Chapter 20: Unhealed Scar

Originally, Archer had…reservations about being so close to Sakura while she slept. Not just because she was once his underclassman in another lifetime. Not just because there was a chance that she had a direct connection to the mysterious threat to Fuyuki. There was the fact that she tended to toss and turn in her sleep, and Archer didn't want to peep. He was a gentleman, after all.

He was also worried about Rin. Despite the image she projected, that calm, "proper-Mage apathy" veneer she clung to as a defense, she was truly conflicted about Sakura's condition. In his life as a human, he didn't find out about the Tohsaka Sisters until long after the Fifth Holy War ended. It hadn't been a pleasant reveal then, and that wasn't going to change in this lifetime either. The only way she could even cope with their separation was by clinging to the traditions of Mages. Traditions that Sonic and Tails had attacked without hesitation. He could only hope that Rin wouldn't do anything stupid just to vent.

…!

Archer felt this strange tremor. It wasn't a physical vibration, but a shaking within his soul. Something had entered the Fuyuki leylines, just as they did when Sonic and his bunch first appeared. He gave Sakura a passing glance. So far, she seemed to be sleeping rather peacefully. Unable to concentrate, he went to the mansion's roof. Maybe whatever caused that feeling could be seen.

No dice. All seemed well on the horizon. The only problem was that it was somewhat overcast. Grey, just like the situation. No telling how it would go. Maybe it would clear up and turn out well…or down spiral into another mess.

Archer, we need to talk. Rin's voice cut into his thoughts.

I'm listening. Archer replied, he glared in the direction of the sea, where Eggman's Flying Torpedo had flown off to. Maybe it was the mad doctor's machinations that were causing this uneasy feeling.

I've been going over what I've found in Sakura while examining her injuries, Rin began, And then I've been cross-referencing what I learned while helping Illya make that Fake Emerald. Absorbing Chaos Emerald energy, while good for a boost, can damage the body. A Servant is made of Prana, so they could handle the strain better than a living Mage could. When Shirou tapped into an Emerald, it nearly tore him to pieces.

So, you think whatever's happened to Sakura involves a Chaos Emerald. Archer guessed.

Rin didn't answer at first. "I don't like this, Archer."

Archer blinked. Did Rin say that out loud? Why should do that? She must have been concerned. I'm sure we can stabilize her with those Power Ring pendants you made.

I don't think those would be enough to deal with what's happening here.

What do you mean?

"I mean, Sakura's Mage Circuits weren't just out of whack," Rin said aloud, "There's something else too."

What else is there?

I told Sonic and Tails that Sakura's Mage Circuits were stressed out from taking in and releasing Prana, but that was only part of the problem. "There are traces of different Prana as well in there, as well."

What kind of Prana?

The non-human kind. And I don't mean Sonic's gang. "It's like those creatures that have been spotted all over Fuyuki. There's a definite connection."

You mentioned that to Sonic, but I'm guessing you mean there's more to it.

"It's like…she's the source…

"I know what it means, Archer."

Archer knew this feeling. He had felt it a dozen times during his times as a Counter Guardian. He had given his existence to the Alya so he could protect humanity. Unfortunately, in the present era, humanity's greatest threats came from humanity itself.

Protect the most by eliminating the few.

Would you do it, though? Archer asked mentally, If it becomes apparent that Sakura's condition is causing the creatures to come out at night and attack people…if there's no way to resolve that peacefully…could you stop it at the source? When Rin gave no response, Archer knew he had to push a little harder. Even if she's your sister?

"I don't care if she's my sister!" Rin shouted, causing Archer to jump a bit. And it's not going to come to that. Whatever this is, I can figure it out!

Okay, Rin hadn't given up on a less terminal solution. That was progress. Glad to hear you're still in the game, Archer sent, But what exactly are you going to do?

No reply. Archer could just visualize the consternated frown on Rin's face as she fumed.

Why not talk about this with Shirou and Illya? Or better yet, just Illya. We know Shirou would act just like Sonic did.

And you expect Illya to be any more helpful? Rin sent back bitterly, She's an Einzbern, they don't have much empathy for anything beyond their personal interest. Seems to work out pretty well for them, too.

Up until Eggman attacked, it did. Archer reminded, Castle's still in shambles.

"…It would have been better if Eggman had taken her after all." Let Berserker run amok in his hideout.

Archer chuckled at the idea, but knew that would have been bad for everyone. Rin had told him that Eggman's machines had drained her Prana when he had captured her. Illya was so powerful that there was no telling what weapon Eggman could make from her energy.

Archer lost his good humor when he felt a powerful sensation. It was the creepy feeling he had gotten while watching Sakura, only now it wasn't as subtle as it had been before. What he felt then had been a tickle…this was a full-fledged earthquake!

Archer looked around, and out of the corner of his eye saw something purple from below. Taking a closer look, he saw a certain someone right outside Rin's window.

When did Sakura get out of bed!? Archer mentally blanched, I was so concerned with this bad vibe and then Rin I completely forgot about her! How much did she hear!?

Archer then realized that the terrible force he had been feeling was directly centered around Sakura's body. Whatever happened in Eggman's machine, it was going to happen right there.

Rin! Move!

Archer wasn't even halfway down when everything went black.

Luckily, when Shirou got back to his house (And only mildly winded from running) the kitchen wasn't in too much of a mess. In fact, the only real issue was the multitude of dirty dishes and pans that had piled up, along with a floor carpeted with crumbs.

Amy had made sandwiches.

Introductions went along smoothly, and soon they were all eating. Saber in particular had engulfed three, although she confided to Shirou, "They are not as good as yours, Shirou, but it would be impolite not to try them."

Once the crumbs had been cleared away, they got to business. Shirou quickly brought Sonic and Tails up to speed about what Bazett had told them, concerning the Shadow.

"And Shinji's supposed to be the evil mastermind?" Sonic asked skeptically, "I don't see it."

"That's not what Rider said," Bazett replied, mentally registering 'Shinji' to look up at a later date. "She said that the Shadow was using her Master to stay alive."

"Kinda how Servants like Lancer and Rider attacked people to drain their Mana?" Tails asked, "If that was happening to Shinji, he'd be a mess. Rin told me that it takes a lot of Prana to keep just one Servant alive, much less two."

"There's no way a normal human could survive that," Illya piped up, "Even if they had enough Prana to support two Servants, the stress would be too much for them." She took a bite of her sandwich.

"…We haven't seen Shinji for quite some time." Saber noted.

"So let's find him," Knuckles declared, "This Shinji kid can lead us to Angra, and we take him down."

"Angra?" Shirou asked, confused.

Amy nodded. "That's what the Shadow called himself when Knuckles and I fought him in the sewer. He said something like, 'I am Angra…something' and vanished."

Illya became very still. Her eyes widened considerably.

"I'm trying to track him with the Miles Electric, but it's weird," Tails admitted, "The signal is all scattered, though. It's like he split into separate pieces."

"When the Shadow created those demons, it looked like they were breaking off from his body," Bazett recalled, "That might be what your gadget is picking up."

Tails scratched behind his ears. "Maybe, but I dunno… It didn't pick up those monsters before…" He glanced at the homunculous. "Do you have any ideas, Illya?"

"Yes…" Illya looked away evasively, and then sighed. "Everyone, I think I know what is happening here. But for you to understand, I need to explain to you the true purpose of the Holy Grail War."

That caught everyone's attention, especially Saber's. They gathered around and waited for Illya to talk. When she did, her voiced seemed to have a far away quality to it, as if she was speaking in a dream.

"A thousand years ago, the Einzbern Family commanded the Third Great Magic, the Heaven's Feel. However, that power was soon lost to them. Unwilling to accept this, the Einzberns dedicated themselves towards rediscovering the Third Magic. However, after eight hundred years of failures, they came to accept that they would need help. To that end, they sought out the aid of two more clans of Mages, the Makiri of Russia, who would later become the Matou, and the Tohsaka of Japan. Working together, the three families created a ritual where seven Mages would summon seven Heroic Spirits to fulfill the Heaven's Feel."

"Hold on, seven wizards and seven spirits? That sounds like the Grail War." Knuckles interrupted.

Illya nodded. "It is. In order to recruit four more Mages, we lied and told the outsiders that the purpose of the ritual was to have a wish granted. But that was where the problem began. Only one can claim the 'wish', and so the Masters of the First Holy Grail ritual quickly began to fight among each other. The cooperation between the three Families of the Holy Grail dissolved, and the ritual in time became known as the Holy Grail Wars. The Heaven's Feel was unfulfilled, and hasn't been achieved to this day.

"After two failed Wars, the Einzberns decided that a new approach was needed. In the Third War, the Einzbern head Jubstacheit Von Einzbern chose to cheat the Servant system by replacing the Berserker-class with a new class called Avenger, and with that summoned the Angra Mainyu, an evil Zorostrian god."

"Whoa! Like a God-god?" Tails asked, impressed.

Illya sighed sadly. "Not quite…

"Far from being a divine figure, Angra Mainyu was just a simple peasant whom had been tortured endlessly by his fellow villagers as a scapegoat for all of the world's evils. During the Third War, he died early into the conflict."

"Well…it coulda been worse," Sonic noted, "In my experience, 'evil gods' aren't what you'd call team players."

But Shirou made the connection. "Is 'Angra Mainyu' what the Shadow called itself, Knuckles?" He asked the Echidna.

Knuckles nodded, smacking his fists together. "That's right! But that thing wasn't some peasant, it was a bona-fied monster."

"…when a Servant dies in a Grail War, their essence and energy becomes absorbed by the Holy Grail," Illya explained, "The Grail then becomes a portal to Akasha, the Root of all existence. When Avenger was killed, his spirit traveled to Akasha to corrupt the Grail."

"Corrupt it?" Shirou asked, "How?"

"Before, Servants were made from truly pure and good heroes," Illya continued, "Avenger's corruption is the only reason why dangerous Servants like the psychopathic Caster of the Fourth War, or the vampiric Rider of this one, have been summoned."

"Illyasviel," Saber interrupted, "How does this connect to the creator of those unholy monsters?"

"Maybe it's our fault," Amy suggested awkwardly, "When we entered this world, the Chaos Emeralds did something to bring Avenger back to life?"

Shirou was about to protest this, for the sake of his new friends, but he saw that everyone, even the devil may care Sonic, looked thoughtful. However, he knew he couldn't let Sonic's gang take the blame for everything.

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Shirou said, "This is all conjecture. We have no idea just how badly Avenger's corruption is causing the Grail."

Saber then stood up. She glared at Illya, her eyes glistening. "Illyaseviel, you said your clan lied to the other Masters about the true purpose of the Holy Grail. Does that mean it can't grant a wish…at all?"

Illya shrugged. "Essentially, it's a just a mass of power to be harnessed. Even if Avenger's presence wasn't contaminating it, the Grail isn't an omniscient wish-granter."

Saber made a choking noise. She shook. After a moment, she bolted. A slam was heard from the house's entrance.

"Saber!" Shirou cried, getting up. He ran out chasing his Servant.

"What was that about?" Knuckles asked, confused.

"I think I know," Sonic got up and stretched a bit. "If Saber's using her top running speed, no way Shirou's catching up to her. I'll see if I can slow her down a bit, or at least help Shirou catch up."

Sonic was out the door in a flash. Once he was gone, Tails looked to Illya, confused.

"Illya, if your family knows the Grail is tainted and the wish is a hoax, why are you fighting for it?" The Fox asked.

Illya sniffed. "The Einzberns have been hunting the Holy Grail for centuries. After all this time, we just desire the prestige from claiming it."

"Seriously?" Amy put her hands on her hips in annoyance. "You're only in it for bragging rights?"

Illya shrugged. "You don't understand how important pride is to Mages."

Knuckles crossed his arms and snorted. "Oh, we understand, all right. Doesn't mean we have to like it."

Tails reached back to stroke his tails. "Wait, you said the Matous and Tohsakas…do you mean Rin and Sakura's families?"

"Who's Sakura?" Illya, Amy, and Bazett asked automatically.

"She's Shinji's little sister, I think…" Tails looked conflicted for a moment. "…And Rin's, too."

Illya and Bazett exchanged looks. Things were starting to add up…

When Sonic found Saber, it was at the bridge where he first saw Shirou and the girls while fighting Lancer. The blond Servant was looking down at the water, a dead look in her eyes. Seeing her like that took Sonic back to that conversation they had not long after the destruction of Eggman's airship.

"How did the story of King Arthur end in this world?" Sonic asked Saber.

Saber did not answer at first. Instead, she stared up at the sky. Finally, she answered, "At the Battle of Canaan."

Sonic sighed. "This world too, huh?"

Sonic then told Saber the full story behind his own brush with Arthurian legend. How Melina the wizard tried to freeze Camelot in time with her corrupted false King. And how Sonic choose to let the story end in order to free its people.

Once Sonic was done, he saw that Saber had a conflicted expression on her face.

"You don't approve?" Sonic asked.

"It is not my place to say." Saber said firmly, "But…I am surprised to hear you give up on a kingdom. You never tire of talking about your other saving ventures."

Sonic shrugged. "This was different. Didn't seem right to force people to remain trapped, stuck in place. Sometimes the best thing is to move on, and let the people choose their own endings."

Saber didn't reply.

"So, what are you going to wish for if you win?" Sonic asked, "To bring back your own Camelot?"

Saber looked at him resolutely. "My wish, should I achieve the Grail, is to undo everything about my reign."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "You mean you wanna go back in time and do it over again?" For some reason, the idea of time travel gave him an uneasy feeling.

Saber shook her head. "No. My intention is to erase myself from history, and for someone else to pull the Sword from the Stone."

Sonic's quills went rigid. "What?!"

Saber nodded. "I did everything I could to serve my people. But in the end, it all fell to ruin. My own kingship was a mistake, from beginning to end. The people of Camelot deserve better."

"But that's nuts," Sonic protested, standing up. "Erase yourself? You don't mean from existence, do you?"

"I do," Saber said with absolute finality, "It's more than fitting. My failures will be paid for and my kingdom saved. What else could I ask for?"

"How about saving your kingdom and staying Alive?" Sonic demanded, "Doesn't that sound good, Too?"

But Saber refused to budge. "Nothing worth having can be gained without sacrifice, Sonic."

"Sacrifice what?" Sonic asked, "It sounds like you're just running away!"

Saber fixed him with a stern glare. "Isn't that what you do?"

"That's different," Sonic insisted, "You're not giving up your life to fix your kingdom, you're tossing it away to make it someone else's problem!"

Saber's hardened even more, and Sonic without a doubt knew that this girl before him, once upon a time ago, forged a nation during barbaric, turbulent times. And you couldn't do that without an indomitable will. Saber wouldn't give this up easily.

Finally, she said, "Sonic, please do not tell Shirou my wish. He does not need to worry about this now, with so many other matters to concern him."

Sonic frowned. But decided to leave it be. There was still plenty of time before the wish could be granted. Hopefully, Saber could be convinced by then…

Sonic shook the memory away. She needed no convincing now. Sonic walked up and sat down next to Saber.

"Saber…" Sonic began tentatively, "Are you okay?"

Saber did not respond to him. Very faintly, Sonic could have sworn he heard her mutter something along the lines of "For nothing…" But it was hard to tell.

"Look, I know it stinks that the wish turned out to be a dud," Sonic said, "But it's been hundreds of years since Camelot fell. Sometimes you just gotta let go of the past. I mean, there's no way to tell if your replacement would have done any better, right?"

"It's not that…" Saber moaned, "It is far, far, worse."

"What is?" Sonic asked.

Saber choked back a sob. "I…I am the one who caused the Great Fire…"

"What!" Sonic exclaimed.

Saber nodded sadly. Taking a deep breath (To hold back her tears?), she began her tale.

"I told everyone that the Grail of the Fourth War had been destroyed before its power could form completely. I was the one who destroyed it."

"Wh-why would you do that?" Sonic asked, still stunned.

Saber's eyes hardened. "It was Kiritsugu. He ordered me to destroy the Grail's container with a Command Seal. But with its container broken, the power within the Grail flooded out and over the city, destroying all in its path. I…" She paused, as if gathering her thoughts. "As my Master, Emiya Kiritsugu was a cold, honor-less man. He treated everyone around him as either a target to be eliminated, a tool to be used, or both. During the War, he acted without chivalry, and held no respect for those that did. He justified his unscrupulous actions as a necessary evil to bring world peace with the Grail."

Sonic scratched his head. "Are we talking about Shirou's Kiritsugu? 'Cause the guy Shirou mentioned sounded a lot nicer."

Saber gave a bitter smile. "I know. During my slumber, I saw Shirou's upbringing under him. I was surprised to see that side to him," She sighed, "Ever since I reappeared in this War, I have always wondered why Kiritsugu would betray us so, why he would cast aside everything he had worked for. And even after learning of his reason…"

"Still a bit of a gut-punch, huh?" Sonic asked, getting a total Shadow (the Hedgehog) vibe from Saber now.

"Don't you understand, Sonic?" Saber asked back, "I only accepted the tragedies I suffered in pursuit of the Grail…and now that has been lost to me. E…everything I've done in this War…has been for nothing."

"That's not true."

Saber and Sonic turned around. There behind them was Shirou, on his bike. There were beads of sweat on his forehead, and he was a bit red in the checks. He must have Reinforced both his legs and the bicycle as he pedaled in order to catch up with the pair. He must have been tired, as he didn't bother setting the kickstand; he just let the bike fall over as he walked over to where Sonic and Saber were. Once he sat down, he continued.

"You saved my life from Lancer, remember?" Shirou said, "If you hadn't appeared then and there, he would have killed me," Again, "And when Eggman attacked, you helped defend the school. I can't imagine any other Servant that could have done those things. I know it's selfish of me to say so, but I'm glad you appeared in this War, even if you can't get your wish."

Saber closed her eyes. When she opened them, her gaze was directed entirely at Shirou. "Shirou. You have told me that you only seek to prevent another disaster, and had no wish. But…" She looked away briefly before looking back and continuing. "If you did not have to worry about anything else- Not Rin, not Illya, Sonic, or even I…what would you wish for?"

Shirou's answer was immediate. "There's nothing I want that I can't get on my own. I hope to become a hero of justice someday…But I don't need a Wish to achieve that."

"But what about your family? The one you lost in the Fire?" Saber persisted, "Would you not wish them Back? Or for the tragedy to have never happened?"

For that, Shirou had to think. Then he said, "I can't remember who my old family was…or who I used to be. I have no motivation to return to that. As for preventing the Fire… As much as I hate myself for not being to do anything…that incident is part of who I am. If I were to Wish it away, it would only cheapen the importance of the lives that were lost."

Saber looked down. After a moment she wiped her eyes. Sitting between them, Sonic got up, and allowed Shirou to get closer to Saber. The Master put his arm around Saber's shoulder, comforting her. A respectful distance away, Sonic watched.

Must resist urge to ruin the moment with a joke, Sonic thought to himself, Resist…resist…resist…

Then the alerts on Sonic and Shirou's communicators went off. With a sigh, Sonic turned away to speak into it. Behind him, Shirou answered his.

"Sonic! Shirou! Did you guys find Saber?" Amy's voice came from the speaker.

"We did." Shirou replied, and offered his wrist to Saber.

"I apologize for running away like that," Saber said, "Is everything well?"

"No- I'm getting there, shut up!" Amy shouted at someone on her end, "Tails picked up a bunch of high energy surges."

"How many, and where?" Sonic asked, all business.

"One's at the Ryuudou mountain."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Caster's place?"

"We didn't kill Caster," Saber determined, "She must have recovered and is rebuilding her forces somehow." Or it could Archer...

"The second is where the Matou family lives, and the last is at the Tohsakah Mansion!"

Shirou felt his heart leap into his throat. Sonic shit him a look showing that they were thinking the same thing; of Rin and Sakura ' s condition.

"We're all heading to Ryuudou to check out the surge there," Amy continued, "Can you two look at the other ones? Tails tried calling Rin, but she's not answering!"

"I'm already going to Rin's place," Sonic said, and in that instant he had vanished from the bridge in a flurry of footsteps. His voice continued to come from Shirou's communicator. "Shirou, Saber, can you two see what's going on at the Matou's?"

Saber had already picked up Shirou's bike. By the time Sonic finished talking, she was sitting behind the handlebars. Even though the bike was a bite rusty, and she wore hand-me-downs from Rin, she looked just as regal and noble as if she had been in full armor on horseback.

She declared, "We can."

"Stuart, we have a problem!" Twice ran into the room, looking harried.

Stuart looked up from some notes he was compiling. According to this latest report, there was a hostage involved in the latest Eggman incident. Thankfully, the blue creature had saved her, but then took off for parts unknown with the girl before she could be properly identified. According to reports, there was a chance it was Matou Sakura, a classmate of Emiya Shirou and Tohsaka Rin, but these were unsubstantiated.

"What is it?" Stuart asked, no longer sounding remotely bothered. Lately, events were happening with an escalating frequency. There was no time to be shocked.

"I just lost contact with the team at Ryuudou Temple," Pierceman said, "There was a huge energy spike at the mountain and other locations. But when I called the workers at the temple, no one responded."

Stuart grimaced. "We can't take any chances. Let's see if those-"

"Agent Stuart!" Another agent (Stuart couldn't remember his name) ran in. He said, "We've just gotten word that McRemitz has met up with Emiya's team. Furthermore, now she, the Einzbern girl, and some of those creatures are heading out to Ryuudou!"

Stuart nodded. "Right. And what of Emiya himself? Or the blue one?"

"We've lost track of them."

Stuart rubbed his temples. "Right. Let's focus on the party heading towards Ryuudou…"

Getting to Ryuudou was a difficult affair. It wasn't night yet, but Tails, Knuckles, and Amy were adamant that they needed to investigate the Prana spike now. To ensure that they could reach the mountain without being spotted, Illya went out and "borrowed" a van. With the off-worlders safe in the back of the car, hiding under a blanket, and Bazett in the driver's seat, the group was relatively free to travel to Mt. Ryuudou unnoticed. "Relatively" being that they had to avoid soldiers and other armed personal stopping cars to ask awkward questions. After taking six u-turns and fifteen detours, Bazett and Illya began to simply take turns hypnotizing anyone who pulled them over. It wouldn't have been so bad, except Knuckles had become impatient and began asking "Are we there yet?" over and over.

"We're here." Bazett announced in a tired tone.

"Finally!" Knuckles cried, leaping out to stretch. "I was starting to get claustrophobia under that thing!"

"Well, we're here now," Tails said, and took out his Miles Electric. After checking the readings, he announced, "The surge is definately coming out from Caster's Lair. It's become relatively stable, but it's still rising."

"Where's the entrance?" Bazett asked. She adjusted her gloves, readying herself for a fight. She was having flashbacks to her jobs as an Enforcer, sent to capture Mages who the Association had given a "Sealing Designation." Hopefully, whatever was happening wouldn't be as messy as those incidents...

Tails pointed. "That way."

They walked towards the tunnel. The closer they got, Amy saw that both Illya and Bazett had pained expressions on their faces.

"What is it?" Amy asked, concerned. She turned and saw Knuckles looked similarly pained. "Is something going on?"

"There's an...unpleasant aura coming from the cave," Knuckles responded, and glanced at the mages. They nodded, clearly sharing his thoughts. "I'm going in first."

No one replied, and so Knuckles took that as his cue to take the lead. So far, the tunnel leading to Caster's labyrinth seemed unchanged from the last time the heroes. But as they got closer to the end, a bright light could be seen in the distance.

"Hold on, what's that?" Bazett asked.

Humming, Illya fashioned a a bird from some magical wires and sent it towards the light. As soon as it entered, her expression became confused. "It's...full of sand?"

"Caster made a city by herself," Tails noted, "Maybe whatever's happening ground those buildings into gravel?"

"Only one way to find out." Knuckles said, as he lead the group into the light.

It wasn't merely "Full of sand". It was a full-fledged desert! Complete with a clear blue sky and a bright, shining sun. This caught the gang off-guard, and they spent several precious seconds squinting until they got used to the sudden brightness. But once they could see clearly, they also saw that they weren't alone. Three figures were awaiting them, all clad in black, with eyes, yellow and slitted, like a lizard.

In the center was a gigantic man, maybe two meters in height, clad in armor that used to be bronze and wearing a mantle with a fur collar. He had a short beard that went around his chin, and red that, while short, was wild and untamed. By his waist was a large sword.

On the left was a slim, but well-built man, weilding two spears. He was handsome, his beauty apparently enhanced by a mole under his eye.

And on the right...was armor. It was a suit of black armor, that of a medival knight's. But from within the armor, an vile smog seemed to emit from each crack, shrouding the figure. The helmet had a thin slit where the eyes should be, with a ghastly red glow seeping out from within.

"Huh? Who are those guys?" Amy asked, taking out her hammer.

"Not the welcome wagon, that's for sure." Knuckles noted, putting up his dukes.

Illya felt something shake within her soul. A tremble that she could not explain. Gritting her teeth, she pointed and declared, "Whoever they are, they're in the way! Berserker!"

With a roar, Berserker appeared from his astral form and charged at the trio. But just as he was within striking range, the black knight moved. He spun his around and swept out his foot, catching Berserker's heels with such speed that the demigod could not react in time. As Berserker fell, the knight jumped and snatched at the great stone sword. The weapon of Berserker became cloaked in the same black mist that shrouded the knight's armor, and then turned black, with red vein-like marks all over. The knight swung down, and cleaved into Berserker's neck, chopping his head off! Then, as a follow-up, the knight landed a solid kick the decapitated body, knocking it back a ways.

To say the heroes were stunned to see this was an understatement. They gaped in horror as Berserker re-grew his head.

The man with two spears said, "You cannot pass this point. The Holy Maiden requires her solitude."

The large man in the mantle said, "Bring Saber. Without her, you have no chance."

And the black knight, still holding Berserker's corrupted weapon, said, "Ar...thur..."

To be continued

Tiger Dojo

Taiga: Could it be...? Can it be true...?! Yes! It is the Tiger Dojo! I am your instructor, Fujimura Taiga!

Illya: And I'm Illya, the Number One Student!

Taiga: Those guys! They're always getting into something crazy! But there's no time for that now. We have questions to answer! Number One Student!

Illya: Journey to the End asks, "Are the Fate characters able to use the power of all seven Chaos Emeralds?" If using one Chaos Emerald will cause the Mage pain, using all seven will definately kill them. But, if they combine the Emeralds with fifty Power Rings, something amazing might happen...

Taiga: Our next question comes from Captain Falcon. They write, "Why Cream the Rabbit and Cheese weren't brought by the Chaos Control?" Huh? Cream and Cheese? Oh! It's a pun! But who are they?

Cream: Excuse me, Miss Taiga?

Cheese: Chao?

Taiga: KYAAAH! You're so cute!

Illya: Oh no, she's in cuteness overload! Quick, run you two! I'll hold her off!

Cream: Is she going to be all right?

Cheese: Chao-chao.

Taiga: Mmf!

Illya: There! Those wires should hold...now, why are you here? Or more accurately, why aren't you in the story?

Cream: That's because it's a school night.

Illya: What?

Taiga: Mmf?

Cream: Mother won't let me go out and save the world during the school week, unless it's an emergency. Anyway, Sonic can usually take care of it himself.

Illya: Usually...they may be out of their depth this time...

Cheese: Chao!

Cream: Yes, those men look scary...especially that black knight.

Taiga: Raah! (Snap!) I'm free! I'll get you for that, Number One Student, but first the last question!

Illya: Biscuit the Adventurer asks, "Is the sonic game that decanonized itself because time shenanigans considered canon here?"

Taiga: Canon is a difficult thing to determine, especially in the Fate series, but for the Sonic series, that's for Sega to decide.

Illya: Translation: We don't know.

Taiga: Quiet, you! (Whack!) And that's also for tying me up!

Illya: Argh...

Cream: Oh, uh, I guess that's the end of the show for now.

Cheese: Chao, chao-chao! (See you next time!)