[Mass Update: 6/8]
While Roland gained an ally(fanboy), the battlefield remained a whirlwind of chaos, Gilgamesh's departure did not halt the war.
As the golden Servant vanished into the distance, Darnic's voice rang across the clearing, crisp and commanding.
"Fall back, Lancer."
Though Lancer had carried the fight more than those who initially clashed with Archer, Darnic never allowed himself to be blinded by pride.
Having fought in the last Holy Grail War, he understood the weight of appearances. If Lancer could display his strength well enough, the other Masters would both fear and covet him. Unlike Archer, who relished fighting three-on-one, Lancer didn't crave chaos, only precision.
Victory between Servants wasn't determined by brute strength alone. One could never be sure what Noble Phantasms the others were hiding.
Lancer accepted the order without hesitation. With Gilgamesh gone, the battle held no further interest for him.
Any rational Master, after witnessing Lancer's power, would think twice before reigniting the conflict.
But some Masters defied reason.
"Berserker, advance!"
From both a magus's and a strategist's standpoint, Matou Kariya was woefully lacking. His heart was kind, but it was shackled by obsession, blinding him to priorities.
He claimed to fight for Sakura's sake. Yet, at the sight of Tōsaka Tokiomi's Servant, resentment twisted his better judgment. Hurting that man who was married to the woman he loved, even at the cost of shortening his own dwindling life, felt worth it.
But Darnic's voice had snapped him back, according to his deal with Matou Zouken, Tokiomi wasn't his true target, it was Darnic. So he gave Berserker the command to attack.
Without a sound, the black knight burst forth.
Mid-charge, Berserker swerved abruptly, lifting the Noble Phantasm he had stolen from Archer, and launched a fierce assault, against Saber.
"...?"
Even Lancer, ready to intercept, blinked in confusion.
"W-What's going on!?"
In a dim alley, Matou Kariya doubled over and spat out blood.
"Damn… is it because of King Arthur!? Berserker's lost it! I used too much mana earlier… I can't hold him anymore!"
In the earlier battles before Lancer's arrival, Berserker had been the vanguard, brilliant, unstoppable, untouchable even beneath Archer's rain of attacks. But it came at a cost.
Kariya's magically enhanced circuits had been overstrained. All he could do now was issue the simplest orders. With a command to attack instead of retreat, Berserker's urge to rampage surged, uncontrollable.
Despite being ambushed, Saber recovered in an instant. His invisible blade howled with fresh mana, parrying Berserker's relentless blows.
"That Berserker... could it be he knows Saber?" Rider asked aloud, puzzled.
But Saber, locked in combat, ignored him entirely.
"Who are you!?" he demanded, voice sharp and cutting.
The black knight answered only with a wail, not human, but cursed and guttural. Though consumed by madness, his pain was unmistakable.
"Arthur... Arthur… Arthur...?"
The way he growled the name was odd. What began as venomous rage gradually twisted, into doubt.
His strikes weakened. His posture slackened. Staring at Saber's face, his voice faltered into disbelief:
"A... man? Arthur… impossible…"
His worldview crumbled before his clouded eyes.
He couldn't make sense of it.
This figure looked like Arthur. Wielded Arthur's sword. Possessed Arthur's presence.
Then it must be Arthur.
Even if Arthur was a man, Berserker couldn't comprehend such contradiction.
The cursed logic of madness roared to life again.
King Radar: Target Reconfirmed.
The black knight let out a blood-chilling howl and dove at Saber anew, murder in his every motion.
The battle resumed.
Meanwhile, Kenneth's fingers twitched in anticipation.
Despite the mishap with Archer, if Rider could be compelled to act, the tide could turn. Lancer and Archer were gone. Saber's Master was exposed.
This, was the moment he'd been waiting for.
The Saber, he'd seen, had potential. But Rider had overwhelmed him before. Berserker's Master was a liability, barely able to maintain control.
Now was the time.
"Rider! Join Berserker! Attack Saber. I'll handle the Einzbern homunculus."
But the response was icy.
"I reject your order."
Not even a glance. Rider stared at the battle, disinterested in Kenneth's words.
His towering form radiated quiet authority. Kenneth's chest clenched, but his pride refused to yield.
"Why!?" he demanded. "You saw the results just now—!"
Even Waver could see Kenneth was barely holding it together.
But Rider didn't flinch. He didn't even answer.
Kenneth's temper broke. He raised his hand, where a Command Seal had already faded.
"You dare disobey your Master!?"
Rider's voice dropped like thunder.
"It seems you don't understand why Servants obey Masters."
"You offer mana as sacrifice, granting us form in this world, and aligning our goals toward the Holy Grail. That's the contract. Nothing more."
"I don't see you as my subordinate. And you must not see me as a tool."
"When the three Command Seals are gone, a Servant may choose a new Master."
Kenneth's eyes blazed.
"You… you would betray me!?"
Rider didn't blink.
"Betrayal? No. This is a collapse of cooperation. I, Iskandar, won't betray you."
"If you don't want to continue this partnership, then use the Command Seal."
Kenneth's jaw locked. His pride flared. But he said nothing.
On the battlefield, Berserker was blasted back by Saber and promptly vanished, recalled by Kariya.
With the chaos fading, the first battle of the Holy Grail War drew to an uneasy close.
---
"Unexpected developments," Roland murmured, watching the fading echoes of battle alongside Caster. "But still within expectations."
He had already sent off Kotomine Kirei, who had left, seemingly enlightened, deep in thought.
"Aside from us, the true names of the other six Masters and Servants are now in our hands," Caster added.
"And there are strong ones among them," Roland replied. "We'll need long-term planning. Take out the Masters directly and sever the contracts."
He smiled faintly.
"Archer and Saber won't escape me. As for Lancer, Darnic is already caught in the trap. He just doesn't know it yet."
"After all… the binding power of a self-imposed contract is absolute."
Roland's eyes glinted.