Fate: Livestream in Chaldeas

Chapter 188: Jack the Ripper, but as a Berserker

"Today I'll take everyone for a walk around the streets of London, okay? Look over here, and over here too——"

Ethan pointed the camera toward the thick fog surrounding him.

[Dude, I can't see anything you're pointing at, it's all foggy....]

[Whoa, the moment I turned on the screen I could smell home. Is the host really in London?]

[Host, what got into you today, turning into a tour guide?]

[Alright everyone, let him enjoy his peaceful time... before a tentacle monster shows up… as usual.]

[Who do you think he'll meet next, in terms of Servants?]

[No idea, but since he's in London it's probably going to be a British or European servant? Maybe even Sherlock Holmes, waku waku!]

Faced with all kinds of commentary in the livestream chat, Ethan sighed.

"Weren't you all begging to see this? Do you even realize the golden value of the 'City of Fog'?"

"Uhh…?"

Seeing Ethan muttering to himself, Mash of course knew what he was doing.

But Frankenstein didn't. She stopped walking and cautiously approached.

First, she examined the device on Ethan's arm from top to bottom, then pointed at it with a puzzled expression.

"Oh, this?"

Ethan thought for a bit.

"This is a communication device, kind of like a phone."

He even mimed a phone call to illustrate.

Based on Frankenstein's 'year of manufacture,' phones should've already been invented.

"Uhh…"

Frankenstein nodded. She seemed to have understood.

Suddenly, the livestream screen showed a close-up of red-haired Frankenstein's face.

[Ohhhhh, it's Ken-chan!!!]

[Bride Ken-chan makes a dazzling entrance! Kaboom!!]

[Kuudere!! Too cute~!!]

[Host, bring Mo-chan from Chaldea, she'd definitely want to meet Frankenstein!]

[Victor Frankenstein was such an idiot, calling Ken-chan a monster! She's got such a beautiful cyberpunk aesthetic~.]

[Speaking of cyberpunk beauty, robots kinda... aren't so bad.]

[Maybe it's just me, but the degeneracy level in this stream chat is getting... increasingly intense…]

...

"Kaka, kakaka…"

Suddenly, from within the fog ahead, came the sound of mechanical gears turning.

Immediately after that, sharp slashing sounds came flying in!!!

Slash, slash, slash——————!!!

The fog was torn apart instantly, and the enemy's form was revealed.

A large number of mechanized soldiers were launching an attack. Their arms were simple blades, heads rounded like iron drums, bodies clad in blue steel armor.

They moved in unison, charging straight at Ethan!!!

Clang————————!!

The shield in Mash's hand instantly blocked the enemy's strike.

But they didn't stop, swinging their blade-arms repeatedly and relentlessly.

"Haaah!!!"

Mash directly rammed two of them down.

The remaining few attempted to flank them from behind, but suddenly, a figure dashed forward from the front!

"Ughaaa!!!"

A mace slammed down onto the mechanized soldiers!

The moment they were hit, the soldiers emitted heavy metallic thuds, and parts scattered from their blue-armored bodies, splattering black machine oil everywhere.

"Senpai, are you alright?"

Mash raised her shield, standing in front of Ethan.

"I'm fine. Looks like Andersen was right."

But where exactly did these mechanized soldiers come from?

There were a bunch of similar things back in that scrapyard too.

Only after turning the soldiers into heaps of scrap metal did Frankenstein stop attacking.

"Uhh…"

She suddenly turned her head in another direction, seemingly seeing something in the fog.

The next moment, she grabbed her mace and charged straight into the mist!

"Hey!"

Before Ethan could stop her, Frankenstein's figure had already disappeared into the fog.

And the moment her mace—Bridal Chest—left the surrounding area, the fog began to close in around Ethan and Mash once again.

Only faint sounds of battle and the crackle of electricity could be heard from somewhere deep in the mist.

"Senpai, please be careful."

Mash quickly contacted Dr. Romani using her communicator bracelet.

"Doctor, can you hear me?"

ZZZZZ…

Only static came through the bracelet, Romani's voice couldn't be heard at all.

It seemed the fog was temporarily jamming their communications.

"It's okay, Senpai. I'll protect you no matter what!"

Mash stood beside Ethan, carefully scanning the thick fog around them.

"Cough cough…"

Even though Ethan covered his nose with his hand, he still inhaled some of the fog as it spread.

Despite his resistance to toxins, his fingertips tingled slightly, and his strength seemed to be fading noticeably.

They had to find Frankenstein quickly.

Ethan closed his eyes and focused on listening to the surrounding sounds. Eventually, he pinpointed the noise of battle coming from ahead to the right.

"Mash, that way!"

"Roger!!!"

Mash immediately ran with Ethan in the direction of the sound.

However, no matter how far the two of them advanced toward the front-right, the sound never seemed to grow any closer.

No matter how much they pushed forward, it felt like the distance remained exactly the same.

Doubt started to creep into Ethan's mind.

Could it be… that the poison fog had numbed his sense of hearing?

At that moment, a dim light appeared in front of them.

Then, the silhouette of a short boy came into view.

"Honestly… I got worried and came to check on you, and sure enough, you really did get lost."

The boy spoke while raising the oil lamp in his hand.

"——Andersen?!"

Ethan stared in shock at the familiar face before him.

Wasn't that Andersen—the very person who had just sent them off?

"Why are you here?"

"Why else? I was worried about you, of course!"

Andersen's face showed clear displeasure.

"This fog is crawling with magical beasts and dangerous creatures. One misstep and you're lost in no time."

"We were suddenly attacked by a group of mechanized soldiers. Frankenstein-san rushed off to chase them, and we got separated while trying to find her," Mash quickly explained.

"Frankenstein, huh… so you encountered her too?"

Andersen muttered quietly to himself.

"No problem, I'll take you out of here first. Then we'll figure out a way to regroup with her."

With that, Andersen stepped forward with his oil lamp, intending to lead Ethan and Mash away.

"Thank you so much!!!"

Mash was about to follow him when Ethan grabbed her arm.

"——Senpai?!"

Mash turned her head, eyes full of confusion.

"Who are you really?"

Ethan immediately questioned the "Andersen" standing before him.

"What? You don't recognize me?"

"His" tone turned a bit irritated.

"You're good at impersonating, but it looks like you didn't know Frankenstein brought us here at Andersen's request."

"...Haha, I didn't expect to be exposed so soon…"

The person pretending to be Andersen placed a hand on his forehead and let out a loud laugh.

"But I didn't expect it to be this easy to fool you either. Maybe I should've killed that girl beside you and taken her form instead—it might've worked better."

"WHAM——————!!!"

Mash's shield slammed down, but the body of "Andersen" turned into a cloud of black mist and melted into the dense fog.

"I'm sorry, Senpai… I almost didn't realize his true identity…"

Mash said, full of regret.

This was bad—that guy might really be Jack the Ripper!

Ethan came to a quick conclusion.

He had already known—if you're in a foggy street and don't run into Jack the Ripper around the corner, can you even say you're in London?

But this one didn't seem to be the version of Jack the Ripper born from the grudges of murdered children.

This was the real Jack the Ripper.

The way he spoke so fluently… it was highly likely that he belonged to the Berserker class.

Two negatives canceling each other out—resulting in him retaining his language ability.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh————————!!!"

Something flew out from the fog at incredible speed!

Mash instantly raised her shield to block, and the sharp clang of three impacts echoed through the air. Then Ethan heard a playful giggle in his ear:

"It's been a long time since I've met such an interesting prey. Where did you come from? Why are you in London?"

"——————?!"

Ethan immediately took a step back—just in time—as a razor-sharp slash silently brushed past his neck!

"CLANG————————!!"

Mash managed to deflect the weapon with her shield just in time. A gleaming dagger hit the ground, but it was instantly swallowed by the fog and vanished without a trace.

"Senpai, are you hurt?"

Mash was just about to check if Ethan was injured when she suddenly sensed something rushing at her from behind!

She immediately raised her shield to defend—but then, from directly overhead, a completely unfamiliar woman's voice rang out:

"Wrong guess, I'm up here."

In the next instant, two lightning-fast slashes crossed in an "X" formation, aiming straight for Mash's unguarded throat!

"Uaaaahhhhhhh————————!!!"

Suddenly, a bolt of blue lightning struck down from the sky!

"BOOM————————!!"

The figure that was hit vanished into thin air, and two razor-sharp scalpels fell from her hands, embedding themselves into the ground.

"…Didn't expect you to break free so quickly. Those brats really are useless as backup."

Not far ahead, a woman appeared. She wore a nurse's uniform and a pristine white cap on her head.

"Even I couldn't completely get rid of those kids."

"Ugh!"

A figure appeared in front of Ethan and Mash.

"Frankenstein-san!!!"

Mash called out in relief.

"Uhh… Uhh…"

Frankenstein nodded at Mash and Ethan, her eyes burning with fury as she glared at the nurse standing before them.

"How pitiful. A synthetic creature like you—what's the point in protecting these outsiders? Trying to give your miserable life some meaning?"

The woman's words enraged Frankenstein.

"Uwaaaaah!!!"

Frankenstein raised her mace and charged straight at the enemy!

But the next moment, the figure before her vanished into the fog—replaced by a massive beast!

Its hulking body bore the head of a lion and a goat, with a snake for a tail, its tongue flicking rapidly!

It was unmistakably a Chimera!!!

"GROAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"

The Chimera rammed Frankenstein aside, then swung its heavy paw down to crush her!

"Frankenstein-san!!!"

Mash charged forward and used all her strength to block the blow!

"BOOM————————!!"

The massive impact forced Mash's body into the ground, the earth beneath her cracking into rubble.

"Frankenstein-san, now's your chance!"

"Uhh!"

Frankenstein seized the opportunity. Gripping her mace tightly, she unleashed a burst of electricity and swung upward with all her might!

"ROARRRRRR————————!!"

The Chimera roared in fury, blocking the strike with its solid goat horns—then it lashed its venomous snake tail at her!

"Tssssssssssss——————!!"

From the snake's mouth spewed a thick black mist!

Realizing she couldn't dodge in time, Frankenstein shoved Mash aside with all her strength!

"————————————?!"

Mash stumbled back, nearly falling—but Ethan rushed over and caught her.

At that moment, Frankenstein was hit squarely by the poisonous gas!

Though she couldn't feel pain, the deadly toxin still inflicted severe damage on her body.

Seizing the moment, the Chimera struck down with its claws!

Frankenstein raised the shaft of her mace to block!

"BAM!!"

The brutal impact nearly sent her flying—but she managed to anchor the mace into the ground, carving a deep gouge across the stone floor!

"Come... with me…!!!"

Frankenstein forced the words through gritted teeth.

Then—an enormous surge of electricity exploded from her entire body!!!

The top of her weapon, the Bridal Chest, opened wide—full limiters released!

"Blasted Tree…!!!"

Green lightning burst out like the branching limbs of a giant tree, electricity splitting off and arcing in every direction—friend or foe alike, all caught within its range!

"Senpai!!!"

Mash immediately shielded Ethan with her body.

The buzzing "zizz zizz" of clashing energy rang in Ethan's ears, and the acrid smell of scorched air filled his nose…

When the final wave of electricity faded, Ethan and Mash cautiously looked ahead.

The ground in front of them had become a massive crater. Frankenstein lay collapsed amid the wreckage, her body seemingly shut down.

Yet… her hand still clutched the mace. She had never let go.

"…That should be enough. I haven't been this entertained in a long time."

"———?!"

Right before Ethan and Mash, the terrifying Chimera had vanished.

In its place stood a man in a formal black suit, wearing a monocle—suddenly emerging from the mist.

"Allow me to introduce myself first."

With the refined grace of a classic English nobleman, the man gently removed his hat and bowed.

"My name is Jack the Ripper, of the Berserker Class. I sincerely apologize—but from this moment on, the two of you are now my prey."