"Berserker?!"
Hearing Assassin's words, Saber gazed intently at the newcomer.
Heavy armor made of unknown material, a massive greatsword plunged into the ground, emanating a gloomy aura... perhaps it was the very object that had caused the tremors moments ago.
This Servant, from appearance alone, looked formidable!
"!"
"?"
Without a word, the opponent grasped the heavy sword with one hand and swung.
Whoosh!
A wild wind howled; violent air pressure swept over, lifting the bangs of both Saber and Assassin.
"Intervening in my duel with Assassin, do you intend to fight us both alone?"
Holding her sword at the ready, the radiance of the Holy Sword still lingering, Saber addressed the newcomer.
Whoosh!
"?!"
And in that instant, the opponent gave his answer.
Wielding such an enormous sword, his movements weren't slow at all—on the contrary, they were abnormally fast.
Clang!
He was already slashing down from above; Saber immediately raised the Holy Sword to parry.
The instant the Evil Sword clashed with the Holy Sword, blinding sparks erupted.
Crack!
The ground beneath Saber collapsed under the tremendous pressure, her feet sinking entirely into the soil.
'Such overwhelming force...'
Being suppressed like this for the first time, she felt as if she couldn't hold on.
"Saber! Don't look directly at his sword!"
Having suffered once already, Kenshin rose and shouted the warning immediately.
"What?"
Hearing Assassin's warning, Saber was momentarily stunned. But looking up, she had already seen the purple-black aura emanating from the sword's body coalescing into a scarlet "Dragon Eye."
'Is this the Dragon's resentment and fury?'
Sensing the will contained within the "Dragon Eye," her body stiffened, completely unable to exert force.
At the same time, the greatsword pressed down with crushing momentum.
'This is bad!'
If she bore the full impact, she would inevitably suffer serious injuries.
Clang!
At the critical moment, Kenshin was already there, wielding his broken sword and scabbard in unison.
Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu: Soryusen—Twin Dragon Flash!
A violent two-hit combo struck Berserker's helmet.
He certainly couldn't cut through the fully armored Berserker with his blade, but using raw inertial force to repel the opponent was still achievable.
Scritch!
His feet carving gullies in the earth, Berserker was knocked back slightly, and the greatsword pressing down on Saber was withdrawn.
"Thank you, Assassin!"
Saber expressed her gratitude naturally, a hint of lingering fear in her voice.
If not for Kenshin's intervention, she would certainly have been wounded.
That monstrous greatsword... once it connected, her armor would never be able to fully protect her.
Crack...
But then Saber noticed cracks appearing on Assassin's already half-broken sword.
"Did you fight Berserker before?"
Suddenly understanding why Kenshin's sword was shattered, Saber realized with a start.
"Though this is not Sessha's intention, since he insists on targeting us, I have no choice but to cooperate with you."
Nodding, Kenshin assumed a defensive stance.
Although he could have chosen not to help Saber, doing so would have been suicidal.
Only by cooperating with Saber would there be any chance of repelling or defeating Berserker.
He couldn't do it alone.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend—that principle held true everywhere.
"Let us settle the matter between you and me after we've dealt with Berserker."
The corners of her mouth curved into an arc; Saber didn't dislike this development.
On the contrary, she appreciated an upright opponent.
From his rescue and current attitude, it was clear that Assassin wasn't a despicable person.
Although he had a record of attempting to assassinate her "Master," that was simply part of his duty and position—nothing to hold against him.
"Be careful, he's coming!"
Tensing, Kenshin spoke in a low voice.
Whoosh!
Launching himself off with a single leg, rocketing forward, the greatsword swept horizontally with brutal momentum.
It seemed intent on beheading both Saber and Assassin in a single stroke.
Saber stepped forward to meet the attack, swinging the Holy Sword to block the horizontal slash.
Her feet dug firmly into the ground to stabilize her center of gravity.
Scritch...
But the posture of being pushed back several meters looked incredibly strained.
'For a Berserker...'
'This strength is beyond reason!'
In the contest of raw power, she was being pushed back...
And Kenshin instantly avoided the arc of the greatsword, striking at the opponent's knee joint from the side with his scabbard.
As an assassin, he knew precisely how to target an enemy.
Using a broken sword couldn't inflict damage; he could only use the scabbard to create openings.
"What!"
But in the next moment, before Kenshin's attack could land, he saw the opponent release the greatsword—and instantly grab a golden spear that materialized from nowhere, thrusting it toward his forehead.
'No!'
Trading injury for injury...
Recognizing this exchange, Kenshin's figure violently retreated to the side.
He narrowly avoided the opponent's heavy blow, but his own attack missed as well.
If he had hesitated even a fraction of a second, he would have been wounded again.
Whether his scabbard striking the opponent would cause damage was uncertain, but he himself would certainly be dead or crippled.
"What incredible reaction speed."
Saber couldn't help but marvel at Berserker's ability to counter even that.
Being countered despite Assassin's speed... this was absurd.
'The greatsword filled with Dragon's resentment...'
'The golden long spear...'
'Does he actually possess multiple Noble Phantasms?'
Saber watched Berserker's movements with growing bewilderment.
Generally speaking, it wasn't unusual for Servants to possess multiple Noble Phantasms, but due to Class restrictions, the weapons they could use were relatively standardized.
In simple terms: Saber wielded "Swords," Archer used "Bows," Lancer used "Spears," and Rider definitely had to "Ride."
A Servant who could wield both a "Sword" and a "Spear" was exceptionally rare.
"Setting aside the greatsword and switching to a spear to fight us... do you think you're a Lancer?"
'And judging from the construction of these weapons, they don't seem to be made of conventional materials.'
'Just which country's hero is he?'
The dissipating greatsword vanished, leaving only the golden dragon-motif spear, rising and falling with deadly precision.
It was the first time Saber had encountered such a peculiar Heroic Spirit.
And next, she witnessed the full extent of his skill.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Smack!
The held spear lashed out with surgical precision; each strike was so cunning she had no time to counterattack.
'This spear technique?'
Completely unfamiliar offensive patterns. Saber struggled to describe them.
Berserker wasn't fighting chaotically...
The opponent was like a master spearman; every "thrust," "flick," "stir," "parry," and "collision" was perfectly controlled.
Blood appeared on the side of her face—a thrust she had failed to evade.
Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu: Doryusen—Earth Dragon Flash!
Using the scabbard to strike the ground heavily, Kenshin raised violent air pressure and debris to assault Berserker's back.
This sudden attack caused Berserker's movements to lag, giving Saber a moment to catch her breath.
"Truly an unexpected challenge..."
Taking the opportunity to create distance, Saber wiped the blood from her face and spoke.
She never imagined Berserker would be this formidable.
Suppressing her with a greatsword was one thing, but mastering the spear as well?
But at that moment, both of them noticed the golden spear in Berserker's hand transform into an ancient, gorgeous grimoire engraved with unknown text.
"His weapon changed again?"
[TN: The Warrior of Light from FF14 (abbreviated "WoL") is known for his expressionless early portrayal—only nodding or shaking his head to emote. But his combat prowess is undeniable: fighting Evil Dragons, helping restore nations, defeating Empires, and overcoming cosmic threats. His signature trait is his mastery of nearly every weapon class: Greatsword, Katana, Spear, Gun, Cannon, Grimoire, Staff, Scythe, Knuckles, Axe... During greatsword phases, he's known as the "Dark Knight"; with the spear, he holds the title of "Azure Dragoon."]