Chapter 261 - Drako leaves the fight

"Stop... Come back! Come back here, Berserker!"

Kariya called out to him. Such a simple instruction should have been enough to reach him, but, even so, the black knight did not respond. Instead, the amount of prana consumed by Berserker's enthusiasm stimulated all the Worm Crests at once, and pain reshot through Kariya's body.

"Berserkeeeer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Drako took the opportunity at that moment to approach Mordred.

"We're leaving."

"Huh? The fight isn't over yet."

"We have nothing else to do here, and I'm hungry. Besides, I don't want to keep Sakura waiting."

Hearing Drako's explanation and seeing that he was already leaving the place, completely ignoring Berserker, Mordred could only follow him before giving Artoria one last look.

If Drako was willing to leave, it was because he knew that they were going to meet up with the rest of the Servants at another time. Trusting Drako, Mordred followed in his footsteps and left the place.

The rest did not even notice when they left the place, as they had their attention on someone else.

In pain, Kariya's voice was more like a scream. He no longer even had the mental freedom to use a Command Seal. Overwhelmed by a torrent of agony, Kariya could only focus entirely on preserving his fading consciousness.

The black knight lashed out with the force of a wild beast, kicking at the asphalt. He looked only at Saber, with a dark killing intent swirling.

Naturally, Saber was prepared. She immediately adjusted her sword into a defensive stance.

Berserker held the iron pole, more than two meters long after it had been cut, with both hands like a spear, putting terrible pressure on Saber's sword. But the surprising thing was that the weapon was nothing more than an iron pole.

Saber's sword hidden beneath the Invisible Air was definitely the holiest of holy swords. It was the most supreme of the Noble Phantasm. There was no way it would have any trouble with a piece of metal picked up from the road.

The only thing that could rival Saber's sword with such strength was the Noble Phantasm of another Heroic Spirit. And yet...

"...What?"

Suspended, Saber couldn't believe her eyes.

The iron pole in Berserker's hands was being dyed black. Black lines spread and multiplied like the nerves of a leaf, invading the iron pole.

The starting point was Berserker's two hands. The black lines spread all over the pole like a spider's web from where the black gauntlets held it up.

This was Berserker's prana - prana smeared with bloodl.u.s.t and hatred, possessed only by the black knight. The iron pole received it as it permeated his hands.

"You don't mean...!"

Saber understood through her surprise—the true nature of Berserker's Noble Phantasm.

Rider, observing thoroughly, came to the same conclusion.

"...So that's what it is. When Blacky takes something, it becomes his Noble Phantasm."

Rider grunted in admiration. A Heroic Spirit's Noble Phantasm doesn't need to manifest through a characteristic object. Sometimes, it can be a type of Noble Phantasm that manifests through a "unique ability" employed by the Servant's body itself. This is exactly the case for Berserker.

And yet, what an amazing power it was. Berserker was able to steal at will the Phantasm Nobles threw at him by Archer. Now they understood the terrifying lure. The instant Berserker's gauntlets grasped one, Archer's Noble Phantasm's control passed to the black knight.

And it wasn't just that, even that ordinary iron scrap was filled with immense prana fit to compete with other Phantasm Nobles once they reached Berserker's hands. Unlike how the golden knight possessed numerous Noble Phantasms, Berserker's Noble Phantasm has no end.

If Drako had not intervened in Lancer's battle with Saber, right now she would have a wound on her wrist that would render her unable to fight in perfect condition against Berserker. She would be knocked down, again and again, unable to defend against the black knight's brutal attacks.

But Berserker was still a powerful opponent, and one with incredible skills. It was not easy for Artoria to gain an advantage against him.

Emiya Kiritsugu, from his distant vigilance, also saw that Saber was in the midst of a complicated battle. But with Kiritsugu's current equipment, he could not interfere in a duel between Servants.

If they could at least find out where the Berserker Master was located, there might be ways to control this... But Kiritsugu couldn't see the Berserker Master with any of his night-vision goggles.

"...Maiya, can you see it from your side?"

"No, I can't see it."

Kiritsugu furrowed his brows when he heard Maiya's reply. Kiritsugu and Maiya's positions were indeed mutually blind spots. The reason why they could not see the Master might be that Berserker's Master also considered his hiding place as a priority and did not remain in a position where he could deliver commands directly to his Servant.

It seems that the opponent's personality is even more cautious than that of Archer's Master. To Kiritsugu, compared to those talented but petulant magi, magi who do not show themselves are much more difficult to handle.

"...The situation doesn't look good..."

Just now, it was a single combat between Berserker and Saber. In the middle of the two of them stood Rider, with all his potential. On a battlefield where only the strongest survive, the worst position is to be at a clear disadvantage. At this point, by helping Berserker just a little, they could easily defeat Saber.

And then eliminate the exhausted Berserker. It would be two birds with one stone. Rider can defeat two enemies with the minimum expenditure of prana.

Kiritsugu aimed his rifle at the top of the crane again. The skull-masked Assassin was still sitting there. A single moment of carelessness could cost Kiritsugu his life.

"...Damn it."

Kiritsugu gritted his teeth, but he could only sit and wait.

However, something happened that surprised everyone present.

Berserker disappeared.

Let's go back a few minutes earlier.

Drako left the place followed by Mordred, but he followed a specific path.

"That's...!"

Mordred was surprised when they saw him.

"Yes, Kariya Matou. The Master of Berserker."

The man was kneeling on the ground, banging his head to stay conscious. His hands were full of blood, probably self-harming to achieve the goal of not losing consciousness.

"What are we going to do?"

"Heal him."

Mordred watched in a daze as golden scales appeared on her Master's arm, forming a golden draconic arm.

Drako began to heal Kariya's wounds with his healing skill, restoring him to health for a few brief moments.

When he regained 100% consciousness, Kariya looked at Drako and his golden arm.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

Kariya was afraid of this mysterious young man. He recognized him. He had seen him before, along with his knight in the middle of the fight between Berserker and Archer. They should be a Master and his Servant.

Drako just smiled, scaring Kariya a little more if he could. His golden arm changed color to a black even darker than Berserker's armor.

A shadow emerged from the arm, taking the shape of a claw. Drako grabbed Kariya's neck with that arm, threatening to break it easily.

"Use a command seal on Berserker, order him to stand down."

"Yes!"

"By the way, I'm taking good care of Sakura."