Mordred's brows furrowed, gripping her black-reddish sword tightly as the Beast staggered closer.
"Give up. I know your weakness," the Beast laughed, leering at Mordred.
"Y-You still want to take me back?" Kiara asked worriedly. Then, more resolutely - "I won't go without a fight."
"After taking some of my authority, you dare resist?" the Beast purred. "But don't worry, I won't take you back anymore."
"Really?" Kiara asked, skeptical.
The Beast just smiled slowly. "Because you'll come crawling back yourself. You crave the outside world - so go, experience it. You'll soon realize no one out there will love you like I did. The whole world is a barren wilderness, filled with animals overflowing with desire."
Her smile turned cruel and mocking. "When you understand that, you'll come begging me to take you back, crying and screaming."
"I won't!" Kiara stated defiantly.
"Then we'll see," the Beast purred. "I'll keep watching as you turn back to me. Enjoy the torments of the mortal world again. Only then will you realize the beauty of my paradise."
Kiara stared solemnly at the Beast, like a pure nun witnessing the misdeeds of an evil witch.
The Beast laughed, glancing around at her destroyed remnants. "To destroy my complete self to this extent...that lost soul is quite impressive!"
Mordred's frown deepened. "He's not a lost soul. He is His Majesty, Guinevere!"
"Guinevere? Fujimaru Shirou?" The Beast smiled mockingly. "He's nothing but an old, lost soul who can't even remember his own True Name or past. You won't understand."
"I won't let you mock Assassin any more!" Kiara said loudly.
"Oh my, how rude I am," the Beast chuckled. "Well then, I shall stop here...for now. I look forward to seeing your crumbling expression when you discover what the outside world is truly like. Your painful tears will surely be exquisitely sweet."
Her laughter echoed mockingly as her body faded more and more until finally disappearing completely.
Mordred tightened her grip on the chalice, taking a deep steadying breath before saying to Kiara, "Let's get out of here first. This still isn't over!"
...
After losing several lives, the giant finally defeated the two Divine Beasts - his ancient nemeses from when he was alive.
First was the Hydra - the mythical many-headed serpent that had plagued the heroes of ancient Greece. And not just any Hydra, but a Hundred-Headed Hydra, each head possessing different attack attributes that completely nullified his Twelve Labors' resistance to death attacks.
Also there was Bashmu, a beast born from the primordial goddess Tiamat.
Fortunately, the giant emerged victorious in the end.
The Berserker sat atop the corpses of the two massive Divine Beasts, gazing at the sky. Although consumed by madness, his mind hadn't completely vanished and fragments of his sense of self still remained.
Why would he be summoned in the Berserker class? Why as a Berserker who forgot everything?
Perhaps it was so he could also forget the pains of his past.
The hero famed for accomplishing the Twelve Impossible Labors - the mighty Heracles. Though he had lived quite an unrestrained life, a thorn had always remained embedded deep in his heart.
In a fit of madness, he had killed his own beloved wife and children, mistaking them for beasts...
Just thinking about it made Berserker roar furiously, though the sound seemed filled with grief rather than rage.
The hero gazed at the swirling sky. Strange markings began to form above, with eerie murmurs ringing out - ominous incantations like those of a black magi.
Hercules clutched his head with a bellow as the whispers grew, like the hissing temptation of devils in hell.
He remembered - that throbbing, splitting headache when he had slaughtered his family in madness.
"He....ra...!"
Hercules howled, eyes flooding blood red. In that moment all human figures vanished from his sight, replaced only by warped visions of "beasts."
Roaring savagely, Heracles charged the beasts with his massive stone axe.
"Boom! Boom boom boom!"
He smashed the earth itself, shattering fortress walls aside like paper. The lethal poison fog that had risen to A+ rank now permeated the entire area with his rampage.
Strange sounds echoed through the Hanging Gardens - ancient, devilish murmurs.
Stellar markings flickered on Mordred's face as she frowned.
"Do you sense anything strange?" she asked Kiara tersely.
Kiara shook her head, bewildered. "No...should I?"
"Is it because you stole the Beast's authority that you're immune to this control?" Mordred raised a brow.
"Control? You mean like how I was controlled before?"
"No, this should be caused by the awakening of an evil will that was once suppressed by that bodhisattva," Mordred explained. "With her gone, it has now started to awaken."
"BOOM BOOM BOOM!"
The shattering of walls resounded loudly.
Mordred gripped her sword. "Enemies incoming!"
A gigantic fleshy body burst through a nearby wall - pitch black and massively muscled.
Mordred stared at the giant incredulously. "Black Berserker?"
"Hera...!!!"
Hercules held his stone axe high, slashing at Mordred and Kiara.
...
"Have you decided to do it, A-11072?" Avicebron asked, looking at Adam.
"Yeah, I've made up my mind," Adam replied, gazing into the distance at the Primordial Human laying waste to the earth. "If I have the ability, if I can make this disaster stop, I won't let it continue." He turned to Avicebron, his face earnest. "Tell me what I need to do."
"I see resolve in your eyes." As Avicebron looked at Adam, he pulled his wrists free from the two homunculi.
Rubbing his wrists, he met Adam's gaze. "There's a crystal in the Primordial Human's head - a mana reactor. You need to enter its brain through there and replace the black cup. Then I'll reboot and completely integrate you with it."
"Got it..." Adam considered this, then shifted his eyes to Goredolf. "Sir, can you get in touch with Astolfo for me?"
Goredolf didn't answer right away, but shot back, "Are you sure about this?"
Adam nodded firmly.
Goredolf eyed him for a long moment. Then he let out a derisive laugh. "You're...just a consumable. How arrogant..."
He contacted Astolfo's Master with hidden familiars, summoning him there.
Soon Astolfo arrived on his Hippogriff, having been attacking the Primordial Human after being summoned. He hadn't noticed the group until now. When he saw them, his eyes lit up as he chatted for a bit. Then he scowled at Avicebron and hurled some sharp words, before looking to Goredolf expectantly.
"My Master said you've got a way to deal with the giant. Need my help with something?"
In response, Goredolf simply pointed at Adam. "He has a plan."
Astolfo's gaze shifted to Adam.
Sensing his gaze, Adam took a deep breath and declared, "Rider, I need you to throw me onto the giant's head!"
"What?!" Astolfo balked at the absurd request.
Adam calmly explained his reason, but Astolfo vehemently shook his head, arguing, "It's too risky! And hasn't Caster been trying to make you the core of his Noble Phantasm all along? How can you trust him so easily? You're only human - an ordinary civilian to me. Fighting monsters should be left to us heroes, don't you think?"
"It's not enough," Adam replied, shaking his head solemnly. "Because heroes are still human too. As Assassin once told me, what defines a hero is not the level of their power, but their will." He met Astolfo's gaze. "If I'm truly key to stopping this, if I'm the only one who can stop its rampage, then I must try. I can't stand by and watch more destruction happen." Adam clenched his fists, resolve shining in his eyes. "In the end, I too...I want to be a hero. A true hero, even if just for a moment."
"Adam..."
With a smile, Adam said, "Can you understand, Rider? Those people under your protection - one day, they may also protect others. Perhaps this is the torch Assassin was talking about." He met Astolfo's gaze unwaveringly. "This is the path I have chosen! So I ask you, Rider. Will you help me?"
Astolfo clenched his fist and fell silent for a long moment.
Then he sighed, "I understand. If your decision is made..."
Adam nodded, resolve burning in his eyes.
"Then let's stop wasting time and go," Avicebron cut in coldly.
Astolfo whirled on him, glaring fiercely. "So you finally got your way after all, huh Caster? Not even wanting the Grail itself - just completing your Noble Phantasm! What a pathetic wish!"
"Pathetic?" Avicebron's face contorted in rage, as if stung by his words. "You dimwitted fool! What could you understand? You know nothing! You could only cause trouble!"
Astolfo opened his mouth to retort angrily, but Adam hurriedly reached out to pacify the two Servants before tensions could escalate further. After bidding farewell to his fellow homunculi and asking them to keep rescuing survivors, Adam boarded Astolfo's Hippogriff, accompanied by Avicebron. The trio flew off towards the looming threat of the Primordial Human.
"Adam..."
The homunculi watched their leader's departing figure, faces etched with worry. Many folded their hands, murmuring prayers under their breath.
Seeing this, Goredolf's face twisted into an expression of bewilderment.
"They're...they're just...consumables..."