Today, Frankenstein felt a bit confused. The pale, intimidating man had given her orders to wreak havoc on the battlefield. If something could be destroyed, she was to destroy it. If it couldn't, she should find that white-haired swordsman—he could probably take care of it.
According to her Master, Gordes, the Red Faction's Servants were severely outnumbered, meaning there wasn't much she couldn't destroy on her own. So, Frankenstein continued smashing dragon tooth warriors with her trusty hammer, Bridal Chest. Her Noble Phantasm's unique abilities made her stronger the more she fought, until…
"Hm?" she muttered as a suspicious figure darted between the dragon tooth warriors and vanished into the forest.
Frankenstein tilted her head in confusion. The speed at which the figure moved was too fast for a normal human. But it wasn't Saber, who nearly dismantled her, nor Archer, who almost took her down. It was too agile for a Caster and too careless for an Assassin. Whatever it was, it didn't matter to her.
She kept smashing the dragontooth soldiers, not even considering venturing into the forest.
After a while, the figure returned, circled around the dragon tooth soldiers, and once again dashed into the forest.
"Hm?" Frankenstein tilted her head again. Still, she continued her work, now almost done with the soldiers…
Just as she was about to move on to her next target, the figure appeared once more. This time, she got a good look at him—a white-haired, dark-skinned priest with a smile that somehow irritated her.
But he was human.
"Woo… woo…" Frankenstein let out a symbolic growl at the priest, then turned to leave with her hammer.
"Frankenstein, the tragic creature born from a man's pursuit of his ideals. You were meant to be a turning point, yet the world rejected you," Shirou Kotomine spoke softly.
Frankenstein stopped in her tracks, growling with caution. How did this human know her true name? Even Gordes, her Master who held her Holy Relic, had been shocked to see her. According to legend, she was supposed to be a towering giant. Only someone from her era, familiar with her creator, should know her real identity. But why him?
"Would you consider joining the Red Faction?" Shirou scratched his face. "We're a bit short on manpower. By the way, my name is Shirou Kotomine."
"Hm!" Frankenstein growled, picked up a dragon tooth soldier's broken bone, and threw it at him.
"Guess that's a no…" Shirou sighed, rubbing his forehead where the bone hit him. He then turned and sprinted back into the forest.
"Hm!"
Frankenstein's instincts, heightened by her Berserker state, kicked in. Though not an animal, her thoughts were far from rational. Now that she'd identified Shirou as an enemy, and since he was fleeing, she had no choice but to give chase.
Without hesitation, Frankenstein hefted her hammer and pursued.
Finally, took the bait…
Shirou breathed a sigh of relief. Lacking allies, he couldn't afford to leave the battlefield, but the only Servant he had any hope of leading away was Frankenstein. The others would have surely overwhelmed him.
But to his frustration, Frankenstein hadn't taken the bait on his first try. Even the second attempt failed, prompting Shakespeare to laugh at him. At least the third try worked, though it was risky.
"Ah, as they say, third time's the charm, Master," Shakespeare, clad in his formal attire, emerged from the trees with an exaggerated flourish, book in hand, as Frankenstein entered the forest.
"Hm!" Frankenstein stopped, eyeing the newly appeared Servant warily. But…
So weak! His mana didn't even reach average levels, and there was no sign of physical training. He radiated an aura of unreliability.
"Oh, even through your hair, I can feel your piercing gaze. But let me clarify something," Shakespeare puffed out his chest, looking proud. "I'm just a scholar, completely non-combatant, and not planning to fight you."
"I'd appreciate it if you helped a little, Caster," Shirou said with a wry smile.
"Didn't I give you a sword?" Shakespeare replied.
"Guess I'll have to make do," Shirou chuckled, drawing a slender katana.
"Hmph… Woo!" Frankenstein growled, charging at Shirou, her massive hammer aimed straight for his head.
"A straightforward attack, true to a Berserker," Shakespeare said as he quickly retreated.
"It's not that simple!" Shirou grunted as he leaped back, firing several Black Keys like bullets toward Frankenstein's head.
Boom!
The hammer struck the ground, creating a powerful gust that diverted the Black Keys mid-air. They narrowly missed Frankenstein and embedded into the ground. Unfortunately for Shakespeare, flying debris from the impact sent him sprawling to the ground.
"See? Not so simple," Shirou said, gripping his sword with his right hand while holding three more Black Keys between the fingers of his left.
"Strength over technique. A lesson learned," Shakespeare muttered, rubbing his head as he dematerialized.
"You really don't want to help, huh?" Shirou groaned, tossing more Black Keys at Frankenstein as he spoke.
"Ah, I'd just get crushed by that violent little girl," Shakespeare admitted, fully aware of his lack of combat ability.
"Argh!" Frankenstein roared, charging at Shirou with her hammer sparking with green electricity—her Noble Phantasm, Blasted Tree. Although Gordes had ordered her not to use it at full power, she didn't need to hold back to smash a Master and a weakling Caster.
[Berserker, remember! Don't underestimate the enemy Masters of the Red Faction!]
She recalled Gordes' warning as she had left for battle.
"No hesitation in using her Noble Phantasm. This is bad," Shirou muttered, his face grim. As a mortal, he knew he couldn't withstand the full force of a Servant's attack. "I guess only a Servant can match another Servant. Caster, it's up to you!"
"I told you, I have no combat ability," Shakespeare replied, his tone still casual despite the looming danger.
"Use your Noble Phantasm!" Shirou demanded, his expression darkening.
"Oh, right! Master, you're so cunning!" Shakespeare teased, his book opening as countless pages flew out, swirling around the battlefield. "To meet the one you love and the one you hate, that itself can be a blessing. Perhaps you'll find the answers you seek or fall into deeper despair. No one knows, but it's the twists of fate that make life interesting!"
"The curtain rises! Applaud like thunder!"
As Shakespeare's Noble Phantasm activated, Frankenstein stepped back, wary of the pages scattered around her.
"Don't worry. My Noble Phantasm has no offensive power," Shakespeare said before dematerializing again.
The pages dispersed, revealing a figure stepping out from among them. Frankenstein's eyes widened in shock.
"Aaaaaah!" Frankenstein clutched her head and screamed.
It was impossible. He was dead. The man she had once loved and hated the most—Victor Frankenstein.
"Why… why are you here?!" Victor stumbled back, terrified, trying to distance himself from her.
"Hmm..." Frankenstein stared blankly at her frightened creator. Nothing had changed. He was still afraid of her, rejecting her, her only family…
"Stay away from me!"
"I should never have created you!"
"You're a monster!"
So, she was a monster. No one would ever love her. She was destined to die alone.
"Waaah!" Frankenstein wailed, holding her head in despair.
"Pathetic, really. A coward even with such an adorable daughter," Shakespeare scoffed at Victor from his spirit form.
"This is the reaction of a fragile human," Shirou sighed, shaking his head as he slowly approached Frankenstein, raising his katana. "I'm sorry, but the only thing I can do for you is end your tragedy. I swear that after this Holy Grail War, no more tragedies named Frankenstein will be born."
"Berserker!" Gordes shouted, realizing it was too late.
"I heard it!"
Shirou's eyes widened as he instinctively pulled back his sword and leaped backward. The next moment, a massive object smashed down in front of Frankenstein, scattering the dust and slashing through the illusion of Victor.
"I heard it!"
"The cries of the oppressed!"
"Ah, the most troublesome thing has arrived," Shakespeare remarked, shrugging. "Life is truly full of surprises."
"I heard it!"
"The laughter of the oppressors!"
As the dust cleared, a towering figure stood protectively in front of the downcast Frankenstein.
"So, I've come!"
With a smile, Spartacus pointed his sword at the stunned Shirou.
"To crush you all!"