12. Chapter 12

-A very bad feeling-

This is what Shinji Matou had since he had woken up.

The house that morning was strangely more silent than usual, he had noted that Sakura had already left the home, she surely went to Emiya house... he wanted to be angry, but he could not, he was more preoccupied with that feeling.

He had breakfast and then went back into his room since he had nothing to do, he turned on the Tv in his bedroom and was happy to hear that over 6 people had been attacked during the night, at first he wanted to speak to Rider and ask if she had noted something in particular, but there was no need to call her and make her waste energy by taking physical form.

The rest of the day flew by like always, now it was night and Shinji could tell that there was something very wrong going on. Not only the bad feeling that he had just got worse, but Sakura had yet to return home... and for some reason, the familiars that followed her were in higher numbers all around the house.

Not only that, but also a great number of his grandfather's familiars started to enter the home, now those damn insects were practically everywhere and Shinji could not even take a step that he risked killing over hundreds of them.

He had tried to call his grandfather and ask him why the hell he had started to recall all of his familiars to their home, that probably would have caught the attention of those who were monitoring them... but he never answered.

Shinji, somehow, knew that his grandfather did not respond not because he ignored him... but because he could not.

Shinji started to get scared and sweat cold, just what the hell was happening?! And why did he not know anything?!

"Rider! Come here and tell me what the hell is happening!" Shinji screamed with fear in his voice.

That same fear that Shinji had only grown when Rider materialized in front of him, for some reason Rider had a strong murder intent... Oh! Probably she too had noted the strange things that were happening and she was preparing herself to fight.

"R-R-Rider, do you know what the hell is going on?!"

Rider remained silent for over 10 seconds as she stared at him, for some reason Shinji started to feel even more nervous but before he could do or say anything Rider then decided to answer.

"No, I do not know what is happening, but I can tell that if we remain here something bad will happen."

"...Are you telling me that we should leave? Are you stupid? Didn't you noticed all the enemy familiars outside the home?!" Shinji asked confused and scared at the same time.

"Yes, but I also see that your grandfather is not answering your call, probably something happened to him. We will have more chances of surviving outside of this home, thanks to my great speed we should be able to run away from the danger anytime."

Shinji was now considering his options, he didn't want to leave his house, but he knew that something bad was going to happen very soon and he did not dislike the idea of running away.

"Master, may I ask you if you know where Sakura is?" Rider then asked.

"What? Why are you asking?!" Shinji asked irritated, right now he could not think about that slut of Sakura.

"I wanted to know why the familiars that only followed her are right now out of the home."

"I have no idea why they are already here, usually they would come back with her... and right now they are not even trying to hide their presence..." Shinji said as he turned and looked at a crow watching him from a window.

"Could it be that the enemy discovered that Sakura is not my Master anymore?"

"Rider, do not say-" Shinji's heart then stopped.

Shinji may be many things, but he was not stupid. Rider's assumption actually had a sense, if the enemy that were controlling Sakura for some reason had decided to capture, hypnotize and interrogate her she would have said everything she knew... including the identity of Rider master: Shinji Matou.

At that point, Shinji's head started to hurt. He had to keep himself calm and keep his mind lucid, but it was more difficult than he first thought, his stomach started to hurt and he was scared. Soon he and Rider would have to fight, but since his Servant was now not in her full strength he knew that there was a high chance that she would die... and if she died probably he would have the same fate! There was now no way that he could not leave his home, he knew that there were some good defenses and traps that Zouken had placed, but right now he did not know if they were even working.

He had to run away with Rider and survive that night at all costs, then during the next day, he would rest, formulate some plans, and find a new base.

He now also had to find a way to restore Rider energy, he knew that there was a high chance that they would fight that night, so now he had to find some way to restore her energies to the max... in a situation like that he would have even swallowed his pride and he would have asked Sakura to restore Rider's energies, but right now that little bitch was nowhere to be found!

After a minute an idea came to mind, he could do the same thing that he did yesterday, that is to make Rider eat some souls. While they escaped Rider would assault some passerby and devour them before the enemy could attack them, even if she could not fight she would have the energies to run as fast as she could toward that place.

"Rider prepare yourself!" Shinji started to say.

-A strange feeling-

This is what Rider had since that morning, sometime after Sakura left home.

She did not know why, but she had this strange feeling as if something soon was about to happen... she could only hope that nothing would happen to Sakura.

The only other thing that she knew was that Shinji too had a bad feeling, thanks to her highly developed senses she could feel and smell the boy's unease. After she noted that Sakura did not return home even once during the day, but the familiars that were watching her were all around the home and did not even try to hide their presence, she put two and two together and reached the conclusion that soon they would be attacked.

She knew that Shinji would have been pretty useless in helping at creating a plan to defend their base, so she opted to ask help from the old worm, that way she could create a good plan to defend the base and to ask him if he knew something about Sakura's situation.

She then went underground to the worm pits, where she expected to find Zouken who was already preparing himself, but after searching him and failing for a bit she decided to take physical form so that she would attire his attention... but nothing. She then started to call him and to tell him that probably they would soon be attacked... but he never answered.

The feeling that she had started to get more intense... somehow something happened to Zouken too, and she had no idea of it until now. Rider then started to observe his familiars in the pits, and only at that moment, she noted that the worms were... confused? Frightened? In pain? Just what was happening? Did something really happened to Sakura?!

Fear started to emerge in her, what could have happened to Sakura? Did another Master attack her? And if yes, why now? It has been a week since she had been summoned and Sakura was not her Master anymore, so why someone had captured her now?

From that moment on Rider started to concentrate, hoping that she still had a little connection to Sakura, little enough that she could feel if she was well and alive... but nothing. Until the book that Shinji had existed her connection to Sakura would be completely cut.

An idea started to take form in Rider's mind, it was something about both Shinji and his book being impaled by her nails, that way she could return back to Sakura... but after a moment she realized that it was a bad idea since it would have made Sakura a Master again, and that would have put her in a dangerous situation.

She then spent more time in the basement searching for any trace about Zouken or about what could have happened to him, but then she heard Shinji calling her. Right now she had to keep herself calm, she would devour him alive in the future but right now she had to make sure that Sakura was alive and well, she will have to survive that night no matter how.

After reaching Shinji she was pleased to see him scared while he was surrounded by insects, he then started to ask what was happening and he was expecting an answer as if she should know everything... right at that moment she vividly remembered what the parasite did to Sakura the night before, she did not dislike the idea of letting herself being killed so that Shinji would die too... but before doing it she had to make sure that Sakura was alive.

At that moment she started to speak and wanted to make Shinji considering an escape, now that something happened to Zouken the house defenses and traps may or may not have been deactivated, but they surely didn't want to stay around to discover it.

Then after a moment, an idea came to Shinji.

"Rider prepare yourself! We will go to the church! There it is the supervisor of the war, he should help us since the war has yet to start but the others are already starting to fight, right? If we go there he should at least protect me!" Shinji said. "Rider, how much time it will take us to reach the church?" He then asked.

Rider remained silent and started to think, the church was on the other side of the city so for her it should at least take 5 minutes, but since she could not go too fast without hurting Shinji she supposed that it will take around 15 minutes.

"10 minutes." Rider then said.

"Good... and on the way, you will have to attack some other people, so that you will have enough energy to fight if that should happen, I suppose that in 15 minutes we will be there..." A little smile appeared on his face, once again he had shown his tactical genius even under situations of high stress.

"Are we ready to leave?" Rider asked.

"Yes, let's go!" Shinji answered.

Shirou was now in the living room with Saber, one close to the other, and they were observing with serious looks the Matou manor through the crystal ball that Caster gave them. Caster in the meantime was in her workshop, she earlier told them that she was taking care of the 'immortality' of Zouken, at the moment the only thing they cared about was that now the worm could be easily killed, they would ask her the details later.

While watching the home they were considering some changes about their assault, without Zouken all of the traps and defensive measures had been deactivated, so right now they had more possible ways from which they could breakthrough into the house.

Other than all the minor details about the assault the main steps were:

1)Enter the Matou manor.

2)Find Shinji and Rider.

3)Subdue and capture Rider/ Kill her.

4)Subdue and capture Shinji/ Kill him.

5)Kill Zouken.

Or this was their plan if the enemy decided to not escape.

At one point while watching through the crystal ball they saw a pink and blue object flying out of a window, after a second they realized that it was Rider who had on her back Shinji, who was clinging to her with all his forces.

At that moment it was night and very few people were in the streets, so the possibility of innocents being harmed was very low... yes, very low, but not 0.

"So, the enemy has decided to escape... fools." Saber said with a serious tone. It was obvious how much anger resided inside of her.

Saber was connected with Shirou, she could feel his emotions and she could feel all of his pain. The two people that she was now observing through the crystal ball had caused much suffering both to him, the girl he cared of, and other innocents, at the moment she hoping that Shirou ordered her to cut both of them down at the first possible occasion...

Shirou sighed and said as he turned to watch Saber: "Perfect, now we have to be careful or we may involve civilians."

He had hoped that Rider and Shinji would remain in their base, that way it would have been easier to take care of them.

"Do not worry Shirou, the fight will end as soon as it starts!" Saber said as she turned her head and watched Shirou in the eyes. They both knew that if a fight should ever start it will end in less than 5 seconds.

Few were the heroic spirits who were able to go toe to toe against Saber in her perfect form, and if with her there was Shirou, who with the help of Caster could reach the strength and speed of a Servant, the enemy would just be slaughtered by them in less than an instant.

"I have no doubts about that," Shirou said then he turned his head toward the crystal ball. "I just hope that they will not go to a place where there are civilians..." Shirou said as he carefully watched Shinji through the crystal ball.

In the meantime, a copy of Caster had materialized in the room and said: "I see that they have decided to run... just give me a moment and I will try to deduce their destination."

"There is no need for that Caster, they are going to the Church." Saber said immediately after Caster finished speaking.

"Oh, did you just figured it out, or had you already anticipated it?" Caster copy asked with a surprised tone.

"I have already anticipated it. In a situation like this it was obvious that they would have gone towards the one and the only neutral ground in the territory where the fighting is forbidden." Saber answered. It was not the first time that she had seen an enemy who wanted to use a ploy like that.

"Oh well, now tell me where I should teleport the two of you." Caster asked.

"They will not use the bridge to reach the other side of the city since is too far away, I guess that they will try to pass the river by exploiting Rider's high speed and then reach the church through the forest..." Saber said while thinking.

Saber was now considering if to fight them in the forest on or the side of the river, thanks to her blessing to walk on water she would have no problem in fighting Rider on the river, and if Rider somehow managed to outmaneuver her there would be Shirou waiting on the other side ready to take her and make sure that Saber reached the enemy once again.

But the forest would have been a better place because they would be able to take them by surprise, and Rider surely would not be prepared to fight both of them at the same time... but if they lost sight of Rider it would be difficult for them to reach her in time.

"So, or to the other side of the river or to the forest..." Caster's copy said as she was already preparing her teleportation spell.

But before Saber could decide the location she was interrupted by an audible 'crack' coming from Shirou.

Both Saber and Caster turned toward him, and on his face, there was a mixed expression of pure anger and frustration as he was watching the crystal ball, after a moment they did the same...

And what they saw was Rider who was now biting the neck of a young woman.

[I told you to be quicker Rider! If you don't move the enemy will reach us! Just take as much as you can for now, we will just find another one to attack!] They heard Shinji saying to Rider from the crystal ball.

For over 5 seconds no one told anything, there was only silence.

"Caster, tell me... you were taking care of Zouken, right?" Shirou asked with a serious tone.

"Yes." Caster answered.

"Now, I don't know what you were doing, but right now all of Zouken spells should have started to dispel, just like the defenses and traps around his home, right?" He asked as his eyes started to turn red.

"Yes." She answered.

"Then Shinji is not being controlled and he is doing everything of his own free will, right?" He asked as his right eye twitched.

"...Yes." Caster said after a moment of pause.

After Caster answered another audible 'crack' could be heard coming from Shirou, both Saber and Caster now realized that he clenched his teeth so hard that he had broken some.

But right now there was no sign of pain on Shirou's face, but only anger, an anger that could not even be described.

"Caster, you should take care of the woman..." Saber said as she watched Shirou, since she knew that for now, Shirou had all of his attention just for Shinji.

After they had attacked the young woman they fleed again, thanks to the woman Rider had acquired new strength and she started to be even faster as she moved.

After they made around 250 meters as they watched their backs they saw another future victim, she too was female but she was way younger than the other woman, and Shinji could say that he had already seen her. After a moment he remembered who she was, the girl was Mitsuzuri... oh well, she had always been an irritating girl.

Shinji turned around again and he could see that no one was chasing them, not even the familiars... right now he could have some fun and make Rider feast on the girl.

Mitsuzuri that night was retuning home after making some shopping, but as she walked she started to hear something coming very fast toward her from behind, but before she could even react she had been grabbed by the back of her neck.

"AHHHHHHHH-!" She screamed, but then she stopped when Rider placed her hand on her mouth.

Mitsuzuri right was now scared, she was just returning home when she now was suddenly being assaulted. She was trying to free herself but she could not, the thing that grabbed her had monstrous strength! What could she do? Why did this person attack her? Could it be that it was the person responsible for the assaults that happened the night before?

Just at the thought she got even more scared, she knew that all the victims that were found were almost dead, she didn't want to meet their same fate.

At that moment something caught her attention, no, someone caught her attention... and that person was Shinji who was now in front of her, smiling.

"Shinji, what are you doing? What is happening?" Mitsuzuri asked as her voice was being muffled by the hand of Rider.

"Oh you do not have to worry Mitsuzuri, we just want to ask you a favor..." Shinji said with a little smile and a sarcastic tone.

"What do you mean?!" The girl asked now even more frightened.

"Oh, oh, oh... you do not have to worry about that, you just have to know that it will be painless!" He said with a smirk.

After hearing those words Mitsuzuri's eyes widened as much as possible, but before she could say or do something the grip of the hand that was behind her neck got stronger and made her faint.

After that there was only a long moment of silence... that then got interrupted by Shinji laughing.

"Hahahaahahah, her face! Her face! You should have seen her face! Hahahahahah..." He said with a smile, that after a moment faded, he then got a very serious and sacred expression. "R-Rider now do the same, take as much as you can and be quick!" He then started to look around, for some reason he was getting even more scared, his gut-feeling told him to get out of there as soon as possible.

Rider said nothing since she had the same feeling and just opened her mouth that revealed her sharp teeth, she would have sunk them in her new victim neck if not for the fact that suddenly she felt two extremely powerful presences appear out of nowhere 15 meters front of her... the enemy had reached them!

At that moment she heard the sound of something being thrown toward her Master, in that single instant, she left the girl and put herself in front of Shinji and deflected the projectile who was aimed for his head, after another instant she heard the sound of the projectile hitting and completely destroying a wall behind her by sheer strength. Rider watched her nail, the projectile had so much speed and strength behind it that after she deflected the projectile said nail almost flew out of her hand.

That meant that the one who threw said projectile had an incredible strength... and that was an incredibly big problem. Rider knew that the one that threw the projectile was the weakest one of the enemy pair, if the thing that launched the knife was the weakest, what could the strongest, who she sensed to be a Servant, be capable of doing? There was no way that she in the condition that she now was could even survive against that... monster. Just its presence put under incredible pressure, and if she should ever fight with that thing she would die immediately!

As Rider started to take off her blindfold she felt the thing lowering the arm that threw the knife and sighing, then in that same moment, she felt the enemy Servant tighten her grip on her magical weapon. She could feel the Servant as it was watching her intently, almost excited she could to say, but she just did not know what was restraining her...

While taking off her blindfold Rider heard a male voice say: "Go." In a calm and yet merciless tone.

An instant later the enemy Servant burst towards Rider, destroying the road under her feet, and she was now in front of her ready to cut her head off.

'FAST!' Rider thought as now she watched in the eyes the other Servant who was now in front of her.

She was the servant Rider, she used her high speed to her advantage during a fight so that she could fight against enemies stronger than her, but if someone managed to outmaneuver or anticipate her she would be helpless, and that is what just happened.

Rider used both of her nails to block the invisible blade that was coming for her head, but there was so much strength behind the hit that after blocking the attack she had been helplessly launched toward a distant light pole, breaking it in half, and then she slammed against a wall of reinforced concrete farther away.

As she flew toward the wall she felt that some of her bones in her arms had been fractured by just the sheer force of the initial hit, and her left shoulder had also been dislocated. She now knew that if the enemy managed to hit her it would be certain and instant death.

After she slammed into the concrete wall Rider fell on the ground and remained there, not because she had no forces, she was now waiting, ready to react. After some long moments she started to hear the steps of the enemy Servant coming closer... and at one point the sound suddenly stopped.

After an instant, she got up and jumped up into the sky at incredible speed, and not even an instant later the servant Saber was under her and it had cut in half the spot where she was just an instant before

As Rider was up into the air Saber watched her, Rider could feel the pure anger that the enemy Servant had toward her, she could feel her bloodlust and her desire to kill her. Rider now knew that if she had to survive she had to run away, even if she managed to somehow wound Saber enough to the point where she could not fight she knew that her Master, or whatever the thing was, would have fought at her place, and at that point she was sure that she too was in a position where she could not fight. Also only now she noted that Saber was not petrifying despite the fact that she was watching her.

In that instant, she started to think. If she wanted to run away she could simply turn around and run, but in the conditions that she was in now she doubted that she would have been able to run from the monster for too long since she too had an incredible speed... the only thing she could do to escape was to restrain her with her chain, even if for some seconds.

While in the air she threw a nail at Saber who easily parried it, Saber then jumped and after a moment she was once again in front of Rider, but right now Rider knew how much force Saber had, so when Saber attacked her she managed to not only block the attack without any problem but she used the blow to throw herself towards a distant roof of a home that she would use as some kind of launching pad, this way she would surpass Saber with her superior speed, put some chains around her, and ran away. She could not die now, she had to find Sakura first.

After she had planted her feet on the roof Rider used all of her strength to launch herself at high speed toward Saber who was still in mid-air... but then the enemy Servant with incredible speed proceeded to get in her way and punch her down into the streets below them.

Pain.

That was the only thing that Rider was feeling after she woke up in a crater in the middle of a little park.

The punch that Saber gave her was so powerful that it had crushed and left a visible dent in the middle of Rider's rib cage. She still had the strength to run away, but she had to recover from such a blow... and now it was already too late since she sensed that Saber was already in front of her.

Rider was now watching the sky, she was hoping with all herself that now Sakura was in a safe place and that Shinji and Zouken were now dead... she was now expecting the final blow coming from Saber, but that blow was not coming.

Rider lifted her head and watched the Servant, the woman had the tip of her invisible sword into the ground and her hands were on the hilt of the sword. Also, she now noted had that she had her head turned to her side as if she was watching, or hearing, something in the distance.

"Have you surrendered already? Do you really have no reason to fight?" The Servant then asked her as she turned to watch her.

After some moments Rider slowly and silently started to get up, she now wanted to know why the enemy Servant that clearly wanted to cut her head off had spared her. She did not seem the kind of person who would taunt her enemy before killing them.

"Why... are you letting... me live?" Rider asked with a weak voice tone.

"Because you're lucky." Saber told her bluntly. "There is someone you know who needs your help and presence, you, and only you, can help her." She then continued.

For a moment Rider did not understand what Saber was talking about, but after a moment she reached the conclusion: They had Sakura!

"Do you have-?" She asked almost hesitant.

"Your real master Sakura Matou? Yes, we do." Saber said interrupting Rider. "Now, I guess that you have already reached the conclusion of what we want from you, right?" Saber then asked.

Rider remained silent for another moment and then she asked: "Why... should I trust you? How do... I know that you are not lying? How do I know... if she is alive?"

"I have to remind you that you have no other choice in the matter." Saber told her. "The only thing that now you can do is to come with me, or die by my hand." She told her with a hostile tone as she took the sword in her hand once again.

"If you hate me that much... why are you asking an alliance...?" Rider asked. She could hear the disdain in Saber's voice and her hate toward her.

"Even after all the things that you have done a certain person had pity of you and thinks that your help will be useful in the future. I'll trust her judgment and I will give you a chance, but if you refuse I shall cut you down here and now!"

"...Just answer me this question... is Sakura alive?" Rider then asked. Right now she did not care about her fate or about the things that she will be forced to do, she wanted just to know about Sakura's conditions.

"I swear on my honor that Sakura is well and alive... but I cannot tell the same about her tormentors." Saber said while she hinted that they were responsible for all the events that just happened.

"...I see... then I am willing to come with you." Rider said.

"...Good choice." Saber said with almost a sad tone, it was clear that she was hoping to find an excuse to cut her down.

Rider fully got up and sensed that now... she was now being provided with mana?

Rider looked down, now she was watching her arms and she could see and feel all the bruises, cuts and fractures were quickly disappearing, now she could even breath properly... and only at that moment, she had realized that she was now under the control of another Master.

At first she was thinking that her new Master was the other thing that was with Saber... but she felt that her Master was very distant from her... she could just tell that much since the connection was not very strong.

"Oh well, I think that is time that we go back." Saber said as she turned around and jumped on a house.

Rider put back her blindfold then she started following Saber, while fighting they traveled not too far from the place where they first met, but as she was going back to that place Rider smelled the strong smell of smoke and steel... and also blood.

When they arrived Rider saw the Master of Saber standing in the middle of the street... near a headless and mutilated corpse on the ground.

-some minutes before-

While Shinji watched Rider who was about to feast on Mitsuzuri she for some reason got in front of him in less than an instant, at first Shinji didn't know why but an instant later he heard and felt a violent impact as Rider deflected something who was aimed for him... He quickly realized that the enemy had reached them!

Shinji was now scared, he turned and started to run, but when he turned around he saw that the thing that had been launched toward him had destroyed an entire wall and he froze in fear... what would have happened if it hitted him? As he watched the wall he, in the corner of his eye, suddenly saw Rider being launched down the street in the way they had come from. Rider then in her way destroyed a light pole, making the street fall in almost complete darkness, and crashed against a wall farther away.

Shinji quickly turned around scared, and even if now he could not see very well since the nearest light pole was about 15 meters away, he could swear that he saw the enemy Servant now near him giving him a disgusted look, a look that promised him of untold sufferings... but after a moment the Servant started walking forward, leaving him alone...

Or so he thought.

As he watched the Servant going away he started to hear the sound of steps slowly coming towards him from his back, he quickly turned around, but because of the darkness, he could see just the menacing shape of a man and his blazing red eyes.

After seeing the man that was coming for him Shinji pissed himself a bit, he could feel the murderous intent that the man emanated and he knew that had to escape, if not he would lose his life!

As he started to turn around to run Shinji heard: "Stay still Shinji, and maybe I will not kill you instantly!" The figure said with extreme anger as it was approaching him.

Shinji stopped for a moment. He knew very well that voice, that was the voice of Shirou Emiya! And right at that moment, a plan came to Shinji's mind. He didn't know why Shirou was a Master and why he wanted to kill him, but he knew what kind of person Emiya was.

In that instant Shinji took out his right pocket a knife and started to run towards the fainted Mitsuzuri, he knew that if he took her as a hostage Shirou would have followed all his requests, he had always been that kind of stupid guy that cared of others more than himself!

Shinji was now a few meters away from the girl when he stopped suddenly... no, when he had been stopped! Something had grasped his right wrist where he had the knife.

He turned around just to see the cold and angered face of Emiya. He started to wonder how did he had reached him, but there was no need. At that moment Shinji raised his left arm as he was about to punch Shirou in the face so that he would let him go, but he couldn't since at that same moment something else happened...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Shinji screamed as in an instant his right wrist had been crushed by sheer strenght.

After a moment he dropped both himself to his knees and the knife that he had in his now almost detached hand.

He pissed himself once again, but now he could not stop, the shock and pain were so great that he could do nothing but to concentrate on the pain that he was feeling. After 30 seconds of continuous screams, cry, and laments he finally had the strength to raise and turn his head to watch Shirou, he wanted to beg for his life but before he could say anything Shirou spoke.

"Your action forced my hand Shinji!" Shirou said as he intently watched Shinji in the eyes, as tried to sedate his anger. "I have never thought that you were someone capable of doing such things... You should have been able to be better than this!" He said in a disappointed tone as he let go Shinji's crushed wrist from his grip, making it fall to the ground.

Shinji flinched because of the new sensation of pain, but right now he had something more important to focus on, like hearing what fate awaited him from Shirou.

"To think that not only you beat and raped Sakura... you have even made Rider attack innocent people! People you even knew!" Shirou said as he created a sword in his right hand.

At hearing Shirou's words Shinji got scared, how did he knew that he had raped Sakura? But then Shinji thought halted when he saw Shirou creating a sword. He did not want to die! He had to think something quickly!

"E-Emiya, I'm sorry, y-y-you have to understand, m-my grandfather, Zouken, f-forced me to do everything. I-I would never do such-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH" Shinji got interrupted when Shirou stomped on his right leg, shredding his tibia and fibula.

"Do not try it! I know that you're lying, and once again you've shown me your true nature... now I know what you really are capable of, Shinji." Shirou said.

Thanks to the connection to both Saber and Caster he started to be able to see if someone was telling the truth or no.

As Shinji screamed in pain Shirou just watched him coldly, he had no kind of pity towards him anymore.

After he screamed for another 30 seconds Shinji calmed down, then after a bit, he had enough force to say: "P-Please, w-wait E-E-E-Emiya. Aren't we friends? This is not s-something fri-friend would do to e-each other, r-right?"

Shirou did not answer... he just kept watching him with his cold expression. After a moment he lifted the foot that was crushing Shinji's leg and sighed.

'Even after everything that he has done he still seeks mercy? Doesn't he realize the gravity of his actions?' Shirou asked surprised to himself both for the fact that he was begging to be spared and that he was still concius despite the pain of his bones being shredded, but after a moment an idea came to his mind and he directed his attention back to Shinji.

"You're right Shinji, friends should help each other in their time of need." He said as he saw an expression of both relief and confusion on Shinji's face. "But in this case, I cannot help you... I will save you!" Shirou then exclaimed in a determined tone.

'What? What does he mean?' Shinji asked himself scared.

"As your friend Shinji I have to make sure that you will not stain your hands with the blood of the innocents, nor that you will not become a twisted being just like your grandfather that has no value about the life of others..." Shirou said as his grip on his sword tightened.

Despite the pain Shinji right now was confused, and he had a puzzled look, he did not understand what Emiya meant.

"H-How will you s-save me?" He then asked.

"I'll save you from yourself Shinji." Shirou said in a tone now cold as ice.

After 5 good seconds an expression of terror formed on Shinji's face when he understood what Shirou meant, he started to scream, but Shirou immediately later raised his sword and swung it down, beheading Shinji instantly and cutting off his scream.

Shinji's head started to roll and his body fell forward.

As he watched the rolling head of the first person that he ever killed, Shirou felt nothing, other than disgust for the person that he was thought to be his best friend.

'There is no coming back now.' Shirou thought.

He closed his eyes and started to remember the first day he had met Shinji and the day they had become friends. He remembered as he defended with him other kids from the bullies, he remembered the days he had spent with him when they were still good friends, he remembered the days where Shiji was still innocent, he remembered the days where Shinji was still a good person...

"You were a good person Shinji... it's such a shame that you became like this." Shirou said at Shinji's corpse.

After a moment with his foot Shirou turned around Shinji's corpse, he crouched and opened Shinji's jacket as he tried to not step on his piss, and took out the book of false attestant. After he made sure that it was the real thing he stretched to his side his right arm that had the book in his hand.

A moment later a floating copy of Caster appeared out of thin air and took the book out of his hand, which a moment later disappeared from her hands.

"I'm so sorry Shirou..." Caster copy started to say.

Caster at that moment was mortified, she did not want to see Shirou's sweet heart harden, but in that situation, there was nothing she could do. She could just speak with him later... it was the only thing that she could do.

"Don't, he got what he deserved." Shirou said in a cold tone.

He clearly remembered the words that Caster told him the first day they had met. Not everyone deserves salvation and he could not save a person just by helping them. Shinji had gone too far away proving that he had no restraint about taking human lives and harming innocent people, and the only way to make sure that he would not become a killer was by killing him before he could become one.

After that Shirou turned and went toward the fainted Mitsuzuri, after he analyzed her he saw that nothing too bad had happened to her and she was not wounded, he let out a sigh of relief. Then he asked Caster's copy if she could have taken care of Mitsuzuri, she nodded and with a simple snap of her fingers 2 dragon warriors appeared and took the girl, she then told him that they would take her to her home... wait, how did she know where she lived?

In the meantime, the real Caster from her workshop had already modified the book so that Rider would go under her control... if she was still alive. Their connection now was faint and frail but she could feel that Rider's conditions were not good.

Both Shirou and Caster then stood there as they were now waiting for Saber to return, and maybe Rider too.

After a minute both Shirou and Caster felt the presence of 2 servants approaching, it seemed that Saber managed to control herself. Caster's copy became invisible and then left Shirou's side.

A moment later Saber jumped from a house not too far from Shirou, after a moment Rider too arrived behind her. Saber started to approach Shirou, when she was just a pair of meters from him she stopped walking.

Saber knew how Shirou felt, there was no need to ask what he had thought before he killed his old friend... but she could only feel a bit disturbed as she watched the scene in front of her. She had heard the screams from afar, but only now she could see what had happened.

Shirou's arm was covered in blood, she guessed that he crushed Shinji's arm... and that he had stepped on his leg too before he beheaded him, as she noted that one of his shoes was covered in blood too. But the thing that made her almost flinch was Shirou's face, who had a very little, very faint, and almost imperceptible grin as he watched the corpse at his feet... she was sure that Shirou himself and Caster did not note it.

"You did him a favor, he got away with it easily for the things he did." Saber then told him as she watched the beheaded and mutilated body of Shinji... who, she now noted, pissed himself before dying. Truly, a pathetic being until the very end.

"I know, but now we have other things to think about." Shirou said as he turned towards Rider.

Saber did the same and now both Shirou and her were watching Rider.

If Rider did not have her blindfold she would have seen two pairs of green and red luminescent eyes staring her down in a dark street, one clearly wanted to make her have the same end as Shinji, the other had just a neutral look.

"Saber," Shirou said as he turned to her. "now that you have subdued Rider your help here is no longer required, it's time that you return to our base and defend it. Also, keep an eye on her and tell her some information." Shirou then ordered Saber.

"As you wish, Shirou." Saber said as she gave him a deep nod, after a moment she turned around and walked toward Rider and then stopped when she was almost a meter from her.

Rider looked down on the little woman who was approaching her, she now was wondering what she wanted, but as she thought she felt a hand covered by a glove touching her shoulder... there was someone else with them!

Before she could even react she felt magic being used on her, after a moment she was in the void, and a moment later her feet touched the ground. Now she could not feel the cold air of the streets since she was now in a room, but now she felt a wicked presence watching her... but more importantly, a familiar presence was now at her feet.

'Sakura!' Rider then thought, there was no way that she could confuse that sensation or feeling that her poor little Master gave her.

She kneeled and saw that Sakura was peacefully sleeping, she smiled at the sight, Sakura really was still alive... but then the little moment of joy had been ruined as soon she noted that now standing in front of her there was Saber too, as she had her hand on the grip of her sword, which tip was now resting on the ground.

"I see that you are happy at seeing your Master once again." Saber said with a sympathetic tone. "Now, as you have heard my Master has ordered me to tell you about what is happening, so you better listen since I will tell you only once and I will not repeat myself, clear?" Saber then said in a now serious tone.

"Clear." Rider simply said.

"Good..."

Shirou stood still as he watched both Saber and Rider being teleported by Caster's copy after she undid her invisibility spell, he could say that for a moment he saw a startled Rider. After that, he turned around and started to walk.

After a moment Caster copy started to float towards Shirou, which had started to walk toward the Matou manor, but before she reached Shirou Caster's copy snapped her fingers and Shinji body took fire, in less than 10 seconds a blue fame consumed all of his body, leaving behind no trace... she certainly didn't want to left the body for the worms.

"So, do I still have a loose end to cut, or you have already taken care of him?" Shirou asked Caster's floating copy, who was now at his side.

"Do you really think that I would have killed him? This is your vengeance Shirou, not mine." Caster copy said with a little smile on her lips as she tried to be positive. Even if she did not want Shirou to take the same path as her in that situation there was nothing she could do, if Shirou didn't kill those responsible for Sakura's sufferings he would never forgive himself.

"Huh, you're right..." Shirou said as he scratched his head. "Where is he?" He then asked.

"He is now in the underground of the Matou manor, you should see his face... he is so scared and he has no idea of what is happening." Caster copy said calmly, even as she smiled more maliciously.

"So, now that we have some time, could you tell me what you did to him and on how you managed to do it?" Shirou then asked curiously.

"Sure. Now, do you remember what is a lich?" Caster asked.

Shirou nodded, in one of the magic lessons Caster gave him she told him of some of the most famous and powerful creatures that he could encounter. A lich was a magician who has achieved immortality through black magic by transforming himself into an undead. During this process the mage loses its soul, which must then be stored in a phylactery. Destroying the phylactery of a lich was the only way to kill this creature.

"Well," Caster started to say. "Zouken is a bit different from a normal Lich, he is more inclined toward familiars magecraft and his body now is literally formed by his worms..." She then continued.

"And I guess that you have found his worm phylactery and you were able to manipulate him..." Shirou said as he clenched his fist, he reached the conclusion of where Caster had found it: in Sakura's body.

"Good boy," Caster said in a satisfied tone, Shirou's knowledge about magic had really started to get wider. "but more than manipulate him I controlled him since I had his very soul in my hands." Caster then corrected Shirou.

"So, now I can just cut his head off and he will simply die, or we have to use some kind of exorcism or your special weapon to kill him for good?" Shirou then asked.

"Well, now I have stolen a part of his soul and the rest is almost destroyed. His soul right now it's keeping itself united just thanks to my magic, so once that you..." She stopped. "My weapon?" Caster then asked herself.

'Huh, right. Rule Breaker can destroy all kinds of magecrafts: bonds, connections, contracts... yea, it would make sure that it cut his connection with his familiars, making him unable of moving his soul to save himself.' Caster thought.

"Sure, you can use it. With that I can even say that I made a more direct contribution to kill the worm." Caster said with a wicked smile.

"I see that you are of good humor." Shirou then said, usually, Caster or her copy did not smile that much... in that particular way.

"It should be obvious why I am." Caster copy said as she started to float in circles around Shirou. "Not only you have managed to save Sakura, but you will also make this world a better place by killing the Matou family. Then we now have control of Rider and, listen to me well, we may have more pieces of information about the Holy Grail!"

"More information? Where did you find them?" Shirou asked surprised.

"I found them in the memories and library of the worm. It turns out that Zouken was one of the people responsible for the creation of the Holy Grail... over 200 years ago." Caster then said as she stepped to his side. Since she had Zouken's soul she could also use it to see his few and fragmented memories.

"Huh... oh well, it seems that I will avenge many people today." Shirou said in a cold tone as he remembered the fire, something that in the end Zouken was in part responsible for.

Caster's copy just observed him, now she watched Shirou's arm and foot both covered in blood. She then watched his face, she was used to his calm and happy face, but now he just looked cold... he looked wrong.

The real Caster sighed in her workshop and started to massage her left temple, she now had to admit that in the end she truly had influenced him too much, even for his own good. Shirou didn't say that he would be able to save more people by killing Zouken, he didn't say that he will kill Zouken so that he could make justice... he just wanted vengeance.

After that they remained in silence as they walked, and after a pair of minutes they had almost reached the Matou manor, but then Shirou noted some little figures moving in the distance. He reinforced his eyes and saw that they were a row of Caster's skeleton warriors and they were carrying different objects out of the home like scrolls, books, artifacts, etc. Shirou then turned around and watched Caster with a curious look.

"You see, since Zouken is an ancient magus he, in his 500 years of life, has collected many different and rare materials, also has made many discoveries about the manipulation of the soul and the Command Seals... It would be a waste to leave them there, right?" Caster copy then asked.

'Huh, it seems that I am surrounded by kleptomaniac women.' Shirou thought as he remembered Saber doing the same thing a week ago in the other master base. He remembered how she even had the courage of stealing a little cake from the fridge and then saying: "The spoils to the victors!"

"Oh well, I am going in, see you later." Shirou then said as he reached the gates of the manor and started to walk toward the home as he stepped on the insects that were all around it.

Fear.

That was something that Zouken Makiri had not felt for a very long time, and it was one of the worst he ever had... the fear of death.

Something had happened that morning and he still had no idea how or why.

He was resting in the pits when at one moment he felt something happen and decided to wake up and he starts to take form... but he stopped since there was something wrong... he could not control his body.

Before he could think of doing something he felt his soul being very slowly torn apart, and then reunited as nothing has ever happened. Yes, despite everything his soul now was fine, but Zouken, certainly was not.

The sensation and pain of his soul being ripped apart was unbearable, there were no words to describe the pain as his very soul was being destroyed.

He didn't need a body to feel that pain, even if now he was just a collective will formed by his worms now he and all of his familiars could feel his pain without any problem.

Zouken panicked and he started to think, what could have happened? Why he could not control his body? Why his soul was being-

He got interrupted when once again his soul has been ripped apart once again.

The process continued all day long, his soul was being twisted, broken, ripped, and crushed, and the only thing that Zouken could do was to suffer in complete silence...

That was what happened until 1 hour ago, for some reason the pain stopped, and then he was forced to recall all of his familiars into his home and underground.

Then 5 minutes ago he had required control of his body and he decided to take physical form. He was now starting to catch a breath, even if the torture that his soul had received was not physical it still destroyed him mentally and he needed to calm down.

As he caught breath he started to think and he reached a conclusion, he did not know how, but someone had managed to take control of his crest worm without him being alarmed... and now his life was in the hands of said individual.

He now had to make a plan to save his life, he now had control of his body but he could not yet control all of his panicked and scared familiars.

He started to concentrate and connect himself to all of his familiars, he could feel that right now in the house there was nor Rider nor Shinji, he reached the conclusion that they have noted his disappearance and they ran away fearing for an enemy attack.

As he concentrated he heard a strange sound that ruined his concentration.

*tik*

He stopped thinking and started to gave more attention to that sound since it was very near to him.

*tik*tik*tik*

He started to concentrate his senses... and he realized many things.

*tik*tik*tik*tik*tik*tik*tik*tik*tik*tik*tik*tik*

The thing that made that sound were his teeth as they chattered.

His legs were now shaking, his mind was shuddering, his heart was racing and all of his body had begun to tremble.

'What? What is happening? Why am I scared?' Zouken asked panicked to himself.

He felt something that there was wrong, he knew that soon something was going to happen, he did not know what or why... it was as if something was near him!

"For all the things you've done, you should have suspected that others would've sought vengeance on you... And you should've known they would've not rested, not until you were dead." A voice said as it descended the stairs.

Zouken turned around and he froze, no, the air froze, the entire room froze.

In that instant all the noises disappeared and the room started to fell into a strange darkness as Zouken could only see the thing that was now gazing at him.

The fear and dread that Zouken was feeling were indescribable, no one could be able to imagine the sheer terror that he was feeling as he watched the being that that soon would kill him.

This is what Zouken knew, death itself was in front of him, the same death that he ran away from for over 500 years had finally reached him.

He wanted to scream and run in terror, but he could not, he was paralyzed on the spot, and at that moment the thing started to walk toward him.

"How many people were condemned to die because of your mad and twisted plans? I cannot imagine the things that you still had planned, but it doesn't matter anymore... it all ends now." The thing said as it approached him.

Zouken could clearly see its luminescent red eyes as they burned with pure hatred and desire to kill, and after seconds that seemed like ages, the thing was now in front of Zouken, towering over him.

The thing placed a hand on his left shoulder and asked in a tone cold as ice: "How it feels to be the weak and scared one?" The grip then became so strong that it crushed his shoulder.

After that moment Zouken saw a colored and distorted blade forming in the hand of the being that in front of him, then one moment later the thing tugged Zouken at himself as he deeply implanted the blade into Zouken's stomach with enough strength that it reached and broke his spine.

Usually, Rule Breaker would not be able to do that much damages, but thanks to the reinforcement that Shirou was giving it, it was possible.

Zouken felt these new and intense sensation of pain as the strange blade severed both flesh, his spine, and his connection to all of his familiars, who now had started to shriek. Slowly he felt his body falling at pieces as he started to lose the connection with his familiars that formed his body. As Zouken fell on his knees the thing that gripped his broken shoulder and started to drag him.

"Now that your worms had lost their connection to their master they do not know what to do, they had started to panic and now they are searching the nearest source of food to ensure their survival." The thing said in a cold tone. "And it turns out that they are fond of cannibalism." He then continued once it had reached the worm pit and watched Zouken worms eating each other.

"It would have been a disaster if we had let them around the city, so this is the reason we had called all of them here... oh well, why should you care?" Shirou asked as he watched Zouken in the eyes, before throwing him into the pit.

Zouken fell on his familiars and in less than some seconds they jumped on him and had already started to devour his body, in that moment he could feel his flesh being slowly eaten piece by piece.

"Now that your soul has been divided and destroyed soo much it cannot be called a soul anymore. It keeps itself attached just because of Caster's magic, so now that you die it will dissolve and there will be nothing else after this, you will cease to exist, forever." Shirou said in a serious and yet satisfied tone.

"N-No, no, please, this can't be happening! This can't be happening! It c-cannot end like this! I WAS SO CLOSE! NOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo...!" Zouken then cried a monstrous sound before thousand of his worms started to drown it.

Shirou looked down at Zouken for the last time and then he said: "Caster." Before getting himself teleported out of the underground, as it started to get full of worms and other Zouken familiars.

A moment later Shirou was on a roof of a nearby house of the Matou manor, and at his side, there was the real Caster that watched over the manor.

"Zouken, the monster that for over 5 centuries leeched on the life of others, in the end, got devoured by his own abominations. And as he died he realized that he had almost reached his dream, but it was maddeningly just out of his reach... truly, I cannot help but find his end somehow poetic." Caster said as she watched the manor, from which a swarm of insects and other little monsters started to emerge.

"He just got what he deserved." Shirou said in a tired tone "Now, let's get over with it." He then continued, now he just wanted to go home as soon as possible.

"Sure." Caster said before a bounded field appeared around the home of the Matou, then an instant later it was engulfed with flame.

Shirou sat down as he watched the Matou manor burn, as he felt the air on his face becoming hot, as he smelled the smell of smoke and roasted flesh, as he heard the roar of the fire and the screams and shriek of the insects. He knew he wouldn't sleep that night, not because the view reminded him of the incident or for what he did, but because the thing that would have kept him awake would be the silence after the fire ended.

Or that it was what he thought until Caster got closer to him and started to gently pat him on the head, once again a warm and reassuring sensation wrapped his heart.

"You did a very fine job Shirou... many people have been saved and avenged today." Caster said with a gentle tone as she patted him. She knew how tired Shirou was, but he had to stay awake just for a little longer.

They stayed there for 5 minutes, they wanted to make sure that everything burned down and nothing survived the fire, and as they watched the last flame burn out they noted how the air became lighter and cleaner. In the end, everything that ever happened in that home was just another tragedy, and just like all the tragedies all the memories and the suffering of that event should be forgotten.

They teleported out of there immediately after.

"When I whet my flashing sword,

and my hand takes hold on judgment;

I will take vengeance on my adversaries,

and will repay those who hate me.

I will make my arrows drunk with blood,

and my sword shall devour flesh—

with the blood of the slain and the captives,

from the long-haired enemy..."

Kotomine Kirei said one of his favorite verses, as he watched from his hill the smoke coming from a certain house that was burning to the ground in the distance.

He smiled, he didn't know how, but he could feel that the abomination that with just by existing insulted Life itself, Zouken Matou, had died.

He always had the desire to kill the monster, but he never had the chance... oh well, now there was no need for getting his hands dirty.

Kirei turned around and started to walk back to his church, and then continued the verse.

"...Praise, O heavens, his people,

worship him, all you gods!

For he will avenge the blood of his children,

and take vengeance on his adversaries;

he will repay those who hate him,

and cleanse the land for his people."