Nine's Own Goal vs Berserker - 1

"The foundation of a successful MMO-RPG is not just the land where Players roam but also the lore and creatures that bring the world to life. If a game is based on exploration and discovery, it wouldn't be as thrilling if there was a guide to follow. No, to bleed at your enemies' attacks, to cry in frustration at your deaths, and to scream in joy as you fell a giant with your sword. That is what strengthens the fantasy of your victories."

Nothing exemplifies this more than the bosses that populate YGGDRASIL's expansive overworld. These formidable foes provide Players with a challenge they won't forget.

YGGDRASIL offers nine distinct realms for players to explore, with over 5,000 bosses to defeat. These bosses come in various categories and sub-types, ranging from common Field Bosses, Wandering Bosses, Event Bosses, Area Bosses, and Arena Bosses to more challenging Raid Bosses, Hidden Bosses, End Bosses, and the infamous World Enemy. The latter of whom received their titles due to their indomitable strength and sheer difficulty spike.

Furthermore, unlike many of its competitors in the DMMO-RPG genre, YGGDRASIL bosses were never uncreative or boring by design. Where many games would recycle models to save on time and production, the developers boasted that each boss encounter was carefully and lovingly crafted to be a herald of the Player's doom. The most striking factor of their creation, however, was the way they challenged the player base.

Unlike the Players, they were not limited to a level cap. Enemies up to level 150, can be considered anything from Field Bosses that could be found randomly to Arena Bosses that could be challenged in large open spaces. The distinguishing feature between them is their location. While hard, a well-coordinated party would have little trouble against such opponents.

Then there were the Dungeon and Raid Bosses which fall into their own separate and unique category. They follow much of the same trend, with added difficulties. These Bosses were faced under specific conditions and in larger numbers, often restricted to treacherous multi-layered dungeons and arenas hidden throughout the realms. Fully coordinated parties or a full legion (a 36-player party) were usually required to complete these challenges.

The following tier of bosses were known as End Bosses. End Bosses were the previously perceived final category of bosses that Players thought were the strongest YGGDRASIL had to offer. At least, until the level-breaking World Bosses were later discovered. These formidable foes were leveled at 250, almost three times the maximum level of a typical Player. With their already incredible stats and abilities, defeating them was nearly impossible for an average party. A fully equipped legion with at least ONE World-Class item was needed to even stand a chance at winning.

However, that wasn't the end. As it was later discovered, there exist thirty-two mysterious and level-breaking bosses that were known as World Enemy. They were the highest category of bosses that YGGDRASIL has to offer, with each one possessing a max level of 500 and numerous abilities and stats that make it near impossible to win a fair fight. Only seven of the thirty-two have been found to date. The Eight Dragons, The Lords of the Seven Deadly Sins, The Ten Archangels of the Sephira, The Celestial Lord of the Sixth Heavens, The Five Rainbow Buddhas, The Five Celestial Death Throes, and The World Eater. It was speculated that no less than a hundred Players were needed to even attempt one of these broken bosses, which required the usage of at least two World Items to even earn a chance at victory. So far, none have been beaten, and many wonder if any could be.

The game's absurd difficulty has been a point of contention for many Players, leading to issues and points of discussion regarding how YGGDRASIL chooses to handle the game's rampant difficulty spike.

"Of course they're hard. They're called Bosses for a reason. It would be boring if all it takes is one or two retries just to kill it." – Excerpt from an interview with Zelretch regarding the game's absurd difficulty.

November 8th, 2129. World: Vanaheim. The Mysterious Cavern - End Boss Arena

Despite it being a lifetime ago, Shirou could perfectly describe every detail about the Servants he encountered during the Fifth Holy Grail War. None stood out more than the monstrous form of Berserker. Standing over two and a half meters tall, Berserker's skin resembled granite, giving him an almost inhuman-like appearance. At first glance, one might mistake him for a statue of a muscular man, bordering on the inhuman, the kind one would see in a museum. To protect his modesty, Berserker only wore an armored kilt, while his wrists and ankles were adorned with bracers.

At a second glance, one would notice that his seemingly inhuman face appeared to be set in a perpetual snarl-like expression, resembling something more like a mad beast than a man. A mop of raven-black hair flowed down its back, like a wild mane, giving him the barest resemblance to a human being. The face was twisted into a permanent snarl, with multiple bulging veins protruding from the skin and distorting the facial features. As if to complete the image of a predator, a weapon rests at his side. It was a crude instrument, appearing as if someone had taken a stone slab and carved it into a club with a sharp edge. However, it was effective given its massive size and the assumed strength of its wielder. This weapon has only one purpose: to kill.

Berserker stood there, menacingly, his cold crimson eyes glaring like a predator waiting for the opportune moment to seize its prey.

'Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.' Shirou felt his virtual heart hammering away against his chest.

When was the last time he felt this… genuine fear? Fighting against rogue magus and Dead Apostles was no cakewalk, but it was an entirely different affair when dealing with a Heroic Spirit, the manifestation of a true hero of legend.

Shirou closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

Inhale. Exhale.

Inhale. Exhale.

Opening his eyes, Shirou quickly got to work with a clearer mind. Since Berserker hadn't yet attacked them, the magus focused on that first. His lack of immediate aggro meant that he was a Passive Boss. Passive Bosses were a rarity in YGGDRASIL outside of dungeons. Unlike the many different types of POPs and mobs that were programmed to attack on sight, Passive Bosses, as their name implies, do not. For a fight to be initiated, the Players would have to instigate the fight, drawing its aggro. A condition that easily allows a well-organized team to prepare and lay out traps and backup plans. But in turn, that meant that Passive Bosses were among the more difficult bosses to fight due to this extra stipulation.

A somewhat lucky break for them.

Secondly:

Berserker: Lvl – 250

Status – God Hand: [12]

Berserker's level was 250, putting it squarely in the category of an End Boss. Its level was secondary to Shirou when compared to the status that was beneath his name. The Noble Phantasm: God Hand, an Anti-Unit Phantasm that granted Berserker eleven additional lives. A cheat-like ability that was derived from Herakles's legend of the Twelve Labors. As if that wasn't bad enough, the Noble Phantasm also granted Berserker complete immunity from whatever it was that killed him. This effectively made it impossible to kill the Servant twice with the same method.

A fight with Berserker would be costly, as his history with the Mad Servant has shown. Were it not for Gilgamesh's intervention, Berserker would've been the most likely candidate to have won the Fifth Holy Grail War in its entirety. Under normal circumstances, it was next to impossible to truly defeat the raging Servant in the traditional sense. He knew that against Berserker's innate magical resistance and general resilience, the likes of 8th tier spells and below were more likely to bounce off him than do any damage. Even the higher tier spells would do only so much against the Servant.

With that in mind, what were their options? Their party numbered only nine, hardly a fully equipped legion, and some of them were still drained from the previous boss battle with the Hydra. No matter how one looked at it, the situation was stacked heavily against the group. Shirou would be the deciding factor, that much was for certain. But they still need a strategy...

"Emi… Emiy… Emiya-san!"

A voice called out to him. Drawn away from his thoughts, Shirou looked back to find everyone's attention focused on himself. His faithful undead friend was at his side, shaking his shoulder.

"Emiya-san, are you there? We've been calling out to you for a minute now, but you just stood there frozen." Despite a lack of facial animation, his voice was enough to convey his concern.

"I-yes. Sorry, I was just... thinking." Shirou replied, his eyes glancing toward Berserker. Again, it was uncharacteristically content with just standing there. "What were you guys talking about?"

"We were discussing ways of beating it, but—".

"It won't work." Shirou absentmindedly told Touch Me, cutting him off. This once again drew everyone's attention.

"You haven't even heard the plan yet, Emiya-san. How would you know if it will or will not work?" Tabula asked, his voice betraying hints of his apprehension and suspicion.

Shirou cursed himself mentally; had he really been so lost in thought that he forgot his situation? Here he was, standing among a crowd of individuals who held no knowledge of his history with this particular opponent. Sadly enough, he didn't have a way to take the words back. On the other hand, to quote a popular English phrase, in for a penny, in for a pound.

"If we were to fight Berserker as if it were just another boss, it'll only end up with all of us being wiped." Shirou explained. "Everyone, take a look at what is underneath his name." He pointed towards Berserker, drawing attention to the unique status prompt.

"Ahh, yes, the boss status. We were speculating on what the number could mean. Our best guess would be a counter, but for what, we don't know." Amanomahitotsu joined in.

"Lives."

"Excuse me?" Said Yamaiko, unsure of what he meant.

"Lives." Shirou repeated, his voice grim. "God Hand bestows Berserker additional lives. In total, he has twelve."

All was silent while Shirou watched as they digested the sudden revelation dropped on them. It only took a few seconds before the group burst out into discussion and commotion, with each person talking over the other. Half of them complained and cursed the shitty devs, while the others debated what to do next, especially in light of the new information they had just learned.

"How the hell do you know all of this?" Ulbert questioned, suspicion clear in his voice.

"…You wouldn't believe me even if I tried to explain."

Shirou's response only angered Ulbert.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?! Skip the vague crap and just tell us! We're in this mess because you were the one that wanted to check out the statue, and that led to us being trapped down here!"

"Feel free to blame me as much as you'd like, but rather than pointing fingers, let's figure out a way to win and escape!" Shirou shot back with a bit more fire than usual. Ulbert's antics were starting to grate on the magus's nerves and patience. He had been nothing but cordial to him, but Ulbert's antagonistic personality was starting to wear him thin.

"Easy, easy!" Touch Me intervened. Shirou silently backed off and took a deep breath to regain his composure. "While I mostly don't agree with Ulbert-san." Touch Me shot him a look, and the goat Heteromorph quickly backed down. "Ulbert-san does make one interesting point, how do you know this Emiya-san?"

"…If needs be, I'll be more than happy to tell you AFTER we deal with Berserker." He stressed.

"So what if the boss has some extra lives? Big deal. We've got you on our side, Emiya-senpai, along with Touch Me-san, a World Champion as well! Working together, we can beat it in no time." Peroroncino spoke up, trying to remain optimistic.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." He replied, again, being the bearer of bad news. "Not only does God Hand grant Berserker additional lives, but it also strengthens him. For each method we use to kill him, he gains immunity to it. Meaning, we'll need to drop the boss's HP down to zero twelve times, with each life being finished off with a new method each time." Shirou dropped another bombshell.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"That means we need to kill it with twelve unique attacks?!"

"How the hell are we going to do that?"

"Great. That's just fan-fucking-tastic! Not only does it have multiple lives, but we can't kill it the same way twice and have to be creative in how we do it. Anything else you want to add, Emiya? Does it also have an instakill move or something ridiculous to add to the pile?" Ulbert sarcastically quipped, but even Shirou recognized that the arch-demon was feeling anxious.

"Were it any other situation, I would say it's impossible with our current numbers. That is, if you don't count me."

"What do you mean, Emiya-san?" Said Bukubukchagama.

Rather than directly voicing his answer, he extended his hands. Blue motes of light gathered and merged around his forearms. In a sudden burst of light, a set of eye-catching pink gauntlets materialized, an exact recreation of Yamaiko's own.

"I-what?" Yamaiko shockingly mumbled. She looked down at her gauntlets before looking at Shirou's. She repeated this a few more times just to make sure she was seeing it correctly. They didn't just look similar, they were a one-to-one copy.

"I wanted to keep this a secret, but if I had a choice, I would much rather show it all now to you all of my own volition than by accident. This is my special ability, if you will. Projection." Shirou dismissed the copy of Yamaiko's gauntlet, and in another flash of light, a traced copy of Touch Me's sword - [Heroic Triumph – Divine Tier Sword] - appeared in his hand. Holding it out to Touch Me, the silver paladin gingerly grabbed it and raised his own, appraising both weapons at the same time.

"They're identical." Touch Me breathlessly muttered. "The stats are a bit lower compared to mine, but it's practically a one-to-one recreation."

"Wait a second. I thought you were a rogue/archer hybrid, Emiya-san." Momonga immediately questioned.

Hearing this, Shirou allowed himself a small chuckle. "Ah, but Momonga-san, when have I ever said that?"

Momonga opened his mouth to answer but found none coming to him. Recalling Shirou's exact words, an epiphany struck him.

Never. Shirou never openly expressed the type of build he was using. With the benefit of hindsight, Momonga realized that Shirou never explicitly confirmed or denied any rumors about him. He performed the role of a rogue/archer hybrid class build so convincingly that everyone, including himself, assumed that was his true identity. He didn't necessarily lie, he merely avoided speaking the truth by making his actions speak for themselves and allowing others to weave a narrative of their own from his choices.

"I must say, Emiya-san, your ability or skill is impressive. However, I fail to see how it will aid us in this battle. Won't God Hand render any attempt to kill him useless?" Tabula questioned.

"That's true, but there's a catch to his power. If I were to use a particular skill to take one of Berserker's lives while wielding Touch Me's sword, then God Hand would adapt to make the boss immune not only to the weapon but also to the skill that killed him. However, if I were to use a different weapon…"

He raised his second free hand, and a golden sword appeared out of thin air.

"…Then it would count as a separate method, bypassing God Hand's parameters." Finished Shirou, showing the stats of the weapon being on par with Touch Me's maxed Divine tier weapon. One by one, it clicked into each member's head. Shirou's tracing ability was the perfect counter to Berserker's God Hand.

"How many weapons are you capable of summoning, Emiya-san?" Touch Me turned to him.

"More than enough." Shirou's answer came, matching the World Champion's gaze.

"…I see. I call for a vote to transfer leadership to Emiya-san! He appears to be the most knowledgeable regarding this boss and is our best chance at beating him. Does anyone object?" Touch Me called to order.

A round of no's later, Shirou was quickly explaining all he could. Berserker still hadn't moved a muscle, allowing the team to strategize and come up with a plan of attack to tackle the monumental challenge in front of them. They needed every second they could get.

In YGGDRASIL, unlike other MMO-RPGs, there was no easy or quick method to replenish one's MP when it ran out or became low. While certain potions could boost MP regen, there was no immediate refill available. The developers purposely designed the game this way to create a challenge for Players, forcing them to be cautious with their spells and not recklessly spam them. This added an extra layer of difficulty to the game, as low MP for magic casters could spell the doom of the battle or raid.

This was just one of the issues Nine's Own Goal was facing. The previous boss battle with the Hydra left the trio of magic casters relatively low on their total MP. They splurged their MP on the previous boss, as at the time, they had no idea there would be a second, more powerful boss fight ahead of them. Ulbert was particularly affected, as his final attack had depleted 60% of his MP bar. Shirou tried to help by sharing his limited supply of high-tier MP regen potions from his inventory. However, it would take at least four hours before any of them would fully recover, so they gathered as much as they could in the meantime. Unfortunately for them, time wasn't on their side.

At the twenty-minute mark, a timer appeared just above Berserker's head, counting down from ten minutes. It wasn't hard to guess what the countdown represented. This sudden time limit only hastens their planning and preparations, or else they would end up facing Berserker with only a half-baked plan in place. With what little time they had left, they reviewed their plan one last time.

Shirou believed in the adage: No plans survive first contact with the enemy. The virtual magus had lost count of the number of times he went in prepared only to have to improvise his way out of a situation.

As the boss battle approached, the lack of information about the Berserker they would face was a major concern. There was a chance that this Berserker was different from the one Shirou had fought years ago. It could be stronger, weaker, or possess a range of new abilities and skills typical of high-level NPCs. Shirou couldn't help but feel suspicious about the Madness Enchantment given to all Berserker class Servants. In truth, he half expected Berserker to attack them the moment he appeared, but he didn't. Was there something he was missing? Whatever scheme Zelretch cooked up, it wouldn't be good, that much was for certain.

As the timer ticked down to less than a minute, the group scattered and positioned themselves strategically. The terrain had drastically changed, now covered in broken crystalline slabs that obstructed movement and limited their freedom. The casters hung back, keeping a large distance between themselves and the boss. Peroroncino took to the air, while Amanomahitotsu and Yamaiko stood at the ready in the middle, prepared to support the front lines. At the forefront, Shirou, Touch Me, and Bukubukchagama stood, each on a different side, watching warily as Berserker stood alone on the empty lake bed.

It was decided that Yamaiko was too precious with her healing to serve as an off-tank, so that role lay solely with Touch Me and Bukubukchagama.

Only twenty seconds remain.

"Peroroncino-san. On my mark." Shirou called out.

"Roger Emiya-sempai!" High above the ground, Peroroncino floated, his golden bow at the ready. Notching the string of light back, particles of solar energy formed and condensed into an arrow. The light from it grew with every passing second, charging his shot.

Only when five seconds remained did Shirou give the order.

"Mark!"

"[Hyperion Flash]!" Peroroncino called out, releasing the arrow of condensed light.

The attack reached Berserker within half a second and struck him dead center. The conflagration of the attack burned bright, almost like a miniature star. The dust quickly settled to reveal naught but a scratch on him. The only clue that showed he did indeed take any form of damage was a slight reduction in Berserker's massive HP bar.

Finally, Berserker moved, his muscles bulging and contracting. The ground rumbled as the giant prepared itself. The Servant's two crimson orbs flared, glaring at all in his sight.

"▁▂▃▃▅▄▉█!" Berserker released a guttural roar, sending miniature shock waves and shaking the cavern. The boss's face twisted into an animalistic snarl. With a single step, the Mad Servant launched himself towards Shirou and the rest, each step cracking the floor beneath its feet.

Shirou braced himself as Berserker charged. His first target, none other than Bukubukuchagama.

"I got him! [Iron Defense], [Maximum Fortress]!" The ever-faithful tank of the party called out as the others moved to confront the rampaging Berserker directly.

Rearing his weapon back, Berserker swung his axe-sword at the Elder Slime as she raised her shields. The weapon struck the heavy defense with a powerful impact, causing ripples to shake through her pink, gelatinous form. Berserker let loose a flurry of slashes, hammering relentlessly against the slime's defense and skin. However, Bukubukchagama held strong and managed to withstand the onslaught, although her HP dropped by approximately 7% due to the initial rush of attacks.

Touch Me and Shirou swiftly entered the battle. Kanshou and Bakuya sang in Shirou's hands as he moved with lightning speed, delivering precise slashes and piercing the Servant's tough iron skin. The anti-monster attribute of his Noble Phantasm proved effective in causing damage to Berserker. Touch Me's was no slouch either, as his noble silver blade was equally impressive, its arcing strikes relentlessly pounding the once mighty demi-god.

"▃▃▂▅▅▅!" Berserker roared in pain. He swung his weapon in a wide arc in an attempt to cleave the attackers in half or at least drive them back. Shirou easily maneuvered around the massive weapon, while Touch Me used his shield to block the attack.

"Uggh!" The paladin grunted, pushed back by the powerful blow.

Berserker set his sights on the insectoid paladin and readied an attack, only to be interrupted.

"[Draw Hate]!" Bukubukchagama activated her skill, and an explosion of yellow aura poured forth. Instantly, Berserker's attention moved from Touch Me back to Bukubukchagama again. [Draw Hate] was a very useful skill that draws in the aggro of any bosses or enemies nearby, helpful in drawing attention away from non-tank Players. Berserker swung his axe-sword, and the pink Elder Slime tanked the hit, allowing Touch Me to retreat to a safer distance.

"[Rapid Fire]!" A series of light arrows fell on the giant and detonated. Growling, Berserker's attention turned upwards to where Peroroncino snipped from. Stomping his feet, Berserker showed he was full of tricks as the boss launched himself toward the golden archer with the intention of swatting it out of the air like a fly.

"[Rail Fire]!"

"[Twin Thunderclap]!"

Two spells were fired in the middle of Berserker's ascension. With little in the way of maneuvering the attack, the two spells brought the Heroic Spirit of Rage crashing back down to the ground. Berserker slammed into one of the crystal pillars. Looking at its health bar revealed that the boss had only lost 7/8 of its initial health pool but was still solidly in the green.

'So far, so good.' Shirou thought, observing the initial skirmish with Berserker going as planned. The strategy was straightforward, keep moving and attacking. In order to minimize casualties, the group would alternate the Hate and aggro of Berserker, allowing the party to kite the colossal boss with minimal effort. While it was a slow method of chipping away at its massive health bar, it appeared to be effective.

Attack. Drawback. Attack. Drawback. Rinse and repeat.

Simple, and if the fight was anything to go by, it was working.

Still, Shirou couldn't shake the sense of unease he felt. If anything, it only intensified as the battle went on. The fight was going smoothly. Too smooth for Shirou's liking. The Berserker he was facing in front of him was far weaker than he initially imagined. To put it bluntly, the fight with this virtual Berserker felt sluggish in a way. Berserker's movement, speed, and general sense of flow felt scripted, like many of the computerized bosses within YGGDRASIL. The digital Servant had a set of scripted movements rather than the natural and fluid motion it possessed during the Fifth Holy Grail War.

Shirou shook his head. Now wasn't the time to get caught up in what-ifs. Fake or not, Berserker was an End Boss, one that demanded nothing less than their full attention and strength.

Getting back to the battle at hand, the plan continued forward with little issue. Shirou, Touch Me, and Bukubukchagama would work together to draw in Berserker and do as much damage as they could. Amanomahitotsu provided helpful buffs for the party, while Yamaiko kept their slime tank topped off. Peroroncino would act as interference, drawing Berserker's attention and Hate from time to time to give the vanguard a break and strike with explosive attacks. Once the Birdman Heteromorph had Berserker's attention, the trio of magic casters in the back could attack without worrying about friendly fire. When Berserker's Hate level shifted to Momonga or one of the others, Bukubukchagama would use [Draw Hate] again to shift the boss's focus back to the vanguard.

In essence, they were leading Berserker around like a horse with a stick and carrot.

After several long minutes, they managed to whittle down Berserker's health into the red zone.

Despite Super-Tier Magic being hailed as the strongest spells in all of YGGDRASIL, there were some bosses known to have certain resistances and even immunities to them under specific conditions. The party was unsure if Berserker possessed either, so they played it safe and reserved it until they knew for certain that the spell would finish the boss off.

"Tabula-san! Start it now!" Touch Me gave the order, moving on to the last stretch of their plan.

"Roger!" The Brain Eater replied. Spreading his arms apart, a transparent dome comprised of magic circles appeared around Tabula, encompassing the eldritch magic caster. Archaic runes and letters flashed to life, rotating in motion with the magic circles.

Amongst the group, besides Ulbert, Tabula was hands down the second most powerful magic caster. His specialty came from high damaging charged-up spells and Super-Tier Magic, compared to Ulbert's short but ultimate burst of DPS spells.

All they needed to do was keep Berserker preoccupied for no more than a minute.

Simple. However, like all things in life, it was never as simple or easy as it appeared.

Something changed in Berserker, so suddenly that it came as a surprise. Berserker stopped mid-swing, frozen, as if someone had pressed the pause button on a remote. Bukubukuchagama watched with no shortage of confusion at seeing the boss halt its assault on her. The Servant's head snapped away from the slime, his burning crimson orbs seeking out and homing on Tabula. With haste, the boss ignored everyone and made a mad dash toward the squid-faced Heteromorph. An action completely out of the norm from what they witnessed before.

Shirou's eyes widened. 'What the…!' Impossible! There was no reason for Berserker to suddenly switch targets when all of Berserker's Hate was on Bukubukuchagma. To ignore his previous programming and follow his instinct instead. That was...

"Do not allow the boss to reach Tabula-san!" Touch Me exclaimed, giving chase after the Servant.

"[Splinter Shot]!" Peroroncino fired several arrows of light that promptly split apart into even smaller but speedy arrows.

Berserker once again surprised everyone with an unexpected maneuver. With great forte and speed that betrayed his bulky appearance, the Mad Servant weaved and even countered the incoming fire. Its previous stilted movement and style were replaced with something much deadlier, reminding Shirou of the original Berserker.

"[Trace bullet]!" Shirou invoked, thrusting his hand forward. The magic circuits within glowed and activated, humming as pure mana coursed through them. Appearing above him were seven or so basic swords, D-rank at best. He poured all the prana he could into these swords, turning them into Broken Phantasms.

At the rate Berserker was going, none of them would reach him in time, but his swords could.

"Trace fire!" With a command, they rocketed forward at their maximum speed. They flew across the battlefield and reached the rampaging boss. The user mentally adjusted the trajectory of their swords, directing them to strike Berserker's side and push him away from Tabula. Berserker detected the incoming danger and destroyed three of the swords, detonating them prematurely. Nevertheless, the remaining four swords hit their target, successfully diverting the giant from his original path.

"Holy shit! Did Emiya-sempai just fire swords at it?! That's sooo cool!" Peroroncino gushed.

"Fanboy later, Otouto! Keep him grounded!" Bukubukuchagama ordered, rushing to meet the boss to keep it locked down.

Pumping more prana into his legs, Shirou was the first to reach Berserker, and he kept him preoccupied. All he needed to do was stall for fifteen more seconds!

And he did.

"[Super-Tier Magic: Call of the Old Ones]!" Tabula summoned his ultimate attack, causing a surge of power to course through his body.

Shirou quickly reacted, strengthening his leg and jumping back, distancing himself from Berserker. As Tabula's spell took effect, a nauseous green spell circle materialized above and below Berserker, crackling with energy. The two circles spun rapidly, generating an intense amount of power that could be felt in the air. Without warning, the spell was unleashed, releasing a burst of neon green and black energy that shot forth from both circles. Within the stream of magic, the outline of an eldritch horror flickered. The attack lasted for a full ten seconds, leaving behind a sense of awe and power.

Where once the muscled Berserker stood, only a smoking, shriveled-up husk of a corpse remained. Its health bar was reduced to zero.

Status – God Hand: [11]

The group didn't even have time to celebrate before steam hissed from Berserker's body. God Hand had been activated, and with it, life slowly returned to the raging Servant.

"It would seem you were indeed correct, Emiya-san. Quite the frightening ability this boss has." Touch Me commented, seeing the boss slowly regenerating back to full strength.

It took all their effort just to take one of Berserker's lives, and now they would need to do it again.

"You have no idea…" Shirou wryly answered. Mentally, he was timing Berserker's regeneration. If memory serves him correctly, Berserker's God Hand typically took around seven to ten seconds for full regeneration. Here, it took a full twenty seconds.

"▂▃▃▃▅▅▆▇▇▇!" Berserker roared back to life, revived and ready for battle.

"One life down. Eleven more to go…" Shirou mumbled to himself.

Dashing towards the Servant, the battle began anew. Again, the feeling of unease returned as Berserker switched back to its scripted attack patterns.

When strategizing how to defeat Berserker, the group decided to prioritize checking off the use of magic. This included Tabula's Super-Tier Magic and Momonga's trump card. The reason for this decision was due to Berserker's extremely high resistance to magic and endurance, making it nearly impossible for any magic below the 8th tier to cause any damage to the boss. With limited MP reserves and high mana costs for these higher tier spells, the group wanted to get the magic kills out of the way first. This would allow them to focus on providing buffs and utility spells as needed during the boss battle.

Berserker's second life was a repeat of the first, with the group kiting the absolute hell out of the boss, and running it ragged until Berserker's second health bar finally turned red like before.

Tabula had his turn, now it was time for Momonga to shine.

"[The Goal of All Life is Death]!"

Momonga's trump card, and one that he stumbled upon by complete chance. This powerful skill was only accessible to him after he unlocked the super-secret job class of [Eclipse], which he obtained through the advanced undead racial class of [Overlord]. The [Eclipse] class specialized in instant death magic and necromancy, and when combined with the ultimate skill, [The Goal of All Life is Death], Momonga's power was boosted beyond compare. Any instant death spells or skills he used while this skill was activated could bypass all immunities and resistance, regardless of whether they were from Players, mobs, or bosses. For none can stand before the Eclipse Lord of Unlife!

A spectral-like clock appeared behind Momonga, it rang once like a towing bell, signaling an impending death. The [Goal of All Life is Death], while powerful, required start-up time. Fortunately for them, they didn't have to wait as long as they did in comparison to Tabula's Super-Tier Magic.

Shirou wasn't imagining it this time. He recognized the shift in the virtual Berserker's stance and actions. The boss stopped his previous assault on Touch Me and ignored its Hate value in favor of Momonga the moment he activated his skill.

'The trigger appears to be either an attack or spell that has the potential to finish it off.' Shirou noted.

"[Trace Bullet: Rapid Fire]!" Shirou summoned two dozen or so weapons and fired them as soon as they materialized. Berserker couldn't reach the skeletal mage in time because of the fast-moving projectiles. Twelve seconds passed, and the clock rang twice, signaling the completion of the skill.

Momonga's skeletal visage darkened. The shadows lengthened around him, shrouding his form as his crimson orbs burned with an ardent fury, bright and full, reflecting off the alabaster skull. At that moment, he truly became death personified.

"[Death's Embrace]!" A 10th tier spell and one of Momonga's personal favorites. On its own, it was a powerful spell. However, it has a secondary effect of instant death depending on the missing health percentage of its target. The spell had its usage in PvP, but its true calling was a finishing attack against bosses with ridiculously high HP values.

Momonga thrust his hand forward in the direction of Berserker and pulled back. In his skeletal hand was a white wisp, the 'soul' of his target. Forming a fist with his bony hands, he crushed the 'soul' of the boss.

Berserker abruptly stopped and dropped dead, falling like a puppet with its strings severed. The party watched as the boss's HP rapidly decreased to zero.

Status – God Hand: [10]

"Everyone sitrep." Shirou called out. They had twenty seconds, better not waste them.

"I'm full health." Touch Me answered back

"I'm all topped up as well." Said Bukubukchagama.

"My MP is getting a bit low, but nothing I can't handle. I'll keep you guys healed up, no problem." Yamaiko confirmed.

"Same, but I can still manage to buff the party if need be." Amanomahitotsu agreed.

"I'm a 110% ready sempai!" Chimed in Peroroncino.

"I'm down to roughly 10% of my MP." Momonga informed, using another MP regen potion.

"Same. Though if what you said is true, I doubt our spells would do jackshit against him now." Ulbert added, topping off with an MP regen potion as well.

"Unlike the other two, mine is perfectly healthy. I'll be assisting Amanomahitotsu-san if needed." Tabula reported.

"Good. We're moving on to the next step! Are you ready, Touch Me-san?"

A quick look revealed that Berserker had completed about half of his regeneration. The World Champion nodded, to which Shirou returned with one of his own.

"Trace on!" As he extended his hand, his magical circuit surged with increased power and brightness. This time, he wasn't creating a basic weapon. Instead, neon lighting erupted from his palm in a wild and untamed manner. With a firm grip, he summoned a weapon from Unlimited Blade Works.

[Durandal: The Peerless Sword – Divine Tier Sword]

The sword of Roland, leader of the Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne, boasted a striking appearance with a golden and black cross-guard and an equally sleek black hilt. Within the sword's pommel, there rests a small yet beautiful crystal orb, adding a touch of elegance to its overall design. While Durandal's blade may appear simple, the sheer brilliance and radiance it exudes prove otherwise. This sword was truly a work of art and a symbol of Roland's unwavering valor and strength. Here, it would be put to the test.

"I must say, Emiya-san, you are full of surprises. I'm curious as to what else you have stored." Touch Me spoke softly, enraptured by the sword's magnificence.

"If we make it out of here alive, I'll be more than happy to give you a peek. For now…" Shirou's attention turned solely to Berserker, who had fully regenerated.

"Indeed." Touch Me gratefully took Durandal from Shirou's hand. "Come! Let us vanquish this foe!" With a flourish, Touch Me struck a pose with Durandal pointing at Berserker, his cape flapping majestically. A radiant glow emitted from the silver paladin and Durandal, one that wasn't there before.

'Is Durandal reacting to Touch Me-san?' Shirou wondered. Roland was a paladin himself and the leader of his order, so there were some connotations between him and the World Champion paladin.

"[Lion's Pride], [Greater Force of Will], [Enchanted Arms], [Nature's Blessing], [Greater Stamina Boost], [Guard Force], [Lowe's Boost], [Lesser Essence], [Warriors Power], [Greater Boost Luck], [Pride's Strength], [Greater Regeneration]."

A plethora of enchantments and buffs were applied to the vanguard courtesy of Amanomahitotsu, Tabula, and Yamaiko.

"▅▅▃▃▃▅▆!" Berserker roared and charged forward. Touch Me let loose a passionate battle cry of his own and charged headlong into battle. The paladin easily overtook both Shirou and Bukubukchagama and met Berserker's strike head-on. The clanging of steel and stone reverberated from the clash as a shockwave pulsated outward. Touch Me not only matched the Servant's strength but even seemed to overpower it for that singular moment.

"[Cross Blade]" Durandal glowed, and Touch Me attacked. Four slashes struck Berserker and left the son of Zeus reeling. Following up his attack, Shirou dashed towards Berserker, unleashing a flurry of slashes upon the boss's unprotected flank, drawing its Hate.

The digital copy of the Greek hero growled in annoyance and tried swatting him away like one would a pesky fly, but it proved more difficult than it had originally anticipated. The attackers had moved to the other side of the cavern, where many large crystalline debris covered the area. Using one of the many crystal debris slabs as improvised cover, Shirou weaved through the field, using the terrain to his absolute advantage. Berserker's axe-sword smashed against the pillar but was unable to reach him in the enclosed space. For something as massive as Berserker, the debris field was ideal for limiting the boss's overall movement.

Dashing from cover, Shirou resumed his assault against the Servant. Touch Me quickly fell into rhythm with Shirou, and the two worked well trading blows against the boss. Should Berserker wise up and focus on the World Champion, Bukubukchagama or Peroroncino would intervene, either tanking the boss's hit or drawing its Hate with a barrage of arrows. While the strategy was indeed effective, its one flaw was how tedious it was. With magic being out of the picture for the foreseeable future, all damage relied solely on Shirou, Touch Me, and Peroroncino to deal the necessary damage to Berserker to chip away at its HP.

'Still, we're making good progress.' Shirou considered, seeing the headway they were making toward Berserker's third health bar.

"Forgive me, Emiya-san, but would it be too much trouble if I continued this fight on my own?" Touch Me suddenly requested. This snapped him out of his musing and broke his stride for a moment.

"W-what?!" Shirou exclaimed, faltering for only a second.

He was unable to say anymore as Berserker intervened, sensing an opening against the magus. Shirou managed to defend against the attack but was left reeling. The situation ceded to Touch Me as he intercepted an incoming swing with Durandal, forcing the boss's attention on him.

Matching his strength, the two locked blades in a stalemate. With neither backing down nor their weapons giving way, Berserker pulled back his fist and launched a powerful straight punch toward the paladin.

"[Reflection]!" His shield, [Earth Recover - Divine Tier Shield], glowed, and he parried Berserker's attack, staggering the demi-god Servant in the process.

"[Vorpal Pierce]!" Breaking the deadlock, he stabbed Berserker in the chest, and Durandal released a burst of energy. The boss was forced back by the attack after it pierced his back.

The World Champion didn't relent and continued his assault, giving it little time to recover.

"[Spiral Wave]."

"[Vortex Strike]."

"[Force Burst]."

"[Revenant Fang Cutter]."

"[Visceral Blade]."

"[Devastating Cleave]."

Touch Me used skill after skill, each one pummeling Berserker with the force of a truck. Every mighty blow managed to send the Servant-turned-boss reeling back. Every skill and strike flowed from one into the next and the next, resembling a graceful dance as he all but put Berserker in a constant staggered state, unable to properly recover and counterattack. Touch Me effectively had Berserker in a mini stun-lock. As the faker looked on, Shirou wondered if it was just him or if Touch Me was getting faster, never once breaking his stride.

The World Champion continued to rain down blow after blow, not allowing Berserker even a moment of respite. Shirou continued to watch, enraptured by the performance Touch Me was giving while keeping an eye out for any openings for him to enter the fray. Though, from the looks of things, it seemed that their assistance may not be needed after all. And it wasn't just him, the rest of the party watched the ongoing fight with gleaming, awe-filled eyes.

"Damn, I knew Touch Me-san was good, being a World Champion and all, but seeing it..." Peroroncino muttered, but it was loud enough for all to hear. A sentiment Shirou agreed with. In truth, the magus knew little regarding the title of World Champion. He knew it was a title bestowed upon those the developers consider to be THE best Players within all of YGGDRASIL through some tournament. However, it wasn't until he saw it in the form of Touch Me soloing Berserker, that he truly saw how appropriate and well-earned the title was.

The silver-haired Player could probably count on one hand the number of people he had met who could accomplish such a feat.

"[Heavenly Reflection]!" Blocking with his shield, sparks flew as Berserker recovered enough to attempt a counterattack. His axe-sword grinded and recoiled as it made contact with Touch Me's silver shield, unable to power through his staunch defense.

"Raarrgh!" Touch Me roared. As his skill activated, a burst of white energy expanded from his shield as he parried the attack, sending Berserker staggering backwards. Briefly dismissing his shield, Touch Me grasped Durandal with both hands and raised it for an overhead strike. A resplendent aura surged from Touch Me, the ground beneath him cracking as Durandal radiated pure holy light to the point of near blinding.

"[World Break]!" He swung, and the world went silent. The only way for Shirou to describe the sensation was as if suddenly all noise died, replaced with a distant, numbing ringing in his ear.

[World Break]. THE ultimate attack of those who bear the title of [World Champion]. The ultimate warrior skill that no other skill could compare to, be it in terms of raw damage or versatility. An attack that slashes through the very fabric of space, time, and reality.

The rest watched as Durandal descended. One second, Berserker was completely fine, his HP in the lower yellow. The next, reality shifted slightly, as if a line had been distorted and cut through. Nearly half of Berserker's right side of his body was completely gone. It didn't stop there as Touch Me's attack traveled, cleaving away in a straight line the ground behind the Servant, along the wall, and up to the ceiling. Berserker let out a dying grunt before its body flopped to the side lifelessly, its third life was taken by only a single skill.

Status – God Hand: [9]

Shirou couldn't help but go slack-jawed at what he saw. 'Was Durandal always this powerful?' He thought.

The number of times he traced Durandal and used it could be counted on two hands alone. Yet it never once displayed the power that he witnessed. Perhaps the weapon was always that powerful, or perhaps Touch Me brought out its full potential.

Peroroncino summed it up perfectly. "Holy shit…"

Jumping backward, Touch Me joined Shirou and the rest.

"I apologize for the sudden scare and request Emiya-san. I know that wasn't part of the plan, but I couldn't help myself."

"I-it's fine. It did work out in the end." Shirou coughed, recomposing himself. "Although, I do have to ask about that…"

"Apologies... It's just been a while since I've fought against something that has gotten my blood to boil like this one here." Touch Me gaze dropped to Durandal. "I got a bit overexcited." He sheepishly admitted.

'Touch Me is quite the battle maniac. Who knew?' Shirou thought, bemused.

The conversation was put on hold as Berserker revived itself once more. Due to the damage, he was slow to pick himself back up as the group organized themselves.

"Touch Me-san, if I may." Shirou held out his hand. The insectoid paladin was reluctant to let go of Durandal, but he knew he had to for the next step of the plan.

"I do have a question, Emiya-san." Touch Me said, reequipping [Heroic Triumph]. "Wouldn't Durandal be ineffective at harming Berserker due to God Hand making it immune to the weapon?"

"You would be correct, Touch Me-san." Shirou dismissed the holy blade for later. "There's an idea I wish to try. If it works, then all the better for us." Shirou got ready by projecting a fresh set of Kanshou and Bakuya.

Despite the damage sustained, Berserker was back, and their fight resumed.

Durandal was a revered sword, said to have matched the legendary Caliburn in terms of status and power. The holy sword was blessed with three miracles and boasts incredible passive abilities. Its peerless sharpness remains intact no matter what, and it was indestructible. Even Roland could not destroy his own sword, despite his attempts.

These three miracles of Durandal have been lost to time, with very little information remaining. This has led to speculation among many people. Some believe that these were divine miracles that could be summoned in times of great need. Others postulated that the miracles were simply part of the holy sword's inherent abilities. The two groups couldn't agree on which explanation was true. Shirou was similar in his thinking with the latter but didn't care much either way. He knew that Durandal was an A-ranked Noble Phantasm that required a lot of prana to trace, which he couldn't afford with his average reserves. Therefore, he preferred to use more affordable and viable options.

One of the miracles of the artifact was accidentally discovered and utilized by Shirou. While on a mission to track down Dead Apostles, he came across one in a rural town in Hungary. The Apostle had undergone modifications, making it impossible to defeat without the use of powerful holy swords. During the ensuing fight, which broke out in the middle of the night, civilians were thrown into a state of panic.

Shirou remembered the vampire ordering his servants to use them as meat shields. Desperate at the time to save as many as he could, and wielding Durandal, it granted him one of its miracles.

Mentally returning to the battlefield, Shirou discerned that Berserker's fourth health bar was low enough for the attack he had in mind to work.

"Touch Me-san! I'm preparing the attack!"

"Understood! He shall not get past us, Emiya-san!" Touch Me declared with fire in his voice. He ran forward and joined their fellow pink slime companion in holding off Berserker.

With that sorted out, it was finally time. Shirou began the incantation by calling forth the peerless blade once more.

"O' blessed sword, hear my wish..." Shirou chanted. A faint light sparked within the crystal jewel in its pommel.

As expected, Berserker instinct warned it of the danger. With a snarl, the Servant attempted to reach Shirou but was met with resistance.

"…Judge me worthy, oh sacred miracle..." Shirou continued. The light grew brighter and coursed through the sword, working its way from the pummel to the hilt, to the guard, and lastly to the blade.

Berserker roared, raging against the Players like a wild beast against a cage, denying it its freedom. Touch Me and Bukubukchagama remained steadfast.

"…Blessed thee with power, power to halt all that would do harm..." Shirou closed his eyes and raised Durandal high. Light and prana coursed from the blade and upwards, like a shining beacon.

Berserker only grew more frantic. It knew it was about to die. It needed to stop whatever was coming!

"…Let all thou shall know your name and face its miracle!" His grip on Durandal tightened. Opening his eyes, he swung the sword.

Brutely forcing his way through the assembled defenders, Berserker darted towards Shirou. Unfortunately, it was too late to stop what was to come.

"DURANDAL!"

A burst of pure white light shot forward from the swing, engulfing everything in front of him. It was similar to an Excalibur blast, illuminating the world in white. The light slowly dimmed, his vision returning to him as Shirou dismissed Durandal. Despite being within the blast zone of Shirou's attack, everyone was completely unharmed. The same couldn't be said about Berserker.

Most of its outer skin and muscles were vaporized, leaving only the skeletal remains of the boss.

Status – God Hand: [8]

"That's four lives down... Eight more to go... Shirou mumbled. Suddenly, he was struck by a wave of fatigue, bringing him to his knees. "I see that hasn't changed." He couldn't help but chuckle.

Durandal miracles were indeed powerful, however, Shirou never relied on them much during his time on Earth, as his body could never withstand the usage's aftereffects. The Noble Phantasm drew on the user's strength of will, in addition to consuming a large amount of prana, and would often exhaust him completely if used recklessly. Normally, it would take him anywhere from thirty seconds to a minute to recover, but considering his previous occupation, even a wasted second could lead to death. Unfortunately, it seemed that aspect had carried over to YGGDRASIL.

"At least I've got friends to hel—"

'PPPPSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTT'

Shirou's train of thought came to a grinding halt as his ears were assaulted by a loud hissing noise. His head snapped to Berserker's remains. Unlike the previous iterations where the Servant's flesh would simply sew and mend itself together, this time blood-red markings spread across his body, with steam accelerating the regeneration.

Where before it would've taken twenty seconds to regenerate, this time Berserker finished in ten seconds.

"▂▃▃▃▅▅▅▅!" Revitalized, Berserker roared and made a straight beeline toward the downed magus.

"Damn! [Trace Bulle—" Shirou was unable to finish courtesy of a powerful punch from Berserker that struck him squarely in the chest, knocking the wind out of his virtual breath.

It hit him with the force of what felt like a hundred of Rin's signature Gandr and sent him flying back. Blood and spittle flew from his mouth as the crimson-clad Player rag-dolled through the air, crashing and tumbling against the hard ground. He finally came to a stop as his back slammed against one of the many crystalline pillars.

"Emiya-san!" Several voices screamed his name, but he was too disoriented to answer back. Unlike Players, he actually felt the pain, a feature that he all but loathed.

'Damn, Zelretch...'

Lifting his head, Shirou was greeted with the terrifying sight of Berserker sprinting towards him again. His battle-honed instincts kicked in, one born out of dozens of years of fighting Phantasmal Beasts and other great threats, and took over. His mind raced, processing all the information and deciding on a suitable course of action within the span of a second.

At the speed that Berserker was about to slam into him, he knew it would be impossible to dodge. With that in mind, he thought, why not use it to his advantage?

"Trace on!" In his hand appeared a golden spear. Bracing the spear against the pillar behind him and angling it so the flat of the blade was next to his chest as he held it, Shirou met Berserker's charge. Berserker slammed into the projection user, the Servant destroyed the pillar and sending him flying through the air once again.

A glance showed that Shirou's health was in the lower yellow range.

However, it wasn't for naught. Impaled through Berserker's shoulder was none other than the golden spear he had traced.

[Gáe Buidhe: Yellow Rose of Mortality – Divine Tier Spear]

Gáe Buidhe, the famed weapon and Noble Phantasm belonging to the Irish knight of legend, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. A weapon forged through unknown magical means and passed on to him by the king of faeries. Its ability was passive in nature, and it did not need its name invoked to call upon its power. Originally, anything wounded by the spear would receive a continuous curse in the form of an unhealable wound until the spear itself was broken. The Noble Phantasm lowered the opponent's maximum health limit, thus limiting healing and regeneration abilities to the point where the opponent received the injury. Essentially, the curse made it so the body and the world accepted the wound as a part of them being fully healed.

In YGGDRASIL, however, it seems to have gotten a neat new little side effect. A yellow sheen washed Berserker, and its health bar received a status aliment simply called [Lowered Resistance].

Seeing the spear piercing Berserker's body proved his little theory. As Berserker prepared for yet another charge, his allies were more than ready to stop him this time.

"Not so fast!" Yamaiko exclaimed. Intercepting Berserker, she cocked her fist back and released.

Her massive gauntlets, [Female Sensei's Iron Fist of Wrath], despite their rather menacing appearance and classification as Divine class weapons, were relatively weak when compared to the likes of Touch Me's swords or Shirou's projections. However, the Nephilim Spiritualist's gauntlet's specialty rested not in its damage potential but rather in its ability.

The razor's edge of Berserker's weapon clashed against her pink fist. Instead of giving way, a powerful shockwave was emitted the moment the two made contact, knocking Berserker back into a slight daze.

Knockback was Yamaiko's gauntlet's special ability. It was powerful enough to stagger anything they struck, be it Players or even bosses.

Yamaiko wasn't finished just yet.

"[Mountain Fist Artform 7: North Star]!" Her fists blurred in a flurry of pink strikes. She swung with all her strength, landing seven clean hits in total, with the last one being a wild haymaker that sent Berserker catapulting to the other side of the cavern.

"[Arc Light Heal]! Emiya-san, are you alright?" A spell circle appeared, and from it, warm light radiated. As his HP regenerated, Shirou could feel his strength returning and his pain subsiding.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Yamaiko-san." He thanked her, taking the hand offered to him as Yamaiko pulled him in.

Touch Me, Bukubukchagama, and Amanomahitotsu quickly rejoined the two.

"I'm soo sorry, Emiya-san! If I had known, I'd—" Shirou politely raised his hand, stopping the pink's slime apology.

"It's fine, Bukubukchagama-san. None of us could have expected that sudden shift."

"Indeed. Do not shoulder the blame, Bukubukchagama-san. It is an End Boss after all. Surprises are part of the game." Touch Me assured her, patting the slime's shoulder. "However, things aren't looking good. The fighting will only grow more taxing, and we've only entered what appears to be its second stage."

"I agree. Perhaps I can remedy that."

"What do you mean, Emiya-san?" The calm voice of Momonga questioned, making his and the others presence known.

"A little experiment. I think I've found a way to lower Berserker's resistance, both magical and physical." Shirou explained to the cheers of one particular Player.

"Finally!" Ulbert happily exclaimed. "Here I thought me and Momonga-san would be sitting here twiddling our thumbs for the rest of the fight while you guys get to have all the fun!"

Momonga nodded. With their part finished, he and Ulbert were left with little to do but stay on the sidelines due to their low MP. With Tabula's Super-Tier Magic and Momonga's 10th tier spell finishing off one of Berserker's lives each, it meant that magic was out of the equation thanks to the broken ability of God Hand.

It was a frustrating feeling, knowing that they couldn't contribute even if they wanted to. With Shirou's statement, they might now be able to contribute more to the fight ahead.

"Trace on!"

Once again, his magic circuits flared to life. Appearing around him were numerous copies of Gáe Buidhe. First five, then ten, then twenty, then forty! Pushing himself to the absolute limit he could, he traced a total of fifty Gáe Buidhe.

"Take this!" Thrusting his hand forward, Shirou commanded the spears to fire. Streaks of gold flew across the field, their shine reflecting off the stained-glass crystals.

Berserker, undaunted by the en masse of flying ballistic projectiles, stomped forward. He swung his axe-sword with amazing speed, displaying his skill as he managed to deflect the majority of them. Despite that, the number of weapons launched still outmatched his ability to defend, resulting in more than a dozen of them piercing the giant in various areas. Each spear casts a small debuff on him upon contact.

"[Arcane Missile]!"

"[Inferno Heat Wave]!"

"[Spatial Burst]"

With Berserker's resistance lowered, the backline casters were able to contribute to the fight once more. Touch Me, Bukubukchagama, and Yamaiko rushed forward, preventing the boss from reaching Shirou.

While the rest were keeping him distracted, Shirou hastily withdrew several potions from his inventory. He consumed them, including a few high-tier MP regen potions, as that last stunt took a lot out of him and he needed to replenish his MP as much as he could if they wanted to continue.

"[Adamantine Boost], [Strider's Swift], [Boosted Defense], [Greater Endurance]."

A new set of enchantments and buffs were applied to Shirou.

"Much appreciated, Amanomahitotsu-san."

"Of course. While I can't contribute as much as the others, I'll do what I can."

With Berserker preoccupied with the rest of the party, it gave Shirou a moment to recuperate. They were getting the hang of the boss battle and were making relatively quick progress on his HP bar. Soon, it was his turn again.

"Trace on!" Appearing in his hand was a blood-red spear with intricate carvings adorning the entire spear, running from its tip to its tail.

[Gáe Bolg: The Barbed Spear that Pierces with Death – Divine Tier Spear]

A demonic spear that belonged to Cú Chulainn, Ireland's hero, and child of light. The spear of the Hound of Ulster. Even after all these years, the cursed spear radiated a bloodlust unseen by any weapon within his domain of Unlimited Blade Works. Bathed in the blood of thousands, be they men or beasts, its sole purpose was to kill. A weapon for which its barbed blade has taken the likes of heroes and foes alike only to add to its preputial blood-thirsty nature.

Despite it having been a lifetime since his first encounter with it, Shirou could still recall in perfect detail everything about the weapon and its wielder, a certain blue Lancer. Its cold blade cut through his skin and muscles as if they were wet paper, piercing his heart with its cursed tip. The phantom pain ached over his heart at the memory of the one wound that truly left a scar on him despite Avalon's miracle and the test of time.

Twirling the spear in his hand, Shirou altered his stance and lowered his center of gravity. His arms lowered and his legs stretched apart, resembling Lancer's iconic stance. The tip of Gáe Bolg began to glow and pulsate with bright crimson energy.

Shirou wasn't the only one that felt the weapon's bloodthirst, as Berserker quickly lost interest in everyone in favor of the silver-haired magus.

"Everyone, hold him off of Emiya-san!" Touch Me ordered. By now, everyone was aware of the boss's pattern.

The group fell upon Berserker, doing everything they could to impede the giant and allow Shirou the time he needed to deal the finishing blow. With a momentary burst of power, the Greek demi-god broke through and dashed towards Shirou, but it wouldn't make it in time. Instead, its next action surprised everyone.

"▂▃▃▅▅▇▇!" Berserker threw his weapon. A strategy that would have worked were it not for Amanomahitotsu's swift intervention. Using his body, the crustacean Heteromorph took the attack meant for Shirou. Unable to move or help due to his need to focus on channeling, the faker was forced to watch as Amanomahitotsu sacrificed himself for him.

"Go Emiya-san!" With those final parting words, Amanomahitotsu's HP hit zero. His body shattered into polygons, leaving Berserker's axe-sword to fall to the ground where Amanomahitotsu had been, sticking from the ground like a gravestone.

At that moment, something within Shirou snapped.

One could easily call Shirou's reaction to his friends' death was needlessly dramatic. After all, it was just a game. Amanomahitotsu didn't truly die and would simply respawn at the local respawn point, perfectly unharmed, if only a few levels lower. Still, to someone who had lived Shirou's life, facing monster after monster, hell after hell, the battle mindset was second nature to him. And as such, it was his natural reaction as he watched someone 'die' in front of him, unable to lift a finger to help. Instinct overran the logic of the situation and enraged the fake hero.

Pure and unrelenting killing intent surged forward from Shirou. Gáe Bolg happily drank it all in, eager to fulfill its master's desire to kill. The energy accumulating at its tip tripled in size and strength and intensified, bathing the surrounding area in a field of bright crimson and bloodlust.

"Pierce! Gáe… Bolg!" Shirou hurled the crimson spear forward. All the energy it had collected was released in an instant. Like a crimson comet streaking across the sky, it flew true, aiming to take Berserker's fifth life in a single move. Being the spear that reverses cause and effect, there was nothing the Mad Servant could do, as 'He thrust his spear and he pierced the heart' had become 'The heart was pierced, so the spear must have been thrust'. As the crimson bullet speared through the Servant's iron skin and heart as if there were no resistance, momentum carried Berserker away, sending him flying back into a pillar where he was halted, pinned to it by the spear. Thousands of barbs then spread from the spear, tearing apart the heart and wreaking havoc inside his body. Berserker struggled valiantly but pointlessly, as in seconds, its fifth life was gone.

Status – God Hand: [7]

With its duty done, Shirou dismissed Gáe Bolg and the copies of Gáe Buidhe. Berserker's body collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.

"Damn! Emiya-san, it's your call. Should I revive Amanomahitotsu-san or not?" Yamaiko checked in.

A decision that shouldn't be taken lightly.

The loss of a Player in something as critical as a dungeon raid or boss battle can make or break a run. The loss of a Player meant that the remainder of the party would lose out on an entire skill set of abilities and attacks. Whether it be a tank to soak up damage and Hate, a healer to heal any massive damage done to the party and keep their allies healthy, magic casters that deal fundamental damage to the boss, or even enchanters that keep the party afloat with various buffs and debuffs against the boss.

In YGGDRASIL, there were instances where it was safer to not revive a Player. The decision to resurrect someone required weighing the positives and negatives, just like any other decision in the game. Resurrection spells were only available in the 7th tier and above and required a significant amount of MP. Additionally, the resurrected Player would be weaker, with lowered HP and MP. This meant that they might not be able to contribute as much as they could before. Furthermore, resurrection spells require a cast time and could be interrupted during a chaotic boss raid or battle. Thus, reviving a Player required careful consideration of whether or not it was worth the investment.

A difficult choice must occasionally be made, and in some cases, it was more productive to ignore the downed Player and concentrate on the boss.

Among the Players in the party, Amanomahitotsu was the most acceptable casualty when it came to boss fights at this level. While Shirou didn't think less of the crab Heteromorph, he had no choice but to admit that the blacksmith's build and classification were completely ill-suited for a boss fight of this level. Yamaiko's remaining MP also had to be taken into account, as using a resurrection spell would require her to sit back and regenerate her MP for several minutes to recoup the MP used, leaving the rest of the party without her crucial frontline healing abilities. This was far from an ideal situation, especially considering that she was their only frontline healer. Worse comes to worst, they needed to save the revival spell for someone more vital, such as Shirou or Touch Me, whom they couldn't afford to lose.

The body of Berserker was already smoking, and his wounds were regenerating rapidly. Shirou was forced to make the practical decision, no matter how distasteful.

"…No. Save it, Yamaiko-san."

His decision was made just in time as Berserker completely regenerated. Tracing a copy of Gáe Buidhe, he waited for the right moment and fired it at Berserker so that it would hit just after the boss's regeneration invincibility frames ended. Unfortunately, the golden spear bounced off Berserker's flesh as if Shirou had thrown a stick at him. It seemed that God Hand had assimilated Gáe Buidhe as a part of Berserker's death at the hands of Gáe Bolg, preventing him from attempting the same strategy.

"Tsk." Shirou clicked his tongue. "I should have dismissed Gáe Buidhe before unleashing Gáe Bolg. Peroroncino-san, how are you feeling?"

"I'm good, Emiya-sempai! I can still go on!"

"Right. Everyone, we're moving to the third step!"

"Roger, Emiya-sempai!" The avian Player gave a mock salute alongside the verbal confirmation of the others.

"Trace on!" He called upon his faithful black bow.

"[Reinforcement]!" Reinforcing his legs, Shirou leaped up onto one of the many crystal pillars that jutted out of the walls. They would provide a stable vantage point to maximize his advantage for what was to come next.

He briefly opened his menu to check the time and grimaced when he realized that almost an hour had passed since they had started the fight. They had only managed to take five of Berserker's lives in that time. The third-rate magus could sense that his allies were starting to feel fatigued. Playing and fighting a tough boss for almost an hour straight would exhaust anyone, and that didn't even include their earlier boss fight. Mentally, if not physically, each one of them was beginning to feel worn out, including Shirou, who was now experiencing a slight headache.

Thus, they quickly enacted the third step of their plan, where he and Peroroncino would take over, kiting Berserker from range to allow the rest of the party as much time as possible to recuperate.

"Trace on!"

[Hrunting: Hound of the Red Plains — Divine Tier Sword]

A weapon linked with the legend of Beowulf and belonging to the hero and legend of the same name, Beowulf. The legendary weapon was used to slay the giant Grendel and all those that stood in his way. The Noble Phantasm was a blackened blade that radiated bloodlust, but to a much lesser degree than Gáe Bolg. While Gáe Bolg was a weapon that existed to kill, Hrunting existed to, as its name implied, hunt down monsters. The difference between the two was that while Gáe Bolg would always strike the heart, Hrunting only had to draw blood. As a sword, Hrunting possessed a pull towards its prey. It didn't matter if it was blocked, parried, or dodged; the sword would even assist its wielder, redirecting the attack around the enemy's defenses and ruthlessly hunt their flesh until it bathed in the prey's blood.

However, it had another use, a technique that Shirou had shamelessly copied from his Counter-Guardian self.

A quick application of [Reinforcement] coated the obsidian weapon in red prana. Its form shifted and bent until it took the form of a pitch-black arrow with small, sharp edges coiling from the shaft to the tip. In its modified form, it still retained its tracking ability, but in a different way. When loose, Hrunting would continue to pursue whoever he had targeted unless he refocused on another target. This allowed him to use it as a Broken Phantasm that couldn't miss and track his targets, minimizing errors and making it a favorite tool of the Counter-Guardian and himself.

Shirou didn't stop at just one but traced several more.

"Fly true, Hrunting!"

Notching the modified arrows back, Shirou released them in rapid succession. The forms of the arrows transformed into crimson bullets that raced towards the Mad Servant.

"▂▃▃▅▅▇▇!" Berserker bellowed. He slashed at the oncoming weapons, knocking each of them away. Had it been any other Broken Phantasm, they would have simply exploded on contact, but not Hrunting.

It would not be denied its prey!

As if sentient, the scarlet projectiles altered their trajectories and flew back towards Berserker. They attacked from multiple angles and directions from where they had been thrown and deflected.

Like its namesake, the attack was unrelenting in its hunt, like hounds that caught the scent of blood. Berserker roared and met the challenge, swinging wildly to deflect however many he could.

But it wasn't just Hrunting that the Servant had to contend with.

"[Storm of Arrows]!"

A barrage of explosive light arrows rained down on Berserker from above. These light arrows were far weaker than Hrunting's, but they served as an excellent distraction. As Berserker turned to defend against another volley of arrows, Hrunting struck his undefended sides, the arrows biting into the iron flesh. They exploded, causing a chain reaction of massive proportions. Bursting from the smoke appeared Berserker, seemingly no worse for wear save for some regenerating burn marks where Hrunting had struck.

"▃▃▆▂▂▆▇▇▉!" Shirou was already on the move, jumping from one crystal platform to another, when Berserker suddenly leaped through the air toward him.

"Hey, Ugly! Don't forget about me!" Peroroncino taunted. "[Furious Maelstrom]!" From his bow, he fired hundreds of tiny but rapid arrows of light.

Being in the air, Berserker was unable to counter or dodge. He used the flat side of his massive weapon to shield against the barrage, but it wouldn't be enough. He was knocked off course and sent smashing face-first into the crystal pillar that Shirou once stood on.

Shirou acted quickly without hesitation, creating multiple copies of Hrunting and launching another barrage on Berserker before he could regain his footing. Striking true, Shirou watched as the explosive chain reaction occurred again, destroying the structure where Berserker had landed and sending it and the boss tumbling to the ground below. As a result, the Servant was briefly buried under the rubble, but he quickly recovered in less than five seconds and broke free from the pile. However, Berserker's freedom was short-lived, as he soon faced an incoming bombardment of solar arrows and Broken Phantasms.

From a different point of view, it could be considered a rather comical sight. Berserker broke through the rubble like a mole, only to come face to face with what one could only describe as a barrage of missiles. The opening salvo of arrows and projectiles laid waste to the area. The barrage continued, but the resulting explosion and smoke made it difficult to determine the result. Nevertheless, they didn't let up, for an End Boss like Berserker wouldn't be defeated by such a paltry method.

'So far, so good.' Shirou idly thought as he notched back an arrow. He had switched back to tracing regular arrows to conserve his remaining MP.

The battle was progressing well, albeit slowly, which was not unusual for boss battles and raids. It was common for them to take anywhere from ten to twenty minutes at the quickest, or even an hour or more if necessary. It was important to find a way to end the fight quickly, as the longer it went on, the more grueling it would become. Shirou was unsure if they could all make it to the end.

'But how?' That was the question Shirou needed to answer.

Everyone had been going strong, but they were slowly reaching their limit, Shirou included. He had already traced numerous Noble Phantasms, each with varying qualities. A swift Structural Analysis revealed that he had expended more of his MP than anticipated. He decided to take an MP regen potion to aid in his recovery, but he made sure not to overdo it. Despite their efforts, there is only so much they can do before encountering a roadblock.

Slowly, doubt clawed its way into his mind.

What if his Noble Phantasms wouldn't be enough?

What if Berserker's future lives were too much for the party to handle?

What of Berserker's Madness Enchantment?

That was perhaps the most prevalent thought in his head. The feeling of foreboding that he experienced at the start of the boss raid still lingered in his mind. He couldn't shake off the thought that there might be more to this fight. The question remained, how much more was there to it?

'Focus!' He quietly reprimanded himself. Losing focus and asking what-ifs wasn't going to help anyone in the slightest. 'Focus on the matter at hand and take it one step at a time.'

Returning to the fight at hand, Shirou noted that only a few minutes have passed and they've yet to hear anything from Berserker. Whether that was beneficial was up for debate.

Then, without any warning, a large boulder flew out of the smoke toward the golden archer.

"[Wild Flare]!" Peroroncino launched a powerful energy bolt, smashing the incoming object into fragments. Emerging from the resulting smoke was Berserker, who had cleverly used the boulder as a distraction.

"The hell?!" He exclaimed.

Peroroncino tried to evade, but Berserker came in too quickly, catching him at last. The boss swung his axe-sword with all his strength. Peroroncino tried to defend himself, holding up his bow and arms to block the attack, but it was no use. The impact was so strong that he was sent flying, crashing to the ground with a loud boom. The force of the hit was so intense that it created a small crater where he landed. The attack dropped his HP into the red.

"Peroroncino-san!" Shirou cried out, worried for his friend and angry at himself for losing focus.

He let loose a flurry of arrows in pursuit of the descending giant, but they proved ineffective as Berserker simply swatted them out of the air. Landing crudely on the ground, the massive Servant charged at the downed Player. Berserker would've executed him were it not for Bukubukchamaga's timely save.

"[Stalwart Wall], [Jericho Spirit], [Draw Defense]!" The eldest of the siblings appeared, blocking the attack and defending her brother.

"Jeez! Otouto, it's barely been ten minutes without our help, and you're already almost dead. What am I going to do with you?" The Elder Slime playfully scolded her younger brother.

"Hehehae~ Sorry." Peroroncino sheepishly chuckled, accepting a helping hand.

"Emiya-san! We'll take it from here. Do what you have to!" Touch Me called out, rejoining the fray.

He didn't need to be told twice.

Relaxing his stance, Shirou held out an open palm.

"Trace on!" Prana once again flooded his magic circuits. Slowly, a sword took shape in his palm.

No, that wasn't entirely correct. To call it a sword would be a misnomer. Unlike most swords Shirou had traced, this one appeared unique, with its blade twisted and coiling to a fine point, resembling a drill than a sword.

[Caladbolg II: The Fake Spiral Sword – Divine Tier Weapon]

Caladbolg II was the modified and bastardized form of the original Caladbolg stored within Shirou's Unlimited Blade Works. A weapon created by Archer's own design and later adopted by Shirou.

The original Rainbow Spiral Sword belonged to the Irish hero, Fergus mac Róich, father figure and rival to the wielder of Gáe Bolg, the Irish Hero Cú Chulainn. It had been said that Fergus could lay waste to entire landmasses with a single swing of the spiral sword.

Caladbolg II was considerably different from its predecessor. For one, Archer and later Shirou utilized it exclusively as an arrow rather than a blade. This was due to the special quality of the weapon, which made it incredibly potent.

"My core is…" Shirou chanted, notching the arrow back as far as it could go. Prana flowed freely from Shirou and into Caladbolg II, turning it into what amounted to a miniaturized nuclear warhead. Concentrated mana condensed at the tip, and streaks of pure red prana leaked out, flowing around Shirou.

"…Twisted in Madness…"

Sensing its imminent demise, Berserker redirected his focus toward the more pressing danger. Despite the rest of the party's attempts to restrain it, Berserker cared little for them and charged the archer with reckless abandonment.

"▂▃▃▃▅▅▋!" With a powerful leap, Berserker rushed towards Shirou faster than before. Too bad it was far too late.

"Caladbolg II!" Shirou and his opponent were only a few meters apart when he let go of the arrow. The force of his attack caused the crystal pillar beneath him to crack. The spiral sword, moving at what could only be described as instantaneous speed, flew at the incoming boss.

In a move no one saw coming, Berserker exhibited impressive agility and skill as the Servant twisted its upper body, abandoning his weapon, and miraculously caught the spiraling blade with his bare hands. The force of the attack was still great enough to pierce through the Servant's chest, causing some damage, but not enough to incapacitate the boss. Despite his valiant efforts, Berserker was unable to hold the attack at bay as momentum forced him backward. His feet dug into the ground, creating deep indentations as Berserker struggled against the Noble Phantasm and was pushed back. The sheer strength and determination displayed by Berserker stunned all watching.

The sound of steel scraping against iron flesh echoed throughout the cavern.

"▂▂▂▃▃▅▅▃▃▁▅▆▆▆!" Berserker shouted in a challenge, struggling to hold back the attack that had already begun to pierce his chest. For a brief moment, Shirou was worried that Berserker could manage to stop it.

In the end, Caladbolg emerged victorious. This helical sword-arrow, when unleashed, rotates at an incredible speed and intensity, gathering prana and creating its own field. It attains perpetual motion, accelerating and generating a centrifugal force that enhances its piercing power. This attack was so potent that it could penetrate any protection by twisting the space around it, much like the original drill-shaped Noble Phantasm it was derived from.

Berserker was no exception.

The spinning blade shredded his hands, making them slick with blood and forcing his grip to give way. Caladbolg II continued forward on its path, piercing Berserker through the chest. A fraction of a second later, the Broken Phantasm detonated, raw prana reacting and exploding.

The devastating attack reduced the surrounding area to molten rock and completely vaporized everything around Berserker. The ground zero of the explosion resulted in a massive crater, where the boss's body was found. Berserker had suffered extensive damage, with his entire left side from the waist up to his collarbone completely obliterated. The rest of his body was left as a smoldering corpse.

Status – God Hand: [6]

Shirou sighed in disappointment upon seeing the numbers. He had hoped that the attack would have been powerful enough to take out at least two of Berserker's lives. However, he realized that his unprecedented catch had significantly weakened the attack's strength.

Still, they were making good progress.

All they need to do now was…

'Ba-dum'

'What was that?' He thought.

'Ba-dum'

It sounded like a heartbeat.

"Does anyone else hear that?" Tabula asked. The other members glanced at each other, trying to figure out what it was that Tabula had heard.

So, it wasn't just him imagining it.

'Ba-dum'

There it was again. By the sound of it, it was coming from… Berserker.

Berserker's body began mending itself, but there was something different this time. Its body glowed in a sense. Underneath its darkened skin, a red glow emitted and spread across its body. A black haze sprung forth from the wounds, forming itself into the missing body parts faster than simple regeneration. The haze persisted, shrouding the Servant's body in a cloak of black wisps. To make it even creepier, Shirou could make out skull-like motifs forming within the blanket of black wisps. Two crimson orbs stared back at them, filled with Madness.

"Everyone scatter!" Touch Me warned. The rest of the party separated, with Peroroncino quickly taking to the air once again.

"▂▂▂▃▂▃▃▅▅▅▇▅▇▇▇!" Berserker let out its most inhuman roar to date. Without any preamble, Berserker jumped after the avian archer.

Peroroncino performed a last-second maneuver to dodge out of the way as the boss crashed into the ceiling.

"Hah! That's the best you got?!" Peroroncino mocked.

Berserker responded by pushing off the ceiling, having recovered in an instant, and dive-bombing the Player barely a second after hitting the ceiling. Caught off guard, Peroroncino had no time to react and was struck hard. His HP hit zero the instant they crashed to the ground, his body shattering as he died, just like Amanomahitotsu.

"Otouto!" Bukubukchagama cried out. Her mourning was cut short as Berserker swiftly recovered his weapon and turned his attention to the pink slime.

"Fire!" Shirou let loose a salvo of prana-infused arrows.

Berserker's movement was completely erratic, a wild frenzy that lacked any sense of coordination or thought when compared to the skill it displayed before. The Servant seemed more like a beast than a man now. Even when Shirou unleashed a rain of arrows, it didn't bother attempting to counter and just continued its charge forward, showing how little the attack mattered. Berserker's HP bar only reinforced that fact as it didn't budge.

"[Maximum Fortitude], [Defense Matrix]!" With no other options, Bukubukchagama braced herself. Berserker attacked with a ferocity and fervor never before seen. A multitude of blows rained down on her, each one was as wild and unpredictable as the next. Finishing its wild flurry, the Servant smacked her with the side of his massive weapon like one would a baseball, sending the party's tank off her feet and skidding across the ground. Bukubukchagama's HP was reduced to the low yellow, a frightening discovery knowing just how high her defensive stats were.

"Damn it… We're getting clobbered! We need to regroup, Touch Me! It's obvious that we've reached some form of second boss phase!" Ulbert yelled out. In doing so, however, he drew Berserker's attention.

Bolting towards the World Disaster, Ulbert knew that he wouldn't survive. His allies were too far away, and none of their attacks would slow it down. It was like the boss was invincible, unstoppable, and completely unaffected by anything thrown at it. Ulbert felt a sense of dread wash over him as he realized the gravity of the situation.

"Grrr, fine! I ain't going down without a fight!" Ulbert exclaimed as he prepared to retaliate. "[Maximize Magic: Brimstone]!" With Berserker now within range, he unleashed his last move, hoping it would buy the others enough time to regroup. A dark crimson magic circle materialized, and from it burst out a towering pillar of pure fire that engulfed the two combatants, just as Berserker launched its attack.

"Ulbert-san!" Momonga exclaimed.

"Momonga-san!" Touch Me called out to the skeletal spellcaster. "Focus! Do not let Ulbert-san's death be for not! We need to regroup now!"

The aftermath of the fiery clash left Berserker hurt but far from incapacitated, which was a concern for Shirou. However, his greatest worry was the new status that had overcome Berserker, something he had been dreading throughout the entire battle.

Berserker: Lvl – 250

Status – God Hand: [6]

[Madness Enchantment Activated]

The fight was far from over.

Omake: A Secondary Transformation

"▂▃▃▂▃▂▃▃▅▅▆▆▆▅▇▅▇▇▇!" Berserker roared to the heavens, and its body started to convulse.

Everyone, be careful! We don't know what's going to happen, so be on your absolute guard!"

The party mentally and physically braced themselves.

What they didn't expect was for a cute little voice to call out from somewhere.

"Berserker transforms!"

Berserker did just that. It tucked its arms and legs and somehow transformed before their very eyes. Its new form was very cartoonish in appearance. Appearing to be some vehicle, a tank if the massive cannon sprouting from the mouth was an indication with Berserker's entire face taking up all of the front.

Not only did its appearance change, but also its name!

Berser-Car: Lvl – 250 Alt Mode

If that wasn't bizarre enough, something, or rather, someone, popped up from the driver seat. A tiny little girl dressed in brilliant purple clothes.

Shirou nearly choked on his breath, seeing just who was riding the newly named Berser-Car. "I-Illya!?"

Much like the Berser-Car, she too was modeled in the same cartoonish and cutesy fashion. A haughty and proud expression on her face.

"Now, you are all my new toys! Try not to break, would you? BERSER-CAR! GOOO!" Illya shouted, shooting her fist into the air.

Berser-Car rumbled as it took off, causing a head-on collision with the group. If that wasn't bad enough, cannon fire began bombarding the area, exploding everything around them.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Dance for me!" Illya cheered all too happily.

"Damn it! Someone take out that crazy loli!"

"Berser-Car, get him!" Illya ordered.

The eye sockets of Berserker glowed red, and from them beams of red light shot towards Peroroncino.

"Wait… Does that thing have laser eyes?! Blahhghhghhg—" Peroroncino let out only what Shirou could assume to be a pathetic dying gurgle. The laser hit him, reducing his HP to zero.

"PERORONCINO-SAN!" Touch Me dramatically cried out for the fallen player, his arms outstretched. Collapsing to his knees in a dramatic fashion, Touch Me began to…cry?

Wait. YGGDRASIL doesn't support any facial animation!

"Otouto! He was taken from us too soon!" The pink slime elder sister added. She, too, began to weep. Droplets of pink slime rolled down her gelatinous body.

Was it just him, but did that line sound super cliché?

Even Momonga got sucked into it. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT! We shall avenge him!" Shaking his bony fist in righteous anger.

"Muahahahaha! I would like to see you try!" Illya declared from her seat on top of Berser-Car.

While all of this was going on, only one thought occupied Shirou's mind.

Who the hell thought of something like this?!

Meanwhile at Kaleidoscope HQ

"Umm, sir?" The same employee from last time appeared and asked.

"Hmm?" Zelretch, who was lazily slouching in his chair in his office, looked away from his computer screen to address the employee. "Jacob? I thought the author got rid of you in that last bit? Hmm, guess not. What is it, Daniel?"

"Sir, I have no idea what in the world you are talking about. Who's this author you're speaking of? And that's the twenty-fifth time you've called me by the wrong name!"

"You've been keeping count? You must be a real riot at parties, Johnson." Zelretch snarked.

The employee's eyebrow twitched in irritation. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to move on, lest he do something he might regret.

"We've finished programming the Berserker boss fight, as you asked, sir. Although I do have some questions regarding some last-minute changes." Pulling up his tablet, he showed Berserker's stat screen. "As you requested, during the boss's second stage, it will... turn into a car/tank hybrid." The question and skepticism were clear in the programmer's voice. "And…" A sigh escaped the programmer's lips. "A little death loli will appear, driving the boss that will constantly hurl insults at the player…"

Zelretch, through his entire conversation, remained stoic, never reacting to the deadpan and incredulous look his employee gave him. He simply nodded as if everything were right in the world. "Everything sounds in order."

"Sir, with all due respect, but where in the hell did you come up with this idea?" The employee had to ask.

"Ohhh, you know... places." Unseen by the programmer on Zelretch's computer screen was an anime streaming website. This particular anime that Zelretch was watching went by the name of Carnival Phantasm. "Anything else?"

"No… I simply wish to inform you of it, sir, as you requested."

"Good. Good, keep up the fine work, Robert."

Sir, my name is… Forget it." Exasperated, the employee walked out, leaving the vampiric CEO to his lonesome.

"I wonder what got Mike so worked up? Oh well." Zelretch shrugged. "Now that's out of the way, where was I? Ah, right." Hitting a key on his keyboard, he unpaused the screen. A catchy and upbeat tune began to play. Zelretch happily bobbed his head along with the tune, softly humming the theme song.