Fate/Zero:Act 4 Part 2
-153:53:08
A golden light immediately arrived following Rider's bellow.
The light was still faltering out, and there already was no surprise left in the heart of the spectators. It wasn't just a wild guess anymore that this was a fourth Servant who had made an appearance responding to Rider's provocation. The dreadful point is that the beginning of the hostilities was a gathering of four Servants already. Nobody could possibly conjecture what the turn of events would be.
As expected, the golden light came from 10 meters above, atop a street pole, where a figure standing in a shining armor could be seen. Waver held his breath at the sight of such dazzling dignity.
"This guy is..."
He had seen him for only one instant the previous time, but there was no mistaking such an intense existence. The one standing calmly atop the street light was none other than the enigmatic Servant who had sent into oblivion with an overwhelming destructive power the Assassin who was invading the Tōsaka mansion the previous night.
This couldn't be Caster, his entire body covered in armor. If he had materialized in response to Rider's call, it meant he had the sense to recognize the provocation as such, thus he couldn't be Berserker.
By elimination, the only one left was― the last of the three Knight classes, Archer.
"I didn't expect there would be two fools in one night to have the insolence of calling themselves "kings" and ignore me."
For his very first words, the golden Heroic Spirit looked very displeased, scorning from above at three Servants with a glare. His arrogance and his tone were comparable to Rider's haughtiness, but it differed from the very root. There was never cruelty and mercilessness in the voice and eyes of the King of Conquerors.
Even Rider didn't expect anyone more domineering than himself to show up, as he was stroking his chin with a bewildered look void of malice.
"You are mistaken... I, Alexander, am the one who is well known throughout the world as the King of Conquerors."
"Fool. The only hero in Heaven and Earth who is a real king is me. The rest are a collection of mongrels."
Archer threw him aside with a declaration that was more than an insult Of course, color was already drained from Saber's face, but the tolerant Rider drew an amazed sigh, ignoring it altogether.
"If you want to say that much, could you first announce yourself? If you are such a king, you couldn't be ashamed of your fame?"
At Rider's banter, Archer's crimson eyes grew even more of a proud anger as he glared at the giant under him.
"Are you questioning me? A lowly mongrel questioning a king like me?"
Frankly speaking, Rider's point was reasonable, but apparently, Archer took it as an incorrigible disrespect from his point of view. This wasn't a matter of gaining interest from concealing one's true name, but rather from a personal irritability, the golden Heroic Spirit was emitting a very clear murderous intent.
"I grant you the honor of my presence yet you can't recognize me; such ignorance isn't even worth living."
At Archer's conclusion, the space around him distorted in a haze― the next instant, the glow of beautiful blades started coming out of the empty space.
There are bare blades as well as spears. Each of them is decorated with eye-catching ornaments, and emits a fierce magical power. It is clear they are no common weapons but Noble Phantasms.
Without a doubt, this is the same thing as the previous night― the mysterious attack that unilaterally wiped out Assassin. All of those who were observing the Tōsaka mansion the previous night understands that.
"...hh"
Waver was struck with awe. The unseen Master of Lancer gulped. Kiritsugu and Maiya as well, observing at a long distance, also felt the tension.
And now, one man― just like Rider and Waver, one Master who had been following Lancer's movements through the day and was now observing hidden in the storehouses, as that man was spying on the battlefield through the vision of a familiar, stared at Archer's strange battle preparation.
Yes, it was undoubtedly the same. Archer was definitely the golden Servant who had defended the Tōsaka mansion from Assassin's invasion the previous night, in other words, this was Tōsaka Tokiomi's Servant.
"Haha, hahahaha..."
In the darkness, an old hatred burning in his one bloodshot eye, Matō Kariya let a laugh escape.
Now was the time he had anxiously waited for. He had endured a year of living hell looking forward to that instant.
Tōsaka Tokiomi...
Husband of Aoi, father of Sakura, yet the man who had trampled over the happiness of the mother and child.
The hatred, cursed sworn enemy who took everything Kariya wished for, who degraded it all.
Now, the old resentment is cleared away. This was the time to face that man, changing into a sword the hatred boiling in his heart――
"Kill him..."
There was an unimaginable pleasure in filling his voice with hate. Now, Kariya understood the meaning of the saying "revenge is a dish best served cold."
Tokiomi himself can wait. His Servant must first be demolished, to make him lose the Holy Grail War. He was in a maddening excitement just thinking of Tokiomi's face smeared in the frustrating humiliation.
"Kill him, Berserker!! Pulverize that Archer!!"
At that time, somewhere else, an unexpected torrent of prana swept in a roar.
As everyone was watching, the flowing prana gathered and solidified, materializing into the shadow of a robust man.
That shadow stood up near the four lane road that had become the battlefield of Saber and Lancer, two blocks further toward the sea. Truly, that was a fantastic apparition that could be described as nothing other than a "shadow".
From the width of the tall figure's shoulders, this was the body of a man, completely covered in a full armor without any opening. But is was different from the silver armor wrapping Saber or the luxurious golden one of Archer. This man's armor was black. Without any delicate ornament, with no polished luster. Like darkness, like Hell, it was just a bottomless black. The face was also invisible, covered with a rustic helmet. In the depth of a thinly carved slit, there was the ghastly glow of a pair of eyes with a glare burning like a flame.
A Servant. That was plain. Yet, just what Heroic Spirit was this sinister appearance?
This black knight definitely didn't have any of the "radiance" that bore the other Servants who were already there. Arturia, Diarmuid, and the King of Conquerors Alexander as well as the yet unannounced golden Archer all have that "shine". This is the expression of the pride of a Heroic Spirit. The honor of the legends everyone praises and longs for. This is an essential element of their "noble phantasm".
But the newly appeared black knight had none of it. You could say he was closer to an Assassin. The darkness around the black armor definitely held a "negative surge".
Thus, more than a Heroic Spirit, he might be labeled a vengeful spirit instead...
"... Hey, king of conquerors. Did you invite that guy too?"
Still observing the black knight carefully, yet with a light tone, Lancer railed at Rider. Taking the hit, Rider grimaced.
"Invited, eh? That one doesn't look like he'll take any negotiation, ugh."
Nothing but blood thirst flowed from the black knight. Even the whirlwind of prana seemed ominous as a groan full of deep hatred.
Berserker... Everyone could see that without waiting for a confirmation. Such a fiendish surge of murderous intent could only come from the class of the Heroic Spirit of fury.
"So, kid. What kind of Servant is he, that guy?"
Rider asked Waver, but the small Master shook his head, dumbfounded.
"... I don't know. I simply can't tell."
"Whaat? You're a Master, aren't you. His strong and weak points should be visible to you, eh?"
As a Master who has made a contract with a Servant, it is possible to read out the status of a Servant with powers of clairvoyance. This is a unique ability granted by the Grail that has summoned the Heroic Spirits. This doesn't work for the fake Master that is Irisviel, but Waver, rightful Master of Rider, is capable of seeing through the abilities of the other Servants and compare them to those of Rider, to guide him as efficiently as possible in battle situations. In fact, Waver already had a clear understanding of the faculties of Saber, Lancer and Archer. But—
"I said I can't see it! That black guy is definitely a Servant... But I just can't read out his stats!"
Rider frowned in suspicion at Waver's confused explanation, and took a new look at the black knight.
The armor with the color of darkness shows no characteristic feature, and tells no clue on the lineage of the maker. —No, it isn't just that there is no details to see, it is all blurred.
It wasn't just Rider. Saber, Lancer and Irisviel had also noticed the same thing. No matter how carefully one would watch, he just wouldn't accurately perceive Berserker's figure.
Just like an off-focus photography, the outlines of the black armor was always shifting, like a mist, and you would sometime see it double or triple. Somehow, the material seemed to be made out of an hallucination. It isn't just the vision that was affected, it also matches the clairvoyance of the Masters. That would be some sort of unique curse that fakes the person's true identity. It couldn't be a skill proper to the Berserker class.
"Looks like another troublesome enemy we have..."
Saber nodded at Irisviel murmur.
"That's not all. With now four opponents, we can't do any careless movement."
In a regular battle royal, the most reliable tactic is to smash those in numerical inferiority with a concentrated effort. Thus, if they show one weakness here and now, they might be forced into the worse outcome, a four to one hopeless battle. In this case, even Saber doesn't stand a chance.
Who will start attacking who, and who will take that chance to make his move— To survive in this place, one needs to accurately see through everyone else's movements. This is true for all Heroic Spirits.
Presently, Rider isn't targeting anyone in particular. His current purpose is probably to have a look at the Heroic Spirits participating in the Holy Grail War. But as for one who comes out fearlessly, there is one who stands up at anyone's challenge.
Archer clearly sees Rider and Saber as his enemies. The golden Heroic Spirit seems to take ill humor in the two who call themselves “king of conquerors” and “king of knights”. His preferred target is likely the one who provoked him, Rider.
There is one problematic person left.
Berserker. Nobody could figure out what was the intention of the black knight in materializing here and now. It added to the mayhem in which nobody could take control of the situation. No prudent Master would think of pitting his Servant in the middle of this chaos.
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