[FDJ]Chapter 100: Night of Madness (Part 9)

The sacred light intertwined with colorful flashes as Berserker braced himself against the attacks of the bubble monsters and charged toward the 'door' indicated by the bronze mirror.

This time, Berserker didn't immediately unleash his Noble Phantasm by raising his sword as he had done before. Instead, he swung his sword, destroying the deformed door frame and the entire room behind it. The blade then descended, striking the lowest 'bubble' hovering above the ground.

The pierced bubble vanished, and Berserker himself was pushed back by the subsequent flash.

'Insufficient magical energy?' Suzuki immediately thought of the possibility of a magical energy problem, but he didn't feel that was the case.

Aphaf revealed the answer through her Mystic Eyes: "Berserker has about 70% of his magical energy remaining. His Master has been continuously transmitting magical energy to him, enough for him to use his Noble Phantasm 2 to 3 more times."

Aphaf's Mystic Eyes saw through Berserker's spiritual core position. If Aphaf possessed a powerful one-hit-kill Noble Phantasm, she could attempt to obliterate Berserker now. Unfortunately, she was just an ordinary human. While she could find weaknesses and fight desperately against human magus, she couldn't do much against Servants. This included being unable to resist the temptation of the unknown bubble monsters that led her to open the door. Her outstanding magical talent didn't serve any purpose.

Don Quixote noticed that his Master had once again fallen into a trance-like state and immediately realized that the bubble monsters were attempting to repeat their tactics. He shook his Master before jumping off the chariot. "Don't overthink it. Leave it to us, the Servants. Your safety comes first."

Berserker engaged in a back-and-forth clash with the scattered bubbles, and amid this simple confrontation, his attack frequency began to decrease. There was something off about his condition.

Suzuki and the others didn't dare to stray too far from the chariot. Seeing Berserker and the bubbles gradually moving away from their original fighting position, Suzuki hurriedly rushed toward the two magus lying on the ground and brought them back to the chariot.

All four of them could tell at a glance that the two magus they brought back were already dead. Donning their hoods, the color of their hair and facial features confirmed their affiliation with the Crusaders.

"Master, please examine these two bodies," Don Quixote said to his Master, Aphaf.

"...There's nothing particularly unusual. Both of them died on the spot from severe mental shock. The magic circuits within their bodies are still in a state of berserk and uncontrollable activation," Aphaf replied, seeing the lingering mixed-colored light within the corpses through her Mystic Eyes. The colors were abnormal, indicating a chaotic state of magic. Normally, a magus' magical energy color is singular, and forcibly turning it into a mixture of colors suggests that the 'bubble' monsters had infused them with a large amount of magical knowledge, not just related to their magecraft but also an excessive amount of incompatible magical knowledge that intensified the burden on their bodies. If it weren't for Don Quixote's quick reaction in pulling her away from the opened door, she might have suffered the same fate.

Excessive knowledge was akin to a mental poison.

Suzuki, on the other hand, paid more attention to the battle between Berserker and the monsters. Berserker paid no attention to Suzuki and the others who pursued him into the village. He responded to the increasing number of bubbles with low growls and sacred light.

This time, the 'bubbles' that appeared through multiple gaps did not gather into a tower. Instead, they scattered throughout the village, gradually surrounding Berserker. Even though Berserker didn't use his Noble Phantasm, he couldn't keep up with the increasing number of bubbles, despite destroying one with each swing of his sword.

In just a few minutes, Berserker was surrounded by the bubbles. His sword swings became slower, and his movements, though still powerful, seemed to be playing a slideshow.

"This is bad! The monsters are trying to seize control of Berserker!' Aphaf saw an incredible sight through her Mystic Eyes. With just a glance, she saw a colorful kaleidoscope-like curtain enveloping the area where Berserker was. She didn't dare to look longer, as just a glance made her feel dizzy and unwell, similar to the reaction she had seen in Suzuki when he encountered the remains of the lower-ranking monsters.

"Can something like this be done?" Suzuki tightly gripped the bronze mirror, gazing at the battle area. He felt a milder discomfort, only experiencing a certain degree of dizziness that was within tolerable limits.

"My Mystic Eyes have perceived the changes in magical energy. The monsters are severing the connection of the contract. It's not just Berserker's movements that have slowed down; even the concept of time is being affected. It's as if a Reality Marble is enveloping everything inside," Aphaf explained, revealing a magical principle that Suzuki had never heard of before. The fact that even the concept of time could be influenced by magic was astonishing.

"Rider, we..." Suzuki began to speak, but Eleanor, who was driving the chariot, noticed a similar magical response approaching rapidly from another direction.

Without hesitation, Eleanor quickly assessed the direction and retreated to the side of the village.

In the next moment, a white light descended near Berserker and crashed into the cluster of bubbles surrounding him, forcefully pushing them aside.

Berserker, who had regained his speed, didn't hesitate to charge towards the gap created by the impact, where he met the arriving ally.

The new ally, like Eleanor, rode a chariot. His chariot didn't require symbolic horse-drawn motion but emitted a radiant light, seemingly connected to Berserker's power.

Undoubtedly, he was also a Rider. He appeared older than Richard, with short golden hair and golden eyes that exuded a sense of majesty even from a distance. With a shield on his back and a spear in hand, his two-wheeled chariot bore cross-shaped decorations and a shield emblem. The servant even wore a crown atop his head. He turned his attention to Suzuki and the others who had evaded his gaze.

"Don't be so quick to hide. I was planning to effortlessly wipe you all out in an instant. But once I'm done dealing with the monsters alongside my brother, I won't give you the luxury of an easy death when I confront you," he said coldly, regarding Suzuki and the others as if they were mere roadside stones.

He then activated his divine two-wheeled chariot and led Berserker away from the encroaching cluster of 'bubble' monsters.

"Eleanor, your son has used an incantation on my brother but not on me. If you can contact him, the sooner the better. Otherwise, let's see whose 'authority' as a king is stronger between the two of us," the newcomer disregarded Don Quixote completely, not even sparing a glance at Eleanor, who dared not approach. His standards for acknowledgment were far beyond what an ordinary person could ever hope to achieve.

After Berserker broke free from the encirclement, he voluntarily jumped off his chariot and launched another charge at the bubble monsters. This time, his frenzied roar transformed into a clearer shout of anger.

"Don't waste time on those useless beings! Join me in eradicating the enemies of our Lord! Annihilate them all!! No form of evil is allowed in the presence of our Lord's radiance!!!"

The voice of the other Servant was overshadowed by Berserker's voice, and the latter paid no attention to his brother's tactical approach. True champions did not need tactics. They demonstrated their loyalty to their master by offering the divine light, which did not tolerate any form of defilement.

Faced with the coordinated assault of the two top-tier Servants, the "bubbles" were forced to quickly converge, attempting to form a tower once again.

Both Servants unleashed the true names of their Noble Phantasms, and the combined power of their identical sacred abilities destroyed most of the bubbles. The remaining number of bubbles was less than fifty, and the few openings that had barely formed were already showing signs of closing. It would be difficult for the monsters to squeeze out the same quantity of bubbles as before through the "gate."

The battle was completely tilting in favor of the two Servants. They dealt with the remaining bubbles effortlessly. Each of the two Servants individually possessed the strength that, according to the records in Chaldea's database on Servants, ranked at the highest level. In particular, Berserker, who had already used his Noble Phantasm five times tonight, still had two uses left according to Aphaf's previous explanation. In a normal Holy Grail War, this level of Servant would be considered a violation.

Suzuki had no intention of further intervening this time, and Eleanor, after witnessing the two Servants unleash their Noble Phantasms, activated the chariot and prepared to evacuate. There was no need for the Rider, who didn't even need to reveal his true name as long as Godfrey's brother and his possession of the authority as the King of the Holy City were taken into account. Suzuki, based on the information he had researched before coming to this era, was aware of the historical knowledge related to the Guardians of the Holy Sepulchre and knew that although Godfrey had not truly become the first king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, his family had firmly embraced that supreme honor.

Both were leaders of the First Crusade, and the first knight to be proclaimed as the King of Jerusalem, Baldwin I. Suzuki could even confirm that the opponent had no relevant history with chariots and long spears, the only possibility being that his kingship had transformed into a chariot, and the connection with the Holy City allowed Rider Baldwin to inherit the Holy Lance.

Compared to the pure madness and unwavering faith of Berserker Godfrey, Rider Baldwin brought a greater sense of danger to Suzuki. He was a king with a legacy of achievements, a true ruler who showed no mercy to those who opposed his rationalist beliefs. Historical records documented the actions of Baldwin I, who harnessed his power to strike against his adversaries.

"Running away?" Before completely clearing the bubbles from the village, Rider Baldwin I entertained the idea of summoning his chariot for pursuit. The remaining enemies were insignificant, and even if they were left behind, they wouldn't pose a threat for much longer.

But Berserker immediately stopped him. No reason was given, and no explanation was needed. Berserker Godfrey simply made a blocking gesture, and the two brothers understood each other's intentions. Even in his madness, Berserker was familiar with his younger brother's tactics of toying with the enemy. The enemy might think they could escape, but they would ultimately find themselves in a dire situation.

"Brother, are you going to spare the infidels? The other Rider and her Master can be temporarily spared according to the Master's intentions. But we can't let the elderly knight and his lovely young Master go!"

As they spoke, both of them cooperatively eliminated the remaining "bubbles." One paused while the other paid no attention. The two brothers had quarreled countless times during their lives due to their different personalities. Now, as they returned to the world as Servants, they had no intention of continuing their quarrels.

They both fully understood that they were participating in this battle to uphold the glory of their respective masters.

No one noticed the scattered fragments of mirrors in the village, along with the lingering traces of different evil auras attached to them.