1:25 am, East of the Acropolis
The so-called colossus stood among the ruins, perhaps half the height of the columns standing around it. Of course, this did not take away from the scale of the creature, as the columns it compared to were just under sixty feet tall themselves.
Its skin was like marble, glistening with the rain that splashed off its ivory, armor-like skin, its joints connected like plate armor, and an electric blue glow emitting from the chinks in its body. Its hair was like a lion's mane, but stiff, as if made from wire, with some hairs glowing blue, and it remained tough despite the downpour. Its face was monstrous: an angular face locked in a permanent growl- its glowing eyes and bared teeth expressing indescribable hostility. The only part that signified its humanity was its forehead, which, in contrast to the rest of his muscular body, appeared to be obsidian laced with gold, as if a crown. There were similar bands on his tree-like forearms and legs, as well as two additional plates that covered his shoulders and shoulder-blades, these especially seemed to emerge from the body, as if they were too big for his already massive form. He was completely naked except for a skirt-type garb around his waist, slate-gray fabric with a belt made of granite and gold. In his right hand he held a strange glaive-type weapon, a polearm whose gold-bronze shaft led to a circular obsidian blade crowned with the face of a lion. The final and perhaps most disturbing quality was the sound it made, a nonstop rumbling noise like thunder from its body, as if massive gears were constantly shifting within.
Having just made touchdown, it was crouched like a tiger, and was slowly straightening itself within the crater made by its landing. Already the ruins had been disturbed, with one of the two standing corners already toppled. With its face to the sky, its voice escalated from a rumble to a roar, a reverberating call of pure, unbridled aggression that caused the very earth to shake. Had anyone been standing in front of it, they surely would've gone deaf. There couldn't have been anyone in all of Athens who didn't hear its voice.
Rider was certainly no exception.
Like a falling star he emerged from the clouds above- a comet of golden light. The colossus' eyes followed him as he shot down with unnatural speed, breaking the sound barrier, though it was hardly distinguishable from the thunder. Even so, when he made landfall, instead of a crater, it was as if the energy around him unraveled and dispersed with a gust of wind, its golden trail seeming to merge with his hair of the same hue.
Rider stood and straightened himself, seemingly unfazed by the creature before him. The creature bent over somewhat to stare down at the armored inhuman while Rider met his eyes; an unmoving mask matched by an equally unmoving scowl.
"Servant, Rider. May I inquire of thine business, fair giant?"
The so-called giant's growl surged briefly in what could be assumed to be some kind of acknowledgement, though it held no obvious meaning other than that.
"I ask of thee once more: what is thy purpose hither?"
There was no response, nor any change in the grinding noise that came from it.
"If it be true that thou hast no business here, then I would ask thee to kindly take thine leave of this place. I should like to avoid unnecessary conflict."
Rider's voice held no tension or negative intent; it was as if he was speaking to an old friend, despite the force of his words.
The growl grew slowly as the giant tensed almost imperceivably.
"If at all possible, perhaps I may speak with thine Master? The Grail War hast hardly begun, after all. Perhaps we couldst reach an agreement; something favorable to all parties?"
The growl grew even more. Even more frighteningly, the colossus began to raise his glaive-slowly and with only one hand- with obvious intent.
As the axe reached past the giant's head, Rider gave one final plea, raising his voice for the first time since his summoning, "Master of Berserker! Seven servants hast yet to gather! The Grail War hast not yet begun! I ask of thee: order Berserker to retreat before thee make an enemy of me!"
Berserker's glaive fell like a lightning strike, just as fast if not faster, and certainly stronger. It embedded itself within the earth parallel to Rider. The casual observer would have assumed the colossus had missed- maybe purposefully- but the keen observer knew better. Without altering his stance even slightly, Rider had sidestepped the blow, and now stood within a centimeter of the blade that was should have cleaved him in two.
"Doth thee understand? Thine Berserker is not the only Servant of his caliber on the battlefield, even now! This is thy final opportunity to stand down and let calmer minds settle our dispute. Call off Berserker!"
Moving faster than the human eye could hope to keep up with, Berserker pulled his axe out of the ground, using the resistance of the earth to pull himself forward with a heel-kick at Rider. The hit made its mark, and Rider flew back but kept his posture, letting the tip of his left boot skate across the earth before planting his right foot solidly after about fifty feet of distance- a plume of dust behind him. He stood now in an obvious combat stance, leaning forward as if about to break into a run. Berserker, in contrast, took a more defensive stance, axe primed for Rider's approach like a batter readying a home-run.
"And so it shall be."
With words of both determination and melancholy, Rider charged, his body a silver and gold streak across the rain-filled courtyard, clearing the distance in a quarter of a second. Berserker swung his mighty glaive, and Rider, like a master acrobat, leaned his body back, barely managing to slip under the blade before landing a solid kick with both feet to the giant's abdomen.
It was difficult to believe the creature could be alive; its body did not bend like flesh, or crack like stone, it simply repelled Rider's solid blow like a ball across a court. Bouncing off the marble shell, he curled into a ball and flipped in the air. He kicked back, and, as if his feet had found purchase in the air itself, flew forward with as much speed as before at point-blank range. With short-swords made of light that hadn't existed even a millisecond prior, he began slicing at Berserker's flesh with animalistic ferocity. Leaning into the force of his own swings, Rider spun like a buzz-saw, the golden ether of his blades sparking in all directions.
Berserker took the hits with no visible damage. His growl surging, he made a grab at Rider with his free hand. With perfect timing, Rider allowed the resistance faced by his strikes to propel him back and down, narrowly avoiding the giant's clutches. Crouched on the ground like a wild animal, Rider went to lunge at Berserker once more, but was met by his axe. From his stance, Rider could only jump back, the face of his mask grazed by the falling blade.
The cut on Rider's mask glowed with ethereal silver light, but Rider would not be discouraged. He lunged again, this time with spears made of light like the swords before. Instead of reaching Berserker's skin, they clashed blades. Having sacrificed strength for speed, Berserker met Rider's blows one-for-one, but that is not to say they were equal. Each strike shattered Rider's weapons, and each time Rider would have to take to expert acrobatics just to narrowly evade the giant's strikes that carved through his constructs with such ease.
In the next few seconds, no less than one hundred blows were exchanged before Berserker finally left an opening. Currently positioned above the giant, Rider dove down towards Berserker's neck, before feeling the air shift and charge around him.
Lightning struck Berserker. His roar grew louder and louder, rivaling his first call. Blue-white energy burst forth from the colossus in an explosion of pure energy that sent Rider flying back.
He allowed himself to rag-doll in the air before landing catlike about thirty feet away from his initial position. Lightning continued to surge from Berserker's body, but nonetheless he moved. Slowly, as if methodically coursing the energy through his ivory muscles, he pulled his axe back as if to strike. His roar continued in its volume, surging as he struck once more.
Lightning flew off from the blade, skating across the earth and stone with the arc. Rider dodged, but Berserker continued to unleash successive strikes, each faster than the last, and Rider could only dodge so many. The lightning actively sought out Rider's form, and he took several hits. He flinched with each hit, but continued to move despite it. He positioned his body to charge again, but hesitated when the strikes suddenly ceased. Berserker was once more holding his axe, ready to unleash a powerful strike.
It was too late when Rider realized he wasn't the target.
Berserker swung his axe, and a bolt of lightning flew past Rider and into the distance. Rider followed the bolt with his eyes for a moment- before returning his gaze with renewed vigor. He charged, faster than before, remaining on the ground. Berserker swung his axe downwards, but was no match for Rider's lithe movements. Rider slid under the colossus and his glaive, before turning to a crouched position. Golden energy seemed to wrap around and surge from his knee as he leaped, planting his armored kneecap directly into the small of Berserker's back.
This time, Berserker flinched. His body moved to Rider's impact; a clean hit.
Rider wasn't finished, he wailed into the giant's back with a flurry of punches and kicks, each moving naturally into the next. Weapons of light formed around him each time; jabbing into Berserker's marble form alongside Rider's blows. With each one that shattered, there was already another to take its place.
Berserker would only tolerate this for so long, he turned around, swinging his axe in tandem.
-But the giant's incredible speed worked against him, as Rider rode the movement to send himself flying behind Berserker once more. His fist to the earth, the warrior of silver and jade allowed golden energy to flow around him, seeming to gather his strength. At this time, a blood mist seemed to rise from the earth, covering the courtyard, though neither combatant seemed to notice or care.
Berserker turned to face Rider. His eyes glowed with a new intensity, as if lightning would fire out from them to smite Rider where he stood. As opposed to returning to his defensive stance, the colossus stood simply. The grinding grew in its volume and sharpness- from grinding gears, to sharpening knives- and he tensed his body for the offensive.
Before anyone knew, Berserker was standing directly in front of Rider, axe primed to strike above his head. The colossus was ready to kill Rider where he stood, but was held back by a veritable mile's worth of some kind of fabric
The "fabric" was cut in long, perhaps four-inch-thick bandages. It was black and smooth, shimmering like metal in the rain. Either side of the fabric was red, and glowed in the darkness, as did hexagonal patterns across the black center; only a small portion glowed at any time, as if lit by energy coursing through. It strained against Berserker's strength with a sound like metal cords.
Rider took a step back, the energy he had been building released inadvertently.
Above him was a pale figure. His arms and legs were covered in the same kind of fabric that trapped Berserker, but was otherwise dressed only by a black linen robe that didn't cover the chest. His hair was long, oily, and reminded one of wires in the way they flowed across his shoulders, transitioning into red as it did. On his chin was a postiche of gold and black, like the pharaohs of old used to wear, and his rectangular features were accentuated by pitch black eyes housing red irises.
He floated far above them, lowering himself slowly in the air, with one hand cast towards the colossus and the other behind his back. Just behind and above Rider, he spoke with a voice deep, smooth, bitter and cold.
"Servant, Caster. You've done well, Rider."
Rider's soft laugh echoed throughout the space around them. "A united front?"
"I think you would agree this creature poses an existential threat to the sanctity of the war, no? Besides, a being of this strength has no right to exist in the Age of Man."
Rider entered a combat stance, readying himself once more. "Then we art concurred."
"I suppose we are."
Berserker flexed and the cords holding it snapped, the tension sending the ends flying in all directions, and roared such that both Rider and Caster winced from the volume. -But they readied themselves regardless, energy flowing around each of them- ethereal gold for Rider, and electric red for Caster. Berserker tensed to strike and-
-Didn't.
The lightning that surrounded the colossus calmed and dissipated, his roar simmering down to a growl. Like a soft-footed panther he took a step back, then another, and his body began to disappear into golden light as Berserker entered his Spirit Form, seeming to retreat, but never breaking his murderous gaze from the two servants in front of him.
Once he was completely gone, the two allowed the tension to slip from their bodies. Rider turned to Caster.
"Don't look at me. His Master must've ordered a retreat."
"Can I rely on thy assistance in future engagements?"
"With Berserker? Certainly. If possible, all Servants and Masters should form a united front against that monster."
"Is that possible?"
"Certainly not. Mages are selfish creatures, after all. Though I think you'd agree that this is at least a good start."
"Certainly." Rider's voice expressed a kind of tired grief.
"Well, don't let me hold you. You should tend to your Master right away."
Rider bowed slightly, "A thousand thanks." Rider stood and extended his hand. "To our future cooperation."
Caster shook his hand, "Indeed."
Having said their goodbyes, Rider disappeared just as Berserker had, presumably rushing to his master who had been struck by Berserker's lightning.
Caster gazed up at a small black bird flying overhead. Sirens wailed in the distance.
"Damn. All that work for nothing."
As the words escaped his lips, his red eyes looked off to somewhere far away, "-Then again, maybe not."
Caster vanished like those before him.
...
Among the temple grounds, two columns had fallen, and lay broken. A large crater stained the earth where the temple once stood, and scorch marks colored the ground around it, some grass still smoldering with small embers as the blood mist cleared.
Thankfully, the tree line prevented any direct witnesses, though people could still see bits and pieces of the aerial combat from the road and from the government building not a hundred yards away. The Mage's Association had their work cut out for them in covering up the battle. As far as the general public was concerned, a meteor had crash-landed on the temple grounds. Regardless of the story or the cover-up, online paranormal blogs and those who still believed in the old gods obsessed over the story for a few weeks before forgetting about it as they always did. Of course, similar, mysterious things would be a fact of life for the people of Athens across the next few weeks.
For tonight, The Holy Grail War had begun in earnest.
....