Berserker

As Arkhan looked at the familiar face in front of Gilgamesh, he involuntarily halted his step and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.

"Cu Chulainn?"

The ferocious-looking crimson spear, as if coagulated from fresh blood; the pitch-black armor adorned with menacing spikes; the ice-cold tail covering his sturdy frame; the ominous aura emanating from every corner of his body; and the ferocious, murderous temperament palpable even from a hundred meters away—all highlighted that the newcomer was none other than a Servant of this Holy Grail War—Berserker.

Arkhan gazed at the familiar face, his brow slightly furrowed.

Never in his wildest thoughts did he imagine Cu Chulainn being summoned as a Berserker in this Holy Grail War. Judging by those cold, emotionless eyes, this Cu Chulainn was likely not the one he knew and just like Artoria, an 'Alter'.

"Who summoned you, you mad dog?! Get lost! I don't need your help!" Gilgamesh, seemingly unimpressed by the appearance of Cu Chulainn, displayed a displeased expression.

Did Archer's Master and Berserker's Master form an alliance?!

All Masters who witnessed this scene weren't fools either. Upon hearing Gilgamesh's words, they quickly understood what was happening.

'So, it was Kotomine Kirei who summoned Cu Chulainn...' Arkhan's eyes revealed a pensive expression.

Only that priest, shrouded in the confusion of his own existence, would extend a helping hand to Gilgamesh in such a situation.

No doubt, this was an order from Tohsaka Tokiomi. It seemed that to save Gilgamesh, he didn't care about exposing his relationship with Kirei.

"Tch, if you weren't such a trash, I wouldn't have bothered showing up."

Cu Chulainn sneered at Gilgamesh, a mocking curve appearing on his lips.

"Mocking others is one thing, but getting beaten up after mocking them? If I were you, I'd be so ashamed that I'd be slashing my own throat by now, Gilgamesh."

A talking and sane Berserker?

Everyone couldn't help but express a strong surprise. Everyone knew that Berserkers lost their rationality and shouldn't possess any logical thinking ability, let alone articulate words so coherently. This was an unprecedented situation in previous Holy Grail Wars.

Confusion arose in everyone's hearts.

What was happening to this Holy Grail War? Not only were there two King Arthur, but now there was a sane Berserker who could communicate normally.

Could it be that this Holy Grail War was rigged?

"What did you say, you damned mad dog!"

Enraged by Cu Chulainn's insults, Gilgamesh opened the Gate of Babylon on the spot. Dozens of golden ripples appeared, ready to add a few more spikes to Cu Chulainn's body.

"By the power of my command spell, quell thine anger and withdraw, King of Heroes."

A deep and rich voice suddenly echoed in Gilgamesh's ears. Soon, a strong pulling force acted upon him, involuntarily transforming his body into spiritual particles.

"Tokiomi, you've got some nerve to order me around! I swear I'll chop you up!" Gilgamesh roared in anger, completely clueless about what was happening.

"Escape?" Arkhan's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness. He shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, Black Abyss in his hand thrust forward like a black lightning bolt.

However, at that moment, a streak of crimson spear shadow suddenly tore through the air, whistling toward him. He instinctively turned his spear towards it, colliding with the crimson spear shadow.

*Clang!*

The clash of the two spears sent sparks flying, the sound resembling a dragon's roar. The tremendous force traveled along the spear, forcing Arkhan to involuntarily retreat more than ten meters.

As a Berserker, Cu Chulainn's 'Strength' had reached 'A', while Arkhan was only at 'B'. In a pure strength contest, he stood no chance against Cu Chulainn.

Blocked by Cu Chulainn, Arkhan missed the opportunity to kill Gilgamesh and could only watch as the latter completely turned into spiritual particles and vanished.

"Though I don't really like that trash, since my Master gave the order, I've got to comply."

With the ferocious-looking Gae Bolg in his hand, Cu Chulainn smirked, his tail with black and red spikes swinging casually, and his crimson eyes filled with unhidden madness.

"I watched your fight with Saber earlier. Are you that old hag's disciple?"

'Old hag...' Arkhan's mouth twitched slightly, then nodded. "Sort of..."

"In my memories, there's no record of your existence. So, the one who trained you must be a different old hag from a different world, huh?" Cu Chulainn assessed Arkhan. "Have we ever fought?"

Arkhan naturally understood the implication and nodded slightly.

"When I was little, you used training as an excuse to spar with me. Every time, I ended up covered in injuries and couldn't get out of bed for a whole day. Mother... She would drag you over and give you a good scolding every time she saw it. Every time you lay in bed, it was three times worse than me."

Recalling those old days, Arkhan's gaze softened slightly.

"After I turned seven, we basically had a spar every three days. Of course, I was mostly losing until I was ten. After that, I could barely hold my own against you. By the time I turned fourteen, I could pretty much fight you evenly."

In just sixteen years, he had mastered his spearmanship to its peak, thanks not only to Scathach's teachings but also to Cu Chulainn's sparring sessions. Back then, he had only two wishes—to escape the Land of Shadows and to give Cu Chulainn a good beating with his spear.

"Hahaha, sounds interesting..."

Cu Chulainn's lips curled into a sinister smile, revealing sharp teeth like a wild beast. Despite maintaining composure, in this state, he exuded a strong sense of madness, giving off a feeling as if he could pounce and bite at any moment.

"Though I'd love to test your spearmanship, my Master has ordered a retreat. Since that's the case, let's save the battle for next time. I hope by then, you can entertain me, Lancer."

With a crazed smile, Cu Chulainn's figure dispersed into countless spiritual particles, gradually fading away.

Arkhan stood in silence for a long time, then released a melancholic sigh.

"No wonder your spearmanship is so exquisite; turns out, you learned it from the Queen of the Land of Shadows."

A cold voice approached, and Artoria walked slowly toward Arkhan.

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago." Arkhan smiled and waved his hand. "Alright, they're gone, let's call it a night for now. It's time for me to return."

His silver armor transformed back into the previous casual attire of a hoodie and jeans. Walking across the destroyed and unrecognizable dock area, he headed towards the distance.

Artoria silently watched his retreating figure. This man who had just defeated the King of Heroes emitted an indescribable sense of loneliness.

"Ohh, by the way, almost forgot, there's one more thing..."

Arkhan suddenly stopped and turned to look at Artoria. A warm smile soon appeared on his face.

"Goodnight, wish you sweet dreams tonight."