C49

As night fell on the third day, Shirou cast aside his Caster guise and resolved to take the fight to his opponent. But before he could launch his attack, he needed a new disguise. Caster had worn an Ultraman leather jacket and a black cloak, but Shirou had a different persona in mind. He would pose as the Master of Berserker, Spartacus, and to do that, he needed an appropriate outfit.

After browsing a department store, Shirou found what he was looking for: a Kamen Rider ZO leather suit. This show was released on 1993, and was still popular at the time. Shirou found it more affordable than the Ultraman jacket and used some of his special "funds" to cover the cost.

Shirou knew he owed a debt of gratitude to Iskandar, who had provided him with the financial support he needed to buy the suit. Iskandar had taken a hefty sum of 50,000 yen from Waver, a significant amount in 1993. Shirou couldn't help but wonder how Waver had managed to restrain himself from killing Iskandar after that.

He had chosen the Kamen Rider ZO leather suit as his new disguise, and it was primarily blue in color, resembling a beetle. The suit's red compound eyes only enhanced this effect, making Shirou appear even more like a member of the Matou family. This realization was all the more unsettling to him, given his long-held belief that the Matou family was obsessed with bugs.

Shirou knew that first impressions could be powerful, and this appearance was sure to have an impact. With Spartacus by his side, Shirou set out from his home, ready to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies. The Berserker team was planning to cause trouble, with a powerful Servant and a cunning Master in their midst: Spartacus and 'Matou' Shirou!

The weak have been given swords and shields, while the mad heroes have been given eyes and brains. With this complementary combination, they're invincible!

Shirou considered his options, wondering whether he should pay a visit to the Tohsaka residence and stir up trouble, perhaps even getting under the skin of that arrogant golden Servant. But after some contemplation, he decided against it. Instead, he focused his attention on his third most hated target, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne!

At the top of Shirou's list of hated individuals was Gilgamesh, who had forced him into the Holy Grail War, followed closely by Kiritsugu, who had almost sent him to the heavens.

Gilgamesh was the only one who knew Shirou's true identity, and Shirou was well aware that even Spartacus might not be able to defeat him. He had seen firsthand how Gilgamesh had dealt with Spartacus in the past: once by overpowering him with a giant sword, once by trapping him with shields, and once again by using a giant sword.

Shirou knew that if he were to bring Spartacus to a fight against Gilgamesh, it would be a complete defeat. As for Kiritsugu, his whereabouts were unknown. Even if they were to attack the Castle of Einzbern, there was no guarantee that Spartacus's physical body could withstand Saber's Noble Phantasm.

In the end, Diarmuid seemed like the best option. Unlike Gilgamesh and Saber, he had no anti-fortress Noble Phantasm or BUG abilities, relying solely on his strong martial arts skills. This made him a formidable opponent, but one who could be defeated. For Shirou, he was the ideal hunting target.

Most importantly, Shirou had nearly lost his life twice at the hands of Diarmuid, so he felt a strong desire for revenge!

With these thoughts in mind, Shirou led Spartacus towards Kayneth's workshop, disguised as the Kamen Rider and posing as Matou Shirou. But upon arriving, they found that Kayneth was not present in the international hotel's magical workshop. His materials and belongings were still there, but the man himself was nowhere to be found.

In frustration, Shirou and Spartacus caused a ruckus, destroying all the magical items in the workshop before leaving with Spartacus.

Suddenly...

Shirou sensed the presence of a Servant lurking around him and a gaze watching him, and his brow furrowed in response. But a hint of a mocking smile played at the corners of his mouth. Did they still think he was the weak Caster of the past, who could only boast and bluster? It was time for these Servants to see just how powerful he had become.

"Come, Spartacus," he shouted, his voice filled with determination. "The oppressors are here. Let's defeat them together!"

"Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh -!"

Spartacus in his spiritual body let out a cry.

Shirou chose a sparsely populated suburban forest as the battlefield. He allowed Spartacus to materialize while he stood at a safe distance, waiting for the enemy to arrive.

He knew that he couldn't defeat Servants on his own, but as a Master, he could use the strength of his Demi-Servant to bully the magus. However, he decided not to fuse with his Saint Graph immediately.

He had two reasons for this decision. First, once he fused his Saint Graph, the Servant's aura, particularly "Wisdom of Mortal," would reveal his identity. Second, he wanted to use the enemies' arrogance to his advantage. By waiting until they thought they had won, he could catch them off guard and increase the chances of killing them directly.

This was the true way of assassination!

"Boom boom boom!!!"

The sky was filled with thunder and lightning, and a chariot rode on blue thunderbolts, landing in front of Shirou and the others with the force of a meteor.

Shirou's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the grand figure on the chariot. He had not expected to attract the attention of Iskandar, one of the most powerful Servants.

"The heroic figure materialized as Berserker, are you the one calling out to this king?" Iskandar asked with a smile as he looked at Spartacus. "Are you willing to join under my banner?"

"It's a shame, Conqueror King," Shirou spoke on his behalf: "My Berserker has no fondness for rulers. He is a symbol of freedom."

"Oh--?" Iskandar's gaze shifted to Shirou, noting the Kamen Rider suit he was wearing. He raised an eyebrow and asked with interest, "Berserker's Master, is that outfit you're wearing the clothing of this country?"

Shirou nodded, saying, "It's something like that." In his mind, this suit was also from Japan, so it could be considered Japanese clothing.

"It's pretty good," Iskandar said, stroking his chin and showing an interested expression. He then turned to look at Waver, who was standing beside him.

Waver cowered like a scared cat, protectively covering his pocket and glaring fiercely. "I'm telling you, I'm broke! I'm broke! Don't even think about it! This is wartime! Who has the mind to join the war carelessly like you? Look at Berserker, he's giving you an evil eye! Don't think about attacking my wallet!"

"Oh my! You're so petty." Iskandar patted Waver's shoulder with a carefree expression, pointing at Shirou and Spartacus, and laughed cheerfully: "Who knows, today's enemy might be tomorrow's friend."

"That's just your way of thinking! They came here with the intention of killing us!" Waver shouted with a gloomy expression, but his words were met with loud laughter from Iskandar.

Shirou's gaze was intense as he looked at Iskandar, taking note of his large heart and generous attitude. But even so, Shirou couldn't deny the fact that he himself had come with the sole intention of taking their lives.

He knew that in this deadly game, there was no room for mercy. If he didn't kill his enemies, they would kill him. So he steeled himself for the battle ahead, knowing that he could not afford to show any weakness or hesitation.

Shirou shouted, "Spartacus, let's go!"

Spartacus, wielding a razor-sharp sword and radiating determination, charged towards Iskandar like a fierce god. His muscular form towered over the battlefield.

"Boom, boom--!!!!"

Spartacus's bulky frame began to pound the ground as he ran, each step causing the earth to tremble beneath him.

"Did you see that? They didn't even consider..." Waver was about to berate Iskandar for his naivety, but when he saw the king's expression, he was taken aback. Iskandar was laughing, a joyful smile on his face.

"Excellent! The shining star of rebellion, illuminating the earth! You are rising up against the true oppressor, the king who seeks to conquer and subjugate the entire world, Iskandar!" Iskandar unsheathed his long sword and laughed as he pulled the reins of his chariot, the Gordius Wheel. In the next instant, it roared to life like divine thunder, hurtling towards the charging Spartacus.

"Boom--!!!"

Iskandar held the reins of the Gordius Wheel, guided by the power of two divine bulls, as it collided with Spartacus with tremendous force. In an instant, Spartacus was sent flying, his bones cracking as he was thrown. His burly body was covered in scorch marks from the intense strikes of lightning.

Seated on his chariot, Iskandar brandished his sword and shouted, "Rise up, shining star of rebellion! If you fall now, then accept the tyranny of this king!"

"Oh oh oh oh oh--!!!" Spartacus rose to his feet, his presence growing stronger with each passing moment. His bones realigned with a series of cracks, his burly frame expanding even further, his muscles bulging like mountains, making others feel insignificant in comparison.

Spartacus let out a wild laugh, brandishing his long sword like a hero of retribution. Charging toward the greatest sinner in the world, his spirits high, he bellowed, "Oppressor oh oh oh oh oh--!!!"

"That's right, I am an oppressor, a tyrant! My kingdom is built on tyranny, and oppression is my greatest achievement!" Iskandar laughed as he pulled the reins of the chariot, which in an instant was covered in thunderbolts and lightning pillars, charging towards Spartacus with great force!

With a deafening roar, the giant and the divine chariot collided in a blaze of magical energy and thunderbolts. The two forces intersected and surged, creating a powerful storm of destruction that filled the air. In an instant, the space around them seemed to freeze, as if time itself had been suspended in the face of such raw power.

"Boom--"

A sound like thunderclaps echoed out as the two forces collided, creating a storm that was like a typhoon erupting at the point of intersection. The surrounding trees and grass were lifted three feet high, caught up in the powerful winds generated by the collision, like a tidal wave.

The scene was one of utter destruction, as the earth shook and the sky blackened, consumed by the raging storm of magical energy and thunderbolts. It was as if the very fabric of reality was being torn asunder by the sheer force of the battle.

This time, Spartacus was not sent flying as he expanded even more, his body now able to withstand the crushing force of the Gordius Wheel.

Iskandar was taken aback, but he spoke with excitement. "To be able to withstand the crushing force of my Gordius Wheel with just your flesh and blood is truly impressive! But my Gordius Wheel is not so easily withstood!" Iskandar laughed and swung the reins again, calling forth even more power from his chariot.

"Mou!" The two divine bulls raised their heads and let out a long cry, exerting even more strength and their bodies becoming even more thunderous, like a clap of thunder crashing towards Spartacus.

The overwhelming power of the Gordius Wheel slowly pushed towards Spartacus, the thunder around the war chariot lashing at him like a whip, leaving behind numerous wounds.

Spartacus clung to the heads of the two divine bulls with his hands but his body was gradually forced back by the power of the Gordius Wheel. His huge feet were like bulldozers, destroying a piece of farmland.

"No! This won't do!" Shirou quickly realized that although Spartacus became stronger as he sustained injuries and was skilled in counterattacks, the crushing force of the Gordius Wheel was too fast for him to keep up. Shirou feared that Spartacus would be crushed by the wheel before he could unleash his full power.

Support!

The hands that wield the sword and shield require the support of his brain and eyes!

Shirou's expression grew serious as he looked at Waver on the Gordius Wheel. Afraid of being recognized, he projected a spear instead of a sword.

With a wave of his hand, Shirou projected a spear and it materialized in a flash of light, hurtling towards its target.

"--?!"

Hearing a strange sound of breaking air, Waver quickly turned his head and saw a spear rushing towards him, the sight almost scaring him out of his wits. Just as the spear was about to strike him, Iskandar swiftly waved his hand and his sword split Shirou's projected spear into two, the shattered pieces of the spear falling harmlessly to the ground, then disintegrated.

Waver breathed a sigh of relief, but then turned to Shirou with a glare. "Sneak attacking me? Is that how you fight?" Before Shirou could respond, Iskandar interjected. He placed a hand on Waver's shoulder and chuckled. "Relax, kid. This is war. Things are different here."

Waver was furious that his own servant was helping someone else speak against him.

Seeing that Iskandar didn't even bother to get angry at him and instead had a carefree and cheerful laugh, Shirou didn't let it affect him either and continued to project various weapons as they materialized in a flurry of light, raining down upon Waver in a relentless barrage.

Waver was overwhelmed by the constant stream of projectiles, and in fear, he sought refuge behind Iskandar. Crouching down and hugging his head, he trembled with fear. Seeing Waver's distress, Iskandar had no choice but to spare some energy to chop off Shirou's projected weapons. He laughed and said, "Your attack method is really like Caster!"

Shirou's heart tightened, confirmed that he did not merge his Saint Graph, then suppressed his voice and said, "Caster is using Noble Phantasms, but I'm only using basic Projection magic."

"Perhaps." Iskandar laughed.

At this moment, Spartacus finally absorbed enough damage, his power increased and his body expanded to a giant size of ten meters!

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh----!!!"

Spartacus shouted and like ropes, his hands grabbed the heads of the two divine bulls. Using the strength of his waist, he pulled with all his might.

Iskandar's eyes narrowed and without hesitation, he grabbed Waver's collar and jumped off the chariot.

The next moment -

"Boom----!!!

Spartacus, his muscles rippling with power, gracefully executed a backflip, flinging the two majestic bulls and the chariot behind him with ease. Without hesitation, he seized the heads of the divine bulls, and with a resounding "Crack!" he snapped their necks, felling them both in one swift motion.

Iskandar pushed Waver aside and surveyed the two divine bulls that Spartacus had killed. A hint of annoyance crossed his face as he scratched his head. "I didn't think it was possible to destroy the Gordius Wheel like this. It's quite frustrating."

"Oh oh oh oh oh----!"

With a fierce cry, Spartacus rose to his feet, his towering ten-meter frame exuding raw power and strength as he let out a deafening roar.

...

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