"Run! Run!" A man said as he guided some people away to safety. Not that it was worth much when a gorilla like monster came in front of them all. Roaring at them while slamming its fist across its chest. The people more than frightened by the beast with a few even crying.

"N-No!" Some cried out while others whimpered. Realizing what was about to happen soon. A few having already seen what occurred to those caught by these mutant things. Being eaten alive or torn apart to shreds.

The people stepped back.

The Beringel Grimm stepped forward.

Everyone closed their eyes as they readied themselves to be killed off. The Grimm more than ready as it ran at them and attempted to crush them all.

Shing!

The sound of metal meeting bone could then be heard, with a slice. The people opened their eyes and saw the Grimm still glaring at them. A second later, it split from the shoulder down and disintegrated away. Leaving only a small girl with a scythe in its place with a hood standing before them.

"Huh?" One woman went as they couldn't believe what they just saw. Though before anybody else could say anything, suddenly the girl turned and just vanished.

"Wait, what!?" A man shouted wondering what just happened. Looking around to see if what he and the others saw was real.

"The hell was that?" A teenage punk asked while taking out a cigar and smoking it. Thinking if he was going to die, he'd die while smoking.

"Forget that!" His girlfriend then shouted. "We need to leave!"

"Yeah. Exactly!" An older girl agreed as she then ran. The others soon following, though one child, before they also joined with her siblings stopped and turned around.

"Um…Thanks!" The child then followed after the other people. All while the very girl who saved them was on top of a building already, a slight smile on her face. Behind her, a man gave a smirk while he smoked.

"Doing well today?" He then asked.

"Good Master." The girl responded. "Just glad that I could…help. Even if it's just a little."

"I don't blame you. Just a shame that our 'help' won't be very useful." The man then sighed as he looked across the city in the building. Seeing smoke, flying creatures, and the smell of blood and hearing screams and roars across the city.

The Association acted as soon as the news showed these demonic beasts in Fuyuki. Attempts to contact the owner here was futile, and nobody knew where she was. The overseer at the church had also vanished, though there was a note saying they were busy with dealing with the escalating situation. 'Escalating to potential damage to the masquerade.

Waver, El-Melloi II, has been involved with many things since becoming a Lord. From dealing with the politics inside the Clocktower, to helping Gray and dealing with the Faker Servant. And now here he is, in Fuyuki where it all began for him. Dealing with an incursion from released Demonic Beasts.

According to the note left at the church, these creatures were apparently known as Grimm. The note explaining, they were an attempt at reproducing the demonic beasts with an unknown formula created in America of all places. How the Overseer knew that Waver didn't know. But the Clocktower was already trying to contact the magus in America, but that would take time. No doubt the Clocktower would put their foot down on the Magus there in the states, but Waver also knew they would try and take the knowledge made to create these things.

I mean, the power to create demonic beasts is certainly something in the eyes of many. While he along with the other magus were here to deal with these Grimm, Waver knew some would try and capture the Grimm to see if they would be of any use for their research. Just another typical day for magus in general.

'And nothing that can be done about it.' Waver thought as he then looked and at a distance, he saw an Enforcer killing a Grimm with two regular people nearby. Moments later, the enforcer then killed them to keep the status quo. That was the mission here, to capture and stop the spread of the Grimm from revealing magecraft, and permanently silencing the people of Fuyuki. In time, more magus will come and through sheer 'accidents', Fuyuki will fall apart with the world only seeing it as another tragedy.

Waver felt bad…But he could do nothing. He and Gray were just here to kill these Grimm and be done with it. Still, he did hope that maybe, just maybe, something could be done about this. But then, just who would even deal with this?

Shirou alongside the others were moving forward. Or, well, they had their Servants pick them up and take them the temple where the Grimm were coming from. Archer held Rin and Musashi held Shirou, much to the boy's slight embarrassment at that. As for Shinji, well, he had to run with Berserker on his shoulder, forced to try and follow the obviously faster duo who were talking to each other at the moment. He was very far behind.

Meanwhile, Rin and Shirou talked about their game plan. Explaining all that occurred from Shirou's lost arm to meeting Zouken, to Rin's fight with Caster and the reveal of none other than Sakura herself.

Naturally, Shirou was more than shocked.

"That can't be right." Shirou said as Rin told him what she saw. "Sakura…Sakura isn't like that."

"But she is." Rin said, looking a bit saddened when she re-spoke what she knew. "Look, I don't understand it as much either. Heck, last I recalled Sakura was in the Matou home safe and sound." Rin then snarled. "Or…at least I thought she was safe."

Shirou already told her what he discovered in the basement of the Matou home. She and even Archer were shocked, disgust for Rin the most alongside horror. According to Shirou, Shinji told him that the worms were used for training. The boy of course didn't actually know what that training entitled, but Rin doubted it was for anything good. Archer himself was unusually silent when he heard this.

'Granted, it doesn't exactly explain how Sakura became like that…' Even so, Rin had a feeling this training was involved with Sakura's current mental state. Sighing, she then moved on saying, "For now, we just need to focus on killing the Grimm."

"Yeah." Shirou nodded. While still worried about Sakura, he put it aside to first deal with the threat of the Grimm. His eyes observing how he could see chaos happening across the city. Not everywhere, but eventually the Grimm will spread further and soon all of Fuyuki will become hell. "The source. Ozpin and you stated it should be where the Holy Grail is, right?"

"Mmm." Rin didn't really want to say this next part, but she had no choice. "Yeah. My family has hidden the location of the Holy Grail, where Caster's base had actually been in." Hidden away so well that not even Caster knew that the Grail was beneath her feet. "Still, it does leave me confused on how someone even knew where the Grail was."

"Is that a problem?" Musashi asked as she also wanted in on the conversation.

"Of course, it is." Rin snapped back. "My family has kept the Holy Grail's location hidden for many years. But if what Ozpin said is true, someone found it and used it to plant these Grimm to spawn out."

Rin would have loved to question Ozpin more, of all his little secrets. Knowing he was hiding much about his involvement here in Japan. But if what Shirou said is true, then that monster that disguised itself as a human already dealt with Ozpin. She may not have liked him much, but even Rin felt bad for the man. Either way, for now she already had an idea on what was happening.

"I won't know all the details until we get there," Rin began as she spoke to Shirou of her thoughts. "But I believe that maybe, whoever planted this liquid that creates Grimm, used the Grail to somehow accelerate it."

"Huh?" Shirou, who lacked any formal training, was just confused.

"It's simple you idiot." Archer then snarked with a grin, making Shirou frustrated to the Servant's pleasure. "The Grail, while capable of doing many things, at heart is really just a massive mana battery."

"It's true." Musashi agreed. Memories of her filling her mind and what she knew. "The Holy Grail can do lots of things because it has so much mana."

Rin nodded. "It's because of the Grail that Servants can even exist here properly." Sure, a Master was the one who supported their Servant with mana, but that was mainly for skills and to anchor them. It was the Holy Grail that brought them here properly. "My bet is that someone found the Grail, and is using it to power the Grimm. Or at the very least using it to increase their numbers."

These were just theories though. In the end, Rin didn't truly know much about the Grimm and how they worked. But considering they're bursting from the site where the Grail is, they must be connected somehow.

"So then…cut off the snake's head," Shirou then tried to use that analogy to the situation at hand, only for Archer to laugh.

"Fool. There is no head. And we don't even know what the situation in the Grail site is like." If it weren't for Archer being right, Shirou would have shouted. Instead, he could only just grit his teeth while fuming. Still, it is true. Until they got to the temple, nobody knew just how or why the Grimm were bursting out. Shirou could only just hope when they got there, they can stop this surge from destroying the city.

'And maybe save Sakura as well.' Shirou still didn't know what was going on with her. Just that whatever was going on with her, is bad with Shirou wanting to help her in any way he can. Not just her to though, but also Illya and the people of Fuyuki city. The Holy Grail War was already bad enough, but at least it occurred mainly at night. But with all these Grimm out, Shirou knew that people were dying even now.

Which is why he needed to stop the source of the Grimm, thus saving Sakura somehow who's connected to them if what Rin said was true. Then save Illya from Zouken while avenging Ozpin. None of this would be easy, but Shirou isn't going to give up like so. He found his resolve, and he won't let it go so easily.

"Hah! Hah! Hah!" Not that Shirou's resolve aligned with others so easily.

As for Shinji, he was sitting on a bench tired and weary. Unlike the other two who had Servants to carry them, Shinji had none of that and was forced to try and run to follow them.

"Screw this shit." Obviously, he couldn't catch up at all. The Matou leaning back on the chair to catch his breath, ignoring Berserker who glared at him for stopping. Too bad, he was human and was tired. Nothing he could do about it.

The Matou then glancing around just in case. Seeing some people but who were hurting away. Made sense. By now news of the Grimm will have spread alongside warnings. The Grimm were spreading, but thanks to their nature they hunted down the people they saw and massacred them before moving on. This was giving many people time to escape, though where they would go is beyond Shinji.

After looking at the sky, Shinji then asked to nobody on particular, "What am I doing?"

Here he was, going on a foolish quest to stop the Grimm and save the city. Uh! I mean, it wasn't as if he wanted the city to be gone, and by no means did he like the Grimm. Truthfully, them being killed off is a good thing. But then, why was he even here trying to help out. Loath as Shinji would ever admit it, he had no powers much to his anger.

No circuits. No Command Seals. No Servant. No nothing.

It was only thanks to his 'grandfather' did Shinji even have a chance to participate. But now because of that bastard, he lost the book that held Rider to obey him. With that bastard then beating him up all while looking gleeful at doing such a deed.

'Damn it!' Now here Shinji was, on a suicide mission. Unlike Shirou and Rin, he had nothing while they had power. "Well," Shinji then muttered as he looked at himself. Concentrating a bit before a bit of blue light can be seen over his skin. "Maybe not entirely powerless."

Thanks to Ozpin, Shinji had this aura. While he didn't know everything about it, Shinji knew he was tougher. He could move faster, felt his strength increase, and physically felt perfect. Yet Shinji knew aura wouldn't be enough when facing countless foes, especially since he wasn't even fully trained with aura. No thanks to Zouken again!

In any case, the point is why is Shinji even bothering with all of this?

His grandfather has effectively left him.

Sakura was going on some rampage with the Grimm all around.

He had no Servant at all.

In fact, wouldn't it be better to just leave here and now?

Sure, that'd mean he'd be leaving Shirou, but he at least had a Servant to defend himself with. So that was something Shirou has that he didn't, while also having Rin as his partner. If anything, it'd be rational to ditch now not because it's a betrayal, but because if he doesn't then Shinji could die. Shameful as it is, Shinji knew that he can't just fight against all these powerful foes.

Hell, he was literally left behind and just told to catch up with them. While he knew that idiot Shirou didn't mean any harm by this, Shinji knew it was Rin's way of telling him to get lost. Considering she was the one that suggested he went to the temple on foot. No doubt she believed that he was useless, and the suggestion was her way of saying to run away.

Heck, he bet Rin had him carry Berserker because she also found the Servant useless, which Shinji can agree to. Sure, the little rabid squirrel can actually kill people, horrifyingly at that, but against their current enemies no way. As such, both were left behind because Rin knew they couldn't do anything at this moment. Berserker probably hasn't realized this though because Mad Enhancement made any coherent thought null and void.

"Maybe I should just go." Shinji then relented. Realizing if he just kept on going, he would die just like so. Aside from maybe Shirou, Shinji had the feeling nobody else would mourn for him. Hell, he knew Zouken would get a good laugh at his death while Sakura would just probably pity him. Shinji then frowned, while clenching his fists.

He then stood up and began to move. Not towards the temple but away from it. Berserker seemed confused by this action, as while he may not be the brightest Servant even, he knew that this was the wrong direction. The Servant-turned-squirrel then poked Shinji in the cheek and pointed back.

"Tch." Shinji growled. "Like hell I'm going back over there." His eyes then narrowed down. "And if you think you can do anything, go ahead and try." Berserker chippered angrily. "Yeah, whatever."

Shinji then kept on going. The cold realization that all he could do was leave already settling in him, and frustratingly held back his screams of anger. All in all, this was probably the best choice he could make to survive this war. After all, just what could he even do?

Berserker then looked up.

"Shinji."

"Gah!" Shinji then screamed as Rider came out of nowhere. Berserker jumping off Shinji and hissing as best as he could. "Do not fear Shinji." Rider then told the Matou boy. "I am not here to harm you." After all, Shinji wasn't a Master, let aside an Enforcer. So, the Command Seal that was given to her won't even take effect.

"Y-You!" Shinji took many steps back in worry. After all, he didn't exactly take care of his Servant well. Actually, he pretty much yelled at her a lot and gave her such horrible demands. 'Yes. Those demands.' Shinji thought when he used Rider to fulfill his desires as a man. Desires that crossed certain lines. That would make woman sick of him.

"Do not be mistaken. I am still cross with how you forced me to dress as a maid, give you foot massages, and made me model for you in countless clothes so you could take pictures of and sell online."

"Don't say all that crap out loud!" Shinji shouted.

Indeed. Shinji used her as a maid and modeling to make loads of cash online. People loved a tall striking beauty in a bikini, dresses, and all sorts of outfits. Making cash while satisfying his desires in seeing a beautiful woman dressed in such wonderful clothing. It was awesome.

"..." Berserker looked at Shinji with disgust. Taking advantage of a beautiful woman like that…Trash.

"Screw you!" Shinji through the middle finger at Berserker.

Chomp!

"Ahhhhhh!" Shinji then ran in circles while desperately trying to get Berserker off of his finger. Rider sighing at this ridiculous scene. Honestly, she didn't even want to be here at all. She would have rather gone to the other boy, but she spotted Shinji by chance and with Shirou Emiya nowhere in sight…

"Listen well Matou." Rider then spoke to Shinji, who finally got Berserker off of him. "I must be leaving soon, but I have a message for you that may just help us all." Shinji looked at her, eyes slightly widened at what he heard. "Listening? Good. Then here's what I have to say."

The Grimm surrounded the entire temple. Beowolves. Ursas. Creeps. Nevermores. Apathy. So many from top to bottom, despite the fact countless have left into the city due to Sakura's orders. Why these Grimm were here, wasn't so much as they disobeyed Sakura, but in truth, were here because they felt a greater will than Sakura within the temple. One with a dark force so powerful that nobody but the Grimm themselves could sense it.

Which meant trying to enter like one entering their own home would be foolish and suicidal.

Zouken was none of those things.

"Now then, this should be done like this." Zouken finished inscribing a circle down before him. One that was normally used by magus who were chosen for this war to call upon Servants themselves.

Yet how could this be? After all, there were seven Servants already, and trying to summon another one would be more than foolish. It'd be pointless as all the slots were already full.

…at least, the normal slots anyway.

'Indeed.' Zouken thought as he was nearly done with the summoning circle. Recalling the rules and systems made for the Fuyuki Holy Grail. 'While it's true there should only be seven Servants, the fact is there is another slot. One made for the Ruler Class.'

A Class to be summoned if a Holy Grail War was to really go off course, or perhaps the Grail sensing a very ill-intentioned wish. Yet in the four wars that occurred, the Ruler Class never once came. Making that slot useless.

"Until now that is." Zouken grinned in a way that ruined his handsome features. It wasn't easy as he had to dredge up old memories of his past, but Zouken used his knowledge to create a way to summon a new Servant despite the fact there are already seven here. Using the Ruler's slot to call upon a new one that would obey his and only his commands.

Rider might be useful, but she's bound by the book he made. A well place hit, and the book will vanish away, and Rider will be out of his control. So better to make a new contract just in case Rider does manage to escape him. A new tool, even if it was cruel of him.

"?" Cruel? Uh. He must be imagining things again. Or maybe it was more of those side-effect emotions he got, likely from Ozpin. Whatever strange emotions he felt must be coming from the remnants of Ozpin's soul that was merging with his own. No doubt influencing him despite getting rid of that consciousness.

Either way, Zouken had a job to do. Win this war and attain his wish. Yes, a wish to get exactly what he wanted. That being…being…Neh. He can remember it later. The wish he had will come true. He'll just think about it another time. Maybe when he wasn't so busy as he at last finished the circle.

"Now then, for the catalyst." Zouken grinned. He wanted to use that Assassin but trying to find the Servant would be foolish when his location is at the temple surrounded by those imitation demonic beasts. So instead, why not use the Grimm as a catalyst. After all, anything can be a catalyst, even a person. The thing was that using items is considered wiser seeing as depending on the item, there connection to whomever it was related to can call upon the Servant.

But the Grimm, they were supposedly man-made. So, they shouldn't really have any connection to a hero of the past, but who knows, Zouken could be mistaken. Not to mention he was eager in trying out anyway. He just needed to use a powerful Grimm as a catalyst. Nothing mediocre like the mass-produced werewolves.

'That Wyvern would indeed be nice.' Zouken thought as he then used some of his scouting blade worms to fly ahead to see what was there ahead of him in the temple. Finding many Grimm of all sorts around the mountain. 'But trying to bring it here would likely be futile.'

Better to bring something else, even if it wasn't as extravagant as the Wyvern. After a bit of searching, eventually Zouken soon found a few Grimm to his liking. One was a massive centipede of sorts, which could spit acid. Another, a giant worm with a single eye with heads on both ends. He was quite tempted for that one. Eventually though, Zouken found something else.

"Now what have we here?" Thanks to his connection to his worms, Zouken can see through them even when they're at a distance. As such, he saw a rather peculiar Grimm. One with a skull shaped head and countless small tentacles beneath it. Hm, it seemed very interesting, especially seeing as it was the only type of Grimm he could see among the others. Yes, this one will do.

With some prodding with his blade worms, Zouken then used them to 'guide' the Grimm towards Zouken's location. It took a while of course, but Zouken was patient. In time, Zouken soon caught sight of the Grimm.

"Scrarrrr!" Which soon spotted him and eagerly crawled towards him. It's red eyes all gazing at Zouken, with full intent to murder. Sensing a depravity in the man and so much more. Granted, the Grimm did see something unnatural in the man's soul, especially denial, but it mattered not for such things. The Grimm only cared for killing Zouken and nothing more.

Too bad for it, Zouken was smarter.

Vrrm!

The Grimm then slammed into an invisible wall. Under it, the magical circle Zouken drew beneath its body. The magus having guided the Grimm to crawl right over the circle where Zouken used his magecraft to trap it. "It is ready."

The circle began to glow, something the Grimm took notice of. But not as much as it sensed the sadistic intent of this 'human' before it. With Zouken making a nasty smile as he then raised his arm, letting some of his blood drop and hit the circle, making it glow more ominously than before.

"Let silver and steel be the essence. Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation. Let red be the color I pay tribute to. Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall. Let the four cardinal gates close. Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate. Let it be filled. Again. Again. Again. Again. Let it be filled fivefold for every turn, simply breaking asunder with every filling."

The Grimm then squealed. It's body disintegrating, to Zouken's slight surprise. Catalysts normally don't vanish at all, but then again, perhaps the ritual was affecting the Grimm in a way that Zouken couldn't foresee. Regardless, the chant was done alongside the summoning.

A form was coming forth as the eight Servant was about to arrive.

And when it finally took form, Zouken could only grin wider.

Then his head was promptly crushed.

Yep. Unless things change soon, then Fuyuki and the people are all goners. The Association wiping them out to keep the status quo. Nothing that can save them all, except maybe Shirou, Rin, Archer and Musashi who are heading towards the source.

As for Shinji, well, he nearly ran away. Though it makes sense, as Rin herself noted that Shinji is powerless which includes Berserker in his current state. Meaning running really is the wise choice here, and while Rin dislikes Shinji she gave him a way out. But Rider came in, and like canon she is loyal to only one person, Sakura. She might hate Shinji, but oddly he might be able to actually do something good to help out.

And then we have Zouken who succeeded. He's not dead obviously, but the fact he summoned someone that instantly tried to kill him raises flags. Who it is, well I'm sure you can figure it out as they're canon. But considering it was a Grimm used as a catalyst, well…

In any case, Happy New Years!