Author's Notes: Here's another chapter, a rather short one honestly. I can see the mistakes of plots which leaves these gaping holes that you can't fix so easily especially when you have the drafts done beforehand. Well, enjoy the read.

Chapter 37: Absolute

The night is dark. The street lights turn on their yellow glow. People return to their homes. For a certain five, it isn't the case. Rin Tohsaka called onto her cell phone. "Have you found them yet?"

"I have nothing so far." Mike replied likewise using his. The five have split into two groups to search for Shirou and Saber. Mike added his observations. "I can't even feel any magic presence or trail around here. We'll be moving towards another area."

"Likewise for here."Rin matched hers with his. "Give a call if you find them." She ended the call as Ilya stood up from observing the road.

"The trace disappeared from here. That's odd." Ilya noted.

Rin agreed. "That doesn't sound good. Let's work from here to find a new trail."

Back at their small hideout, Mark sat patiently as the clock went by. His Master was still unconscious. He kept watch over her condition while working with some pen and paper. Numbers, arrows and numerous lines filled in combination of advanced mathematics. On another piece of paper, there's a simple sketch of a sword. His mind worked on the calculations necessary for his intended idea. If I can refine the techniques just enough…

Saber remains in her quest to search for Shirou. Her footsteps echoed in the dark night. The stairwell is completely dark. She could still navigate carefully with her ears and touch to guide her way. Several flights down, she could see a faint glow of white light. The stairway ended into another large chamber although smaller than the one above. The faint glow came from a portable lamp on the wooden table.

On a chair was Shirou in a dazed state. He wasn't tied, not that he could do anything. There were three interrogators, their backs to Saber. A man in a business coat spoke "Will you talk now? Or would you like another dose?" Saber presumed he's the one in charge here.

Shirou grunted. "I don't know what you're talking about." It appeared Shirou could still resist despite how sickening it must be.

A taunt came in turn. "Are you sure? Do you want another round of madness?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Shirou remained steadfast. Saber feared how much more it would take before he would break and waver. Some warriors remained resistant to the point that they actually die instead of confiding information.

The man in charge said. "Let's jog your memory with another dose then." The other person proceeded to inject Shirou with a syringe.

Before Shirou could start round two, Saber stopped them with a lash of her invisible blade. "Stop right there!" The three turned instantly in surprise.

Shirou said slowly in midst of his suffering. "Saber…"

The leader said amusingly. "Servant Saber…you're very sneaky for a Saber."

The woman in fully black garbs said as she stepped forward. "Shall I engage?"

She was refused. "No, I'll let him handle it."

A form appeared into reality. The Servant was dressed in the black armour of a medieval knight. His face was hidden by the black helmet he wore with the red tail at its top. Saber can sense the hatred emanating behind the helmet. The Servant spoke for the first time in the 6th Holy Grail war. "I didn't expect to see you."

Saber lashed her sword. "I didn't expect to see you again too…Lancelot." Her memories returned to remind her. They battled in the ending leagues of the 5th Holy Grail war. She had fought him in an underground parking garage. She nearly lost then, only surviving with thanks to Lancelot spending mana excessively to fall into a fatal halt.

Lancelot's Master was intrigued. He took several steps back alongside the others, giving space for the battle. "You two know each other eh Berserker. Well, I'll let you handle her."

More lights lit up, showing the vastness of the chamber. "Arondite." Lancelot's weapon was called. A blade Saber once fought before appeared. As her sword is the blade of a King, Arondite is the blade of a Knight. Both blades are counterparts to one another, matching in strength and similarly ability. It will depend plentiful on their prowess to determine the fate. She readied her blade as they begun battle. Without a word being said, they charged.

They clashed in the middle, both in a gridlock. Blades sparked against one another before separating into a multitude of hit and parries. Saber took the defensive, using technique to fight her knight's emboldened strength. The tempo of their strikes and parries began to intensify. Slashes became a blur of light and sparks. The air and dust swirled around them before being blasted aside with a final clash.

The air became deathly quiet as the warriors stopped in a standstill. Saber said, still breathing quietly. "You've improved."

The Berserker was quiet, now mute through the power of Mad Enhancement. She understood the strength of his enhancement had been weakened a degree in exchange for more flexibility and strategy. She added "The Holy Grail is corrupted Lancelot. It will do us no favour to fight over it." She slipped to the left before slashing left across the arm. Lancelot parried in time, forcing the blade back. He countered immediately with Saber off balance.

She parried as she shot back. Her blade caught the momentum, sliding backwards slightly. She sliced from below as she skidded to a halt. The blade missed as he took a step back. She replied. "If that's the way this fight will be, then I will have to beat you again!" She pressed forward, slashing from above.

Berserker stood his ground, meeting the strike head on. Saber can still recall the intricacies of the Knight of the Lake from the previous Holy Grail war. His strength remains strong and prowess almost unmatched. His flexibility to fight with any weapons made him a legend. That usually comes with the black magic which corrodes them to into his Phantasms. She even recalled the warrior using rapid fire guns at her which was troublesome to defend against. Still, she recalled Lancelot's dying words.

Actually… at that time I had hoped that you would personally punish me. My King… At that time I really wished that you would denounce me out of your own anger…

Then why is he still fighting? Can it still be that curse? The curse that had once put Berserker into a raging fit whenever he met Saber in the previous war. "Then, as your king…I will free you from this curse." Her opponent has no reply.

Saber pulled every trick in the book she knew to gain an advantage. Her slashes at any vulnerability of the human body were met with a strong defense. His attacks too met similar countermeasures. The blades of the same origins clashed again and again with immense force and sparks. She needed to get a good hit to pull a lead. Saber went on a risky move by accelerating quickly and slashing from above.

Berserker chose to counter instead, slashing across the abdomen. Both blades met flesh and blood. Armour crack and shatter in tiny bits and pieces from such blows. They both backed away instantly, assessing the damage they took. Saber had a significant hit. Berserker had a deep cut from shoulder to hip, also significant. Significant or not, the fight must go on. Saber charged forward as Berserker reached for a leg of the wooden table. He snapped it off and parried with the steel blade single handed. One hand is not enough to fight two, pushing Lancelot back in a spin.

Saber would have gone for the kill if it weren't for the long wood coming around. She sidestepped and slashed at Berserker. The knight in black leapt away before attacking from above with the stick. Saber parried it, cutting the wood into two before it fully becomes corroded into a phantasm. As Saber sought to counterattack, Lancelot was already lunging forward with his real blade for the stab. She can't dodge it entirely, only minimize the damage. She twisted her hips, letting the blade graze her back. Saber swung her blade for the kill but the knight had already shot past her.

Her sword continued the swing, meeting a parry. She let the resistance free before sidestepping and striking again. Her attempt met another parry but she kept up the pressure nonstop. Berserker was already off balance by the first parry and it was difficult to find proper footing for his defense. She smashed his blade up and struck the opening with a lunge. Her sword made its mark, slicing through armour and into flesh. She stepped forward, spinning with a slash.

Her second strike met a block before Berserker leapt backwards, landing beside Shirou. He knocked Shirou off the chair, now using it as a weapon. A chair isn't going to work any better for him. "Fight with your real swordsmanship!" She shot forward and stabbed at her former knight.

He blocked it with the chair; the seat broke clean through until the hilt struck the end. He counterattacked with a slash from above, forcing Saber to let her left hand free and twist her body to dodge. She realized Lancelot's plans too late.

Using both hands, he pushed the chair hard to his right. The lower support struck Saber's elbow hard and further. She felt it snap with the pain of bones. She recoiled back with a cry of pain, a hand to support her broken arm. The exiled was eager to abuse the advantage. Discarding the chair, he shot forward in a two handed grip with a slash from above. With one hand, it would be hard pressed to defend such a mighty strike. Still she tried with her invisible blade. Her defense failed and the sword struck her deep from neck to hip.

Blood spilled onto the floor as she fell back in serious injury. Blood dripped from the tip of the Arondite. Without means to defend her own self, death awaits Saber. Lancelot towered over Saber, his Mad Enhancement turned off for he spoke in a deep dark tone. "I won this time."

Berserker's Master commanded. "Finish Saber and be done with it." The sword was raised high as Saber struggled to get up.

"Wait!"

Heads turned to see Shirou rising from the ground. "Let Saber go." He still appeared weak from the journey through hell.

The Gentech Master was expressionless. "You do not have authority here." He commanded his Servant. "Carry on."

Before Berserker can perform the killing blow, the ground shook with the air roaring into gusts of a tornado. Heads turned again to Shirou whose aura turned really dangerous. Teal coloured energy can be seen circling around him. Shirou said as blood trickled down the corner of his lips. "Let her go…and I'll do whatever you want." It was unclear where Shirou had acquired these powers, just that he had them.

This time, the elder man considered as Saber said in pain. "Don't be crazy Shirou. Just run!"

Shirou answered. "I can't do that, Saber." He will not leave Saber to die, no matter what's the price.

The businessman replied. "Terms accepted. Let's go." The woman assistant took the lead as Berserker grudgingly disappeared. Shirou turned to follow behind the woman.

Saber struggled to get up despite her serious injuries. She must not let them take Shirou away! "Don't go Shirou!"

Her Master turned around. "Don't come after me now Saber. That's an Absolute order." The reijuu mark at the back of his hand flashed and the order was enacted. Saber was left powerless as pain flooded both body and mind. Saber screamed as Shirou was escorted out of the place by the same very steps she came in from. Her body refused to move until many many long moments. By then, they are long gone.

Now alone and body starting to recover with the assistance of Avalon, she slowly got up onto her feet and walked back the way she came. Drops of tears stain her blood and dirt ridden clothes as she took step by step up the staircase of defeat.