Compared to the sudden appearance of Berserker, Ludwig was actually more concerned with the overall situation on the ground. When he was falling from the sky, he hadn't paid much attention to the details of the terrain; he had simply tried to aim for the edge of the city where there were fewer people.
The harbor area near the Fuyuki estuary was a perfect fit. After nightfall, there were almost no people around, as the port workers had already finished their shifts and headed home.
However, even so, he hadn't expected to find other people—or rather, other Servants—already here.
Aside from Archer, Gilgamesh, and the newly arrived Berserker who was shrouded in a black mist of magical energy, there were three other Servants present. There was a female Servant standing guard, having placed a fainted woman further back to act as a barrier. There was a young male Servant wielding twin spears, and a middle-aged, burly man standing on an ox-drawn chariot. Finally, there was a boy, not much older than Ludwig himself, leaning over the chariot's railing.
Scanning the area quickly, Ludwig confirmed the state of the battlefield. Aside from the destruction caused by his own landing, there were numerous other traces of combat. He guessed that while he had been fighting Gilgamesh in the sky, a battle of the Holy Grail War had been taking place between the Servants here.
He mentally assigned classes based on their gear: the one in the chariot was likely Rider, and the one with the twin spears was almost certainly Lancer. He found it a bit strange that Archer hadn't used a bow and arrow to fight.
"Who permitted you to look directly at this King? You lowly, mad dog..." a voice rang out in a displeased scold.
Despite ignoring the other Servants and keeping his eyes fixed on Ludwig, the gaze Berserker directed toward Gilgamesh had incensed the golden king. In the eyes of the naturally haughty Gilgamesh, any gaze directed at him without his permission was a capital offense beyond redemption. The treasure portals floating around him quickly swiveled, no longer aiming at Ludwig but toward Berserker.
Hot-headed, isn't he? Ludwig thought to himself.
Then again, he wasn't really in a position to talk. It was Ludwig himself who had riled Gilgamesh up to the point of bloodlust, making the Golden King so irritable that the slightest provocation from a third party would send him into a towering rage.
Even after drawing the Sword of Rupture, he had only managed to avoid a lethal strike; now, heavily wounded, Gilgamesh knew full well he couldn't take Ludwig down. The brat that Merlin had taken a liking to was certainly no pushover, but the fire in Gilgamesh's heart needed a vent.
Berserker was like a scapegoat who had just happened to stumble into the line of fire, satisfying Gilgamesh's immediate need to lash out. Of course, that was assuming Gilgamesh could easily dispose of him.
"I shall use your head to soothe my current frustration," Gilgamesh declared coldly.
A spear and a sword, both Noble Phantasms, were fired in succession, striking toward Berserker's position.
"Oh..." Ludwig watched the clash while keeping an eye on the other Servants.
Gilgamesh's treasures failed to hit the mark. Berserker caught the sword in his hand, while the spear was deflected slightly, piercing into the reinforced ground behind the black figure. It was a reaction like a flash of lightning—dodging the sword to grab it by the hilt, then using it with even greater speed to parry the spear, neutralizing the attack.
In Ludwig's eyes, Berserker's speed wasn't particularly high; the key was that refined, exquisite martial skill. Was a Berserker really supposed to be a 'mad warrior'?
"How dare you touch this King's treasures with those filthy hands... Do you wish to die that badly, you mongrel dog?!"
Ignoring the blood trickling from his mouth and the unstopped wound at his waist, Gilgamesh was absolutely livid. Ludwig didn't care about his rage; he was more interested in Berserker's movements. Was it the Servant's own judgment, or the Master's orders? Regardless, it didn't look like he had just arrived at the harbor like Ludwig; rather, he had been lying in wait, only revealing himself and provoking Gilgamesh once he appeared.
Could there be some personal grudge?
Musing over the possibilities and the nature of the Holy Grail War, Ludwig slightly raised his hand, intending to provide some support for Berserker. If he could finish Gilgamesh off here, he could at least enjoy a peaceful night's sleep without worrying about being hunted down.
However, the situation changed even faster than he had anticipated.
Gilgamesh's brow twitched several times in his fury, but he suddenly suppressed his rage and redirected his gaze to Ludwig.
"That mad dog, and the rest of this rabble, should thank you for the wound you left on this King tonight," Gilgamesh muttered. "By this wound alone—regardless of the Holy Grail War—I will surely kill you and add that sword to my treasury."
"Unfortunately for you, if I'm gone, my sword ceases to exist," Ludwig mocked, knowing the king didn't understand the nature of his Magic Sword.
"Then I shall turn you into a Magic Sword. This King does not lack treasures capable of such a feat," Gilgamesh hissed before dissolving into golden particles and vanishing from the spot.
Whether he withdrew because his injuries were too severe to risk staying, or if there was another reason, Ludwig couldn't say for sure.
"Was that you fighting that Archer in the sky just now?" Rider asked, stroking his chin as he appraised Ludwig. "Are you a Servant?"
"No, he shouldn't be," Waver answered quickly.
Using the status-seeing privilege granted to Masters by the Grail, he had confirmed multiple times that the white-haired boy before them was not a Servant.
"Fighting in the sky..." Lancer was stunned. "And not even a Servant? Just who are you, sir...?"
Once Gilgamesh retreated, the other Servants immediately focused their attention on Ludwig. They hadn't seen the battle above the clouds, but one side was wounded while the other appeared completely unscathed. Such a stark difference in combat power made these Servants incredibly wary.
If Ludwig wasn't a Servant, was he a Master? If so, the problem was even more serious. This was the question weighing most heavily on the three Servants present.
Saber was about to speak and test the waters, but before she could open her mouth, she noticed Berserker's gaze. This time, it bypassed everyone else and locked straight onto her.
The others noticed it too. Berserker ignored everyone—including Ludwig, who was in his path—and charged toward Saber, gripping the longsword.
When Gilgamesh left, the spear had indeed been retracted, but the sword had not. Ludwig, stepping slightly to the side to let Berserker pass, noticed this tiny detail. He couldn't really be so petty that he'd refuse to take it back just because someone else touched it, could he?
"Is that Archer's sword still here...? How strange..." Rider muttered, having noticed the same thing.
But the mad warrior was already swinging the sword, slashing down toward Saber.
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