II.

A young girl in a black backless dress, the large tulip mark of a similar dark shade ever present on her back, accompanied by an elegant individual in a strange metal mask, had also been hunting through the midnight hours of the world. Rosa, the young girl clad in black, had a gait that was erratic and unstable when she was not engaged in the pursuit of her quarry. The individual in the metal mask was having to make considerable effort to keep Rosa's slower, shuffling pace. The only name Rosa knew them by was Berserker, and though their long slender frame usually allowed them to take greater ranging steps, they were more than happy to slow their step to match their Master's. The two stalked the alleyways and side-streets of the Luxembourg neighborhood most nights, Rosa ever seeking an individual to vent her deranged hatred on. Berserker didn't fully understand what or whom Rosa was seeking, but knew that it was a Servant's obligation to support their Master in whatever endeavors they set their sights on.

Berserker had however found little amusement in the last few victims of Rosa's outbursts. They were starting to notice a trend with the attacks though. All of Rosa's victims were young men in their mid-twenties to late thirties, and all had some sort of facial hair., though little was ever left of their faces once Rosa was done. Berserker had experienced little success in terms of trying to get information from their Master regarding her motivation, but they had spent too much of their life in oppressive silence and isolation to give up an opportunity for conversation now. "You know Master, I was going over some of the local papers this morning and you'll love this, it took them two days to find the last man you killed. I must say that's a new record; the others they found so quickly."

Rosa's only reply was a strange guttural noise.

Berserker smiled to themselves, she could be easy enough to talk to at times, but whenever she was hunting like this, it was difficult to get even one word out of her. "I think you're definitely getting better at keeping a lower profile. You have the whole unpredictable killer with no connection between your victims thing down, now if we can just get better at hiding the bodies you'll be like a french Jack the Ripper. It will be delightful. Though I do have to wonder about how this will help us win the Grail War."

"Hurm? War huh? I was... I was gonna win... right?" Rosa stopped suddenly, like her feet no longer wanted to follow her body, the contradictory momentum causing her to topple over and tumble across the pavement.

Berserker rushed to their Master's side, trying to help the unstable woman to her feet. "Goodness Master are you alright? You don't normally lose your balance like that."

Rosa climbed to her knees, her left hand over her scarred eye, the twisted wound pounding and pulsing in time with her accelerated heartbeat. She could feel it coming, worming its way back into the recesses of her mind. The warm, calming, loving energy, mixed with a tormenting, twisted guilt, as the voice of her lover spoke as if right next to her ear. "Rosa. Rosa my dear. We can't waste any more time. I want to see you again so badly. I know you want to be with me too." She could feel him, as if he was right behind her, on her back, just out of sight. His voice always calmed her, but also twisted her stomach up into knots, making it so hard to think straight.

"Cor... Cornelius..." Rosa had started hyperventilating, her breath coming in short and pained bursts.

"Yes Rosa, that's right. I'm right here. Right here with you. You killed Boxtell for me didn't you?"

"Yes... yes. He's... Bastard. Bastard monster is dead."

Berserker had seen fits like this before. The mention of some seemingly unconnected things would send Rosa into a sort of shock, and she would then spend several minutes talking to an invisible man whom no one besides Rosa could perceive. Berserker had only tried to interfere once, and Rosa had flown into a violent fit that didn't cease until her body had collapsed from exhaustion. They had learned it was best to let these little episodes play out to their natural conclusion.

Cornelius was still speaking to Rosa. "Yes you killed him. And then you killed him again and again."

"He... hurt you. Hurt my Cornelius. Had to... Had to kill him. Bastard." Tears flowed down Rosa's face as she spoke.

"You did, and I'm always grateful to you for avenging me like that. But there's still so much work to do. He's come back again. He's still trying to steal my treasure I left with you. You have to find him and kill him again I'm afraid." His voice was able to calm Rosa, but simultaneously stoke the fires of her rage. Her back, pulsed and ached from the weight of him leaning on her.

"Yes. Kill him. Kill him as many times as I have to... Something... something else I'm supposed to do."

"There is my dear. Something very important. Even more important than killing Boxtell. There are six other people you have to kill. I told you about them. They want to stop you."

"Stop me?" Rosa's eyes widened with disbelief. Why would anyone want to stop her from getting back her love?

"Yes, they don't want to let you be reunited with me."

"WHY!?" Rosa tore her hand from her face, blood dripping away from where her nails had dug into the scar as she screamed the question into the night air.

"Mayhaps they work with Boxtell. His cohorts or accomplices. Maybe they were also hired by the same man who hired him."

Rosa ground her teeth together, blood running down her wounded face. "Him. He..." The hated name dying on her lips.

"Say his name Rosa. Say the name of the man responsible for my death. Say the name of the

man who we will kill when we are finally reunited."

Rosa's head rolled back, hanging at an unnatural angle as she stared into the starry sky and screamed, "Saint-Hermine!"