18. Chapter 18

Death.

That was the only thing she saw.

Caster now had a very strong headache and her heart was in pain... she had watched some of the future memories that she had received, and she didn't know what to think.

She just saw what it will happen to Shirou... what he will become... what he will do...

After watching those memories Caster started to wonder how or why he became like that... was it her fault? She started to ask herself why Shirou was so desperate, why all his friends always abandoned him, why all his allies always betrayed him... and why she was nowhere to be found in the future.

As much she carefully observed those memories coming from the future she could not see or even heard not even a mention of her name. Could it be that she had died during the war? ...Could it be that after the war she and Shirou stopped talking to each other?

The first option for her was plausible, but the second was outright impossible. Shirou was a pleasant person, the same person she deeply cared for, she was sure that at least once in a while she would personally go to check on him or visit him, so what happened between them? Did she really die at one point?

Even if Shirou's future version barely remembered who he was he still had some vague memories about his past and the people that he met... but there was no trace of her.

"A Counter Guardian... he became a Counter Guardian..." Caster then muttered as she massaged her left temple. Her poor Shirou had no idea of what he was about to do or become when he said that he was satisfied, when he thought that he could help more people after his death... when he smiled before being hanged.

'Betrayed and abandoned...' Caster then thought. In the end, she and Shirou were even more similar than she first thought, but the difference was that Shirou unlike her never did anything to deserve all the things that had happened to him.

'...Ungrateful bastards.' She then thought as she gritted her teeth.

In those memories she had seen how Shirou had saved the life of a lot of people, he had helped even more... and yet, not even one of those ungrateful people he had helped was there to help him... the only people that were present should have been his allies that in the end betrayed and got him killed.

...She didn't know what to do or how to react, she was simply perplexed and confused... she closed once again her eyes as watched those memories...

She was now on a hill full of swords, where at her feet there was a dying man that watched the horizon, tired of his countless battles.

Even if he was silent it was clear what he was feeling or thinking.

The man had always tried his best, he had fought for humanity's sake, he had killed for them, he had bled for them, he had died for them... and now he was condemned to kill the same people that he wanted to protect and save.

It was clear what the man wanted right now, it was an answer.

He now wanted to know one thing only, what had he done to deserve that fate? Where did he things wrong? Until now he just tried to help everyone, he just tried to save everyone. Until now he just followed his dream where he wanted to save everyone... the same dream that brought him here in the first place.

At that moment, the man had a revelation.

The man realized that after being constantly betrayed and abandoned by everyone and everything, his very ideal had betrayed him too, and condemned him to eternal suffering, to his personal hell.

The man gritted his teeth as he kept looking at the horizon, before he started cursing his existence. After suffering betray after betrayal, defeat after defeat, death after death, both his body and his mind had reached their limit, and right into that moment, he decided that it was time to partake in his final crusade... his final battle.

From then on Caster saw the man desperately searching for different ways to put an end to his miserable life, if it could be called like that, but as more time passed he got more and more desperate... he was in an extreme situation, so he needed an even more extreme solution.

In the end, after hundreds of years, she saw him finding his only chance to find death: The Holy Grail War.

The Grail summoned Heroic Spirits from all ages, past, present, and future. If he managed to take part in the one he had participated in when he was younger he maybe would be able to kill his younger self and erase his existence by committing a time paradox. Maybe he wouldn't be able to do it, maybe it wouldn't even work at all... but what else could a man like him lose at that point?

Emiya Shirou would never become a Counter Guardian if he never existed in the first place, this way, no one would suffer or die for his mistakes... this was the only path he could take.

Caster opened her eyes and was silent.

...She would have never thought that the kind boy that saved her... the kind boy that wanted to save the innocents... the boy who always smiled at her... would become someone worse than her.

All the cruel and merciless things that she had done in her life paled in confront to those the boy had to do as a Counter Guardian, for each sin that she had committed the boy had committed a thousand more, for each life she head took, he took millions upon millions...

She now was not surprised why Shirou acted the way he did, this was a personal matter for him... but the things that now concerned Caster were two: She could feel that for some reason Archer was still alive... and why was she feeling that Shirou was conflicted with himself?

Caster slowly got up and put on her hood, she wanted to confront Shirou, but since Archer was still alive she could go and find him... that, if he would not die at any moment.

An instant later Caster vanished from the room and was now in Fuyuki skies, looking down the city. After a minute or so she sensed the presence of a dying servant near the Tohsaka manor... She concluded that Archer was there.

She flew down and she arrived in front of the house, but at first, she saw no one there... that until she turned to her right, and after she did she flinched and took a step back.

...There he was, in front of her now stood a walking corpse, the adult version of Shirou... his hairs were now white, his skin now darkened, his eyes now both colorless and lifeless...

Now in front of her, there was the boy she was greatly fond of, that now was a man... how now was bloodied, with deep and large gashes all over his body, with his legs badly burned, with fragments of steel stuck in his body, with his back impaled by the swords she and Shirou made together, and with a pure white blade thrust deep into his stomach.

...The man was now standing there as if those things didn't hurt, as if he died in more gruesome ways countless times.

As she was standing in front of him Caster's heart ached, she could clearly see that there was no trace left of the sweet boy she knew... what was standing in front of her was not Shirou, but a mere hollow shell. The boy she knew died a long time ago on his hill, as he cursed his existence, his hopes, and his dreams.

"Shi-... Archer." Caster said after a moment with great difficulty. She had to remind herself that Archer was not Shirou, but his future self.

"..." The dead man remained silent as he just kept looking down on her, carefully, and intensely, as an idea came to his mind.

"...Do you know who I am?" Caster then asked. She was there to ask some questions to the dying spirit... she had to know why he became like that, why he took that path, what happened to him.

"...Of course I do." Archer said after a long silence with a weak shrug.

"That is... a relief." Caster said with a little smile as she felt a bit happy... even after hundreds of years, he had not forgotten her in the end.

"How could I ever forget a damn witch like you?" The man then asked with a snarl.

"...A what?" Caster asked after a long moment.

"Do you think that you can deceive me this time too, Caster? I'll kill you again if you force me." Archer said with a cold stare, as he recalled one of the many wars he took part in where he had been betrayed by Caster and he had killed her.

"...What?" Caster said confused as she watched the man... she sensed that the words that he spoke were true... he had killed her.

"Why are you so surprised? You should have expected that sooner or later I would have discovered your true nature and intentions, Medea." The man then said her name bitterly.

"..."

'...Just ...what are you talking about?' Caster thought confused.

"Why did I trusted you?" The man then asked himself. "How I could have I been so stupid to trust and believe someone who was able to kill her brother and cut the throat of her own children? I should have killed that damn day, I should have strangled you right in that puddle of mud where I found you... if I did, nothing would have ever happened." The man said with a disgusted look before sighing, as if he was displeased.

"..." Caster remained speechless at the man's words.

'No... Shirou... Why are you reminding me of my sins? Why you are now judging me? W-Why do you regret saving me? ...Y-You said the day we met was one of the most important of your life... Shirou, why are you-?'

"What? Did you lose your tongue or you are already thinking of a way to get rid of both me and my younger self?" The man suddenly asked.

"N-N-No, I would never-"

"You don't have to worry, Caster, soon he too will see what you really are, and I swear to you that he will kill you as soon he can."

"..." Caster stopped thinking for a moment. The way and the words that the man spoke to her hurt her in a way nothing ever did before... why the only person she had ever truly trusted and adored in her life was now hating her?

"Have fun while you can witch, your time is counted." Archer then said with a cruel smirk before he turned around and started to walk away from her.

"...N-No! Wait!" Caster almost screamed as she snapped out of her trance.

Archer stopped and turned his head around a bit.

"I-I do not know what I did to you, but I know that you never wanted or asked anything like this to happen... I...I just want to understand what I did to you..." Caster said with a trembling voice.

Why? Why the future version of Shirou was insulting and mocking her like that? Did he call her witch again, why? She knew that she had changed him, but was it her fault that he had become like this? Then what had she done to him? What kinds of horrors had she committed to the point where in the future Shirou had killed her and now saw her as a witch? She had to know!

"...huh." Archer said before he started to chuckle amused, a moment later he resumed a serious and cold expression before he said: "I hope you'll die screaming, traitor." Before he returned to walk away from her and started to fade... his time has come.

As he walked away and started to fade Archer was smiling, he really had nothing to regret this time. This version of his younger self would not end up like him and he knew about the Grail corruption, Rin was alive, even if unconscious, and in his last moment he had the chance to make fun of Caster. Seeing her emotionally wounded had been fun, in the majority of the wars she always had been a thorn to his side so this was just a little vengeance, for that, and for how she had changed his younger self. Simple words did not have the power to harm a person, that only if the one who speaks them was not someone you deeply care about.

Caster then kept watching Archer until he faded completely, as the swords that impaled the man fell to the ground and started to fade too... some seconds later in front of her, there was no trace of the man... as if he never existed.

In his last moment of life, the future version of Shirou had called her traitor, and now he returned to his hill of swords where only blood and silence were waiting for him for the rest of his eternity.

His battles would never end, he was now cursed to keep fighting them, even if all he wanted was everything to end. Nothing could save him now or ever, his personal hell had just begun... and he will suffer forever... alone.

At that moment something deep down Caster snapped, she remained silent as she watched the spot where the future version of Shirou died.

She didn't know how, she didn't know why, but she too in the end had betrayed Shirou... for what reason?! For what foolish reason she betrayed him? For what reason had she abandoned her little hero? He had saved her and shown her kindness, and what had she done to him?

Could it be that she was really responsible for what happened to him in the end? Could it be that her influence and betrayal sent him on the road of his eternal damnation?! Could it be that he was happy about dying because he was tired of being betrayed by those he trusted?!

Caster closed her eyes and stood still for some minutes in the middle of the road as she started to recall all the fragmented memories that she had received and could see, she needed an answer.

She saw Shirou acting as Counter Guardian, she saw him killing millions upon millions of innocents, she saw him as he covered his hands with more and more innocent blood, as she felt the divide between him and his humanity got wider.

She saw him fighting all of humanity's enemies and winning against impossible odds, he never stopped, even as he forgot who he was and what he had sacrificed to reach that point... But at that point, it did not matter for him anymore, because this was his destiny, his only path.

Caster opened her eyes, and only at that moment she realized that not only she did not have her answer, there something was missing in the man... His hatred.

After seeing his memories she realized that Shirou's future version never really hated anyone, nor those who killed him, nor those who betrayed him and sent him to his eternal damnation... even in the final and bitter words that he had spoken to her there was not even a trace of real hatred... the man was just making fun of her in his rather twisted way.

...The only person who he truly ever hated to the point where he got out of his way to kill him, was non-other than himself.

'After everything he did... after everything he went through... he died alone... and he blamed himself for everything... he didn't deserve it...' Caster thought bitterly as she gritted her teeth.

But right now there was something else that tormented Caster even more.

Did Shirou know that she had betrayed him in the future? And if he did... what he was doing right now?

Illya was now behind Berserker as she waited for their next foe who was coming towards them with no fear, or any kind of hesitation.

As she waited for their arrival she felt the soul of the Archer Servant entering in her magic core... the nameless hero who killed and defeated 6 times Berserker had been killed.

She knew that the man was on his last stand, but only 5-10 minutes had passed since she last saw him, who killed him in this short period of time?

As she thought she finally saw the enemy Servant. A beautiful female knight appeared on the other side of the road, she could say that as much as she was beautiful she was powerful, almost frighteningly. So, this was their next enemy... where was its Master?

Illya looked around and saw no one, could it be that the enemy Master had just sent his Servant? Maybe he saw the fight with Archer and he thought that his Servant was more than capable of finishing her Berserker? Was he just too confident or he was had good reason to trust his Servant?

Illya watched the female knight and she could easily say that by sheer power alone she was on par with Berserker... maybe even stronger.

"Heracles! I'm here to challenge you to a duel!" The woman said aloud as she pointed her golden sword to her servant. "Since I know your identity and I have the permission to reveal mine, for me it seems more than fair to reveal it! I am Artoria Pendragon, King of England, and I swear that I'll gift you, here and now, an honorable death!" The woman said aloud as she grasped her sword with both hands.

Berserker could not understand even a word of what Saber was saying, but he could perfectly understand what she wanted. Berserker roared as his skin started to glow red, and an instant later he sprinted toward Saber, ready to fight.

Illya remained frozen in place after hearing the identity of the enemy Servant... it was her? The same Saber, the same Servant that her father had summoned in the Fourth Holy Grail War? What was she doing here? Who had summoned her?

As she thought for an answer Illya watched Berserker and Saber fighting. Berserker moved and acted like the mad beast that he was, swinging with as much force and speed possible his giant sword-axe as if weighed nothing. In the meantime Saber moved with precision and elegance, it almost seemed like she was dancing... yes, she was dancing a deadly dance as her blade stabbed and cut through Berserke's flesh multiple times with no problems.

As Berserker tried to hit her Saber effortlessly dodged, blocked, and parried all of his devastating blows. She had all the power and energies that she wanted, and she even had Avalon that boosted her abilities and made her almost immortal, there was no way that she would lose.

Even if Berserker's instinct remained intact despite the Mad enchantment there was nothing else he could do in this battle, Saber predicted and parried all of his blow with no effort since now was in her best form, she was not an enemy Heracles could defeat as a Berserker. The mad man lacked all the fine techniques that he had developed in life, the same techniques that permitted him to achieve his legend. Even if he had great speed and strength, he now was just a shadow of his former self.

Illya kept watching amazed the two Servants that were engaged in that deadly fight, as the strong wind blew in her face, as she heard the boom of their weapons when they collided with incredible speed and strength. She watched them with so much attention that she had not noted the taller figure that was now behind her, who looked down to her with pitying eyes.

At that moment Illya saw Berserker quickly turning towards her, after another moment she noted that he was not watching her, but something behind her.

Illya turned around and saw just in time a distorted and colored blade, that a moment later lightly pierced her chest and somehow cut her connection with Berserker. She looked at the blade and she could tell that it was of magical nature... she then looked up, both confused and scared to see who was now standing in front of her, but after she did she saw a familiar person that gave her a warm smile before her world turned black.

Shirou took Illya before she fell to the ground, she was just a child, so pressing her neck a little made her quickly fell unconscious. He didn't know how she would have reacted or what she would have done, so he opted of taking her out as soon as possible... but he did it for her own good... right?

As he took Illya into his arms he turned and watched Berserker who was now on the ground. As he was taking care of Illya Berserker tried to reach his Master as soon he sensed that she was in danger, but it was all in vain. As Berserker ignored his adversary for his Master Saber cut his Achille's tendons with a swing after he turned his back to her and it made him fall, and then when a moment later his connection with Illya broke the beast went even madder. Probably the girl had used some command seals to prevent him from going totally... berserker.

Shirou then saw Berserker getting up and turning around towards Saber, he was now completely mad and he had completely forgotten about his Master, he now just wanted to kill the nearest thing near him. The mad beast roared as he raised his sword-axe over his head so that he could try and hit Saber with it.

"You have been a worthy foe Heracles, it has been an honor to fight a great Hero like you... even if you were in these pitiful conditions." Saber said before her sword started to glow as Berserker got closer. "EXCALIBUR!" She then screamed before she in an instant dashed and thrust her sword deep into Hercales's chest, an instant later an energy bean created a massive hole into his chest, stopping Berserker from doing anything.

Berserker fell to the ground on his knees, now both Saber and Shirou were watching the hole that Saber had created... and they noted that it was not healing or turning back to his previous state. Saber had done it, with a single blow she had taken all 6 Berserker's lives and put an end to Heracle's painful existence.

Shirou walked next to Saber and said: "Excellent work." Before he turned to watch Berserker... that to his great surprise was watching toward him... no, he was watching Illya in his arms. It seemed that the final blow that Saber gave him not only took all 6 of his lives but his madness too, he was now watching his Master.

"Do not worry, she'll be safe from now on." Shirou told him.

Heracles said nothing to him, but he simply smiled to Illya before he faded away.

"And so this blasphemous war has finally ended." Saber said with a smile as she watched the starry sky above her. She had done it, the war was now over, now the only remaining thing to do was to destroy the corrupted Grail.

"It seems so, but I say that we better be careful and stay on guard for the next future." Shirou suddenly said with a serious tone as he watched the unconscious child in his arms.

"...Why you say that?" Saber asked as she turned to him. Shirou was being serious.

"Someone had been kind enough to give me a warning." Shirou said as he watched her, he then turned around and started to walk back home.

"...I see." Saber said before sighing and started to following Shirou. "And I was hoping that today everything would have ended..."

*30 minutes later*

After a while Shirou and Saber had finally returned home, it was now late and Shirou was tired, he now wanted to rest a bit, but he had to first take care of Illya, he had to apologize to Caster for his actions and he had to return to the Tohsaka Manor... also, he had to see if Caster had discovered something about Archer.

As they entered their home Shirou and Saber noted that it was quiet... incredibly so. They could feel only one presence in their home, and thay could tell that it was Sakura.

"...Strange, where are Rider and Caster?" Saber asked as she carefully looked around herself.

"I don't know." Shirou simply said.

"...Try to contact Caster if you can, maybe she had taken Rider with her to do something..." Saber said as she sharpened her senses. Could it be that Caster had seen their earlier action as some kind of betrayal?

"Oh, you're right." Shirou said as he entered the living room and gently posed Illya on the ground before he put a pillow under her head.

Shirou started to focus on his mental connection with Caster and thought: (Caster, can you hear me?)

(...)

(Caster, can you hear me?)

(...Yes, I can hear you Shirou.)

(Saber and I had returned home, Archer and Berserker are dead.)

(...I know, I will return soon... I'm doing some research at the Tohsaka manor.)

(...Listen, Caster, I'm sorry about before, I-)

(Yes... we have many things to talk about... but we should think about the most important things first.)

(You're right, see you soon then.)

(...See you soon.)

"Caster will return soon." Shirou simply said to Saber before he went to prepare a room for the little girl.

Saber said nothing and just got closer to Illya and started to observe her carefully... as she watched her Saber noted how the little child was really similar to Iri... too similar.

After having spoken with Shirou Caster stood still and in complete silence for a pair of minutes, as she thought about what she could do next.

She had observed Shirou and Saber through some of her familiars, and she saw that they were not plotting anything against her... but she was not too sure about that. If Shirou had discovered that she had betrayed him in the future and wanted to kill her, what could she do right now?

As soon the idea of Shirou wanting to kill her appeared in her head she by reflex had called Rider to her, ready to defend herself and to fight... but she quickly realized that she and Rider would have no chances against Shirou and Saber if they wanted to kill them.

If she wanted to she could try to control and stop Shirou from doing anything, that if he was not to use Rule Breaker on himself at any moment and cut their connection... but she didn't want to do it! She didn't want to do something to Shirou, or let alone fight him, for mistakes that she had made!

"Master, what are my orders?" Rider then asked at one point to Caster, while watching her.

For some reason, Caster had ordered her to come here. At first, as Rider arrived here she thought that Shirou was with her as she smelled the odor of steel, but after she arrived she noticed that Shirou was nowhere to be found and the only thing present there was a mountain smell of blood and metal... what had happened here? Why on the ground there were puddles of blood that smelled like Shirou's? And why Caster was behaving like that?

"...I-I don't know... I have no idea..." Caster said as she gritted her teeth.

"...Caster?" Rider asked as she felt her Master being confused and scared.

"If I knew that we would have reached this point... that I would have turned him like that... that I would betray him... I would have preferred to have died that night." Caster said as she watched her hands.

"..." Rider kept watching confused Caster in complete silence for another pair of minutes.

"...Just why did I do it?" Caster then asked to herself.

'...Could it be that something happened and the boy has been badly injured or got killed?' Rider then asked herself. The intense smell of blood and metal present in the air and on the ground was incredibly similar to the one Shirou had... maybe it was even the same... how strange... why did she have so many difficulties at distinguishing them?

"...Rider, I'm not going to involve you... so j-just go into this home and tell me if there's anything that may belong to Shirou or has a scent or smell similar to his." Caster said as she pointed to the Tohsaka manor.

"...As you wish." Rider said before she went in the house and started to do what her Master had ordered her.

Caster just sighed before she dematerialized. She had no idea of what to think or do, but she knew very well that she could not run forever from the truth... and from her responsibility.

It was time for her to confront Shirou, and to see if he had discovered something about her future betrayal... she had to be ready to face the consequences of her future actions.

As Rider explored the house she was a bit perplexed. Just what kind of order did her Master give her? And why she was like that?

As she thought about the strange task another thing started to get on Rider's mind, and that was the odor she was smelled out the house, it was similar to Shirou's, but she felt that it was somehow... more mature? Older?

She kept examining every corner of the house in search of clues, she even examined the girl who was unconscious in the bedroom, she had both Shirou's scent and the one that seemed older... how strange. After some minutes she entered into a room and her sensed had been invaded by an intense smell of metal, one so intense that it was revolting. She took a look around and there was nothing special other than a summoning circle on the ground.

Rider remembered Shirou's strange behavior from last night, and realized that this had probably something to do with it... she needed just another clue to figure out what was happening.

Shirou had just prepared a room for Illya and he was now taking her there, but as he took the little girl from the living-room he had noted that Saber was watching Illya with a certain melancholy. Since he was bonded to her he could feel the intensity of her emotions, and he could tell that Saber just had for some reason the intense desire to protect the child, as if to find redemption for a mistake she had once committed.

After he took her into the room he realized that he did not have any pajamas for kids, so he just took off her jacket and shoes before he put her into a futon to rest.

He got out of the room and after he did he flinched, a hodded Caster was now in front of him... when did she return?

Seeing her like that had never made him nervous, but right now he could not see her eyes since they were concealed under the hood, and he could not even understand what she was feeling or thinking... more specifically, he could not understand how angry she was with him.

"Hi, Caster." Shirou said after a moment.

"...Hi... Shirou." Caster said after a long moment, as if she was hesitant.

After they had greeted each other there was a long silence.

"...Caster... is there something you want to tell me?" Shirou asked as he noted that Caster looking down, he right now was hoping with all of himself that she knew nothing of Archer.

"..." Caster remained silent and she kept looking the ground with shame, she didn't have the courage of looking at Shirou.

She now had no idea of what was about to happen to her... but she didn't care, she had clearly made her choices, and she had to pay for them.

At that moment, as she waited for something to happen to her, she realized that she ended up ruining the only good person that she had met in her life. Shirou had been kind enough to save her, and he even welcomed her in his home despite knowing who she was, and since then he had always been so gentle and sweet with her... so why she had betrayed him? Why she too had been so ungrateful? Why she had to ruin everything?

He gave her a second chance... a chance that she never deserved... and how did she thank him?

Right now the only thing she was hoping for was a quick and painless death... something that she clearly didn't deserved for having betrayed him.

"Look Caster, I'm sorry for what I did earlier," Shirou said as he bowed his head. "I swear that tomorrow I'll explain everything, but for now we have other things to do." Shirou continued as he looked down. At the moment he had no idea of how to explain his action to Caster, and the fact that he could not lie to her was another problem itself, he had to think of a way to hide the truth about Archer's identity.

"..." Caster remained silent, but she raised her look and watched the bowed Shirou with a surprised expression.

'...Why are you apologizing? ...Just what are you talking about?' Caster thought surprised for a moment, before she immediately reached the conclusion. '...Wait, you're apologizing for having suddenly run away to fight Archer? ...You're telling me that you don't know about my betrayal?!' She thought as her heart made a little leap of joy.

In that single instant she started to quickly think.

She and Shirou were connected mentally, and she was pretty sure that she had seen the same things that Shirou had, so this probably meant that Shirou had no information or memories of Archer being betrayed by her.

...But why there were no traces of her in his memories? Archer did recognized her when he saw her, so this meant that he still had some memories of her... well, for now she could only guess that said memories have re-emerged only after he had seen her, and if this was true it meant that Shirou knew nothing of what had happened between them. She could hide the fact that for some reason she had betrayed him in the future! She could make sure to not make that same mistake!

"...I see." She simply said with a neutral tone, as she carefully observed how Shirou was behaving.

"...In the room behind me there is Illya, I know that we had yet to clarify what happened earlier, but-" He started to say after some long moments.

"Understood." Caster interrupted him before she passed Shirou and entered the room. "Now I'll take care of the girl, see you later then." She continued before she closed the door.

"...Thank you, Caster." Shirou said as he lowered his head in shame. From the way she was acting he now was more than sure that Caster was very angry with him... well, since she had not confronted him about Archer this meant that she knew nothing about him, good.

After Caster entered the room she silently let out a great sigh in relief as she smiled. She had been with him for over a month and she knew Shirou very well, by watching him could easily tell that he was not hostile or was hiding his intention, in fact, he seemed pretty ashamed for what he did earlier... after that little moment of relief, she started to think.

She was pretty sure that Shirou knew nothing of her betrayal since in the memories of Archer there was not even a trace of her, and right now he didn't demostrated to be hostile... but could it be that he knew about it but he still wanted to talk with her about it? He was the kind of person who could do such things... but if he didn't want to kill her now, then why was he feeling conflicted?

She sighed again and shook her head, she really had no idea of what to do in that situation... oh well, for now, it was time for her to work.

After a moment she raised her head just to see the little girl in the futon, and with a wave of her hand, the girl immediately woke up and opened her eyes, who were now dull and empty. Caster observed her and she could tell that she was a very well-made Homunculus, a bit too well, but despite her appearance, she could tell the homunculus was much older than she first appeared.

After some moments Caster started to interrogate the girl and ask some vague questions, like who she was, and why she had come here. She was more than surprised when at one point the little girl said: "-and I'm here to take revenge on Shirou Emiya, the boy that stolen my father away from me."

"...Your father? Emiya Kiritsugu was your father?" Caster asked incredibly surprised.

"Yes, he was my father. After he took part in the Fourth Holy Grail War and betrayed the Einzebern by destroying the Grail he never returned to me, I have been told that he had abandoned me for another child." Illya said.

"..." Caster was in complete silence as she started to curse Shirou's father in her mind. Now the man's real daughter who he had left alone had come here to take revenge on Shirou... who did nothing wrong to her.

...Not only his future self wanted to see him dead, but even his only living relative that he didn't know he had wanted to kill him... what had Shirou done until this point to have all these people with the desire to kill him? He always had been so kind, he just wanted to help others and do good... and now he found himself in a ruthless war where he was forced to spill blood and everyone wanted him dead... it almost seemed like the world and fate itself wanted to see him fail and die.

Caster sighed and then something else came to her mind, did Saber knew about Illya? Did she ever know that Kiritsugu had a daughter? Caster did remember that at first when seeing the little girl Saber was surprised and a bit confused, but then she calmed down as if she had realized something.

Caster turned back to the girl and asked: "Have you ever met the Saber-class Servant before the fourth Holy Grail War?"

"Maybe, but I do not have memories of such event." The girl simply said.

"...Who was your father Servant?"

"Arthur Pendragon as the servant Saber."

After a moment of silence Caster opened the door and got out of the room, she went into the living room where she found only Saber. She sensed that Shirou was now checking on Sakura, good.

"Saber, you know who the girl is, right?" Caster asked immediately to Saber as soon she entered.

"...I just had a little suspect, but since you are asking me this question I have to assume that she is really who I think she is." Saber said before she turned to look at Caster.

"Indeed, she's Kiritsugu's daughter, Shirou's sister."

"...What should we now do? Should we tell him?" Saber asked. Even if Shirou was getting used to all these sudden things she was not sure that he was ready to discover that he had a sister... especially at this moment, where he was so conflicted with himself for some reason.

"We can tell him in the future, for now, there are more important matters that we all have to care about." Caster told her as she got out of the room and went back to Illya.

As Saber watched Caster leaving the room she took a deep breath. Iri's daughter was there, and just like her mother... she was condemned to die and become the Grail.

'I will not allow it! Not this time!' Saber then thought determined.

She now knew that the Grail was corrupted, there was no need or reason for the little girl to die and become part of the Grail. At that moment Saber swore to herself that she would protect the girl at the cost of her life, this time she would not fail!

Shirou in the meantime had just checked Sakura and she was now sleeping, she had not noted Rider's sudden disappearance.

He right now was walking back to Illya's room, even if he had yet to fully apologize to Caster and she was very angry with him he had to talk with her about his next plans, he was sure that for tomorrow he will be able to clarify things with her.

After walking down the corridor he was now in front of the room and after hesitating a bit he knocked, a moment later the door opened itself and he could see Caster doing something to the sleeping little girl... should he stop her? Or should he let her do her hypnosis?

"Caster, I'm sorry to bother you while you're working, but tomorrow morning I'll need once again your help."

"...What is it?"

"We have yet to take care of Tohsaka, she is now out of the war but I still want to interrogate her." Shirou said.

"...Understood, see you tomorrow Shirou."

"Thank you, Caster." Shirou told her with a grateful nod.

After Shirou got out of the room and closed the door Caster sighed, even if not even an hour ago he had killed his future self Shirou was now behaving as if nothing happened... even if he was very conflicted with himself.

She was sure that he right now was thinking of a way to explain his actions to her as he kept hidden the truth. Even if he was not the type to lie he would say half-truths or turns of words around so that no one would ask him anything after the whole thing was over.

She could say that from an hour ago Shirou had become more intense... and yet... confused?

Even if just over a month had passed from their first meeting Shirou had changed a lot, he had grown up, he had matured to the point where she could not consider him a kind boy anymore... but a ruthless man... and it was all of her faults.

Shirou was now walking back at the Tohsaka manor, and from time to time, he raised his look and watched the moon up into the sky.

'I've done it, old man... I stopped the Grail War... with no doubt, I have saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives... am I a Hero now?' He thought as he walked.

Shirou was now thinking at the words that Archer had told him... he was now thinking of all the actions he had committed, all the decisions he had taken, all the events of this War.

...What happened during the War was not his fault, right? Even if he was prepared to act, everything, since the very beginning, had been out of his control. He could have not done things differently... he never really had a choice. He had to stop the War, no matter what! If he had done nothing that hell would have happened again for sure! Hundreds of people would have died just like in the last one!

Then if the mages would have not been so merciless and ruthless he would have never lowered himself to their levels, and be prepared to do anything to stop them. He had to do it! What he should have done? Forgive them and let free them after all the things they had committed or were willing to commit?!

He had seen in his dream the memories of Caster, where she had seen the laboratory of Atrum and where he kept prisoners those children! He then had even seen how the man killed them just for his sick experiments! And he saw how Caster gave the man what he deserved!

Then that envoy of the Clock Tower arrived and he had decided to make his base in a building full of civilians, in an inhabited center, just to use them as some kind of shield! So why he should have shown him any kind of mercy in the first place if he willingly put all of those people in danger?!

If Shinji had not committed all of those crimes and horrible actions he would have never killed him! And Zouken was already a real monster, so he had to die regardless!

Then if Lancer and his Master never attacked him just because they suspected him to be a participant of the War he would have never killed them! But what he should have done with them?! Try to talk things out as they tried to kill him?

All of them came here just take part to the war ready to fight and to kill, fully knowing that they themself may get killed or worse!

If all of those people had never come here or stopped themself nothing of this would have ever happened! All of them would still be alive! He would have never killed them all! He would have never stained his hands with their blood!

...

...But then for what reason, He, had attacked Tohsaka Rin and Illya?

...

...Right, he knew that if he attacked Tohsaka, who was also a participant of the war, that would have recalled Archer to him... and he had attacked Illya... to save her.

...

...But from who or what did he exactly saved Illya? The war was over, there were no other participants that could threaten or attack her... he may have tried to talk with her, since he didn't have the need to worry about Berserker since Saber was with him... but he did not.

Well, right now Illya was safe with him, and if he was sure that Caster hypnotized the little girl just like she did with Sakura, in a pair of weeks she will return to normal, so he will able to make up with his mistakes and ask her forgiveness...

...But what should he do with Tohsaka now? He had hit her pretty hard, so he doubted that the girl would recover her senses any time soon, for now, he could start to think of all the questions he could ask her...

'But are you sure if the blood on your hands is innocent or not?' 'I thought that I should have protected my Master from that monster of Berserker... but I was wrong, I should have protected her from something else.'

Shirou suddenly recalled some of the words that Archer had told him that same night, as he watched toward his Master direction... Was the man telling him that Tohsaka was innocent?

How? The girl was a magus, a participant of the war who fought for nothing, and she had ignored Sakura all this time long. How could she be innocent in any way possible?!

If she really cared for her sister Tohsaka would never ignore her! She would have tried to save her from that hell! It's not that she didn't know what had happened to... her... right?

...

'No, it can't be.' Shirou thought as a little and obvious revelation came to him. '...Could it be that she... that she knew nothing about it, just like me?'

Could it have been that Tohsaka just like him was unaware of everything? Could it be that she too thought that Sakura lived in a normal house, with a normal family, and that nothing bad ever happened to her?

Was it for this reason that Archer said he was blind? Was this the reason he said that he had become narrow-minded? Did his prejudice stop him from reaching such an easy and almost oblivious answer?

He stopped walking and raised his head to watch the moon.

"...Are we a bad person?" He though aloud.

...

...

...

First, there was Kiritsugu, he wanted to be a hero of justice that saved people, but the only thing that he ever did in life was to kill and sacrifice others.

Then there was Archer, he was a man who had lived his life with no regrets, but now he had become a man who had nothing but regrets.

And then there was him, he wanted to save and protect the innocents from the horrors of the war, but he may have attacked and almost killed one because of his stupidity.

'Are we all really destined to end up as something to regret and to despite?' Shirou thought before he sighed.

...Was he really destined to fail? ...Was he really destined to end up making only mistakes? ...Would those he loved to suffer for the mistakes he could make?

Oh well, he now had a whole night to think about some plans on how to prevent it... and to see some of the memories of Archer that he now had...

It was now morning and Tohsaka Rin woke up confused in her bedroom... what had happened last night? Why did her head hurt so much?

As she started to get up from the bed she started to make a local mind. The last thing she remembered was that she and Archer had met an enemy Master and her Servant, then she remembered that Archer told her to run away before he fought Berserker, and she did so, but as she was running back to her home she turned a corner and she strongly bumped against someone.

She remembered that because of the powerful hit she was about to fall to the ground, but before she could the person that she had slammed against grabbed her arm and stopped her from falling. Before she could even realize what had just happened or who she had bumped against, she raised her head just to see a fist coming toward her face.

As she thought about it Rin started to massage the bump she had on her forehead and she started to get out of the bed, but as she did at that moment she felt that something... was missing.

Tohsaka Rin stopped massaging the bump, she lowered her arm and looked at the back of her left hand where the command seals should have been... but now they were missing. She then closed her eyes and started to concentrate, but she could feel that her connection with Archer was now not existing.

At that moment Rin had realized, that Archer, had died.

She didn't know if she had to be incredibly sad or furious, she had lost her Servant not even a day after his summoning... but the man had sacrificed his life to protect her. After all, he was an Archer, and fighting the enemies from afar was his specialty. He probably knew that fighting that powerful berserker was a death sentence, and yet instead of running away, he had decided to fight and die for her...

In the end, even if they did not spend that much time together or ever had a chance of fighting together, she was more than happy that she had summoned a very loyal servant like him.

Anyway, she now had to discover who attacked her and how she managed to return home yesterday.

She got out of her room and started to go to the living room to make herself a cup of coffee or some tea, and as she did she was thinking. What exactly happened after she had been attacked? She doubted that her aggressor would have made her unconscious just to then take her home, this probably meant that after being attacked she managed to defeat or run away, from the person who had attacked her, but she still had taken such a hit that she had forgotten everything that happened...

As soon she reached it she opened the door of the living room and entered it... and she froze as she saw two people in there. One was sitting at the table, while the other was watching out of the window.

After a moment of shock she watched the two people, she immediately recognized the boy who was watching out of the window, it was Emiya Shirou, the fake janitor of the school. Then she turned around to watch the other person who was sitting at the table... and she paled, the hooded woman was non-other than a Servant.

As she watched them the door behind her suddenly closed.

"Good morning, Tohsaka. I'm sorry for having entered uninvited, but I could not wait any longer." Emiya told her calmly as he turned to watch her.

"Emiya... you were a mage all along?" Tohsaka Rin asked incredibly surprised. Until now other than her sister and the fake priest she never knew that there were other mages in the city... that, and the fact that he of all people he had been chosen as a Master.

"Yes, but right now I am not here to answer your question, I am here to ask you some." The boy told her as he pointed to one of the chairs at the table, who she now noted was full of books, where the Servant was sitting.

"...Oh? So, you come here in my house, you start to act as it was yours, and-..." She stopped speaking for a moment. "No, wait a damn minute, were you the one who attacked me yesterday?!" Rin then asked frowning. "J-Just why are you here in the first place?! What do you want? If you are here to fight me or to ask me an alliance you should have noted that I lost my Servant, if you didn't notice." She continued as she raised her left hand.

The boy remained silent and just watched her, after a pair of moments he said: "I'm here to ask you about Sakura Matou."

As she heard the words of the boy Rin flinched and widened her eyes... why did he suddenly brought her up?

"Do not be surprised Tohsaka, I know that she is your sister. In fact, I'm here to ask you if you know what happened to her while she was part of the Matou."

"What do you mean by-?!" She started to say, but she stopped speaking for a moment.

'Wait, if I recall correctly Taiga said that Sakura now was at the home of one of her friends... and I know that she and Emiya are close... and he somehow knows that we are sisters... it can't be...' Rin immediately thought.

"Emiya... did you do something to Sakura?" Rin asked as a sudden surge of cold anger invaded her and she clenched her fists.

"...Other than a temporary hypnosis and some memory modifications we never did anything wrong to her." Emiya responded calmly.

"You did what?!" Rin suddenly snapped indignantly. "Why?! For what reason did you do it Emiya?! I thought that the two of you were good friends!"

"Trust me, I didn't like it either, but it was necessary. Sakura in the end is a good girl, too good, even for her own good... even after all the things that happened to her she always thought that it had been her fault, or that she was somehow in the wrong. In fact, I'm sure that even now she still thinks that Shinji too was another victim of Zouken."

"Just what are you babbling about?! And- ...Wait, what do you mean by that? ...Do you know what happened to Shinji and Zouken?" Rin asked a bit hesitant as she started to get even angrier... it could not be... Emiya could not have done it.

"...Do you really want to know what happened to them, Tohsaka?" Emiya asked her as he watched her in the eyes.

"You have to tell me the truth Emiya!" Rin said as her anger just kept increasing.

"Do you really want to know why they have died?" He kept asking.

"...Did you kill them, yes or no?!" She said as she greeted her teeth.

"Of course I did." Emiya told her in a cold and yet calm tone.

"...YOU DAMN BASTARD!" Rin yelled after a long moment as she pointed her hand toward him as a big ball of dark energy formed in it. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you here and now Emiya!" Rin then continued.

"Because as I told you before, I'm here just to speak about Sakura... and what makes you think that you'll be able to kill me?" He then asked calmly as he turned his head toward the woman who was at the table.

"Do you really think that I would not kill the murderer of my sister's family just because your Servant is present?! I'll take your life, even if it should cost mine!" Rin then said as she watched him with hatred.

Maybe she should run into her workshop and take one of her most powerful gems, she was pretty sure that with their power they would be able to kill even a Servant... but she doubted that she could run from said Servant, but still, she had to try!

"...You really care for Sakura, don't you?" Emiya asked her as he watched her with sad eyes. "And just like I feared, you really knew nothing about what happened to her... to even think that I wanted to kill you." Emiya then said before sighing.

"Just what are you talking about?! What does Sakura have to do with us now?!" She said as she was somehow restraining herself from not blowing up his head with one of her strongest Gandr.

"You have to know that this night I've read all of your personal diaries and journals while you were unconscious, from first to last," Emiya said as he walked toward the table. "and as I did I could not help but feel extremely sad for you, Tohsaka. I first thought that you were just another ruthless mage, someone who was able to fight or even kill her sister, when in truth, you were just another of the numerous victim of said mages." He continued as he took one of the diaries from the table while the woman silently watched him. "Reading these diaries made me understand what kind of person you are, what it has been taught to you, how you think... and how you grow up in complete solitude, with no one who could really care for you, or understand you." He said before he sighed again.

Then there was a long silence after that, Emiya kept watching the diary he had in his hand.

"You have to know, when I read the part where you had to simply accept the fact that Sakura was been sold off to the Matou it broke my heart... just how could your father be both so heathless and stupid to sell his own daughter to a 500 years old monster? And to think that he even had the courage to order her daughter to ignore her own sister..." Emiya then continued.

"..." Rin had no idea of what to say or do, she had no idea of what Emiya was talking about or where he wanted to go.

"Let's get over with it and just answer me this question, Tohsaka. What do you think happened to Sakura while she was part of the Matou?" He then asked as he turned toward her and posed the diary he had taken on the table.

"...What do you mean!?" She asked as she was still pointing her Gandr toward his head, ready to shoot.

"What do you think I discovered about her?" He asked as he started to walk toward her. "What do you think pushed me to kill her family? What pushed me to kill Shinji and Zouken?" He asked as he kept walking.

"Stay away from me!" Rin said before she shot her Gandr.

In a single instant Rin saw Emiya projecting a sword, deflecting with it her Gandr aimed to his head aside, and then dematerialized said sword.

As Rin realized what she had just seen, she realized that she was now face to face with Emiya.

"Do I have to give you some hints on what horrors Sakura lived until some weeks ago, or should I directly tell you the truth?" He asked her.

"...What?" Rin asked incredibly confused.

Now she had no idea of what to say or do... what did Emiya meant by that? What happened to Sakura?

"Well, I'll be very blunt with you since I have no time to waste. Zouken implanted in Sakura a fragment of the Grail to make her into a Minor Grail, then at the same time he made his worm familiars force their way in her body, so that she could 'inherit' the Matou magic, control her, and make her into his living phylactery since he was some kind of lich. Both of these processes were incredibly painful, and they had... drastically changed her body. Then at one point, Shinji had discovered that he would not be the heir of the Matou and that Sakura would have taken his place since he was no mage. From then in his fits of rage, he started to assault Sakura, both physically and sexually. And this has happened for years... and I somehow never noted anything of it." Emiya said with no emotions in his voice as he watched her in the eyes.

As Shirou said those words he could see Tohsaka's face assuming an expression of utter terror and disgust... he was more than sure that he had made that same face when Sakura told him all of those things.

"...This is impossible...It can't be real... you're lying..." Rin said almost muttering.

"I wish I was, but I can assure you that this is the absolute truth. Sakura under Caster's hypnosis had been the one to tell me all of this." Emiya said before taking some steps back. "And we cannot deny the truth to ourselves forever..." He continued.

"You're lying!" Tohsaka said as she strongly grabbed his arm and stopped him from moving. "Tell me that you're lying Emiya! Tell me that you're making this up! Tell me that nothing bad has ever happened to her!" She almost yelled.

"I know very well that this sudden and shocking news is hard to hear Tohsaka... but as soon you will accept it, the easier it will be." Shirou just said. "You don't have to feel guilty for it, it was not your fault, you knew nothing of it." He then continued.

"..." Rin stood still and let go of Emiya's arm, she then lowered her head and watched her hands, they had started to tremble a bit.

'He is lying! Everything he has told me is just a lie! If it was true I would have noticed!' Rin thought.

"That's the same thing I keep saying to myself every time I see her, Tohsaka." Emiya said as he had anticipated what she would have thought. "How did I never noticed? Was she suffering so much under while I was obvious to everything? How could I have been so blind? ...But you don't need to be too hard on yourself, Tohsaka, you have to remember that unlike you I was at Sakura's side all this time long... and yet, I noted nothing. How could you have been any different it if you rarely saw her?" Emiya then asked.

"..." Rin said nothing and just started to back up until she hit the door behind herself, she then posed all of her weight on the door.

'...No.. Sakura... it cannot be...' She thought.

"I'm willing to take full responsibility for all the horrors that have happened to Sakura while she was part of the Matou family, but for now, I have other priorities. I have the duty to stop this war from happening ever again, and to make sure that from now on Sakura will live a happy and normal life." He said.

"...J-Just stop being vague and go to the point." Rin said with a tired tone as she started to massage her head that was already in pain. At the moment she didn't know if to believe Emiya or not.

Why would Emiya, a participant of the war, come to her, and instead of fighting or killing her he was talking about Sakura and the things that supposedly happened to her? Did he have a secret objective and he was lying to her? Or he was just telling her a horrible truth?

"I know you may be exhausted, but now you have to listen to me. Other than the horrors that Sakura has lived until now there is something else that you probably don't know about. Do you remember the incident that happened 10 years ago and destroyed a good portion of the city? I have to inform you that the Grail was responsible for such an event. I don't remember exactly how, Caster will later explain to you, but the Grail had been corrupted and now more than a Holy device it's a Demonic being that will bring only death and destruction, for this reason, we are working on a way to destroy it safely. Now, returning to Sakura and what we did to her, in short words Caster had cured her of anything that plagued her and she altered and modified her memories, if she didn't outright erase them. Now Sakura other than some vague idea she has no memories of what has happened to her until some weeks ago, and we have made sure that she will never suffer from any kind of mental problems from now on. What I now want for her is to live a normal life with a normal family... and this is where you join in."

"You want me to reunite with her, right?" Rin asked.

"Exactly, are you willing t-"

"Of course I am! What kind of questions are you even asking? ...I am her sister damn it!" Rin said as she interrupted him. "I would have done it anyway after the war... now we are both alone and without a family, there is no reason for us to not reunite." She then continued after she looked at her side.

After saying those words Rin saw in the corner of her eye Emiya flinching and looking away from her... what a strange reaction...

"...I'm... happy that you are willing to collaborate with us." Emiya then started to say. "Anyway, I'm sure that you now have many questions, Caster will answer all of those regarding what happened to Sakura, the Grail, and what our objectives are. Then if-"

"Why are you doing it?" Rin then suddenly asked.

"...What do you mean?" Emiya asked after a moment, a bit confused.

"Why are you helping me? Until yesterday we were enemies and you had all the excuses you wanted to kill me. Why you spared me? Why you are so willing to help me reunite with Sakura after I too have ignored her like that? Why you didn't simply brainwash me while I was unconscious?" Rin then asked.

"...I'm doing what I'm doing to... to ask for forgiveness both to Sakura... and you." Emiya said before looking to the ground.

"...Why me?" Rin then asked genuinely confused.

"Just like you said before, until yesterday, I was ready to cut your head off at any time. From when I saved Sakura and she told me that her family had sold her to the Matou I thought that you were a classic magus, someone who had abandoned her sister, someone who was ready to fight and to kill even a member of her family... but it turned out that I've been a moron and I was ready to kill another victim of this whole mess." He said as he watched her.

"..." Rin remained silent at the words of Emiya.

"Yesterday, after I've attacked you, I was thinking if I should have killed you right then and there. All this time long I thought that you knew about Sakura's situation and what was happening to her, and I thought that you've ignored her because you didn't care for her... but it turned out that I was wrong. You know, it's probably due to how I could not accept the fact that Sakura had been suffering all this time long without me noticing it, so I decided to give some of the blame to you. Even after killing Shinji and Zouken I didn't felt totally satisfied, I still felt guilty and angry for what happened to her, I still felt stupid and blind for not having noticed earlier... and you were the perfect scapegoat for it. I kept denying to myself that it was my responsibility for not having noticed it earlier, and I almost killed you for it." Emiya said as he looked away from her.

"..." Rin remained silent, she just watched him.

"...I guess that now you have a really strong desire to beat me to a pulp, but for now we have to postpone said beating, we should first think about Sa-"

"Thank you, Emiya." Rin then suddenly said as she got up from the door.

"...Thank you? ...Why are you thanking me?" Emiya asked her incredibly surprised after some long moments.

"If all the things you've said are true, It is obvious why I should thank you. If you have saved Sakura from that hell and killed those two monsters, I can just say that I owe you a lot now, both as a sister, and Second Owner." Rin said as she watched him.

"...But didn't you hear what I just said? I was about to kill-"

"So what? Emiya, you have to remember that we're mages, we walk with death for all of our lives. Something like wanting to kill me is not as grave as you think... and I'm pretty sure that if I was in your place, I would have done nothing different."

"...I don't understand... I was about to kill you Tohsaka, I was about to kill you and leave Sakura without a family just because I thought that you-."

"The fact that the two of us are talking right now, and you didn't kill or brainwashed me in the first place, it's already a good thing, don't you think?" Rin asked him.

"..." Shirou remained silent as he watched Rin with a confused expression.

Shirou now had no idea of what to say or do. Why Tohsaka was not angry with him? He had left Sakura alone for all this time long and he had almost killed her... why she was not angry with him?

"Didn't you said earlier something about how you had no time to waste with me, or am I wrong?" Rin then asked.

"...You're right." Emiya said as he snapped out of his thoughts before he turned to face the woman sitting at the table. "Caster, as I asked you before, answer all of her questions and tell her everything you find necessary, other than that I have nothing else to ask you." He continued.

"...Understood." the woman simply said as she kept watching in front of herself.

"...Well," Emiya said as he turned to face Rin. "as I told you before Caster will answer all of your questions... other than that there is nothing else I have to say to you."

Rin said nothing and she simply moved aside from the door, Emiya looked at her for a moment, after that he got himself in front of the door, opened it, and then he got out of the room.

After he did Rin started to massage the bridge of her nose. Just what the hell had happened to Sakura all this time long? Why did she know nothing of it? ...And what was this story about the Grail being corrupted?

While she was standing there and thinking she heard the woman behind her sighing, for this reason she turned around, just to see the hooded woman from the other side of the room looking at her.

"I too want to ask you some questions before I do what I must." Caster said before she with a wave of her hand closed once again the door of the room and used a spell to make the room soundproof. "...What kind of catalyst did you use to summon Archer?" She then asked.

"...I didn't use any kind of catalyst, I wanted to make sure to summon the servant most compatible with me... why do you want to know?" Rin asked a bit confused as she looked around herself.

"Most compatible? ...Huh, that's something." Caster said as she inclined her head to her side, while she ignored Tohsaka's question.

Last night Rider told her that she had found nothing that had Shirou's scent other than the girl and the summoning room. The girl on herself had 2 distinct smells, one was Shirou's, the other was similar to his but it was 'diverse'. As Rider spoke to her Caster could tell that she was confused, probably she didn't realize that the similar smell to Shirou belonged to his future self. And now she now had no clue of what the girl had used to summon him... maybe she had said the truth and she had just summoned the most compatible Servant to her, and if that was true it meant only one thing.

"It seems that you had been a close and dear person to him, and yet he became like that... you too had abandoned him." Caster thought aloud.

She recalled the way Archer spoke and treated his Master, even if he was teasing her half of the times it was clear he liked and respected the girl... how strange. Oh well, it was possible that in the future they had gotten closer and they had become good friends.

"So, what do you want to ask me?" Caster then asked.

'Unforgivable.' Shirou thought bitterly as he slowly walked down the stairs.

He had been lucky that Archer had managed to put some sense into his head... or he may have committed an unforgivable crime...

To even think that he ended up attacking and almost killing an innocent person... how stupid he had been.

That night, as he read Tohsaka's diaries, other than her past he had also discovered many things about the Ritual of the Holy Grail Way, like how the heirs of the Matou, Tohsaka, and Einzbern would have automatically be chosen as participants of the war. This explained why Tohsaka had no desire for the Grail since she was forced to participate in it... in the end, she was just another victim of this mess...

...The fact that he had almost reached the point where he had almost killed an innocent person, who was non-other than Sakura's sister, was already unforgivable act... yea, someone like him should just dissapear...

As he was in front of the exit door and grabbed the doorknob he started to wonder since when he had started to be so fast at judging other people and be willing to kill them, but before he could reach a conclusion a telephone suddenly started to ring.

He turned around and walked to the phone, and stood still watching it for over 20 seconds. It continued to ring no matter how much time passed. At that moment Shirou turned to look at a clock and he saw that now it was around 6:30, why would someone call this early in the morning?

After a moment he took the telephone handset, took it to his ear, and started to listen to the person talking on the other side.

"Good morning Rin, I'm happy to see that you are still alive. I first thought that something bad had happened to you when yesterday you didn't come to the church, but I think that you had a valid reason for acting this way..." A male voice spoke from the other side.

"..."

"Rin, be serious, what happened yesterday? Didn't you want to talk about the Matou? How did you lose Archer? Were you coming to the church or you went somewhere else with your Servant and you had been attacked? You have to tell me Rin, I have to know." The man on the other end of the phone insisted.

"..."

"...Rin?"

At that point, Shirou closed the call and kept watching the telephone.

...It seemed that someone was on their traces, and he was non-other than someone from the church: the supervisor himself...

After the call had been suddenly cut, Kirei Kotomine silently watched the telephone.

He now was more than sure that the person on the other end of the line was not Rin... something had happened to her too in the end, he should have been more careful.

Something strange was up, first, the Matou got exterminated, except for the girl who was not a Master, and Rider had disappeared.

Then Bazeet and Lancer got killed as soon they arrived, and they leaved no trace behind.

And yesterday night both the representatives of the Eizenbern and the Tohsaka disappeared without a trace and lost their Servants, Berserker and Archer respectively... the three founding families had already lost.

"Tell me the truth Kirei, you have no idea of what is happening, right?" The King Of Heroes asked amused, as he got up from the bench behind him.

"...I fear that you are right my King, all the plans that I had have been ruined." The priest said politely as he turned around to watch the king.

"Heh." The King said with an amused smile. "Since now you will not have any kind of dog that will inform us about what is happening in this war I suppose that is almost time for me to make an appearance, I have started to grow bored." The King said as he turned around and started to walk away.

Kirei said nothing and just watched the man going away. As much he knew that Gilgamesh was one of the strongest servants ever, he knew that he was not immortal or invincible either.

If it wasn't for his character Kirei was sure that the King would be almost unbeatable, unfortunately, he was the kind of man who tended to underestimate his adversaries. Kirei was more than sure that because of his confidence the King will soon be reminded of his mortality... He had to make sure to not stay around for when it happened.

Kirei would have liked to participate in this war too, but it seemed that it was better to stay on the side to watch the show unfolding. He would not take part in a war where half of the participants had already been eliminated before it even officially started with the summoning of the seventh Servant, and he doubted it will ever be summoned.

As a supervisor he should do something and start to discover what was happening... but right at that moment, he had a strong gut feeling that told him that it was better to do nothing... as if he was being observed right now.