The Demon's Incursion

Soft shuffling of cloth and flesh. The engineered ticking of the clock on the wall. The brief chirping of an early bird. Those were the sounds that graced Illya's ears in the early dawn, sat as she was on her futon while her two maids surrounded her, redressing the gauze that was wrapped around the stump that is her arm. Her red eyes slowly looking over where her arm would have been as Sella began tending to it while Leysritt stood behind her waiting patiently, with the blank face Illya has come to expect. She sighed dejectedly, already anxious just to get out of the room she was given, earning another scolding from her strict maid.

"There. All done, Lady Illyasviel." Sella said with an accomplished nod, moving back a bit to give the small girl some needed space.

"Thanks, Sella." She said back with a smile, an earnest one to the surprise of the maid.

"Think nothing of it, Lady Illyasviel. It is our duty to take care of you, even though we are no longer affiliated with the Einzbern clan."

The mood of the small Master darkened, reminded of the layered deception that was laid upon her by the patriarch of the Einzberns. It went without question ever since the revelation of the whole truth that was explained to her by the Fundamental, she all but cut ties with them, even if she hadn't made it official in any shape or capacity. Both Sella and Leysritt had also followed by her decision, whatever it was. She will be forever grateful to them, despite her dismissive words that she sometimes threw their way, fitting the noble persona she had grew up in.

She felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder, her eyes blinking away the blank stare she had, locking onto the short haired maid that had approached her.

"We will always be by your side, Illya." Leysritt declared, her voice still keeping the familiar monotone.

Illya smiled, grateful to the comforting words she got. "I know, Leysritt. Sella. Thank you."

With a returned nod from the both of them, she got off her futon and finally left her room just as the sun crested over the horizon, the two maids following suit behind her as per their usual routine. Walking down the corridor of the Japanese mansion, she was surprised by how much activity there was so early in the morning. Out in the backyard, Saber was dancing to herself, once again following a song that only she could hear. On the rooftop, visible to everyone around, was Archer as she sat gingerly. Her single eye was closed, her hair and clothes swaying with the wind. Sitting on the back porch was the former Tohsaka, still looking extremely exhausted from the previous day's ordeal. The teacher was also sitting right beside her. Assassin, by her order, was trailing behind her brother as he went out to do some grocery shopping. Light snoring was heard as she passed by one of the guest rooms, identifying the last Master in the alliance.

That meant everyone was accounted for, except for the Fundamental.

The albino homunculus made her way towards the porch, sitting on the opposite of the other two that were already there, joining them in watching Saber's silent performance. She leaned in towards the other two. "Looks like you're slowly turning into a Tohsaka, eh? Makiri?"

"Eh?" Sakura turned to the albino, giving the small girl her full attention. She brought her hair into her hands. Close to the roots, her purple hair was giving way to the brunette of her sister's. "Wow. I didn't expect it to go this fast."

She was suddenly turned around, the hands of Fujimura on her shoulders as the teacher narrowed her eyes on the youngest of the Masters. "Your eyes are also turning a bit blue."

"Guess the Tohsaka blood is still strong after all these years. Especially without any vile Makiri to dilute it." Illya commented, ending it with far more venom than she intended. She shook her head before addressing Sakura once more. "Where's the heiress?"

"She doesn't do mornings." Sakura answered apologetically. She made to stand up. "I should prepare for when Senpai gets back."

"No you won't." Sella said sternly, just as Fujimura's hand stopped Sakura. "You are still recuperating, it is wise for you to rest further."

"My maid's right, Sakura." Illya said, reinforcing Sella's words. "I think you should wait until you fully look like Rin."

"Let's hope she just looks like her." Archer said, joining in on the conversation from the roof. "I don't think the world can handle two Rins."

"Archer! Don't be mean to Nee-san!" Sakura responded admonishingly, though the effect was lessened by the giggling of the other two and her own small smile.

"Sella, go wait for Shirou at the kitchen." The maid bowed slightly, before turning to carry out the order given to her.

"Be careful over there! The kitchen is Senpai's sanctuary after all!" Sakura called out, her words followed by the unbecoming giggling of the Teacher.

The giggling simmered down somewhat when she took notice of Illya's frown. "What's wrong, Illya-chan?"

Red eyes glanced over to the brown haired Teacher, lingering for a few seconds before they closed as she sighed, her shoulders slumping. "This is not what I expected when I came here for the Ritual."

"Fed unending lies I take it?" Sakura said, her face adorned with a sad, yet understanding smile.

She scoffed, as the words rang truer than she would have desired. Perhaps she was foolish to have hoped for a more idealistic life, but the life of a magi is a thoughtless one. "I was raised, believing that Father had left me, betrayed me, for Shirou. How some orphan stole him from me. Ever since I was a child, those were the words that were repeated to me And I held on to them, because I had nothing left. It was only when I arrived here that I had doubts. Doubts that Berserker help cement. Doubts, because each day I was here, watching all of you, only shattered the image that was crafted for me."

A somber chuckle escaped Sakura's mouth, as the younger girl no doubt sympathized with the pseudo homunculus. "It is truly disgusting how much lies are used to reinforce the magi's life."

"Then why the hell are you two still here?" the chipper voice shock them once more, reminding them of who else was around them. Archer still sat on the roof, though now she was looking down on them, her eyes narrowed as she glared with an unnerving intensity. "Every single thing I hear about the magi of this world further infuriates me. The magi from ours are nothing like the cretins here. Right Saber?"

Said Servant merely hummed her approval, still engrossed in her performance. Both girls sighed, but it was Illya that answered. "It's not that easy, Archer. For most "unwanted" magi, they'd be disowned by their clans. But for us, though I guess myself specifically, is that that alone is a best case scenario. There's the likelihood that I might still be sought after, to be taken out because I carry with me clan secrets."

"Let them." The green Archer landed in front of them, her descent slowed down by the wind itself as she faced the small older girl. "Let them send their killers, and I'll be sure to send back corpses."

"You'd do that? For me?" she asked, disbelief clear in her voice.

"Absolutely!" Archer responded eagerly. "You're Saber's Master's sister. He's done right by us these past few days, in spite of his inexperience. This is the least I myself could do."

"You're planning on staying?" Sakura asked from the other side of the porch, with Fujimura following along the conversation as best as she could.

"Hell yeah! This is a brand new different world. I'd like to see what it's like after all of this. And if I have to face down degenerate magi, then so be it."

"Bold words, Archer." Another voice called out, entering the backyard as the untwintailed Master sat beside her sister. "Are you sure you can face them?"

"Pft. Please, Rin. I've faced literal dragons myself. I stood beside primordial beings and gods. A bunch of mortals thinking they're more than what they are is laughable." Archer said, her elaborate words somehow devoid of arrogance.

"I'm sure Nessaj would be eager to see that himself." The last, unaccounted person joined the fray, stepping out from Shirou's shed as if she owned the place. "You'd be the type of chaotic force he'd have representing him in some way."

Sakura's eyes narrowed to a glare at the approaching Fundamental. "What were you doing inside Senpai's shed, Io?"

The unmasked Scientist merely smiled back at the young girl, not even giving an answer as she made her way towards the porch where the rest were, just in time for Saber to finish her performance. The relatively quiet morning air was immediately filled with Archer and Io's clapping, before it was followed, albeit slowly, by the rest. Said Servant bowed to each and every one of them before she joined them on the porch, sitting between Illya and Rin with her leg draped over the other. "So, it's a bright and early fresh morning. What are our plans?"

They had postponed any sort of talk about their immediate future thanks to how late it was; they were all still growing teenagers after all, and their bodies needed the rest in order to recuperate from the stress they have taken the past week. It was safe to say that they were more mentally exhausted despite being personally involved in some of the incidents and altercations that had happened.

"I think we should move inside for that, don't you think?" Rin suggested, stifling a yawn with a hand. "That way Emiya-kun can listen in while he cooks. Is he back yet?"

"Yes!" they heard his reply from inside the mansion.

"Well then, let's not keep him waiting!" Fujimura excitedly declared, almost jumping off the porch and moving to Illya's side with haste, wrapping the small girl in her arms and rushing inside, briskly followed by Leysritt who had been silent the entire time, content with just standing behind the small homunculus. Io chuckled heartily as she followed behind them, her movements ghostly as if she was floating along.

Rin sighed tiredly while Sakura gave a nervous chuckle at their teacher's antics, while both Servants snickered in amusement. Sakura was about to stand up as well, but a hand around her wrist stopped her. The younger girl seeing Rin's hand holding her, silently stopping her. "Nee-san?" she asked, confusing welling up ever so slightly within her.

The still purple haired girl was pulled into a hug as Rin's arms wrapped around her, Sakura's arms still from how startled she was. "I miss this." She heard Rin whisper.

Sakura released a relaxed sigh, her own lips slowly forming into a smile as her arms wrapped around Rin, returning the hug. "Me too."

Saber and Archer glanced at one another, a smirk adorned on their faces before they went ahead inside, giving the two sisters some alone time.

"Anything interesting, Assassin?" Illya asked, sitting beside the brown haired teacher with Io further next to Fujimura, Leysritt having moved to join Shirou and Sella in the kitchenette.

"Around Master Emiya? No. He went about his grocery shopping without any disturbances." Assassin relayed, standing off to the side of the table. "But Avenger is still loose out there, we could feel his presence on the other side of the city."

"I was wondering what that was." Fujimura commented, her brows furrowed as she recalled the disgusting sensation she felt when she woke up.

Illya turned to the adult, her eyes slightly wide in surprise and horror. "If a mundane like you noticed it, then we truly cannot avoid it any longer."

"Words right out of my mouth, Master." Assassin praised with a nod. His eyes flickered briefly to the two other Servants that had entered the room, smirks still on their faces. "Where are the sisters?" he asked them.

"Enjoying some family bonding." Archer answered as the both of them sat down on one side by themselves. The feline Servant shrugged before he joined his fellow Servants, his surprisingly small size allowed him to fit snugly with them.

"I still can't believe what happened to her." Shirou commented from the kitchen. He then glanced to the living room, catching the eyes of Illya. "To any of you, really."

Illya sighed dejectedly. "Such is the life of magi."

"You know, I kinda get now why the Old Man didn't want to teach me magecraft." Shirou added before he continued on with his cooking.

The small albino scoffed. "If he didn't, you'd be worse off, Shirou."

He nodded and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess that's true as well. Man, there's no winning."

"To walk the path of magi is to walk with death." Said a new voice as Rin walked inside the room with Sakura in tow. "That is the harsh truth we all have to live with, whether we want to or not."

Their teacher cringed as the sisters joined them on the table, taking another of the sides. "How was Kiritsugu part of this? I mean, I knew he was involved in shady business; he was a friend of gramps' after all; but all of this magic stuff is just so out of my league."

The older sister shrugged. "From what I've read and heard from Kirei, the Magus Killer wasn't what most magi would ever refer to as a magus. A spellcaster at most He was very pragmatic, and used modern technology that magi would consider barbaric to supplement his jobs. It was because of how damn good he was at his job that they tolerated him at best."

"Magus Killer…" he wondered aloud. "Man, dad was that infamous huh?" Shirou commented as the maids placed the first of many platters on the table.

"It's another reason why he did not want you to learn magecraft, Shirou. He did not want you to be endangered because of his mistakes. He did not want you to bear his sins." Io further explained, shedding more light that the teenagers did not know of.

Sins of their fathers. That was something all of them shared. Frankly speaking, it helped mold them to who they were now. Kiritsugu's reluctance because of his history that led to Shirou's ignorance. Also his failures that led to Illya's indoctrination. Tokiomi's maladjusted form of magi pride that led to Sakura being adopted out of the Tohsaka and into the Matou. And also the thing that Rin held onto as she strived to fill in his shoes, though that was something that she was beginning to taste with disgust thanks to recent revelations. All the while the Servants and Fujimura could only look on from an outsider's perspective.

"Alright kids, enough of that." Fujimura said, hands spread out to comfort them upon noticing the somber turn in their moods.

Rin coughed purposefully, both to regather herself and to draw the attention of everyone else as Leysritt brought out the first of the many entrees onto the table. "Well, shall we get started on what our plans are going to be? I'd like for this whole mess to be done with as soon as possible, especially with some kind of demon loose out there."

"We need to find out if there are any patterns to what Avenger's going to be doing." Shirou voiced out from the kitchen, facing the group as Sella took his place temporarily. "Caster's base of operations is the Temple, but Fuji-nee said Old Man Raiga's men had caught murder upon murder happening over Shinto."

"And there will no doubt be more." The Teacher added, turning the TV on for them, conveniently already on a news channel. She flipped through them, switching from one news channel to another, and they all spoke of one thing; the sudden murders that began cropping up since the night before.

"What happened to them?" Sakura's voice just slightly louder than a whisper as images of the bodies flashed on the screen; looks of complete and utter undeniable terror in their faces, eyes rolled back and mouths opened as wide as they possibly could.

"The Shadow Fiend's modus operandi. And he will get stronger with each soul he consumes." The Fundamental explained to them.

"How strong is he without those souls?" Illya asked with barely concealed worry.

"He's still a demon without them." Saber answered, leaning herself on her arms on the table. She had one teal eye opened, staring right back as the small Master. "And unfortunately, unlike here, they don't have any sort of specific weaknesses to holy or light magics."

A scoff was heard from Rin, the girl shaking her head amusedly. "Well, it's not like any of us are religious."

"Says the girl with crosses on her blouses." Shirou commented a chuckle.

"And likes to wear them on her neck." Sakura added with a smile.

The brunette frowned back at them, earning only shared laughter from the rest of the group thanks to her reddening cheeks. "That's just how I grew up and was raised, ok?!"

When the laughter died down, Archer spoke up to add her own two cents. "Also, unless any of you have some sort of powerful long-range spell, it's best to leave Avenger to me." The other Servants nodded their heads in agreement.

"I feel like I'm not gonna like the reason as to why." Rin said with an ever growing annoyed scowl.

Her own Servant simply smiled back at her. "Let's just say the souls he takes in don't like being inside of him."

"Wait, so if he dies all the souls are released? Isn't that a good thing?" Shirou asked, trying to make sense of the Servant's words.

"Avenger will not go gently into that good night." Assassin answered back, Illya's own red eyes widened at the use of a poem while Fujimura chuckled amusedly. "When the souls are released, Avenger himself will erupt in an explosion of demonic energy. How powerful the explosion depends entirely on how many souls he has consumed."

All the Masters paled at the news. It seemed that every single little thing they learned about Avenger was building atop one another.

"Well, if push comes to shove, I have something I can throw into the mix." Shirou said after swallowing the lump in his throat.

Rin shook her head in disbelief before snapping her head to her fellow Master, looking at him as if the auburn haired boy had grown another head. "What?"

"Ah, yeah, Shirou has something up his sleeve." Saber added while Shirou ignored Rin's flabbergasted and demanding stare.

The ginger haired Archer shrugged, seemingly appeased by the reassurance her fellow Servant gave her. "So yes, unless any of you are snipers, like myself as an Archer-class Servant, or apparently the Master of Saber as well, do not take a hit on Avenger, alright?"

Getting a round of nods from the Masters, Archer leaned back away from the table, signaling the end of her contribution. The conversation was put on hold when the last of the dishes were placed on the table, followed by Shirou and the maids joining them. There was some light chatter to fill the sound of clinging and chewing, but nothing picked up thanks to the air that weighed down upon their shoulders. Really, it was a testament's to Shirou's cooking that they could think of anything else, no matter how brief their musings were.

Breakfast eventually came to an end, with the dishes piled in the sink and washed by Sella and Leysritt. With their short respite taken care of, their adjourned meeting was continued.

"So… the King of Heroes…" Rin started, arms crossed on the table with her brows furrowing in building frustration. "has anybody here even seen him already?"

"I have."

All heads turned to Sakura, looks of surprise evident on their faces that she of all of them came into contact with them.

"What? When? What happened?" Rin immediately barraged her purple haired sister with questions.

Sakura didn't respond right away, choosing to wait a second before she finally opened her mouth. "He told me to kill myself. More specifically, that I should die now because I won't have the chance later."

Archer chuckled as she leaned in on her hand. "Sounds like a swell guy."

Shirou rolled his eyes, but they centered on his underclassman again, sitting by his side. "It seemed like he knew what was going to happen. Or at least, he was expecting it."

"Not just that, but he knew what you were as well." Illya added with a firm nod.

"And Kirei was under a Servant like that this entire time? That asshole's going to get what's coming to him." Rin said with barely concealed anger. Her hands closing into fists for a few seconds before she released them.

"Temper your rage, Rin. Don't let it control you." The calming words of the Fundamental resounded not only in her heart, but the others as well. Her soothing voice calmed their inner struggles that threatened to burst.

"You're right. Thank you." Rin said back, letting her breath out in gratitude.

"How did Rider fair against Gilgamesh, Io?" Sakura asked, knowing the Fundamental would know more than her regarding their own kind.

The Fundamental turned her head to the youngest girl in the room. "If he wasn't limited by his Servant class, nothing could stand against him."

"Then we leave Gilgamesh to the Fundamentals." Sakura said to the rest with a determined nod. The other masters pondered on the suggestion while Io herself held her gaze onto the young girl with a raised brow.

"That's probably the sanest plan we've come up yet." Illya said with an agreeing nod.

"It makes sense, really." Shirou added, tapping the table with his fingers. "The strongest Heroic Spirit, by virtue of all the treasures he has. If there were anyone to face him, it would be them."

"Hey now…" Io attempted to steer the conversation away from the topic, but the teens were too into their own worlds.

"And it would free the rest of us to deal with the things that we might be able to deal with. It's the perfect plan!" Rin agreed wholeheartedly. She turned to her Servant. "What do you guys think?"

"It's a sound plan, especially when we have them on our side." Archer said, throwing a knowing smirk to Io's way, who pouted in return.

Assassin rolled his eyes at the obliviousness of the teen Masters, and Archer's teasing, he spoke up before Saber could join her fellow Servant. "Is something on your mind, Io?"

She sighed tiredly. "No, there isn't." came her steady reply, as she put her glasses back on her face as her serious façade returned. "Just be careful with forces you do not control."

"Isn't that why you're here?" Sakura asked, tilting her head slightly. "To help us because of the things beyond our control?"

The Fundamental stared back narrowing her gaze behind her glasses. "Touché."

"So I guess that leaves Caster? Especially if we're going under the assumption that the priest is actually in league with him." Shirou voiced, going to the last thing they have yet to talk about. "This is a Servant that took control of Gilgamesh, through his own abilities."

"I was just beginning to forget about him." Rin said as she groaned on the table. "What can we do to him? What was he like alive?"

"An alien, even to us." Archer answered for them. "Although he has no physical training from what I've gathered, his body has a natural resilience to it that still made him a formidable foe for our warriors."

"That's because he was genetically engineered." Io explained. "He wasn't the first to be created, a line of these supposed 'Oracles' that would serve their kings. He's just the last."

"So is there any specific weakness he has? How was he dealt with back at your world?" Illya asked, now fully engrossed in their world the more she learnt of it.

All three Servants shrugged their shoulders. "Resilience?" Lyralei said unsurely.

"Perseverance." Assassin added neutrally.

"Relentless dedication." Saber closed off with a scowl.

All the Masters sighed. "So it's a war of attrition?" Shirou asked back to them.

"Pretty much." Archer replied, before she spared a glance to Assassin. "How is Caster?"

"What do you mean?" said Assassin as he looked back.

"Servants are usually weaker than when they were alive."

"Oh." Assassin nodded in understanding. "He needs to build up the mana around him in order to enact a False Promise."

The other two Servants sighed with relief. "Well, that actually sounds manageable."

Rin was the first to cringe at the thought. "You're saying he was way worse alive?"

"Yes." Saber answered for the twintailed Master. "It would have been a lot easier if the Fundamentals helped." She said, giving a side glare to Io.

The scientist merely shrugged in response. "We bear no responsibilities for our counterparts' jurisdiction."

"Uhuh, that sure makes it simple." Saber said back nonplussed.

"So what should we actually do?" Shirou asked with a hint of frustration marring his face. "Because if throwing bodies is the only solution, then we're screwed. We don't have bodies to throw."

"Well…" Rin slowly turned her gaze to the currently silent teacher that had been following along this conversation that she was not a part of.

Said teacher noticed the knowing glance her student was giving her, and shook her head. "I'm not sending gramps' men to their deaths unknowingly." She replied in a seemingly casual tone, though there was an underlying tone that conveyed that she wasn't budging.

"Yes Ma'am." Rin replied, backing off on her rather callous suggestion for the mundane teacher.

"If we deal with him last, at least we can then focus our efforts on him. The Caster-Class Servants are known to be the weaker Servants to be summoned in a Holy Grail War. So he shouldn't be too hard to deal with." Illya said with conflicted feelings.

"Just because he shouldn't be doesn't mean he is." Shirou countered, his own displeasure evident on his face.

"I know that, Onii-chan." She groaned with frustration.

"Really, the best course of action is to let the Servants deal with him." Sakura said, offering her own two cents.

"Or, we can use the Artifacts he made." Rin added, remembering one of Assassin's bargaining chips. "You guys used them when you were alive, right?"

"We did." Assassin replied before the other two could. "That's not a bad plan if you find yourselves facing against Caster. I suggest getting a feel of them so you won't stumble on your feet later." He said as he placed his bag of holding back onto the table.

"Wait, you're just giving it all to us?" followed Rin's dumbfounded responses, a sentiment echoed by the other Masters.

Assassin gestured to his fellow Servants. "We don't really have a need for them. Well…"his hand reached inside the bag, and pulled out the small red scythe/sickle hybrid. "With this I'm set."

"But Assassin's right. We don't need them. At least, we don't need the things inside the bag." Archer further elaborated. "Whatever Artifacts Caster might still have with him, is another matter."

Slow nods were received from the Masters. They all then looked at one another, and nodded again to themselves, their vigor renewed with refurbished determination. Then each Master locked eyes with their respective Servants, a conversation exchanged between all of them through their telepathic connection. "Alright." Rin finally spoke up, leaning closer to them on the table. "This is what we're going to do today…"

"The last time I walked around in the middle of the day, was when you gave me your credit card and I went and bought some clothes for myself." Saber commented as both she and Shirou walked through Fuyuki Central Park.

Shirou shifted his eyes over to his Servant, both to fully attentive to her, and also so he could ignore this gnawing feeling that was welling up inside him as they trekked through the source of his nightmares. The place where he died and was reborn again. The location of the great fire ten years ago. The Master/Servant duo got this side of Shinto to patrol. Such pungent odor of malice emanating from the surrounding landscape, the desolate nature of the grounds would have made his stomach churn if he was baptized by the flames of the raging inferno he walked through.

"Shirou?" he was drawn back to Saber as the Servant looked at him with concern. "You were a little out of it a moment there."

"Its fine." He said, shaking his head. "Just, unpleasant memories. Nothing crazy."

A knowing look appeared on Saber's face, whether it was because she felt the malice radiating from the park, or she got a glimpse of his rebirth, he did not know. That's why a comforting smile appeared on her face, as she pulled the auburn haired boy into a hug. Truthfully, that was the last thing he expected from Saber, as evident by his wide eyes as she rubbed his back comfortably.

"You're right. Its fine." She said back, her voice lower than what he was used to. "As long as you have people you care for around you, and care for you back, it'll always be fine. Don't ever forget them. Don't ever leave them, alright? If there's one thing I ask of you, it's that."

"Wh-what…"

"Cherish them, Shirou." Saber continued. "They will make your life, no matter how long or short, worth it."

They parted ways, though her hands still held onto his shoulders. Shirou breathed out in relief, as some kind of weight he had was partially lifted off of him. He then met Saber's comforting smile with his own. "Thanks Saber."

"No problem, Master." She said with a hint of amusement, the light smirk forming just for a moment on her face.

The pair continued on in their path, going along the outer rim of the park before they circled deeper inside. The park was, as expected, eerily quiet. No signs of life from what they could detect themselves, not another person in sight or hearing, not even a semblance of fauna as the park was also devoid of animals. The flora itself wasn't immune, judging by how dead most of it looked. Truly, aside from the history of the park itself, they really wouldn't be expecting anything in their patrol here. Which is why the sound of light snoring stood out to them.

"Looks like it's your friend, Shirou." Saber said, noticing the source of the snoring before Shirou himself could. Immediately his mind went to the few people he would consider friends. Considering the situation he knew Issei was in, he hoped the Student Council President was still at the temple, despite serving as Castle's base of operations. He hadn't seen Mitsuzuri in a while either, and hoped it wasn't her as well. When he finally saw the familiar wavy hair, he knew who it was.

The both of them approached the passed out teenager that was sleeping on the park bench. The snoring was accompanied by a hiccup here and there. The womanizer he was hesitating to call a friend at the moment had seen better days; clothes dirtied and slightly tattered, with Shinji himself looking the most disheveled Shirou has seen him. Shirou also couldn't help but notice the smell of alcohol lingering around Shinji, followed with him realizing the empty cans of cheap store bought beer that was littered around the bench. He couldn't help but cringe as he closed the distance, lowering himself a bit and resting a hand on Shinji's shoulder.

"Yo, Shinji." He nudged the wavy haired boy, whose eyes began fluttering open immediately.

"Emiya?" he slurred response was slow, but Shinji's eyes landed on Shirou. "Emiya! You're not gonna believe what happened!"

The deep smell of alcohol coming from Shinji's breath did little to alleviate the situation, especially with Shinji's still inebriated condition. "What happened?" Shirou asked.

The intoxicated teenage sat himself up clumsily, almost slipping off from his shaky hands. "This guy, I don't know who. He felt like Rider! He told me to leave, so I did! And then, the house disappeared!"

"What?" Shirou spared a glance to his Servant, seeing a knowing look on her face before he looked back at Shinji.

"Yeah! It's a crater now! And best of all! That disgusting thing is dead!"

If it weren't for Io sharing the sisters' story, he likely would not have understood what Shinji meant. "Your grandfather's dead?"

"Yeah, without a doubt!" Shinji's face contorted into anger and disgust as his familial connection was reminded to him. "Now I'm free! Free!"

"That's great, Shinji." He approached, bringing Shinji's hand around his shoulder. "Come on, let's get you out of here."

"You think that's wise?" Saber asked through their telepathic connection. "He doesn't exactly have the best of histories, especially with you lot."

"It'll hopefully help everyone move on if we bring him back." He replied as they began making their way back. "From what Io said, Shinji was as much of a victim thanks to their grandfather. It doesn't excuse what he did…"

"I understand. Let's get moving then." Saber said, moving at their flank, making sure the two would be under her protection.

"Tch."

"I can't read minds, Rin." Archer commented atop the skyscraper they both stood on, the winds blowing their hair up.

"Well, at least I can give Shinji a piece of my mind soon." Rin said as her foul mood was slightly assured.

"You sure the Master of Saber is going back to his mansion?" Archer asked from her perch.

Rin nodded in reply. "Where else? From what you told me, Shinji said a Fundamental destroyed their home. The morning news supports what happened. There's nowhere else I know where Emiya-kun might go to drop Shinji off."

"Maybe he's dropping the boy at your place?" Archer suggested with an amused smirk on her face.

An amusement that was not shared by her Master. "Please don't even entertain such a thought, Archer."

"But it's still a possibility."

"He's never even been to my house before."

"That doesn't mean he doesn't know where you live, Rin." The Green Archer finally turned to catch Rin's cyan eyes with her own, chuckling when she saw the building frustration her Master was going through.

"Please, Archer. Just don't." Rin replied carefully, trying to think of better thoughts to settle her mind.

"Alright, fine." The Servant said as she turned back to face the cityscape, listening to the goings on of the entirety of the city through the winds she projected.

Rin crossed her arms over her chest and began tapping her foot irritably on the concrete rooftop. "Did you find Avenger yet?"

"No." Archer answered. "The unfortunate thing about being able to see everything with the wind, is that you can't really see energies. Him disguising himself as a human obviously made it difficult for me. If he was killing anyone right now, it would've been easy, but my guess is that he's taking a break."

"A break? Really? From murdering?" Rin asked in irritated disbelief.

"That's all I got, Rin." Archer added with a noncommittal shrug.

Rin sighed as her palm met her face. "I honestly thought finding a demon would be the easy part."

"Nothing is ever easy when you're dealing with demons, Rin." Archer said, glancing behind to meet Rin's gaze again. "Just a word of advice."

"I'll take it to heart." She answered with a displeased frown. The frown shifted into a somber one, as she recalled the conversation that transpired from what Archer had relayed to her. "What do you think happened to him?"

"Considering the fact that it seemed like the park was the one affecting him, I have one guess, and one guess only Rin." Archer replied, not taking her eye off the cityscape. "I thought you knew that already."

"I assumed, based off of what he said back at the church. I just didn't realize the fire played an integral part in his life." She said with concern, biting the edge of her thumb.

"Do you care for him?"

"Of course!" Rin rapidly blinked her eyes, a tinge of red forming on her cheeks, shifting her gaze way from her Servant. "He's important to Sakura. He's the reason why she's even remotely functional."

"Sure, keep telling yourself that." Archer remarked with a pleased smirk, but it disappeared just as quickly. "Saber said the same thing to him of what I'm going to say to you. Keep him close. You, Sakura. Even the homunculus."

"Not Fujimura-sensei?" Rin wondered about the unmentioned adult.

"Aside from the small Master, she's the closest thing he has to family. An older sister figure to him. Despite her flaky nature, she knows him. She probably already knows how much this is beyond her control, which is why she encourages him and Sakura to be together, partially so she wouldn't be alone in being there for him."

The Master turned away from her Servant, shifting around uncomfortably, not seeing Archer return back to her post. She still kept biting her thumb, grimacing at the pain but ignoring the small trickle of blood that was now running down her hand. There were so many things wrong with her life now, ever since the start of the Holy Grail War. She was cursing her father for leading her down this path, and also for putting Sakura through the living hell she had to endure. And now, the boy who acted as Sakura's strongest pillar seemed to also be destined for destruction. Her eyes trailed to where Fuyuki Central Park was, thinking of him. Then thinking of her.

To walk the path of the magus is to walk with death. And it was never truer than at that very moment of realization.

"Well that place was boring. Why is it so empty?"

"Well, classes are suspended for the moment, because of the terrorist attacks." Sakura looked to the small Master beside her as they exited the empty campus with a concealed Servant backing them. For the most part their trek was done in a comfortable silence, with a question here or there coming from Illya in regards to the place they called home.

"Where else should we go? There's nothing much going on in the district." Illya asked, her boredom still displayed on her face.

"Don't say that, Illya-chan. This is a demon we're talking about. He's probably hiding in plain sight." Sakura said back with a slight frown.

"I bet the others are having a more interesting time." Illya said bitterly, trying to cross her arms on instinct only remembering that she had lost her right arm. Her mood turned even sour, as she held the gauzed stump with her only hand.

The apparently younger of the two noticed this, empathizing with the girl's frustration. "The Fundamentals would be able to recreate your arm, Master." But it wasn't her that comforted Illya.

The Servant that had silently followed them voiced his thoughts, reminding them of the omnipotent beings that they have come to know these past day (or week in Sakura's case, thanks to Rider.) He was still invisible thanks to his Presence Concealment, and Sakura herself would have forgotten about the Servant if not for the fact that she was patrolling with Illya.

"I don't know." She replied, sounding quite unsure of herself. "They already said they'd make a new body for me and both Sella and Leysritt. On a whim. I'd love to get my arm back, but it was my mistake. My naivety."

"You want to remember it." Assassin commented, his neutral tone not indicating is stance on the matter.

"That's part of growth, right? And if I've learned anything from taking part in this Ritual, is that I have much more room to grow."

At this, the feline Servant chuckled audibly. "You sound just like my son."

"Does he have a legend as well?" Sakura asked, hoping to steer the conversation into a more uplifting tone.

"Most likely. He followed after my footsteps, just like how I did with my father." The Servant told them.

"Sounds like bounty hunting was a serious business." Sakura commented with a smile.

"It was when you're me." He calmly boasted. "I've often had bounties on my own head by other bounty hunters because I was putting them out of jobs."

Illya let out an impressed whistle. "It seems like I got quite the Assassin."

"I wouldn't say that." The Servant said humbly. "There were other Heroes who would be better as Assassins. Hell, I'm still surprised that Saber's even a Saber at all."

"Right, Berserker called her Assassin that one time." She glanced behind her, to where Assassin would be if he weren't concealed. "Honestly, I never got any Assassin vibes from her. She seems like she's too normal."

"Are you saying I'm not normal, Master?"

"You're a cat person, Assassin." She said with an amused smirk. The Servant responded with an amused chuckle himself. She then turned to Sakura, who had been smiling herself during the exchange. "Where are we going?"

"The Shopping District. That's our last stop before we head back." The taller girl then turned to Assassin. "Was there really nothing this morning when you were with Senpai?"

"As I've said earlier, Avenger's presence was centered over at the Shinto side of Fuyuki. The Shopping District was as clear as it can be." Assassin's words sent relief washing over Sakura.

"Well then let's hurry along. I'm getting bored with this complacency." Illya said, walking off faster, causing Sakura to jog up to her.

The trek didn't take them long, as it was only a few minutes of walking from the school itself to reach the Shopping District. A bustling community of modern merchants and traders, filled with the surrounding people that breathe life into their stream. This was something that Illya had never experienced in her sheltered life, all completely foreign to her, just like the country she was in. She was putting a lot of her willpower to not show it on her face, but whether Sakura didn't notice it or chose to ignore it she did not know.

A gasp. It wasn't loud, but they heard it, as the entire district had gone silent. A few more from different people around. They all felt it. Like a beat of a heart. A pulse. Both girls glanced at each other, worry and trepidation sinking in the pits of their stomachs. They felt a hand on each of their shoulders, as the invisible Servant no doubt felt it too. Nothing else needed to be said. Avenger had appeared. And he was here. Where exactly, that is what they need to find out. And fast, because the longer they take, the more people will die.

"Should we split up?" Sakura asked as they began walking faster, careful not to alarm the people who had gone back to their business.

"Considering the fact that we don't have a way of contacting one another, no." the homunculus replied. "Assassin, can you detect him?"

They felt his hand hold onto theirs. "Follow me." They didn't really have a choice, considering his hold on them, but they offered no resistance as he led them through the crowd. Deeper into the district, maneuvered the many stalls and shops, eventually turning into an empty alleyway between one of the many buildings within the district. The aura that seemed like the rest of the people were ignoring was palpable to them, coming off from inside one of the buildings they were beside.

"Are we really just rushing in?" Sakura asked, apprehensive of their next movements.

"The others would've felt it too. And Archer should be on her way with Rin right now." Illya explained, though she too didn't sound too sure of herself.

"Your orders, Master." The albino girl looked to her now revealed Servant, seeing his small form standing beside her.

Seeing her Servant quelled the worry in her heart, giving a nod to him as her hand combed through her hair, pulling two strands of it. With the silent order, Assassin pulled out his man catcher and pistol, kicking the door down as she rushed inside, with Illya and Sakura following behind him. An empty derelict house that was ignored in by the bustling community, the rushed through the abandoned building, up a flight of stairs to the floor above. There was only one room, and they saw it.

The disguise he used was perfect. Too perfect. Skin paler than Illya's, deep black hair combed down to his head. A bright maroon dress pants and jacket, over a black shirt held by a red tie. His eyes glowed with a shade deep like blood. He looked like the modern depiction of a devil figure. But there was a reason why they all felt that pulse. His face, something akin to a scar from one cheek to the other, going through his mouth. His left hand, shedding its human appearance, displaying the jagged demonic limb. His bright red fingers, long and sharp like knives, dripping with blood. And worst of all to them; the smile he presented to them.

"Gondar! It's good to see you again! I do quite enjoyed what you did to Caster before you left!" the genuine compliment did not sit well with the addressed Servant, gripping his weapons tighter.

Illya was still speechless, being in the presence of the demon. It took her a good second before she gathered herself and glared at the demonic Servant, turning her hair into the familiars she used, as two bird-like constructs now flew around her. Sakura however was speechless for a different reason. Her two toned eyes weren't even acknowledging Avenger. They were on his latest victim.

"Mitsuzuri-senpai!"

Her upperclassman, on the floor with her back against the wall, missing her left arm just right below the elbow, and her entire right leg. Five distinct holes were on her abdomen, caused by the knife-like fingers of Avenger. Her clothes were tainted red with her own blood. But worst of all, was the silent anguish present on her face. Close to what the victims of Avenger showed, as if she was slowly turning into a husk. The wrapping around her mouth prevented her from speaking, but Sakura could see the pleading look in her upperclassman's eyes.

"Oh man, you know her?" Illya asked, seeing the trouble that could brew. Personal feelings would always get in the way of what they need to do. She would know, after all.

"Oh, how splendid." The demon commented, his voice echoing through their souls. "I always do love a tragic story." There was a prickling timbre that they heard the more he spoke.

A loud shattering gunshot echoed in the room, as Assassin took his first shot, staggering Avenger back a step, and also drawing the demon's attention to him. "Like old times, Nevermore."

Avenger smiled an inhuman smile, with the scar that went across his face opening along with his face, the imagery of an elongated mouth that stretched as far as he wanted, rows of razor-sharp teeth that were as black as obsidian. "Like old times."

Illya's second Servant rushed towards the demon, plunging his man catcher onto the demon's disguised neck, pushing Avenger back again another step as he was leveling his pistol to the demon's abdomen, but the knife-like fingers wrapped around his hand. The smaller Servant was thrown across the room, landing smoothly with a back roll as he pulled out another weapon from his bag of holding; a featureless glaive that matched the pistol's design. An adequate replacement as Avenger shattered the man catcher with his hand. Orbs of dark maroon energy began orbiting his human hand, before they were flung at Assassin's direction, dodged effortlessly as Assassin retaliated in kind with his pistol, whose bullets were shrugged off by the demon.

A far stronger force staggered Avenger to the side, his red eyes trailing down to see a white outline shape of a giant sword piercing his entire chest. He then turned his gaze to the small albino girl, Assassin's Master, seeing the small one glaring at him with one more familiar flying around her.

"Quickly, get her!" Illya ordered the younger girl who was already on the move.

Avenger sighed disappointedly, his brief enjoyment with Assassin interrupted by the small girl, though he had to admit that he was amused at their attempts at saving his latest victim. He was about to send another orb of energy at the purple haired girl, but was stopped as another round of shots came onto him from Assassin. He growled at the offending Servant, his knife-like hand pooling infernal energies, ready to erupt onto the feline Servant. But another sword struck him, going through his demonic hand and pinning him to the wall. He couldn't help but chuckle, as the Assassin-Class Servant left the room, following behind the girls as they escaped with his victim.

"Time to unleash hell." Avenger said aloud, as his human disguise began disintegrating.

Both teenagers had exited the alleyway, with Sakura still helping her upperclassman along. The entire district, though, seemed to be devoid of people, unlike a few minutes before.

"Looks like backup is here." Illya commented upon noticing the cleared out district, as she plucked two more hair strands.

"I worry how destructive Avenger would be though." Sakura said, looking back at the building they had run off from.

Her worry was warranted, as part of the wall inside the alleyway was destroyed, with some kind of explosion erupting from inside. Assassin arrived from the smoke that was caused, standing between them as where Avenger was. He took note of the empty district as well.

"Let's get moving." Assassin told them. "This place is not ideal for fighting Avenger."

Another explosion erupted just a foot away from Assassin, dark red briefly shading the entire district with its color. An infernal chuckle bellowed around the area, with the group taking it as a sign to keep moving. Another explosion, appearing at their direction, halted them in their tracks. The girls turned around, their eyes landing on the true form of Avenger as Assassin held his glaive and pistol at the ready.

Easily doubling Archer's height, not taking into account of the fact that the demon was floating, his body made up of obsidian jagged blades that were interconnected with one another. His torso, completely hollow, with some form of reddish energy coating his surroundings with its light. Occasional wails of the dead were sometimes audible, as their visages would appear within Avenger's torso. The demon's head, looking more like a single piece than the connecting blades of the rest of his body, but the distinct angular for of it further proved his inhuman nature. His large hands, glowing red not unlike the sickle that Assassin took, the sound of blades tracing against one another as he stretched his knife-like fingers.

"Come now… You think it will be that easy?" Another layer would be interspersed every time he spoke, as if another person was speaking.

"Go! We got this!" Assassin for all intents and purposes ordered his Master and Sakura.

"We?" Illya asked as her familiars took the shape of swords once more.

"Yes." Just as he replied, the sound of a screaming hawk, filling the midday sky as a mystical green arrow came and crashed onto Avenger's form. Another arrow, not as flashy, but just as effective, tearing through the Servant, who still seemed unfazed despite being pushed back again and again. "We. Now Go!"

The girls nodded, with Illya throwing her familiars one last time before she helped Sakura in dragging her upperclassman. They ignored the conflict that they were leaving, Illya silently hoping that Assassin wouldn't fall like Berserker did just yesterday. More arrows came overhead, with streaks of green and red lighting the sky for a brief moment followed with the audible contact of the projectile and its target. The farther they got from where the conflict was, the more people they started seeing, all giving them odd looks as they rushed past them, ignoring their suspicious and concerned advances. The Fundamentals said that they would not waste time for subtleties? Well apparently neither would they.

The number of people began to dissipate once more as they neared the end of the district, rushing across the road as they exited the area and landing unceremoniously on an empty bench. Sakura was careful not to put Ayako in more pain than she was already in. The younger girl then remembered of another specific predicament Ayako was in, and began untying the cloth around the older girl's mouth. Tired breaths came right after she was freed, her exhausted eyes looking over Sakura with relieved gratitude.

"Ah, Sakura… it's good to… see you…" the dismembered upperclassman wheezed out in pain with a smile on her face.

"Don't worry, Mitsuzuri-senpai. You're okay now, everything will be alright." The younger girl said, trying to comfort them.

"Don't go promising things now. At least wait till Rin's here." Illya said, her body turned back to where the conflict was, seeing flashes of destruction in the horizon.

"I'm here!" came the voice of the twin-tailed Master, running towards them with her circuits flaring still. Her eyes only scanned the two for a moment, before they landed on her classmate, widening at her wrecked appearance. "Ayako…"

The brunette turned her eyes upwards, seeing the cyan-eyed girl with what looked like melancholy. "Tohsaka-san… always knew… something was up about you…"

"Hey, don't talk. Just rest, leave it all to us." Rin looked away from her friend, her eyes landing on something Ayako couldn't see. "Saber, tell Emiya-kun about the situation."

"Already did, Rin." The Servant replied, with her form beginning to glow as the effects of a Command Spell were issued. "Let's go, girls."

"Go on ahead." Rin told the rest of them, earning a perplexed look from her younger sister and a frown from the other. "I'll wait with the others."

"Where's Senpai, Nee-san?"

"With Archer." There was a hint of annoyance conveyed, one similar to what she felt at the beginning of the Ritual. "Turns out he wasn't lying."

"You can thank Io for that." Saber remarked as she brought Illya and Sakura around one arm, and holding onto Ayako with the other. "See you back at base." Were her final words before disappearing with the girls, leaving Rin alone outside of the Shopping District.

Rin brought her hands to her face, figuratively wiping off the trepidation that was building up within her. When her eyes saw the ongoing conflict, one could see her renewed determination, now laced with a tranquil rage. "Archer, tell me what's going on." She spoke aloud through their telepathic connection, as she began walking towards the district, ready to help the Servants and Shirou in any way she can.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

that, honestly, was the most annoying writer's block i've gotten. like holy shit dudes. that entire segment, of them going through their plans? that was tough for me to write. nothing came to me. but, i got it done, and once i passed it, everything was better.

fun fact, i actually forgot to include Lancer into that conversation, but decided on using him for later.

hope ya'll had a blast reading this one! things are gonna get even more hectic

see you all next time!