Fate/Dragon Ball Wars 15

Chapter 15: An entry

A cold dread settled in Saber's stomach as the golden spear dissolved into a swirling energy vortex, reforming in Berserker's grasp as a strange, character-laden grimoire. The weathered leather cover pulsed with an ominous light, each arcane symbol seeming to writhe with an unseen power.

In that instant, Saber knew trouble was brewing.

As if on cue, Berserker's mouth moved in a silent recitation. No sound escaped her lips, but Saber and Assassin couldn't shake the feeling that a powerful incantation was being woven, a spell whispered on the wind.

[Gemstone Beast, come forth!]

The air shimmered, and a creature unlike anything Saber had ever encountered materialized from the swirling energy at Berserker's feet. It was vaguely feline, with a lithe body and a shimmering blue coat, but it’s numerous, flowing tails defied any known classification. A colossal emerald adorned its forehead, pulsating with a soft, otherworldly light.

A cat? A rabbit?

Saber’s emerald eyes narrowing in confusion. This bizarre creature defied categorization; its form was a grotesque amalgamation of features that shouldn't exist together.

Kenshin, too, stared at the creature with a furrowed brow. While its appearance was unsettling, it was the raw power radiating from the beast that truly sent a shiver down his spine. This wasn't some harmless anomaly; this was a weapon, a monstrous entity summoned by Berserker's cryptic magic.

"Chant."

"Huh?"

The single word, uttered in a raspy voice devoid of any emotion by Berserker, ripped Saber from her contemplation.

At that moment Saber realized that Berserker wasn't just a powerhouse of brute force; he wielded the ability to manipulate magic as well.

This revelation shattered a fundamental rule of the Holy Grail War. Each Servant was bound by their class, their abilities restricted to fit their specialized role.

A Saber wouldn't deviate from swords, a Lancer wouldn't wield anything but a spear. However, this Berserker was a blatant anomaly, wielding a spear with unmatched skill on top of her devastating swordsmanship, and now, wielding magic as well.

A frustrated growl escaped Saber's lips. The established rules of the War were being rewritten, and she had no idea why. There was no time to dwell on the anomaly, however. The immediate threat was the bizarre creature blocking their path.

With a battle cry that echoed through the clearing, Saber lunged towards the Gemstone Beast. But before she could reach it, Kenshin let out a startled cry.

"The hell is this?!”

With a surprising burst of agility, the beast whipped its tail around, narrowly missing Kenshin but leaving a stinging gash on his arm. A wave of nausea struck him as the creature's otherworldly power surged through the wound, momentarily weakening his grip on his makeshift scabbard.

The distraction, however brief, was all Berserker needed. Her mouth opened again, a single word escaping her lips in a guttural roar.

Boom!

A blinding white light erupted from the grimoire in Berserker's hand, engulfing Saber in its sudden brilliance.

"Urgh!"

A strangled cry escaped her lips as she was thrown backwards by the force of the attack.

Crack!

Pfft.

 Her body slammed into the crumbling wall of a nearby abandoned building with a sickening thud, dust and debris raining down upon her. The impact left her disoriented and coughing, the metallic tang of blood filling her mouth.

A wave of dizziness hit Saber as she struggled to regain her bearings. The magical blast had slammed her into the building with brutal force, and the air was knocked from her lungs.

She coughed, a spray of blood misting her lips. Her vision blurred for a moment, the world spinning around her.

Gritting her teeth, Saber pushed herself up, using the hilt of Excalibur as a makeshift crutch. The pain in her abdomen pulsed with every groan, a testament to the raw power of the attack.

Although renowned for her speed, it paled compared to the blur that was Assassin. However, even his formidable agility needed to be more to evade Berserker's onslaught.

‘Magic incantation is so fast. And he locked onto me in an instant.’

Despite the pain, adrenaline surged through her. She knew she couldn't stay down for long. Berserker wouldn't hesitate to finish her off, and with the strange blue cat-rabbit creature now by his side, the situation had become even more precarious.

Just as Saber braced herself for the next attack, a guttural roar filled the air.

"Next one's coming!"

A primal instinct kicked in, and she raised Excalibur in a desperate attempt to block whatever was coming.

Boom!

A blinding white light erupted, engulfing the entire building in a deafening explosion. The uninhabited structure groaned and buckled under the force of the attack, collapsing with a thunderous roar. Dust and debris rained down, creating a suffocating cloud that momentarily obscured the battlefield.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the collapsed building, Kenshin found himself facing the bizarre blue creature once more. Its seemingly innocent appearance belied its ferocious strength, its agility and raw power pushing him to his limits.

‘Too strong.’

Kenshin thought, his brow furrowed in frustration.

‘This is the first time I've encountered such a formidable enemy.’

Despite his training and honed reflexes, Kenshin felt hopelessly outmatched. His broken sword and makeshift scabbard needed to be more adequate against such an opponent. Every dodge, every desperate maneuver, felt like a temporary reprieve rather than a proper strategy.

Suddenly, the blue creature vanished in a puff of blue smoke. In its place, Berserker held a colossal golden axe, its gleaming surface reflecting the dying light of the setting sun. Clad in her heavy armor, he looked like an unstoppable force of nature, a terrifying warrior.

‘As expected. He's not ordinary. Stronger than my master!’

Kenshin thought.

Witnessing Berserker's ability to wield multiple weapons with such mastery shattered his preconceived notions of combat. This wasn't just a powerful opponent; this was a revelation, a glimpse into a level of combat he hadn't even dared to imagine.

The golden axe swung down with terrifying force, forcing Kenshin into a desperate roll to avoid its deadly edge. Countering was out of the question; his weapon wouldn't withstand the blow for a second. It was only his remarkable agility that kept him in the fight so far.

‘But even dodging like this, there's no way. Sooner or later, I'll get hit.’

A thought echoed in his mind, a cold dread settling in his stomach. He had to find a way to turn the tide and fast.

“Hm?”

A glint of reflected light caught his eye amidst the rubble of the collapsed building. It was Saber's Excalibur, still firmly embedded in the ground where Berserker had blasted her away.

Hope surged through Kenshin. At that moment, a plan began to form.

With a burst of renewed energy, he sprinted towards the fallen blade, Berserker's enraged roar echoing behind him.

Splash!

Kenshin skidded to a halt, lunging for the hilt of Excalibur just as Berserker's massive axe cleaved through the air above him.

"Assassin!"

Saber, having witnessed the entire scene from the rubble pile, understood Kenshin's desperate gamble. He intended to use her holy sword, Excalibur, against Berserker.

An audacious plan, but with the right timing, it could be their only chance.

‘If it's him, just swinging it normally might give him a chance.)’

 Saber thought, her mind racing. She knew he couldn't activate Excalibur's true power, the Oath of Victory, but as a weapon, it was a force to be reckoned with.

With a burst of adrenaline, Kenshin channeled all his remaining strength into a defensive maneuver. He launched himself into a midair flip, drawing Excalibur from the ground in a single, fluid motion.

Clang!

The clang of steel on steel echoed through the clearing as Excalibur met the descending golden axe head-on.

Boom!

The impact was thunderous, a force that sent a shockwave rippling through the ground. Kenshin felt the blow resonate through his body, his legs buckling under the sheer power of the attack.

Crack! Crack!

The earth beneath him groaned, cracking under the immense pressure. Kenshin, gasping for breath, used the momentum to twist his body to the side just as the massive axe slammed into the ground, carving a deep furrow in the earth and kicking up a swirling cloud of dust.

"Flying Heaven Sword Style! Dragon Hammer Flash!"

Seizing the momentary opening, Kenshin launched himself into an offensive maneuver. He leaped from the side, his grip tightening around the hilt of Excalibur as he channeled his Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu technique. With a battle cry, he brought the holy sword down in a powerful overhead strike.

Berserker, sensing the shift in momentum, instinctively began to retreat. But Kenshin's strike was too swift, his attack fueled by a desperate hope. The blade of Excalibur, imbued with Saber's holy aura, connected with Berserker's thick armor with a resounding crack. Unlike their previous clashes, where sparks flew and attacks were deflected, this time, something remarkable happened.

A thin gash appeared across Berserker's armor, a testament to the raw power unleashed by Kenshin's desperate attack.

"Did it work?"

Saber, who had been watching from the rubble pile, held her breath for a moment. Though there was no blood, there was no denying the impact. Kenshin, the seemingly fragile Assassin, had managed to breach the seemingly impenetrable defenses of the Berserker.

A glee of amusement, hidden beneath his helmet, crossed Berserker's lips as he glanced at the damaged armor on his chest.

These two unknown heroes, Saber and Kenshin, possessed a level of skill and tenacity that surprised even her. Holding their own against a Berserker, a Servant driven by pure rage and destruction, was an impressive feat. Despite the damage, a sense of respect seemed to reflect within the Berserker's cold, emotionless eyes.

Boom!

Suddenly, another deafening explosion shattered the tense silence of the battlefield, jolting everyone's attention. A figure tumbled out of the smoke cloud created by the blast, landing in a heap on the ground with a pained grunt.

"Haha! Eat dust here! You won’t be able to catch me!"

A young man with bright, golden hair clambered to his feet, shaking himself off and making a peculiar hand gesture.

"Seriously, how many more of these blasted traps do you have?!"

Kyoko Sakura, still trapped within the glowing magic circle, descended slowly from the sky. Fury contorted her features. This mage was toying with her. It was infuriating!

She had lost count of the number of hidden pits she'd fallen into, each one a frustrating setback that prevented her from catching the elusive opponent. Now, she, too, was coated in a layer of dust, adding insult to injury.

"Fight me like a man, Caster!"

 Kyoko gritted her teeth, her anger barely contained.

The sudden appearance of two more servants nearby drew the attention of Saber and the others. Seeing them engaged in another fight while Saber and Assassin were busy with Berserker was a surprise.

"Huh? What's this? Are they fighting over there too? This isn't good!"

Her senses on high alert, Kyoko noticed three other figures lurking nearby. They emanated a powerful presence, one that unmistakably marked them as Servants. The last thing she needed right now was embroiled in another fight.

Why the hell did Lancer appear, her hands tied while chasing Caster? What in the world was happening?

Just then, a blinding flash of golden light erupted from a nearby lamppost, followed by a burst of manic laughter that echoed through the evening.

"Ahahahaha!"