Erebus was angry. Not the right kind of angry, when you were angry about, like, someone stealing the stache of food you had jealously hoarded and you were in your way to make the son of a bith pay. No, it was the feeling cheated kind of angry, the one where you couldn't do a damn thing about what was happening. And that, in his humble, and furious, opinion, was the worst kind of angry.

"Why are you angry now?"

The way Lilysviel snapped to him didn't do wonders for his humour, especially considering that she had been fuming like a little smoky furnace the whole time she had been there with him.

Brat.

He gave her a noncommittal grunt, and returned to watch the battle.

It wasn't really the objective quality of it that it bothered him. That was fine, excellent even. The problem was that both the Servant making it were like dogs with the muzzle and a hobbled foot.

Arthur, or Artoria, or whatever, was a broken piece of machinery. Yeah, she dashed around just fine, with those bursts of ki, and her swordmanship was great as always, but there was no heart in it. She was depending on her sword to do all the work, not the other way around. She looked like she was afraid of doing anything, of getting the initiative, of taking that damn sword and cut down her opponent, like she could fumble and mess everything up. She was like a damn kid thrown on the battlefield for the first time. Her hesitation was written all over her ki, or mana, or prana, or whetever they liked to call that shit in other places.

And the other one, the one in pink with the bandage on the eyes and the chains and the daggers. She was fast and precise, but her Master was even worse than Saber's in giving her energy. Saying that she was operating at half strenght was being stupidly optimistic. Yes, even at full strenght he doubted she could be a match for Saber, but like that… it was a freaking joke.

Berserker bared his teeth.

What it bothered him was seeing potential worthy opponents reduced at those states. Especially Saber. That was his opponent. His great battle. And here she was, floundering around like a scared rabbit, with a Master that couldn't even give her half of the energy she would have needed to become passable.

Really, that was why he had been summoned back from the dead? To see legends being spoiled like that?

It just wasn't fair; not for those two, and not for him. Dammit.

"Pay attention."

He glared a glance at Lilysviel, but said nothing. Not like she would listen. The little girl was watching the fight with an almost feverish attention, both her hands digging in her arms.

Erebus briefly thought that girl was both pitiful and to pity, like a scratched kitty baring his claws to dogs. The thought passed quickly. Not his business, anyway. He didn't care about no messed up family business.

Really, though, it was a luck that no other Servant had decided to show up yet. The only reason that his little Master still hadn't him jump down in there probably was because she wanted to be sure to be the one ambuscing and not the other way around. And even so, if Lancer decided to appear now, he really doubted that any of those two would have been able to put up much of a…

He stiffened slightly. That smell… was that Archer again?

Lilysviel had to notice too, as, when he turned to her, she was wide-eyed; only for anger to flare out on her face. She quickly hid it behind a mask.

Erebus frowned, and got up. He exchanged a glance with his Master, and she just nodded.

He rotated a shoulder, a grin appearing on his face. A fight with that Archer-guy with no bow and a lot of swords? Oh boy, maybe that day wasn't such a waste as he was starting to think. Expectation blossoming, he summoned his polearm.

Only that, to appear from the emergency stair that led to the roof where they were spectating the battle it wasn't the silver-haired Servant, but a young man with orange hair and a determined expression. Panting, he saw them, but if he was scared by finding them, he didn't show it. Instead, he came out of the stairs and took position before them, his posture and expression screaming warlike determination.

Erebus frowned in confusion. He eyed the strange, line-covered sword that the young man wielded, then his expression, then turned interrogatively to his Master. He smelled Archer, and he still could smell him. And that definitely wasn't Archer; that was Saber's Master. What was supposed to mean?

But his Master had eyes only for the newcomer, her mask of impassibility looking like could fall apart any moment. There was cold hatred burning in her eyes.

Erebus remembered to himself that it wasn't his business.

"So." He began, if only because nobody else seemed to want to. "What are you doing up here, kid?"

"I am not letting you endanger Saber again." He replied.

Berserker needed a moment to register all of that answer's implications.

He sent his senses to scout the sorroudings. Those two down there were still getting at each other, but except from that, he couldn't pick up nobody else. He was confident enough about his perception skills, so unless they had something trick he didn't know,there wasn't anyone else. He sent his senses to scan the boy. Mh, budding magus. His energy was strong, but mostly unfocused, with only a whiff of discipline about it. For some reason, he smelled exactly like that Archer guy. The similiraties between the two began and ended there, though. That iron discipline and control was nowhere to be seen. The sword he wielded was some kind of materialization of energy. Stuff simple enough, but it was well-done. A good knife, but that was all.

Yeah, a budding, promising young magus, with a bit of experience under his belt but nothing special… or maybe not? Mh, his energy had a strange twist to it. He couldn't quite place it, though.

Bah. Anyway, the volume of energy he emanated was the one of a young magus, and nothing more.

Erebus frowned, recalling his senses to him. That exam had taken only a couple of seconds in real life.

"Right." He said, swinging his polearm to rest on his shoulder. He threw a glance at his Master. The young girl looked bent on piercing a hole in the guy's cranium by glare.

Looks like this was going to blow out soon.

"I am not endangering Saber again." Erebus repeated. He smirked at the frowning young man. "Totally. And you're the one who's gonna make sure of that."

"That's right."

He had to hand it to him. He had balls. No brain, not even a speck, but balls. Ah, he made him remember his youth. Goddammit, how much of a fool he was back in those times.

"Hate to break it to you, kid, but you got no chance."

"We'll see about it."

"Against a Servant? Really?"

"You'll never know if you don't try."

Yep. Young Erebus, right there, thinking he can take on all the world and come out on top. This one was the protecting type, though. He didn't give a crap about anybody at that age.

Aw, now he didn't want to kill him. He liked him already.

He swung back his polearm, angling the point toward the ground. The young man barely flinched.

Yep. Balls of steel. What a waste.

He gave a brush of perception at the strange twinge he felt in the young man's energy. There was no response. No tension. Whatever it was, it wasn't a weapon, or, well, not a weapon that was ready to be used. Not yet. It remained the incredible hidden powers hypothesis, coupled with the incredible hidding talent abilities, but his instict was telling him that it wasn't like that, and he was lean to believe it. Not like Master's informations left much to deduction.

He threw another glance at the young girl. Still glaring. "Listen, kid…" He began. The young man seemed to bristle slightly at being repeatedly called that, but also looked a bit taken aback by his sudden tone. Good. "How about you run off? You know, get the hell out of here. For real now, i am a Servant. Legendary crap and all that. Meaning, i killed a lot of things during my life. Bigger things than you. Trust me on that. And then, Saber needs you, doesn't she? Dying here sounds like a bad idea of being of use to me."

The mention of Saber made the young man hesitate. Well, he had been the one to speak about her first. Erebus wasn't taking any guilt for using that information.

Still, that hesitation came and went. The young Master squared at the entrance of the stairs, shoulders and expression set.

Erebus sighed mentally. He was even blocking the stairs. Fool.

"Listen, for real…"

Whatever he was trying to say, it was abruptly cut off by his Master's loud, angry voice.

"Erebus!" She screamed. "Kill him! Now!"

Erebus thought about it. He liked that kid. Alright, he was a complete fool, but that was what it meant to be young, wasn't? Well, not really, but who cared, he liked him. Question was, was he ready to defy Lilysviel about it? As much funny the idea of making her use a Command Spell was, he didn't feel like oppose her in this. There were some things you simply couldn't make people see reason about, and, truth to be told, with that kid out of the game, Saber would be able to get another, more competent Master.

Well, decision made.

"On it, boss." He swung his polearm and started to advance.

The young man flinched, but didn't retreat. He rose his weapon and gritted his teeth.

Erebus scoffed under his breath. Moron.

Mmh, thinking back about Saber. She had a pathetic mana regeneration, so he had thought that her Master was a guy with no idea about magic; but this guy looked all the part a young Magus. How come he didn't manage to give her a little better? That was strange.

He continued to advance. The young man looked a bit taken aback from his coming so casually, but still held his ground. Mmh, what was his name again? Ah, yes, Shirou. Lilysviel said it only a couple of times and even then like it was poisonous. That was something.

Erebus entered Shirou's range. Repressing any doubt, the young man dashed forward and launched a thrust against his chest. Erebus noticed mana flare in a uncoordinated way along his body, replicating a rough version of a mana burst. Impressive, crude, but impressive. He swung his polearm upward, smashing the attack away, then dashed forward. Unbalanced, Shirou widened his eyes. Erebus grabbed him by the neck and smashed him to the ground. Shirou let out a choked scream. Erebus raised his polearm, pointed the spear-point against him and…

"Wait!"

Erebus stopped mid-movement. Shirou's breath hitched as he saw the spear-point at a hairbreath from his eye. His hesitation lasted only for a moment. He swung his weapon, and had it smacked aside by the polearm's haft. He let out another rattled breath when the handle of the weapon blocked his wrist against the ground. He tried to free himself, but Erebus kept him pinned down by the throat, and so he ended up just flailing.

"Make up your damn mind, will you?" Erebus said, throwing a glance to his Master. Shirou kicked him in the shin. He ignored it, but gave a squeeze to his neck for good measure, eliciting a gasp. This fricking kid…

Stepping at her Servant's side, Lilysviel didn't answer him. She had eyes only for the pinned Master. Cold, burning eyes.

Erebus didn't like it one bit.

"Erebus…"

"Forget it."

The young girl turned at him in anger. "Don't interrupt me!"

"I don't care. I am not gonna do it."

Lilysviel blinked, surprise overtaking her anger for a moment. Only for a moment. "Erebus…" She hissed threateningly.

Erebus said nothing. Shirou kicked him again, and he ignored it.

"Quick and painless, that's how i am gonna do it." The Servant grunted, setting his eyes on the young man. Shirou redoubled his efforts. There was a rising fear in his expression now.

Erebus felt the corners of his mouth try to rise into a smirk, but kept them down. He didn't enjoy taking weaklings' lives, but he appreciated that kid's courage. Even in death's face, he didn't start whining or something. He lost points to have been the one to have put himself in that situation, but, hey, standing firm while being strangled wasn't anybody's work. If only wasn't for his foolihardiness. A brush with death could have helped him to temper it with wisdom, but, well, that was more than a brush.

Too bad.

"Erebus…"

Erebus didn't turn to his Master. "Not doing it."

"I am your Master, dammit!"

"And now you're not yourself. Now, shut up."

Erebus started to squeeze.

The roof exploded.

Erebus' first thought, as dust rushed them by, was to make sure of his Master's safety. Cursing himself and that stupid little girl for having distracted him, he left his spiritual senses take control.

Lilysviel squeaked when he grabbed her, but Erebus ignored her. He dashed out of the cloud of dust and on the closest building's roof.

"No! No! No!" Lilysviel was screaming as he put her down. She hit his arms with her tiny fists, again and again, and stomped her fists, just like a child in a wild tantrum.

Darn, fucked-up kid.

Erebus ignored her, and turned to the previous building. The cloud of dust was settling, and, sure enough, Saber stood there in a defensive stance, just beside her disoriented Master.

Not like there was any doubts. Her aura blazed as bright as an angry star. Hard to miss that.

"Stay away from Shirou, Berserker." She panted.

Erebus felt her piercing glare like a hot mark on his skin. Was he burning? He was sure enough that, if he controlled, he would have found a burn.

He smirked. "Hey, don't look at me, Saber. Your friend there did everything on its own. He practically came begging to be ripped apart."

Shirou winced and looked at Saber with a concerned gaze, but the Spirit of the Sword didn't show any reaction.

Erebus didn't care about the kid anymore. He could go throw himself down a window, for all that he cared. But Saber there complicated matters. She wasn't ready at all to face him. Things were going too fast for what he liked.

He appraised her. Slightly panting, mana flaring, a bit worse for wear, but nothing too problematic. Yeah, Rider just wasn't enough to bring her down seriously, not even in her current state. It remained the problem that she was just out of a battle with another Servant, though, like she needed another hobble to the ones she already had.

And speaking of Rider…

Erebus grabbed Lilysviel a moment before the attack came. It wasn't for them, but he did it the same, and, as Saber blocked the thrown knife with her sword, he jumped down the bulding with the young girl.

"No! No!" She was still screaming, almost histeric. "We must remain! We must kill them all! We must kill him!"

Erebus grabbed her tight, to keep her flailing short. "I need to bring you to safety to first." He hissed, right in her ear.

It was safe reasoning, and a good excuse, and, as he hoped, managed to breach through her current state of mind. The young girl almost went limp between his arms. As he put some distance between them and the fighting, he couldn't but think that she almost felt like a little doll.

Eventually, he stopped. The road was full of people, all of them blocked in middle-actions and movement when the Grail had exerted its power on the city, blocking time.

Erebus left Lilysviel down on a walkman. It was farther than it was actually needed, skilled magi were more than adept enough to keep themselves masked while their Servant fought, but, hey, hope was the last to die, right?

"You'll return there immediately!" The young girl said as soon as she had hopped three paces away from him.

Right.

Erebus made an insofferent face. "I really have to?"

Lilysviel glared at him. It was still there, that histeric anger that had overtaken her before, barely covered by a paper-thin self-restraint, like a frayed sheet covering a wildfire.

Erebus grimaced, but decided to not fight her on that.

"I go."

"Erebus…" He stopped in the middle of turning around. Well, here it comes. "Kill him." Lilysviel voice was cold as ice. "I don't care about Saber or Rider, but him, kill him, without mistake. Do this for me, please."

Again "him". Never the name. She never used the name. Like it was some kind of curse, or if she could be poisoned from it. And she even said please. Hatred was a powerful force indeed.

Erebus sighed, but nodded.

As he made his way back, he thought that, goddammit, fuck the Einzbeirn, or whatever the fuck their name was, and fuck the world too. Just for good measure.

Saber and Rider were still fighting when he arrived. Frowning, he stopped on the roof of a building and left his senses take stock of the explosions of mana jumping up and down the tight streets. Why the heck were they still fighting? With another possible Servant in the sorroundings, the best course of action was to pull back and reassess the situation. Plus, Saber had her Master injured. By the way, too bad he hadn't had the time to break that little twerp's neck real good. Stupid little moron made Lilysviel sad. Anyway, he could totally see Saber pull back in that kind of situation, if only to keep her Master safe. So, it had to be the other one, Rider's Master. What was the deal with him? Was he an idiot or what?

Bah. Better that way.

The course of action to follow was simple, really. He would track down those two Master and kill them. Both Saber and Rider would sod off to search others, hopefully more competent, contractors and he would get to not waste two opponents.

He left his senses expand again and started to search. What a pain, for real. Why couldn't he just get fight? He would battle great opponents, have a lot of fun, hopefully come back home, feast and then back to fight again. No, he had to put up with all that shit. What a pain, goddammit. Mh, there was Saber's Master. Was he running? He was running. Probably to run off a cliff or something. He would keep him for last. He had a good hunch he wouldn't escape anyway. Now, the other…

Running away. Smart. Still, something was strange with this one.

Frowning, Erebus started to move.

The young man, great, another one, was running away for his life. He threw frantic glances behind him, like he expected something to come out and kill him any second.

Erebus followed him by jumping upon the buildings' roofs. He scanned him while he moved. What the heck was the deal with that kid? He couldn't feel a twinge of mana coming out of him. That glowing book in his hands, instead…

Shinji shouldered open the door, and took cover behind a wall. Panting wildly, his heart hammering into his ears, he threw a frantic glance outside. Nobody in sight. Had he managed to get to safety? Curses, he didn't know for sure!

Almost histeric, he cursed Rider for the hundreth time that night. She had left him alone, that useless bitch! And with Berserker around! He could be out there, searching for him, and that stupid, useless…

He kept on cursing while eying the street outside. If only hadn't he used all his Command Spells already! No, not that. If that bitch hadn't made him use them all already! He bet that it had been Sakura to tell her to be so disobedient, only to spite him, and right on the night of his great chance to get back what it belonged to him!

"Dammit. Dammit." He hissed. His shoulder hurt from the impact against the door and his legs from all the running. Why was that happening? Was too much to ask for have what was his by right? He had put his own life on the line, dammit! And then, first that moron Shirou, refusing to work with him, that bitch Tohsaka and now Rider too. Everybody seemed bent on putting obstacles before him!

A sudden explosion made him wince and squeak. Frantic, he watched outside. There was a cloud of dust pouring out of the opposite building, from a big hole in the wall. Sounds of heavy combat came from it.

Shinji's wave of dread turned to relief. They had moved their fight closer! So, that bitch had listened to his orders, after all! Well, if she really had, she would have won already and come alone, but that could be put off for the moment. What it mattered was that he could regain a bit of safety!

Eagerly, he searched the smoke with his eyes, trying to make out the two combatants and, more importantly, how the fight was going. Rider was winning, right?

He frowned shakily. Wait, wasn't that figure in the smoke too big to be Rider or Saber? Could it be… the possibility hit him like a boulder. Could it that be Berserker? But how…?

He was mid-thought when the blade cut through the air.

The young man's body twitched once, then collapsed in a heap. A moment later, the head followed.

Erebus swung back his polearm. "One down." His eyes moved to the glowing book, now lying in the dust. He stabbed it with the spear-point, and its gleam faded. Mh, a magic artifact, but what was his point? Maybe a tool to allow that not-magus to do magecraft?

He made a mental shrug. Whatever. One Master out. Hopefully, Rider would bail out before Saber killed her and find herself a better contractor. If not, well, too bad.

Now, about the other…

Erebus frowned in concentration for a moment, then sighed and rolled his eyes. "This fricking kid…"

A couple of moments later, Shirou appeared at the door. He was panting, and his shirt and hair were soaked with sweat, but he still held his bar-like weapon tight.

He took in Erebus. No glare, no hate, just a neutral taking in of information, then his gaze moved, like it was attracted by a call, a whisper, a memory, to the pool of blood by a side, and what there was in it. His eyes widened, and the young man froze.

Erebus snorted, and swung for his neck.

And just in that moment, the wall exploded.

Erebus's first thought as he covered himself from the dust and debris was a deep sensation of deja vu, and a surge of irritation. That night was the world festival of people ready to rush in to piss him off. What was it now? Probably Saber, coming to save her idiot Master. He expected something like that to happen.

What he didn't expected was for Saber and Rider to dash out of the dust, side to side, clearly allies, and clearly both aiming at him with very bad intentions.

"What the hell?!" He exclaimed in surprise, raising his weapon.

He deviated a slash from Excalibur, dodged out of a double stab of knives and blocked an overhead sword blow. A kick reached him in the side and he jumped back, getting out of the way of another cleave.

"Curse you, Berserker!" Spat Saber as she pressed on his attack. "You back-stabbing rat! You honorless scum!" Rider was right beside her, silent and impassive if not for the tight line of her lips.

Erebus smirked, both for the colored insults and for the pain tingling his side and warming his blood. "Feeling cranky, are we?" He grabbed his polearm with both hands and tensed his muscles. "Here, have a treat!" Red light covered the hammer-head, and he swung.

Rider and Saber felt the surge of mana, and both reacted. A moment later, the light exploded forward and engulfed everything.

The building was ripped apart. Walls were blown out by the explosions. Chunks of masonry and debris flew away, smashing against the buldings and ricocheting into the street.

Erebus landed on another roof. He spared but a glance for the destruction he had caused, the thought alone enough to put a spark in his belly, but kept an eye out for the other Servant. Sure enough, Saber and Rider jumped out of the landed on different roofs, each facing him. Erebus took notice of the distance they kept between them, and of the little glance Saber threw Rider's way.

Not so sure allies? Well, there was time to discover it.

"That's new." He said, flexing his neck first left and then right. He supposed that by now hoping that the blast was enough to kill that little twerp Shirou was too much. Meh. Whatever. "What's the deal with you, Rider? I killed your Master. You should be running to search for another by now, not helping Saber."

The female servant said nothing. She just recalled her knives with a smooth gesture and wielded them both against him.

Erebus smirked. Mh, the grim sort, was she? Pity. He liked do conversations while battling.

"I will have taken you into account for your cowardly acts, Berserker." Saber took a battle stance. Her eyes burned something fierce. "Of this, you have my word."

"Shut your trap and fight." Erebus raised his polearm. "Come together, if you like. I will crush you both."

"Curse you, cannot you think of nothing else?" Saber hissed.

"Nope. And guess what. I don't like sneaking around. So, now, i am gonna enjoy this. Come on. Both of you. Come!"

Saber didn't seem to like the idea, judging from how her eyebrows almost knit together. She threw a glance at Rider. The Servant just nodded, and her mana flared. Saber turned back to Berserker and did her energy do the same, but her frown remained.

Erebus snorted softly. This moron and her stupid code. He made his mana flare on turn.

The initial enthusiasm was somewhat drained as he took a good glance at both his opponents. They had been going strong at their previous battle, and it was easy to see. Both sported various measures of wounds; Saber kept a finger a bit loose on the hilt of her invisible sword and Rider looked careful to not put too much pression on her left leg. Not even a frown, though. What an admirable girl. Well, bravery could go only for a certain way, regretfully.

Still, he didn't understand. Her mana didn't show at all the rapidly washing away of a masterless Servant. What was the deal with that?

Whatever. He had waited enough.

The three Servant faced each other in a long moment of silence.

Erebus felt it like a long-lost lover's embrace. The battle. Ah, blessed battle. Every time was like the first time. First, it came the tension. The absolute silence just before the clashing of weapons and lives. He could feel it, running through his body like a steel-like vibration, making his blood bubble softly, putting embers in his chest. The fighters redied their weapons, gave the last sharpening at their minds. Fate decided whom the first to fall was to be.

He breathed it in for another fraction of moment, basking in the coiled muscles and readied energy.

Then he roared. The roar washed across the buildings and upon the other Servant, billowing against them like a wave of wind and blasting in the night. The roof he was standing on collapsed as he leapt forward, polearm raised and blazing with energy.

Saber, blazing with power and grim purpose, and Rider, bringing focused silence and deadly intent, came to meet him.

They battled across the roofs, weapons clashing and clanking into a maelstrom of movements and attacks, dashing and moving, as fast as three comets, smashing and battling.

Erebus smirked as he lost himself into that ferocious dance. Battle. Blessed battle. Here, he was complete. His blood pumped, his heart beat, his muscles roared, and his soul sang. No past, no future. Only the singular, eternal moment of the blade coming for you, and your mind and body moving into armony. Ah, he felt like he could jump to the stars and rearrange them, fly to the moon and come back to the earth, smash a hole into the ground and get out of the other side of the goddamn world. If only he could continue, forever like this, forget all of his pains and memories and down himself into those savage feelings, like he did when he was young.

And his opponents! Magnificent, both of them!

Saber was as precise and powerful as always, and Rider was quick, graceful and deadly. He could almost feel a twinge of affection toward the two, even as they tried to hack him to pieces. They were brothers and sisters, there, on the battlefield, fighting to defeat their enemy, fighting for their wishes. With every thrust and slash, a bond was struck, memories and pieces of being were exchanged. Connections, communications by sword and bloodlust. Wavelenghts of souls finding turchese upon each other. Feelings flaring and blooming. Life roaring, unchained, savage and pure.

It was fucked up, but, damn, if he loved it.

And still, the music was imperfect, the motions flawed. They were both wounded, slowed down, Saber by her broken soul, Rider by whatever effe the loss of his Master had had on her mana, both by not enough furniture of energy.

It was almost enough to make Berserker tear up a bit.

He blocked a sword thrust with the hammer-head, while stopping a chain-blow with the haft of the polearm. Rider followed the attack with a kick, and he threw himself against it, pushing back it back with his entire body. Bullrushed, Rider stumbled, her chains flying around her. Erebus pushed back Saber with a backhanded blow and pressed on. He grabbed Rider by the neck and threw himself forward, dragging her with him. The female Servant struggled for a moment, before being smashed to the ground in an defeaning explosion. Dust and debris flew into the air, blown away by Erebus's hammerhead blow and by Rider being blown away. As the servant disappeared into a building, Erebus followed up his swing, the axe-head clashing against Excalibur.

"Weak!" He spat at Saber's tensed expression, anger polluting his smirk. "You're both too weak!" Saber widened slightly her eyes as she was pushed back. She stepped back quickly, without losing balance, parrying attacks as she did. Erebus backhanded her, smashing her guard against her face. Saber gritted her teeth and swung wide, searching to regain distance. Erebus jumped back, stomped down his feet and reared back for a massive attack. Saber did the same, and their weapons collided violently. She was almost blown out of her feet. With a wrist movement, she managed to retake her guard, just in time to block another heavy swing that made her rattle. The third blow was even stronger, actually managing to raise her from the ground. As she stood in mid-air,her arms raised by the impact, Erebus reared back. The savage, two-headed swing collided with Excalibur, smashing the sword against her chest and empting her lungs of air. Erebus followed her with a burst of speed and brought a overhead blow upon her. Saber managed to block the axe-head from taking her head, but was sent rocketing toward the ground and into a building. She disappeared into an explosion of debris and dust, and after a moment, the entire structure swayed and collapsed inward with a rumble.

Erebus landed on a close roof, watching the debris pile down. He spat. Saber's energy was still there. She wasn't dead. But it was pitiful enough to say that what had started with the fight with Rider was now to its completion. She wouldn't get back up anytime soon.

Victory tasted like ash in Erebus' mouth. He had felt her weakness, her being broken to the core. That wasnt a fight. It was a slaughter.

He spat again. Well, he supposed he could enjoy the bit of warm blood that little exchange had given talking of warm blood.

He turned and blocked the sword blow aimed for his head. Shirou's expression was twisted by anger.

"You killed him! You murderer! You killed him!" He shouted.

Erebus ignored him. Instead, he slightly marveled at how quick this kid had cut the distance between them, and of the weight behind his sword. Even the amount of mana he emanated was greater than before…

Was he getting stronger?

He smirked. "Nice expression you got there, kid." He said, pushing him back.

Shirou stumbled, but returned to attack a moment later, unleashing a wild series of slashes.

"Even his movements have gotten smoother." Erebus mused while parrying quickly. What was the deal with that?

Intrigued, he kept retreating, while keeping careful notice of the young man. Suddenly, Shirou ducked down and hit the ground between them. He had to hit a weekend section, as the roof gave way with a crack. Erebus felt the ground and disappear from under his feet. Letting instincts take over, he landed squarely and backed away, dodging Shirou's following attack. He hit a wall with his back, but took barely notice and parried once again. Their weapons remained locked against each other, sparks fizzling where the edges clashed.

"He has learned even little tricks like that." Erebus thought. That wasn't natural at all. You needed experience to under stand the battlefield around you like that. And this kid was as a green as a green stalk. Something wasn't right there.

"Why did you kill him?" Shirou shouted. "Why?"

Erebus blinked at him, returning from his examinations. He was actually taking notice of the reason of his anger just in that moment.

"Wait, are you talking about the other guy?"

Shirou's eyes widened for a moment, before his expression twisted with baleful anger once again. "His name was… was Shinji!"

"Ah, a friend of yours? Well, too bad."

"Why did you kill him? Why?"

"What a funny thing to ask." Erebus smirked. "What do you think all of this deal is about, kid?"

Shirou's glare wavered a little.

"It's about killing each other, moron. That's what the Grail War is about!" Erebus pushed back a little, but Shirou remained steadfast.

"Your Master…" He hissed. "Why did she look at me like that?"

Erebus was actually a bit surprised by that question. Oh, had he noticed? Observant kid. Not like you could miss the rampant hatred of Lilysviel, but, hey, noticing it when you were about to get killed was surely something.

"You'll have to be a little more precise, kid…" He said nonetheless. He wouldn't admit it, but he wasn't all too keen to talk about that.

"Tell me!"

Erebus thought about it for a moment. This kid was giving him all kind of strange vibes. He asked the strangest things for someone supposedly in a death tournament. But yes, why not amuse him? Even if only to see what his reaction would be.

"What do you know of a family called the Einzbern, kid? They are my Master's family." He asked. No smirking or teasing tone. He was serious now.

Shirou narrowed his eyes, uncomprehending.

Erebus didn't blame him. Those guys knew how to pass undetected. "Nothing? Then, let's try this. A man called Emiya Kiritsugu."

Shirou's eyes widened. Right on the mark with that, Erebus was sure.

"What… what does my adoptive father has to do with all of this?" He asked with uncomprehending hesitation.

"He was part of the Einzbeirn. Even had a wife… and a daughter."

Shirou winced. "What… what are you…"

"Nah, it's not what you're thinking." Erebus grunted. "My Master isn't his daughter. Both she and the wive died, a long time ago. An incident, i am told."

Shirou looked like someone that had just been hit on the head with a hammer. Erebus almost expected him to faint there and then.

He continued. "My Master and the daughter were… close. There were expectations on the daughter, and when she died, they passed on my Master." He paused. "I don't know how it happened, but it looks like your adoptive father abandoned her daughter to remain in Japan with you. And i am told that was the reason why she died."

Nothing. Not even imminent death had painted on Shirou's face that sheer, stunned disbelief.

Erebus didn't like it, nor the result nor that he had to be the one to convey the message, but the kid asked, and he didn't care enough to be delicate. "The daughter was my Master's only friend. When she died, she remained alone. And, well, she hates you. Real bad. She thinks that it's your fault that her friend died. That you stole her father from her." He grunted. "That's all the story."

He felt every strenght disappear from Shirou's blade. The young man stumbled back.

Erebus grimaced. He didn't like it, any of all that. Lilysviel still deluded herself about her duty to the family, but the truth was plain and simple, and just as he had said. Her mask was simply too flimsy to fool anyone.

He looked upon Shirou, took in the trembling that shook his body.

"It… it's not true." He heard him whisper. "I-it cannot be true…"

Erebus shrugged, and said nothing. He kinda liked this kid, but he and his full of air head had really ended up into the wrong place to be. Pity. He was getting intrigued about his strange growing. Maybe he would make a fine opponent one day.

Goddammit. Now what little good mood he had gotten out of the fight was completely gone.

He raised his polearm for a swing. Shirou watched it, but didn't even raise his own weapon.

"Broken, eh?" Erebus snorted. "Just die, kid."

He went for the neck. It was a merciful thing, quick and painless. The head flying into the air and just that.

But it never happened.

Rider appeared into a whirl of wind, her chains dancing wildly. Shirou was thrown down with a yelp and disappeared into a hole into the floor.

Erebus backed down quickly, snarling. He had been distracted again, goddammit. Two giant mastakes, one after the other. That really wasn't his day.

"This must be a joke or something." He snorted. "Everybody wants to get on my case or what? Can i have a moment to murder someone?"

Rider said nothing, and charged forward.

Weak. Wounded. Slow. Out of mana. She charged forward without a hesitation, daggers flashing and chains whirling.

Erebus moved between the chains, tensed his muscles and roared The two-handed slash came like a thunderbolt, from down to the right, to up to the left. The chains flailed chaotically into the air, their elaborate dance disrupted. A knife flew to embed himself into the wall. Rider fell to her knees in a spurt of blood.

She clutched her chest, whimpering and panting. Blood rapidly pooled under her. She raised a trembling hand to the strip of cloth covering her eyes. Erebus grabbed her wrist, and twisted.

Rider screamed as the snap of bones echoed into the room, her voice falling to a choked whimper when Berserker's hand clasped around her throat and lifted her from the ground. She still held a knife, and tried to raise it. Erebus smashed her head against a wall. Rider twitched once, and went limp.

Erebus watched her grimly. No help on arrival this time. Only, the kid's energy had completely disappeared. He had lost him.

Unsure if feeling happy or disgruntled, he began to squeeze. There was a pop of bones, then, his hand clenched shut.

Rider had disappeared.

Frowning, Erebus watched his hand. That didn't feel like a Servant's death. Maybe it was… a Command Spell of recalling?

"Unbelievable." He whispered. What was with that night? It happened a surprise after the other. Goddammit. What the heck?

He spat. "Ah, fuck this." He was tired of thinking, and tired of putting up with other people's shit.

Only problem, and the thought made him sick, he still had someone's shit to put up with.

When he arrived, Lilysviel was waiting for him. The young girl stood beside a tree, looking stiff enough that made think that she had remained hours in that exact position. She stumbled toward the servant.

Erebus fully expected her to explode into a ball of fire as soon as she heard how much killing had been not happening. And it wasn't pretty when it happened.

"So." He began, rustling his hair with a bit of trepidation. "You're not gonna believe how much luck these guys…"

He freezed, and looked down. Lilysviel was hugging his sides, her face buried against his stomach. He heard her sob and start to tremble. He grimaced. No need for excuses, it looked like. He almost preferred the alternative, though.

Erebus said nothing; he just put a hand on her head, and let her cry. It wasn't the first time, not at all. From the time she had summoned it, in that dark, dangerous forest, they had kept each other company, and, despite their clashing, he had come to under stand what sadness stood behind the anger of the child. He had stood watch as she cried herself to sleep, and listened at her pained whisper as she dreamed.

Ah, goddammit. You hadn't to put with this on the battlefield. And then people wondered why he liked it more there.

He kneeled, and let her bury her face against his shoulder. There was nothing he could do, but only give her his silence companionship. And so he did, listening to that little heart beating wildly against his, letting the air fill with Lilysviel's sobbing and mourning. For her lost friend, and lost life.

Ah, dammit. And to think that he said himself he wouldn't start to care, wouldn't let her bring his past back to haunt him. As he stood there, he knew that it was too late for that now. Because there were things that not even the greatest warrior in the world could fight and hope to triumph against.