11. Chapter 11

Warning! In this chapter there will be some content of a sexual nature, even if it is not too explicit. You have been warned.

-The night before-

It was almost midnight and Shinji Matou was furious.

In the past week, he had tried to find different ways to replenish Rider energies without the help of that girl... but he did not found anything!

He hated the very thought of Sakura being necessary so that he could win the war, Sakura was just his puppet and nothing else!

He knew that making a move now would be dangerous, but he had no other choices, in the town there were already 2 servants, and probably at least one of them was searching the other 2.

He also knew that around his home there were some familiars since his grandpa had warmed him, but 'luckily they followed just Sakura when she got out.

The enemy that was observing Sakura was doing so because she was the only real mage present in the house... the fools thought that he was no threat!

He knew that it was an advantage, this way the enemy would pay attention only to Sakura and he could move in the shadows, but he hated the fact that once again he was being ignored because of her!

He was now the representative of the Matou! He was now Riders' Master! He was now one of the participants of the Holy Grail War! He was the one they should fear!

And yet... nothing! They kept ignoring him for that slut!

'I swear, the next time that I see Sakura I-' Shinji's thoughts were then interrupted when he saw Rider materializing in his room.

"Master, you've called me?" The servant asked.

"You're late. Anyway, as we both know it has been a week since you have been summoned, and yet you are already growing weaker. Now, if we should ever fight against a stronger Servant you would get immediately killed, so now I order you to go around and eat some human soul." Shinji said calmly, as if he did not just condemn some people to death.

"But master, that would kill them." Rider said in a monotone voice.

"I know, why do you care?" He asked a bit amused. Who would have thought that the Man-eater would still have some kind of pity?

"I don't care about them, I just think that Sakura would find that-" Rider could not finish her phrase,

"WHY DO YOU CARE ABOUT WHAT SAKURA THINKS?!" Shinji screamed. "I AM YOUR MASTER, NOT HER! DID YOU HAVE ALREADY FORGOT IT?! DO I HAVE TO REMIND WHO IS NOW CONTROLLING YOU?!" Shinji then said snaring.

"No Master, I'm sorry for having angered you, but I was going to ask if you were secure about me doing it. I fear that if Sakura should discover it she would be... less than pleased." Rider said trying to change her Master's mind. She knew that Sakura would remain disgusted by her action and she wanted to prevent anything that could make her decide to break the contract.

For a long moment, Shinji had a look of disbelief on his face... and then he burst laughing.

"Hahahahahahahahahah, d-do you really think that Sakura would be able to do or say something? Do you really think that she would disobey me? Rider, she is under my foot just like you! There is no way that she would rebel..." He said, but immediately after saying those words he had started to have some doubts.

He started to remember how Sakura kept going to Emiya's house even after he advised her to not doing it.

He remembered how at first he simply told her how Emiya did not need her, but she kept going.

He then remembered how he started to insult and threaten her to not go to Emiya's House, but she kept going.

He started to remember how he started to beat her until she could not even walk because she kept going to his home, and yet she kept going.

Not only the bitch had the courage of stealing from him the title of heir of the Matou, but she even had the courage to disobey him on multiple occasions...

'Oh well, much time has passed since I punished her... right?' He asked himself.

At that moment he turned his attention to Rider and told her: "Why are you still here? You do not have to worry about Sakura, if she says something I will take care of her, just make sure that you do not get found by the other servants or you are good as dead... and now that I think about it you should use the sewers to get out of here." He then said.

After a moment of silence, Rider nodded and said: "Yes Master." Then she dematerialized and left the room.

After a minute Shinji got up and got out of his room, he then started to go toward Sakura's room.

Right now he didn't care if Rider would recover some of her forces, now he just wanted to have some fun.

Over a week has passed since she had been summoned, and Rider still had no idea how to save Sakura from that hell she called home.

Even now while going through the sewers Rider was thinking about how to save her real Master.

The 2 main and only problems were Sakura's step-brother and that monster that she called grand-father.

After the first 2 days she had spent there she had started to think about killing them and taking Sakura to a safe place, but there were some problems:

1)Even after all the things that Shiji did to her, she still loved him as a brother. Sakura thought that it was not his fault that he had started to act in that way and it was all the fault of Zouken that had influenced him. So if she harmed Shinji she would have broken the contract with her... she had probably developed some kind of Stockholm syndrome.

2)Zouken was some kind of undead and she was sure that he was not too different from a Lich. She could tell that his soul didn't reside in his body, so she guessed that it should reside in some kind of phylactery.

During all these past days she had tried to find the phylactery without being discovered by him, but in the end, she found nothing.

Rider plan was to find a way to kill Zouken, and after she had succeeded she then would have killed Shinji too, fully knowing that after doing it Sakura would destroy their contract, but she didn't care, the only thing she wanted was to Sakura to be safe without anyone harming her.

Anyway, while she was thinking she had already infiltrated into the home of her first victim who was now sleeping.

After she made sure that no familiars were near that place she materialized and started to feed on the person.

-1 Hour later-

After having fed on over five people she had decided to return to her base.

She had made sure that she didn't take too much blood and soul from her victims, that way they would survive and Sakura would not think to cut their contract.

While she was feeding on her victims she started to have a very bad sensation, but she was too much concentrated on feeding and making sure that she would leave no trace and that no one would have found her.

But right now she had started to regret her actions, so she started to move faster so that she could return to Sakura the soon as possible.

After 5 minutes she finally had returned to that shabby house, she wanted to tell Shinji that she had done as he had requested, but he was already sleeping.

In the meantime, she had noted that the lights in Sakura's room were still on despite the hour, so she decided that she would quickly go to greet her.

She materialized in Sakura's room... and she remained disgusted.

She could not see the scene in front of her, but the other senses made up for it.

She could smell and feel the odor of blood, sweat, and other body fluids... coming from Sakura who was now lying half-naked on her bed.

'No...' Rider thought. In that single moment, she had realized what really happened while she was out, and just at that moment, her anger and blood lust grew more than ever.

She now would have gone and tored Shinji apart if not for the fact that Sakura stopped her just in time.

"Rider." Sakura suddenly called her weakly. "Please, do not be angry with Nii-san, it's not his fault..."

In that single moment Rider's fury disappeared, there was no possible way that she could get angry while being near Sakura.

"...Sakura... I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry Rider, I know that you are trying your hardest to help me... for me, it's all that matters." Sakura said with a little and genuine smile.

"Sakura, I..."

"Rider, could you get closer to me?" Sakura asked.

Rider got closer to her, she saw in what condition Sakura was, so she got a cloth and started to clean her and fix her clothes.

"Oh, how gentle of you..." Sakura said a bit surpirsed. "You remind me of Senpai..." Sakura said as she started to remember Shirou.

Rider didn't know what to say so that she could keep the conversation alive, she could only ask some question.

"Who is this senpai?" She asked.

"He... he is the only reason why I can keep going..." Sakura said with a little blush.

"...you like him?" Rider asked.

"...yes, I do. He has been the only one to treat me well." Sakura said as she closed her eyes, so that she could recall Shirou's gentle face. She knew she didn't deserve someone like him, after all, she was impure, but she could not help but think about him... this was her little guilty pleasure.

"Is he a good person?" Rider then asked.

"...Yes, he is the nicest." Sakura said as she smiled. Now she was tired, and now that Rider was near her she was starting to fell asleep.

At that moment Rider had finished cleaning Sakura and fixed her pajama, she then sat down next to her and she started to gently caress her head, but before she could fell asleep Sakura opened her eyes and watched Rider.

"Rider, promise me that you will not harm Nii-san in any way..." She asked with a weak and tired tone.

Rider remained silent, she wanted to literally devour and tear Shinji for what he did to Sakura.

"Please Rider, do it for me..." Sakura then asked pleading.

"...I promise you that I will not harm him." Rider swore gently, so that it would comfort Sakura.

"...Thank you Rider, I knew that I could trust you." Sakura said before immediately falling asleep.

At that moment Rider started to bite her lips, she felt useless. She wanted to protect Sakura, but she could do nothing to help her... as always.

Rider still had no idea how to save Sakura other than winning the war and use her wish to help her... even if she won the Grail, what could she do for Sakura until then? Right now she was using all of her forces to calm herself so that she would break the promise she just did to Sakura, and she didn't know how she would react the next time she would see that bastard.

...Anyway, she now had to do something for Sakura... yes, something to make her forget...

Sakura did say that she had someone she loved, so now Rider would use some of her power to make Sakura forget that night and to give her a happy dream, where she would spend time with her loved one.

While she was using her powers she kept caressing Sakura's head all night long.

It was morning and Sakura woke up, she was feeling energetic and happy... something extremely rare for her.

She didn't remember what happened last night before she fell asleep, but now there was something else that had her attention... she had a dream with Shirou!

She was so happy that she almost squicked a little while remembering it!

'Oh my... I... Senpai...heheheheheh.'

This is what Sakura was thinking all morning, she was so happy that she could not even think straight.

She recalled how in her dream Shirou embraced her and gently called her name... god, she was blushing even right now!

After a moment she gave herself some soft slaps to her face to calm herself, there was no way that today she would not go to her senpai house!

She turned around and watched the clock... oh no, it was already late! She overslept for 5 minutes!

She quickly dressed and then she went in the bathroom to just wash her face, there was no reason to fully clean herself since yesterday she already had a bath after dinner.

She then got down in the kitchen and started to make breakfast for Shinji for when he would wake up, after preparing everything she left her home and went to her senpai house.

Even now she could not hide her blush, she never had a dream about her and Senpai being together, and this was the first time that they ever did... that!

She shivered with happiness again at the thought. She would usually feel disgusted by herself and her sick thoughts, but for some reason, she could not help but be happy, so she was going to enjoy this little moment as long as it lasted.

As she was still immersed in her thoughts when she had arrived in front of Shirou's house.

Sakura was now about to knock on the door when it suddenly opened and now in front of her there was Shirou, who had a confused look.

"Oh, g-good morning senpai!" Sakura said a bit surprised. She did not expect Shirou to be already waiting for her, and right now she still had to calm herself.

"Good morning Sakura..." Shirou said as he watched around, maybe was he expecting Taiga to be with her, Sakura thought.

After a moment Shirou started to observe her... very intensely.

At that point Sakura started to look around too, now she could not watch her senpai in the face or she would start to have some very bad thoughts...

Oh no, it was too late, she was now blushing, she could feel all of her blood flowing to her face!

What could she do in a situation like this? Right! She had to distract herself!

"Sempai? Is there something wrong?" Sakura then asked with a gentle tone while watching him.

'Nooooooo, I have to distract myself from senpai, not with him! I'm such a dummy!' Sakura thought as she started to blush even more.

Shirou kept watching her for some very long moments, then he said: "Sorry Sakura, I'm just a bit dazed. I did not sleep well tonight" He said with a big smile.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat when she saw her senpai smiling, he was smiling at her just like in her dream.

"Oh s-senpai, I always tell you that you have to sleep in your room and not in the toolshed!" Sakura pouted a bit while scolding Shirou lightly.

"Yes, yes, sorry..." Shirou said as he turned around.

After that Sakura entered, closed the door and took off her shoes, then she looked around she saw that Shirou was not in the corridor anymore... this was the perfect occasion to calm herself!

After she took a very deep breath she had managed to calm herself... but if Caster started to tease her like she always did this time she would lose control of her emotions! She didn't know how she would react this time!

She started to slowly walk to the living room, since she had arrived a bit later than usual probably her senpai had already finished making breakfast. In fact, when she opened the door she saw that the breakfast was already on the table, but for some reason Caster, Saber and Shirou were watching her with very serious looks...

It was strange, but the only thing more strange than that it was that she suddenly was sleepy...

Sakura walked to the table in the middle of the living-room, she rested her head on it and she then fell asleep.

"So, may I know why you told me to hypnotize Sakura?" Caster asked a bit confused and surprised at Shirou's sudden order.

She still clearly remembered when Shirou told her to not use magic on the members of his family when she first came here, she had never expected that Shirou himself would have asked, no, ordered her of doing it.

Saber in the meantime was silently watching Shirou... and she started to get a nervous since she had no idea of what the hell was happening at the moment.

Shirou never had acted like this way, he was not the type of person who would easily use magic on the people that he loves, but not only that, but thanks to her connection to him she could feel all of his emotions, and right now all Shirou was feeling was fear.

Right now it could be seen that Shirou was scared, he was both breathing and sweating heavily as he was watching Sakura, even his hand were trembling.

At that moment Saber turned her head and looked at Caster, but she could see that even she had no idea what was happening.

Before one of them could ask another question Shirou got closer to Sakura, he lifted Sakura from the table and made sure that she was watching him in the eyes by turning her toward him.

Sakura's eyes were now dull and empty, clear signs of hypnosis, but that was not what Shirou cared of.

"Caster, right now Sakura will answer every question that I will ask her, correct?" Shirou asked with a trembling voice as he breathed heavily and watched Sakura.

"...Yes, she will say the absolute truth, no matter if someone had used some magic on her." Caster said as she watched Shirou a bit concerned.

Shirou started to breathe more heavily as he prepared himself to ask the question, he has hoping with all his heart that Sakura would say "No."

"Sakura, now you have to tell me... did Shinji..."

-12 hours later-

'All of that was... unexpected.' Caster thought as she was using some healing magic on Sakura to close all of her wounds, she had just finished with the procedure and very soon she would assist Shirou and Saber with their assault.

After she had healed Sakura she telepathically told to Shirou the good news, then she got up and exited the room to let the girl rest. Caster then started to walk toward the living-room where Saber was now waiting for her, they had to talk about Shirou.

While walking she started to recall all the events of that morning.

Both she and Saber were very surprised when Shirou asked Sakura if had been raped by her brother, but both of them were even more surprised when Sakura answered yes, and that he was doing it for years.

That was something that she did not expect... Caster had noted that Sakura had a very strange behavior, but she did not expect that Sakura was being literally tortured at home... oh well, that was something that they would fix very soon.

Anyway, Shirou then asked if she knew why Shinji did it, and then Sakura said that he punished her for being a mage, the heir of the Matou and Rider's real Master...

Once again, no one expected her to give that answer.

Shirou was so shocked that he could not even think or talk properly. Not only Sakura had been raped for years under his nose, but she had also been Rider's real Master all time long and he knew nothing of it... at that moment Caster got closer to him and tried to calm him down.

In the meantime, Saber asked Sakura: "Tell us everything that happened to you." And from that moment Sakura started to speak, things from there started to get complicated... no, they started to get outright tragic, so much that Caster started to think of herself as a lucky person.

Sakura started with how she was originally a Thosaka and how she had been sold by her parents so that she could become the heir of the Matou who was a dying line of mages.

Then she started to say how Zouken trained her by throwing her in the worm pit. She then started to describe the feeling of the worms entering from every orifice, crawling in her body, and eating her uterus. She then said that she stopped screaming after 2 days the first time she went there.

She then said how she saw her uncle, the only person that truly cared for her, dying and then getting devoured by Zouken worms.

She then told them how she discovered many years later that her parents, who she still hoped would come back to save her, had died.

She then told them how when after many years she had met her sister and how she had completely ignored her as if they had never been part of the same family.

She then told them how Shinji started to beat and rape her after he discovered that she was the heir of the Matou family.

At that point, Shirou had, strangely, completely calmed down.

After having heard all Sakura's words he now had just a cold and unreadable expression, even with their different kind of connection both Caster and Saber could not understand what he was feeling or thinking. At this point they thought that now there was nothing else that Sakura could say that could shock Shirou... oh well, they were wrong.

Since Sakura had to tell them everything she even told them, as a cherry on the cake, how she fell in love with Shirou for being the first and only person to treated her gently and truly cared for her, but she felt too dirty and unworthy to be near him. Both Caster and Saber flinched at Sakura's statement, now that did not know how Shirou would react, they turned around to see Shirou... who was still completely calm.

Shirou at that moment got closer to Sakura and hugged her, he then started to ask forgiveness for never having noticed her sufferings and her feelings towards him. He then gave her a pat on her head and told her that soon he would have fixed everything. Despite being under hypnosis, Sakura still blushed a little.

After that moment both Saber and Caster started to feel something strange inside of them, they knew that it was because of Shirou, thanks to their connection to him they could feel his same emotions, but now they did not know how to describe that sensation.

It was like a constant rumble, something that could only increase... and it was growing, swift and unrelenting.

After that moment Shirou turned around and asked in a serious tone: "Caster, are you capable of removing all the worms from Sakura?"

"...Yes, but it will take a while. I think that the procedure is nothing too difficult, but I will need to be concentrated. But before that, since Sakura is still under hypnosis we should ask some other questions right now before I start with the removal of the worms." Caster said.

"Yes, right now she can reveal us the identity and the powers of her servant, and maybe we can discover something more about this 'Zouken' too." Saber then continued.

Shirou nodded, he turned around towards Sakura and said with a little smile: "I'm sorry Sakura, but right now we will have to ask you some other things. I swear that once everything will end I will apologize to you for good."

After having asked many questions Sakura they were satisfied, they had discovered Rider's identity, the 'immortality' of Zouken, and many other useful bits of information that could return useful later on, like Zouken great knowledge about the command seals and his ability to manipulate them.

After that, they started to formulate some plans, since Rider was not in her full strength Caster proposed to steal the book that Sakura's step-brother had so that they could take her under their control. It would have been perfect for Caster, that way she could already have control over a powerful Servant without the need to spend energies to summon one.

Both Shirou and Saber knew that it would have been really useful, but after having heard what she did on the poor citizen they just wanted to kill her too... but Sakura did tell them that Rider first and only objective was to protect and save her, and that she was doing all of those things to protect her for Shinji's... not that it worked

They were a bit conflicted about that subject, they did not doubt Rider's loyalty to Sakura and her wish to save her, they knew that if they convinced her to join them she could reveal herself to be a great ally, but that was the problem, they didn't know if they could trust Rider even if they told her that they too wanted to help Sakura.

In the end, they decided that they would try to force an alliance with her, but if for some reason she should ever refuse she will be annihilated by the combined force of Shirou and Saber.

After they had made a general plan about the future attack on the Matou manor Caster had left Shirou and Saber alone so that they could make the final improvements, they did not need her in the end, the one that was an expert about assaults and raids was Saber, and she had already formulated a very good strategy.

In the meantime, Caster had taken Sakura with her in her workshop and she started the preparation for her operation. The first step for the operation was to analyze Sakura, but after having analyzed her Caster remained a bit... shocked.

Inside the girl, there were not only the worms that she had told them about, but even some kind of Crest Worm that worked as some kind of phylactery, since it contained a soul, and even a fragment of something very familiar... and corrupted.

Caster stopped thinking and she frowned... she had to think locally.

'First, there are higher numbers of worms than I expected, but I can easily kill them all and remove them from her body without any problems.' Caster thought as she had already started to think about some of the best spells that she could use for that situation.

'Second, inside of that Crest worm, there is some kind of soul...' Caster started to think, but in the meantime, a very evil smile started to appear on her face since she had already realized who was the owner of said souls. At that point she covered her mouth with her hand as she tried to hide the excitement that she was feeling, but after an instant, she noted that her hand was trembling... it was literally trembling with anticipation!

'That would explain everything, right? Sakura did tell us that the worm was in some way immortal, but in the end, he is no more different than a lich... and I have just found his weakest point!' Caster thought maliciously.

She literally had the worm soul and life in her hands, and she could manupulate him to her will! Caster will make sure to teach the worm the full measure of agony and pain! She will make sure that he will regret ever being born!

She had no kind of pity against those who used others as tools, so she will torture him until the very end... and maybe even beyond.

'Use others as tools...' At the thought, a little idea came to her mind and she started to smile even more... She started to wonder if Shirou would like the idea.

After that moment she shook her head and returned to think about Sakura.

'Anyway, I can guess that this is a Grail fragment... probably he had found them after Saber destroyed the Grail at the end of the fourth Holy Grail War... but for what reason did he implanted it in her? What was his objective? What was he trying to make with Sakura...?'

Caster started to think, it was clear that Zouken had very great knowledge about the Grail and its machinations... but for what reason would he implant a fragment of the Grail into the body of a magus? The only thing that could happen next was that said magus would be able to connect itself with the corrupted Grater Grail...

Oh! Did he intend to make Sakura into a corrupted minor Grail? Yes, and thanks to Sakura's interesting Element and Origin she could guess that in the end, the girl would have been able to manipulate the Grail itself. That way even if he could not win the war Zouken would have made sure that in the end, he would have full control of the Grail so that he could make a wish... fully knowing what would have happened next.

Zouken not only was a sadistic worm that used others as tools, but he was also completely mad. He was willing to release whatever resided in the Grail just so that he could reach his objective... too bad that all of his plans were going to be ruined.

And after that, she started with the 11 hours long operation.

That it was all that had happened during that arc of time.

At that moment Caster had reached the living-room, she opened the door and saw Saber who was now sitting at the table and was now watching her.

"I assume that the operation had gone without any problem..." Saber said.

"Indeed, Sakura's life is now secure, but right now we should talk about Shirou."

The confusing rumble that they were feeling before has now turned into a burning ember, and both Caster and Saber now could finally understand what Shirou was feeling: Shame and Hatred... something that both Saber and Caster were very familiar with.

One of them failed her people and kingdom, and the other one had been turned into a pawn of the gods against her will.

They knew how much just one of those single emotions could hurt and consume an individual, and the intensity of those two and only emotions that Shirou was feeling had started to give them a headache.

Caster after that moment sat down at the table and said: "Saber, I do not know what Shirou is going to do or what his plans are... but I know for sure is that he will act with extreme prejudice..."

"I know." Saber then said as she also knew how much Shirou was feeling guilty. Saber knew very well that guilt, in the end, was just like an illness, it slowly devoured the individual until there was nothing left.

"...and since you know it, you should already know what I'm going to ask you next. Please, if he needs help guide him, and make sure that he will regret none of his actions." Caster then asked Saber. Even if the two of them were the opposite of one another they still had a thing in common: Regret.

"As his Servant, ally, and teacher, I promise you that I shall guide him, and make sure that he will take the right pact." Saber then swore to Caster, but both of them knew that Saber really has promised was that she will make sure that Shirou will not become someone who was consumed by his regrets, just like the two of them.

"...Thank you, Saber, I knew that I could count on you." Caster said in a grateful tone.

"You're welcome, but now Caster, I have a request for you." Saber said.

"A request from you? Sure, tell me what you want." Caster said now wondering what Saber's request would be.

"Go and talk with Shirou, he needs to talk with someone... he trusts." Saber said.

"...What?" Caster said confused. "Why are you asking me to do it? I mean, I have no problem in doing it... but correct me if I am wrong, you're his Servant, you should be the one to understand him better than anyone, right?" Caster asked, she did not know why Saber asked her that request.

"You see, just as you said I am his Servant I know what he needs, and right now I know that he needs you." Saber said.

"...Why me?" Caster asked.

"That's not something that you should ask me since you should already know." Saber answered.

"...Do you know where is he?" Caster then asked after a moment.

"Right now he is in the tool-shed, he is preparing his equipment." Saber answered.

"Thank you." Caster said as she got up, then she got out of the room and started to head toward the tool-shed.

After Caster got out of the room Saber remained alone in the living room, and she was immersed in her thoughts.

She knew very well why Shirou needed to talk with Caster, he was feeling guilty for what happened to Sakura, he was starting to doubt and hate himself for not discovering it sooner and for not being able to help her until that moment... the only one that could help him now was Caster.

'Another failure... one of many to come...' Shirou thought as he was preparing himself.

'For all this time Sakura had been in a living hell... and what was I doing? I was dreaming about being a hero while I completely ignored her... she who needed my help.' And for the umpteenth time, his shame and hatred increased.

'How could have I been so blind? How? I can't believe that I had let it happen. Sakura should have been under my care and protection... and yet... how could have I been... so useless?' Shirou then asked himself.

Shirou right now, against all expectations, was somehow "calm".

Just like that morning, he knew that getting driven by his emotion would have caused only problems, but he could not help but to blame himself from time to time, and every time he did it his emotions grew even more intense.

He knew that very soon he would stain his hands with blood, but he did not care.

Right now he knew that his father would not be proud of him, not because he was not capable of stopping Rider from harming all those poor innocents, not because he never discovered in time how Sakura was suffering or what was happening to her, but because what Shirou was seeking at that moment was not justice... but revenge and retribution.

Since Sakura's revelation, he had started to doubt himself...

How could he be a Hero of justice, when he could not even help the people that were part of his family?

How could he be a Hero of justice, when he could not even save the poor citizens from Rider attack?

How could he be a Hero of justice, when right now all he was seeking was revenge?

At that moment he was not being driven by his ideals, but by his desire to avenge Sakura for all the horrible things done to her...

And at that moment he started to have some doubts even about his future action, what should he do with Shinji?

He didn't know if Zouken used some magic on him to make all the horrible things he did to Sakura, Shirou was almost certain that Shinji would have never done those things of his own free will... but it was that 'almost' that started to consume him.

What if Shinji did all of those things willingly? What if Shinji too was someone like the other mages who did not care about the lives of others? What should he do?

'Huh, what a stupid question...' Shirou then said to himself. 'There is no possible way that I could forgive him, Shinji or not, he'll die for his crimes he is guilty.' He then thought coldly.

After that moment he stopped preparing his equipment. He raised his head and watched he ceiling, he started to think about how the girl who should have been under her protection had been tortured and raped for years, and on how he was preparing himself to kill the person that he considered his best friend...

A hero, huh? That's not what he could be called, a hero saved people in the time of need, not when it was already too late... a hero should prepare himself to save others... not to kill and avenge them.

He was not a hero... he was just a failu-

"Shirou? Are you here?" Shirou then heard Caster's voice calling him.

'Caster...' He thought.

"Yes, I am here." Shirou then said with a tone loud enough so that Caster could hear him.

After some moments Caster entered in the tool-shed and found Shirou who was in front of some of the equipment and gadgets that she had given him in this past weeks, like some of the little magic bones that would summon the Dragon warriors, but before she could say or do anything Shirou got up, got closer to her and then he bowed deeply in front of her.

"Shirou?" Caster asked a bit confused and surpirsed.

"Thank you, Caster, thank you for everything!" Shirou said as he was watching the ground "I cannot describe how grateful I am to you, I cannot ever thank you enough for having helped me until now!"

Caster was now silently watching Shirou, after a moment she asked: "Why are you thanking me?"

"I am thanking you because it was thanks to you that now I could discover what was happening to Sakura, and it's thanks to you that now I will be able to do something!" Shirou answered.

Caster could feel Shirou's guilt and hatred increasing.

'Why are still blaming yourself? It's not your fault.' She thought.

"Shirou, I know what you are thinking, it was not your fault..." Caster then said trying to comfort him.

After hearing Caster's words he lifted his head, watched her in the eyes, and said: "I am sorry to say it, but you are wrong. I am her senpai, she should have been under my care and protection, and yet I never knew what was happening to her until now... I cannot see how it's not my fault."

'Shirou please... stop blaming yourself.' Caster thought bitterly.

"...It's not your fault Shirou... It's mine. If I had been more careful I should have discovered the worms in her or what was happening to her... if there is someone to blame here, that person is me." Caster said as she tried to lift some of the guilt that Shirou was feeling.

Shirou remained silent for a moment, he then looked down to his feet and started to clench his fist, then he spoke again.

"Once again I have to correct you, I was the one to tell you that you should never use magic on the member of my family, if I never told you that I am sure that you would have discovered very soon the conditions Sakura was in... you can try to comfort me all you want, but we both know that it was all my fault."

Caster remained silent... she knew that Shirou could be stubborn and no matter what she said she could not make him feel better... but she still could do something.

"Shirou, blame yourself how much you want, but it will not change the fact that in the end, you saved her. You managed to discover what was happening to her and now you already prepared a plan to eliminate those who are responsible for her sufferings."

"I know Caster, but it's not enough... I should-"

"You should have done what? You will take care of her problems, and from now on everything will take a better turn for her." Caster said as she interrupted Shirou.

"A better turn for her? She had been tortured for years, there is no way that my help will just fix everything..." Shirou said as he clenched his fist even harder.

"Shirou, time is a powerful medicine, and even if it can't fully close and heal a wound, it will at least make it smaller... right now you should be happy to have discovered Sakura's situation, or it could have been worse..."

"...What do you mean?" Shirou asked confused as he lifted his head to watch her.

At that moment Caster leaned towards Shirou, and softly told him as she put both of her hands on the sides of his face while watching him in the eyes: "Sakura deep down is a gentle and lovable girl, but imagine if no one ever noted her suffering... after being abandoned by the people she loved with time she would have started to lose all her hopes of being saved... and at the point where she gave up all of her hopes, she would have started to embrace her negative side... in the end, she would have become a bitter and evil person... A very... evil person..." Caster said.

At that moment Shirou gulped as a shiver went down his spine.

"You should be the first one to know that I speak from experience... it was exactly what happened to me... the only difference is that she had been saved by you before she could turn like that. The one who should thank someone it's me, if Sakura will not become someone like myself it's all thanks to you, Shirou..." Caster then continued as she took off her hand from Shirou.

Shirou lowered his head and now he was looking at the ground while he was clenching both his fist and teeth. No matter what Caster told him it did not make him feel better, even if it was true that he had saved Sakura, it changed nothing for him... he could at least have discovered it sooner...

"C-Caster I-" Shirou started to speak. He wanted to tell her how he felt useless, weak, blind, and stupid... but he stopped when Caster started to gently pat his head. Once again an unexplained warmth gripped his heart, and it calmed him down.

"Oh, Shirou..." Caster sighed. "You may be a young man, but you still think and act like a child, there are no mistakes so big that cannot be undone." She then said with a little smile. Immediately after she took off her hand from his head and lowered her arm, she assumed a serious expression and said: "You can blame and doubt yourself and your actions later, right now there is something else you have to do."

Shirou, now calm, looked Caster for a moment before he said: "You're right."

"Good boy, you finally understood." Caster said with a little smile. Caster then started to look at Shirou's equipment, she noted that he had almost finished preparing himself. "I see that you have almost finished here... now I should leave you alone." Caster said.

"Caster... may I speak later with you?" Shirou then asked. he wanted to speak with her, just her presence had started to comfort him.

"Sure."

After looking at her for a pair of seconds he then said: "Thank you, Caster."

"You're always welcome Shirou." Caster said before she dematerialized.

After seeing Caster disappearing Shirou closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Caster managed to calm him down and give him the will to continue...

He now was ready!