Chapter thirty one- The Mirrored Assassin
The pair stopped walking, a sort of black smoke materializing several yards in front of them. It was wispy and dark, yet somewhat translucent. From the smoke came a certain ashy-purple skinned servant, tossing her red ponytail over her shoulder and smirking at the pair before her. "How's it going, Berserker?" Assassin's cocky smile grew and she said, "I brought back-up this time."
On cue, atop a nearby streetlight, materialized another servant in a golden glow: Archer. He said nothing, and instead watched the three with a bored -and slightly annoyed- expression. He clearly had no desire to engage in a battle, unlike the female servant had planned.
Assassin glared up at him, her smirk fading, "Seem's he's just here to look pretty. Whatever." She turned back to Judar and Berserker. "Up for a fight?"
Judar glanced around, searching for a quick escape. They were in the open, right in the middle of a street, yet he knew any attempts at fleeing would result in Archer skewering him. The servants red eyes were burning holes into him, it was like he knew exactly what Judar was thinking. "Berserker."
"Judar, you're not actually-" Jekyll fell into his usual panic.
Judar kept his gaze on Assassin and Archer, while muttering to Jekyll, "We don't have an option. Fight as is or change, hell if I care..." He cracked a smile as he spoke, "I can tell this'll be an important battle..."
"Judar, this isn't a battle we can win." Jekyll insisted.
"Ugh, quit talking, already!" Assassin complained. "I'm going to kill both of you no matter what you do!" She drew two black daggers, then ran at the pair.
Judar reacted immediately, pulling out a small handful of gems, which he crushed and tossed at the approaching servant. The ice shards were met with several golden swords, neutralizing the attack before Assassin was even in its proximity. I thought he wasn't going to fight? Judar thought angrily.
"Shit..." Judar cursed and cast a quick glare at Gilgamesh before calling over his shoulder to Jekyll, "Berserker, change already!"
"I don't want to..." Jekyll answered feebly.
"Like I care!"
Assassin laughed, "You're wide open!" She swung her daggers in a X formation, cutting deeply into Judar's arms, which he raised in the same position to block her.
The force of her attack sent Judar flying backwards into his servant, knocking both to the ground. "Dammit..." Judar grumbled, looking at his torn sweater sleeves. "This was Hakuryuu's! He'll kill me!" He hissed as the cuts on his arms began to sting badly. "Ah, fuck! What is this, poison?!" It felt like his wounds were bubbling and burning, and they looked like it too.
"J-Judar!" Jekyll pushed the teen off of him as Assassin ran at them again. He quickly stood, tanking the poisoned daggers head on.
"Je--" Judar stopped himself from calling the servant's true name. The servant was quickly covered in deep slashes, Assassin's blades moving quicker than they'd ever seen before. She's really serious this time... Judar silently cursed himself, actually reluctant to perform his next action, "Berserker... By order of my Command Seals: transform!" He raised his right hand, the single Command Seal glowing, followed by his entire body glowing red in jagged lines briefly.
Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes at the young master from his perch, noticing the odd glowing. Assassin noticed it as well, and paused her attacks momentarily. That should be his last Command Seal, he won't be able to control Berserker anymore...
Jekyll cringed at the command, his entire body burning from the poison dripping from his wounds. He could feel Hyde clawing at his insides of his brain, trying to tear his way out if Jekyll resisted any longer. The servant was forced to give in, the pain far too much to bear.
Jekyll's screams of pain changed into maniacal laughter as his typical physical transformation took place, Hyde cracking his neck and smiling widely as he took control. He took a deep breath, sighing deeply, cockily. "Why thank you, Doctor. I'm glad you've given up this petty game of tug-of-war..." He took a look around, taking in the present situation.
Judar was already convulsing in pain, struggling to keep his composure in front of the other servants. Assassin had her daggers at the ready, while Gilgamesh remained on top of the streetlight, just observing.
"Quite a show we've got going on here, isn't it?" Hyde observed. He smiled as Assassin ran at him, "I've missed your company, Hassan i-Sabbah."
This caused Assassin to recoil, expression melting between several emotions hidden behind her skull-shaped mask. "How the hell..." She looked up to Archer, "Hey, King of Glitter, You didn't leak my info, did you?!"
Gilgamesh looked less than pleased with the nickname, "I have not."
"Of course he hasn't. Everyone knows the true identity of the Assassin class, for the only beings it could be are those of the Hassan i-Sabbah bloodline. Believe it or not, the Doctor does some rather sophisticated research, occasionally." Hyde explained, drawing his cane and twirling it between his hands.
"Oh, that's it..." Assassin growled and sheathed her main daggers, reaching behind her back to pull out a new pair. This set was red, beginning to pulsate with magical energy the second she unleashed them.
"Have I angered you?" Hyde faked sympathy. "I am sincerely sorry, Assassin. Feel free to take your anger out on this body. It will not hold me much longer, anyway."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean, you freak?!" Assassin hissed, running at the mad servant. Her first few attacks were easily deflected by Berserker's cane, only angering the female servant further. She growled and sent a barrage of attacks at him, drawing more daggers and throwing them at him. This gave Assassin a few seconds of Berserker being preoccupied; just enough time for her next attack.
She spun, slashing the muscular servant several times with her glowing daggers with each rotation, overwhelming Berserker. Assassin gracefully landed on her feet, and embedded the red daggers into Hyde's chest in the extremely small opening he left. "Zabaniya: Mirror Image!"
Judar's eyes widened from where he stood on the sidelines, "Her Noble Phantasm?!" He nearly dropped to his knees as Berserker wailed in pain. His magic circuits burned, his own screams unheard over his servants.
Assassin removed her daggers and took several steps away from Berserker, "That should teach him."
"What did you do, Assassin?" Gilgamesh asked, still atop the flickering lamp.
"Impressed?" Assassin sheathed her daggers and crossed her arms as she explained, "It's my Noble Phantasm. Any being that is cut by those daggers gets torn in two. Their body and soul ripped apart. It typically leaves the target in a state between 'alive' and 'dead'. They're cautious, but they're body is but an empty shell of their former self. It will only be a few moments, then I'll finish him off."
Archer didn't respond, but seemed somewhat impressed with her work.
Berserker's body twitched and bent into awkward positions, bones cracking and popping in and out of place, some even breaking. His screams were that of a monster, a demon being tortured in the deepest depths of Hell. His suit was quickly in tatters, and he began bleeding in places.
Assassin took several more steps away, her proud exterior melting away, "H-Hey... What the hell's going on?"
Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes at Berserker, whose screams grew louder and louder, his body seeming to be tearing itself apart. "Is this not your power?" The golden haired servant asked, looking to Assassin.
"N-No! It's not! My power... It's not nearly this violent." Assassin lifted her mask from her face to get a better look, while speaking in a higher pitched voice than normal, "I'm an assassin, my work is stealthy, not torture!" She turned her panicked look on Judar, "What the hell is your servant?!"
"I-I don't know..." Judar watched Berserker in the same horror, struggling to stay cautious the pain was so intense.
"It seems your little attack was futile, Assassin. Look, not even a scratch!" Hyde spoke, his voice crystal clear, yet still demonic. His suit was in perfect condition, his black hair gelled back nicely. He began twirling his cane again, as if nothing happened.
"Judar, are you alright?!" Jekyll ran over to his master, looking just as pristine as his counterpart.
Judar's eyes widened, the pain fading from his limbs. "J- Berserker...?"
"What's wrong?" Jekyll asked, concerned expression on his features.
Assassin and Archer were stupefied. "H-Hey...did my Noble Phantasm split Berserker's personalities into two people?!"
~