Chapter 1
Soul's Feels
6 Years Ago
"This boy stole your father away from you," Jubstacheit, Illyasviel's grandfather, declared as he emotionlessly laid out pictures to her. "Even though he fully knows that you are alive and well, he still chose to bury his past of you and your mother and chose to adopt a new life."
Illyasviel stood there, her eyes glued to the collection of black and white photographs of her father and a young boy she had never seen before. Her mind reeled in shock at the collection of her father smiling in front of another person besides herself.
She was not stupid, her father hardly smiled before her mother, and even then, it was mellow and empty. Only when did she enter into the room did his smile come up and even then, she knew it felt off.
That was a year ago, and in that time she held hope that she would at least see her father again as she knew the fate that befell her mother.
That hope was dashed and spat on.
"W-Why?" she asked, her face getting marred with tears as she looked desperately at the photos.
"He does not want you anymore," her grandfather stated bitterly.
6 Years, 5 Months Ago
It was cold, it was very cold. Illyasviel gripped her blanket tighter as pain rocked her entire little body. "Mommy..." she cried silently, her pleas of help knowingly unheard. "Mommy... Help me... It hurts..." Her tears had long sod the bed she huddled in.
She wanted someone to save her, take her away far from this place. She had long realized her only living parent was never going to come as he was busy tending to his new child.
No one was coming and she knew it.
"Yes, my cute child?"
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she heard those words in her mother's voice. She shakily looked out from her blankets but she saw no one. She became more depressed as the realization hit her, her mind was playing games-
Suddenly warmth clung on to her and a decently heavy weight dropped on her, not too heavy to crush her but heavy enough for her to know someone was there.
"Don't cry, my sweetest Illyasviel, you'll make mommy sad."
Her pain suddenly vanished and instead was replaced by a feeling of sheer relief.
"I'm sorry mommy!" Illyasviel cried as she hugged mother's arm tightly as tears of sheer happiness replaced her tears if anguish.
"Shhh..."
Illyasviel continued to cry as the warmth filled her heart. "Mommy..."
4 Years, 8 Months Ago
"Tea, mommy?" Illyasviel asked mother as she held the teapot in the most elegant and proper way she could do.
"That would be nice, sweetie," mother replied with a smile. Illyasviel poured her some tea, a dumb smile was plastered in her face as she did so.
"Your etiquette has certainly improved," she observed, her ever-present smile widening a bit.
"Thanks, mommy!" Illyasviel said happily as her smile too widened and a giddy feeling welled up in her heart.
Suddenly, the doors to her room opened up with a bang, immediately tearing her attention to it.
Jubestachiet walked in, his ever-present scowl lighting up a tad bit as he laid eyes on Illyasviel. "Practicing etiquette, are we?" he inquired, his deep voice sounding only a tone lighter than usual.
"Y-Yes..." Illyasviel muttered, her gaze averting themselves from her grandfather and secretly looking at the place where mother was just a moment ago. Mommy...
The old man's expression hardened, his scowl defaulting back to its usual harshness. "However, when addressing someone, using childish titles such as "mommy" is not acceptable," he reminded. He took a pause as he emotionlessly scoured Illyasviel's room with his eyes before focusing back to her. "Change into the usual clothing and come to the training hall in 5 minutes, do not make me send for a maid again."
"Yes, grandfather," Illyasviel curtsied, her voice so dull and lifeless that it could make any man shiver.
Jubestachiet, being cold as always, ignored her response and left her room, closing the doors shut.
Illyasviel stood there, her eyes looking at the cold floor. Tears started to well up in her eyes as her body shook in fright, her body wanting to flee but her mind knowing the consequences of even attempting to do so.
Suddenly, like so many other times, she felt warmth as mother hugged her small frame. "Tell me, my sweetie, do you hate him?" mother asked softly, her tone filled with sorrow.
"Y-Yes..." Illyasviel croaked as she let her tears fall. "I hate him... S-So much..."
"Be strong my little fairy, once this is over and you inevitably inherit the title of the head, you can kick him as many times as you want," mother gleefully supplied.
Illyasviel giggled a bit at her mother's suggestion, her eyes briefly producing tears of laughter. "You're so funny, mommy," she replied in equal glee.
"Anything to cheer you up, sweetie."
Suddenly, her mood dropped as she hugged mother's arms tighter. "Mommy... Why did daddy abandon us?" she asked quietly.
Mother hummed a familiar German tune, her tone sad and mellow as she nuzzled her chin on Illyasviel's head. "While that old man is mean, what he said was true, your daddy doesn't love you anymore, nor does he love me..."
Tears welled up in Illyasviel's eyes again as she felt her knees wobble. "B-But d-d-dadd-dy s-said he w-would come for m-me!" she cried, her tone swelling with sorrow and anger.
"Shhh... Why don't you come to him and your new brother?" Mother started to rub Illyasviel's hair in order to calm her, her voice was motherly, uncharacteristically motherly.
Not realizing the oddness in mother's tone, Illyasviel used mother's arm to hide her tears. "T-That's not how it works!" she cried, her grip on mother's arm tightening once again. "Daddy said he would get me! B-But he hasn't..." As she finished, she turned around, and instead of facing away from mother, she buried her face into mother's cleavage.
Mother merely smiled as she ran her fingers through Illyasviel's hair. Her eyes filled with smug satisfaction that only shone when out of view.
"Why don't you kick him many times as well, then?"
Illyasviel gripped mother even tighter. "Y-Yeah..."
2 Years Ago
Illyasviel curled herself in her blanket, her body racked with pain from the implants given to her by Jubestachiet. As she shriveled in pain, her voice called out in whimpers, "Mommy... Mommy..."
She had called out her mother at least a dozen times by now and yet, no answer was given. No indication of her mother was there: no warmth, no motherly words, and no head pats.
Finally, her phrase changed as she asked a single question: "M-Mommy, w-where are you...?"
No answer was given besides the cold, cold breeze, and the pain.
First daddy... Now mommy... She thought bitterly as she tried her best to keep herself warm and ignore the pain. Tears rolled down her face as she hugged herself tightly. "E-Everyone always leaves m-me..." she whimpered. Why...
2 Months Ago
"Lady Illyasviel, the preparations are complete," Sella, one of her homunculus maids reported.
"Laaaa..." Leysritt, another of her maids blurted out randomly.
Sella looked sternly at Leysritt, her glare able to pierce steel. "Leysritt!" she said icily, immediately shutting up her fellow maid.
Illyasviel merely nodded before moving past them and opened the door. She entered a rather sizable room that was only just big enough to fit the big summoning circle in the middle of the room.
She stood before the circle, taking in the simplistic curves and symbols that made it up. "Sella, the liquid," she commanded as she motioned for said maid to give her the item.
"Yes, Lady Illyasviel," Sella replied as she handed Illyasviel a bottle filled with a blue liquid.
Illyasviel opened the bottle and let it drip slowly whilst starting her incantation. "For the elements, iron, and silver. For the foundation, stone and the Archduke of Contracts," she began, as the liquid started to light up the circle. "For the ancestor, my great master, Schweinorg. Close the gates of the cardinal directions. Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom circulate.
"Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill." Everyone fill she said briefly made the circle brighter.
"Repeat five times. But when each is filled, destroy it. Set.
"Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer me. I hereby swear...
"That I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat evil in the world. Yet, thou serves with thine eyes clouded in chaos. Thou bound in the cage of madness. I am the one who commands these chains."
The mana in the air started to lash around, sending dust flying and loose clothing flailing about. "You seven heavens, clad in the great words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!"
Smoke suddenly appeared in the circle, obscuring the servant from view.
Everyone held in their breath as the smoke started to dissipate and the servant that Illyasviel summoned began to unveil itself. The prepared chains shot out and bound the servant by the wrists in an effort to control it before Illyasviel finalized the contract.
Its chest was laid bare, the chiseled muscles might as well be marble with the color they took on. Its waist was covered by a torn-off piece of clothing that hid its otherworldy nudity.
Its mask, however, was what inspired fear the most.
Greater people than she would have trembled ever so slightly from the monstrous mask that might as well be his face.
Unruly horns.
Seemingly empty sockets with only glints of yellow shining from time to time.
Visible teeth that of a beast.
And red streaks that went down below his waist.
Everyone shivered at the inhumane beast before them. "Is this Herakles...?" Illyasviel asked breathlessly, mostly to herself.
"Lady Illyasviel, perhaps you should form a contract with the servant in order to ascertain it's identity," Sella supplied with absolute professionalism, her face not giving away anything on how she was feeling.
Illyasviel glared at the servant, her glare doing it's best to furrow a hole into it. "Who are you?" she demanded.
Steam seemed to hiss out of its mouth as a feral growl emanated from it.
"I never recalled Herakles ever having orange hair..." she muttered as she continued to stare at the chained servant. "Sella are you sure that the stone that grandfather provided is truly a piece from the temple?" she inquired, her focus going past the servant and to the stone tile behind it.
"I am not sure, Lady Illyasviel but I have faith in Lord Jubstacheit's judgment," Sella replied respectfully.
Illyasviel huffed before turning her attention back to the growling beast. "Whatever, I'll continue on the notion that this thing is Herakles."
As she moved to a smaller circle just a little away from the summoning circle, she looked into its eyes. She immediately recoiled at the sight of those eyes, her body freezing at the agony within those eyes.
Those eyes resembled Kiritsugu's.
"Lady Illyasviel, are you alright?" Sella asked in worry.
Illyasviel snapped out of her stupor and responded to Sella's worry. "I-I'm fine," she said curtly, moving once again to the circle.
"If it hurts, you need to stop," Leysritt spoke up and despite her tone being monotone, Illyasviel knew she was worried.
Determined as she was, Illyasviel ignored their worries and declared, "I don't care." With that, her body lit up with her command seals.
She looked into the servant's eyes once more as she declared, "I am your master, heed and obey me, Berserker! I command you to move!"
Berserker merely growled again, its eyes still dull yellow as it looked at her menacingly.
The mere look of the servant's eyes infuriated her as she exploded with rage. "I said move!" she yelled, throwing a tantrum, not unlike a child.
In response, Berserker roared with an ungodly scream. The sheer power of it shaking the room a bit which accompanied an overwhelming pressure that threatened to squash them.
Well, at least she got it to move.
1 Month Ago
Illyasviel stared at the massive castle beholden to her. It was a marvelous structure, one that had served as the headquarters for her family in the latest Holy Grail War. Thus, certainly, there should be answers to some questions.
"Has grandfather cleared out the place since the conclusion of the Third Heaven's Feel Ritual?" she inquired from her maids.
"I do believe so, Lady Illyasviel," Sella replied in a reserved manner.
Illyasviel sighed a bit before nodding to herself. After all, by now Jubstacheit had probably removed any traces of her mother and bastard of a father. The latter of which she was admittedly grateful for but the lack of traces of her mother was kind of saddening.
"Sella, Leysritt prepare the bare necessary rooms and faculties," she commanded before turning to the forest. "Berserker, come."
Leysritt and Sella bowed, saying, "Be safe, Lady Illyasviel," in tandem with each other. To which Illyasviel hummed in response.
2 Weeks Ago
She watched as Shirou Emiya, her unwanted adopted brother, exit his school while walking home with a Matou. To think that he would attempt to court a person from that insect's house, she thought with disgust as she continued to trail them afar.
She narrowed her eyes with suspicion and absolute disgust. Not only that, but he would also really go this far for money. Her magical signature is way off, it's absolutely disgusting. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. Such a scum, trying to take advantage of a scarred girl and giving her false warmth while planning to betray her in the end.
Of course, she did not have proof of his intentions but simply drawing from her prior knowledge of the bastard, she could easily discern his intentions.
There was the possibility that perhaps he was not aware of the girl's true identity and the girl herself was trying to grasp him as her prey. Of course, when the war officially begins, she will keep her eye on the girl and Shirou.
After all, he was her prey.
Present
The clash of swords destroyed the air and sky as the beast of rage flung the servant of the sword afar. It would've given chase to the Saber if it wasn't for the dozens upon dozens of arrows that was enough to pin it and make it stumble.
"Saber!" Shirou cried as he took the chance to rush towards Saber's form, which had luckily only been flung a few feet away from him.
While these things happened, Illyasviel couldn't help but bite her lips in irritation as the antics of her prey was shown to her. "What the hell..." she muttered silently as an unfathomable rage overtook her. "Berserker! Destroy them!"
The booming, unearthly roar that answered her command soothed her anger and replaced it with self-satisfaction.
This time, it ignored the arrows fired at if the arrows suddenly lost its piercing power and it blitzed towards Saber.
Unfortunately, Saber had swiftly recovered in the time Archer had given her and had already gotten a relatively stable position. Once Berserker reached her, her lithe form swiftly dodged and her sword struck against the skin of the mad servant.
"Ah!" Saber roared with all her might as her sword tried to cut through the unnaturally strong skin. Her efforts bore a kind reward as her sword not only bisected an arm but when she swung upwards, Berserker was sent upwards into the air.
Berserker's body was suddenly engulfed in fire and ash as Archer's arrows carried through with the combo, sending the mad servant plummeting away from Saber. Heaving a sigh, Saber turned to her master. "Shirou, please vacate the area," she commanded sternly before taking off towards the mad servant.
Shirou merely looked on helplessly as Tohsaka got out from her stupor and started to drag him away from the fight.
Illyasviel meanwhile, looked at the fleeing duo with condemnation, especially that of her red-headed prey. She clenched her tiny fist, sending a look at Berserker, whose form stroke against Saber and moved to bisect her, and then went to pursue her own target.
"Playing tag? Very well, let's play!"
Saber grunted with exertion as she was flung once more by Berserker. She landed on her feet but she nevertheless felt the force of her landing in her bones.
Strength surpassing anything she had seen and speed of a lancer or rider. That is what she faced, an unstoppable foe that could smash her defenses if she was not careful. Luckily, it would seem that for now, she had the upper hand in her intelligence and skill.
Whoever she faced, she dearly hoped that the insanity skill they had acquired hindered their learning and improvisation because she is going to use the same tactic over and over again.
Their swords clashed briefly as she dodged its swing and brought her own sword to bare. Normally, when faced with such a swing, most knights would dodge, roll, or pray that their helmet would protect them.
What she didn't expect was Berserker to grab her sword with its grip and rip her grip off Excalibur. Then, with its newly regenerated arm, it slashed at her, breaking her armor and almost bisecting her but luckily, she had the instincts to roll away before it could dig itself in her.
Luckily, Archer covered her little retreat with a barrage of arrows that did little but to enrage the foul beast.
Clutching to the side of her abdomen, she looked to the shining blade of her Excalibur, which was no longer coated with her Invisible Air, and back to the glowing feral yellow eyes of Berserker. Predicting the mad servant's next move, once she saw its eyes blur from its afterimage, she rolled to her right and made a mad dash to her weapon.
It was a rule of survival to never turn your back to your opponent but she knew if she did not discard common sense, then she will lose.
To anybody, like Archer, her mad dash would certainly look like a desperate gamble, which it was, but she had a trick up her sleeve.
Halfway towards her weapon, her battle-hardened instincts and the fact she had deliberately made herself look vulnerable allowed her to dodge out of the way of yet another blitz by the beast.
Yet, it would seem it was to reveal another card in its deck.
Instead of a blitz like she expected, a beam of energy the size of a teenager tore the air she once was. Unluckily, the sheer winds the beam had conjured up had sent her flying.
With subtle use of her Invisible Air, however, she had easily broken her impact and had reduced the distance she would have been sent by at least half. As she did that, she took note of the pillar of energy shooting towards the sky.
Grimacing, she steeled her resolve and once more made a beeline for her Excalibur, this time expending more of her mana reserves by using Invisible Air in order to propel her faster.
Perhaps it was arrogance or it was cooling down from what had to be its noble phantasm but Berserker just stood there, menacingly.
Taking advantage of the lull in the battle, she quickly snatched Excalibur before finding good footing on the ground and faced Berserker once more.
It just stood there, menacingly.
Whether it was intentional or not was up to debate as was its intelligence, but Saber felt cold sweat drip down on the back on her neck. So this is what it's like to face an unfathomable foe.
Never in her life had she faced such an overpowering adversary, not even Gilgamesh, mostly due to his arrogance, or Lancelot had given her such a feeling. There was also the heavyweight that had suddenly encumbered her, making her movements feel a tad more sluggish.
Then, it took a single step and it roared with what could also be identified as an ungodly screech. It's energy and it's sheer power sending waves of dirt flying around.
Taking a deep breath, Saber steeled herself as readied her body for what would be undoubtedly the hardest counterattack in her life.
Illyasviel looked at the pillar of energy that was undoubtedly one of her Berserker's Cero before looking at her haggard prey, whose mana was undoubtedly sapped by his servant. She then looked to the Tohsaka with an almost dismissive glance.
"Finally ending this little game of tag?" she asked childishly as she motioned one of her familiars to counter the Tohsaka's ball of curses. "A slugging match, hm?"
Only receiving a click of the tongue by the Tohsaka in response, she turned her gaze to the diminishing pillar of energy. "It's beautiful, is it not?"
"If your servant keeps spitting those out, you do know the Clocktower will see the need to intervene, right?" the Tohsaka said nervously, undoubtedly trying to buy time for whatever plans she had.
Illyasviel was not fazed by the statement and instead smiled. "That is quite certainly true but unless the Wizard Marshall himself comes, there is nothing that can stop my Berserker."
Suddenly, a dozen arrows whizzed in the air above, their purpose was to make her a pincushion. Of course, she wasn't having any of it and she said one word, "Berserker~!"
Suddenly, her Berserker appeared and with a mighty roar, it swung its sword. The sheer strength behind the swing cause currents of wind to be generated, causing the incoming arrows to either stray harmlessly or send the arrows flying.
"Get up, you idiot!" Rin screamed as she dragged Shirou up and made a mad beeline to the treeline.
Curious at how far they could make it, she was about to pursue until she saw her servant tense and a deadly black and red aura surrounding its sword. Archer's noble phantasm! For the first time of the battle, Illyasviel panicked as she deciphered the meaning of Berserker's movements.
A streak of light flew through the air before aiming straight towards her. "Berserker!" she called, rallying her confidence in her servant's strength. "Destroy it," she commanded firmly.
In response to her command, Berserker roared with its unearthly roar and swung its sword at the incoming steak. A massive arc of energy erupted from his sword, it's the sheer power engulfing Archer's attack and annihilating it completely before taking off to who knows where.
"Alright, let's go, Berserker," she hummed as she motioned for Berserker to pick her up. "Onwards!" she declared with a childish vigor.
In response, Berserker roared as if to confirm her order with a resounding affirmative.
The world blurred a bit as Berserker jumped in the air and took off, his feet walking on air in order to pursue her prey and his ally.
Landing with style, Berserker skidded to a halt which kicked up dust and chunks of dirt around them. Making sure to convince the two that their situation was hopeless, Illya confidently jumped off Berserker and smiled.
"Berserker, finish off Saber," as she declared her order, Saber suddenly rushed out of the treeline and Berserker moved instantly to counter the noble servant.
"Saber!" her prey shouted, his shout of worry sending amusement down her spine.
Saber put up a valiant fight as she hastily put up a guard in order to increase the amount of time she had left in the face of Berserker's onslaught.
Caught on with the epic last stand fight and overcome with confidence that she failed to recognize the fact that her prey had run past her, not even batting an eye in her direction.
When she realized that he had run by her, she too hastily put up a guard as she motioned her familiars to form a shield between her and the red-head. When she realized, however, that he had not even batted an eye in her direction and instead made a beeline for Saber, her world froze.
Chapter 1 End
Fuck me, I was planning to make every chapter 10k words but if I do, these chapters will never come out. Therefore, in this chapter, there shall be two chapters for each Heaven's Feel movie.
Regarding this style of this chapter: no, this format of flashbacks, in the beginning, will not continue after this chapter as I only did it cause there was barely any content for Illya in Heaven's Feel first movie.
Also, you may or may not be able to tell but the whole chapter was a whole patchwork of paragraphs that were strung together from drastically different times and because I am still maturing as an author, some parts may be more better written than others.
SaveTheWeak, Out.
Also note, most chapters written by me are released late at night for Eastearn Time Zone so I may or may not be at the best state of mind.