Fate/Heroes - Chapter 57 Holy Grail War

All the present members of the Justice League watched as Rider’s expression twisted into one of distaste as he looked down at the Command Seals on the hands of Batman, Hawkgirl and himself. The Heroic Spirits inside him, as well as Gray, did not like the Einzbern Holy Grail War. The Command Seals were a magecraft that bent the will of Heroes to the wills of Man.

Being forced to execute tasks that went against their code or principles, that was the power of a Command Seal. Despite the fact that it could be used in conjunction with a Servant’s will to increase their power dozens of times over, it still left an ugly taste in Gray’s mouth.

Not to mention the consequences of the presence of these Command Seals.

“…. A Holy Grail War”.

These words escaped Gray’s lips as he stared down at the red colored Venn diagram on his hand. They instantly attracted the attention of Batman and Hawkgirl, the latter was trying to wipe off the Command Seals, thinking it was just a weirdly shaped smudge.

The Dark Knight frowned for a moment, putting his glove back on as he stared at Gray with narrowed eyes.

“Holy Grail War? As in the cup that touched the blood of Christ?”.

Gray looked at the Dark Night for a moment before looking away at Berserker’s unconscious figure beside Batman. Batman’s frown deepened as he watched Gray ignore him and head over towards Berserker, raising as eyebrow as his spear materialized once more, raising over his head and bringing it down with a swing just before-.

“Hold it right there son. You don’t get to decide that about this man”.

A strong and muscular hand held Gray’s spear wielding arm as a tall figure looked down at Gray, a disappointed frown on his brow.

Gray sighed and dropped the spear only to pick it up in his other hand, ready to pierce Berserker’s heart before a green light construct wrapped around his right arm, holding the Pseudo-Servant back from killing the massive man in front of him.

He could’ve broken the chains wrapped around his arm in an instant, but turned his head and looked back at the rest of the League. Everyone except Diana had their weapons raised at Gray, aimed at spots that would ensure the most pain, but least chances of the blow being fatal.

Kara and Diana just stood at the side, the former shouting at the League, much to the surprise of her cousin, holding Gray’s left arm.

“Wait! I’m sure Gray has a reason for this! He wouldn’t kill this man for no good reason! I’m sure!”.

The Kryptonian managed to slightly convince her cousin, who just looked at Batman pleadingly. The caped crusader frowned once more, before looking at Gray expectantly.

Diana frowned at Gray’s actions, but didn’t grab her lasso, even though most of the League were looking at said artifact. Gray gave one last look at Berserker before sighing.

“I’m trying to kill him to prevent a Holy Grail War. If all seven Servants are summoned, the War will begin, and the possibility of countless lives being lost is higher than ever”.

“Why?”, was all Batman had to say.

Gray looked down at Berserker and noted the faint blue motes of light coming off his wounds.

“He is a spiritual being. He may look life flesh and blood, but he needs spiritual energy in order to sustain himself. Mana would do the trick, but souls are the best form of food to Servants”.

All the eyes of the Justice League widened and they looked down at Berserker with trepidation, however Batman’s eyes never left Gray.

“He called you a Servant. Do you feed off-“.

“No. I do not need mana from a Master to sustain myself, nor do I need souls to keep my physical form. I ȧssure you, I’m flesh and blood”.

Batman’s questions pressed on.

Gray didn’t respond to his question, choosing to remain silent as he turned and looked at Superman holding his left arm and the Green Lanterns his right. The Hawks readied their Nth metal maces and Martian Manhunter took a couple steps backwards, holding his head in pain as Diana steadied him.

“Sorry about that. The voices will probably stop bothering you, but only if they’re in a good mood”.

Diana looked at her friend kneeling in pain, before the Martian let out a deep breath and looked up at the Pseudo-Servant in awe, and slight fear. His words caused Gray to frown, and he wanted to lecture the Servants in his Class Cards for what they said.

“That’s impossible”, he spoke before continuing, “How can so many minds exist in one body? And why do want to stop the Holy Grail War from happening? Is it not in your interest to obtain your one true wish?”.

“If I knew what my wish was, then I might consider it”.

Gray retorted the Martian’s words more aggressively than what he normally did. Letting out a deep breath as Superman felt his arm move slightly, edging closer and closer towards Berserker’s neck, the legendary spear of Achilles in Gray’s hand and the cursed spear of Scathach in the other.

The strength of thirteen Heroes of legend pressed against the last Son of Krypton and the combined strength of two Green Lanterns. Clark felt his feet be pushed back a few centimeters, and the green light constructs slowly cracked as Gray pushed through their wills.

Batman through a batarang at Gray, but the mortal weapon was deflected by Gray’s Noble Phantasm, [Andreias Amarantos: Amaranth of the Brave]. His skin bathed in an immortal fire, changing almost all of his flesh and blood into those similar to Gods.

All the League looked at Diana, who frowned as she met their gazes. Gray looked back, if only to see the look on her face as she shook her head slightly, as if trying to plead with the Pseudo-Servant.

It was the same feeling others got when they saw Gray install his Assassin Class Card for the first time. The feeling of death that crawled up their spine and burrowed deep within every fiber of their being, like a thin metal blade cutting upon lines of death….

“Get back!”.

Superman and Batman were surprised by the sudden shout coming from the man they were trying to restrain, and the former felt something cut lightly through his arm, and a lack of feeling from the elbow down.

The Man of Steel’s eyes widened as his left arm was severed and despite even Clark’s strength, he couldn’t help but scream as his limb went flying through the air.

The lack of blood appearing from his wounds was a strange look in the eyes of the caped crusader, even though the Dark Knight was the most shocked out of all the League members present. All the members of the Justice League felt a swift blow to their sternums as Gray pushed them behind him, his twin spears in hand.

Seven figures, including that of Berserker who was being woken up by a handsome light brown haired man with a charismatic smile on his face. The top of his ċhėst exposed and he was garbed in a strange outfit that resembled both a Emperor’s garment and a General’s uniform. A massive hat could be seen on his head.

The seven figures were all unbelievably familiar to Gray, all could be named by the Pseudo-Servant. Yet the presence of the woman in front, the beautiful long brunette woman sent shivers down the spines of all who stared into her eyes.

Her long Japanese kimono stretched to the ground, yet like Gray’s Chinese garb, it never grew dirty or stained from the dirt or gravel. Her beautiful long hair fell down her back like wings on an angel, and her strange colored eyes bloomed like a lone peony in a field of death.

“Your lines of death….. why is that I cannot see them?”.