆll find that IÆm full of surprises.ö
Suddenly, BerserkerÆs smile showed a lot more teeth, something made amazingly unnerving by his blood-covered form, and Waver mentally corrected his previous observationùthey were friends, but they probably wouldnÆt mind trying to kill each. Seeing thatùand suddenly worried that their truce might not keep them from taking æfriendlyÆ shots at each otherùWaver quickly changed the subject quickly.
ôHow did you figure out where Caster was?ö He asked, before mentally kicking himself. Not only would Berserker not answer, but heÆd probably mind it insultingù
ôI went to the morgue and took a look at the bodies. Then I tracked Caster here based on what I found. There were mutilated bodies at the bottom of the river, gathered near the entrance of this sewer, so I entered and found a bunch of monsters. You?ö Berserker said, sounding extremely confident, to the point of not being worried about sharing his own plans.
But then again, heÆd gotten here first.
And since they had both managed to find their way here at around the same time, saying how they did so probably wouldnÆt affect anything.
Still, Waver was a bit surprised, both that Berserker knew what a morgue was, where it was in this city, and that his first course of action was to go there and play medical examiner. Things like that werenÆt included in the knowledge provided by the Holy Grail.
In which case, the only real possible source was BerserkerÆs Master, who couldùand probably mustùhave left a great deal of comprehensive details about the entire City.
Even if he was absent, he was proving himself a dangerous opponentà
ôI used Alchemy to check the water. I found a lot of traces of magic in the water.ö
Berserker nodded.
ôI noticed that after I entered the waterùit felt polluted.ö
Having received his answer, BerserkerÆs attention immediately refocused on what he was doing, turning around a striding further into the darkness. He ignored Rider and his Master, apparently dismissing their presence as less important than being the one to kill Caster.
Waver opened his mouth to speak, only to close it quietly as Rider laid a hand on his shoulder. RiderÆs eyes stared into the darkness, but Waver was sure he wasnÆt looking at Berserker. Apparently, he had also decided to ignore the other Servant and focus on Caster.
In all likelihood, if Caster was ahead, those two wouldnÆt even acknowledge the otherÆs presence and instead focus completely on taking their targetÆs head.
As soon as Waver realized that, the chariot was in motion. It moved slowly, and the occasion flashes of light that resulted from the footsteps of the bulls revealed whyùBerserker stood just ahead.
Even if they wouldnÆt acknowledge the other, it seemed they would at least avoid hurting each other.
Before long, they were in a wide space. In the darkness of the sewers, there wasnÆt even a glimmer of illumination, nor any moving air, but the cramped, oppressive feeling that theyÆd had while in the narrow tunnel was gone. Waver had wanted to bring flashlight or something, but if there had been an ambush lying in wait, having such a thing would have immediately informed them of his position. As a result, he simply had to make due in the darkness.
Of course, with RiderÆs chariot, subtlety was out of the question to begin with, butàblinding flashes of lightning could hide them in a different way. So he was still safer without something giving him away. He had his magecraft, if he needed it.
ôùTch.ö Berserker said, though Waver could not see him. ôIt seems weÆre both a step behind. CasterÆs not here.ö
ùThough for a ServantÆs eyes, there was probably no problem, even in such complete darkness.
But what was this place?
ôA water tank? Orà?ö He wondered, preparing to activate his nightvision.
ôOi, RiderÆs Master,ö Berserker said, suddenly standing so close that Waver froze in fear. His hand was firm on WaverÆs shoulder, though it wasnÆt strong enough to hurt. ôItÆs not my place to give you orders, butàI think itÆs better for you not to look.ö
There was a mixture of rage and disgust in the ServantÆs voice, but it was too late.
HeÆd already activated his magecraft.
He could see everything perfectly.
On a more serious note, given some of the crap Lovecraft stories involve, and that magi/Castor!Zero gets up to...
Waver probably wishes it was something as mild as a naked Zouken.
EDIT: If, y'know, he knew who Zouken was, and had a vague idea of just how traumatizing, comparatively, his naked form would be.
Waver probably wishes it was something as mild as a naked Zouken.
EDIT: If, y'know, he knew who Zouken was, and had a vague idea of just how traumatizing, comparatively, his naked form would be.
ôùWha-Whatùô
He couldnÆt even form the words. With his hand still on his shoulder, Berserker closed his eyes, a bit pained.
Waver was a magus. He had prepared his heart for things whose reasoningÆs were outside his ethics, knowing the world of the magi was full of such things.
Further, he knew that the ritual he was now participating inùthe Holy Grail Warùwas one of unparalleled brutality. He knew it was full of murderers and that he shouldnÆt waste time feeling anything for them. If he didnÆt prepare himself to see bodies pile up, then he would have no hope of winning this fight.
Because of that, Waver had sworn to himself that he would not be shaken, no matter what horrors he saw. Since this city was now a battlefield, it was natural to see dead bodies, so he should treat it as such. Even if their numbers were enormous, even if they were mutilated to the point where they could not be recognized as human, corpses were just corpses.
He would frown and be disgusted at both the goriness and atrocity, but he would continue on, as unaffected as a magus should be.
àThat is what he had thought, up until this point.
But he was wrong.
It had been the limitation of WaverÆs imagination to think that corpses, in the end, were nothing but the remains of human bodiesùnothing but the result of their death.
But what he here surpassed his expectations completely. If there was a book full of the horrors one could inflict on the human body, the scenes in this room could have filled its own section.
No, rather than a æbook,Æ perhaps a æshopÆ was a better example.
There was furniture. There were clothes, too. Musical instruments and cutlery. Various æitemÆs whose use could not be understoodùperhaps they were just pieces of artwork. In each and every one of them, the enthusiasm with which the creator had devoted himself diligently into their design was obvious, as was the fun heÆd had.
Without a doubt, their maker had thoroughly loved working with the raw materials, as well as the process of manufacturing itself.
There were no ædead remainsÆ in here. Everything was something newùa work of art born of a maddened mind. Their lives as æhuman beings,Æ their corpses as æhuman beings,Æ were completely discarded as meaningless in the processùuseless to the creation of the makerÆs art.
Murders done in this way, purely for twisted amusementùcreating art by means of deathùwas something that Waver could not understand. He was not simply horrified or disgustedùthe graphically realistic sight before him had shocked him so much that he could not even stand.
Before he even realized it, he was on his hands and knees, vomiting out the contents of his stomach.
At his side, Berserker sighed deeply.
ôThat was whyàI thought you shouldnÆt lookàö He said, weakly trailing off.
ôShut up!ö Waver snapped. Crouching there on his knees being pitied even by an enemy Servant, the last of his self-dignity was shattered into pieces.
His intense outburst of fury had no logic or reason whatsoever. But kneeling there as he was, his own weakness was detestable. Of all times, for his weakness to be revealed in front of both his own Servant and an enemyàit was an unbearably mortifying humiliation.
ôSon of a bitch! Treating me like an idiot!ö Waver hissed, struggling out of BerserkerÆs gripùor rather, struggling until Berserker let him go. ôLet go of me, damn it!ö
Berserker looked at him in quiet patience, like an old man who had often dealt with misbehaving children. It was a look that was unfitting in his youthful looking faceùbut then, who knew how old heÆd been before heÆd died?
ôNowÆs not the time to get a temper child,ö He said, skillfully reminding Waver of the matter at hand and dispelling his anger.
Rider laid a firm, comforting hand on his shoulder.
ôItÆs okay; thatÆs enough for now. If there was someone who was not affected in the slightest after seeing such a thing, IÆd go and punch them in the face. More than ever, IÆm convincedùthe goal of bringing down Caster and his Master first is indeed the best one. Every moment such people continue to exist is a disgusting one.ö
ôIdiot! Even if you say that, arenÆt you standing there unconcerned!? Am I the only one whoÆs disgusted!?ö
Rider frowned in response to WaverÆs angry voice, but not at the wordsùit was like something was bothering him.
ôFor me, now is not the time to bare my emotions. ThatÆs becauseàright now, my MasterÆs about to be killed.ö
ôàEh?ö Waver asked, eyes widened.
He couldnÆt even form the words. With his hand still on his shoulder, Berserker closed his eyes, a bit pained.
Waver was a magus. He had prepared his heart for things whose reasoningÆs were outside his ethics, knowing the world of the magi was full of such things.
Further, he knew that the ritual he was now participating inùthe Holy Grail Warùwas one of unparalleled brutality. He knew it was full of murderers and that he shouldnÆt waste time feeling anything for them. If he didnÆt prepare himself to see bodies pile up, then he would have no hope of winning this fight.
Because of that, Waver had sworn to himself that he would not be shaken, no matter what horrors he saw. Since this city was now a battlefield, it was natural to see dead bodies, so he should treat it as such. Even if their numbers were enormous, even if they were mutilated to the point where they could not be recognized as human, corpses were just corpses.
He would frown and be disgusted at both the goriness and atrocity, but he would continue on, as unaffected as a magus should be.
àThat is what he had thought, up until this point.
But he was wrong.
It had been the limitation of WaverÆs imagination to think that corpses, in the end, were nothing but the remains of human bodiesùnothing but the result of their death.
But what he here surpassed his expectations completely. If there was a book full of the horrors one could inflict on the human body, the scenes in this room could have filled its own section.
No, rather than a æbook,Æ perhaps a æshopÆ was a better example.
There was furniture. There were clothes, too. Musical instruments and cutlery. Various æitemÆs whose use could not be understoodùperhaps they were just pieces of artwork. In each and every one of them, the enthusiasm with which the creator had devoted himself diligently into their design was obvious, as was the fun heÆd had.
Without a doubt, their maker had thoroughly loved working with the raw materials, as well as the process of manufacturing itself.
There were no ædead remainsÆ in here. Everything was something newùa work of art born of a maddened mind. Their lives as æhuman beings,Æ their corpses as æhuman beings,Æ were completely discarded as meaningless in the processùuseless to the creation of the makerÆs art.
Murders done in this way, purely for twisted amusementùcreating art by means of deathùwas something that Waver could not understand. He was not simply horrified or disgustedùthe graphically realistic sight before him had shocked him so much that he could not even stand.
Before he even realized it, he was on his hands and knees, vomiting out the contents of his stomach.
At his side, Berserker sighed deeply.
ôThat was whyàI thought you shouldnÆt lookàö He said, weakly trailing off.
ôShut up!ö Waver snapped. Crouching there on his knees being pitied even by an enemy Servant, the last of his self-dignity was shattered into pieces.
His intense outburst of fury had no logic or reason whatsoever. But kneeling there as he was, his own weakness was detestable. Of all times, for his weakness to be revealed in front of both his own Servant and an enemyàit was an unbearably mortifying humiliation.
ôSon of a bitch! Treating me like an idiot!ö Waver hissed, struggling out of BerserkerÆs gripùor rather, struggling until Berserker let him go. ôLet go of me, damn it!ö
Berserker looked at him in quiet patience, like an old man who had often dealt with misbehaving children. It was a look that was unfitting in his youthful looking faceùbut then, who knew how old heÆd been before heÆd died?
ôNowÆs not the time to get a temper child,ö He said, skillfully reminding Waver of the matter at hand and dispelling his anger.
Rider laid a firm, comforting hand on his shoulder.
ôItÆs okay; thatÆs enough for now. If there was someone who was not affected in the slightest after seeing such a thing, IÆd go and punch them in the face. More than ever, IÆm convincedùthe goal of bringing down Caster and his Master first is indeed the best one. Every moment such people continue to exist is a disgusting one.ö
ôIdiot! Even if you say that, arenÆt you standing there unconcerned!? Am I the only one whoÆs disgusted!?ö
Rider frowned in response to WaverÆs angry voice, but not at the wordsùit was like something was bothering him.
ôFor me, now is not the time to bare my emotions. ThatÆs becauseàright now, my MasterÆs about to be killed.ö
ôàEh?ö Waver asked, eyes widened.
With lightning-like speed, both Rider and Berserker drew their swords. The sheer presence of them flooded the open space of the room with enough force to seem almost solid. The solemn disgust nature of Rider and the barely contained fury of Berserker had both vanished in an instant, replaced by lethally focused feeling that could only have been resolve. The resolve of a Servant to do whatever they had toùin an instant, both of them put aside their thoughts and feelings and threw themselves completely into battle.
The moved with such inhuman speed that Waver lost track of them almost instantly. Even with his eyes now able to see in the dark, he might as well been blind for all that he could see of the battle. The only thing he was able to see was a brief and sudden cascade of sparks a short distance away from his face.
In that instant, his heart started to pound furiously. He could do nothing but widen his eyes even as he broke out in a cold sweat. He began to stand, but knew heÆd never be fast enough to finish doing so.
Had Berserker attacked? If so, when did Rider notice him doing so? Waver was still alive, for whatever that was worth, but he knew he didnÆt have a chance in this situation.
BerserkerÆs hand had just been on his shoulder. He kicked himself for that, now; having allowed an enemy Servant to get so close was stupid. It was amazing the surprise attack hadnÆt come before, actually.
But it meant one thing. He was going to die in the next few seconds.
By some miracle, he had survived the first blowùor rather, Rider had been able to protect him from the first blow. But with Berserker that close by, many more would be on their way, and it would take something like divine intervention to survive them all.
As a Master, he could tellùif it was physical combat, Rider was definitely outmatched by Berserker, who was able to might evenly with Saber. If they were to fight, then for Rider to win, their best chance would obviously be mounted combat; that was the obvious way for a Rider to fight, wasnÆt it?
But melee combat against an invulnerable opponent whoÆs every stat matched or exceeded his own? That was absolutely not the way for Rider to fight.
But Rider doing so was the only thing keeping him alive, if only for the moment.
Which meant he had to do somethingùand quickùif he wanted any hope of staying alive, much less winning this war.
His magecraft was useless, in this case. Any spell he sent at Berserker would flicker out of existence long before it actually hit him. Even if he had a great deal of time to prepare himself, he couldnÆt possibly cast a spell powerful enough to affect Berserkerùand the last thing he had at the moment was time. HeÆd be lucky to get off even a Single-Action spell before Berserker noticed and cut him down.
In that case, the only choice he had was to use a Command Seal. Besides commanding obedience from a Servant, they could be used to support a specific action, allowing a miracle to occur if enough prana was available between Master and Servant.
But he had to choose his order wisely, because his life literally depended on it.
æDefeat BerserkerÆ was the obvious one, which instantly sprang to mind. But would that order allow him and Rider to survive? Even if Rider was able to strike at his heel, if Berserker managed to kill either of them in the process, it was meaningless. Furthermore, such a broad order was something that was unlikely to work so simply and relied on the two of them having enough prana to defeat Berserker in a situation where he seemed to have all his cards.
Then perhaps something like æProtect MeÆ or even just æGet us out of hereÆ? Rather than seeking victory is such a disadvantageous situation victory, escaping unharmed and returning was the better choice?
Decision made, Waver opened his mouth to give the orderù
But the battle was already over. And what Waver saw froze the words in his mouth.
Rider stood, outside the chariot, his sword planted in the ground. He scanned the area in the darkness, not even looking in WaverÆs direction.
And Berserkerà
Was standing right by his side, a firm hand on his shoulder and the other holding his bronze blade.
The moved with such inhuman speed that Waver lost track of them almost instantly. Even with his eyes now able to see in the dark, he might as well been blind for all that he could see of the battle. The only thing he was able to see was a brief and sudden cascade of sparks a short distance away from his face.
In that instant, his heart started to pound furiously. He could do nothing but widen his eyes even as he broke out in a cold sweat. He began to stand, but knew heÆd never be fast enough to finish doing so.
Had Berserker attacked? If so, when did Rider notice him doing so? Waver was still alive, for whatever that was worth, but he knew he didnÆt have a chance in this situation.
BerserkerÆs hand had just been on his shoulder. He kicked himself for that, now; having allowed an enemy Servant to get so close was stupid. It was amazing the surprise attack hadnÆt come before, actually.
But it meant one thing. He was going to die in the next few seconds.
By some miracle, he had survived the first blowùor rather, Rider had been able to protect him from the first blow. But with Berserker that close by, many more would be on their way, and it would take something like divine intervention to survive them all.
As a Master, he could tellùif it was physical combat, Rider was definitely outmatched by Berserker, who was able to might evenly with Saber. If they were to fight, then for Rider to win, their best chance would obviously be mounted combat; that was the obvious way for a Rider to fight, wasnÆt it?
But melee combat against an invulnerable opponent whoÆs every stat matched or exceeded his own? That was absolutely not the way for Rider to fight.
But Rider doing so was the only thing keeping him alive, if only for the moment.
Which meant he had to do somethingùand quickùif he wanted any hope of staying alive, much less winning this war.
His magecraft was useless, in this case. Any spell he sent at Berserker would flicker out of existence long before it actually hit him. Even if he had a great deal of time to prepare himself, he couldnÆt possibly cast a spell powerful enough to affect Berserkerùand the last thing he had at the moment was time. HeÆd be lucky to get off even a Single-Action spell before Berserker noticed and cut him down.
In that case, the only choice he had was to use a Command Seal. Besides commanding obedience from a Servant, they could be used to support a specific action, allowing a miracle to occur if enough prana was available between Master and Servant.
But he had to choose his order wisely, because his life literally depended on it.
æDefeat BerserkerÆ was the obvious one, which instantly sprang to mind. But would that order allow him and Rider to survive? Even if Rider was able to strike at his heel, if Berserker managed to kill either of them in the process, it was meaningless. Furthermore, such a broad order was something that was unlikely to work so simply and relied on the two of them having enough prana to defeat Berserker in a situation where he seemed to have all his cards.
Then perhaps something like æProtect MeÆ or even just æGet us out of hereÆ? Rather than seeking victory is such a disadvantageous situation victory, escaping unharmed and returning was the better choice?
Decision made, Waver opened his mouth to give the orderù
But the battle was already over. And what Waver saw froze the words in his mouth.
Rider stood, outside the chariot, his sword planted in the ground. He scanned the area in the darkness, not even looking in WaverÆs direction.
And Berserkerà
Was standing right by his side, a firm hand on his shoulder and the other holding his bronze blade.
And then, right as Waver was certain he was about to dieà
Berserker smiled.
ôDid you get him?ö He asked.
ôI got him.ö Rider said, nodded. ôButàyou should see this.ö
Letting go of WaverÆs shoulder, Berserker walked to RiderÆs side, apparently completely at ease.
Waver wished he could say the same, but his entire body was shaking.
After a few moments and several deep breaths, he managed to stand and follow after the Servant. Even so, he couldnÆt keep himself from stiffening when Berserker stopped suddenly, kneeling to pick something off the ground. When Waver reached his side, the Servant showed it to him.
It was what a bladeùeither RiderÆs or BerserkerÆs; he didnÆt knowùhad knocked aside to save his life. In BerserkerÆs hand, there was a single, dark dagger.
In that moment, Waver understood.
HeÆd nearly been assassinated and Rider and Berserker had saved his lifeùtogether.
But that left him with more questions than answers.
How on Earth had an enemy managed to sneak up behind him? The obvious conclusion was that it had been either an enemy Servant or magi, but either he or the Servants would have sensed their presence instantly. Assassin had long sense been killed and with him gone, there were no ServantÆs able to hide their presence effectivelyùor there shouldnÆt have been.
And to use such a weapon as a thrown knifeàan enemy Master was unlikely to use such a method and even less likely to be able to hide from the senses of a Servant.
But thenàthe ServantÆs had sense them, hadnÆt they? Even when Waver had not. When? How?
ôH-how did you two know we were under attack?ö
ôI have good instincts.ö Berserker replied immediately. ôI felt someone prepare to attack, and was prepared for it. I signaled Rider and that was it.ö
His eyes shifted towards Rider with apparent laziness, but there was a definite gleam of interest in them.
ôIf anything, you should thank Rider. I did nothing but block the initial attack and stay back to protect you. But locating a hidden enemyÆs exact location based of the trajectory of a single attackàeven IÆm impressed, Rider.ö
Rider smirked in pride, showing all his teeth.
ôDetermining an enemyÆs position based off how they attack isnÆt that difficult. Rather, I didnÆt even sense him, but you were aware an attack was coming seconds before it even did. I consider that more impressiveùif you did that, you were probably able to figure out their location as well.ö
ôYou honor me with your words, King of Conquerors. But I assure you, it wasnÆt that impressive. I couldnÆt since his approach at all until he prepared to attack.ö Berserker said, acting like they were old friends. But then his eyes shifted down and his smile vanished. ôSo thatÆs Assassin, is it?ö
Waver blinked at his words.
ôWhat?ö
Brushing past Berserker, he approached the dead figure at RiderÆs feet. And what he saw was more confusing than anything else in this entire situation.
The black-clad figure at RiderÆs feetàwithout a doubt, that had to be Assassin. That even explained how heÆd managed to sneak up on them and how Berserker had sensed himùhis Class Ability, Presence Concealment, made him nearly impossible to detect, but itÆs effectiveness dropped once preparations to attack were taken.
However, that did nothing to explain anything, becauseàhe had already seen Assassin die.
ôIt canÆt beàö
In an instant, Berserker was beside him again, like an invulnerable, bronze guardian angel. He didnÆt say a word, but his sudden appearance surprised Waverùuntil he saw the cause.
Standing before them, at the entrance to the tunnel, were two more figures. Each was dressed entirely in black and each had a white skull mask.
That is to sayàeach was Assassin.
ôW-w-w-why!? Why are the four Assassin!?ö
ôNowÆs not the time to be shocked boy.ö Rider said, completely composed despite the abnormal situation.
ôWhatever the reason, it doesnÆt matter.ö Berserker agreed. No matter what strange course of events might happen, to him, the present was the only concern. Everything else could be sorted out and explained later.
ôButàone thing is for sure. Whoever was convinced that these guys had diedàhas definitely been deceived.ö Rider concluded.
And watching the two Servants, who even now were completely unshakenàthe two Assassins clicked their tongues regretfully.
XxXXxX
Berserker smiled.
ôDid you get him?ö He asked.
ôI got him.ö Rider said, nodded. ôButàyou should see this.ö
Letting go of WaverÆs shoulder, Berserker walked to RiderÆs side, apparently completely at ease.
Waver wished he could say the same, but his entire body was shaking.
After a few moments and several deep breaths, he managed to stand and follow after the Servant. Even so, he couldnÆt keep himself from stiffening when Berserker stopped suddenly, kneeling to pick something off the ground. When Waver reached his side, the Servant showed it to him.
It was what a bladeùeither RiderÆs or BerserkerÆs; he didnÆt knowùhad knocked aside to save his life. In BerserkerÆs hand, there was a single, dark dagger.
In that moment, Waver understood.
HeÆd nearly been assassinated and Rider and Berserker had saved his lifeùtogether.
But that left him with more questions than answers.
How on Earth had an enemy managed to sneak up behind him? The obvious conclusion was that it had been either an enemy Servant or magi, but either he or the Servants would have sensed their presence instantly. Assassin had long sense been killed and with him gone, there were no ServantÆs able to hide their presence effectivelyùor there shouldnÆt have been.
And to use such a weapon as a thrown knifeàan enemy Master was unlikely to use such a method and even less likely to be able to hide from the senses of a Servant.
But thenàthe ServantÆs had sense them, hadnÆt they? Even when Waver had not. When? How?
ôH-how did you two know we were under attack?ö
ôI have good instincts.ö Berserker replied immediately. ôI felt someone prepare to attack, and was prepared for it. I signaled Rider and that was it.ö
His eyes shifted towards Rider with apparent laziness, but there was a definite gleam of interest in them.
ôIf anything, you should thank Rider. I did nothing but block the initial attack and stay back to protect you. But locating a hidden enemyÆs exact location based of the trajectory of a single attackàeven IÆm impressed, Rider.ö
Rider smirked in pride, showing all his teeth.
ôDetermining an enemyÆs position based off how they attack isnÆt that difficult. Rather, I didnÆt even sense him, but you were aware an attack was coming seconds before it even did. I consider that more impressiveùif you did that, you were probably able to figure out their location as well.ö
ôYou honor me with your words, King of Conquerors. But I assure you, it wasnÆt that impressive. I couldnÆt since his approach at all until he prepared to attack.ö Berserker said, acting like they were old friends. But then his eyes shifted down and his smile vanished. ôSo thatÆs Assassin, is it?ö
Waver blinked at his words.
ôWhat?ö
Brushing past Berserker, he approached the dead figure at RiderÆs feet. And what he saw was more confusing than anything else in this entire situation.
The black-clad figure at RiderÆs feetàwithout a doubt, that had to be Assassin. That even explained how heÆd managed to sneak up on them and how Berserker had sensed himùhis Class Ability, Presence Concealment, made him nearly impossible to detect, but itÆs effectiveness dropped once preparations to attack were taken.
However, that did nothing to explain anything, becauseàhe had already seen Assassin die.
ôIt canÆt beàö
In an instant, Berserker was beside him again, like an invulnerable, bronze guardian angel. He didnÆt say a word, but his sudden appearance surprised Waverùuntil he saw the cause.
Standing before them, at the entrance to the tunnel, were two more figures. Each was dressed entirely in black and each had a white skull mask.
That is to sayàeach was Assassin.
ôW-w-w-why!? Why are the four Assassin!?ö
ôNowÆs not the time to be shocked boy.ö Rider said, completely composed despite the abnormal situation.
ôWhatever the reason, it doesnÆt matter.ö Berserker agreed. No matter what strange course of events might happen, to him, the present was the only concern. Everything else could be sorted out and explained later.
ôButàone thing is for sure. Whoever was convinced that these guys had diedàhas definitely been deceived.ö Rider concluded.
And watching the two Servants, who even now were completely unshakenàthe two Assassins clicked their tongues regretfully.
XxXXxX
XxXXxX
In reality, to the Assassins, this turn of events was a complete fiasco.
Apart from the two Assassins that had been sent out to follow Caster and his Master and æthat oneÆ, there had been three Assassins left amongst those that had been deployed to observe CasterÆs Workshopùthat is, those two and the one that had just died.
If possibly, they had wanted to take advantage of CasterÆs absence to invade the Workshop and investigate, but since theyÆd had no idea what would await them inside, theyÆd had no choice but to be cautious. Even with that æoperativeÆ inside, their ability to gather information was limited. After all, that one could barely be called an Assassin, even if that was what made it useful.
But then Berserker had appeared. HeÆd charged into the Workshop head-on, foolishly attacking it from the front, and the three of them had decided that it was a great chance for them. TheyÆd secretly pursued Berserker, following him through the opening heÆd made in CasterÆs defenses; if the situation permitted it, they would use this opportunity to discover whatever they could about CasterÆs Workshop.
And yet, Berserker had managed to breach the defenses of the Workshop without any trouble, along with Rider and his Master, who had arrived after the Assassins. Unexpectedly, all three Servants had managed to penetrate the base at the same time.
Unfortunately, that was where things began to go wrong. TheyÆd immediately spread throughout the base, gathering whatever information they could, but one of the Assassins had become greedy. With the defenseless Master of Rider vomiting on the ground, he had been unable to resist and had wanted to stray from his duty.
In this regard, the disadvantage of AssassinÆs nature was obvious; it was the obvious downside of having so many distinct personalities operating in different places simultaneously with no true method of controlling them. Even with their MasterÆs Command Seals, there was no one order that could effectively make all of them behaveùeven if they all shared loyalty to the same master, in the end, they were each their own person and acted as such; if there was a problem or opportunity, it was unlikely that any of them would react in exactly the same way.
However, even if it was an extremely risky gamble and would stray from their MasterÆs instructions, it was also true that as Assassins, they had to quickly adapt and take advantage of any opportunities that presented themselvesùeven just taking the time to ask their Master whether they should take the shot would take far too long and the opportunity would surely vanish by the time a decision was made. In addition, even if the action disobeyed their MasterÆs orders, if they managed to successfully killed RiderÆs Master and eliminate Rider here, they probably wouldnÆt be punished. Even if they failed, it was possible that they could cause a fight to break out between Rider and Berserker and cause them to kill each other.
To the AssassinÆs, it was an attractive chance, and the one whoÆd had the initial desire had managed to convince his fellows.
But in the end, it was a complete failure.
Rather than take advantage of the situation or step aside, Berserker had noticed them and informed Rider, as well as protected the Master of his enemy. Rider had then swiftly killed his attacker, wordlessly leaving Berserker to guard his defenseless Master.
It was something that none of the Assassins could understand or see the reasoning of.
And now they were left in a two-on-two battle against Berserker and Rider. Without even thinking, the choice was obvious; since the moment theyÆd lost the element of surprise, their chance at victory had already been lost. Measuring the difference in strength between them, Rider, and Berserker, it was immediately obvious that they had no hope of victory. They may have resented doing so, but retreating here and facing their MasterÆs wrath was much better than staying only to be slain.
Reaching this mutual understanding, both of them dematerialized and quickly abandoned CasterÆs hideout.
After all, it was fine, even if they left that one behind.
It didnÆt matter, even if she died.
XxXXxX
In reality, to the Assassins, this turn of events was a complete fiasco.
Apart from the two Assassins that had been sent out to follow Caster and his Master and æthat oneÆ, there had been three Assassins left amongst those that had been deployed to observe CasterÆs Workshopùthat is, those two and the one that had just died.
If possibly, they had wanted to take advantage of CasterÆs absence to invade the Workshop and investigate, but since theyÆd had no idea what would await them inside, theyÆd had no choice but to be cautious. Even with that æoperativeÆ inside, their ability to gather information was limited. After all, that one could barely be called an Assassin, even if that was what made it useful.
But then Berserker had appeared. HeÆd charged into the Workshop head-on, foolishly attacking it from the front, and the three of them had decided that it was a great chance for them. TheyÆd secretly pursued Berserker, following him through the opening heÆd made in CasterÆs defenses; if the situation permitted it, they would use this opportunity to discover whatever they could about CasterÆs Workshop.
And yet, Berserker had managed to breach the defenses of the Workshop without any trouble, along with Rider and his Master, who had arrived after the Assassins. Unexpectedly, all three Servants had managed to penetrate the base at the same time.
Unfortunately, that was where things began to go wrong. TheyÆd immediately spread throughout the base, gathering whatever information they could, but one of the Assassins had become greedy. With the defenseless Master of Rider vomiting on the ground, he had been unable to resist and had wanted to stray from his duty.
In this regard, the disadvantage of AssassinÆs nature was obvious; it was the obvious downside of having so many distinct personalities operating in different places simultaneously with no true method of controlling them. Even with their MasterÆs Command Seals, there was no one order that could effectively make all of them behaveùeven if they all shared loyalty to the same master, in the end, they were each their own person and acted as such; if there was a problem or opportunity, it was unlikely that any of them would react in exactly the same way.
However, even if it was an extremely risky gamble and would stray from their MasterÆs instructions, it was also true that as Assassins, they had to quickly adapt and take advantage of any opportunities that presented themselvesùeven just taking the time to ask their Master whether they should take the shot would take far too long and the opportunity would surely vanish by the time a decision was made. In addition, even if the action disobeyed their MasterÆs orders, if they managed to successfully killed RiderÆs Master and eliminate Rider here, they probably wouldnÆt be punished. Even if they failed, it was possible that they could cause a fight to break out between Rider and Berserker and cause them to kill each other.
To the AssassinÆs, it was an attractive chance, and the one whoÆd had the initial desire had managed to convince his fellows.
But in the end, it was a complete failure.
Rather than take advantage of the situation or step aside, Berserker had noticed them and informed Rider, as well as protected the Master of his enemy. Rider had then swiftly killed his attacker, wordlessly leaving Berserker to guard his defenseless Master.
It was something that none of the Assassins could understand or see the reasoning of.
And now they were left in a two-on-two battle against Berserker and Rider. Without even thinking, the choice was obvious; since the moment theyÆd lost the element of surprise, their chance at victory had already been lost. Measuring the difference in strength between them, Rider, and Berserker, it was immediately obvious that they had no hope of victory. They may have resented doing so, but retreating here and facing their MasterÆs wrath was much better than staying only to be slain.
Reaching this mutual understanding, both of them dematerialized and quickly abandoned CasterÆs hideout.
After all, it was fine, even if they left that one behind.
It didnÆt matter, even if she died.
XxXXxX