Day 3: 1:02 PM: Entrance to Monk Monastery - Myitkyina, Burma

After another fifteen minutes of walking, the end of the stairs was finally in sight. With their goal within their reach, Illya and Eralyn were reinvigorated. They rapidly covered the couple steps that still separated them from Yuro and passed him to make it to the top. Upon arriving, they slouched in an archway that was virtually identical to the one that they had passed through down at the start of the path. They only had a couple seconds to catch their breath as Yuro breached the archway and continued walking away without them. The two girls scrambled to their feet and quickly moved next to him. As they did so, they got their first view of the actual monastery.

The archway opened out onto a wide, clear plateau that was lined with rows of simple looking buildings on either side of the main walkway. At the end of the main path, about two football fields straight ahead, was a large monolithic structure carved into the mountain side. Easily six or seven stories tall, the entrance was massive and supported by six evenly spaced columns. A wide opening into the mountain that was almost as tall as the structure itself stretched back into a dimly lit corridor. From the distance they were at, Illya and Eralyn couldn't see what was casting the light, but they suspected it was simply torches. The group came to a halt as Yuro stopped. Coming from the large entrance was an elderly looking man dressed in a red cloth that was draped around his body; this garb was worn by every monk they could see. Despite his old appearance, he fleetly covered the distance and bowed to Yuro. Yuro reciprocated the gesture with a bow of his own. When both were righted, the elderly monk began speaking to Yuro in what Illya assumed was Burmese. Your glanced back at the girls and Michael as he answered back in the same language.

After a small back and forth, the monk nodded and turned to the girls and Michael. He smiled at them and shook each of their hands, greeting them each as he did so. He then turned around to begin heading back in the direction he came from. Yuro followed after him and waved for the others to do the same. Eralyn moved up beside Yuro and asked, "Where are we going?"

"To the antechamber housing the Grail fragment," he said plainly, "I figured you'd want confirmation."

"That would be nice," Illya chimed.

"I can tell you now that I sense a heavy magical presence below us," Michael said, "I'd say we're heading in the right direction."

Yuro said nothing more as the group moved on.

Approaching the front of the monastery yielded an even more impressive impression than the two girls had previously had. Everything seemed to flow perfectly into the mountain indicating that the whole structure had required virtually no extra construction outside of the stone carving; it was a single piece of stone shaped in an extraordinary fashion. Illya looked at the intrinsic designs that lined the walls and breathed, "Amazing."

Michael let out a whistle to show that he too was impressed, "This is some stellar stone work."

Eralyn nodded, agreeing with both her companions.

There was a small flight of stairs that leveled off into a platform. The gaping entryway loomed in front of them. If it weren't for it being broad daylight, Eralyn probably would have been extremely intimidated by it. Despite her mind telling her to hesitate, however, she forced herself to venture on and not fall behind the others. As the group entered the large crevice, they were met with a very sudden drop in temperature. The noontime sun had warmed up the air outside a little so that at least it wasn't below freezing. Stepping past the threshold, on the other hand caused Eralyn to noticeably shiver. Illya looked at her and asked, "Are you alright?"

Eralyn rubbed her shoulders and answered, "I don't know. I'm just really cold now. A lot more than before."

"Ah. It's probably the bounded field we passed through."

"Bounded field?"

"It's a kind of barrier that's supposed to protect certain buildings and structures. The one we just passed through is exceptionally powerful."

"So how does it protect something?" Eralyn inquired.

"Well it's different for each bounded field depending on the needs of the caster. In this case I believe it's supposed to-"

"Stop the heart of anyone who does not have proper clearance," Yuro finished bluntly.

"Oh…" Illya said, "That would not have been my first guess."

Eralyn blinked at Yuro, "Then how did we pass through?"

"Obviously we were worthy," Michael chuckled.

Eralyn shot him a look, "You know what I mean. How do we have proper clearance?"

"Remember Master Myine shaking your hands? Check your palm," Yuro explained, not breaking stride.

Everyone immediately did so and saw a small, faint mark in the center of their palm. Eralyn looked up, slightly impressed, "Cool."

She couldn't tell because of how short it lasted, but Eralyn thought she saw the faintest of smiles tug on Yuro's face when she said that. She processed it away in her mind for later.

The rest of the walk was made in relative silence. A short distance into the crevice led them into a large, domed room. A circle of columns supported the mountain's weight and were positioned toward the outer edges of the chamber. A mosaic-like pattern was embedded into the floor and was surprisingly well polished. In addition to the numerous torches granting light to it, a hole cut from the roof bathed the room in sunlight. There were a couple different archways lead into different areas of the monastery, but the group wasn't being lead toward any of them. Instead the group was making their way to the center of the room. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that a narrow, spiral staircase descended into the ground at the chamber's center. The girls and Michael were led down the stairwell for close to five minutes. The stairs emptied out into a small antechamber. Illya and Eralyn gasped when they registered what was in it.

Thirteen monks sat equidistant around a small stone table. Suspended in the air was a glowing, golden piece of metal. While there wasn't anything immediately visible, the dim light from the low burning torches occasionally glinted off some sort of invisible barrier. The monks looked up as the group entered the room. Master Myine began speaking in a low voice at them. As he did so, eye glanced between the older monk and the girls. He didn't speak long and when he did, the monks shifted to being on their knees. The held their hands out to the barrier and began chanting in unison. Master Myine turned and smiled at the group, nodding toward the stairs. Understanding what he was saying, the girls and Michael began to move back up the stairwell.

When they were out of view of the room, Eralyn asked, "Illya, was that it?"

Illya nodded, "Mhmm. That was definitely a Grail fragment."

She turned to Yuro and asked, "So it's going to take a couple hours to take down that barrier?"

He nodded, "Yes. In the meantime, you can fill me in on what's going on. I knew something was up when Assassin was summoned, but when no one came, I figured I'd bide my time. Obviously I can't do that now."

Illya let out a sigh and nodded back. A small smile pulled at Eralyn's lips; Illya apparently didn't like having to explain things to people. They made their way back up and out to the entrance. When they reached it Master Myine bowed to Yuro and the group and went his separate way. Yuro then led them to a slightly smaller building on the edge of the encampment. It was a plain stone hovel like the rest of them, but had a roof made of hay and mud rather than wood. It also looked slightly newer compared to the others. He opened the door and let them file in. Entering caused Eralyn to say, "Holy crap!"

The entire single room building was armed to the teeth. Everything from combat knives to pistols to assault rifles to RPGs were neatly organized by type and evenly placed around the room. Michael let out another whistle, "Now this is more like it. Are all the monks packing a small armory? If your answer is yes, I'll put that stuff I swiped back where I got it. I mean damn. This brings a whole new meaning to battle monks. I might need to join your monkly order if this is the standard care pack-oof!"

Eralyn elbowed him in the ribs. Michael managed a strained chuckle, "Sorry."

Seemingly unaffected by Michael's joking attitude, Yuro answered, "No. My residence is unique. And I'd rather not discuss my cache of weapons. My primary concern is figuring out what the situation involving the Holy Grail is."

He took a seat and motioned for the others to find one as well. When everyone was settled, Illya took a deep breath and began recounting everything they knew. Yuro listed quietly, not asking questions nor making comments, only giving the occasional nod. When she was done, Yuro took a few moments to process everything. Eventually he spoke, "So do you plan on departing as soon as you have the fragment?"

"Yes," Illya said, "Is that a problem?"

"Not at all. I just wanted to know how long I had to collect my things.."

Illya raised an eyebrow, "Wait. You want to come with us?"

"Of course," responded Yuro, "I have vowed to safeguard the Grail fragment for the monastery. I won't willingly let it out of my care."

"Well I don't-"

Eralyn interjected into Illya's comment, "That's great! The more help the better!"

Illya narrowed her eyes and Eralyn, clearly not thrilled with the idea. Eralyn shot her a smile to try and placate her friend and then turned back to Yuro, "So now what?"

"Now we need to introduce our Servants properly. I won't be able to make proper tactical decisions without knowing their true identities," Yuro replied.

Illya looked at him for a minute. He knew what the Holy Grail was, he knew what Servants were, he had a stockpile of different weapons, and was talking about making strategy. She spoke what she was thinking out loud, "Who are you?"

Without missing a beat, he said, "The man who's waiting for you to tell me the information I asked for."

Illya scowled as Eralyn attempted to stifle a chuckle. After a short silence, Yuro sighed and said, "Since you seem to be unwilling to go first, I will. Assassin's true identity is Kawakami Gensai, one of the four Hitokiri Battousai. As you've already witnessed, he was know in life for his god-like speed. Now it's your turn."

Illya frowned at him, clearly debating what she should do. Eralyn clearing her throat, however, made her relent, "Fine. Berserker is Hercules, son of Zeus."

Realizing that she also had yet to properly introduce herself, she also added, "And I am Illyasviel von Einzbern, head of the Einzbern family."

"Good on you!" Michael clapped, "You're learning! Hesitation before revealing your Servant's identity can never be a bad thing! That said, I am Michael Inlustrem, archangel of the Divine and leader of the Divine Army! And that's my master, Eralyn."

Eralyn buried her face in her hands and grumbled, "You are such a hypocrite."

In response, Michael gave her toothy grin.

"The archangel of the Divine?" Yuro questioned, "I'd have figured you more suited to the Saber class based on what your lore describes."

"Yeah..." Michael said somewhat disappointed, "Unfortunately the Grail decided that someone else would be the better Saber pick. Thus I'm stuck as Lancer. Now I could use my sword, but my Servant parameters are much higher when I wield a pole arm. So I'm borrowing my brother's spear. It's lighter than I'm used to, but I'm making due."

"I see…well that should be sufficient for the time being."

"What's next then?" Illya inquired.

Yuro thought a moment before saying, "For now, it might be a good idea to rest."

Eralyn tossed and turned on the stiff mattress she was laying on. She couldn't sleep; she'd had trouble sleeping the past couple evenings. Eralyn let out a sigh; she knew the reason why, but refused to think about it. Rolling over she looked at Illya who was sleeping like a baby. She let out a chuckle; Illya was probably sleeping so soundly because of the nine foot demigod she had guarding her. She rolled again, this time on her back and stared at the ceiling. In the span of just four days her entire life had gone in a direction she wouldn't have thought possible in her wildest dreams. She exhaled sharply and sat up. She needed some air. Maybe walking would tire her out.

Eralyn quietly made her way to the door and did her best to stealthily exit the small shack the monks were letting them stay in for the evening. Stepping out into the night caused her to shiver. The setting of the sun had disintegrated any trace of warmth the area had. The air wasn't as cold as Seattle, but it was trying hard. She rubbed her hands together and looked around. As she did so her eyes locked onto a figure standing at the edge of the cliff side overlooking the forest. Her eyes were properly adjusting now to the dim moonlight and she realized it was Yuro. She made her way over to him. Just as she was about to announce herself, Yuro asked, "Why aren't you asleep?"

Eralyn jumped at the sudden sound of his voice. Quickly fumbling for an answer she said, "Couldn't make myself tired. Why are you awake?"

"The same reason," he answered slowly.

A moment of silence followed which was broken by Eralyn saying, "Can I ask you a question?"

Yuro continued looking out into the woods as he answered, "You may, but I don't promise an answer."

Eralyn took a moment to compose herself before asking, "Why did you smile earlier?"

That made the man turn around, "What?"

"Back when you were explaining how we could pass through the bounded field," Eralyn elaborated, "I saw you smile. Sorry if this is rude, but you don't look like the kind of person who smiles a lot."

Eralyn was surprised to see him chuckled. He nodded, "You're not wrong. Smiling isn't something I've done a lot of in a long time. As for my earlier smile...you simply reminded me of someone I once knew."

His smile faded away once again. Eralyn was curious now, but she decided not to question him further about it. Instead she asked another question she'd been wondering, "Why are you living with monks?"

Eralyn thought Yuro might smile again, but his stoic expression endured. It was Yuro's turn to pose to compose and answer. After a minute he said, "Atonement I suppose."

Eralyn cocked her head not expecting that answer, "Atonement?"

Yuro sighed and went quiet again. He was choosing his next words in his mind before saying them aloud, "My profession for close to twenty years was as a mercenary."

"That would explain why your house is better armed than most armies," Eralyn chuckled.

"That doesn't bother you?" questioned Yuro, "My being an assassin that is?"

"Should it?" the young girl asked.

"For some it has caused issues in the past," Yuro stated in explanation.

"Before three days ago I had no idea magic was real. I am now hanging out with an archangel of Heaven, Hercules, a samurai, and a girl younger than me that has more money than the president of the United States. A guy who used to kill people for a living is not the odd one out."

Yuro's emotionless demeanor once again failed as a small smile broke out on his face. Eralyn returned the smile and said, "Well it's good to see that that one smile earlier wasn't a fluke."

"Indeed," Yuro said, "It's been over a year since I've smiled this much."

More silence followed. Finally Eralyn said, "So...to kill other people you'd probably have to not care a whole lot about doing it, right? And I kind of figure you were good at your job; you just kinda give off that vibe. So why would you be wanting to atone?"

Yuro blinked at her bluntness. Letting out a sigh, he answered, "It catches up with you. Things happen and you realize that some things you've done in your life that you considered gray were very obviously not. And so I'm looking for some way to find any semblance of peace I can."

A voice from the air spoke up, "Preach it."

Eralyn jumped again at yet another unexpected voice. Her surprise quickly turned to irritation as she growled, "Michael…"

Michael immediately materialized sitting on the ground a short distance away, grinning, "Yes?"

Eralyn narrowed her eyes, "Do you understand anything about privacy?"

Michael nodded, "Sure. I give you space when it's necessary; when you're using the bathroom, when you're changing clothes, when you honestly need a moment to yourself, stuff like that. Anything else just expect me nearby at all times."

She went to yell at him, but found herself yawning the instant she opened her mouth. The yawn was long and deep and she cursed under her breath the instant she could. She pursed her lips and said, "Go away for a minute or two. I'm almost done talking with Yuro…"

"Sure thing. I'll be nearby if you need me," Michael said, still grinning. And with that, he vanished.

Eralyn turned to Yuro and murmured, "Sorry."

"It's fine," he said, obviously not phased.

The girl yawned again and frowned, "Well I guess my body is finally tired."

"It would seem so. I take it you're going to bed now?"

"Probably," she found another yawn escaping her lips against her protests, "Damnit!"

Yuro didn't say anything, simply watching her. After yet another yawn, Eralyn groaned and said, "Fine...I'm going to bed."

She turned to leave, but stopped as something came to her mind, "Hey, Yuro?"

"Yes?"

Eralyn faced him as she asked, "I'm not complaining or anything, but why did you talk to me? So openly that is."

Yuro shrugged, "Like I said; you remind me of someone I knew a long time ago. Have a good night Erayln."

Eralyn huffed at the vague answer, but was too tired to press further. She nodded and gave a wave as she turned to go back to bed.

Day 4: 9:02 AM: Grail Fragment Antechamber, Monk Monastery - Myitkyina, Burma

Eralyn was still rubbing sleep from her eyes as they descended the staircase to the antechamber. She'd gone to sleep late and been woken up much earlier than she was used to. Coupled with the general lack of consistent sleep over the last few days, it was finally catching up with her. Thinking back on it, she had no idea why it took so long for her to tucker out last night. Shrugging it off, she lazily followed the group into the room. The monks were now absent and only the Grail fragment resided in it, still being suspended mid air.

Illya immediately walked up to it and paused at the edge of the table it floated above. She turned to Yuro for permission and he gave a nod. Not needing anything more, she reached up and swiftly took it. When she touched it she briefly felt a surge of magical energy resonate with her magical circuits. She turned to face Eralyn and said, smiling, "Mission accomplished, Ella."

Eralyn smiled back and said, "Now back to the Clocktower, right?"

Illya nodded, "Let's hurry. I'm sure Shirou is already back and I can't wait to see him!"

Chuckling, Eralyn said, "Got it."

The walk back to the entrance was much quicker as everyone was eager to get back. As they exited the bounded field, Eralyn and Illya turned to Master Myine and bowed to indicate their thanks. He bowed back and then turned to Yuro. They bowed and when they righted, Master Myine took a step forward and hugged Yuro. Yuro obviously wasn't expecting the tender gesture, but quickly recovered and returned it. As they parted the monk said something to Yuro the girls didn't understand. Yuro nodded and gave one final bow. He then turned away and began leading the girls.

While Yuro and Illya went ahead, Eralyn stopped for a moment to retie her shoes which were coming loose. As she finished she skipped off the ground to pick up speed to catch up with the group. She was just about to them when she suddenly found herself sailing through the air. She registered she was being held and turned her head to see Michael carrying her back toward the monastery entrance. A split second later, a multi-colored arc of energy exploded through the settlement. The sound was deafening and Eralyn found herself struggling to believe what had just happened. A massive fissure had been carved into the ground and many of the buildings near it had been reduced to rubble. Fires were spreading rapidly and shouts were being flung into the air in an attempt to figure out what was going on.

Michael landed near the steps and set Eralyn down. When she was steady she asked, "What just happened?"

Michael's attention was fixated elsewhere as he said, "We have company."

Eralyn looked to where he was looking and saw two women. The older of the two looked to be in her late twenties and had brown hair that was tied into a bun. She was wearing a pair of round, black glasses that rested on the lower part of her nose in addition to a white blouse and black slacks. She was also wearing a pair of low heel boots. The second girl was vastly different. She looked to be only slightly older than Eralyn and had long white hair that went past her waist. She was scantily clad wearing nothing by white leggings, white stand alone sleeves, and a white, strapless top that sat snuggle over her bosom. Piercing red eyes sat on a tanned face and bore into Michael. In the girl's hand was an odd looking sword. It was conical in shape and had a multitude of different colors; it looked like a rainbow. Four clawed protrusions extended downward from the sword's circular cross guard and protected her hand which was wielding a plain cylindrical handle.

The older woman smiled and said, "Saber, be a dear and dispose of those two. We're on a schedule and I don't want to be late."

The girl in white nodded and then dashed forward.

An explosion rocked the earth behind Illya and she turned in time to see Berserker materializing to shield her from the blast. She saw Yuro get whisked out of the way by a materializing Assassin; he was set down a ways behind her. Illya peaked around Berserker and say a wall of fire and smoke blocking her view further out. Suddenly realizing Eralyn wasn't nearby she worriedly called out, "Ella!"

"She's safe. Michael moved her out of the way."

Assassin moved next to her and continued, "You should move back. The enemy is coming and you need to protect the Grail fragment."

Illya nodded, knowing full well that she wasn't going to be able to do anything to aid offensively against an enemy Servant. She jogged backwards and noticed Yuro had disappeared. Deciding now wasn't the time to worry about that, she refocused on the two Servants in front of her. Looking beyond them, she saw a shape forming in the fire. It was present for only a moment before it disappeared. A half second later, a figure sprang from the ground almost silently behind the two Servants. A pale blue and gray scythe with a wicked looking blade swept through the air in an attempt to bisect Berserker and Assassin. Assassin instantly jumped into the air to avoid it and Berserker managed to move his axe-sword into position to block it. The force from the strike still sent Berserker sliding away.

As both Servants steadied themselves, Illya managed to get a good look at the opposing Servant. He was clad in a long, black robe that obscured his face. Long, pale gray arms stretched from the sleeves and gripped the scythe. A man's voice from somewhere nearby shouted, "Rider! Hurry up and finish them off! We don't have time to waste playing around!"

The cloaked figure nodded and said in a deep, raspy voice, "So I face the mighty Hercules? Interesting. This will be a most fun fight."

Illya's heart skipped a beat. How in the hell did that Servant know the identity of Berserker? Unfortunately she didn't have a lot of time to think further about it as Rider dashed forward with a fluidness that was disturbing to witness. Berserker roared and side stepped the attack, launching a downward swing onto the passing Servant. Rider managed to withstand the blow, but the ground beneath him shattered from the over pressure. The enemy servant melted into the ground and the sudden lack of resistance offset Berserker. He stumbled forward as Rider reformed behind him. Rider swung his scythe, but found it parried by a blind swing from Berserker. Berserker quickly righted himself and raised his blade for a powerful downward strike, but stopped short. Illya gasped. A cone shaped black object had shot up from the ground and impaled Berserker through the chest. The heroic spirit coughed up blood and growled weakly at Rider.

Illya was beyond worried at this point. Berserker was down to two lives now and Rider readied his scythe to take yet another from the immobilized Servant. As the scythe whistled downward, a form appeared in between them. It was Assassin. He lashed out with a kick that connected with Rider's midsection, sending the enemy Servant flying backwards. He then quickly drew his blade, slicing the dark spear through Berserker's chest in half. Berserker stumbled forward, freeing himself and immediately began regenerating. He glared at the opposing Servant and bellowed in frustration. He took a step forward, but a hand on his arm made him halt. His head snapped to the source and saw Assassin looking out at Rider. Assassin finally looked to Berserker and said, "You need to calm yourself. This foe is one that poses a significant threat to you. He's fast and can attack from multiple vectors; I'm not sure how he's doing it yet. Blindly attacking is not the route to take when assailing this Servant. I will attempt to create an opening. When you see one, then you strike."

Before he received any confirmation that Berserker understood, Assassin shot forward. Rider seemed to have significant trouble following him, but managed to swipe at him none the less when Assassin got within range. Assassin ducked down and began drawing his sword. His feint worked. Rider adjusted his attack mid-swing in anticipation of the coming strike, but it never came. The instant Rider repositioned himself, Assassin kicked off to the side and darted around to flank him. Still crouched, he slashed out with blinding speed at his opponent's back.

CLANG!

Assassin frowned. A dark shadow-like object was now protruding from the ground. It had intercepted the strike saving Rider. Rider turned his head, his face still obscured by the hood, and said, "Your speed is impressive. I had not expected such dexterity in my opposition. Fortunately I have an ally, one that will make landing a strike on me exceedingly difficult."

"Now I understand. Your shadow is alive, isn't it?" Assassin commented plainly.

Rider chuckled, "As perceptive as you are fast. But you knowing that won't save you."

Assassin smiled, "Perhaps. But we're about to see just how sturdy your shadows are."

Something cast a massive shadow over the two. Assassin dashed out of the way and Rider turned just in time to see Berserker bearing down on him. The massive Servant brought down his axe-sword with shocking speed. A dark mass immediately intercepted the blow, but shattered after just a second of resisting. Rider let out a curse as Berserker followed through with a side swipe. The enemy Servant managed to block it, but was sent flying. Berserker stayed on him, though, continuing his assault; Rider was not going to get away easily. Buildings were shattered and trees splinted as Berserker kept pressing into Rider, not allowing his opponent any respite. Unfortunately Rider's defense held up and Berserker found that very little damage was being done. As the assault carried on into the treeline, Berserker vaguely heard a voice calling in the background, "Berserker! Let up! You're losing control of the fight!"

It was Assassin, but he didn't care. Rider had caused him nothing but trouble and he was going to hit him eventually. He brought his weapon above his head and prepared for a powerful strike. Behind him, shadows began to bubble and suddenly three spears shot forth from them. This time Illya's voice entered his ears, "BERSERKER!"

Without hesitating, Berserker turned on a dime and lashed out at the oncoming attack. His sword hit dead on and shattered all three spears. He began to turn to face Rider, but felt a stabbing pain in his neck. Glancing down revealed Rider's scythe to have pierced his throat. Berserker barely managed a grunt as he felt yet another of his lives leave him. He collapsed to his knees, his body trying to regenerate, but failing to do so because of the obstruction. Rider slid down the length of the scythe and hissed, "Soon it will all be over great Hercules. Soon you will go to the Underworld where your soul will rot for the rest of time."

Berserker growled in response. He then blinked as he barely registered a figure materialize behind Rider. Assassin made another attempt at attacking, but was once again blocked by a shadowy barrier. This time, however, the barrier exploded outward and sent Assassin flying off the cliffside into the forest below. Rider returned his attention to Berserker and lifted his body into the air. He tossed it to the side and let it lay crumpled. With both opponents virtually out for the count, he turned his attention to the girl who was looking on in horror. He melted into the ground and sprang forth in front of her. Illya stumbled back, looking for a way out. Realizing there was no escape her fear turned into frustration. She'd come all this way only to once again find herself at the mercy of the enemy. She growled at Rider and started to curse him, but he whipped out the bottom of his scythe and tapped her in the chest. The tap, however, contained sufficient force to send her spiralling across the ground. The wind left her lungs and she felt the Grail shard fly free from her hand. As her tumbling ceased, she found it very hard to move. Every part of her body hurt and she struggled to lift herself off the ground. She saw Rider, now ignoring her, move toward the Grail fragment that was lying in the middle of the road. She tried to call out to him, to distract him, to do something, but couldn't form the words. She grit her teeth, furious at her inability to do what she intended. Then she heard a voice, "Rider! Tank this!"

Illya turned to see Yuro standing at the top of a large pile of rubble. On his shoulder was a large cylinder. He pulled a trigger and fire spat from the back of it as a missile rocketed at the Servant. It seemingly hit dead on as Rider was engulfed in an impressive explosion. Unfortunately Illya knew it wouldn't be enough. As the flames died down and the smoke began to clear, it became obvious that Rider was barely phased. He directed his attention to Yuro and began moving toward him. Irritation was evident in his voice as he said, "What did you hope to accomplish by doing that, human? Mortal weapons will not harm me. All you have done now is secured your place in the Underworld. I shall kill you and then the girl and then I will collect the fragment of the Holy Grail for my master. There is nothing you can do about it."

Yuro shrugged, "I might not be able to do anything, but he probably can."

Rider twirled around in time to see Berserker bursting from the treeline. He swiftly covered the distance to the Grail fragment and scooped it up as he darted past it. The second he touched it there was a brilliant flash of light. All present had to shield their eyes to keep from being blinded. As the light died down, Illya felt a surge of magical power swell inside her. She looked at where Berserker was and gasped. His normally incredibly muscular physique had slimmed slightly and Illya could sense that he was in possession of all twelve of the lives his Godhand provided. He was also now holding a bow as opposed to his axe-sword. He leveled his gaze at Rider as he drew an arrow and knocked it. Drawing the bowstring back, he, to Illya's surprise, spoke, "It is not I that will be returning to the Underworld, Charon, it is you. Return to Hades in disgrace."

Berserker released the arrow and as soon as it left its home it split into nine lances of purple energy. A shadowy wall shot up from the ground to defend Rider, but its durability failed almost instantly. The barrier splintered and all nine shots slammed into Rider's chest. Rider was lifted off the ground and sent flying through the wall of fire nearby, disappearing from view.

Michael found himself with little time to react as Saber closed the distance between them. She performed an overhead slash with impressive speed, but was fortunately blocked by the spear that rapidly materialized in Michael's hands. He grinned at her and forcibly pushed her off. The parry sent Saber flying into the air. Michael's grin persisted as he quickly stabbed up at his opponent in an attempt to catch her off guard. Saber, however, was prepared. She aimed her weapon to the side and fired off a blast of energy to propel her out of the way. She landed on the ground and found Michael was already upon her. He twirled around to build up momentum and tried to catch her with a sideways slash. To avoid it, Saber immediately dropped to the ground. As the spear cut through the air above her, she rolled away and hopped to her feet. Without any break in her movement, she leveled her weapon and the multi-colored blade transitioned to red. A ball of energy rapidly formed at the tip and then arced out at Michael.

Michael let out a yelp and quickly sliced downward at the blast. The spear split the lance of energy in two with one half carving through some of the nearby buildings and the other half glancing past Eralyn and into the monastery entrance causing it to collapse. After confirming that Eralyn was not harmed, Michael dashed forward and entered into a heated back and forth with Saber. Eralyn watched on in awe. She couldn't even begin to follow the two Servants' movement. For fractions of a second they would appear, weapons locked together, then the combatants would break away and fade from sight. Strident sounds of metal on metal as well as numerous craters forming from the clashing Servants were the only visual evidence of the fight.

Michael reappeared in Eralyn's line of sight as he stabbed at the now visible Saber. Saber smacked the weapon away and lunged at him. Much to the surprise of both Eralyn and Saber, Michael let his spear fly away and he grabbed a hold of his opponent's weapon. He smiled at her as he lifted her up into the air and began to spin around; very quickly he was a twirling blur. When he reached his desired speed, he let Saber go. The enemy Servant shot through the air and impacted one of the still standing columns. Its status as "standing" very quickly vanished as the entire structure was pulverized when Saber hit it. Michael took the moment to catch his breath and jogged over to his spear. As he picked it up, Saber emerged from the rubble, very irked. Michael hopped up and down, shaking himself out while he waited for Saber to descend the steps. When she reached the bottom, Michael spoke, "You're really good, you know that? Exactly what I'd expect from a Saber class Servant. Any chance you'd tell me your name?"

Saber simply looked at him, her look of irritation not diminishing. Michael chuckled, "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

Narrowing her eyes, Saber scrutinized her opponent, unsure of how to respond to the friendly attitude. Michael huffed and grumbled, "Fine! Normally it's 'ladies first,' but I'll kick things off."

He crossed one arm across his chest as he took a bow and said, "I am Michael Inlustrem! Archangel of the Divine!"

Eralyn shot him a look from afar and snapped, "You really like introducing yourself…"

"Just a little," Michael grinned, looking up at her.

"Altera."

Michael turned his attention to Saber, "What was that?"

Saber spoke up louder, "My name. It's Altera."

Michael frowned, "I don't recognize it."

"In this era I seem to have been called something else. People commonly know me as Attila."

Eralyn was surprised to see a look of disgruntlement settle on Michael's face.

"As in 'the Hun'? Attila the Hun?"

Saber nodded, "Correct."

Michael let out an exasperated sigh, "What is wrong with this world? King Arthur's a woman, Attila the freaking Hun is a woman, Alexander the Great is obviously not short, and at one point people said I wore a pink skirt and rainbow colored breastplate. And don't even get me started on Frankenstein. I don't know who is annealing history down here, but these people seriously need to get their facts straight. I mean goddamn! These are some pretty major details! Jeez!"

"Are ya done?" Eralyn scowled.

Michael took a deep breath to try and compose himself before slowly nodded, "Yes. I'm good now."

"Good," Saber commented, "Then let us finish this."

She brought her sword back near her head and held it with both hands while pointing it at Michael. The red claws sprang up and the blade began swirling. Multi-colored energy began pouring off it as it charged up. Michael chuckled and spun his spear over his head before gripping it with both hands. He slouched into a stance that readied him to propel off the ground and gave a smile as the tip of his spear erupted into a lustrous white flame. Eralyn watched, breath held, and waited for the two to clash. Just when it seemed the two were going to attack each other, something flew through the flames nearby and crashed into the mountainside. Eralyn looked at it and saw an incredibly injured body cloaked in a black robe. Movement nearby caused her to look away. A man in a gray hoodie and jeans moved next to the woman, his back to the teenager, "Rebecca we need to go. Something happened to Berserker and he's way out of our league at the moment."

The woman named Rebecca cursed loudly, obviously displeased, and spat, "Saber, retreat. We'll have to finish this another day."

Saber nodded and relaxed, her sword returning to it's normal state. She gave one final look at Michael before she sped to her master and the other man and carried them off the side of the mountain. The cloaked man dissipated into nothingness shortly after. Michael stabbed the end of his spear into the ground and said, "Well that was unexpected."

A large gust of wind swept up behind Eralyn and she turned to see the fire dissipating. Yuro was making his way across the gash in the ground and Berserker simply jumped across with Illya in his hands. Eralyn cocked her head, not entirely sure she was seeing things right. Berserker looked less scary and less brutish. He was also carrying a bow. The Servant gently set Illya down and she stumbled, still slightly in pain from getting thrown aside by Rider. She hobbled forward and was met halfway by Eralyn, "Illya! Are you alright?"

Illya slowly nodded, "Mhmm. Just got a little scuffed up. How about you?"

"I'm fine. More confused than anything else. Wasn't Berserker more...bulky?"

Illya turned to look at her Servant and nodded, "I'm not sure what happened, but his parameters have changed slightly. It's like he's two different classes now: Archer as well as Berserker. I have no idea what to make of it."

"If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it was the Holy Grail."

Yuro finally cleared the crevice and was almost to them, "That change didn't happen until Berserker touched the Grail fragment. The Holy Grail is a sentient object; perhaps it sensed that it was in danger and decided to help by upgrading Berserker."

"Makes sense to me," Michael shrugged.

"Whatever the reason," Yuro began, "We should count ourselves lucky. That Rider was incredibly dangerous and going by how ruffed up Lancer is his opponent was no less powerful. We're going to need to be a lot more careful in the future. Now let's hurry back to London. I don't think it's a good idea to stay around here."

"But what about the monks?" Eralyn asked, concerned.

"They're a resourceful bunch. And we're only endangering them further. If the enemy senses we're still here, they could bring back reinforcements. That would only lead to more destruction."

Eralyn frowned. She didn't like it, but she understood what he was saying. Michael put a hand on her head and said, "Focus that concern into resolve. It'll come in handy when we next run into those Servants."

The teenager gave a nod and gave one last look over the ruined settlement as the group set out for the airstrip.