Chapter 23: Trauma

It was a chaotic night, the end was approaching and apparently everything will come to an end closer than expected.

Kotomine Kirei watched the entire city of Fuyuki. While Gilgamesh sat in the distance, watching his new Master.

"You're looking especially fierce tonight, Kirei... Now, what are you going to do? Do you want me to wait here?" - Gilgamesh said, approaching Kirei.

"If their powers are released at close range, they could put the ceremony in danger. If you want to fight with all your might, go and meet them." - Kirei said, coming up with some plan.

"Very well. But what if this place is attacked while I'm away?" - asked Gilgamesh.

"I will use my Command Magic to save myself. Is that acceptable?" - Kirei said.

Kirei had become Master of Gilgamesh after Tohsaka Tokiomi's betrayal. And since his father was killed by Lord El Melloi, he now ruled the church and could use as many Command Seals as he wanted.

"Um... I must allow this. But I cannot guarantee the safety of the Goblet. I will not hold back, tomorrow." - said Gilgamesh.

This worried Kirei. - "That would be the worst outcome, but if that happens, it would be fate."

"Kirei, it seems you've found your reason to fight, but you still don't have an ordeal for the Cup?" - said Gilgamesh.

"Um... No." - Kirei got straight to the point.

Gilgamesh was getting ready to leave, but the golden-haired boy remembered something. - "Oh.... If Saber shows up before I get back, let Berserker play with her for a while."

"Understood." - Kirei replied.

"Speaking of Saber. What happened to the Scar Mutt and the doll he was trying so hard to protect? Doesn't the receptacle of the Cup reside in it?" - said Gilgamesh.

"Itadori Yuji apparently disappeared. As for the woman, I killed her. I couldn't find a reason to let her live." - Kirei said very dryly.

Gilgamesh hadn't said anything else and just disappeared.

...

It was snowing a lot. An ancient castle, white as the snow that was everywhere.

Irisviel looked at a bunch of bodies that all had the same appearance as the white-haired girl.

Irisviel looked at all those bodies in amazement. She couldn't help but cry.

"Are you crying, Mommy?"

Irisviel slowly opened her eyes and saw her daughter Illya, who was on her lap.

"Mommy, I had a really scary dream... I dreamed that I turned into a chalice... And seven really huge things appeared inside me..." - Illya said.

Irisviel, with her teary eyes, hugged her daughter. - "It's okay... It's okay. I won't let that happen. That will never happen to you, Illya. I'm sure the chains of destiny will release you." -Irisviel said as she started to cry.

The surroundings began to distort and darken. As if the Cup began to consume the entire place.

Her daughter disappeared and the environment changed abruptly. Irisviel was alone, with just a pile of bodies that looked like her.

"This place... Is it inside the Goblet? Impossible!" - Irisviel began to be pulled into the darkness.

"So.... If I'm here..... Who am I?"

She was completely consumed.

"I see..... This is the inside of the Holy Grail. The omnipotent wish-fulfilling mechanism that will dispel all the sadness in the world and erase all suffering... I have the power to make this happen....."

"The end is almost within reach..."

"Itadori, the end is near!"

Itadori woke up scared. He was staring at the ceiling, thinking about what he just dreamed about.

"That.... Was it real?! Was it Iri?!" - Itadori said, talking to himself.

Itadori tried to get up, but he couldn't, as he was being squeezed by Sakura and Choso.

"These two... They are more similar than they seem..." - said Itadori, still talking to himself.

Going back to the past....

The brother and girl duo walked the streets of Fuyuki at night

"Now that we've rescued the little girl, where are we going to go?" - asked Choso while carrying the sleepy girl

"Well, I have a base here..." - Itadori said.

But he ended up remembering what Lord Kariya had said about Irisviel's kidnapping.

"But a certain man must already know the location of my base, it's better if we don't go back there..." - Itadori said, remembering Kirei.

"So where are we going?" - Choso asked.

"I don't know... Where are our brothers, are they all okay?" - asked Itadori.

This surprised Choso positively, as he saw that Itadori cares for his brothers.

"Yes, they are... But they are not in Fuyuki, they came here for business... But since things have changed, we should just leave this city." - Choso said to Itadori.

"I can't... Not until I finish this war. Tomorrow I feel like something important is going to happen..." - Itadori said worriedly.

Choso adjusted Sakura. - "Important like what?"

"About the end of the war, I have the feeling that the War will end tomorrow..." - Itadori said thoughtfully.

Choso didn't want Itadori to get involved in this war. - "If anything happens, I'll be by your side." - said the older brother.

"Big brother, I don't want you, much less Sakura, to participate in this war that will happen tomorrow... So, let's stay in a hotel far away from the central area of Fuyuki." - Itadori said.

"When we get to the hotel, I want you to explain to me what exactly this Holy Grail War is that you talk about so much." - Choso said as if teasing Itadori.

'He really acts like he's a big brother.... I like that about him.' - thought Itadori.

While the brother and sister duo were talking, a familiar figure appeared in the middle of the path.

"Itadori?!" - said the girl with the hair color of a tiger.

"Taiga!" - Itadori said.

"Um.... Do you know her? Is she your-" - Choso was interrupted by Itadori.

"SHE'S A FRIEND! .... We met recently. Her name is Fujimura Taiga. Taiga, this is my Brother Choso." - Itadori said introducing his older brother.

Taiga began to analyze Choso's body, despite his somewhat strange appearance.... He was somewhat attractive.

"Huh.... H-Hello, M-my name is T-Taiga-" - The girl was extremely shy.

"Yeah, I know. My brother just said it." - said Choso being dense.

"Yeah.... It's nice to meet you, Choso." Said Taiga blushing.

....

The atmosphere became a bit awkward. "Okay.... Anyway, what are you doing here?" - asked Itadori.

"Well, heading home." - Taiga said laughing. - "Who is this little girl?"

"Uuuh... The name is Sakura, she is...." - Itadori tried to invent some lie.

"It's my daughter... I'm divorced and my little brother is helping me take care of her. I already know that we don't have a permanent place to live." - Choso said, inventing a good excuse.

"Damn.... Sorry for the question, but aren't you a little young to have like... A daughter?" - said Taiga.

"I had a daughter at an early age. That's why." - said Choso.

"I see... Wait! Don't you have a place to live? What about that house you were in, Itadori?" - Taiga asked his younger brother.

Itadori was trying to create a huge lie. - "It's just that my big brother's ex is a bit crazy, so we decided to stay away for a few days, so she wouldn't bother us. Understand?" - Itadori said.

"Um... You know that that house belongs to my own Grandfather, right? He's from the Yakuza, he can solve this problem very easily for you." - said Taiga saying something

"Yeah uuuuh.... We don't want to involve more people in this... Anyway, we need to go." - Itadori said pushing his brother.

"Why don't you stay at my house for now? Until all this dust settles and stuff..." - Taiga said offering help.

The two brothers are surprised by the attitude of the girl with the tiger hair.

"Okay."- said the pair of brothers.

"I live a little far from the big city, so we walk a lot."

The little group walked and talked throughout the night. After a long walk, the quartet talked until they got home. Itadori saw that it was a traditional Japanese house, similar to the one at the base, but three times larger.

"Wow... What a huge house." - Itadori said.

"That's because we didn't even enter it..." - said Choso, equally impressed.

Sakura slowly opened her eyes.

"It's not really my house. It's my grandfather's, but as it's closer to the school, it's a great choice to stay for a while." - said Taiga.

"All is well then." Itadori said.

"Welcome, everyone! You can sleep here tonight." she said, opening the door for them to enter. "Come on, let me show you where you're staying."

She led them down the hallway, which had old photographs and artwork hanging on the walls, to a spacious room with three beds, arranged side by side. There was a large window that let in the afternoon light, illuminating the room softly.

"Where are we?" - asked Sakura on Choso's lap.

"At a friend's house, we're staying here for a while." - Itadori said, smiling at the lilac-haired girl.

"This will be your room." Taiga said, gesturing for them to enter. "I hope you like it. If you need anything, just call me."

Itadori, always excited, jumped onto the bed closest to the window. "Wow, it's perfect! Thank you, Taiga-san!"

Sakura, more shy, placed her backpack on the floor and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Taiga-san."

Choso, with his usual serious expression, bowed his head in silent thanks. "Thank you for the hospitality."

Taiga left the room to let them get used to the place. Now the trio was in the room.

Choso approached Sakura. -"Little girl, when we are with that girl. Act as if she were my daughter.

"Okay.... And when I'm alone with you?" - Sakura just agreed.

Choso took a few seconds to think. - "You can call me and Itadori "Big Brother"

"Thank you.... Big brother..." - Sakura said, blushing.

Choso started to cry, the girl might not have the same blood connections as Itadori and his brothers. But Choso could accept her as his little sister easily. Basically, Choso had a soft heart.

After leaving their things in the room, Taiga took them to the bathroom. "Now, bath time! You guys smell for some reason..." said Taiga, guiding them to the bathroom.

'Reminder, Servants also stink...' - thought Itadori.

"We have two Jacuzzis, female and male. Choso, since you're a father, you can go to the female Jacuzzi with Sakura." - said Taiga guiding the "father" and the "daughter."

Sakura entered the bathroom, admiring the clean and organized space. The hot shower was a welcome relief after the trip, and she relaxed as the hot water washed away the day's dust.

Finally, it was Choso's turn. When he entered the bathroom, Taiga couldn't help but take a longer look. "You train a lot, don't you, Choso? Your physique is kinda... impressive." she said, with a mischievous smile.

Choso, a little embarrassed, just smiled politely. "Yes, I train a lot."

Taiga left the bathroom and let the two take a shower.

Itadori quickly entered the men's bathroom, enjoying the refreshing shower. He didn't stay long as he was looking forward to dinner and could smell the delicious smell coming from the kitchen.

When Sakura and Choso finished, they came out of the bathroom with their hair still damp and a smile on their faces. "It was great, Taiga-san. Thank you very much." - Sakura said very politely.

"Thank you, cutey!" - said Taiga smiling.

After bathing, everyone gathered in the dining room. Taiga was trying to prepare a delicious meal, but she was terrible. But Choso and Itadori helped her cook, with a variety of dishes that filled the room with tempting aromas. There was rice, grilled fish, fresh vegetables and a homemade dessert waiting for them.

"I hope you're hungry! I made everything with great care." Taiga said, serving the dishes. Itadori, eyes shining, was the first to serve, followed by Sakura and Choso.

During dinner, the conversation was lively. Itadori told funny stories from his school days, making everyone laugh, while Sakura just watched Itadori. Choso, although more reserved, seemed relaxed and enjoyed the food and company. Taiga, sitting next to Choso, continued her not-at-all subtle songs. "You should smile more, Choso. It looks even more beautiful." she said, winking. Choso, visibly embarrassed, murmured a thank you, not knowing how to react.

After dinner, everyone helped clean the table and wash the dishes. Taiga, pleased with the help, smiled and thanked him. "You guys are great helpers! Now, let's go to the living room and relax for a bit before bed."

They gathered in the living room, where Taiga put on a movie for them to watch together. Itadori and Sakura settled on the sofa, while Choso sat in an armchair next to Taiga. During the movie, Taiga would occasionally look at Choso, giving him smiles and winks, trying to get some more smiles out of him.

When the movie ended, Taiga guided them back to their room. "It was a fun night, wasn't it? I hope you sleep well. We'll have a delicious breakfast tomorrow." she said, as she helped them get ready for bed.

Taiga said goodbye to his family and went to sleep.

Itadori and Choso were getting ready to sleep. - "Apparently Taiga liked you." - Itadori said, laughing a lot.

"Don't fill it up, Itadori... Let's rest." - said Choso, lying down and turning on his side.

Itadori looked at Sakura, the girl seemed to want to say something.

"What's wrong, Sakura? Don't you want to sleep with Choso?" - asked Itadori.

Sakura took a while to speak. - "Hm.... No! I want to sleep with you."

This surprised the pink-haired boy. - "Alright then. Come on." - Itadori said.

The girl approached Itadori and lay down on the same blanket as the boy.

Itadori was gathering the strength to speak. - "Sakura... Tomorrow will be a difficult day for me..... I might..... End up not coming back to you."

"No....please...." - Sakura said as she started to tear up. - "You're going to stay here with me....or I'm going to go with you."

Itadori dried Sakura's tears. - "Don't cry, Sakura.... You could get seriously hurt, and then I'll never forgive myself for that. And you should stay here with brother Choso."

"Hm... Okay..." - Sakura muttered.

Itadori adjusted himself on the bed. - "Choso hates being alone, so I want you to take care of him for me... Promise?"

"I promise..." - Sakura said, closing her eyes to sleep.

A few minutes passed

"If I don't come back tomorrow, take care of him for me, Sakura.... I know it's a huge responsibility for you." - Itadori said.

The pink-haired boy saw that Sakura had already fallen asleep. It didn't take long for Itadori to close his eyes and sleep.

Returning to the present....

Itadori got up slowly so as not to wake them both and went to the bedroom door.

"Sakura, take care of him for me..." - Itadori said, talking to himself.

after leaving the room, Choso just opens his eyes, knowing the inevitable was coming.

Itadori woke up very early, but he already decided to leave. - "Sorry, Taiga... I won't be able to eat your delicious breakfast."

The pink-haired boy left Taiga's house and decided to look for Saber.

About that...

Saber and Kiritsugu's location on Mount Enzou, considered a sacred mountain, is the location of the Ryuudou Temple and the convergence of the region's Ley Lines. Kiritsugu was sitting in front of the Temple.

"It's been 40 hours since I last slept.... To win the war and invoke the Cup, someone must perform the ritual in one of the four areas of the Fuyuki leyede lines. In two of them, the Church and the house of Tohsaka, Kotomine Kirei was not there..." - said Kiritsugu.

The older man stood up. - "Which leaves the other two. Here at Mount Enzou, or at the Fuyuki Event Center. This is the most likely location, considering their respective spiritualities. If Maiya were still alive, I could have sent her to keep watch." ... Once again, I'm alone..." - said Kiritsugu preparing his ammunition.

Saber approached the temple.

'Come to think of it, I didn't include her.' - thought Kiritsugu.

Saber had a serious expression on her face, but apparently a little crestfallen.

"Since last night, I've been looking for Irisviel and Yuji all over town... But I haven't found anything. I'm really sorry." - said Saber.

Kiritsugu didn't respond. The two were silent for a while.

"So if you need me, use a Command Spell to summon me like last time." - Saber said, turning to leave with a serious look on his face.

"It looks like I'll finish this alone..." - Kiritsugu said to himself.

And so night quickly arrived.

Saber rode his motorcycle along the roads of Fuyuki at night. And Kiritsugu preparing for the final fight.

"To gain the initiative in battle, he chose the least appropriate place for the ritual. In other words, his plan is not to steal the Cup, but to use it as bait to kill the other Masters and me.... That's simple." things. If that was the best you could think of, I'll just eliminate him quickly. Kotomine Kirei..." - said Kiritsugu.

About that...

Itadori ran through the streets of Fuyuki looking for any living soul. - "For God's sake, where is everyone? I looked for them around the base and didn't find anyone..."

The boy ran wildly until he felt something. This feeling came from a place not too far away.

"They're not far away... I sense two presences near this parking lot." - Itadori said, approaching the place.

But before entering the place, Itadori came across Waver, who was walking with his head down.

"W-Waver? What are you doing here?" - Itadori said.

Waver is scared by Itadori's presence. - "Ham... Well, I'm not a master anymore..." - said Waver.

"What?" - Itadori looked at Waver's hand, and saw that the Command Seal was gone. - "What about Rider?"

Waver took a while to respond.

"Rider lost...."

"No.... By who?" - asked Itadori.

Waver looked into Itadori's eyes. - "For Archer..."

"The guy in the golden armor?! That's what I thought... He's a problem..." - Itadori said.

"As I no longer have a Servant, there is no reason for me to continue this war... Good luck." - Waver said saying goodbye to Itadori.

"Thank you, I think." - Itadori said.

'I'm terrible at keeping promises...'

Itadori entered the parking lot thoughtfully. It was a dark and practically abandoned parking lot. The cars parked around, with their metallic bodywork reflecting the yellowish lights from the streetlights, create dancing shadows that increase the tension of the scene.

Saber, in shining armor and holy sword in hand, comes across Berserker, an imposing figure covered in black armor and shrouded in an aura of chaos. At the start of the fight, the sight of Berserker shakes Saber to the core. She recognizes the person behind the armor, and her heart sinks.

"Arturia?!" - Itadori, still hidden, observes the ferocity of the fight and feels a deep respect and sadness for Saber. He hears her silent prayers, understanding that behind her strength lies an enormous emotional burden. Saber finally manages to retrieve her sword and, with a cry of determination, confronts Berserker again.

The fight begins with Berserker advancing quickly, utilizing his ability to transform any object into a lethal weapon. He grabs a piece of metal from a nearby car and throws it with extraordinary force towards Saber, who deftly dodges it with a graceful leap. Even so, the object's impact on the ground causes an explosion of debris and sparks.

Saber tries to maintain her composure and fight with honor, but her heart is heavy. As she blocks and counters Berserker's ferocious blows, her inner prayers are heard by Itadori, who watches the battle from afar, hidden behind a pile of old tires. Itadori struggles to understand Saber's pain and what led to this condition.

Itadori saw how Saber was, he remembered how broken he was in Shibuya. Berserker's attacks are merciless and savage, each movement charged with brutal force that makes the ground shake. Saber, despite his superior skill, struggles not only against his opponent, but against the sadness and guilt he feels. At a critical moment, Berserker manages to temporarily disarm Saber, throwing her sword away.

Taking advantage of the momentary pause, Berserker lunges at her with an iron bar, which he wields with the same dexterity as a sword. Saber, without his weapon, dodges and uses his shield to block the attack. She backs away, trying to buy time to retrieve her sword.

The fight in the dark and desolate parking lot takes on a new dynamic when Itadori decides to intervene. Seeing the hesitation and suffering in Saber's eyes, he knows he needs to act before Berserker completely destroys her. Running into the middle of the battle, Itadori screams. - "Saber! This is no time to hesitate!" - Itadori said, entering the battlefield.

Saber, surprised by Itadori's intervention, momentarily loses focus. Berserker, seeing the opening, launches a brutal attack, but Itadori, with surprising agility, puts himself between the two, blocking the blow with an iron bar ripped from a nearby car. The impact is so strong that Itadori is thrown back, but he quickly gets up, his eyes shining with determination.

"I don't know what happened to you, but you have to remember what you're fighting for, Saber! We can't let you win!" - Itadori said, composing himself.

Saber, still shaken by the revelation that Berserker is Lancelot, feels a new wave of determination when seeing the courage of Itadori. With a nod, she stands again, taking her sword firmly.

The two now fight together against Berserker, combining their strengths and skills in a symphony of coordinated attacks. Itadori uses his physical strength and agility to dodge the devastating attacks of Berserker, while Saber uses his mastery with the sword to open gaps in the enemy's defenses.

"Berserker ... I don't know who you are, I don't know your name, if you were a good or bad person. But I feel sorry for you ... for falling into the darkness." - said Itadori.

The battle intensifies. Berserker, enraged by their resistance, begins to use his ability to turn anything around into deadly weapons. He pulls pieces of metal from cars, which become swords, spears in his hands. Itadori and Saber they move in sync, blocking, diverting and counterattacking with impressive accuracy.

In a critical moment, Berserker grabs an entire car and throws it toward Ititori. With no time to dodge completely, Itadori uses all his strength to divert the car, which falls with a crash, causing a shower of wreckage. The raised dust obscures the vision, but Saber the confusion to get closer to Berserker, undressing a powerful blow that hits his armor, causing more cracks.

The fight continues fiercely, with Itadori and Saver how to keep the pressure on Berserker. Each blow they dispose of is an attempt to reach Lancelot behind the madness that consumes it. This is the moment you know you need. Concentrating all her energy, she channels the sacred light of her intensely shining sword, illuminating the dark parking lot. With a cry of determination, she advances, discharging a final and decisive blow.

Itadori strikes Berserker and screams. - "Saber, now!"

The sword of Saber drills Berserker's armor, and the sacred light seems to purify the darkness that involved Lancelot. Berserker falls to his knees, and for a brief moment Lancelot emerges, his eyes full of sadness and regret. Saber with tears in your eyes, whispers one last prayer by your friend.

After the battle, the silence in the parking lot is almost palpable. Itadori approaches Saber, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He sees the pain in her eyes

Itadori approached Saber and sat next to him. - "Saber ... no, Arturia. I don't know if you already knew Berserker, but whatever it is, I know the horrible feeling of having to kill someone who loves for their own hands." - Itadori said remembering Megumi.

Saber didn't know what to say, it seemed that she wanted to cry. Itadori came closer to her.

"You can even be a king .... But now, no. You're Arturia, so you can cry. No one will blame you for it ... Much less me." - Itadori said feeling the pain of Saber.

Saber started to cry.

"Y-Yuji ..."

End of Chapter 23