Holding Back the Sea

Heroes Clashing

"What should I do?" Kariya asked, while Berserker dressed in real clothes.

In this War, it was natural for Servants to fight, but first they had to find each other. Normally, both the Matou and Tohsaka families were at a disadvantage in this regard, as their locations were defined.

But since Berserker had basically destroyed the Matou household, it now only applied to the Tohsaka. Which meant that there were five Servants with unknown locations scattered throughout an entire city—and he probably wouldn't be able to sense Assassin.

Finding four people in a city wasn't easy, but Servants could sense each other. As such, in theory, if he walked around long enough, he'd probably be able to find the locations of at least four Servants, even if it required giving his own away.

Which was another reason he was leaving. It was the type of tactic that would take time, but any of the Seven Servants could do it if they tried. And if one did and walked by this house, they would notice his presence immediately, which would also give away his Master's location.

So Berserker had chosen to leave and explore the city in order to protect his Master.

Also, needless to say, he was much better at looking like a normal person than Irisviel.

"Leave this house as soon as I'm gone. Just pack your things, take Sakura, and find a safe place as far away from here as possible." Berserker murmured, his voice carrying easily through the silent house as he pulled his new shirt over his head. He sighed, a low, satisfied sound—it felt good to be in normal clothes again.

"Where should we go?" Kariya asked, wincing slightly as Percy cracked his neck and shrugged.

"Don't tell anyone—not even me—but if something happens, don't hesitate to use a Command Seal to summon me. The bond through which you feed me prana shouldn't care about distance, so, if possible, leave this city. I'll use this house as a front and pretend it's our base, so if you need to contact me, call this phone. If you can't leave the city through normal methods, then call me. This city has a river through it, so if needed, I can get us out by boat, but I'll need some time in advance to prepare. If I'm not at the house, don't leave any messages—hang up and call again; emergencies are what Command Seals are for."

Kariya licked his dry lips, looking for lose ends they might have missed.

"The other Masters might find us before I can get out." He said. "Or they could come after us. What should I do if we run into one? Just summon you?"

"If you see an enemy Master or Servant, don't summon me unless you think they're aware of your presence—my presence would give your location away. If they seem like they're going to just pass you by, let them do so, wait until they're out of sight, and then call me with the telephone, because they could still be nearby and we don't want them to know where you are. I'll come from a different direction and lead them away to fight. After I'm done fighting, I'll scout out the surrounding areas, so give me a number to call you at. If I give the all clear, change location; I'll watch over you from a distance."

"And you're sure you don't need any help?"

"No offense, Kariya, but a Servant's most vulnerable point is his master. In your condition, it's unlikely you would even be able to beat the other masters in a fight, and if this was a battle between magi, we would probably lose. But as this is a fight between Servants, I alone am enough. Have no fear, Kariya; I will be victorious. Just keep the girl safe."

Looking down at himself, he felt something was missing.

"Ah! I can't forget these." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a wristwatch and a whistle. "Okay, I have my watch, I have my whistle and I have my pen. Enemy Servants, look out."

Kariya frowned.

"Are these…Noble Phantasms?"

"Hm…my pen is. But not the watch and whistle; neither was important enough to my legend to become Noble Phantasms. Still…they're useful in their own ways. Think of them as being like…my armor."

"Ah, I see." Kariya lied. "Wait…your pen?"

"The pen is mightier than the sword!" Percy exclaimed suddenly, having waited for that question, before laughing. "Don't worry about it; I'll be fine."

"Okay…" Kariya conceded, looking skeptical.

XxXXxX

Never having left the Einsbern Castle before, Irisviel had desired to walk around a town for the first time.

Originally disagreeing, Saber conceded to escort her after learning she'd never been away from the Castle before.

After all, escort was also a duty of a knight.

All the way to nightfall, the pair strolled aimlessly throughout the city. However, while Irisviel was enjoying every moment, Saber, despite looking calm on the surface, was full of nervous tension. Whether the place was beautiful or a new experience, one fact didn't change—this place was enemy territory. As Saber was not a class that excelled in searching for the enemy, it wouldn't be surprising if someone else noticed her first, and while a straightforward attack in the middle of the city was unlikely, it wouldn't be strange for a well-timed surprise attack.

However, she still went along with Irisviel's wish, because of her unfaltering confidence in her sword. She had been summoned as Saber, the strongest class in the Grail War, and she is unsurpassed in close combat; she is certain that she could clear an escape route even in a disadvantageous situation.

Perhaps she even desires a surprise attack, so that she could withstand it fair and square and go in for the kill. If anyone was enough of a fool to make her their enemy, then she would crush them with her own power.

"Hey, Saber, do you want to see the beach, next?" Irisviel asked, unable to hide her excitement.

Not sensing any enemies, Saber nodded with a smile. She had sworn that she would protect Irisviel, so as she enjoyed herself, Saber would protect her to the very end.

XxXXxX

On the opposite shore of the bridge that crossed the Mion River, there was a vast seaside park. In the summer, couples would be there even at night, but in the winter, it was too cold for most people to find enjoyable. But Irisviel had grown up in a place that was often much colder, and had long grown accustomed to it.

As such, it was only she and Saber on the shore that night.

"We should have come here when it wasn't so dark," Saber said apologetically.

"It's fine. The sea is beautiful at night, too, when it mirrors the night sky. Tell me, Saber, do you like the sea?"

"…In my country—in my time—what was beyond the sea was always the enemy. It was annoying, not attractive." Saber closed her eyes as if in regret. "Sadly, it would seem that the more things change, the more the stay the same."

Irisviel immediately settled down.

"An Enemy Servant?"

"Yes," Saber confirmed.

The Servant was approaching and making no effort to hide that fact. At this distance, it was clear that he was aware of Saber's presence, but he simply continued to shorten the distance between them.

"He's coming this way."

"Hm. Does he not want to choose the battlefield, or does he simply think it makes no difference?" Irisviel wondered without a trace of tension in her voice. In this situation where battle seemed inevitable, her lack of react showed her complete faith in Saber's skills. "Moving in as soon as he became aware of you. Perhaps he's a Servant looking for a frontal fight like you, Saber?"

"Certainly, he seems like a straightforward opponent."

"Then shall we wait for him here, Saber?"

The Servant of the Sword nodded firmly.

The enemy was approaching more quickly now, apparently no longer wary that his targets might run away. As Saber stood firmly in quiet self-confidence, Irisviel turned on the small palm-sized device hidden in her pocket. A gift from Kiritsugu, it was a 'transmission machine' that worked without prana in a way she didn't understand, which allowed him to follow a path to Irisviel's position. She turned it on as she had been instructed too, but still…

Irisviel trusted in Saber's power. Any enemy below Saber would be annihilated in a single strike by her proud Servant—that was the type of easy end she expected.

Yes, more than anything, she wanted her Servant to end the fight before Kiristugu entered the battle.

XxXXxX

The Servant the walked onto the beach was…not what they'd expected.

He was taller than the average Japanese man, which, of course, meant he was quite a bit taller than Saber. In the darkness, it was hard to make out precise details, though he had dark hair. What surprised them, though, was what he was wearing—like Saber, he was wearing more modern clothing. Unlike Saber, his modern clothing consisted of a blue, long-sleeved shirt and jeans.

He glanced once at Irisviel before focusing completely on Saber.

"Finally…I've been looking for hours, but I couldn't find any of the other Servants. I even walked around unarmed, but no one was willing to attack me. I'd thought this war would be exciting, but up 'til now, it seems like I've spent most of my time waiting for something interesting to happen."

Brushing back his hair with one hand, he narrowed his eyes.

"I have no grudge against you," He said. "But we are both Servants in this War. Having met like this, it's natural for us to fight."

It seemed almost like an apology, but the Servant seemed resolved. Saber nodded regally in agreement to his words.

"You and I," He continued. "Likely came from times that were centuries apart. But since you're here, you must have been a hero, so…it's a pleasure to meet you, though the circumstances could be better."

Irisviel was somewhat surprised at how pleasant their meeting with their first Servant was going, but Saber didn't seem surprised.

"A pleasure," She agreed smiling slightly. It was a smile she reserved for those willing to participate in a straightforward life-or-death battle. "If this were a battle for honor, I would introduce myself, but we both fight for our masters in this era. Such pleasantries seem out-of-place before a fight to the death."

He gestured dismissively.

"Don't worry about it; I understand. Even so, I am Servant Berserker." He said, understanding the need to keep true identities hidden, even if it probably wasn't a problem for him in this time period.

Even Saber was surprised at his words.

Berserker smiled easily, completely relaxed before her disbelieving stare.

"Mad Enhancement isn't on at the moment, obviously." He said.

"…Ah." Saber said.

Even so, it was strange for a Berserker to not use Mad Enhancement—it was their class ability, allowing them to boost their strength higher than it had been even when they were alive. What purpose was there in summoning a Berserker if one didn't use Mad Enhancement?

But then a thought struck her; a number of heroes that qualified for other classes could also be summoned as Berserkers. As such, if one summoned a Servant that would normally be of the Lancer class as a Berserker, but didn't take away their minds…

Wasn't that the same as summoning a Lancer?

The same could, in theory, apply to any class. So, even if the slots of the three Knight Classes were already taken, couldn't one still summon on as a Berserker class and simply not use Mad Enhancement?

A glance at Irisviel confirmed that she'd realized the same thing.

A Berserker without Mad Enhancement could effectively be any class.

Which raised the question…

If he wasn't really a 'Berserker,' then what was he?

"I am Servant Saber," She said, introducing herself quietly.

She got a bad feeling when Berserker smiled, seeming completely unworried about fighting the strongest of the Knight Classes.

"Then come, Saber."

Prana surged around Saber like a storm and the next instant, her body was wrapped in silver and azure armor.

In response, Berserker simply lifted his arm to check his watch. Pushing a button, it unfolded magically into a four foot wide shield of polished bronze. Holding it in front of him as he bent his knees, he hid most of his body from view; his eyes and forehead could be seen above it, and part of his shins and feet below.

Saber narrowed her eyes at the shield, wondering if it was Berserker's Noble Phantasm. She was aware of several legendary shields, but none that were quite like Berserker's.

And also…

"Why have you not donned your armor, Berserker?" She asked crossly.

She couldn't see his mouth, but she had the feeling he was smiling.

"I'm sorry if I've insulted you, but with five Servants after you, I think I should be a bit careful with what I do with my prana; I really can't afford to waste any more than necessary and I'm more used to fighting without armor, anyway. I'll make do with this shield, for now."

"Do not say I didn't give you a chance to reconsider."

"Saber…" Irisviel called, swallowing nervously. Her voice made Berserker's eyes flicker towards her for a second before returning to Saber. "Be careful; something isn't right. I can support you with healing magecraft but no more."

Saber nodded.

"Leave Berserker to me. But…I admit I feel the same way. For starters, if Berserker is here…where is his Master?"

As Saber said, just by his absence, Berserker's master was a danger. Usually, a Master would stand by his Servant to instruct and assist as the battle progressed. Which meant that Berserker's master either had full faith in him or he was lurking around nearby.

Irisviel wasn't completely sure which option was more worrisome.

"He could be preparing a trick…be careful, Irisviel. I'll trust you to watch my back."

"…Understood. Saber, bring me victory."

"I will."

Saber took a step forward—

And in a burst of speed and prana, covered the distance that separated the two Servants in an instant.

Bringing her sword around in an attack that could have cut her unprotected opponent in half, her hands nearly shook from the vibration as it connected with his shield. Heedless, she fell a step back and swung at his now unprotected torso, but he caught her sword with the edge of his shield and pushed it to the side. She turned it into a swing, trying to hit his unprotected left side, but he brought the shield back around in an instant.

Saber tried to force down his shielded arm, but he held firm against her strength, even with one arm.

Narrowing her eyes, she quickly retreated. The moment she was out of reach, he covered himself once more with his shield.

He was strong, to hold off her two handed attacks with one arm, but then, she wasn't really going all out, was she? She'd held off on using Prana Burst as much as she could have, because she'd been wary of a trap. But she'd accomplished what she'd intended too when she'd force him to block her attacks—she'd mad him show her what was behind it.

The answer was nothing. He wasn't holding any weapons—he only had that shield. And without his armor, she was confident that she could end the fight quickly, if she could get past it. At the same time, however, his lack of any other weapons and his complete lack of fear at being unarmored implied that the shield was his Noble Phantasm, and with an unknown effect, approaching could be dangerous.

And yet, when she'd approached, she'd felt no danger. If there was some trick to the shield, she probably would have felt it.

But then, the shield could just be a Defensive Noble Phantasm. Being a shield, it would make sense, and it had withstood her blows admirably.

But that wouldn't make sense. If his Noble Phantasm was completely defensive, how did he intend to win this War?

Regardless of what the truth was, she wouldn't find out by standing back. By the way he'd blocked her blows, Saber felt that hammering past his defenses in a normal manner would be difficult and require an extended battle, even if he didn't hurt her.

And also, if she had a choice, she'd rather be on the offensive.

She closed the distance with another Prana Burst. This time charging her sword as well and bringing it down in a powerful two handed slash with the intention of ending the fight in a single decisive blow, she met the shield with the full force of her blade and saw the surprise flicker through Berserker's eyes as his defense faltered and she pushed the shield down.

And then her instincts suddenly warned her that she was about to die.

For as Berserker's shield had lifted to catch her blow, he'd revealed what he'd kept hidden behind it—a three foot bronze sword that had been completely covered by the four foot shield. Thrusting it forward at an upward angle, it would have slide right under her ribs and into her heart if she hadn't pushed off the shield I order to stepped back.

But she was off balance and she knew it.

What was worse; Berserker knew it too.

Dragging his still swinging sword to the side, he pulled it into the path of Saber's blade, blocking the sword as she tried to pull it close for protection. With his other arm, he swung the edge of his shield at her neck in a blow that could have broken it, forcing Saber to take another step back.

Pushing her blade away, Berserker brought down his bronze sword in an attempt to literally disarm her, forcing her to continue her retreat, even as he stepped in and shoved her roughly in the chest, making her stumble back even further. Bringing his sword around the edge of his shield, he attempted to stab her in the neck, but having had enough, Saber leapt back a few meters in a burst of prana.

Knowing she would recover her balance by the time he closed the distance, Berserker halted, returning to his slight crouch and hiding his sword once more behind his shield.

Saber narrowed her eyes even further, looking at her stationary opponent.

He'd successfully pushed her back. It was only because he'd managed to take her off-guard and had exploit it properly—they both knew that, which is why he didn't press his assault further—but the simple fact that he had taken her off-guard and kept her from recovering spoke a great deal about his skill.

The techniques weren't anything special, but he'd executed them flawlessly. Furthermore, he'd been able to take a two-handed swing from her sword on one arm and hold it back, even while she used Prana Burst—besides his skill, he was a great deal stronger than her, physically. His sword's movements weren't so much quicker as they were more agile than hers—an advantage of a smaller, one handed blade. In addition, the simple combination of a sword and shield proved dangerous when combined with everything else; whether it was his sword or his shield, he could defend with one and attack with the other, whilst her one weapon was preoccupied. The sword was dangerous, but so was the shield; if it had actually hit her neck, it might not have just broken her neck—it might have taken it clean off.

In order to compensate for the fact that he had two weapons to her one, and the strength to match her with either of them, she'd have to dodge instead of block, which likely meant giving ground. She was confident that she wouldn't be hurt, but if she couldn't hurt him or push him back, then she'd have to keep giving ground all the way to the sea.

There was, of course, an answer to that—she could just use more power in her Prana Burst. But if she had no idea how much prana he had available, it was a risky strategy. His lack of armor had proven itself less foolhardy and more cunning. If he wasn't expanding prana to maintain his defense, he was already at an advantage compared to her, as he expended less. It wasn't hard to maintain her armor, but it did require a constant cost and the gap between how much energy she and Berserker were expending was steadily growing. If she constantly used Prana Bursts to exceed his strength, she could likely push him back.

But that was likely all. If he was being overpowered, he would just fall back. Despite being somewhat embarrassing to get pushed back, it wasn't necessarily harmful, nor was it even a defeat. One could fall back to gain time, to prepare, to simply retreat to a more advantageous position. If she began to overpower him, he'd just fall back or put on his armor. The prana cost too maintain such an assault could quickly get out of hand and spell her defeat—it would likely be cheaper, in the long run, to simply use Excalibur, but that would reveal her true identity to anyone who may be watching.

Her position was disadvantageous and any tactic she tried could backfire. But doing nothing would be no better.

At the very least, she had to do something.

As her thoughts raced, Berserker waited patiently. It was obvious to Saber he wouldn't move until it was useful to do so. He was calm, but Saber had witnesses the sudden storm of motion that had followed her single, unwise attack and wasn't deceived.

She made her decision.

Saber's secondary Noble Phantasm, Invisible Air, is quite different from her Excaliber; it cannot annihilate the enemy, but it's easier to use, and is the type of weapon that can win a fight if used well.

Even so, unless she released it, it was just a 'sheath' that rendered her sword invisible. On its own, that was not a powerful effect, but it hid her easily recognized sword, so Saber found it useful. If she dispelled it, it wouldn't be strange for it to be recognize—and for it to reveal her true identity.

But, if it was used right, as she said, it could turn the tide of this battle. And revealing her identity to a single enemy Servant wasn't bad if it could bring her victory—she couldn't sense any other Servant's in the area and she doubted that Berserker would be so at ease if there were more than one potential opponent. Against a single opponent with a single blade, a sword and shield was a great advantage, but if it was against two opponents, that advantage disappeared.

The full force of Invisible Air…it could not defeat an opponent by itself, but if the full force of its winds were to connect at close range, it would not be unsurprising for even a Servant to be blown away. In the moments after that, while Berserker was of balance as she had been before, she would end the fight, and it would not matter what he saw.

Her mind made up, she raised her sword.

"Prepare yourself, Berserker." She said. "I will end this battle here and now."

Berserker was silent, and simply looked at her carefully over his shield. Saber knew that he was probably plotting out a course of action; the moment she closed the distance, she'd have to act quickly. When Berserker had first taken her by surprise, his first attack would have killed her if she hadn't dodged. All of his ensuing attacks had been the exact same way; aimed for a lethal area. If she messed up her timing, she would probably die.

But…rather than be afraid of that possibility, Saber would meet it head on. Rather than worry about what could happen, she would decide her own future with her blade.

And…she already knew how to keep it from happening.

No more words were exchanged. She moved forward with all of her power, the blade of her sword behind her and—

"Invisible Air." She said calmly.

The tightly packed wind exploded with tremendous force. Saber's light body was pushed forth at three times her previous speed and she slammed into Berserker's defense like a supersonic bullet. Rather than even attempt a defense, it was all the Servant could do not to fall under the attack. Despite his strength, superior size, and defense, Berserker was push back nearly three meters by the attack.

In the brief, quiet moment after the attack, Berserker looked at her in blatant shock. Whether it was the force of her attack or the sight of the true form of her blade, for that one moment, he was too surprised to take advantage of the situation.

Which was exactly what she had expected. Amongst Heroic Spirits, reputation alone could be a weapon, especially when revealed in such a forceful manner. It stilled Berserker's blade for just a moment and that was long enough.

Invisible air formed once more around her blade. For a moment, Berserker just seemed confused as the blade faded from sight again, but then his eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen.

It said a lot about Berserker that, even knowing what would happen, he chose to attack rather than disengage. His blade came around his shield, poised to sink deep into her throat, and if he had been a moment faster to recover from his surprise, maybe it would have been enough.

But he hadn't been and it wasn't.

Invisible Air exploded again, unraveling not into a surge of chaotic air, but into a focused, powerful strike that hit like the hammer of a god.

It connected with Berserker and flung him away as if he weighed nothing.

And through the slipstream left in his wake, Saber followed.

Berserker struck the ground again nearly fifty meters away, landing with enough force that even a Servant should be badly hurt, and lay prone. Saber was upon him in an instant.

He nearly managed to take her by surprise as he stabbed upwards with his sword, recovering in an instant when it should have been impossible—but even so, she smacked his blade away with a contemptuous flick of her own, knocking it clean out of his hands.

And then she brought down Excalibur.

Predictably, he brought up his shield, but without his sword, he had to rely on it. For her part, she could just hammer on it until it went away.

Charging her attacks with prana, she hammered the shield again and again, quickly causing its surface to bend and dent.

And then, suddenly, she was striking dirt.

She quickly realized what had happened. Realizing he was trapped, Berserker had reverted to his spiritual form and slide away; likely underground. It was an annoying tactic, mainly because it was one she couldn't imitate, but not one that was impossible to overcome.

In their spiritual form, Servants can pass through normal objects just fine, but it was a different story for objects that were densely packed with mana—like her armor that was made entirely out of it and her Noble Phantasm Excalibur.

In addition, it had disadvantages. Servants had to materialize in order to fight or interact with physical objects. If she struck Berserker in his present state, her blade would shear right through him, shield or no shield.

And since Servants could sense each other, she knew exactly where he was going.

Not that she needed to know—no Heroic Spirit would just run and leave their Noble Phantasm behind.

Berserker was fast, but she was faster. She was standing over his lost sword in an instant, slashing at apparently empty air.

Berserker reappeared, choosing to face her once more rather than die. But without his sword, he could do nothing but defend himself and she would batter down his defenses eventually. Apparently realizing this as well, Berserker embraced the same tactic she had used earlier.

He gave ground.

Their roles were now reversed. After trying to retrieve his sword and failing, Berserker's back was now to the sea. Unlike Saber, he had no way to quickly break away or escape and Saber refused to let up. She pressed on with attack after attack, beating him back quickly. She did not just push him back a few steps as he had her, but by entire meters, drawing them closer and closer to the sea.

Flashes of light were caused by the occasional clash of her sword and his shield when he could not retreat quickly enough or tried to change the tide of the battle. In the sparks, they could see each other's faces for brief moments, though the light faded as swiftly as it was born.

In those brief moments of illuminate, she was able to see his face more clearly. His eyes drew her attention, because she felt there was something wrong with them—that they were lacking something that should have been there.

It was hard to read those eyes, especially in those brief moments of light.

But, she thought, for someone who was being pushed closer and closer to the sea, someone who had lost his only weapon, and someone who had only a now badly dented shield to protect him against another Servant…

She couldn't see fear in those eyes. Or desperation—or even defeat. Maybe it was something about his face or his eyes or even the set of his mouth, but she had trouble even imagining that he would look defeated.

And yet, he was about to lose.

Wasn't he?

Soon his shield would fall and he would be defeated. He had nowhere to go and she was pushing him closer and closer to the sea, and yet, he looked completely confident. Was it pride that made him look like that—put on some last display of bravado?

Or did he really still think he was going to win?

That simple, quiet confidence made Saber doubt and that angered her.

After he retreated from yet another swing of her sword, she stopped. Even so, he continued his retreat, though he slowed it and simply took small careful steps back.

They were almost on the shore line now. A few more steps and Berserker would be in the water. He had nowhere to run to, but…he didn't have to look of someone who was considering running away.

After putting a bit more distance between then, he stopped, right at the edge of the sea. He lowered his shield, letting her see the smile on his face.

Then he glanced at the shield and grimaced.

"My brother made me this shield, you know." He said, sounding honestly saddened by its loss. "This isn't the first time I've ruined it, either. I guess I'm hard on shields."

And with that, the shield exploded, returning to the prana it was made of. Berserker sighed before looking at his opponent calmly.

"You remind me of someone I knew when I was alive, King Arthur. She never made things easy for me either."

"Are you giving up, Berserker?" Saber demanded.

Berserker smiled.

"Hm…no. I think I'll keep fighting. Things are going so well, after all." He sounded like he honestly believed it. "And as a Hero, I'd be a bit embarrassed if I ran away from a battle with the famous King Arthur."

"And yet that didn't stop you from running when you were disarmed." She said sharply, sick of his confidence.

Berserker sighed, but his smile remained.

"Looking back, I think I've spent a lot of time being embarrassed. And I'm as much a soldier as a warrior—I do whatever I have to do to win. Even my pride as a hero is secondary to my loyalty to my master."

"And where is your master? Is he too cowardly to support his own Servant?"

Berserker suddenly stopped being amused.

"You should stop talking." He said. "Right now."

Saber glared at him, but didn't say anything. She could respect dedication to a Master, at the very least.

After she was silent, Berserker looked over towards Irisviel, who had been marveling at their clash. Before her eyes, they had been nothing blurs. Their fight had left the beach in disarray, throwing up sand everywhere. It looked like a storm had hit the beach.

"Hey," He asked. "What time is it?"

Saber's substitute Master started at his question.

"Um…what?"

"What time is it?" He asked easily. "I'd check my watch but your Servant broke it."

"You mean…your shield?" Saber asked incredulously.

"It was also a watch!" He defended.

"Um…it's, uh, 12:37." Irisviel responded uncertainly.

Berserker looked thoughtful at that.

"Then he's probably asleep." He told Saber easily.

"What?"

"You asked where my Master was. It's late, so he's probably asleep."

Saber looked at him intensely, as if to drag an explanation out of him with her willpower alone.

Berserker's smile widened—it was a familiar look.

"And why is he asleep, instead of with you?" Saber asked.

Berserker shrugged.

"He probably knows I'll win, so there's no need for him to get involved." He said.

Saber's eyes twitched at that.

"And yet, here you are with your back against the sea."

Berserker's smile, if anything, became even brighter at her words.

"Yes, exactly."

Saber just looked at him, uncomprehending and annoyed.

"Shall we end this, Arthur?" Berserker asked. "No offense, but I have other Servants I need to fight and it'd help me a lot if we could move this along."

Saber grit her teeth but before she could reply, they were interrupted.

In an instant, the cold, clear night air was suddenly full of the sound of thunder.