The battle against Berserker

Three Days Later.

It had been three days since I started walking, and it seemed I was getting closer to the place where the Holy Grail was kept.

A cold wind blew gently through the ruins of the silent city. The remnants of charred and cracked buildings stood as silent witnesses to the tragedy that once unfolded here. I stepped cautiously through the debris-filled streets, trying to trace the presence of the Holy Grail in this place.

As I walked, my mind replayed what I knew about this singularity. Ah… I haven't explained the cause of it yet, have I?

Maybe it's time to talk about how this chaos began.

This singularity originated from something I had seen in the game—Fate/Grand Order. In that game, there was a city called Fuyuki that served as the battlefield for a war between seven Magi and their Servants, all fighting to claim the Holy Grail, said to be capable of granting wishes.

At first, everything proceeded as expected—a typical Holy Grail War. Servants battled, their Masters devised strategies, and conflicts between factions escalated over time.

However, an anomaly occurred.

In the middle of the war, Saber—Artoria Pendragon—fell into a mysterious black mud that transformed her into something different. No longer the steadfast and noble King of Knights, she became Artoria Alter The Fallen king, consumed by the darkness that tainted her existence.

And with this newfound power, she defeated all the other Servants.

Only one remained—Caster, Cu Chulainn.

The defeated Servants did not truly disappear. They were turned into Shadow Servants—mere shades of their former selves, stripped of free will and reduced to mindless pawns obeying Saber Alter's command.

After that, Artoria's forces were divided into two main tasks:

One group remained in place to guard the Holy Grail alongside her, likely beneath the ruins of this city… or perhaps in a hidden cavern.

The other group pursued Caster Cu Chulainn—the only Servant who retained his consciousness.

And I had encountered one of them a few days ago while I was still using my Artoria form.

From his movements, I deduced that the Shadow Servant had initially been chasing Cu Chulainn. But somehow, he sensed my presence and, instead of continuing their pursuit of Caster, he chose to confront me.

That battle was still vivid in my memory.

Fast movements. Deadly strikes.

He wielded a spear—a massive weapon that swinging toward me like a red bolt of lightning in the darkness.

A Servant with the Lancer class, without a doubt.

But even though I could determine his class, I had no way of knowing who he really was.

But one thing was certain—I had to reach the Holy Grail's location as soon as possible.

I continued walking cautiously, piercing through the darkness that was beginning to shroud the ruins of the city.

Each step felt heavy in the eerie, oppressive silence. I remained alert, my eyes scanning my surroundings for any signs of danger.

This place was too quiet—too still for something that should be a battlefield.

'It seems safe,' I thought.

But that calmness lasted only a second.

GROOOAAARRR!!!

A deafening roar shook the air, sending chills down my spine and making my hair stand on end.

Reflexively, I turned, my eyes narrowing as they searched for the source of the sound.

And in the distance, I saw it.

A towering figure, far taller than anyone I had ever met. Its silhouette was faint under the dim light, but the aura it radiated was unmistakable.

A Shadow Servant?

I tightened my grip, preparing to face a new threat. But as the figure moved forward, revealing itself more clearly, I immediately recognized who it was.

That giant was a half-god hero from ancient Greek mythology. He was known as the man who completed twelve impossible labors assigned by the gods.

He was—Heracles.

I frowned.

This situation was far from favorable.

As a Berserker-class Servant, Heracles had lost all rational thought. He was a pure killing machine—knowing no fear, no mercy. Only the instinct to fight and destroy.

Speed. Strength. Durability. Everything about him was at an absurd level.

I took a deep breath, steadying my grip on the daggers in my hands. If this were the real Heracles, not just a Shadow Servant, this fight would already be over before it even began.

Even so, I couldn't afford to underestimate him. Shadow Servant or not, he was still a force of destruction. His overwhelming physical prowess alone made him an opponent I couldn't take lightly.

Heracles let out another guttural roar before charging forward with terrifying speed. The ground trembled beneath his massive frame, debris flying in every direction as his sheer presence tore through the ruins.

I barely had time to react before his fist came crashing down toward me.

BOOM!!

I rolled to the side just in time. The impact of his strike shattered the ground where I had stood, sending a shockwave that nearly knocked me off balance. Even though he lacked his Noble Phantasms, his raw power was still monstrous.

There was no way I could match him head-on in strength. I had to rely on agility, precision, and strategy.

I darted around him, moving swiftly across the uneven terrain. Every step I took had to be precise—one wrong move, and I'd be crushed beneath his relentless assault.

Heracles pivoted, his movements eerily fluid for someone his size. His arm swung wide, a brutal backhand that could tear through stone like paper.

I ducked, barely evading the attack as the gust of wind from his swing blasted past me.

'Too close.'

Using the momentum from my dodge, I lunged forward, slashing at his exposed flank with both daggers.

SLAASH!!

The blades bit into his flesh, but the wounds were shallow. He barely reacted. His thick muscles and sheer endurance dulled the impact of my attacks.

His arm shot out, grabbing at me with fingers thick enough to crush a human skull.

I twisted my body, narrowly avoiding his grip as I vaulted over his shoulder.

Landing behind him, I wasted no time. I spun, driving my dagger toward the back of his knee—the joint, a possible weak point.

THUNK!

This time, the reaction was immediate. His leg buckled slightly, and he let out a deep growl.

Encouraged, I followed up with a second strike, aiming for the same spot. But before my blade could connect—

WHOOSH!!

Heracles lashed out with his arm, faster than I could anticipate.

I barely managed to cross my daggers in front of me before his forearm slammed into me like a battering ram.

CRASH!!

The impact sent me flying backward, my body slamming into a crumbling wall. The force of the collision knocked the air out of my lungs, and I coughed violently as dust and debris rained down around me.

'Damn… Even without his Noble Phantasms, he's still this strong?'

Shaking off the pain, I pushed myself up just in time to see him stomping toward me, each step shaking the ground.

I needed a new approach. If direct attacks weren't enough, I had to use the environment to my advantage.

My eyes flickered to the ruins around us. The battlefield was filled with collapsed buildings and shattered stone pillars—obstacles that could work in my favor.

As Heracles lunged forward, I sprang into motion.

I leaped onto a fallen pillar, using it as a springboard to propel myself upward. Mid-air, I twisted my body and threw one of my daggers toward his face.

SWISH!

The blade cut across his cheek, drawing a thin line of dark blood. A minor wound—but that wasn't my goal.

The brief distraction gave me just enough time to land on the remnants of a broken rooftop. I needed higher ground to maneuver more effectively.

Heracles, undeterred, roared and leaped after me—his powerful legs launching his massive body upward in an instant.

'He can jump that high?!'

I barely had time to process before he reached me, swinging his fist downward with devastating force.

I dove off the rooftop, hitting the ground and rolling just as the structure exploded into rubble under his blow.

Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring my vision.

But I had no time to hesitate.

Using the cover of the dust cloud, I dashed forward, weaving through the ruins at full speed.

Heracles landed back on the ground with a thunderous BOOM, his eyes immediately locking onto me through the haze.

I gritted my teeth.

'I need to end this quickly.'

He was relentless, tireless. I was already starting to feel the strain of dodging and countering, while he showed no signs of slowing down.

I exhaled sharply, gripping my remaining dagger tighter.

Then, I made my move.

Dashing straight toward him, I feigned an attack from the front. As expected, he prepared to counter, raising his arms in anticipation.

But at the last second, I sidestepped, using a piece of rubble as a foothold to launch myself upward.

Twisting mid-air, I drove my dagger down—straight into his eye.

THUNK!

Heracles let out a monstrous roar, staggering backward as dark blood spurted from the wound. His balance wavered for the first time.

I landed and wasted no time.

Pivoting low, I slashed at his injured leg again, forcing him to drop to one knee.

This was it—my best chance to finish the fight.

Without hesitation, I climbed onto his massive arm and vaulted over his shoulder, aiming directly for the back of his neck.

Raising my dagger high, I struck with all my strength.

SLAASH!!

The blade drove deep into the base of his skull.

For a moment, everything was still.

Then—Heracles let out one final, guttural breath before collapsing forward with a ground-shaking THUD.

I landed a few feet away, breathing hard, my body trembling from exertion.

Slowly, I stepped forward and pulled my dagger free.

His body twitched slightly before fading into dark mist—the remnants of a defeated Shadow Servant.

Silence returned to the battlefield.

I exhaled, rolling my shoulders.

"…That was a nightmare."

Even without Nine Lives or his other Noble Phantasms, Heracles had been an overwhelming opponent. If I had made even a single mistake, I would have been dead.

I glanced at the ruins around me, then at the path ahead.

No time to rest.

I had to keep moving.

The Holy Grail was waiting.