This Is My Holy Grail War [57]

Victory was out of the question. Even with Saber joining forces with Assassin, the two-on-one scenario couldn’t overcome Berserker’s overwhelming strength. To make matters worse, their Masters—Rin and Shirou—were exposed to the full brunt of Berserker’s rampage.

Killing Berserker was impossible. Survival became the only priority.

“But…” Saber hesitated at Assassin’s words. Yet the Assassin didn’t falter.

“Trust me,” Assassin said firmly, turning to Rin. “Master, you’re still too inexperienced… Although for someone your age, having this much resolve is already impressive.”

“Still, the Holy Grail War is a war. And war means confronting brutal, merciless death,” Assassin continued, his voice tinged with both frustration and sorrow. “For us, it’s a war we have no choice but to fight.”

When corpses litter the battlefield, when blood drenches your face, and when death’s echo brushes past your ears—only then does the true nature of war become clear.

Blades clash. No allies come to your aid. Explosions reverberate as the war rages on. A single misstep would drag one into an eternal abyss.

“Master, watch closely. In war, mercy leads only to death. Only by carrying the resolve to die can one achieve victory.”

Without waiting for a response, Assassin surged forward.

Berserker brushed past Assassin, choosing not to halt his charge. Assassin didn’t stop him either, letting the massive Servant barrel forward.

Protect Rin? Protect my Master?

No. The best defense was a decisive offense.

Neither Saber nor Assassin could directly halt Berserker’s relentless charge—it was like standing before a steamroller that would crush anything in its path.

“Oh? So you’re abandoning your Master to target me instead?” Illya mused, her tone unimpressed. “But you forget—Berserker’s Agility is higher than yours.”

As if on cue, Berserker came to an abrupt stop, pivoted, and charged toward Assassin with terrifying speed. His titanic figure blurred as he closed the distance, faster than the human eye could follow.

It was because of Assassin’s movements, his intentions, and the glint in his eyes. His sword wasn’t aimed at Berserker but at Illyasviel von Einzbern herself.

Assassin moved like a fired cannonball, a blur in the moonlight. Yet faster than even Assassin was another shadow—a black silhouette streaking toward him.

It was Berserker.

This was war, Assassin’s war. In the chaos of the Holy Grail War, surviving required calculated decisions and ruthless efficiency.

If he couldn’t shield his Master, then he would become a sword—drawing Berserker’s wrath away with near-suicidal tactics.

Berserker caught up to Assassin and raised his massive blade without hesitation.

To most onlookers, Assassin’s Agility ranked at A, seemingly slightly slower than Berserker’s A+. To Rin and the others, it seemed natural for Berserker to outpace him.

But what even Rin didn’t know was that Assassin’s Agility was also A+. He had deliberately slowed himself down to feign vulnerability, ensuring Berserker would close in on him.

“Now it’s over, Rin,” Illya said with a bored sigh. “Assassin’s speed can’t surpass Berserker’s. He’s finished.” She gave a dismissive wave, her voice casual. “Goodbye, Rin. And goodbye, Assassin.”

As Berserker’s colossal sword came crashing down, Illya’s smile widened. But Assassin had been prepared for this exact moment.

What was Artoria Pendragon’s greatest skill as a Saber-class Servant? Her A-rank [Instinct], capable of glimpsing the future? Her A-rank [Magic Resistance], allowing her to defy Command Spells?

No. The strongest attribute of the legendary king was her A-rank [Mana Burst], the ability to unleash magical energy explosively, granting superhuman power.

For Assassin, who already boasted immense strength, using [Mana Burst] at full force turned her into a walking dragon—a being capable of matching even giants in raw power.

Master, do you have enough mana? Assassin asked through their bond. She had refrained from going all-out until now because her previous Master, Kirei Kotomine, couldn’t support the energy demands of her true strength.

Use whatever you need! Just hold him off a little longer, Rin replied, her voice strained with desperation.

Before she could say more, Berserker’s sword came crashing down toward Assassin.

From the outside, it looked as though Berserker would cleave Assassin in two. Blood would splatter, and her broken body would crumple to the ground.

But reality told a different story.

With eyes burning with defiance, Assassin raised her sword. The two blades collided with a deafening-

BOOM—

A sound more akin to a catastrophic explosion than the clash of steel.

Violent magical energy erupted around Assassin, cloaking her in a swirling storm of power. Her body felt invincible, her every movement fueled by an overwhelming surge of strength.

“Berserker?” Assassin snarled, glaring at her opponent. “You’re nothing special.”

Blood seeped from cracks in her pale skin, staining the ground beneath her. The sheer force of Mana Burst was tearing her apart, but it didn’t matter—not now.

For a fleeting moment, her strength surpassed even Berserker’s. If Noble Phantasms were excluded, Saber herself wouldn’t be able to last long in close combat against Assassin in this state.

But how long could Rin, a prodigy though she was, sustain Assassin’s full-power assault?

With a thunderous swing, Assassin batted Berserker away as though striking a ball with a bat. The massive Servant was sent flying, crashing into the ground with an earth-shattering roar.

“ROARRR!” Berserker bellowed, rising almost instantly. His feet slammed into the ground, shattering the pavement beneath him as he charged once more. The entire street seemed to crumble in his wake.

Through her heightened instincts, Assassin foresaw his next move.

Blades clashed once more, sparks scattering as she parried his strike. Then, with a swift counter, Assassin’s sword slashed across Berserker’s chest, drawing blood.

She had broken his defense. Her strike carried the raw destructive power of an A-rank attack.

But it wasn’t enough.

Killing Berserker was an impossible task. Even at full strength, Assassin could only take one of his many lives. And with every attack, she risked Berserker’s inevitable retaliation.

BOOM!

Another explosion erupted as the two clashed, their immense power sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

“Run… as fast as you can…” Assassin gritted out, her voice strained as she pushed against Berserker’s unrelenting force. “Get as far away as possible… and then… use a Command Seal.”

—

This is a fan translation of 这是我的圣杯之战 by 向希望祈祷. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!