The centre building's parking area.
The building's internal parking lot was empty, save for a lone knight in a battle dress who cautiously entered, seeking out the presence of the enemy Servant.
Given that Kiritsugu wasn't giving her precise orders, she could only do what she believed she could. That being engaging Avenger directly as per her descendant's demand for her Master. But saying that, arriving here to find no one was frustrating, to say the least.
There was no foe in sight. Not a civilian passerby or city authority either, despite this building being relegated as under construction still. To the latter, Saber was glad no one else was around. At least, there wouldn't be wanton casualties of random bystanders. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Not a Master nor Servant awaited her in the depths of the place even though she'd earlier felt the presence of one just in the vicinity. Either they'd relocated or were hiding, but that meant this place was clear. Yet, Saber couldn't be hasty lest she exposes her back. Just like she did before.
Kiritsugu's refusal to work with her might be due to her mistake that led to his wife's kidnapping, or he may well be using her as a distraction to get to Lelouch Lamperouge directly. Though the former was deserved, the latter was more apparent, going by the man's utilitarian thought process.
That being the case, now that she was here, Saber had no clue what to do. She'd sensed someone, another pair of Servants clashing in the distance, but considering Berserker and Rider were still unaccounted for, she wondered if it was them. If it was neither and Avenger was over there, then would anyone even show up to her aforementioned 'duel'?
Her grip on the hilt of her blade tightened. If no one would, then she'd take matters into her own hands. She'd save those she'd left behind on her own if she had to. She'd right the wrong she dealt with both Maiya and Irisviel, Kiritsugu's plan to assassinate her progeny be damned.
Even if he was her Master, she needn't bother with him until he used his Command Seal to summon her. After all, he hadn't bothered with her much to begin with.
However, just as she entered further into the place, she noticed someone skulking in the shadows. No. It was better to say he was leaning against a pillar for support before realizing she'd spotted him. He slowly made his way forward to stand right in the middle of her path.
'A Servant?' she thought.
Sauntering out of the darkness with a limp, the hooded man tried his best to remain standing. Even in the darkness, she could see the shaking in his working leg. But although he looked to be a cripple, she sensed the magical energy surrounding him. To her surprise, however, it wasn't at the level of a threat to her.
'No,' she changed her assessment. 'A Master.'
Saber couldn't see his face but she could tell it wasn't Lelouch. After meeting him once, the boy carried an air far more confident than the one stood before her. More than that, the hooded man continued to wobble in place. It was like he was bleeding out. But there was no doubt that this was magus, and since he was inside Lelouch's domain, it could mean only one thing.
"Master of Berserker, yes?" She stated it whilst pointing her invisible sword at the potential foe.
The man said nothing, but it was good enough admission as it was obvious he was not the boy Rider brought with him that night at the Einzbern castle.
She knew that it was likely Avenger and Lelouch had allied with this particular Servant. While Rider and Waver were not off the table, Arturia doubted Avenger would even agree to working with the King of Conquerors. Not since they seemed to carry a bit of rivalry. This one here could only be Berserker's Master then.
The man in question twitched lightly as he stared at her. The hood shifted a bit to the side, allowing Saber a glance at the one and only working eye trained at her. Pale faced and covered in bandages here and there, he was actually dripping blood from one of his nostrils. With half of his face deformed, she could only attribute it to magecraft that abused the physical body. And yet, despite looking like he should be in so much pain, the man looked calm.
"Huh… So you're Saber? King Arthur, right?" Matou Kariya asked between heavy breaths. His expression drifted from drowsiness to genuine surprise then back. "So you really were a girl… Heh…. Sorry… Couldn't believe it until I actually saw it…"
"You've heard about me?" she inquired, eyeing the Master sternly.
"Lelouch said you might… come through this way… Sorry… for greeting you… like this, King of Knights… Haaah…" Kariya returned an expression that was partly regretful and partly tired. "But as you can see, I'm not… in the state… to offer a welcome. Or… much of a polite one, anyway…"
"And was it Lelouch who demanded you stop me?" Saber asked as she slowly started to approach him. She couldn't see Berserker, but it only meant that he was in spirit form, waiting for the moment to strike.
Kariya shook his head. "No… He didn't demand anything from me… If you have to ask… it was… Berserker… who wanted to meet you."
To that, Arturia's eyes narrowed. 'So his Servant is someone from my past.'
Verifying this was a godsend, but that didn't narrow it down much. Even if he was a knight of such renown to be inscribed on the Throne, she still didn't recognize him. Because of the Servant's dark aura, even his armour was nothing but an unidentifiable haze. Whatever order he belonged to, she couldn't tell from sight alone. More so since he didn't use his own weapon, she could distinguish if he'd been a friend or a foe.
"You say it wasn't Lelouch Lamperouge that asked you to come here." She pushed all that aside and opted to reason with the man before her instead. "You say it was your Servant, not him, that wishes to face me. Can we not set this battle aside then? For a time when neither you nor my Master is at risk of being caught in the crossfire?"
Arturia wanted to negotiate a truce. If his Servant demanded a duel, then so be it. She'd oblige him all he wanted later. But for now, she'd much rather see to Irisviel's safety first. If she could convince the man to stand down as he didn't seem to hold any stakes in this, then Saber could—
"You know… … I don't really… have a reason to fight anymore…" Her grip on her sword shifted a little as he muttered. "I mean, I've already… done what I needed…, saved those… that I… wanted to…" He smiled slightly as though he was drifting off into a dream. In his delirium, he added. "The reason… I even had to fight for the Grail… is gone. The person I wanted to save… is free. I… I don't need the stupid cup anymore…
"Then why do you keep fighting?! If you don't have reason to stay, then please leave! You don't have to die in this war anymore." If he didn't care for the Grail, then why was he still here? Why wasn't he limping away to lick his wounds? Why… was he smiling… like he knew it was the end for him either way?!
The mere fact that he would say all this yet not move aside, it could only mean that he was resigned to fight, resigned to resist her. Resigned to die. 'But… why would he—?'
Kariya chuckled. "Heheh… true. I don't need to die… But, you see… I was a dead man walking the moment I joined this stupid ritual… You should know by now… that Magi aren't the most… ethical bunch… Even if I run, there was no escape… from the consequences of my… mistakes… Not anymore."
"What are you saying?" she didn't understand it. She couldn't, but she didn't want to just cut him down. Even though he was obstructing her from saving another, it was against her chivalric code to kill someone as weak and helpless as he. "Enough of this. Please, stand aside—!"
"If I'm… going to die… no matter what, I choose… to die like a man…" He interrupted with a confident tone and took one step back. "Besides… I still… have a debt to pay… for the help I got… from my allies…"
"Lelouch," Saber muttered but Kariya shrugged.
"I see… you're wary of him too… Yeah. It was… the same for me. That boy… he's a dangerous one. The second scariest person I ever knew… And yet… he was the only person… in my life who helped me… It's because of him that I'm… I'm free… That Sakura… is free…" Arturia didn't recognize the last name but concluded it was related to Kariya's original wish. "But you see… King Arthur, he… wasn't the only one… who saved me and my family…"
Upon his stating it, the shadows before the man shifted and warped. Materializing with a black haze shrouding his form, Berserker's kneeled form on the pavement caused Saber's guard to jump up. She readied her sword, however, surprisingly, Berserker didn't move from his spot. His crimson visor kept its glare on the concrete floor.
"Berserker is… well, he's a wild card for one. Not someone I can control either… But he's a heroic spirit. He… was the hero that killed the monster… that plagued my life… The one who helped save me… despite my inadequacies and lack of fulfilling his own wish… A wish… to face you—Ngh! GAHA!" He fell to his knee, but neither knight made to move and assist. Blood escaped his throat, but he still had it in him to speak through it. "Haaah… Haaah… But now, he can have it…. It's time I made amends for… his help…. As his Master, it is… the least… the least I… I can do… for him…"
Kariya's exhaustion was at its peak. With the presence of Berserker, his Servant, the drain on him had skyrocketed. He was very much standing on his last leg, both figuratively and literally.
"Berserker…" he muttered again to his black knight's back.
"Grrrrrr…." was the low growl reply.
"With the rest of my Command Seals, I, Matou Kariya, order you…" the red tattoos bathed them in a flash of crimson. Then, the lights vanished. "Do… what you will… with Saber…"