Chapter 2: Of Kings, Fathers, and Conquerors

'Sunset. The war will begin again soon.' Thought Irisviel to herself as she sat on the porch of the Einzbern base, staring out at the sunset. Lancer and Saber were catching up within while Kariya tucked Sakura in for bed. Kiritsugu was… doing whatever it was that he did for the war. Iri knew that her husband's methods of fighting were unorthodox, and many would consider them downright evil, but he did it to save people, as many as he could. It was one of the many things she loved about him. His… *ahem* prowess in the bedroom didn't hurt though.

Thinking of Kariya made the albino woman smile. She had only known the exiled Matou for a short time, but she was already quite fond of the man. He was a kind and generous soul, and obviously self-sacrificing given what he had done for Sakura. He must have been the black sheep of the Matou family, or the white sheep in a herd of black more likely.

With Lancer and Kariya allied with them victory was all but assured. There was no question that Lancer himself was a powerful Servant, the legend of Sir Lancelot du Loc was known far and wide, but his relationship with Saber made them all the more deadly a pair. They had fought and bled together in life. That familiarity and friendship would drive them to fight to the fullest to keep each other alive. It would make them a formidable duo.

However, this could also be an obstacle. In the end there could be only one Servant left standing, one of them would have to die. She hoped that Lancer and Saber could see the truth of this and agree to meet each other in the next life, but that was no sure bet. As much as Iri knew Saber liked her, she might well choose to side with her dearest friend over Irisviel. Iri shook her head, those things would have to wait. There were still many foes in the coming war.

The problem of Kariya's small reserves of prana had been solved. Iri, in addition to supplying extra prana to Saber, would do the same for Lancer. It would take much of the strain off of Kariya and make him more of use in fights against the other Masters should they arise.

Iri was interrupted from these thoughts by Kariya, Saber, and Lancer coming out onto the patio. Saber was clad in her suit rather than armor and Lancer had done the same garbing himself in one of Kiritsugu's suits. Iri had to admit that the Servant of the Lance was rather dashing in the get-up. She could see why he was such a desired man back in Camelot.

"Kariya, Lancer, Saber, sit down, please." Said Iri politely to her guests. "How is Sakura, Kariya? Is she sleeping well?" she asked, genuinely interested.

Kariya smiled and nodded. "Yeah, she was out the second her head hit the pillow." He said with a light smile. Then his face turned into a frown. "She'll be protected here, right?" he asked nervously.

Iri nodded confidently. "Indeed. The wards on this house are extensive, and the location is known only to a few. But if you're still uncomfortable there's another safe house we could move her to." She offered.

Kariya nodded. "That (cough, cough) would be nice." He said through his cough. "Thank you. I mean it, I can't thank you, Saber, and your husband enough for this." He said.

Saber put a comforting hand on the sick man's shoulder. "No matter Kariya, it is the duty of knights to protect the innocent. Lancelot and I would do it for any child in need." Said the King of Knights passionately.

Lancer nodded in ascent. "I only wish I had been there to aid you your majesty." Said Lancer in a bit of a melancholy tone. "You did a marvelous job from what I have heard, but it is my duty to be beside you in these things. I ask only to offer aid in your next escapade." He said politely. He failed that sworn oath in life, he would not do so again in death.

Iri cleared her throat. "Lancer I can assure you that you will be with us in our next battle tonight." She said assuredly. "But right now we must discuss our strategy." She said in a sterner voice, trying to imitate Kiritsugu's innate ability to command respect and authority. "I'd like to begin by knowing what your abilities are Lancer." She said, sitting back in her chair.

Lancer glanced at his master for permission, and Kariya nodded in ascent. "Well, I believe that a place to start would be For Someone's Glory." He said. "As I demonstrated earlier, I can mask my identity by disguising myself with another connected with the Throne of Heroes." He said, shifting to resemble Achilles once more before returning to his normal form.

Saber smirked. "I recall you would often enter tournaments under a false name." she said, remembering happier times. "You claimed that you wished to be judged by your abilities rather than the fame your name brought you if memory serves." She said.

Iri nodded, processing the information. "Are there limits to the disguise? Can you adopt the Noble Phantasm of the Servant, or one you don't know the appearance of?" asked Iri.

"I cannot adopt the Noble Phantasms of my diguises as they are just that, a disguise. And, to be blunt, I have never met Achilles in my life." He said simply.

Iri frowned. "Ah. So you could, theoretically, shift into a Servant known to one of our enemies in the War, or shift into the enemy Servants themselves and take their Masters off guard?" she asked, a bit of a dark glint in her eyes.

Saber seemed taken aback. "Why Iri, I never would have expected this from you. Your husband perhaps." She said, thinking distastefully of the man.

Lancer himself considered the possibilities. "Yes… I suppose it would be possible. But I would have to know the identities of the enemy Servants before I could do such a thing." He said contemplatively. "Do we know of any of the Servants besides Iskander the Great?"

"According to what Kiri has found, Berserker is Erick the Red. Assassin is always one of the Hassan-i-Sabbah, but aside from that no." she said with a shrug.

Kariya interjected. "I thought Assassin was killed by Archer when he tried to break into Tokiomi's manor?" He asked.

"I thought so to, but Kiri found some flaws in the whole thing." Said Iri. "For one thing, no self-respecting Assassin would try to break-in in such an obvious way. It's like he was deliberately drawing attention to himself." She said, recalling Kiri's own ideas. "Also, Archer's little speech seemed almost rehearsed. Like he had planned it in advance."

"So, you're saying that Assassin faked his death?" asked Kariya. "Does that mean that Tohsoka and Assassin's Master are allied with each other?" he asked.

"It would seem so." She said grimly. "But a discussion on Assassin and Archer can wait. Right now I would like to know Lancer's other Noble Phantasms." she said, attempting to get the conversation back on track. While the team up of Assassin and Archer was intimidating, not even factoring in the abilities of their masters, she needed to know Lancer's Noble Phantasms so she and Kiritsugu could properly plan their next move.

"Well, my simplest but most physically powerful Noble Phantasm is Du Loc, represented by my Lance." Said Lancer, producing the weapon. Even blunted, the weapon was impressive. A tall and sturdy construction of pure steel. The slight blue hue of the lance seemed to glow a tiny bit in the dying light. Its color seemed to match that of Lancer's usual armor.

"An impressive weapon." Said Iri, "But why is the tip blunted? It seems counter-productive to its purpose." She said.

Lancer nodded. "It is, but it is part of the Noble Phantasm itself. Du Loc is supposed to be representative of my skill in the traditional jousting match. It is blunt for two strikes, but then becomes sharp and deadly upon the third strike and remains so thereafter. It is meant to be a finisher, being able to pierce through most any armor and hides. It is powerful, but if I use it then it will seal my other two Noble Phantasms from being used." He said, twirling the lance in his hands, showing little effort in slinging the obviously incredibly heavy weapon around.

"Basically it's a 'break glass in case of emergency' kind of thing." Supplied Kariya as Lancer dispelled his lance. "A last resort in case (cough, cough) his other methods fail."

Iri nodded. "I agree, but you mentioned three. What is your third Lancer?" she asked politely, taking another sip of her tea.

Lancer nodded. "My final Noble Phantasm is Knight of Honor." He said.

"A fitting name for your Noble Phantasm Lancelot." Said Saber with a small smile. It may have just been Iri's imagination, but did the mighty Lancelot du Loc blush at his king's praise. Kariya seemed to have noticed it to, and they shared a look. Had there been something… intimate between the two knights in life besides that of mere friendship? Iri shook her head. No, that was just silly. All the legends agreed that Lancelot had loved Guinevere.

Then again, they had also said that Saber had been a man.

"Anyway," continued Lancer, still a bit flustered. "Knight of Honor allows me to claim weapons as my own Noble Phantasms. They don't have any special abilities aside from being strong and durable and able to hurt Servants. I could not however, claim something like a lamp as it has a higher purpose as a light source. I could, however, rip out the cord and use it as a weapon since it would lose its higher purpose." He explained.

"Could you claim a Noble Phantasm from another Servant?" asked Irisviel, knowing that if he could it would make Knight of Honor an incredible weapon against their foes. Only if used properly though. Otherwise, it could prove disastrous.

Lancer nodded. "Yes I can, but the Noble Phantasm would lose its special abilities and become a simple weapon. Albeit one that can harm a Heroic Spirit, no small feat." Said the knight thoughtfully. "In addition, the weapons of Heroic Spirits have history and meaning in them that my own abilities would have to overcome." Said Lancer.

Iri frowned. "I'm afraid I don't understand." Said Iri.

Surprisingly, Saber answered. "Lady Iri, take Excalibur for example." She said. "People know of this weapon. It is famous and remembered for doing certain things. For being my weapon specifically." Said the knight, producing said sword. "The sword is part of my Legend, and part of me as a Heroic Spirit by extension. Lancer's Noble Phantasm would attempt to take that away from me, to remove part of my Legend from me and make it part of his." She said. "You can understand why that would be difficult to separate the two." Finished Saber.

Irisviel nodded. "I understand. The two ideas would be at odds." She admitted. "But it is still formidable weapon at our disposal. But could we have a demonstration?" she asked of the raven-haired knight.

Lancer frowned. "Well, I am not sure what I could use for one. I could break a leg off of the table of perhaps break… a…" he trailed off as he saw that Saber was offering the hilt of Excalibur to him. "No, no!" he said forcefully. "Your majesty I cannot." He said, standing up and shaking his head.

Saber sighed and stood with him. "Lancelot, do you trust me?" she asked sternly to the raven haired knight. The knight reluctantly nodded, still staring at the hilt of the proffered sword as though it were an asp preparing to bite his fingers off. "Then trust me now when I say you are worthy of holding my sword." She said in a commanding tone.

"Your highness, with all due respect, I am hardly worthy." He said with surprising bitterness in his voice. It sounded wrong, such a tone coming out of his mouth. "I seduced your wife, I betrayed both you and my oaths as a knight of Camelot, and I single-handedly caused the domino effect which led to the fall of your Kingdom!" he said, his tone slightly hysterical. "How, how in the name of God could you possibly forgive me for that!?" he cried.

Iri felt like an intruder. This clearly wasn't about the sword. This was shame, Lancer's shame from all those terrible years ago. This was between the two of them. A quick glance at Kariya and she saw that he seemed to think the same. Neither moved though, this was important. Lancer and Saber needed to work through the history between them if they were to work as a unit. Even though it felt wrong, she needed to see what happened between them.

Saber placed a single hand on the taller knight's shoulder. "Lancelot, do you remember the day we met?" she asked softly. "The battle of Chunnley. You had just landed ashore to see if the King of England was the legend you had heard of." She said.

"Il y a si longtemps," he said softly in his native French. "Yes, I could scarcely believe that such a King existed, that no King could be as unselfish and good as you were claimed to be. I had to see with my own eyes." He said, the memory of seeing the valiant English King charging into battle, protecting her people, though at the time he had believed her to be a man. "We shared a dream, a dream of a utopia. Where no man had to hide himself, where all were equal." He said, voice thick with emotion.

"Yes my friend, we did." She said. "But in the end, we both betrayed that dream." She said. Lancer looked up in surprise at Saber. "Yes Lancelot, we both betrayed that idea. The difference was, you did so for love." She said. "But me… it was jealousy. That is all." She said. "The one I loved… they had found joy in another's arms, and I could not bear it. My anger blinded me, and led to the fall of our dream." She looked back up, green eyes meeting dark blue. "Lancelot, my hand led to the fall of my own kingdom. My anger, my jealousy. That was my motive. But you… you were guided by love." She said, her hand moving from his shoulder and holding up Excalibur once more. "If any is worthy of this blade, it is you my dearest friend."

Very slowly, as though he might be struck down by Holy Wrath at any moment, Lancer's hand wrapped around the hilt of Excalibur. With deliberate slowness he pulled the blade from its sheathe, blue and silver wrapping around it as he claimed the weapon as his own. He grasped the hilt of the fully drawn blade with both hands, holding it before his face.

Then, like a viper striking he stabbed the weapon forward at Saber. Iri and Kariya jumped to their feet in surprise, prepared to defend Saber. But they saw, in truth, no harm had come to the King. The sword was held parallel to Saber's neck, a tiny cut the only discernable damage. Very slowly, a single hair severed by the sword drifted to the ground.

Lancer withdrew the blade and kneeled before Saber, offering the hilt to her once more. "I am unworthy of this weapon, my King. But upon it I swear to you my undying loyalty. And upon my life, I shall uphold it with my dying breath."

Saber retrieved the sword and it dissipated. "Rise Sir Lancelot du Loc, rise my friend." Lancelot obliged, and Saber wrapped him in a tight hug, all royal dignity forgotten. "Together my friend, we shall change the world." She said, barely above a whisper.

"A moving demonstration." Said the grim voice of Kiritsugu from to doorway. "And a true sight of the power of Knight of Honor, getting a Noble Phantasm to harm its own Heroic Spirit." He said, lighting a cigarette.

"Kiri!" cried Iri happily, wrapping her husband in a hug.

"Emiya-sama." Said Kariya getting up to shake Kiritsugu's hand. He was eager to directly thank the man who, according to Iri had played a large part in rescuing Sakura. But even though he was grateful to the man, Kariya was also reserved about him. Even as cut off from the magical world as he had made himself, he had heard about the infamous Magus Killer from Aoi. He had, however, saved someone close to Kariya. In addition he had killed Zouken. That alone was enough for Kariya to start to like the man.

Kiritsugu shook Kariya's hand. "Kiritsugu will do." He said bluntly.

"Kiritsugu." Said Kariya. "I… I wanted to thank you in person. Your wife says you and Saber saved Sakura. I know what kind of a monster Zouken was, it couldn't have been easy to beat him." He said giving a short bow to the Magus Killer.

"Help us win the Grail War. That will suffice for gratitude." Said Kiritsugu with a small grin. "And you're welcome." He said returning the short bow. Really Kiritsugu relished the custom coming from someone else. After so long amongst the Einzberns and other Europeans, it was refreshing to find someone who understood the customs from his homeland.

"Of course." Said Kariya. "The cup's yours. I don't want it." He said.

Kiritsugu nodded and turned to Lancer and Saber. Saber was looking at him with her usual air of mild contempt while Lancer's face was more curious than anything else. There was little sign of the emotional episode they had recently been through, at least in their faces. But their stances were different. It was like some invisible tension between them was gone. They were more at ease with each other. One demon down, a few thousand more to go.

No doubt Saber had told her friend about Kiritsugu, and he probably shared her views on Kiritsugu's methods. Kiritsugu didn't truly care though. Let them hate him so long as they obeyed him. It was probably a bad thing that he was quoting Emperor Tiberius, but then again what else was new. Bad things pretty much summed up his life. Irisviel and Illya excluded.

"You have an interesting set of Noble Phantasms." Said Kiritsugu to Lancer. "And before you ask, I caught everything on the cameras." He said, gesturing to the upper corner of the patio where a camera sat like a fat crow, observing all.

Saber snorted at him. "Aye, but how will you use them Kiritsugu." She said, careful not to use the term Master. Though she had already told Lancer that Kiritsugu was her true Master, and he would probably inform Kariya at the next opportunity, she wanted to present loyalty to her Master. Besides, Kiritsugu was by no means a foolish man. He could more than likely guess the situation and where she stood.

Kiritsugu blew out a puff of smoke. Rather than answering, he asked a question. "Lancer, how does your Knight of Honor work with more complex weapons? Ones with moving parts for instance?" he asked, his gray eyes calculating.

Lancer nodded. "I could, theoretically, use a more complex weapon in such a manner. However, given the complexity of the structure it would be less stable and break sooner than a sword or spear. In addition, I do not have experience with such weapons."

"But you can use them?" asked Kiritsugu. Lancer nodded. Kiritsugu gave a positively demonic grin. "Well in that case…" he gestured them inside. In the hallway sat a large red trunk. Kiritsugu opened the trunk, folding the lid up, and the front end down. Within the trunk were weapons. Guns, ammunition, grenades, various blades, even a crossbow. It was an arsenal large enough to arm a small Marine ground force. "Take your pick." Said Kiritsugu.

Despite what some of his less than couth rivals might say about him, Tokiomi Tohsoka loved his family. His love for his wife was not a passionate one, but it was stately and firm, as solid as stone. She had originally been arranged to marry her first love, Kariya Matou. But then Kariya had left his family, and the contract went to the Tohsoka. Tokiomi loved her though, for it was the kind of love that was built over years, stone by stone.

But his true love were his daughters. For them, he cared so much it almost physically hurt him. He adored both Sakura and Rin, the sweetheart and the little firecracker. Unlike many Magus fathers he had taken a direct and present role in raising both of them. He had changed their diapers, bandaged their skinned knees, taught them to ride their little bikes, and generally thrown himself into the role of a father with a gusto that before he had only shown in his magic studies.

But therein lay the problem. He was a Magus. Not just any Magus, but the head of a very old and very powerful family. And he had two heirs, both of whom he loved unconditionally. Many Magus Families would simply allow the younger to wither into obscurity, or simply kill them and be done with it. But such a thought was unthinkable for Tokiomi. He loved both Sakura and Rin, and they both showed so much potential. And yet only one could inherit the Tohsoka Crest. It was this problem which he had attacked with all of his not inconsiderable mental powers. He wanted both Rin and Sakura to grow as Magi, but the secrets of the Tohsoka could only pass to one.

When Zouken Matou had approached him with the proposition of adopting Sakura into the Matou, Tokiomi had been suspicious. The Tohsoka and the Matou had always been on relatively good terms, meaning they weren't outright trying to kill each other. But still, Tokiomi knew very little about the way Matou magic worked. This was not strange, Magus Families guarded their secrets jealously, but what he DID know disturbed him. It involved insects, and was centered on absorption. That was the extent of Tokiomi's knowledge on it. Zouken would never reveal his family secrets in a million years. Tokiomi could have asked Kariya about it, but he and Kariya had never especially liked each other. He didn't trust Kariya to give an honest answer, and he didn't want to ask his wife's first love for help. Call it male pride.

He had accepted, however, for two reasons. The first was that the Matou and the Tohsoka had a long history of good relations. He by no means trusted the old man, but he did believe that Zouken had no reason to lie about teaching Sakura magic. Secondly, this deal was literally the solution he had been waiting for. Both of his daughters could live up to their true potential, and both would become the inheritors of a powerful Crest.

It had hurt, oh it had hurt like HELL to give one of his daughters away, but he had sat the family down and explained the situation. It was for the best, they had agreed, and Sakura agreed to go as long as her family could visit. Tokiomi had sent his daughter off, confident he had done the right thing for both of the children he loved so dearly.

He was now of a different opinion.

When his wife had told him of the look of horror that had crossed Kariya's face when he heard of the deal, he had become uneasy. Just because he didn't like Kariya, or respect him that much for walking away from his rightful place as a Magus, Tokiomi also knew that Kariya knew Matou magic. And from what Aoi had told him, Kariya had looked like a man struck by a lightning bolt. Still, Tokiomi had been able to shake it off. He had chalked it up to jealousy on the younger man's part. Nothing to worry about.

But then the events of last night had unfolded, and now it felt like Tokiomi had been the one hit by a lightning bolt.

He was taking an incredible risk, leaving Fuyuki to visit his wife and daughter in their safe house, but he had no choice, He had to tell them what had happened, the tragedy that had unfolded. Even now, Tokiomi felt like he was weighted down by chains of iron. Archer had scoffed when he had found out he was leaving, but said nothing more. Tokiomi couldn't bring himself to care, not really. He had more important things on his mind than the arrogant King.

When he saw Aoi it took all of his iron control not to burst into sobs. He had brought both his wife and daughter into the livingroom of the safe house. He knew that his destitute expression was worrying them, but he couldn't bring himself to change it.

Tokiomi, darling. What's wrong? What's happened?" asked Aoi as she sat down across from her husband. Rin was standing beside her mother, clutching Aoi's fingers tightly. The little girl worshiped her father, and seeing him so… defeated was terrifying.

"Aoi… I'm not sure how to say this." He said, looking down, his voice sounding hollow. "Last… last night. Last night… Matou Manor was destroyed. It was simply gone, obliterated. Zouken was found dead outside. He was shot by some enchanted bullet." He said.

Aoi made a strangled sound in her throat and her hands went limp. She had the expression of one who had been stabbed multiple times in the heart. She knew damn well what the implications of this were. If Matou Manor were simply gone and the head of the family murdered then Sakura was, in all likelihood, dead as well. But if the guilty party hadn't killed her then they might have decided to do something else.

Magi were well known for a lack of scruples. Experimentation on human beings, even children, were not unheard of.

Rin, though young, knew what her father was saying as well. Though she didn't know of the evils of the world of Magi yet, she knew that her sister was likely dead. For Rin, it was all the more devastating. She had loved her sister dearly, and when she had become a Matou it had hurt her terribly. But now, believing that she was dead… it felt like a piece of her heart had been torn away from her. It was spiraling down, down, down, further away from her into a dark place where no light or joy could reach.

"S-Sakura?" Aoi managed to get out through the tears that were rapidly coming.

Tokiomi shook his head. "No sign. We know nothing." He said quietly.

"Oh… oh God. OH GOD!" cried Aoi, folding in on herself, her body shuddering with sobs. It couldn't be… it just couldn't! Sweet, kind, wonderful Sakura couldn't be dead! It was impossible. It was some sort of black practical joke played by the world. It had to be a nightmare, anything but reality! Not her little Sakura.

Rin felt as though she had been hit by a truck. She staggered back, clutching her chest, shaking her head. "Father… father no!" she cried, rushing up to her father. She grabbed his arms and began to shake it aggressively. "Papa… it can't be! Please papa!" she cried, tears in her face. If father didn't have the answers… Rin didn't know what she would do.

Quite suddenly, Tokiomi was embracing both her and Aoi. He hugged them tightly as though they would disappear at any moment. Quietly, as though he were afraid of being heard, he spoke. "I'll find her. One way or another… I'll find her."

For a long time the Tohsoka family merely stayed there, grieving in each other's arms. Even Tokiomi, though he did not sob, allowed tears to fall. He needed to, because that is what crying is. Crying is like a baptism. The water flows over you, and it cleanses you. It allows you to let lose all the pain and sadness. It allows you to empty yourself, cleanse yourself, and allow yourself to be filled with something new.

That night Tokiomi Tohsoka, one of the mightiest and most respected Magi in all of Japan returned to Fuyuki filled with iron determination. The War? Backburner. Save it for later. None of his allies were going to like it, but the War was second priority right now. He had made a mistake, a terrible and dreadful mistake by giving Sakura away. Now he was going to find her. If she was alive, he would bring her back to his family. If she was dead, he was bringing back her body to bury. He was not going to let the murderers of Zouken live. Justice was going to be dealt, swiftly and harshly. Whether by his own hands, or by the hands of the King of Heroes, Tokiomi Tohsoka was going to bring his daughter home.

No matter the cost.

Kayneth Archibold El-Melloi slumped down in his chair in the penthouse suite of the hotel where he was staying. Sola-Ui, his fiancé, sat beside him, as far away from the third occupant of the room as she possibly could. Kayneth himself faced the third occupant, the Servant Berserker, Erick the Red of Viking fame.

The Viking was standing against the wall, glaring at Kayneth with barely veiled hatred. Kayneth had temporarily released the Mad Enhancement upon the Servant to conserve prana, and now the sane Servant was looking positively murderous.

"If ever I get the chance, Englishman." Snarled the red-haired Viking. "If ever once I get the chance, yer a dead man." Snapped Berserker. Even though the Mad Enhancement was cancelled, at least for the moment, the Servant still looked like a dangerous wild animal. His tangled mass of red hair, both on top of his head and his beard, was remarkably similar to the color of blood. Without the Mad Enhancement, his storm cloud gray eyes burned with inner fury.

Kayneth glared, unintimidated by the powerful Viking, or if he was he simply didn't show it. Sola-Ui was inclined to believe the later. "And banish yourself to the Throne of Heroes once more? Deny yourself your wish? Even a brutish idiot like you can understand the stupidity in that." Said Kayneth with a sneer. In response, the Viking snarled like a wolf.

"Perhaps, Kayneth, it would be wise NOT to anger the Heroic Spirit who is to win you the Holy Grail, dearest." Said Sola-Ui, half on sarcasm and half in fear. The huge Viking never ceased to terrify her. Even out of his Mad Enhancement his mere presence gave her the willies. The English and Irish alike had suffered much at the hands of the Vikings, and Erick the Red was no exception. Most remembered his founding of Greenland and Iceland, not to mention North America. But many forgot that Erick the Red was also a bloodthirsty conqueror.

Berserker sneered at Kayneth. The two had hated each other from day one. Berserker was loathe to work under an 'English dog', and Kayneth simply despised him for not being Iskander the Great, his first intended Servant. Under the Mad Enhancement it was easier to manage, but even then Berserker seemed to find ways to defy Kayneth. The two were a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. Either Berserker would decide that killing Kayneth was worth more than his wish, whatever it may be, or Kayneth would decide the same thing. It was enough to make Sola-Ui wish for the hotel to blow up and kill them both.

"Ye should listen ta yer lass there Englishman. Ye English bastards always did answer to the womenfolk. Had ya by the balls then and they got ya by the balls now." Said the Servant viciously.

"Silence, dog." Snarled Kayneth, gripping the sides of his chair tightly.

"Back when I was a commander, cows like yerself got thrown overboard." Snapped Berserker. "No room fer cowards who hide behind others on my ship. Either ya carried yer own sword or ya went overboard! You'd a' been dead before the first raid." Said Berserker, smirking as he watched Kayneth's face grow redder and redder. Sola-Ui was inclined to agree with the Servant of Madness on that score, but she politely kept such opinions to herself.

That was when the hotel blew up.

0

The Last thing Sola-Ui remembered was a deafening explosion and the distinct feeling of falling. The last thought that she remembered going through her head was that she was very much going to die. So here was a little conundrum for her mind to puzzle out: how was she still alive albeit with a Holy Grail sized headache?

The red-head opened her eyes and looked about. She was lying on her back on an old and ratty sofa in, what looked like, a ruined warehouse. Either she was remembering the night of her junior prom or Kayneth had somehow saved her from the explosion.

Speaking of the Lord El-Melloi, he was hovering around her, a worried expression on his face. His expression looked like a worried little boy that was looking at someone he loved on the operating table. It was sweet, she thought, to see such concern in his eyes.

Kayneth jumped when he saw Sola-Ui stir, and an expression of joy came over his face. However, as quickly as it appeared, his face resumed the expression of haughty superiority over all of those around him. "Sola-Ui, are you harmed?" he asked in a clinical and detached tone. "I repaired any extensive damage I could find, but If there is anything else it would be wise to let me know." He sounded like he was making an academic dissertation.

Sola-Ui flopped her head on the couch and groaned. "What happened? I remember the hotel blew up and that's about it." She said.

Kayneth's expression morphed into one of cold fury. It was drastically different from the rage he had shown at Berserker's stinging barbs which had seemed more like a childish tantrum. This was stone-cold righteous fury. 'By the Root, Kayneth actually looks like a Lord.' Thought Sola-Ui to herself.

"The Magus Killer. The Einzberns have hired him to win the war for them. The… bastard used explosives to blow up our base after calling in a bomb threat." Kayneth's hands clenched into fists and he stared at the opposite wall as though to burn a hole through it with the raw force of his rage alone. "A Magus… one of our own… has DARED to attack us with mundane weaponry!" he snarled. "He nearly killed you, and was too cowardly to do it like a true Magus." Said Kayneth, his anger steadily building.

Quite suddenly, Kayneth whirled around and stalked toward the door. "Berserker! You will remain here and guard Sola-Ui with your life! I am going to deal with a certain cowardly disgrace upon the Magus name!" thundered Kayneth.

Sola-Ui paled. She was to be left alone with that… man. She felt terror spring up in her heart. Kayneth had not used a Command Seal to prevent harm from coming to her, and if the Mad Enhancement was not upon Berserker then the Servant might very well choose to harm her to get to Kayneth. She wouldn't put it past the Viking.

Sola-Ui stood, fighting the vague feelings of vertigo that threatened her as she quickly stood, and made with the intention to go after Kayneth. She was, however, stopped by a blow to the head from behind, knocking her unconsciousness.

Berserker was many things, but a fool was not one of them. A fool didn't use a command seal to ensure his fiancé's safety from the powerful and pissed of Viking that clearly hated your guts. Erick was no such fool. In life he had been an explorer, a conqueror, a leader of men. He wasn't about to start taking orders from an English incompetent who hadn't the brains to secure his woman's safety.

While he was no genius, Berserker certainly was quite bright, and he had a plan for getting rid of Kayneth and remaining in the War while at it. It was by no means foolproof, it rested largely on Kayneth mucking things up as per usual, but Berserker knew that he could improvise if need be.

He was going to show that little blonde ponce what it meant to tangle with Erick the Red, greatest among the Vikings since Beowulf himself.

Class: Berserker

Name: Erick the Red

Alternate Classes: Saber, Rider, Lancer

Strength: B (With Mad Enhancement), C (Without Mad Enhancement.)

Endurance: A (With Mad Enhancement), B (Without Mad Enhancement)

Speed: B+ (With Mad Enhancement), C- (Without Mad Enhancement)

Mana: E

Luck: C

Phantasm: B+

Class Skills:

Mad Enhancement: C

Personal Skills:

Eye of the Mind (False): C

Mystic Face: C

Noble Phantasms:

Skraeling, C: Berserker's sword, forged by Eitri the dwarf himself and imbued with godly essence. The first strike of Skraeling will never miss its target and cannot be blocked or parried. Can only be used once per battle.

Woodan, D: Berserker's small axe. Will cleave through enchantments as easily as butter, but rather weak against conventional armor.

Langniðiar, B: Berserker's lance, cooled in the blood of Berserker's enemies. Will sap life out of the wound and transfer it to Berserker, increasing Berserker's stats and healing his wounds. Unless it is broken or Berserker is killed, the wounds dealt to a Servant will heal at the same rate a normal human's wounds heal, all the while adding to Berserker's stats.