Fate/Very Fake

Chapter 9?

Meryn flew into the center of the street, a large crowd was still gathering in the distance to observe the smoke rising from the department building where Berserker and Archer still fought. Jackson, in his youthful body, approached Meryn and raised him foot in the air before it swung down. His enhanced kick violently torn through the air, but the moment it was about to graze her, all force had escaped from the blow into the 'Fehu runes'

Numerous runes were inscribed into the fabric of her clothes and her own skin; from her swamp-green sweater to her black tights, giving them durability and anti-magic properties. Although he did not seem to notice, as he continued to test their with, kick after kick, only stopping when he was exhausted. Like a spoilt brat that just had his toy taken away he screamed and cried as soon as he caught his breath, thrashing against the road with mana infused stomps, cracking the asphalt underneath his foot.

He continued for a minute, rambling to himself in a foreign tongue before he once again, he suddenly stopped. Raising his leg above her head, the Magical Crests carved onto his body shone through his clothes, the ritual markings roared a violent red light. If she did not act she would have died and took the gamble with her life for grabs.

Meryn force the runes on her clothes to release the energy stored inside them in a blast of mana. The shockwave was small in radius, no more than a meter, but it's power tore through away the tar from the road in a blink of an eye. The dust cleared and there he stood, not injured or even dirty, he dodged an attack faster than sound without even taking a single step.

The boy was now glaring down at her with darkness shading his expressionless face, her last resort in this unmoving state had been revealed. He wouldn't make the same mistake again. But before he could even get into position to finish her, the faceless giant 'Archer' suddenly descended from above, grabbing him before leaping out of her sight.

Shooting stars of golden flickered in her vision with bangs in the distance. The stone rattled across the ground, frantic voices and sirens in the distance, a familiar tightness wrapped around her hand. But when she turned to the hand stardust filled her vision and she awoke still in the crater.

''The curse is removed, but you need rest'' said the stranger sitting beside Berserker, golden light filling the night sky above them. An unending flurry of golden bolts rained down from above the clouds, but they were not stars or balls of fire, but noble phantasms -- the weapons torn from the pages of legend being shot.

''You need not worry, they won't hit us'' said the stranger at her side.

''Wha?'' she said, half-asleep.

''I healed you, but I recommend that you stay still a while longer. You're still very weak'' said the stranger sitting beside Berserker, glorious rays of golden light trailing through the night sky like a shower of comets with their wispy tails. ''What is going on?'' asked Meryn, as she forced her palm to the ground to push herself up, only to slip on the fresh puddle of blood all around her. An unnerving sight, as she knew it to be her own. Some of the runes written on her skin were no longer there, flayed off by her own attack.

The stranger was an old man, his hair still brown in places with slithers of grey, his pale white face unwashed and unshaven. He wore a black jacket and matching black trousers, the colours faded from both of them. A small hand-made leather bag slung around his side, glass bottles could be heard rattling inside as he calmly looked back at Meryn.

''Gilgamesh is trying to hit Archer, but I'm afraid nothing will come of it. Archer is fast despite his size and he can shoot down anything that gets too close, and while I am here he cannot follow'' he said solemnly, yet a slight smile appeared on his wrinked face.

''Why would you do that?'' asked Meryn faintly.

''I made a promise to a close friend not to let this war end in disaster, although I feel as if I have already failed'' he said. Picking himself off the ground, the stranger stood up with a groan, looking off into the distance as the golden light faded from the sky.

Gilgamesh had ceased his assault. Moments later, the silence was defeaned out by sirens in the distance. Like a disease spreading across it's host, boiling blobs of molten concrete dripped down the sides of buildings until they cooled to glass. The streets now shone with a glassy sheen and although the cityscape was torn apart, the destruction he wrought was an otherworldly beautiful.

Adam turned to face Meryn one last time as he pressed his hand against the bounded field, ready to dispel it at a moments notice. ''I know you won't listen to an old man, but you are young...'' he said, unable to look her in the eyes, until he let out a sigh. ''Just, don't get yourself killed'' he said as he dispelled the bounded field, and left them through the pale light reflected off the glass street like an milky aurora.

''What are my orders?'' asked Berserker, both of them watching the old man delve further into the white veil.

''Go back to the hotel. I need rest'' she said faintly before closing her eyes to fall asleep, and Berserker wiped the blood from her cheek onto his robe before placing his hands underneath her back and legs. Cradling her in his arms, the blood still wet, dripping from her clothes. As he rose from the crater, a tremor of anticipation pierced his core, at least 10 fully armed men approached him with their guns raised. SWAT officers, in tactical armor fit for a soldiers painted black with a machine gun in hand.

They all glanced down at the bloodied girl in his hands and each of them was suddenly drawn to his eyes, caught in his magic, respect for Berserker welled up inside them, as they made way for him to pass. Berserker did not waver, he the very image of calm, his balance and breathing inhumanly perfect, with eyes that commanded respect in all that saw them.

Beyond the line of officers were an assortmant of flashing lights, rescue workers and doctors, police and more were coming. Further in the distance, the crowd of on-lookers gathered to watch the scene unfold. A pair of doctors rushed up to them with a stretcher, ''We'll take care of her from here'' said one of the doctors. Berserker looked back at each of them, making sure they caught his eye, and placed her on the stretcher. ''I will watch over her as you work'' he said, inspiring confidence in the doctors, returning to the back of the ambulance to rest.