I originally meant for this to be a two-part chapter, but then I realized I wanted this story's prologue to be done as quickly as possible. As such, it will be longer than usual. I'm almost at the one-year mark for this story and still at chapter five. So, her we are. Now we're getting interesting. The plot thickens. I had to rush to get this chapter done so there may be some errors.


Chapter 5

Two men wearing the clothes of the Catholic priests walked down the lane, both young in appearance and contrasting in physiques. One of them had short light hair and was very skinny and meek looking. The other had a darker skin tone, with more bulk, and long, dark hair. The two made a pretty odd pair and had it not been for their priestly dress, it would have been unlikely anyone would have seen them as compatriots of any kind.

Both made it to the end of the lane, stopping in the presence of a Japanese man, also in a garb of a priest. Like the long haired priest, he was also muscular, and carried himself with a similar air, the kind of man who carried himself more like an experienced warrior rather than a man of peace. Extending his gloved right hand out, he offered it to the skinnier of the two who accepted it and shook.

"Sancraid Phahn." The Japanese priest greeted in recollection. "It has been a while since we last spoke."

"Greetings, Father Kotomine Kirei." Replied the meek looking young man. "I hope we did not keep you long." Kotomine knew this man as a member of the Assembly of the Eight Sacrament. This faction within the Church was in charge of handling items considered to be holy relics and was directly responsible for overseeing the Grail War. Within the organization, he made a name for himself and was well liked among his peers, though for some unknown reason, Kotomine was always on guard with him around. Maybe the priest sensed a little bit of himself within the man.

He motioned towards the bulkier man to his left. "Allow me to introduce Hansa Cervantes." The young man with long dark hair nodded in response to his name being called.

"I've heard of you." Kirei stated reaching out his right hand. "A rising star among the Executors."

"I've heard of your exploits as well." Cervantes said grasping the priest's gloved hand and shook it. Kotomine in his part noticed the strength behind the grip, but also recognized a familiar sensation hidden beneath that strength, almost as if it were artificial, though Kotomine himself may be guessing since he admit he was only just starting to understanding how to affectively use his own artificial hand. Deciding best to keep quiet about this particular topic, he released the man's hand and left it at that.

"Kotomine-san, I believe you know why we are here." The skinnier of the two priests said. It was not a question.

"Business already?" the overseer of Fuyuki asked. "You both just left your plane. Are you sure you do not want to rest first?"

"I personally will feel more rested when our concern has been dealt with." Phahn said in a business like tone. "Although if Father Hansa wishes to rest, I suppose we can take a little respite to get better acquainted with the time difference."

"I am fine." The other priest assured. "If the wicked do not rest this day, neither will I."

"I see," Kotomine stated. Like real dedicated men of the cloth, they prefer to come and perform their duties as quickly as possible. Any other priest would see their prompt behavior as the rambunctiousness of eager youths seeking to preform their duties in the name of God, though Kotomine was able to look deeper into their actions. While it well hidden, he saw that both of them were very much eager to eliminate evil not just for the Church and God, but also for their own desire. Maybe it was because Kirei himself was no different, but he was able to sense a desire to go all out against whatever it was they were sent to find. Kirei had mixed feelings about that. The logical part of him wanted them to find nothing, but the intrigued part of him… "Why don't I meet you both half way? Let's head over to the Tohsaka mansion. You can recuperate at the house of the Land Owner and we can discuss the mission. I'll even let you review some of the documents of my late teacher's activities."

"I suppose that's the best course of action." Phahn agreed. "What say you, Father Hansa?"

"Of course." Nodded the other priest's partner. "I think it better we not discuss things out in the open anyway. Who knows what third party is listening in as we speak?"

Kotomine had a pretty good idea who that third party might be, and maybe the other two priests did as well. It would either be a rogue magus, or the primary suspect of their worries. "Well gentlemen, allow me to lead you." With the offer made, Kotomine turned and walked towards the airport exist with the two other priests following.

As the three men left the airport, a small grotesque insect watched them exit the building and enter Kotomine's vehicle. Little did the creature, or rather the magus watching through the creature' s eyes realize, it was not alone in its observations.


Sakura looked at he broken man with emotionless eyes from the top of the stairs. She watched him silently, sobbing in a bloody, broken mess. She did not understand. Why had he come back? He was free to leave, so why did he return here? And why does he still struggle to live while in such a state? Why? Is this another lesson from grandfather? Is this…?

"I'm sorry, Sakura." Matou Kariya said in the dark. Sorry? "I failed you."

Her thought process broke off as the man's attention was turned to her. Apparently the man still had some sense left. But why was he apologizing to her? Shouldn't Grandfather be the one he should be apologizing to? Isn't he the one the man disobeyed? She continued to stare at him for a moment, watching him shift in his state of unrest, and she made up her mind to speak.

"Why?" Sakura asked. "Why didn't you follow the rule? All you had to do is obey grandfather. So why did you go against him?"

Kariya looked up at the girl who looked back at him puzzled. She truly did not understand. What so important that the man would risk so much, suffer through so much? What was it? Sakura had to know.

"For… you…" If there was any surprise in the girl's eyes, Kariya could not see it. "I wanted… to get you out of here… I wanted… to get you… away from him…"

"Me…" Sakura asked. This time, Kariya could see something. Maybe it was a long ago buried emotion.

"I promised… that I would… reunited you… with your mother… with Rin… and I…" the man cut off mid sentence. Tears began rolling down his eyes. A sudden pang of regret washed over him as he remembered what he had done to his childhood friend in a fit of madness. "My god… Aoi…"

Sakura did not understand what he meant. One thing was clear. "You're hurting… because of me…"

"No!" Kariya bellowed inviting a fresh new spasm of pain. " I did this… to myself. I did this… because I… because you're worth it… I… I really am a fool." Sakura was once again confused by the suffering man's words. "I thought all this time… I could save you… I thought if I gave Zouken… what he wanted… he would let you go… but I failed…"

"No…" he growled. Somehow, the mess of a man, managed to get up onto his knees. "I've had it all wrong." He sat on his knees. "All this time… I should not have been… trying to appease him…" he coughed up a bit of blood. "I have been trying… to kill him…"

This shocked Sakura. What was he saying? Kill Grandfather? That's impossible. She saw what he could do. There's no way that man could kill someone like him. "Grandfather cannot be killed, he…"

"You're wrong…" This surprised Sakura. "He is old, but not immortal. No matter how many bodies he goes through, his soul had withered away until it became a shriveled piece of filth. Make no mistake. He will die." He then looked over at his hand, specifically, at the markings on his hand. "And I'm going to make sure he remembers it!"

He then winced as his hand began to glow. Sakura watched in curiosity as he keeled over in the fetal position, once again groaning in agony, but trying his best to fight the pain. He then let his arm out and put roared in a pain the Worm Crests pulsed in his body, devouring his flesh, burning it with mana, tearing him apart from the inside. Still, he fought the pain, fought the utter anguish he was facing for this final act. Sakura, who had been dispassionate from the man's actions a moment ago had become increasingly invested in the man's actions and watched with increased interest.

"It's all this damned war's fault!" Kariya said through gritted teeth. "It's because of the damned Grail, and Magi like Zouken who covet it… that people like us suffer… that Sakura suffers! No more… no more… I'll… show them all… I'll show Zouken and all those damned Magi… they can't do as they please…" Kariya looked over Sakura, who was now looking at him with more emotion than he had seen in the little girl's eyes ever since she arrived at the Matou house. He was unsure if this would work, but what else had he to lose?

"Berserker…" roared the man. "… Hear my call… with every Command Seal I possess… Seek and destroy all involved in the Holy Grail War… Start with Zouken Matou… Make sure nothing is left of him… Obliterate him… Obliterate all the Masters…. Obliterate all the Servants…. Destroy that damned Grail… End this dammed War…. Crush the desires… of Matou Zouken… and Magi like him… do not rest until it is done… go Berserker… Let loose and show them all our fury! End... this… war! Kill… them… all! Destroy the Grail!"

With that declaration, every Command Seal on his hand vanished at once.

Back at the theater, Lancelot, who stayed in place, lamenting over his lost over the disappearance of his king, suddenly came back to life. His eyes once drown in despair once again lit in an uncontrolled fury as the voice of his Master echoed in his head. Once more the Command Seals compelled him, but not to hold back. This time, he was given permission to go all out. Now fuelled with the power necessary to unleashed his full might, he bellowed a violent and passionate battle cry like nothing he let loose before. He was ready for battle once again, only this time, he would not be held back. Before he could however, there was still one thing he had to take care of. There was still one thing the Command Seals compelled him to do. He had to seek the creature that was with his master when he was summoned. He had to find him, and destroy him. Luckily, he and his Master were connected. He could easily find the demon in the form of an old man. He would find him, and kill him. In fact, he already did. He was close, very close.

The servant of Madness called out as he drew his Noble Phantasm once more. Arondight, once a Divine Construct, now a tainted reminder of his betrayal swung once, breaking the air around him, and once more, he bellowed, ready for the hunt. Faster than the eye could track, he ran through the flames of the burning building, seeking his prey. He found it.


The three priests now currently rest in the Tohsaka mansion's study. Kotomine stood to the side observing the other two priests and their actions. Phahn was busily looking over the various documents that have been placed on the late Tohsaka Tokiomi's desk. Cervantes was sitting at the table drinking a cup of the coffee Kotomine offered, his overall demeanor restless. Clearly, the flight had not affected his enthusiasm.

Phahn put a folder to the side. "I notice that the closer it got to the Holy Grail War, the less of his basic duties Tohsaka Tokiomi performed." Phahn stated.

"In the defense of my dear master," Kotomine began. "The war was the most important event of his life, the fruit of the labors which he and the entire Tohsaka family worked. As such, he was not nearly as observant in his duties as before, but he still managed to preform admirably."

"Indeed." Phahn agreed. "Still, as the Second Land owner he should have been more aware that this would probably be a critical time to keep guarded against wondering magi. Who knows what kind of undesirable could have entered Fuyuki at the time and taken advantage of his family legacy?" Phahn reached for his own cup of coffee and took a sip. "Still, he did a decent enough job regardless. He made sure to keep track of any dubious parties, but I do wonder about something." He flipped through various folders as if trying to find a particular subject of interest and failing to do so. "There is a curious lack of information on a certain family in particular."

"You mean the Matou family?" Kotomine asked. Phahn silently nodded and Kotomine noticed Cervantes twitch a bit at the mention of that name. Clearly they had their own ideas about who it is they were looking for. Not that Kotomine blamed them.

The Matou family and their signature Worm Crests only avoided being seen as heretical in the Church's eyes by the skin of their teeth. From what he understood the only reason the Church did not pay them any mind in the past was because there were several magi who vouched for the validity of their studies, including the Tohsaka family, who unlike the former had a good standing with the Church. Many still feel that their practice was too close to vampirism for comfort, but for the moment, the Church relented. In recent times however, that validity was being brought to question, and with the recent events…

"The Matou family," Kotomine began. "While they do have questionable studies, my master determined they are perfectly dependable allies."

"And your own opinion?" Cervantes asked.

"My opinion was originally formed by my master's own personal views." Kotomine stated honestly. "Without it however, I can scarcely say I trust them, especially when the war began."

"And do you believe they would do anything heretical?" Phahn asked with a bit of ice in his voice.

"No hesitation, not mixing words." Kotomine thought. Clearly he holds a no nonsense attitude towards heretics at the very least. At most however… well, we'll see. Truth be told, he knew for a fact, the old worm would gladly commit the greatest atrocities known to man if it meant immortality, but he could not say anything about it, not without risking the future of the Holy Grail war. He would have to be careful about how he answered. He wouldn't lie though. He did not like lying. He always found it strange that with all his faults, he found the fact that he found dishonesty to be distasteful. Oh well. He would answer the questions of these curious men, and he would do it as truthfully as he could.

"Again," Kotomine continues. "My own views were originally crafted by my master. He seemed to approve of the Matou family. Though that view may probably been biased because of the history that the two families shared. As for if I believe they would do anything heretical or not, they are far too secretive for me to have provide any direct evidence of such. Based on the evidence present before me, yes, I do believe they have the potential to commit heresies against God and the Church." There, an honest and satisfactory answer.

"Do you believe your master would have… overlooked, some of the activities of the Matou family in the past?"

This time he is a little more tactful with the way he delivers the question. It was an excellent attempt to soften the inquiry for the sake of Kotomine and the respect of a man of high standings such as Tohsaka Tokiomi.

"I do not doubt the Matou family did enjoy more liberty than most due to the alliance they share, but I assure you, if Tohsaka Tokiomi did have any suspicions about the nature of the Matou family, his duty would have come first, alliance or none.

"Despite the fact that his daughter was adopted by the Matou family?" Asked Cervantes.

"He no longer considered Matou Sakura his daughter when he gave her to the Matou family."

It was a cruel truth of Magi. As a general rule, only on heir can inherit the knowledge and the crest of a Magus family. When a second child is born, that second born would usual be given away to another family, either to be married off or through adoption. Tohsaka Sakura, now Matou Sakura, was one such child, given to the Matou family as the future head when it was revealed that their only son was born with dead magic circuits.

"If anything that further proves the Matou family's trustworthiness. At least, in the eyes of my masters'."

"So you are beginning to harbor doubts of the wisdom of Tohsaka's decision?" Phahn questioned.

"In light of everything since the Holy Grail War, I am." Kotomine responded, once again answering with utmost honesty and sincerity. "I will be honest with you. Sometime during the Grail War, I began to think that maybe my master was not as wise as I wished he were, or at least I wished he acted. I do not wish to speak ill of my dear friend, but I did notice he had a bit of tunnel vision, which only got worst as the Holy Grail War began proper. I fear it may have been the death of him in the end. God rest his soul." He walked over to the small table where he set his own cup of coffee and took a sip before continuing. "Regardless of his own shortcomings, I assure you, had he known something vile was happening in his own territory, he would have done his utmost to eliminate that threat, if the threat existed back then, or if it exists now."

"Yes," Cervantes agreed. "That's the main issue. Confirming if the threat exists."

"Is there anything more you would like to share with us about the Matou family?" Phahn asked.

"I'm afraid not." Kotomine responded. "I had little contact with them during the war. As a participant myself I was busy focusing my attention on fighting other combatants to focus on their activities alone. And when my father passed, God rest his soul, I was busy taking over his responsibilities as the overseer of the war." He looked at his gloved hand. " A task I'm afraid I failed miserably considering what happened to the Command Seals."

"You have my condolences." Cervantes said. "Bishop Dilo spoke kindly of your father and his actions. And you have nothing to worry about. Nobody in the Church blames you for the loss of the Command Seals. What happened could not have been avoided."

"I understand." Kotomine said. "Thank you for your kind words." He lowered his hand, looking back at his fellow priests, his expression retuning to business. "Now, I am interested in know about the origins of your tip."

"You and many of the bishops." Phahn stated. "The package suddenly arrived at the Church one day. We managed to trace it back to a post office in this city. The person who sent it was a truck driver from Kawasaki who happened to be passing through Fuyuki at the time."

"I take it he is just a proxy for whoever the real owner of the package is."

"According to the letter that was attached to it, the man was hypnotized into sending it and has no memory of doing so. We tracked that man down and confirmed it was indeed the case. We got what we could from the man through hypnosis and sent him on his way when we could not find anything useful. Whoever sent the package and the contents clearly wanted to remain anonymous."

"But they took a great risk getting an outsider involves." Kotomine stated as he pondered this new information. "They must have been very confident in their ability to put suggestive messages in the man's mind. Do you believe the anonymous person was one of the survivors of the war?"

Cervantes answered this time. "Apart from yourself, the only survivor was Waver Velvet, but we confirmed he was in England at the time, and as far as we know is still there."

"What about the families of Archibald and Einzbern?"

"We could not think of a reason either families would want anonymity. Supposing the Archibalds were indeed the senders. If such issues were brought to light, we would think they would want to bring this to light in order to gain favor, especially considering the lost they suffered in the grail war. As for the Einzberns, the reverse would happen. Of the founding families, information like this would damage their own reputation the most, so I believe they would want to keep this a secret from the Church."

"Indeed." Kotomine agreed. "Do you have a copy of this mysterious letter?"

"Right here." Cervantes said handing over a copied version of the letter the Church received. Kotomine took it and began to examine the contents, written in kanji.

To Whom It May Concern:

I would first like to begin by stating that I am fully aware that you will find this letter and in turn, the writer to be suspicious. I would like to say however that for the moment I would like to keep my anonymity for personal reasons. Know this however, I am not and enemy of the Church. I am simply a magus who wishes to stop another from introducing damnation into the world through their overreaching ambitions. This letter is to inform you of a catastrophe that will soon befall us. I fear a mad Magus has made their base in Fuyuki City. After the Holy Grail War, a plan was constructed to use the fragments of the Holy Grail and the power of a dark god to amplify their own power and satisfied their own blasphemous curiosity. Know this, the heretic used their own knowledge to twist and corrupt the pure innocents. They sought the Grail for power, and when they could not claim it, they sought another source. Be wary men of the Church, for this magus has forsaken the Lord for another master. They wield what they believe to be the power of Angra Mainyu, and who knows what evil they may do with it? I know I make a bold claim, but I assure you it is true. In the container within the box is a small sample of the infernal mud used when the contents of the spilt grail has been corrupted by the taint of the idol, Angra Mainyu as well as the shards from said grail, tainted by whatever was done to them. I risked my life to get these samples as proof of the misdeeds of another, and I implore you to take this threat seriously, lest the end will be brought upon by a person so arrogant as to believe they can control the power of a being beyond their comprehension. Check their workshop for hidden material similar to what I have sent you. Check for dark shards, check for the black mud, and above all, check who or whatever they used to for experimentation, whether they are servants or family. Only than you will know the truth.

"Hoh," Kotomine said to himself. He was impressed by the use of words. Describing the situation without confirming anything. Using words and descriptions broad enough to make the reader draw their own conclusion. The way the letter was writing it seemed like this "mad magus" was responsible for the taint of the shards instead of the creature within the grail. And when they mention, "risking their life," it the mind may have assumed the person snuck into the workshop of said Magus instead of risking their life in the fire. It also does not point fingers, instead, forcing the reader to draw their own conclusion based on the evidence and their own personal biases and ideas. What's more, it also implies that the magus already has an established workshop within the Fuyuki territory, and since there is only one other known magus family in the area, and one that does not have a very solid reputation with the Church, the conclusion will already be drawn. Especially since that family already has ties with the Grail to begin with. "Well played Mysterious Writer-san." He thought to himself, impressed by the truths and half-truths woven within the letter.

It did teach him a lot about the person who wrote the letter. While it is too early to draw one's own conclusions, Kotomine did theorize his mysterious adversary did know enough details about the Grail and what is inside it, but for whatever reason, they want the Church involved, but they don't want them too involved as to jeopardize the Heaven's Feel, but to what end? Their actions and their intentions appear contradictory, but maybe not. The Church is indeed interested enough that they would return to Fuyuki t investigate, that much is clear. Could it be they want Church officials here? But again, what is it they are trying to accomplish?

"So the 'Mad Magus' in question." Kotomine asked more to confirm than to inquire. "The Church believes the writer is referring to Matou Zouken?"

"It does not say names." Phahn said. "But indeed, he is the prime suspect considering his family, apart from the Tohsakas, are the only active Magi in the area. Still, I wonder why the letter does not outright state their suspicions instead of accusing the Matou family."

"All I can think of is that it's either a failsafe in case the package is intercepted or they think we'll figure it out on our own." Kotomine offered out loud. "It's also possible they did not have any concrete evidence to point fingers at anyone person in particular."

"Possibly." Cervantes agreed. "It is a serious charge, but a charge the Church will not just brush off, especially when they sent us those samples as proof. Do you believe we will find proof of heresy within the Matou's workshop?

"He will be on guard." Phahn stated. If he is guilty, he will most likely have destroyed or hidden his samples. Finding proof will not be easy, especially if he knows we are hear."

"I believe he may already know." Kotomine stated. "He has been rather paranoid as of late, especially with me. From what I understand, he was severely injured during the war, and has made it a habit of keeping tabs on me. I would not be surprised if he has familiars outside the borders of the property as we speak."

"Then we should being our investigation as soon as we can." Phahn stated. "The Church will want confirmation as soon as possible."

"Investigation is not the main issue." Cervantes pointed out. "We also have to take into consideration about how we investigate without causing an incident with the Mage Association."

That's right. The Church and Magi are in a Cold War state. They tolerate one another so long as magi do not commit acts of heresies, but at the same time, the Church cannot indiscriminately execute magi without more concrete evidence or force their way into another magus' workshop. In the world of magi, there is no law and order, but there are rules, and the Church has their own set of rules they too must follow if they were to coexist with the magi.

"Unfortunately, unless we want to start a scandal we cannot force our way into Matou Zouken's workshop without probably cause or concrete evidence of heresy." Phahn stated. "And our superiors were clear on that matter, under no circumstances are we to start trouble unless the evidence is there."

"That reminds me." Cervantes spoke up as he looked at his watch. "It should be early-morning at the Vatican. I was told to send a message to Bishop Dilo around this time to let him know we arrived. Do you have one I can use?"

"There is a fax machine in the corner, though it is one which require magecraft."

"A magic fax machine?" Cervantes questioned. Kotomine nodded in confirmation. Both Cervantes and Phahn looked at one another in silent contemplation. He then sighed and shook his head. "Magi…" he plainly stated as if that was all that needed to be said.


In the dark dungeon of the Matou mansion, the centuries old Zouken watched the Tohsaka manor through the eyes of his familiars. Keeping his distance, he had been observing the visitors ever since their arrival. He was never a person who liked surprises, especially now of all times when he was at his most vulnerable, and now and even bigger surprise hit him as he saw the priest travel to the airport and return with two other just like him.

"What is the meaning of this?" the old man questioned as he saw the priests travel by car from the airport to the Tohsaka mansion.

He did not like the looks of it at all. One of the men was just as bulky as the sadistic priest, Kotomine. Was he an Executor as well? And what of the skinnier? He was not as beefy, but for some reason, when Zouken peered at him, a sudden chill ran through him, like he was looking at a grotesque mask hiding an even more grotesque face. Whoever that young man was, he was clearly someone who hid behind a timid appearance but hid a wicked side, and now he was with that phony priest. What a combination.

Zouken had no idea what to make of these three priests. Did the Church have some kind of business after the Holy Grail Wars? Their investigations should have ended months ago. Did it have something to do with him? No, probably not. He is probably being too paranoid. They cannot touch him. They have no reason to do so. He has his own rights as a member of the Clock Tower, regardless of his own status as an isolated magus. The Church cannot enter his own property unless there are grounds or probably cause and he had no intention of giving them any grounds for such. He will have to keep minimal contact with the priests, but he'll keep an eye on them, of course, just to be on the safe…

The old man started in surprise as he felt the bounded field near the front of the manner drop, but soon relaxed when he realized who caused it.

"Byakuya." He called through his familiar. The blue haired man jumped, more violently then usual Zouken noticed.

"Z-Zouken..."

Zouken looked at he broken man through the eyes of one of his insect familiars and was immediately disgusted by the sight of his disheveled appearance. His clothes were a mess, his skin drained of most of its color, and he was pretty sure he had not bother to shave in several days. Often he had to remind the man to keep better care of himself just so he can keep up the appearance to the neighbors. One of his hands was bandaged the other held a bag that from the looks of it contained liquor.

"How surprising." Zouken thought with bitter sarcasm. Matou Byakuya drinking habit had been getting worst since the end of the war. Honestly he had always been a nervous wreck and a drunk, but lately his behavior had been getting worst. "We can thank the freelancer for that." He knew it was not completely the Einzbern representative's fault. He supposed he was partly to blame considering he practically raised the man to fear him. Still, the fact that Zouken raised him was enough for Byakuya to know the rules.

"You did not set the bounded field back up when you entered." Zouken reprimanded.

"I-I'll only be a moment." Byakuya replied with a nervous stutter Zouken was all too familiar with. "I j-just have to put this in the kitchen than I'll be out your way." He held up the pack in his good hand and smiled sheepishly and far too toothfully for the old Magus' liking.

Zouken sighed exasperated. He could go into a very detailed lesson about how in that 'moment' someone could have sent a familiar to infiltrate their base or how a frontal attack can be easier thanks to his incompetence, but he was in no mood, and he had much more pressing matters than to scold a half drunk lost cause.

"Well hurry up. There are people from the Church in the territory and I don't want the bounded field down at this time."

"The Church." Byakuya said alarmed. "W-What do they want?"

"I don't know. They showed up today without warning and went over to the Tohsaka mansion. I'm not sure what business they have there but I can tell they are looking for something, which is another reason I do not need our home exposed at this time. I would prefer if you stay here, but if you must leave, do your business and leave quickly while the priests are away from here."

"Of course." Byakuya replied heading towards the kitchen. "I'll be in and out. That's right. In and out. You won't see me. In and out..."

"Just..." Zouken started, his patience running out. Byakuya froze in place with a nervous twitch, Zouken's irritation apparent. In a calmer tone the elder Matou finished. "Do what you need to do and leave."

"Yes sir."

"And stay away from the Tohsaka residence. The Church men are there at this moment, and I want as little contact with them as possible."

"I-I assure you, I want nothing to do with the Executors!"

"See that you don't."

"Sh-Should I get the girl? Should I walk her home?"

"Huh? Ah, that's right, Sakura."

Zouken cursed himself for forgetting about his adopted granddaughter. He reached out to his familiars to track the girl. Good, she was still at the school. Judging by the time, it is probably close to dismissal. Would it better to steer her away for a while? No, it would be too suspicious if he were to intentionally avoid the priests if they decide to pay a visit. It would be best if he brought her here as quickly as possible.

"Leave for her school and escort her home." Zouken commanded "Again, be sure to avoid the priests." Knowing his son's habits, he gave one final half command, half warning as an afterthought. "Make no detours or stops along the way. Get the girl and come straight home. I will be watching."

"O-Of course." Byakuya stuttered.

Byakuya bowed to the familiar and ran off. Zouken shook his head annoyed. It was times like these when he missed having Kariya around. Defiant as his descendent was, at least he showed some guts, unlike his useless older brother. That said, the thought of Kariya still brought some lingering feelings of resentment considering that it was because the of him Zouken lost out on an opportunity to obtain some precious samples.

Near he end of the war, Zouken had been some distance away from the excavation site, waiting for the ritual to end when he was suddenly attacked by of all things, Kariya's Servant. He could still recall the mindless brute charging at him out of the shadows, its face giving off the most ferocious snarl that Zouken ever saw. He recalled how the giant, armored creature swung its sword and found himself actually taking damage from the attack. Whatever's the sword was the mad Servant wield it seemed to have the ability to damage his very core as well, almost as if his soul was being cut through. Quicker then the eye could track, the furious Servant sliced through every worm in his body when thin seconds. Zouken had managed to relocate his soul into his main worm and escape before the crazed Servant discovered him, but the damage was already done. He was left nearly rippled by the attack and was forced to retreat.

On his way back, he was forced to create more worms and "commandeered" a new body. He was shocked to learn how much more effort it took him to do this than usual and found himself there in the outskirts for hours. By the time he completed his body, the fire engulfed the city burning away most of the samples he planned to collect. All he managed to get were small fragments.

He learned the fate of Kariya when he returned home. He discovered his own worms had eaten him, a not so surprising end in Zouken's mind. Still, the damaged the rebellious man did to Zouken would be irreversible. He may have failed to kill Zouken, but the old magus was well aware of the consequences of the dying man's act of defiance. Now he was even worst off than he was before, and all thanks to the throw away child who he allowed in the war for his own amusement. The irony was not lost on Zouken and he hated every bit of it.

Now here he was, forced to stay in his own dungeon chamber to try and reverse the damage done to him. As crooked as he was, he was not completely helpless. After all, one thing the Makiri can pride themselves in is the fact that they don't give up easily. Still, he was fully aware that this made controlling his family that much harder. Byakuya was no problem. He was always the same sniveling worms had always been. The real problem came from the girl.

Ever since that day, he noted as slightly more defiant air coming from her. It wasn't apparent at first glance, but he could tell the girl seemed to be growing in boldness. From what he understood, she was there when Kariya died, and whatever was said in those last moments seemed to have given her a backbone of sorts. The fact that Zouken returned home so badly hurt and the child seemed aware it was thanks to Kariya did not help. He still recalled the first thing the child said to him upon his return.

"Grandfather… Are you dying?"

'Are you dying?' Not 'are you well,' or 'is there any thing I can do for you,' but 'are you dying?' Since the beginning he had been trying to present the image that he was indestructible, that he would continue to live forever. He tried to project the image that no matter what she did, he would be unstoppable, and she would do well to do as he says, and Kariya with the use of his remaining Command Seals threw it all away. Now she knows he can get hurt, and ultimately could die. She was now aware he was mortal, and had been weakened by someone even less powerful than himself. Ever since then the fear she once had had become less apparent, gradually replaced with a silent defiance, similar to what Kariya had in his eyes.

Well that child will have to be disappointed. True he was weaker, but by no means was he done. She will learn to fear him again. Once he gets better, he will intensify her training, and she will become the good little puppet she was always meant to be. For now however, he had to focus on getting himself back to what passes as healthy for him. Until then, he had plans.


Things were changing, and Sakura knew it. Ever since Uncle Kariya died, things have been gradually becoming… different, and she did not know if it was for better or worst. She did not go back into the worm pit anymore. Her Grandfather threatened it, but he never acted. He was too busy recovering from whatever it was her uncle did to him, and she knew it was something her uncle did. Her grandfather tried to deny it, and she never questioned him about it, but she knew the truth.

"Grandfather can die." She thought to herself. "He is not all powerful. He needs to heal."

He has been in that worm pit for months now. He could not bother training her properly, not while he was so badly hurt, that much she knew. She found herself watching him on more than one occasion, seeing the process of healing, or dying. Lately though, he had been more irritable, but he has done nothing about it. Though she didn't think he could do anything if he wanted to.

In the mean time, she would wait. There was little she could do until then. Maybe it was true that Grandfather just needed time to heal. Maybe it was true that he was dying. It did not matter. She just had to wait and see. There was precious little she could do but wait it out and live her life in her new family, because her old family did not need her anymore. So now, she waited for something new to happen.

For a moment, she wondered if this was that something new, but brushed it off as just a coincidence. Her new father, Matou Byakuya walking her home from school, while it was something new, was certainly not something she would see as life changing. Maybe it was just Grandfather trying to keep a closer eye on her. Still, it certainly was something and pay attention to. After all, it as different, and Sakura reminded herself to pay attention to everything different.

"Say, Sakura." Byakuya suddenly said. Sakura looked up at the older man who did not return the gaze. Instead, he looked around nervously and pulled a small bottle from his bag and opened it. "Here's some juice. Keep yourself hydrated." He held it out and offered it to her.

Sakura looked at the bottle puzzled. This was also different.

"Thank you." Sakura thanked as she took the bottle.

Observing it for a moment, she noted the brand and recognized it as one she liked. The child put it to her lips and began to sip it. It tasted like orange. She liked orange. But there was something else as well. She did not know what it was, but there the juice had some kind weird taste she did not really like. The little girl looked up at her father who for some odd reason was looking at her. She knew better than to complain. Besides, she still liked the orange taste. Putting the bottle to her lips, she took big gulps, ignoring the funny taste and focusing on the orange flavor.

When she was done, the put the bottle down, the contents was a third emptier than it was before. She looked up at her adopted father. Now he wasn't looking at her. Not as much, anyway. She continued to take sips of her drink, considering how different things are, and how things are changing. She wondered just what would happen in the future.

By the time they arrived at the front gate of their mansion, she finished her drink and was now carrying an empty bottle. She prepared herself to go in, but hesitated upon looking at her adopted father. Matou Byakuya had stopped, looking up at the house. It was not the first time he had a look on his face that told the world he really did not want to be there, but Sakura sensed something different about it this time. The look of apprehension he gave was far more hesitant than usual, and he seemed to be looking around, as if finding an excuse to not go in.

"What are you doing, Byakuya?" Sakura heard the voice of Grandfather through one of his familiars. "What are you doing? Get in here, now!"

"I-I…" Byakuya started, taking a step backwards.

From inside the dungeon, Zouken diverted his attention from the priests back to his family members who still lingered just outside his manor. He saw no need to focus too much of his attention on them when they were close by, so he focused on the surveillance of the Tohsaka Manor, but Byakuya's out of character behavior was starting to both anger and disturb the centuries old magus, especially when he made it clear earlier that now was not the time for unforeseen circumstances. Come to think of it, a lot of Byakuya's actions today have been too out of character, especially today of all days.

"Why do you hesitate?" Zouken coldly called, suspicion trailing his voice. "What has gotten into you? Out with it! What is going on?"

Byakuya once again looked around as if a hero could swoop down and save him from this whole situation. He knew none would come. He looked over at Sakura who was beginning to look at him with the same amazed puzzlement she gave her uncle Kariya long ago. How could she not? Again, someone in the Matou family was disobeying Grandfather. What would be the results this time?

Byakuya gritted his teeth in frustration. There was no turning back now. He had already come this far. He put his hand to his throat desperately wanting a drink, cursing himself for thinking that. After all, wasn't it a drink that got him into this mess in the first place? That night he was at the bar, that night with that foreigner with raven hair in that revealing scarlet dress, that night she offered to buy him a drink. Let's not forget what she slipped into that drink when he wasn't looking. Let's not forget…

"Dammit all!" Byakuya called taking something out of his coat.

"Byakuya, what…" that was all that Zouken was able to get out before the impulse of magical energy erupted from the Matou Manor.


All three priests got up suddenly and looked out at the distance, all of them sensing the sudden pulse that overwhelmed them. A powerful impulse of Mana washed out from the Matou residence, washing over the area, both strong and wide enough to spread over the Tohsaka residence. Normal people could not feel it, but a person who trained as a magus could feel a strong sense of vertigo washed over them if they were close enough. The closer they were, the stronger the sense. The three priests were too far away too feel the full affect, but could at the very least sense it go off.

"This feeling." Cervantes stated surprised.

"That came from the Matou residence." Kotomine stated in disbelief. "Are the Matous under attack?"

"Let's investigate, but approach cautiously." Phahn instructed.

All three were ready in a matter of seconds. Without a word exchanged between them, they were out of the mansion and running towards what they knew to be a dangerous situation. They knew this was too good to be true, but they had no choice but to investigate the sudden feeling coming from the Matou residence. All three had left the Tohsaka residence as skilled men of the Church, their minds focused on the task set before them, no other thought in their mind. For that moment, destroying evil was on their mind. Everything else was secondary.

That includes locking the Tohsaka mansion door, and setting up the protective bounded fields, which was something the small animal that poked its head from the bushes was counting on. It was a large brown weasel, very ordinary for its appearance except for the small lines of white streaks coming down its body as well as its bright red and highly intelligent eyes. It examined its surroundings, and when it was sure it was alone, it advanced towards the grounds.

Before entering the property, it looked some distance away, noticing the writhing form of on of the worm familiars of the Matou family. The small creature ran over to it and proceeded to tear it apart with its claws and fangs, affectively ending it. With its rival familiar put out of commotion, the weasel ran into the unguarded mansion, careful to watch out for traps that are still active.


On his better days, Matou Zouken was in a bad mood. Now, he was seething. Finally recovering from the shock enough to move, he finally managed to escape the dungeon and out of the mansion. He did not know what happen. One moment he was scolding his idiot son, the next moment, a sudden wave of nausea washed over him, like somebody blew up a firecracker of pure mana in his face, or more specifically, in his home.

"What is this?" Zouken asked, his mind taking more time to process the situation. He was unsure exactly what to make of the explosion; it's purpose, or worst yet, where it came from. If it was an assassination attempt it was a poor one. Whatever this explosion, it did not harm him, nor could it, not so long as Zouken protected the worm that contained his soul. Still, he had to leave the mansion as soon as he could. He had no idea what lingering affects the sudden explosion had on his house.

As Zouken passed the gates, he groggily looked over at Byakuya and the girl; both of them appeared to be trying to keep their balance and rubbing their heads trying to shake off a sense of nausea. Whatever it was that happened in the house, it apparently affected them too, though not nearly as much, probably because they were not as close to the pulse as he was, and they were not as magically adept as Zouken. Still, where in the world did that pulse come from? Did someone actually have the gall to sneak into his own base while brought the Bounded field down? Who would risk it?

Zouken was prepared to yell at the two once more, before he finally noticed the three powers coming straight for them. Looking over the shoulder of his two family members, Zouken cursed under his breath as he saw the three priests coming for towards them. Of course they would come here. A strong pulse like that, there's no way they wouldn't investigate.

"Keep quiet you two." Zouken instructed. "I will speak."

The three priests stopped some distance away as they observed the family of three. Recognizing them, Kotomine signaled for the other two in confirmation. Kotomine knew the taller man as Matou Byakuya. He was the failure son of the Matou family, around simply to produce an heir, a task that he failed at spectacularly. He could do him no harm, but Kotomine was till cautious. He knew more than anyone that surprises can come from anywhere, especially today, when there were already so many. In this case however, Kotomine did not believe the man before him could do or say anything so grand as to surprise him.

The girl, Matou Sakura, was biologically the daughter of her former master. One would not think that looking at her now, her hair and eyes now of violet. She certainly did look more like a Matou than she did a Tohsaka, so one would be excused for not believing Kotomine if he made such a claim. In addition to the biological change in the girl, the part of him that took note of the pain of other noted the emptiness of the eyes.

Of the three, it was the third person he felt the need to keep he guard up. Zouken Matou, the centuries old student of Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. He was the one not to be taken lightly. He could tell that the old man had seen better days. From what he understood he was gravely wounded during the events of the Holy Grail War thanks to his own son. From the looks of things, whatever happened in his own home just a few moments ago did not help. Still, Kotomine concluded it was better to not do anything recklessly, especially when he did not know the situation. He looked over at his comrades and they came to a silent acknowledgment.

"The Church I presume," Zouken stated nonchalantly, keeping his tempter under control. "I…"

"Thank God you're here!"

A sudden voice called out. Zouken froze in complete and utter shock. It wasn't just him Kotomine's usually calm face dropped as well and even Sakura's usually emotionless face fell at the sudden interruption of her Grandfather, and by the voice's owner of all people. The other two priests, while not as shocked of as everyone else present were still very much surprised by the sudden outburst. Clearly nobody was expecting it.

Matou Byakuya approached the three men taking Sakura by the hand. "Then the Church took my warning seriously! You got my letter after all! Thank God for your quick response!"

"…" Kotomine retracted his earlier thoughts about how Matou Byakuya could not surprise him.

He could have given anything to seen his own expression in that moment. It was probably something similar to what Zouken was wearing. Judging by Zouken's own face, not only had he not seen this coming, it had not even registered to him that he had been betrayed. Maybe it was still the ill affect of the magical impulse on his mind or the fact that he had been so used to having his way, the very thought that someone like Byakuya betraying him had become so foreign to him it had become an impossibility. Whatever the reason, Zouken had now appeared to be in a state of shock and confusion.

"You're the anonymous informant?" Phahn questioned, taking charge of the situation.

Zouken in his part was still in disbelief. What did he mean by informant? Byakuya was an informant of some kind? Does that mean HE was the reason they were here? THAT Byakuya? The coward of the Matou family?

"Yes, Father! I am!" Byakuya said excitedly as if he was answering Zouken's thoughts instead of the priest's inquiry. He then pointed an accusatory finger at Zouken, who looked like he was still trying to figure out what the hell was happening. "That man, he is guilty of committing heretical acts against humanity. He stole pieces of the Holy Grail when the ritual failed! He tried to summon the power of a heretical god to gain immortality!"

"Wh-Wha…" Zouken began to speak. His eyes began to show signs of life. His mind was catching up with reality as he began to realize what it was the man was saying.

"Here," Byakuya called as he pulled out something from his pocket. A clear vile was being held in the traitor's uninjured hand. Zouken froze as he realized what was in it. Some of the infernal mud that came from the grail as well as large shards were inside it. His mind raced as he tried to figure out what it could possibly mean. How in the world could Byakuya get his hands on that? Then he took a closer look at the vile, and realized that it was one of the many he keeps in his own workshop. But… "This is a piece of the Grail. He summoned the power of the evil god Angra Mainyu and fused it with the shard. There are more pieces just like this in his lab. Take a look and you will find them!"

Zouken could not believe what he was hearing. Where was Byakuya getting this story, this concoction of truths and lies mixed into one? How could this have come to be? Wherever this story came to be, its consequences were apparent. The priests were now looking at Zouken like he would at any moment summon the heretical god to come an aid him. Zouken mostly got over his shock, and gradually replaced it with fury as he realized he was being drawn into a corner.

"You…" Zouken growled. Byakuya jumped behind the priests as Zouken grumbled. "Byakuya, you treacherous worm!" He had been set up. Byakuya had made it so that Zouken would be seen as a heretic. Somehow, Byakuya learned of the Grail's corruption and Zouken's own collection of its samples and used that to his advantage. He somehow managed to get his own hands on some of the damning material and is now showing it to dogs of the Church, and with Zouken's own lab equipment nonetheless. Worst yet, if these priests were to force their way into his workshop in that moment, they would find the samples, his notes, and all the material he really had collected, it really would be proof. Even worst, thanks to that convenient mana impulse, they now the probable cause to enter my lab and investigate without causing an incident with the Clock Tower.

How could this be? First Kariya, then Sakura, now Byakuya. It should be impossible, but everything made since. His behavior up to this point, the sudden impulse. He must have planted some kind of magical device in the house to go off to attract those priests' attention. That would give them the precedence to come to the residence and investigate without undergoing any sort of formalities. Looking back, Zouken recalled that device he suddenly pulled out just before the explosion. That must have been the detonator, and looking back further, that brown paper bag of supposedly liquor was most likely the device.

Zouken cursed his own sloppiness. He had allowed a magical weapon into his own base without a second thought, and the signs were all too obvious. Sure the priests distracted him and he did not see Byakuya as a threat, but that was no excuse. He should have been at higher alert. He lived far too long to let such a mistake pass easily. Instead of disregarding the weakest link of his family, he should have been keeping a closer eye on him, in case other magi used him to their advantage. Now that he thought about it, Byakuya had called these men 'Executors.' Zouken had called them men of the Church, but he had never once referred to them as Executors. This had all been an elaborate ploy to expose Zouken, and it succeeded. Not here he was, exposed, and vulnerable before three of the Church's hunters.

"Well, do you mind explaining yourself? Kotomine questioned with just a bit of tone that suggested both amusement and conceit.

Zouken had to consider his next move. Should he expose the truth? No, he couldn't. He still needed the next war to continue. Exposing it now could end future wars. But if he did not expose the truth, he would be ended. Either way, it would mean the end of his ambitions, the end of his goals, and he would not allow that. He will not allow everything he worked hard to accomplish be for nothing, not because of these men. Not because of Byakuya. He knew what he had to do. It would be a difficult path, but if he played his card right, it would be most beneficial in the long-term.

"Matou Zouken." Phahn stated. "You have officially been accused of heresy. We will give you the opportunity to explain yourself before we pass sentence upon you.

His gaze met everyone present. He looked one by one at the three priests. Each of them gave the same expectant predatory expression, the phony one, Kotomine's in particular he noted was a bit more condescending then the others. He then turned to Byakuya who did not meet his eye; instead, he turned his eyes to the ground. Then he looked at Sakura. Again, the girl looked at him, with the same expecting eyes she gave him that night he came home crawling back the night of the Holy Grail War. It was the night she believed he would die. Again, same seething anger came over him, and he felt the need to punish her. He reached out the worms within her to teach her to remember her place, and could feel… nothing.

Much to his astonishment, the worms in her body were in a tranquil state. He tried to get them to respond, but they did not move at all. He looked down and saw it. The bottle Sakura drunk from. Could it be Byakuya have made some sort of elixir for the girl? Could he have thought this far ahead?

"Hehe…" A small chuckle escaped the old magus's lips. Soon however… "Hehehe… HAHAHAHAHHAHAAA" that chuckle exploded into a large fit of laughter. He knew the priests were probably taking his laughter, but he didn't mind, at the very least it disturbed the treacherous son of his, and he got some satisfaction from that. Regardless, he could not help but laugh at his own foolishness for not seeing the blatantly obvious from the very beginning. The very thought of Byakuya caring for the child's well being was hilarious enough, but the thought of him being smart enough to have the skills to create the elixir to sedate his worms and create the magic impulse bombs, that was just plain hilarious. Then there was this whole plot. It was far too complex for someone like his own son to come up with on his own. Of course he didn't, he had help. Or rather, he WAS the help. He was just an errand boy.

"What is so amusing?" Kotomine asked.

"My apologies." Zouken said as his fit of laughter subsided. "It's just that, for a moment, I actually believed Byakuya actually managed to grow a spine, but alas, it was not meant to be." He turned his gaze back to Byakuya, his tone ice cold as his stare. "It seems as though I have not taught the boy his place properly. That will have to be corrected." He turned his attention back to the priests. He thought for a moment on his next move.

No doubt they would expect him to defend himself, but what would be the point? He considered putting the blame on Byakuya or his new master. It could be his best option; he could even get away with the idea he was framed, considering he really was framed. But that would not explain the notes written in his hand or the samples they would not doubt find if they force their way in. Besides, the Matou Family and the Church were never on well enough terms with one another. He did not believe even his own words would carry enough weights. Another point to take into consideration, he did not want to jeopardize the possibility of canceling the next Holy Grail War. No matter what, he needed the next war to happen, for the necessity of his plans. It seems as though he had no choice. No matter. He had plans. He always did. If someone was playing a game with him, he would have to play along.

"What do you know, priests?" Zouken spat coldly. "I have lived far longer than any of you. I have seen evil, experienced it, created it, and destroyed it. You believe that slime you carry with you is evil? You would not know evil is it stood next to you, fought along side you, or even aided you in battle. No, my work is not evil. Do you know what evil is?" He paused for a moment not expecting answer. "Evil, is arbitrary. There is no evil in the world. Only the fools who cling on foolish biases, and classify it as such, because it is not a power they themselves wield, or they are too cowardly to wield." Zouken chuckled a bit at that. "So, have I satisfied your curiosity? Do you have the answer you seek?"

"I do." Phahn stated, his tone as flat and unreadable.

"Good." Zouken stated. Then, he made his move. "Then we have nothing more to discuss."

A large wave of insect suddenly erupted from all around. From over the fences, from out of the sewer, from the sky, the trees, the bushes, the grass, all around the neighborhood, they sprung, engulfing the four men. The three priests stood their ground guard as the insects came towards them while Byakuya panicked, and fell to the ground, hiding behind Phahn's legs. They paid the man no mind, instead, prepared for the battle they knew from the very beginning was coming.

In the moment before impact, the insects around them suddenly burst into a bright blue flames upon impacting with the bounded field Phahn set up before the confrontation. When the familiars backed out, Cervantes nodded at Phahn who reduced the barrier allowing Cervantes to pass through, taking out the weapons of the Executor, the Black Keys. Quickly, and viciously, he slashed at a large swarm of insects, cutting not only those who connected with the five blades, but the many unlucky enough to get caught in the wind it produced. Both Kotomine and Cervantes stood side by side, Black Keys drawn, ready for combat, their eyes fixed on the old man swarmed by a cloud of black insects. Behind them, Phahn set up several bounded fields with Byakuya cowering and Sakura, no longer with the detached emotion of a broken girl, but with that of an oppressed bystander watching a rebellion from the sideline. Now she stared with intrigue over the turn of events. Could this truly be the end of her grandfather? Could this really be the end of the invincible Matou Zouken?

"Is it, uncle?"

"The Lord is by our side." Kotomine prayed as he sliced through more of Zouken's worms. "With His good grace, let us smite our enemies."

"Amen." The two priests replied.

"Amen," Sakura heard her self mutter.

While 'Amen' was heard was heard by Sakura, all the likes of Zouken and Byakuya heard from the mouths of the three Zealous priests was something along the line of 'Itadakimasu.'


Humiliated, broken, the worm crawled through the grass. He had escaped. Once again, the worm containing the soul of Zolgen Makiri escaped.

One after another, the life forms he came across was taken over. A beetle, a mouse, and eventually a squirrel. At first, he tried to create a small army of makeshift worms from the material, but abandoned that idea for the creation of a new body. For now he took over the squirrel and made his way out of Shinto, leaving the remains of his old body behind, controlled as a puppet in order to buy enough time to make his escape. It did not matter to him. So long as the worm containing his soul remained, so would he.

While outraged, he kept his head cool enough so that he pondered the day's events as they transpired. He could still put the pieces together and come up with a hypothesis, so long as he does not dwell too much on his betrayal. This is what he knew. The whole thing was a trap by an unknown party. The Church members, Angra Mainyu, the bomb, it was all a set up to brand him a heretic, and it worked.

Probably the most humiliating aspect about this travesty was that it was Byakuya who had betrayed him. He knew Byakuya was too much of a coward and fool to pull this off by himself. Someone either coursed or threatened him to act as the doorman for this plot, and Zouken did not see it coming. Why would he? He had been on top for so long, why would he bother to see someone as beneath him as Byakuya as a threat? The conundrum now is who was it that pulled Byakuya into their plan? The Makiri more or less isolated themselves, so who could possibly set this up? Whatever it was it must have had something to do with the war.

There were only two survivors of the war, one of whom was a nobody magus Kariya had no true conflict with. The other was the priest. He seemed like the logical choice. Yet for some reason, Zouken did not think he was responsible. He could not see the priest coming up with such an elaborate plan. In fact, the priest probably would not have wanted his fellow men of the Church to get involved. If Zouken truly wanted to eliminate Zouken, he would have done so himself and in a more discrete manner. There was also the way the priests acted upon Byakuya's confession. He saw the priest's expression, he acted just as surprised as everyone else, and Zouken did not believe he was faking. Of the other magi families the Archibalds did not know enough about the ritual to give Byakuya details about the corruption and the Einzberns aren't creative enough to set up this plot. Besides, he knew Act would not risk the cancellation of the war.

He shook himself as he continued to crawl about. He did not have the luxury to think about it now. He needed to find a sanctuary. He knew the priests were on the lookout for him, even in this pathetic state. It was clear to him he could no longer stay in Fuyuki. He needed to leave as quickly as possible and go to a place they would not think to find him. Luckily he knew such a place. He would recuperate there and create a more substantial body. The problem was in his condition there was no way he could do so alone. The damage from the last war was bad enough. The way things were now; it was unlikely he would last long on his own. He would have to improvise, and the improvisation he had in mind would probably lead to his death quicker than if he turned himself in.

"Desperate times..." he said to himself as a reminder of his limited options.

It was now dawn as the mixture of mammal and insect looked out over the horizon. Taking one final look back at the town that used to be his home for the past centuries, not with a melancholy longing, but with a vengeful fury. Once again he was forced into exile, and this time it will be the Church and maybe even the Association looking for him.

"They will pay." He thought to himself. He will seek vengeance for this injustice. One day he will return and make all in involved in the affair suffer. He will take his vengeance on the fallen priest. He may not have been involved in the set up, but he still benefited no doubt. He would also take vengeance on Byakuya for his part. "The fool had better pray he drinks himself to death before I get to him." But above all, he will find the true mastermind behind the plot and make them pay. More than the priest, more than his treacherous son. He will make that person or persons pay. He will find out who they are, and they will suffer. This he vowed as he turned his back on the scene and left it all behind to start once again. Once again assuring himself, "They will all pay."


Some distance away, the same weasel that snuck into the Tohsaka mansion watched fossilized piece of skin burned under the bridge, by the riverbank. It was sure it was the catalyst that Tohsaka Tokiomi used to summon Archer. The case that protected it was certainly property of the Mage Association, and the item itself was the oldest and most well hidden item within the house. It could be nothing else but this. It was an old piece of skin, reptilian in appearance, fossilized, delicate, and ancient. And now, it was burning, box and all.

The familiar, or rather, the magus controlling the familiar felt a bit sad destroying an irreplaceable relic like this, but it had to be done. If another Grail War should come about, she did not want to face something like Archer again. She did not want the Tohsaka girl to have any advantage should that scenario happen. In fact, right next to the catalyst was a red pendant that had a high a mount of mana in it that could be used as a powerful weapon or magical device. She was prepared to swipe that too, but stopped when she discovered it was attached to some sort of magic connected to the house. She did not know if it was an alarm system of some kind, just that for some reason it was attached to all the clocks of the house, so she left it alone.

It was probably cruel of her to plan the downfall of a girl, but for the sake of her own family, it was necessary. Just as necessary as destroying the catalyst. Just as necessary as Matou Zouken's exile. Just as necessary as her next step. The magus chuckled to herself even now as it tried to imagine itself as an outside watching the weasel use a fax machine. She silently thanked the Tohsakas for providing said fax machine, though the fact that it was a magic fax machine made the whole situation even sillier. No matter, her task was done. Now all that was left was to have her partner in England receive the documents. She did her part. Now it's his turn.

With that, weasel looked one last time at the box. When it was sure the box was nothing but cinder and ashes, it dragged its remains to the river's edges when the flames died down. Unceremoniously, it tossed the ashes of the ancient fossilized catalyst over edge. The ashes covered the water and drifted out to sea. The box was soon broken apart and tossed over, following the ashes. With that, hopefully, not a single piece of the golden Archer would remain in Fuyuki or would return. The weasel's tasks completed, the Magus caused the souless creature to combust, turning it to a pile of ashes, allowing it to wash away with the current along with the lost catalyst.

Meanwhile, Emiya Irisviel awoke from her out of body experience, sitting up from her motel room bed. Going over the events of today, she concluded everything went according to plan. Stepping out of bed, she strolled over to the nightstand where she placed the black wig she bought for disguise purposes and put it on, activating a spell to disguise her more recognizable features for good measure. Her task for the day was done.

"One down." She said in confirmation as she prepared to leave for home.


A/N

I wanted to add more of a scene with Kotomine, Phahn and Cervantes fighting Zouken, but I already added so much. The plot needed to move along.

We have not seen the last of Zouken. Also, yep, Kotomine does not have his extra load of Command Seals in this time line. How will things affect the future? Let's wait and see.

Just to let you know, yes, Sakura's life will be a little happier now that Zouken won't be in it. She will still be raised in the Matou household, and by consequence, she'll still be living with Shinji, but she won't be going back into the worm pit anymore. It's not going to be a happy life, but it will be a little better, and she may or may not learn some magecraft along the way. It will probably be closer to her manga counterpart's life, but we'll see. Until next time.