Chapter 10: Day 4 ③

I rushed over the asphalt, kicked off a utility pole, leaped over the fence, and plunged into the premises. Twisting my body in mid-air, I fixed my gaze on the Berserker and landed, using a tombstone as a foothold.

Immediately after, the fence I had just vaulted over blew away. The concrete shattered as if it had been bombed.

—Damn it, no time to catch my breath.

I knocked away the debris flying toward me, specifically the pieces larger than my fist, using the gauntlet on my free left hand.

What was astonishing was that I was able to distinguish the dangerous-looking fragments from all the flying debris, and that I instinctively reacted and batted them down.

A black shadow invaded through the breached fence. No one but Berserker could possess a towering height exceeding 250 centimeters and a body as broad as a wall.

The low concrete fence, the iron railings, the tombstones... anything that obstructed the Berserker's advance was invariably pulverized.

It seems I successfully lured the Berserker to the desired location. I glared at the Berserker, who was advancing in the foreign cemetery located on the slope.

Although fighting in such a place gave me pause, I couldn't put Rin and Shirou in danger because of it. Their safety was not something that could be weighed on a scale.

Berserker charged fiercely toward me when my attention was momentarily diverted. It closed the distance in less than a second, and a blow was delivered with its momentum unchecked.

My body and mind desperately screamed that death was imminent. Both warned me that even a single direct hit would be the end.

Without time for thought, I concentrated my Prana into my legs and narrowly escaped by soaring high into the air. Hearing the scream of the wind being cut by the massive weapon, goosebumps immediately rose all over my body.

The single blow wielded by that mighty arm was a serious threat. Its power was one thing, but the problem was its speed.

The Berserker, covered in muscle, might appear sluggish, but that was certainly not the case. While it was naturally inferior to Lancer, its enormous body moving around like a wild beast was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

However, in this terrain—a foreign cemetery lined with stone grave markers—its enormous physique was restricted. Thanks to this advantage, I was able to evade. Honestly, it helped that I had fought Lancer first. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to keep up with my body's reaction speed.

...All of this, though, was dependent on the premise of possessing this superior physical ability and tracing Saber's movements using my experience with the sword.

The ground was gouged out. Shattered stone flew everywhere. I evaded these, kept my distance from Berserker, and watched Saber.

She was maneuvering like flowing water. She slid under the roaring Berserker's Axe-Sword and countered with her own blade. She even used the flying stone debris as a foothold, responding to attacks regardless of her posture. Her expression was sullen, perhaps due to the lack of Prana preventing her from executing the movements she intended, but she was more than adequately holding her own against the Berserker.

I was also capable of merely avoiding Berserker's attacks. But once Berserker's target turned toward me, I would be completely preoccupied with evasion and wouldn't be able to spare any extra effort.

In a one-on-one fight, finding a gap to deliver a single blow was absolutely impossible. Although my own movements while evading, supplemented by my sword experience, would look flawless to an observer, Saber, who should be making the same movements, was different.

The difference between me, who was completely focused on evasion, and Saber, who could transition from avoiding to counterattacking, was immensely significant. If Saber fought in a foreign cemetery, she could probably handle him alone. It was frustrating, but I didn't have that confidence.

My footwork and sword skills were still not up to Saber's standard. Furthermore, Saber possessed experience that I lacked. I didn't know yet if I could fight on par with her. But if I didn't get stronger, I wouldn't be able to protect anyone—if I couldn't become stronger, my ideal would be a lie. I should have learned that thoroughly.

I slashed at Berserker during the momentary after-effect of him swinging his Axe-Sword at Saber.

"——Why!?"

But the blade did not cut. It was repelled, sword and all, with a dull thud. If I had been supplied with enough Prana, I should have been able to at least damage the Berserker, even if not defeat him.

Though I couldn't see it now, Saber's Strength statistic was Rank B. With sufficient Prana, mine should correspond to something higher—probably Rank A. In that case, it should be enough to overcome the Twelve Labors (God Hand), which nullifies attacks below Rank B.

However, the Berserker who took my attack was completely unscathed. In fact, the attack didn't even register as damage.

...If it didn't go through, the most plausible explanation was that I was not skillfully managing the Prana I used for the attack, due to my lack of familiarity with such vast amounts of it. Was it that my conscious mind was preventing this superior physical ability from being fully realized?

"Despite being two Servants attacking, we cannot land a decisive blow—!!"

Saber's sword was repelled just like mine, before the Berserker's armor. In Saber's case, the obvious constraint was the Rank Down caused by her Prana deficiency.

Unless her Prana supply was replenished, Saber's sword would not reach the Berserker, save for an exception. That was the concept behind the Twelve Labors.

The battle was still being pushed by us, but it was not a favorable situation.

Berserker's attacks hadn't landed on either me or Saber. We hadn't taken a single blow. We even had enough room to counterattack when we saw a chance. However, if we had no means to damage the opponent, it couldn't be called favorable. Against the Berserker, who possessed a single blow that could be a fatal wound, even if things were fine now, it was a disadvantage in the long run.

In fact, the surroundings were being mown down by Berserker's blows, and the number of tombstones obstructing his movement was decreasing. If things continued, either the Prana-depleted Saber or I, inexperienced in combat, would fall, though it was unclear which of us would go first.

...The stalemate had lasted for several minutes, and the equilibrium was about to be broken.

"——Tch!"

The sharpness began to fade from Saber's movements. She could no longer evade completely and was forced into clashing swords with the Berserker.

After a few repetitions, she involuntarily grimaced in pain. I looked and saw a round, black stain on her chest. Blood was seeping out.

The wound from Gáe Bolg...! Is it the curse of immortality?

"Saber!"

The moment the realization struck me, I slashed at the Berserker, who was about to press his attack.

I wasn't aiming for a gap. My attack, like a suicide charge, was something Berserker could easily deal with. He didn't even consider parrying. His sword was definitely aimed at my head.

The Berserker's Axe-Sword, unleashed by instinct, and the Excalibur, released on impulse, collided.

"G-ugh!"

I was thrown backward by the recoil, staggering even after I landed. Much of the impact seemed to have been neutralized, so I only had to retreat, but a terrifying vibration was transmitted to my hands.

The Berserker, unyielding and unafraid, wielded nothing but overwhelming destruction. This felt like a substance that could never be budged.

My subconscious commanded a retreat. It questioned me, asking if I truly thought I could clash head-on with this embodiment of violence.

Berserker did not stop. Charging toward me, he violently brought down that rock-like object he held in his hand again.

—Ah. Avoiding this is easy. And I can't easily win in a direct clash. In that case, I should just evade, evade, and avoid.

It would be a tightrope walk that wore down my spirit, but it wasn't something I couldn't do.

However, if I did that, Berserker's attacks would naturally focus on Saber. If that happened, she wouldn't be able to just avoid them, and she would have to clash with Berserker again. She hadn't yet recovered from her battle with Lancer. If she kept clashing, her unhealed wound would worsen, and she would eventually fall.

Then I couldn't retreat. I wouldn't back down from here, at least until Saber could regroup.

"I won't... lose!"

I couldn't oppose a single blow from the Berserker unless I used my entire body.

No, that wasn't enough. I also had to utilize Prana and go in with literally everything I had to possibly win against this guy.

I stepped in. I kept my body axis steady. With the image of Saber's single powerful strike in my mind, my focus was entirely on executing a 'certain kill'.

I accelerated my body with a Prana boost and channeled Prana to my legs and arms. No holding back. I put everything I had into this one strike, intending to burn through my entire supply.

I wouldn't lose. Absolutely not. I will win.

Clench your teeth. Don't let your consciousness waver. Prepare yourself, Emiya Shirou—!

"OOOOOOHHHH!!!"

Sparks flew. My vision shook from the sheer impact.

The distance between Berserker and me had increased. I hadn't won. But I hadn't lost either. Both of us were pushed back an equal distance from the point of collision.

Berserker was already preparing his second strike. Next. Draw out the Prana. Don't flinch. Body, move forward, forward, forward—!

"ZEAAAAAHH!!"

I let out a shout of determination. It didn't matter if it was just bravado; I had to intimidate my opponent.

If I thought about retreating even slightly, I would lose right there. Focus solely on defeating the enemy—!

"Berserker! You shouldn't forget about me!"

Saber's voice brought my thoughts back. The target of the Berserker in front of me had shifted to Saber.

It seemed she had seized the opportunity during the pause in my clash with him to launch an attack. Although Berserker was unscathed, the interference seemed to have shifted his attention to Saber.

Saber's movements were back to their initial intensity. It seemed she had recovered.

"—Haaah!"

I resumed the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Both my hands were tingling. My back was soaked with cold sweat.

I had unleashed seven blows, all with full power. In the end, I never won a clash, and I never lost one, but with every exchange, I felt like I was shuttling between the brink of death and life.

Those mere seven full-power strikes felt like an eternity to me. But there was no time to rest. If I didn't move, the burden would fall entirely on Saber.

I tightened my grip on the sword.

Saber had somehow regained her stance, and both she and I returned to a fight focused on evasion, but if things continued, not only would we make no progress, we would be slowly worn down.

The surrounding tombstones were quite eroded. Correspondingly, Berserker's movements were improving. —I needed to turn the tide somehow.

To do that, I would have to play my trump card. The first thing that came to mind was a Noble Phantasm.

The problem was the rank of the corresponding Noble Phantasm. If the rank wasn't high enough, it couldn't penetrate Berserker's Twelve Labors.

............I, not being the Master, could no longer confirm the Noble Phantasm's rank.

I had read about the power, range, and Heroic Spirit's abilities back when I was Emiya Shirou, but I tended to focus only on the Noble Phantasm's characteristics, effects, and power, and I hadn't memorized the rank.

—What an idiot. But there was no time for hesitation. I had to take a chance, even if it failed.

Saber avoided one of Berserker's strikes and retreated significantly. I dashed past her, speaking to her as we brushed past each other.

However, given what happened at the church earlier, I had to be careful with my speech, which had likely reverted to combat mode.

"Saber, I will use my Noble Phantasm. Ordinary attacks don't seem to be effective against that Berserker."

"...It appears so. Then I shall use mine as well. With both of us, even that giant should be no match for us."

After exchanging those few words, I sprinted to the left, and Saber to the right, forming an arc.

Ideally, I should have tested it alone, but I had no reason to stop Saber's suggestion.

We moved to close the distance and sandwich the target, like hounds cornering their prey.

Berserker, who was about to charge to crush the target in one spot, paused slightly, stalled by the fact that we had simultaneously split to the left and right. This was a chance I couldn't miss.

I took a deep breath, and Prana filled my body. I repeated this while moving at high speed, replenishing my magical energy.

While running, I focused my mind. I extended my consciousness to my arms, to my two hands, and to the Excalibur gripped within them—I saw it.

I focused my mind on the sheath called the Invisible Air and unraveled the Prana binding the true blade.

Immediately, wind and Prana began to overflow from my hand. My hair flew backward, and my clothes started to flutter.

The surge of wind reached its maximum as I, the Berserker, and Saber lined up in a straight line. The sword was thrashing due to the release of wind and Prana. I forcibly held it down with my Prana-infused arm.

From the gaps in the wind, a golden glow was visible. All that remained was to unleash this against the giant in front of me—!

"■■■■■—————!!!"

The Berserker in the center, despite being battered by the storm, did not move and let out a roar.

I charged forward. The flow of the air told me that Saber had also charged simultaneously.

"—Aaaaahhh"

I wrapped the wind around the sword, and simultaneously with Saber, I attacked the Berserker from both his left and right sides.

The area around the sword became a vacuum, and the overlapping mass of wind and energy was entirely focused on defeating the Berserker.

"Wha—?"

The energy burst and vanished just before it hit the Berserker. My dumbfounded voice echoed hollowly.

Stripped of wind and Prana, the exposed Excalibur was naturally repelled by the Berserker's flesh. I and Saber, carried by our momentum, were thrown back by the recoil and retreated significantly.

"—Nullified!?"

Saber, who was also forced to retreat far away on the other side of the Berserker, shouted. I could detect terror in her voice.

The Prana meant for the Noble Phantasm dissipated around the Berserker.

And the mass of wind that was about to strike the Berserker 'disappeared'. It vanished so suddenly, it was incomprehensible.

—Twelve Labors. The feared nullification of attacks below the specified rank. The rank of the Invisible Air had not been enough.

"——?"

—But something was strange. The surrounding air, and the scattered Prana, was flowing toward the Berserker with incredible speed.

Not understanding the meaning of this, I lowered my stance and braced for the anomaly occurring in the cemetery.

"This is—!"

Centered on the Berserker, the air was rapidly being sucked in. Energies with different vectors from both sides combined, and the atmosphere flowed into the space where the air mass had been erased—a massive 'vacuum'—creating a gigantic vortex.

Moreover, it was not just a phenomenon caused by wind. It was a vortex of Prana that incorporated not only the magical energy of the Invisible Air but also the Mana in the atmosphere.

That which rapidly took shape was a tornado, feared by people as the wrath of the gods.

The tornado, which grew tall enough to reach the clouds, blew away the surrounding tombstones and ground, grinding and crushing them as they were swept into the gaps of the wind.

At this point, we couldn't intervene. The high-speed spinning vortex of air was a disaster. It was not something humans could contend with.

Jumping far backward, I dispelled the Excalibur which had been released from its sheath of wind and revealed its form. The Berserker was swallowed by the gigantic tornado, and his figure was hidden in the dust cloud.

The tornado faded away. The very first thing I did once my vision returned was to check on everyone's safety.

Shirou and Rin were crouching down at a distance. Rin, in particular, was smiling, as if convinced of victory.

...I didn't let down my guard, keeping my stance ready and glaring at the area where Berserker had been, prepared to respond instantly. Sensing this, Saber also did not relax her stance.

Yes, the Berserker's presence had not vanished. He was there, on one knee, but undeniably present.

However, he was certainly not unharmed; his right arm was severed, his left flank was gouged out, and his body was covered in lacerations. Injuries that should have been fatal enough to force his withdrawal.

"I'm surprised. To kill the Berserker even once."

Ilya seemed unable to believe what she saw. She blinked and confirmed the Berserker's appearance. But she still seemed relaxed, maintaining her smile.

"Eh?"

"——W-what is that?"

I heard the voices of Rin and Shirou.

The Berserker, who was mortally wounded—no, who should have been killed—was slowly getting back up. The lacerations on his body began to close, and his gouged flank was healing at a visible speed.

Berserker casually picked up his right arm, which had fallen to the ground, pressed it against the severed point—and in a matter of seconds, the arm was re-attached.

"What's going on? You're telling me he can survive being in the middle of that!?"

Even Rin couldn't remain composed and was distraught. Shirou was speechless at what had just happened and stood frozen.

"No, he certainly died. But, only once."

"Once?"

Rin frowned at Ilya, who let out a chuckle.

Saber and I did not take our eyes off the Berserker. The Berserker's body was completely healed, save for the wounds on his right arm and flank, which should have been incurable. Since there was no longer any hindrance to his actions, he pulled the Axe-Sword, which was stuck in the ground, out with his uninjured left hand.

"Rin, let me tell you something good. Berserker's true name is Hercules. The hero who accomplished the Twelve Labors. The Servant with twelve lives. In other words—you won't be able to defeat him unless you kill him twelve times."

"That monster is a Berserker!? The Berserker class is supposed to be for Heroic Spirits with weaker power!"

"And you cannot kill the Berserker with the same method twice. Well, I'll compliment you for managing to kill him once, even using Noble Phantasms with two Servants. Now, how do you intend to resist this Berserker from here on out?"

"——!"

Rin and Shirou fell silent.

They probably couldn't find a way to defeat the monster in front of them.

And I couldn't push Saber, as she had no Prana supply.

Then I will stop him. —I must do it.

The image of Saber standing up with her sword as a crutch flashed through my mind. I didn't want to see that again.

Besides, knowing Shirou, if Saber was in danger, he would become a shield and get himself killed. Even Rin, despite being a magus, wouldn't last a single blow against that monster.

I decided to protect everyone. In that case, there was no reason to hold back my power.

<Rin, can you hear me?>

I established a telepathic link with Rin. Since we had communicated telepathically several times before, I was able to call her without any trouble.

<—What is it, Archer?>

<If I don't worry about Prana consumption, I can still fight. I need permission to use a Noble Phantasm.>

<—You still have some power left!?>

<Yeah. But there's a high possibility that my True Name will be revealed to the enemy. Also, it will consume a considerable amount of Prana, I think.>

<—...Beggars can't be choosers, I suppose. Go all out, Archer.>

<Understood. It's dangerous, so get away a little.>

With that, I severed the connection. The permission was granted. I clenched both my hands to steel my resolve.

"...You've gone quiet. Hehe, are you despairing? Fine. Berserker, kill them."

I leapt out in front of the Berserker, who was about to attack. In my hands was Excalibur, once again released from its sheath of wind.

A heat began to build up in my body. I contained every bit of generated Prana inside me, beginning the charging for the Noble Phantasm.

"...!"

Ilya flinched and backed away, receiving the blast of this abnormal Prana.

Unlike Saber, I had plenty of Prana remaining. With the supply from Rin, I wouldn't collapse. The Prana was being highly compressed in my body. A visible glow of Prana began to flicker around me.

"——I won't let you kill them."

Power surged within me. So much so that I felt like nothing was impossible.

My heart felt like it would burst from the exhilaration. This was Saber's power. This was Saber's Noble Phantasm.

However, even with the 'Sword of Promised Victory (Excalibur)', which consumed such a massive amount of Prana, I likely could not kill Berserker eleven more times.

But, against a Berserker who had not fully recovered, a few more deaths might be possible.

"■■■■■■————!!"

Perhaps sensing the danger, the Berserker turned and clearly recognized me as his enemy. He kicked off the ground, raising dust, and began his charge.

But it was too late. My Prana charge was nearly complete. The preparation would be finished before Berserker could strike me.

The Excalibur in my hand was flickering. It illuminated the cemetery as brightly as if it were daytime.

"—Stop! Berserker, retreat!"

Ilya shouted, her body trembling. Her smile was gone. The look in her eyes was one of enmity and a hint of fear.

Hearing Ilya's words, the charging Berserker braked abruptly and jumped back without hesitation. He then approached the trembling Ilya and cradled her in his arm.

Perhaps relieved at being held, Ilya's earlier trembling was no longer visible.

"...This time, the odds are against me. I'll retreat for today."

Berserker took a huge leap while holding Ilya. Only Ilya looked back from dozens of meters away.

"I'll come to play again, big brother!"

After Ilya said that with an innocent smile, the Berserker leapt away with a speed that belied his massive body.

After confirming that his presence had vanished from my sensory range, I released the Prana. When I lowered my fighting spirit, the mass of Excalibur vanished from both my hands.

<Rin, should I pursue them?>

<—...Don't pursue. For now, let's just be glad we made it through.>

<Yeah, I guess. ...No, but I'm relieved. If I had used the Noble Phantasm, I would have consumed a lot of Prana, and it probably would have affected the later battles.>

<—Huh? ...You! Why didn't you say that first!>

"We-we were saved...?"

Shirou muttered in a daze. Rin ended our telepathic conversation and turned her gaze toward Shirou.

"It seems so... We would have been in trouble without Archer."

"…!"

At Rin's words, Saber's expression twisted in frustration. It was likely because she had vowed to protect her Master but ended up being saved by another Master's Servant.

Even if the cause wasn't Saber but Shirou, who couldn't adequately supply Prana, she would blame herself.

"For now, let's get out of here. I don't want to stay in this unsettling place."

"Yeah, you're right."

Dragging my body, which felt somewhat heavy from the Prana consumption, I left the foreign cemetery.

Looking back and surveying the cemetery again, nearly half of the tombstones were shattered and blown away. Half of that was due to the Berserker, and the other half was due to the unexpected power of the tornado.

But the life I managed to shave off the Berserker was only one. And of course, the same method would no longer work.

I swallowed. That scene made me feel the terror of the Berserker all over again.