Berserker (Fate/Origins - Tomoe Gozen)

*“A soul who can neither die as a warrior nor woman. Perhaps punishment for a samurai who forsook a future of grandeur for love. Cursed to live as only a memory, forgotten and without a glorified ending. She is the Heroic Spirit of anti-climatic tales. No bridge scenes, public executions, betrayal fueled house fires, or seppuku. In a moment as a wife capable of dying by her husband, a fate thousands of women wished for, you chose your duty as a samurai and retreated as ordered. But that denied your obligation as a warrior - for he only chose it due to your womanhood. Thus you were cursed to exist in Limbo for all eternity.”*

—Rani after seeing Berserker's memories

Berserker (**バーサーカー, Bāsākā?**) is the Berserker-class Servant of Rani in the current Holy Grail War.

## Profile

### Identity

Berserker’s True Name is Tomoe Gozen, also known as **She Who Betrayed Herself**, is a prominent Onna-bugeisha who succumbed to the negative, gender based stigma of the feudal realm all the while she only desired to protect her true love. Tomoe Gozen was a lowly concubine to Minamoto no Yoshinaka. However, she eventually grew to deeply love her master and attempted everything to claim his heart - the one thing she could never capture using the normal prowess of women. Unfortunately, Yoshinaka only saw Tomoe as a simple housemaid even after altered her appearance and increased her sex appeal. She only had one option. Tomoe Gozen trained nonstop for countless years and became a powerful warrior among Yoshinaka’s ranks. She quickly ascended the ranks, becoming one that could slay thousands, gods and the devils themselves.  However, her Master forced her to flee during his last stand. Not to preserve her life but due to his own selfish desire not to die next to a woman. Unable to claim her love, she returned to the battlefield, killed the enemy general and took his head to the ocean so that they could finally die together. She is a warrior denied her right to die as a proper samurai and unable to truly claim his heart. Instead, she was forced to live as a woman and die as a simple concubine. Her extreme sense of loyalty caused Tomoe to betray her own morals and codes. Had she separated her heart, Tomoe would have surely lived for years as a violent warlord.

Although her Lord enjoyed her physically, he lacked the soulful connection between lovers. And thus her life was devoid of meaning; for even as a woman she would always be remembered as an extra sword. This horrific existence made Tomoe curse her powerlessness and the method of destiny. Men could change their purpose in life or alter their existence in the future with brave feats. Tales of courage and stories of granduer. Lowly foot servants evolved into powerful generals and lordless men had the power to take the throne with a single rebellion. But there had not been one female in the eastern world to truly change her position without some form of sex and sinful behavior. Tomoe desired the honorable life her true love walked. And more so, desired to walk that single path by his side. That path was with war alone.

So she spent endless nights training her proficiency in swordsmanship and archery. While onna-bugeisha possessed martial skill to defend their home, abandoning the Naginata for the Daisho symbolized Tomoe discarding her feminent helplessness. She eventually became a single force whose beauty was only overpowered by her ferocity. Men of Yoshinaka feared Tomoe after witnessing her protect her castle without aide and rest.

*“Tomoe was especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swordswoman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill; she rode unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword, and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other warriors.”*

—The Tale of the Heike

Eventually Yoshinaka realized that she was indeed a weapon worth bringing to war. She rose through the ranks as Yoshinaka's strongest general and stood by his side in battle. Finally her purpose had been achieved, she felt their connection bonding. No longer did he visit her for physical, selfish reasons. Their time together was one of commadre and laughter. Men accepted her among their rankings and agreed to serve her in both life and death. Rival noble lords desired Tomoe as a wife and head of household, for she could potentially enhance anyone's bloodline. One particular lord was Yoshinaka's infamous cousin Yoshitsune, who desired Tomoe for himself.

This lead to an internal war secretly fought for Tomoe. To Yoshitsune, the fool Yoshinaka hadn’t realized the beautiful jewel he held. A woman of great power so devoted to one man, he did not deserve her. Contrarily, Yoshinaka thought that his cousin invaded him for other reasons.

Tomoe was given an unprecedented honor by Yoshinaka. She could serve by her Lord's side in his greatest defensive campaign. Surely he would marry her if she captured Yoshitsune's head. So the seven warriors fought in Awazu with intense might. Each commanding a few hundred warrior to equal a couple thousand, they were able to withstand the overwhelming attack of Yoshitsune's massive numbers. With her bow and sword, Tomoe Gozen defeated more than half Yoshitsune's army. Some say Yoshitsune recalled her in battle as a Goddess of the Beauty of War.

Unfortunately, Yoshinaka was unable to defend himself against the massive attack and lost several generals and a large number of men. In the end, only Yoshinaka and Tomoe stood back to back. Instead of offering retreat, Tomoe swore to die by her true love. She cared not for the land or the actual war. She just wanted to end her life alongside Yoshinaka, fighting bravely for the most important item in their lives. But it was Tomoe's foolishness that subdued her. She fought next to Yoshinaka for his heart, his soul and his future. But Yoshinaka fought only for himself. Tomoe was nothing more than an efficient pawn in his battle. And at the face of defeat he chose honor.

His orders were confusing to Tomoe. Perhaps a more humane leader would have told her to go to preserve their name by surviving. Or perhaps it was out of out of love for his men. But it was at that moment that Tomoe realized that she was never one of his men.  Tomoe heard the screams of victory when Yoshinaka's head was claimed by his cousin. A rage awaken within Tomoe like none other and she slaied ... one of Yoshitsune's greatest generals. Afterwards she reclaimed her Lord's head and fought her way to safety. Covered in blood, she sat before him unable to understand why he would disgrace her. She wanted to believe he was only lying, trying to save face in front of the writers of history.

## Personality

*“I was denied my right to die by my Lord’s side in war. Denied my right to die by my husband’s side. Denied my legacy as a samurai of the Minamoto. Denied my right to continue the legacy of my true love. Neither a warrior nor a woman. I am nothing more than regret. Anger. Resentment. But not at the source of my affection. At myself, for forsaking both a grand legacy and an even grander dream. I shall rise among to reclaim my place! To take my land and bring fortune to the people. No longer am I the sword used to destroy his enemies. I am now the master of my fate, and you’ll become the sword!”*

—Berserker to Rani

 Even before the invocation of Mad Enhancement, Berserker is filled with an extreme rage stemming from a poetic regret. She wants nothing more than to return to her time and alter her future. With the Holy Grail so close, she becomes a general that was worth ruling her own country rather than succumbing to the dreams of the wrong man. When Mad Enhancement befalls the mighty warrior, she enters battle with an unforeseen ferocity. She curses at the world for cursing her with such a lowly existence. and becomes a warrior of bestial instinct, surviving and reacting off her subconscious emotions. Berserker is a walking fountain of hatred and resentment, scowling at her allies and chasing her enemies across the country in order to complete her goal. Those accustomed to war state that she is a force that can be sense when approaching the battlefield, a thick anger that only gods have been known to show the world. But they feel is actually the hatred she holds for fate itself, not the anger held onto by the heavens above. It is impossible for a human to allow such passionate madness and continue living, and such she is a being brought back from her last minutes of death. s a samurai cursed by other samurai, Berserker is extremely volatile around those who practice the samurai discipline. So much so, she is impossible to stop after engaging in a sword battle.

Tomoe Gozen became a legend among samurai of both generals, a warrior whose might could stand against the forces of Yoshitsune and survive. Unlike the greatest warlords, her tale does not end with defeat or death. But rather betrayal from the one she held closest to her heart. Some say that if Yoshinaka had recognized Tomoe, they could have escaped together and launched an even bigger retaliation. Most warriors knowledgable of her tale are understanding of her frustration and pity the state upon which she appears. But this pity is often short lasting for they are also aware of her frightening powers, which are now without restraint. Denied her purpose and reason for existence, rejected among samurai and unable to claim her destiny as a warrior - Tomoe is unable to retreat from battle. Interferences and retreat falls upon deafened ears when under Mad Enhancement.

Berserker holds onto humanity when it comes to understanding the trials of the woman’s heart. When it is revealed that Rani’s husband, Yasuke, is apart of the Holy Grail War, she displayed signs of restraint when it came to battle - refraining from causing collateral damage and choosing to target his servant primarily. As someone who knew true love, Berserker will step beyond herself to protect the sanctity of two humans uniting once she sees the genuine nature of both hearts. This was revealed when Yasuke and Rani refrained from attacking each other after confronting, promising to stop the other from going further in fear of the other losing their life. Overall, Berserker no longer views herself as a sword, but instead the general upon which she was destined to become. To her, everyone else is a pawn in her grand scheme of world domination. She is not mad at any mere man for her lost, stating that it was her decision to be foolish. It is the weight of self hatred and anger that lead to her insanity.

==Appearance==

## Abilities

Berserker is a Heroic Spirit known for her immense prowess and abilities that surpasses thousands of men, several gods and numerous devils. Simply put, she was able to single handily survive a battle upon which her fellow generals were killed. Some say that had Yoshinaka kept her by his side, he could have survived and possibly retaliated at a later date. Out of the samurai of Japan, Tomoe Gozen is highly ranked as one of the strongest Heroic Spirits and the strongest female servant. She is considered the equivalent to a behemoth among heroic spirits with pure human lineage; capable of standing and surviving against thousands of men, Tomoe has earned her status as an A-Rank Servant. Berserker also received another boost in power from being summoned in her home country, with her Cultural Sphere amplifying her skills and parameters. Tomoe Gozen is a servant who can be classified as Saber, Archer, Lancer and Rider - lacking Caster due to not having skill in magecraft and following a code of honor that forbids deceit.

Robbed of a true death as a warrior and losing the chance to die by her husband’s side, she is an existence without purpose. Berserker neither died as a samurai or wife, but as a disgrace to both warriors and women. Madness befell the general who slaughtered thirty enemies and their leader Onda no Hachiro Moroshige in response. A warrior who ended her life in a maddened delusion, it is only right that she holds an affinity for the Berserker class. Although Tomoe holds potential to be a saber of exceptional talent, she gains a tremendous boost by Mad Enhancement, increasing the rank of all stats besides Luck and Magical Energy and becoming the epitome of war. She trades her conscious thought and reasoning for animalistic, primal instinct amplified by a combination of physical domination and martial mastery ingrained into her subconscious. Atlas states that focusing on the subconscious mastery she displayed in battle and amplifying them far beyond previously conceived boundaries would create a servant capable of destroying the strongest Noble Phantasm. She is the weapon of mass destruction, removing the weakness of hiding both her identity and secret weapon. Should one guess Berserker’s identity, Tomoe would not have a weakened heel or a chipped sword to take advantage of.

Berserker holds her ability to comprehend situations and the surrounding environment in a manner that only a warrior could. Every field is a battlefield, even if she was to find herself in a playground, her mind would analyze the situation as if she was stuck in a deadly war. In simpler terms, she exhibits an extreme variation of PTSD that makes it impossible for nerves to calm. Although this makes for the perfect servant for the Holy Grail War, her inability to enter a tranquil mind makes her an obvious sight to other, more discrete servants. Unfortunately, she loses her capabilities to perform techniques and abilities that require concentration and patience. She is a charging force that launches headfirst into the battlefield without second thought. She is apparently able to hold normal conversation with those who she permits to speak with her, Berserker’s willpower and ideology cannot change under no circumstances. This creates certain switches that can unleash the meaning of being a Berserker upon the world. Firstly, betrayed of her right as a samurai, Berserker will enter an enraged mode when faced against servants of the Bushido discipline. She will lose all ability to reason with her Master and chase down her target relentlessly. Some say it is the last shred of sanity that drives her to attempt to still fight for her lord. While others argue that she is attempting to reach for the fame that she rightfully deserves. Alternatively, the EX ranked Mad Enhancement makes it impossible for men to control her; even should they establish a contract and use three command seals. It is the symbol of her love for one man, which she forsook everything she worked for as well as a dedication to her code. It is an extreme passion that is the amalgamated form of hatred and love. While she exhibits high amount of Magical Energy consumption, Atlas gave Rani an ancient jewel filled with enough mana to suffice her couple lifetimes over.

Rani can combine her runes to control Berserker in a manner similar to a remote control. Her low Magic Resistance makes it easy for Rani to control Berserker through subliminal encouragement. However, when under the full effects of Mad Enhancement, Rani has to expend large amounts of her own Magical Energy to increase the push of her mental commands. After succumbing once, Rani required a few days of rest and relaxation. Subliminal Encouragement temporarily lowers Berserker’s ranking in Mad Enhancement.. Doing so allows Berserker’s master to control her actions without expending excess magical energy. Small commands can keep Berserker from going into an enraged mode and destroying her surroundings. She was even seen standing still behind Rani while she discussed matters with Yasuke. While under the effects of a lower Mad Enhancement, her fighting is more restrained and controlled. It is here she displays the true mastery of a samurai who mastered the sword. Her face becomes more beautiful and prominent, losing the ferocious, feral snarl she displays under Mad Enhancement.

Berserker possesses knowledge of the modern era from the grail. Some could say being reborn into her own homeland has caused her great pain, as she was unable to truly leave a legacy behind. To hear of all the wrong done to her country, and not being their to truly alter history - Berserker feels an instinctual regret akin to fire burning in her chest. Still, she is able to utilize this knowledge subconsciously to enhance her combat. Berserker is a servant of war, and such is known for accomplishing abnormal feats. She is able to leap over buildings in a short burst and seemingly fly over large distances in a single leap fueled by anger and wrath. She has shown the ability to adapt to different circumstances, engaging in battle in both the sky and atop water.

### Combat

Berserker was summoned with one nameless Noble Phantasm and a weapon that is capable of being ranked as nameless Noble Phantasm given to her during her summon. Her main Noble Phantasm is the famed oversized sword that she wielded in her final war - a nameless sword that garnered infamy due to its immense size. Her second was created by Atlas in order to amplify her standing in the war. These weapons are nameless due to Tomoe wielding every sword and bow with such mastery, they appeared as extensions of her own body. Some could say that these weapons represent every katana and bow made by man. Berserker gained power for being an absolute authority when wielding a katana and possessing the demonic aptitude for archery. With her bow, she is able to perform long distance attacks of impressive power. Tomoe’s accuracy and precision is absolutely deadly and her ability to take down numerous enemies is infamous. She is known for sending onwards a rain of arrows that could block out the sun. The force of her Long Bow allows her to perform shots over long distances without sacrificing much power. However, the focus and patience required by her bow is impeded immensely when she is under the effects of Mad Enhancement. And thus she can only use it efficiently when Rani invokes her hypnosis rune. Although she is skilled in the usage of a Naginata, its symbolic tie to the Onna-bugeisha class decreases her parameters.

However, it is the sword that has true meaning to Berserker and such it is the true noble phantasm that she was summoned with. Women were not allowed to wield katana in battle due to symbolizing masculinity. By mastering and pushing its potential far beyond the current limitations, she was able to carve her own destiny with her sword. Berserker prefers a large long sword Rani noted to be so long it would be useless to anyone else but one whose entire existence is based on proving one’s masculinity. It is the equivalent of a man whose overcompensating, which makes sense due to Berserker’s lack of male genitals. The void in her pants received compensation with an overly sized sword that screamed manliness and masculinity yet possessed an unrivaled beauty. For such, Rani named the sword Danseibi (男性美, Danseibi Literally meaning Masculine Beauty). When she wields a katana, Berserker utilizes a unique form of combat that sacrifices one’s own self-preservation for victory. Berserker found that the ultimate price to pay for winning a war was one’s own life, a price few were ready to match. And such, by discarding her sense of self, her love and care for her future, Berserker is able to use Danseibi without restraint. Although a weapon impossible to wield by a mere human, Berserker can utilize it through the usage of Mana Burst - allowing her to access a form of high speed battle and long distance damage. Rani compares it to a massive concussive weapon that only cuts by using the strength of its wielder. And such, Berserker is a monster who prefers to smash enemies repeatedly until they can no longer stand. She breaks through armors and destroys bones with each swing. However, Rani noted that she is not swinging the sword in a manner similar to a bat or a club. Her style of swordsmanship is a form of refined chaos, a controlled rampage where not a breath is wasted or a step discarded. Every movement has a reason and a purpose, every attack a second intention. It is this mastery over such a large weapon that has caused others to ponder her skills with a normal katana.

Berserker's second Noble Phantasm is a unique extension of herself, that is it is a hidden ability which served as a source for one of the most important lines of her tail. A line that has survived for 900 years, it tells of Berserker descending through enemy ranks and returning unscathed. A warrior whose valor was unmatched by hundreds of men. Unmatched Valor is a Noble Phantasm befitting a mortal who wishes to transcend the boundaries of man. And such, it allows her to enter battle in a single charge without fear of retribution. Some call it the greatest defense of a mortal while others refer to it as a curse for one who soul their soul for power.

‘’’Ikki Touesen’’’ (‘’,’’) stems from the legend that she is worth a thousand men on the battlefield. While some could argue that this was a phrase thought to romanticize her efforts in war, there is no way to dispute the fact that she was able to stand against thousands of Yoshitsune’s men with only a few hundred of her forces. As one of the five generals left, Berserker showed the realm that she was no mere human but  a warrior who could actually stand against gods and demons. This trait was crystalized by a parameter increase when the odds are against her. It is a complex formula that takes into an account the divinity of her enemies, their numbers, and how deadly each one is. It is a skill that can ensure that Berserker will always return from battle and rise atop. Against certain enemies, she is able to maximize the increase of her parameters.  Ikki Tousen represents her tendency to always destroy challenges and overcome obstacles. Ikki Tousen is a skill that can be used in replacement of Mad Enhancement, allowing Berserker to fight with a semi-conscious state as opposed to sacrificing her sanity for a similar power boost. However, combining the two skills will result in a true behemoth being born against the right servant. In essence, she is one of few mortal servants capable of standing against ancient heroic spirits should the right situation appear.

Berserker possesses a high ranking in Mana Burst. She is able to amplify her person and weaponry using Magical Energy akin to an extreme variant of Reinforcement. Besides her class skill, Mad Enhancement, Berserker’s Mana Burst is her highest personal skill. She uses her Mana Burst ability in a subconscious manner, manipulating her magical energy through the principle of martial control. That is she displays a primal understanding of ‘’’Breathing and Walking’’’, coursing magical energy throughout her person and through any extension as one controls their blood. Rani compares it to a human’s blood circulation. Magical energy is gathered and infused into her body and weapon, upon which, she releases in order to gain an exponential boost of power. It is a perfect propulsion system grafted onto her body. While a normal jump could get Berserker on the roof of a hospital, she is able to reach the top of the Abenobashi Terminal Building in a few leaps. Witnesses would easily confuse her jumps as flying through the air similar to a jet. The dense magical energy flow is enough to destroy weapons she wield, so to circumvent losing them, Berserker tends to focus on amplifying her person instead. One can compare her battle style as kicking a toothpick into someone’s throat. By increasing the force behind a weapon, it is able to inflict tremendous damage. She is able to reach speeds that far surpass jet planes flying above, catching a fighter jet mid jump and throwing it at a target during a rampage. Her strength is unimaginably disproportionate to her body, being capable of boxing against demigods at full power. When combined with Mad Enhancement, she gains several boost in power. To avoid missing any potential boost in power, Berserker keeps her magic energy usage to a minimum.

Berserker’s natural abilities were comparable to that of a samurai general during her career. However, in order to gain the heart of her true love - she realized that she would need to become an aspect of war. Yoshinaka loved war, and perhaps by becoming war itself he would grow to love her just as much. To accomplish this goal, Berserker used Mana Burst to achieve feats that were seemingly inhuman, such as defeating thirty warriors and their lord in a single charge. Mana Burst extends the reach of her already long sword, allowing her to strike down enemies from an impeccable distance. When in close combat, her strikes are considered the same as a hammer banging in a nail - constant and sporadic with only one intention in mind. Combining Mana Burst with her skills as an Archer allows her to shoot missiles at her target that could destroy the strongest fortress. It was said to have penetrated the armor of a thousand men, raining true destruction upon the battlefield.  Under normal circumstances, Berserker can alter the amount of amplification used with each strike to lessen the magical energy expenditure. But Mad Enhancement removes her subconscious restraints due to increasing her enjoyment of battle, causing her to practice a state referred to ‘’”Constant Overkill’’’ by Rani.

Defensively, Berserker enters battle with nothing more than her normal dress clothes. Yet she is known as one who never received a scratch in battle. This is due to using Mana Burst as a supplement for a shield. She can release powerful jets and an aura of pure energy to reject offensive spells and protect her from physical attacks. Only spells of a higher concentration of magical energy can pierce her burst, unless it is activated with the element of surprise. Her defensive use of Mana Burst is considered her own makeshift variant of Magic Resistance, for true samurai master the path of the sword and not trickery and deceit.

Berserker is famed for surviving a battle against thousands of men without mention of a single scratch. It is highly unlikely for a mortal to possess enough martial prowess to avoid damage. Instead, she was able to continue battle without succumbing to fatal wounds through sheer willpower. This legendary resistance to pain and defeat crystalized into an extreme rank in Battle Continuation. It is the combination of her skill in survival and an immense rejection of defeat. Her martial skill allows her to analyze opponents and situations in order to instinctively choose the best option during battle. Berserker’s movements are calculated even in a fit of rage, making it hard for enemies to properly wound her. Contrarily, should a mighty warrior manage to leave some form of damage, her determine is comparable to that of a Goddess of War. She does not know the meaning of giving up and retreat. She only retreated once in her lifetime, an instance which lead to the death of her life as a warrior and a woman. And such she swore to never leave battle again. Although Berserker lacks any form of self-sufficient healing, she will continue to pursue her target. Should one rip her legs off, she will crawl to them. If they remove her arms, then she will use her teeth. After death, her soul will haunt them until the end of time. It is an existence that can only be erased when provoked - a warrior who will sacrifice self preservation in order to achieve her goal. Even should she succumb to losing her supply of energy and the hypothetical of her master dying, Berserker can continue fighting similar to Independent Action; surviving off of her willpower alone.

Berserker's inability to die has transcended her physical form and transformed into an even higher existence. She has become a being who will always survive no matter what war or how long the war or the intensity of battle. This was seen when Saber tried to use his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. Usually able to discern the necessary line to annihilate the existence of his enemy, Berserker's lines are said to continuously fluctuate at an extreme rate. Her fluctuate rate is beyond any normal human or servant, being compared to a fan rapidly spinning fan almost turning off its hinges.

A true warrior is subconsciously ingrained with each experience gained on the battlefield. Their memories. Each battle creates a new pathway for the soul, a record of the information sent by the five senses to form an experience. As a samurai who played thousands of men, she is compared to a vast library of warfare but with a complex computer that allows her to access each individual sentence when specific parameters are met. A weird brush of wind pulls up a similar situation and analyzes the outcome in order to form a near perfect prediction. Her body picks up all sensory information and compares it to the stored records in order to project the most likely future. It represents not the talented, but the determined soul that was Tomoe Gozen - the woman who trained night and day and fought thousands of men to achieve greatness. She can be considered one of the greatest mortal Heroic Spirits. Should there be even a sliver of hope, she will identify it and follow the right path to victory. Mad Enhancement usually limits the mental capacity of skills that rely on the Mind of an individual. However, each experience is grafted into the core of Berserker. Her actions are not conscious thoughts but subconscious functions that come as easy as breathing. And such, her maddened state cannot rob that which is earned through perseverance and pure determination. She subconsciously analyzes the battlefield and her opponents through her sensory outputs and formulates complex plots to use in battle. She can use it to deduce tricks and even overpower servants of a tranquil mind. Some could say she is a tranquil storm slowly rolling above the opposing power. Berserker uses her strength to ware her opponents thin when they are shown to possess incredible power. She forces them on the defenses and keeps them from switching to the offensive. This is often done by tricking them into attacking, only to counter with a stronger strike. While corrupted by madness, her subconscious mind thinks of a hundred ways  to destroy her opponent, imagining a single end and working to form an impressive network of possible pathways to the end. Rani notes that it is the only reason why she is able to fight with such an oversized, prop like weapon in battle. And should she wield a normal katana, Berserker would be able to corner her opponents in several moves. If swordplay was a chess game, she would be a chess master capable of reading a million page playbook in a mere instant of her reaction.

Berserker has low magical resistance, a status chosen by the Atlas superiors so that her master, Rani, could control her through special runes. After activation, Rani placed a rune that circulates magical energy throughout her body to provide a makeshift resistance. Rani is able to surge magical energy through her circuits when an enemy spell is activated, allowing Berserker’s master to protect her from annoying spells.