Chapter 9: The Mysterious Berserker!

Can you guess who is this Mysterious Berserker? Probably not Guts

---

"Is it really okay with all this fighting going on outside?" 

Matou Kariya asked nervously, watching Sakura happily running in the courtyard as he glanced at the figure beside him. 

The figure, clad in black armor with a horned helmet that obscured his face, gave no reply. 

Kariya had no idea which legend or country this "hero" came from. In fact, he looked more like a demon king than a hero. 

Just standing next to him, the overwhelming pressure made Kariya feel small, so much so that he never spoke too loudly. 

"..." 

Berserker didn't respond, either out of disinterest or perhaps because his "Mad Enhancement" rendered him incapable of speaking.

"I see. Well, I guess I'll have to trust your judgment." 

"I just hope she can grow up healthy... Being involved in this war is way too dangerous for her." 

Kariya wasn't sure if Berserker was refusing to speak or if it was due to the madness, but either way, Kariya had no choice but to accept the silence. 

Ever since Berserker killed Zouken Matou, freeing Sakura from his grasp, Kariya had no regrets. His only remaining hope was that Sakura could make it through this war unharmed. 

If he had to sacrifice himself to ensure that, so be it. 

When they weren't fighting, it was fine, but in battle, Berserker was clearly not a Servant Sakura could fully control. The mana consumption would easily become a problem, which was why Kariya intended to assist as a backup source of mana, even if his abilities were half-baked.

Yet Berserker didn't seem to mind this at all. 

Even without receiving much from Kariya or Sakura, he had a unique ability to deal with mana consumption on his own. 

At least during day-to-day operations, Kariya noticed Sakura showed no signs of strain.

"Berserker!" 

"Look! I got something for you!" 

Sakura, beaming with joy, ran over holding a beautiful flower, showing it to the intimidating Berserker. 

"..." 

The black-armored warrior gently placed his large hand, covered in gauntlets, on the little girl's head, stroking it with surprising tenderness. 

Kariya, watching from the side, found the sight... difficult to describe. 

"Over there?" 

Berserker pointed in a direction, and Sakura excitedly ran off to investigate.

"Well, I guess it's fine," Kariya said, feeling a sense of relief as he watched her. 

But then, he noticed Berserker staring off into the distance. In the next moment, the Servant vanished.

"! Is there an enemy?" 

Realizing that Berserker had purposely sent Sakura away, Kariya tensed up.

---

"So you detected my presence that quickly? You're no ordinary foe," 

Kenshin Himura, his hand already on the hilt of his sword, said with a low voice as he faced his opponent.

He had barely approached before the other man had sensed him. 

His awareness was even sharper than Saber's!

The scent of blood. 

Though Berserker couldn't speak, he could sense the essence of the swordsman before him. 

This man had killed countless people, drenched in the blood of his victims. Even without any killing intent, the aura of death clung to him.

A dark vision flashed before Berserker's eyes, his power allowing him to glimpse into Kenshin's past.

'!' 

For just a moment, Kenshin noticed Berserker stiffen. 

But he didn't recklessly launch an attack. 

Judging by Berserker's ominous appearance alone, Kenshin knew this was no ordinary opponent. 

Even without crossing swords, his instincts as an assassin warned him that this man was as skilled as Saber.

Assassin. 

Himura Kenshin. 

A slayer of men, but a protector of the people.

Berserker didn't just see his true name and class; he could see his past. 

This was not merely a "Name Revelation" or "Clairvoyance"—it was something far more profound. 

**Power of Transcendence!** 

When Berserker came into contact with certain individuals, he could witness their entire life history. 

For him, there was no point in trying to conceal one's identity. 

A paradoxical figure.

After assessing the assassin before him, Berserker summoned a massive sword out of thin air.

"!?" 

"What... this evil aura?" 

The malevolent energy pouring from the sword left Kenshin stunned. 

A black mist swirled around the weapon, and the faint image of a dragon's eye could be seen within the blade. 

The sword's origin didn't matter—just the fact that Berserker could wield it with ease using one hand was alarming enough.

Without thinking, Kenshin drew his own blade, ready to test his opponent's strength. 

Though this went against his Master's wishes, as a Servant, he knew they would eventually clash. Better to test the waters now and flee if things went south.

He was confident in his ability to escape if necessary.

'!' 

But in the next instant, Kenshin realized how naive he had been.

Despite Berserker's large frame, his agility was on par with Saber's, if not faster. 

In the blink of an eye, Berserker was upon him.

"Damn it!" 

Kenshin tried to move, but the massive sword Berserker held gleamed with a dark light.

**Power of the Dragon's Eye!** 

The "Evil Dragon Sword," forged from the remains of the dragon Nidhogg, held immense malice, but Berserker could wield it with ease, suppressing the sword's malevolent nature. 

The blade's spiritual attack froze Kenshin in place, and the next moment, Berserker's sword swung toward him.

*Screech!*

---

"Sakura, wait a moment. Berserker went to get something." 

"You're lying." 

"Uh..." 

"I know. Someone else has come here to fight."

Kariya had been trying to reassure her with a white lie, but Sakura's cold expression told him she already knew the truth.

"But if it's Berserker, I'm sure everything will be fine." 

"No matter who he faces, he'll win."

Clutching the white flower in her hands, the purple-haired girl declared confidently. 

The look in her eyes was foreign to Kariya, but his guilt and affection for Sakura made him refrain from questioning it too much. 

At that moment, the dark figure of Berserker reappeared beside them. 

Whatever task he had undertaken was done, and he made no effort to explain it—though, with his condition, he couldn't have said anything anyway.

---

*Pant... pant...* 

"My Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu is completely useless against him..." 

"What on earth is he?"

Leaning against a tree, Kenshin gasped for breath. It was the first time he had faced such a terrifying opponent. 

It felt like he was up against his master, Seijuro Hiko, in terms of sheer pressure. 

'No... this guy is stronger.'

Looking down at the broken pieces of his sword, Kenshin felt a wave of mixed emotions. 

His chest still ached from the shallow wound he had received during the battle. 

His blade had sparked against Berserker's armor, but it hadn't even scratched it.

Berserker hadn't needed to defend or parry—he had simply broken Kenshin's sword with a few strikes. 

Despite his bulky appearance, Berserker's speed rivaled Saber's, and his fighting style was something Kenshin had never encountered before.

'Facing such a powerful opponent is too much for me right now.' 

Propping himself up with the broken blade, Kenshin felt the weight of the situation. 

He had entered this war with his ideals, but each enemy was far stronger than the last. 

As an assassin, a frontal assault wasn't his strong suit.

These enemies were far beyond the best fighters of the Shogunate. 

Compared to them, Kenshin still had much to learn.

"So, there's always a higher mountain, huh?" 

With a broken sword in hand, Kenshin stood up, the weight of the war finally sinking in.