Maria the Ripper / Fran and Caules

Therefore, delaying tactics are advantageous to Berserker.

However, Shirou always maintained a calm and composed demeanor.

"Waaaaah!"

Berserker was extremely displeased with his opponent's attitude, but helpless, he could only roar and continue swinging his warhammer.

However, the two combatants seemed unaware that their surroundings were beginning to...

--It's getting foggy.

Chapter 232. [The Maria the Ripper the Ripper]

"Um?"

While dealing with the [Black] Berserker, Shirou keenly sensed something amiss in his surroundings—

"... It's getting foggy?"

As he said, at some point, a thick fog gradually rose around him and Berserker, enough to obscure their vision.

This is not good news for the two players whose vision is obstructed on the battlefield...

--etc!?

Just a moment ago the sky was clear; how could such a dense fog, obstructing visibility, have appeared so suddenly?

-- Obviously impossible.

If we rule out the possibility of it being caused by nature, then that means... it's Servant?

"Huh?!"

Berserker, also realizing something was wrong, stopped attacking and cautiously looked around.

"Assassin..."

Just as Shirou was about to use telepathy to observe the sky, he suddenly felt a sharp pain deep in his nasal cavity, like sparks bursting forth. He coughed reflexively and pressed his hand to his mouth.

--poisonous?

Instinctively, I covered my mouth and nose with my sleeve and squatted down. Although I only inhaled a little bit, the intense pain still exploded deep in my nasal cavity, and even my vision began to blur.

Not only that--

Even the exposed skin felt faintly burned.

"Tsk!"

Somewhat astonished by the power of the poisonous fog, Shirou took out a long strip of red cloth from his pocket and wrapped it around his face.

The effects were immediate.

Shirou breathed a sigh of relief upon regaining her breath. Although she still felt a stinging sensation on her skin, the excruciating pain in her head had subsided.

The red cloth wrapped around Shirou's face is the Shroud of Magdalene, which once covered the remains of a saint and contains considerable magical power, enough to sever any magical interference from the outside.

Through the gaps between the strips of cloth, Shirou observed the thick fog that permeated the surroundings.

Although the darkness prevented him from accurately assessing the situation, the strong acidic smell in the fog still made him wrinkle his nose.

--This must be the ability of that [black] Assassin who has never shown his face.

The poisonous mist that can conceal one's presence is truly a fitting ability for the [Assassin] class.

[Master, is everything alright on your end?]

Upon noticing the unusual activity on Shirou's side, the Semiramis remaining at the aerial fortress immediately sent a telepathic message.

"Ah, it's not life-threatening yet."

[... you.]

Realizing his Master was unharmed, the Semiramis couldn't help but roll his eyes, but his tone quickly turned serious.

You'd better be careful now...

At the same time--

"Huh?"

[Berserker, how's the situation on your end?]

"The anxious voice of Berserker's Master, Caules, came from the other end of the voice transmission."

"Waaah..."

[Really? That's good.]

Sensing that Berserker's emotions weren't as out of control as he'd imagined, Caules breathed a sigh of relief. Then, as if remembering something, he commanded in a firm tone:

[Berserker, now, get out of that thick fog!]

"Huh?"

Suddenly, a childish girl's voice came from the fog—

Where are you going?

In its fully activated state Jack the Ripper's Noble Phantasm, [The Mist], can easily envelop the entire forest.

And within this thick fog lies Assassin's hunting ground—a place for one man only.

Jack the Ripper has two prey in his eyes: a female Servant and a male Master.

Although I don't understand why these two completely different entities would fight, none of that matters anymore.

--The primary target group is women.

Using his own Noble Phantasm as a reference, Assassin first ignored the seemingly weak Master and focused his attention on the female Servant who resembled a homunculus.

The Noble Phantasm wielded by Jack the Ripper (Jack the Ripper) all reflect the legends surrounding her life.

[The Mist] is a recreation of the acidic smog that claimed many lives in 1850s London, creating a fog-shrouded barrier.

[Maria the Maria the Ripper] is Noble Phantasm that elevates the concept of Jack the Ripper's murders. Slightly different from typical assassins' Noble Phantasm power increases exponentially with the fulfillment of three conditions upon Noble Phantasm.

The conditions are as follows: "It is nighttime," "The other party is female," and "It is foggy."

If these three conditions are met, an unavoidable and undefendable curse can be unleashed, tearing the target's internal organs apart.

In addition, with the skill [Murderer of the Misty Night], the Jack the Ripper can unconditionally gain the first move at night.

If these skills and Noble Phantasm are used effectively, even if the opponent is Servant several levels higher than oneself, as long as the opponent is female, Assassin can easily kill the opponent.

Assassin stealthily approaches his prey, whom he has already identified as his target.

It's nighttime now, the enemy is female, and the smog contains sulfonic acid—all the conditions are met.

So, the rest--

"Bye--[Maria the Maria the Ripper]."

All conditions were met, and the ultimate Noble Phantasm, now at its highest power, was activated.

A curse capable of slaughtering all women has unknowingly ensnared [Black] Berserker's body, reaching out its poisonous hand towards her abdomen.

"Ughh..."

As Shirou's gaze followed the scream to Berserker, blood gushed from her body.

In the Millennia Fortress--

"Berserker?!"

Suddenly feeling his Servant aura vanish, Caules abruptly stood up, his abrupt movement attracting the attention of the other Master present.

"I'm sorry, I was rude."

The insincere apology and the dejected figure of Caules as he left the room left the other Master of the [Black] faction thoughtful.

This also left Fiore, who was watching her younger brother's figure disappear outside the door, speechless.

"--hateful!"

In the corridor, Caules slammed his fist against the stone wall, blood immediately flowing from the scraped skin. The stinging pain was numb by the surging heat in his head. After confirming the fact that his Servant was dead, he left the room silently, venting his anger on the corridor wall.

Berserker is dead. His Great Holy Grail War has come to an end in that instant.

The pain, like having his chest ripped open, was far more unbearable than he had imagined. Even so, as Magecraft, Caules was quite aware of his own limitations. He might die, he might be killed, or he might kill others. In the worst-case scenario, his entire clan, including his sister, might be killed—he was prepared for that.

But the pain churning in his heart now belonged to a completely different dimension. This was a pain he had never imagined before summoning his Servant to participate in the Holy Grail War. He never expected that Berserker's death would leave such a deep wound on him.

"I couldn't do anything for her!"

Her wish can be fulfilled through the Holy Grail. For a Berserker, she possesses exceptionally high intelligence, making her a very easy Servant to manipulate.

He couldn't help but feel annoyed with himself from just a few days ago, the one who thought Berserker was only someone whose interests aligned with his own for a short period of time.

She was an important ally with whom he shared his feelings and fought side by side—no, she had become that kind of person.

That's why I feel sad.

A girl who has a human appearance but is forced to act as a monster has a small wish—to find someone who is willing to love her.

However, this could not be achieved, and the Heroic Spirit who returned to their "seats" could never reappear.

Caules felt an intense hatred for himself for being unable to fulfill her wish, wishing she could reappear before him...

[Ma... ster...]

"Berserker?!"

Chapter 233. Fran and Caules

[Ma... ster...]

"Berserker?!"

After confirming with the Command Spell several times, Caules's heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest. He was overjoyed to discover that his Servant hadn't left the stage yet!

"Wait... wait a minute, I'll use Command Spell to pull you back right now!"

[Don't want...]

Caules to raise his arm to use Command Spell was resolutely rejected by Berserker.

"Why?!"

Confused, Caules instinctively pressed for an answer.

[Waaaaah...]

Berserker responded with only a faint groan.

"... Is that so?"

After a moment of silence, Caules silently lowered his raised right hand. Having regained his composure, he could clearly sense the connection between himself and the Berserker gradually weakening...

Although he wasn't by Berserker's side, Caules could still imagine just how bad Berserker's situation was.

Just as Caules thought—

At this moment, Berserker, having taken a Noble Phantasm from Jack the Ripper, lay on the ground like a corpse.

Beneath her lay a pool of blood that was gradually spreading, her internal organs scattered around her, and her chest was completely empty, like a burst balloon.

Logically speaking, whether human or Servant, they should lose consciousness the instant they suffer such a fatal wound.

But Berserker is different; she is an artificial life form created by humans.

Moreover, even the Assassin who succeeded in the sneak attack did not expect that her heart was not inside her body, but attached to the warhammer in her hand—[Bridal Chest].

In other words, because Berserker's Spirit Core is located in her brain and warhammer, she won't die immediately even if her body is severely damaged. That's why she hasn't disappeared immediately despite suffering such serious injuries.

However, no matter what, Servant's body has a limit to the damage it can withstand. With his entire chest cavity blown open, Berserker only has a few minutes left.

[Waaaaah...]