"Berserker?!"
Hearing Assassin's exclamation, Saber fixed her gaze on the newcomer.
Forged from some unknowable material, the heavy armor. A massive sword driven into the earth, dark energy radiating from its form. The tremor that had disrupted them was likely its doing.
From appearance alone, this Servant was extraordinarily powerful.
"!"
"?"
Without a word, the figure grasped the embedded greatsword with one hand and gave it a single sweeping flourish.
Whoosh!
Howling wind tore through the air, the sheer pressure of the swing tossing both their hair back.
"Intervening in my duel with Assassin? You intend to take us both on?"
Maintaining her sword stance, the lingering glow of her holy blade not yet faded, Saber posed the question.
Whoosh!
"?!"
His answer came a heartbeat later.
Despite wielding that massive sword, his movements were anything but slow. They were blindingly fast.
CLANG!
A downward cleave crashed upon her. Saber raised her holy sword to block.
Dark blade met sacred steel. In the instant of contact, sparks exploded in a dazzling shower.
Crack!
The ground beneath Saber's feet caved inward under the crushing weight, her legs sinking into the earth.
'Such monstrous force...'
For the first time, she felt genuinely overpowered, teetering on the edge of being unable to hold.
"Saber! Don't look directly at his sword!"
Having already learned this lesson the hard way, Kenshin rose and shouted immediately.
"What?"
Heeding the warning, Saber paused, but looking up, she caught sight of it: a pulsating vortex of purple-black energy swirling along the blade, coalescing into a crimson "Dragon's Eye."
'The wrath and resentment of a dragon?'
Perceiving the will contained within the "Eye," her body seized up instantly, unable to exert force.
Simultaneously, the greatsword pressed down further.
'No!'
If she took that blow cleanly, the injury would be catastrophic.
CLANG!
In the nick of time, Kenshin was already upon them, broken blade in one hand, scabbard in the other, striking in tandem.
"Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu: Twin Dragon Flash!"
Two fierce blows hammered against Berserker's helmet.
He couldn't cut through full plate armor, but generating enough kinetic force to shove the opponent back was within his reach.
Screech!
Berserker's feet carved furrows in the earth as he was driven back several paces. The greatsword pressing down on Saber retracted.
"Thank you, Assassin!"
Genuine gratitude colored Saber's words, relief flooding through her.
Without Kenshin's intervention, she would have been wounded for certain. That monstrous greatsword would have cleaved through her own armor on impact.
"Crack..."
But then she noticed: Assassin's already-halved katana had developed visible fractures.
"Did you fight Berserker before?"
Suddenly understanding why his blade had broken, Saber's eyes widened.
"It wasn't my intention, but since he seems determined to come for both of us, I have no choice but to cooperate with you."
Nodding, Kenshin settled into a defensive posture. He could have chosen not to help Saber just now, but that would have been suicidal.
Only together did they stand a chance of repelling or defeating Berserker.
Alone, it was impossible.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. That principle held true the world over.
"Our score can wait until after Berserker falls."
A faint smile crossed Saber's lips. She didn't mind this development.
On the contrary, she valued integrity in others. Judging by the rescue just now and his current demeanor, Assassin was no contemptible or despicable man.
Though he had previously attempted to assassinate her "Master," that fell under his duty and allegiance. Nothing to hold against him.
"Be on guard. He's coming!"
Nerves taut, Kenshin spoke in a low voice.
Whoosh!
One leg driving off the ground, Berserker launched forward like a rocket. The greatsword swept horizontally, intent on cutting through both Saber and Assassin in a single arc.
Saber stepped forward to meet it, catching the horizontal slash with her holy sword.
She dug both feet in, anchoring her center of gravity.
Screeeech...
Yet the sheer force pushed her several meters sideways, visually straining against the edge of her limit.
'For a Berserker...'
'This level of power is absurd!'
Overpowered in the contest of strength.
Meanwhile, Kenshin slipped past the sword's arc and drove his scabbard toward the joint of Berserker's leg.
As a trained killer, he knew precisely where to strike. The broken blade was useless for damage, so the scabbard would have to do for disruption.
"What?!"
But in the very next instant, Berserker released the greatsword entirely. His free hand seized a golden spear that appeared from thin air, and thrust it toward Kenshin's forehead.
'No good!'
Trading blows, injury for injury.
Recognizing the setup instantly, Kenshin's form blurred sideways as he withdrew.
He barely avoided the counter-thrust, but his own attack failed to land.
A fraction of a second's hesitation would have meant another wound, or worse.
Whether his scabbard strike could even injure this opponent was debatable. What was certain was that the spear would have killed or crippled him.
"Incredible reaction speed."
Saber watched a Berserker who could counterattack even under those conditions, and felt genuine astonishment.
Not even Assassin's speed was enough to outmaneuver him. The gap was staggering.
'A greatsword laced with a dragon's resentment...'
'A golden spear...'
'He wields multiple Noble Phantasms?'
Saber stared at Berserker with mounting bewilderment. It wasn't unusual for Servants to possess multiple Noble Phantasms. But their Class typically restricted the weapons they could wield.
Simply put: Sabers used swords, Archers used bows, Lancers used spears, and Riders "rode." A Servant proficient with both "sword" and "spear" was extraordinarily rare.
"You put away the greatsword and switch to a spear. Are you trying to be a Lancer?"
'And judging by the materials, neither weapon appears to be forged from anything conventional.'
'Which nation's hero is he?'
The greatsword dissolved. Only the gleaming golden lance remained.
This was the first time Saber had witnessed such a versatile Heroic Spirit.
And then, she experienced firsthand how terrifying that versatility truly was.
Swish swish!
Crack!
The spear struck with ferocious precision, every thrust so relentless that Saber couldn't even find the space to counterattack.
'This spear technique?'
An entirely unfamiliar style of offense. Saber struggled to articulate it.
Berserker wasn't swinging wildly. He fought like a seasoned lance master, every thrust, sweep, twist, parry, and slam executed with masterful control.
A line of blood appeared across her cheek, a nick from a thrust she hadn't dodged in time.
"Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu: Earth Dragon Flash!"
Smashing his scabbard into the ground, Kenshin hurled a wave of debris and compressed air at Berserker's exposed back.
The unexpected flank disrupted Berserker's rhythm, granting Saber a precious moment to breathe.
"What an unthinkable opponent..."
Seizing the opening to create distance, Saber wiped the blood from her face and spoke.
She had never imagined Berserker would be this formidable. The greatsword had been oppressive enough, but the spear was wielded with equal mastery.
And then, both of them froze as the golden spear in Berserker's grip transformed into something else entirely: an ornate, ancient grimoire covered in unknown script.
"His weapon changed again?"
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]
PS: A brief explanation here.
The FF14 protagonist, the Warrior of Light, is nicknamed "hikari aho" (roughly "light dummy") because of his notably stoic demeanor in early content. He could only communicate through nods and headshakes, hence the nickname.
But after experiencing the game's full story, the Warrior of Light's combat prowess is beyond reproach.
Slaying evil dragons, liberating nations, toppling empires, overcoming universe-threatening despair, the list of feats is endless.
His biggest distinguishing trait: an absurd number of weapons he's mastered.
Greatsword, katana, lance, gun, magitek cannon, grimoire, staff, astrolabe, scythe, fists, axe, fishing rod...
He's proficient in virtually all of them. As a reference, during the lance arc he's called the "Azure Dragoon," and during the greatsword arc, the "Dark Knight."